Chapter 1628: Three Realms Island

Despite being a Sun-Gazer, Luo Xie had, in recent days, come to realize the significant gap between himself and other Sun-Gazers. He knew that if he truly displeased the Myriad Manifestations Star System, he wouldn't fare well.

"Then I wish you a smooth journey, Elder Luo," Lu Ye said.

As a Sun-Gazer, he likely wouldn't encounter any trouble on his journey, unless he was reckless enough to attempt traversing the Mist Dragon without the aid of a Reincarnation Tree clone.

Luo Xie smiled faintly and said, "Then I'll take your good wishes." After a slight hesitation, he couldn't help but add, "If you encounter any difficulties here, remember to seek out Zhang Tingyi and Kang Cheng. They won't stand idly by."

Late-stage Moon Gazers from all four star systems had arrived this time. Kang Cheng was from Wuding Star System, and Zhang Tingyi was from Daluo Star System. Lu Ye had spoken with Zhang Tingyi a few times, but they weren't very familiar.

As Luo Xie mentioned, if Lu Ye were to face genuine difficulties and approach them, they would certainly not disregard his plight. The world-saving grace was still recent, and the Sun-Gazers themselves had sworn it would be eternally unforgettable, so how could they possibly forget?

Luo Xie offered this special reminder because he found their situation here to be somewhat bleak.

Although the Four Star Systems currently faced a similar situation to Lu Ye's, lacking a proper base, their overall strength was immense.

The four late-stage Moon Gazers were all mid-to-late stage Constellation cultivators. Having recently acquired numerous Harmonious Unity Array Disks, Kang Cheng and the others had been exploring the Myriad Manifestations Sea for the past few days, searching for a suitable target. Once found, they would initiate an island assault.

Taking over a spirit island at that point wouldn't pose a significant problem.

If not for the sheer number of people from the Four Star Systems, Luo Xie would have even considered advising Lu Ye and his companions to join their ranks.

However, with a thousand cultivators from the Four Star Systems arriving this time, even if they conquered a spirit island, there might not be enough space for all their own people, let alone Lu Ye and his group.

It wasn't about physical space; rather, a spirit island had a limited number of cultivation spots for cultivators. The lower the quality of the spirit island, the fewer the available spots. Exceeding this limit would lead to a decrease in cultivation efficiency within the island.

To accommodate a thousand cultivators from the Four Star Systems, a low-grade spirit island would be entirely insufficient. They would need to conquer at least a mid-grade spirit island.

However, the forces backing mid-grade spirit islands were exceptionally strong. The Four Star Systems would have to identify a more suitable target before launching an assault.

"For now, it's not a big problem. If I truly face difficulties, I won't be polite with them," Lu Ye nodded.

"That settles it then. I'm off." As Luo Xie finished speaking, he soared into the sky, disappearing in an instant, remarkably unburdened.

He couldn't help but be unburdened; he couldn't simply linger...

A moment later, Tang Jun regained his composure and said, "Lad, this array is now set up exactly as you requested. However, its defensive capabilities are as flimsy as paper."

Due to the minimal cost and the array's extensive coverage, its defensive power was indeed negligible. A few Constellation cultivators could easily shatter it with a brief assault.

"And why do you need this array to have an isolating effect?" Tang Jun asked, somewhat suspicious. An array with an isolating effect could block the flow of energy between its interior and exterior.

But what energy could possibly flow in from outside the Myriad Manifestations Sea?

As for blocking internal energy from overflowing, that was an even greater joke; such a desolate island possessed not even a trace of cosmic energy.

"Just in case..." Lu Ye replied casually.

"What 'in case'?" Luan Xiao'e asked, puzzled.

"What if this desolate island comes alive someday?"

Tang Jun couldn't help but scoff. While it was true that desolate islands occasionally awakened on the Myriad Manifestations Sea, such occurrences were rare, typically happening only once every several years. Wushuang Island, for example, was the most successful instance of a desolate island transforming, now a top-tier spirit island.

But there was only one Wushuang Island in the entire world... For someone to wish to encounter such good fortune twice was pure fantasy.

This was all irrelevant, as the cost of setting up the array itself wasn't high.

"So what should we do next?" Luan Xiao'e asked again. She found herself increasingly indecisive. She remembered being someone whose word was law in the Jade Snail Realm, yet now, in the Myriad Manifestations Sea, she relied heavily on a young man significantly younger than herself.

"The territory has been claimed... it should have a name," Lu Ye mused. "Since we are from the Jade Snail Star System, let's call it Jade Snail Island."

Luan Xiao'e was speechless, utterly baffled by Lu Ye's thoughts. At this moment, he was actually preoccupied with naming a desolate island.

Tang Jun wore an indifferent expression. Jade Snail Island it was; at least it wouldn't be Qingli Island.

"How about Three Realms Island?" Luan Xiao'e suggested. "We cultivators from the Three Realms are establishing ourselves here, moving forward and retreating together, sharing both glory and hardship. I hope everyone has a prosperous future."

The main reason was that calling it Jade Snail Island made her feel somewhat uneasy...

"Fellow Daoist Luan's suggestion is good. Let's call it Three Realms Island," Tang Jun agreed.

The island's name was settled. Lu Ye then declared, "Then Senior Sister Luan will be the Great Island Master of Three Realms Island from now on, and Old Tang, you'll be the Second Island Master!"

"You're the Third Island Master!" Tang Jun looked at him.

Lu Ye was about to suggest there were more distinguished candidates from their realm, but on second thought, while others might indeed be more revered, he realized he was still the most suitable choice.

