Chapter 1636: Yanmiao's Decision

Lu Ye returned safely to the Imperial Snail Palace and was assigned to the same room he had previously occupied.

Yan Miao decided to personally verify the situation while escorting Lu Ye. This naturally involved many instructions and preparations. She anticipated considerable resistance, as the other elders would likely be reluctant to let her take such a risk. However, once Yan Miao made up her mind, no one could stop her. They certainly couldn't imprison her; as the Grand Elder and the most powerful, she was unmatched by any other merfolk.

Bai Lu visited, promptly delivering the promised Dragon Gate Techniques to Lu Ye. She was swift and efficient in her actions. The merfolk queen, Bai Shuang, accompanied her. The young queen was just as Lu Ye remembered her. He had once asked why Bai Shuang was the queen instead of Bai Lu or Yan Miao. Bai Lu explained that the merfolk prioritize bloodline inheritance. Bai Shuang had inherited certain unique bloodlines from the previous queen, a lineage that Bai Lu did not possess, making Bai Shuang the sole legitimate queen. Although Bai Shuang was still young and not yet powerful, her potential, once fully realized, would far exceed that of any other merfolk. Throughout history, only the queen of this merfolk lineage held the potential to ascend to the Sun-Illuminated realm. For countless ages, there had been no recorded instance of any merfolk other than the queen achieving such an advancement.

Since Lu Ye had helped her engrave a spiritual pattern previously, the young queen had developed a fondness for him. Her interest intensified upon hearing from Bai Lu that Lu Ye possessed the ability to resolve the curse poison. As Lu Ye conversed with Bai Lu, Bai Shuang sat nearby, as quiet and still as a porcelain doll.

"How is Ghost doing?" Lu Ye suddenly inquired.

"Senior Sister Ghost is doing very well," Bai Lu replied. "She's been cultivating diligently lately."

"Take me to her," Lu Ye said. He wasn't seeking to bother Ghost, but rather to acquire more Dragon Gate Techniques from her. He needed them for himself, and the cultivators from Kyushu would also benefit from them; there was no harm in collecting more.

"Please don't bully her," Bai Lu cautioned.

Lu Ye raised an eyebrow. "Did she say something bad about me to you?" he asked, suspecting Ghost was fully capable of such gossip.

Bai Lu pursed her lips and smiled. "She didn't say much," she replied, though it was clear Ghost had, in fact, said quite a bit.

When Lu Ye next saw Ghost, she was gracefully seated on a fragrant bed draped with pink curtains, presumably in Bai Lu's private chambers. With her back to them, Ghost's voice was sweet and melodic. "Xiao Lu, come quickly and cultivate! I've been waiting for you for days!"

She turned, smiling brightly with eager anticipation, only for her gaze to land on an irritating face. Her smile vanished, as if she had just stumbled upon a pile of dog waste.

"Why are you here?" she demanded.

Lu Ye frowned, looking at her, then at the bed... And "Xiao Lu"? It appeared Ghost and Bai Lu had grown quite close, even using such affectionate terms with each other.

"Do you have any Dragon Gate Techniques?" Lu Ye asked bluntly, not bothering with pleasantries.

"Have what?" Ghost instinctively retorted.

"Hand them all over," Lu Ye said, extending his hand.

Ghost paused, perplexed by Lu Ye's entitled demeanor, then erupted in anger. "You want this, you want that, but when I tell you to marry me, you refuse! What do you think I am?" Lu Ye had already gone to great lengths to observe her ghost patterns, and now he wouldn't even spare her Dragon Gate Techniques. It was simply too much.

"Marry?" Bai Lu's eyes widened in surprise. She knew there was an ongoing tension between Ghost and Lu Ye, as Ghost often spoke negatively of him, even describing him as her lifelong nemesis. Yet now, she was openly asking him to marry her? Could Senior Sister Ghost have been disingenuous all this time?

Bai Shuang stood beside Bai Lu, her eyes wide as well. Beneath her usually calm gaze, a clear thrill of excitement shimmered, as though she were witnessing an extraordinary spectacle. Truly, outsiders were far more interesting than the merfolk, who always seemed so lifeless.

Lu Ye pondered for a moment, then replied, "Of course I consider you a friend!"

Ghost scoffed, fixing Lu Ye with a stare. "Do you even believe that yourself?" she challenged.

Lu Ye met her gaze calmly, his eyes brimming with sincerity. Had Ghost not recalled his past actions, she might have almost believed him. While she was reluctant to give Lu Ye what he wanted, she was currently dependent on him. Ghost dared not offend him, fearing she might be left abandoned and uncared for. It was true that she greatly enjoyed cultivating there, as the efficiency was unprecedented, offering her hope of reaching the Sun-Illuminated realm. However, she couldn't stay forever and would still need Lu Ye's assistance.

With a huff, she indignantly retrieved several jade slips and tossed them to Lu Ye as if they were refuse. "They're all here," she muttered.

Lu Ye took the slips and put them away, then turned to Bai Lu. "I'll be leaving now," he said.

Bai Lu nodded.

As Lu Ye departed, Ghost's indignant voice followed him. "Would it kill you to say thank you? How rude!"

The following day, Yan Miao approached Lu Ye with an excited expression. "Young friend," she said, "I am fully prepared. Let us depart." She was eager to venture out to sea and conduct her verification. Lu Ye, of course, had no objections.

