Chapter 1724: Development Strategy

The enemies who had set their sights on Three Realms Island had made two preparations. They were confident this surprise attack would kill Tang Jun, but they also hoped to leverage his distress call to eliminate Luan Xiao'e, which would significantly reduce complications when conquering Three Realms Island.

What the enemies didn't expect, however, was that Lu Ye returned at this crucial juncture, bringing Ma Shangsi and He Baichuan with him.

Upon receiving Tang Jun's message, Lu Ye and Ma Shangsi immediately departed for the rescue. Their swift departure left the three ambushing enemies outside no time to intercept them, so they could only block Luan Xiao'e and He Baichuan. While it was three against two, giving them a numerical advantage, Luan Xiao'e was at the peak of Lunar Exaltation, and He Baichuan was also in the late Lunar Exaltation realm. A mere numerical superiority was insufficient to guarantee victory.

After the ambush on Tang Jun failed, and one Lunar Exaltation cultivator was even slain, the three individuals engaged in combat with Luan Xiao'e and He Baichuan also swiftly retreated. Their plan had failed, rendering further struggle pointless.

The situation was now clear.

Inside the council hall, everyone remained silent.

After a considerable silence, Lu Ye finally spoke, "We can forget about Yuan Du. That old man is untrustworthy, and since he prefers to operate covertly, we'll simply ignore him."

Lu Ye was somewhat vexed. Three Realms Island had initiated diplomatic overtures, proactively offering benefits. It would have been acceptable if their gesture wasn't appreciated, but for them to secretly cause trouble was infuriating. It was only due to their current insufficient strength that Lu Ye couldn't act on his desire to emulate Ma Bin.

This grievance was noted for now; they lacked the ability to retaliate at present, so it would have to wait.

"Besides Yuan Du, how much do you know about the other two Sun-Illuminated cultivators who were dispatched?" Lu Ye asked Tang Jun.

Although Lu Ye was reluctant to engage in the practice of "paying respects" and giving away their benefits for free, it was the prevailing trend. If doing so could genuinely reduce many troubles, he could reluctantly accept it.

In dealing with people and navigating the world, being too weak is disadvantageous, but being overly rigid is equally so. For certain matters and rules, compromise is necessary.

He didn't inquire about the other two senior Sun-Illuminated cultivators. Since they had already "eaten their fill," they were unlikely to accept further "respects" from spirit islands; they would surely reserve some benefits for their three newly arrived colleagues.

"It's very difficult to gain an audience with a Sun-Illuminated cultivator," Tang Jun explained. "The main reason I chose Yuan Du was that I had a channel to contact him. Even then, it took almost a month, and I didn't even get to meet him. As for the other two... one of them originates from the Heavenly Flame Realm!"

The Heavenly Flame Realm is incredibly powerful, far surpassing the Chime Bell Realm. Otherwise, it wouldn't be their realm that currently overtly controls Peerless Island.

Of course, Peerless Island is now completely desolate. After Lu Ye took the Minor Star Dwelling Hall, Peerless Island's condition deteriorated day by day until, by today, it has almost reverted to a barren island.

It was cultivators from the Heavenly Flame Realm who had forcibly attacked Peerless Island in the past, so Old Tang held absolutely no goodwill towards them.

"And the other one?" Upon learning of their Heavenly Flame Realm origin, Lu Ye immediately abandoned any thought of paying respects to them.

"As for the other one... I'll try to find a way to see if I can establish contact," Tang Jun replied. Among those present, he undoubtedly possessed the most extensive network of contacts within the Myriad Manifestation Sea, having befriended many people while assisting Chu Shen in managing Peerless Island.

However, such connections were inherently fragile. People had interacted warmly with him then because he held the title of Peerless Island's manager. Otherwise, which Lunar Exaltation from a major power would even spare a glance for an elderly, mid-stage Lunar Exaltation with little future prospects?

Tang Jun was not certain he could successfully contact them.

Furthermore, Yuan Du had undoubtedly set his sights on Peerless Island; otherwise, he wouldn't have leaked information to others and engaged in covert schemes. Given Yuan Du's clear position, this third Sun-Illuminated cultivator might not be willing to engage with Three Realms Island. It simply wouldn't be worth offending another Sun-Illuminated cultivator in their star system for a few cultivation slots from a high-grade spirit island.

"After all is said and done, it's better to rely on ourselves than on others!" Lu Ye said earnestly. "Therefore, we must build a strong enough foundation ourselves. Especially in a place like the Myriad Manifestation Sea, if you're not powerful enough, others cannot truly assist you, even if they wish to."

The case of Peerless Island served as the best example.

If Peerless Island had possessed sufficient strength to defend itself at the time, it would not have been forcibly overrun.

"To grow stronger, we must cultivate diligently and secure enough cultivation resources," Lu Ye stated. "Our Three Realms Island now boasts over a thousand Constellations, and our Lunar Exaltation numbers are also abundant, so we need not worry about our defensive capabilities. Future development, however, is paramount. Therefore, the first issue we must resolve is the supply of spirit jade for our Three Realms cultivators' practice!"

Not to mention others, he himself required vast quantities of spirit jade for his cultivation, specifically to acquire fire-element resources for his Talent Tree to absorb.

"The elixirs produced by the Pill Refinement Hall can satisfy the cultivation needs of some individuals, and we currently have a long-term, stable cooperation with the Merfolk," Luan Xiao'e said.