Among the group from Kyushu were members of the Vast Sky Alliance and the Myriad Demon Ridge. Although factional distinctions had long been abandoned at their level of cultivation, the historical imprints remained. It would be difficult for anyone else to command universal respect if they were appointed the Third Island Master.

Only with him as the Third Island Master would there be no dissent, especially since he possessed the highest cultivation among all the Kyushu cultivators present.

"Next, we'll establish the foundation of Three Realms Island," Lu Ye said, turning to Tang Jun. "Old Tang, you have experience in this area, so you take charge. Follow the previous blueprint used for Wushuang Island."

Tang Jun had a strange expression. "Follow Wushuang Island's plan?"

Wushuang Island had been developed by Chu Shen into a commercial spirit island. Only a small portion served as its core foundation; the majority of the island was designated for setting up shops.

To develop such a desolate island according to Wushuang Island's previous plan, Tang Jun truly wanted to pry open Lu Ye's head and see what he was thinking.

"You're not actually expecting this barren island to come alive, are you?"

"One must have dreams," Lu Ye said earnestly. "What if they come true someday through sheer luck?"

Tang Jun snorted coldly, "If Three Realms Island can come alive, I'll call you grandpa, no problem!"

Lu Ye gave him a long, drawn-out look.

He reached out and handed a storage ring to Tang Jun. "Take these things; they should be useful."

Tang Jun accepted it with a suspicious gaze. After a quick mental probe, his expression grew solemn. "Lad, rest assured, I have always been obedient to your instructions. Whatever you say, that's what we'll do!"

Luan Xiao'e watched Tang Jun in surprise from the side, wondering what Lu Ye had given him to cause such a sudden change in Tang Jun's attitude.

Lu Ye walked off a short distance.

After he left, Tang Jun excitedly retrieved a few items from the storage ring. Luan Xiao'e looked closely and realized they were several artifacts!

She couldn't help but sigh, "Fellow Daoist Tang, please show some gravitas!"

"You're already so old; how can you be so undignified in front of a mere greenhorn?"

Tang Jun said, "Your Jade Snail Realm possesses vast wealth and resources; how could you possibly understand the hardships faced by Moon Gazers from smaller realms like ours..."

He recalled that Lu Ye had once given him hundreds of thousands of spirit crystals to purchase artifacts, allowing him to accumulate some assets. However, in the battle of Wushuang Island, those artifacts, which cost hundreds of thousands of spirit crystals, were all shattered, leaving him with cultivation but nothing of value.

As a magic cultivator, how could he manage without artifacts? Helplessly, he was short on funds and completely unable to afford any.

Lu Ye had evidently learned of this from Chu Shen, which was why he provided him with these artifacts.

These artifacts originated from Luo Xie. Earlier, on their way to the Myriad Manifestations Sea, Luo Xie had purchased some Harmonious Unity Array Disks from Lu Ye, paying several hundred thousand spirit crystals and these few artifacts.

Lu Ye had originally intended to sell the spirit crystals, but upon learning that all of Tang Jun's artifacts had been shattered, he decided to give them to him instead.

The grade of these artifacts wasn't high; they were items Luo Xie neither used nor valued, but they were perfectly suitable for Tang Jun.

Lu Ye was about to go find Hua Ci and his Second Senior Sister, but he was stopped midway by Wuchang, Yue Ji, and a few others.

"Is there something you need?" Lu Ye asked.

The group exchanged glances, their eyes darting about, yet no one spoke.

It wasn't until Jian Guhong drew his sword and pressed it against Wuchang's waist that Wuchang finally spoke, "Yi Ye, I heard you can fish in the Myriad Manifestations Sea... and a single fish can sell for several thousand spirit crystals. Is that true?"

Not only was Luan Xiao'e concerned about the spirit crystals for the Three Realms cultivators' future cultivation, but they too were anxious. Although the Four Star Systems had previously given Lu Ye a thank-you gift of ten million spirit crystals, which he had distributed among the Kyushu cultivators, providing tens of thousands of spirit crystals to each person and ensuring their cultivation for a short while, they couldn't simply sit idly by and deplete their resources.

Furthermore, cultivators didn't solely spend spirit crystals on cultivation. Since arriving at the Myriad Manifestations Sea, they had discovered numerous valuable items they wished to purchase, yet they could afford none of them.

Naturally, they sought ways to generate income.

They had somehow heard about the possibility of fishing and immediately became interested.

Lu Ye frowned. He had only mentioned fishing in the Myriad Manifestations Sea to the people from the Four Star Systems and had never brought it up with the Kyushu cultivators. He wondered how they had heard about it.

When Wuchang asked, he could only nod. "That's correct."

"Then we..." Wuchang's face lit up with joy.

"You can't go!" Lu Ye immediately suppressed the stirrings within him. "That pursuit relies too heavily on luck. Many people have lost everything because of it; ultimately, only a small, indeed a very small, fraction truly benefit."

The saying "Fishing ruins lives, dabbling in fish impoverishes three generations" was more than just words; it summarized the tragic fates of countless predecessors.

"Like gambling?" Wuchang asked, puzzled.

"It's different. In any case, it's unreliable. Regardless of what others have told you, do not get involved in this pursuit, or you'll regret it when it's too late."

The few people all nodded, but Lu Ye didn't know if they had truly taken his words to heart.

Lu Ye realized this wouldn't work. If Wuchang and the others were so interested in fishing after hearing about it, others were likely similar. Especially since the Three Realms cultivators currently had no income from spirit crystals, someone might resort to desperate measures.

He needed to have Luan Xiao'e issue an order strictly prohibiting fishing for cultivators on Three Realms Island in the future, nipping this idea in the bud.