As they stepped outside together, Lu Ye saw a large gathering of merfolk, including several elders, Bai Lu, and Bai Shuang. All of them wore solemn and serious expressions. Yan Miao's impending endeavor was exceedingly perilous, and their concern was understandable. Should any mishap occur, the merfolk would lose their most powerful combatant. It was clear the elders had attempted to dissuade her, but with Yan Miao's firm resolve, they were powerless to stop her. As Yan Miao had stated, some matters could only be understood through personal experience.

"There's no need for such long faces," Yan Miao assured them. "This journey won't pose a significant problem. I know my own body better than any of you; the curse poison should be completely neutralized. Please wait here in the palace, and I will inform you immediately once we have a result."

The Second Elder couldn't help but interject, "Grand Elder, perhaps it would be wise to reconsider this matter."

Yan Miao shook her head. "Our people have waited too long for this day," she said. "As the current Grand Elder, I hope to be the first of our kind to leave the Myriad Manifestation Sea. You could call it a personal ambition."

Upon hearing her words, the assembled merfolk found themselves unable to object further. They could only offer words of good fortune, wishing her a smooth journey. Moments later, under the watchful eyes of the merfolk, Yan Miao and Lu Ye set off on their journey.

Being deep within the Myriad Manifestation Sea, exiting would take at least a month, assuming they maintained the correct heading. If they strayed off course, the journey could easily extend to several months. Unsure which direction to take, Lu Ye simply chose one at random. This wouldn't be a waste of time, as Lu Ye intended to cultivate within the Myriad Manifestation Sea regardless. Thus, traveling also served as a period of cultivation for him. From time to time, he would monitor the fuel levels of his talent tree. Should he detect any abnormality, he would ask Yan Miao to activate the golden conch's power, which repelled seawater.

Beneath the Myriad Manifestation Sea, even Yan Miao found it challenging to use her spiritual power to carry Lu Ye. Therefore, both rode seahorse-like star beasts as mounts. These creatures moved swiftly underwater, no slower than a Constellation Realm cultivator flying through the air.

En route, Lu Ye finally had the opportunity to discuss the second matter of their journey with Yan Miao, something he hadn't managed to address back at the Constellation Palace. "Grand Elder," Lu Ye began, "I borrowed some spirit jades from your people previously, and I fear I am currently unable to repay them."

Yan Miao smiled. "A few spirit jades are of no consequence," she replied. "If you wish for more, I will instruct them to mine a greater quantity for you. My merfolk do not require such vast amounts."

"If it were just for myself, Grand Elder," Lu Ye explained, "I would gladly accept your generous offer. However, I currently have a group of my kin who also require spirit jades for their cultivation. Therefore, I wish to establish a trade partnership with your esteemed people."

"That's perfectly fine," Yan Miao responded. "But what would you like to trade, young friend?"

"Spiritual pills," Lu Ye stated. "That's all we can refine at the moment." As he spoke, he asked Yan Miao to retrieve the golden conch and activate its power, creating a localized vacuum. He then presented the spiritual pills he had brought. "Grand Elder, please examine them," he requested.

Lu Ye and the merfolk had indeed engaged in trade before, though it had been an unspoken understanding rather than an explicit agreement. For a long-term partnership, however, clarity was essential. Spiritual pills were highly favored by the merfolk, as they lacked the means to refine them. The supply of spiritual pills Lu Ye had brought on his previous visit had largely been depleted. Thus, Yan Miao was very receptive to Lu Ye's proposal of trading spiritual pills with the merfolk.

She accepted the jade bottle Lu Ye offered and examined it briefly. Despite her high cultivation, she admitted to having limited knowledge of spiritual pills. Nevertheless, with a point of comparison, she noticed something. "Young friend," she observed, "the quality of these spiritual pills seems significantly superior to those you brought previously."

Lu Ye immediately began to explain the common knowledge regarding spiritual pill quality. Only then did Yan Miao realize the intricate details involved in these small elixirs. Yan Miao was undoubtedly astonished to learn that all these spiritual pills were of supreme grade. Lu Ye had just explained that supreme-grade pills were entirely free of impurities, could be consumed by any cultivator without risk, and were highly coveted—even exceptional alchemists relied on luck to produce them. However, the sheer quantity of supreme-grade spiritual pills Lu Ye had brought defied explanation by mere good fortune.

"You see," Lu Ye clarified, "I possess a treasure that aids in alchemy, which allows me to produce a larger quantity of supreme-grade spiritual pills. This particular one is a Body-Strengthening Pill; consuming it enhances one's physical constitution."

Yan Miao's eyes lit up. "Excellent," she murmured.

The merfolk primarily focused their cultivation on physical prowess, as underwater combat with star beasts often rendered spiritual techniques ineffective, necessitating close-quarters engagement. The Body-Strengthening Pill would undoubtedly be of immense benefit to the merfolk!

Soon, Yan Miao noticed another type of spiritual pill. As she examined it closely, her expression suddenly shifted. "Young friend," she inquired, "what kind of spiritual pill is this?" She vaguely sensed that this particular pill would be of great significance to her.

Noticing her expression, Lu Ye realized Yan Miao had detected something. "This is a Soul-Refining Pill," he explained, "capable of tempering the divine soul and fortifying one's spirit."