"This is not a long-term solution," Lu Ye replied. "We require more abundant and stable channels for spirit jade."

While the elixirs produced by the Pill Refinement Hall and sold to the Merfolk could indeed meet the cultivation needs of some cultivators, Lu Ye had brought another five hundred Constellations this time, making the current supply insufficient.

Thus, there was only one way to solve this problem:

Develop Three Realms Island! By attracting merchants to settle, the annual rent collected alone would become an enormous sum.

However, Three Realms Island's current situation was somewhat awkward.

Everyone believed that cultivators from the Three Realms would be unable to establish a firm foothold. Therefore, despite a commercial zone having been designated, no merchants had proactively approached them for negotiations.

"Old Tang," Lu Ye said, turning to him, "Find a way to discover which force attacked you. We cannot afford to be passively beaten; we must take the initiative and strike!"

"Leave it to me!" Tang Jun nodded, seething with anger from the ambush that had nearly cost him his life. Since Lu Ye had this in mind, he naturally intended to cooperate fully.

For Three Realms Island to change the merchants' perceptions, they would have to demonstrate their strength. Finding the clandestine force that attacked them and launching a counteroffensive would serve both as an act of revenge and a display of their capabilities.

On Three Realms Island, Luan Xiao'e was nominally the Grand Island Lord, while Lu Ye was merely the Third Island Lord, and Luan Xiao'e's cultivation far exceeded his. Nevertheless, all other Lunar Exaltations, including Luan Xiao'e herself, held considerable trust in Lu Ye.

During their journey from Jade Snail to the Myriad Manifestation Sea, Luan Xiao'e had witnessed countless incredible feats performed by Lu Ye. She consistently believed that this young man was destined for greatness, and thus, she had no intention of refuting any of Lu Ye's decisions, choosing instead to offer her full cooperation.

Moreover, she herself shared this very idea.

Lu Ye then turned to Yan Miao and Cheng Xin, saying, "I appreciate your efforts during this period, Elders."

Yan Miao smiled in response, "Why be so formal with us? Just say the word, and our tribe will provide full support wherever you wish to strike!"

It was entirely thanks to Lu Ye that these Merfolk could leave the Myriad Manifestation Sea. Furthermore, now free from the torment of the bloodline curse and aided by the exquisite God Refining Pill, Yan Miao even felt she had a chance to glimpse the profound mysteries of the Sun-Illuminated realm.

With such mutual grace and affection, it was clear that the Merfolk were now inextricably bound to Lu Ye. Yan Miao's words were not mere politeness, but a genuine reflection of her thoughts.

Lu Ye nodded. "Excellent!"

He then turned to He Baichuan and Ma Shangsi, saying, "Take a brief rest. I'll take you to Myriad Manifestation Island later for registration."

Previously, Three Realms Island had an insufficient number of Lunar Exaltations, which necessitated the registration of Yan Miao and Cheng Xin. Now that Three Realms Island's Lunar Exaltation numbers were adequate, there was no need to trouble the two Merfolk. After all, if a spirit island conflict truly arose with another power, and their own forces were deployed, it would naturally be inappropriate to send the two Merfolk elders into the fray.

However, considering Tang Jun's somewhat weaker strength at the Lunar Exaltation level, Lu Ye felt it would be better to replace him.

This way, although one Merfolk elder and Old Tang would indeed be unable to participate in spirit island contention battles, they could still take action at other times without any problem.

Furthermore, Old Tang wouldn't be idle; he possessed a broader network of contacts than others and would be crucial in contributing to the future development of Three Realms Island.

The rules of the Myriad Manifestation Sea provided a broad framework, containing numerous loopholes. However, as long as this general direction remained stable, the indigenous star system could effectively manage the various factions within the Myriad Manifestation Sea, preventing major unrest.

The council meeting established Three Realms Island's development strategy for the upcoming period.

The news was relayed downwards from the higher echelons, and numerous Constellations began preparing for battle.

During this period, the Constellations had actually felt quite stifled. Upon their initial arrival in the Myriad Manifestation Sea, they could roam freely in groups. However, with the gradual rise of Three Realms Island, it became unwise for them to appear casually outside. Firstly, no one knew when enemies might launch an attack, so they needed to be constantly prepared for battle. Secondly, if they encountered a situation similar to Tang Jun's, Constellations outside the island would be at risk.

Therefore, ever since the first battle concluded, the Constellations of Three Realms Island had remained on the island, each cultivating in peace. Three Realms Island was now a high-grade spirit island, boasting an exceptionally superior cultivation environment. With the assistance of spirit jade, their cultivation efficiency would undoubtedly be far greater than normal.

Notably, cultivators from Kyushu had experienced a palpable increase in their cultivation over the past year.

The Constellations from Kyushu were entirely distinct from others. Many of them had amassed extraordinarily profound foundations at the Divine Sea Realm level. Previously, due to Kyushu's unfavorable environment, their cultivation progress had been slow. However, with sufficient cultivation resources, their advancement speed was bound to far exceed that of cultivators from other realms.

Currently, Kyushu's Constellations were still predominantly in the early stages, yet several already exhibited signs of impending breakthroughs. This was undoubtedly a promising beginning. One day, Kyushu would assuredly give rise to numerous Lunar Exaltations and many Sun-Illuminated cultivators. Such an elevation in the cultivation ranks would, in turn, bring about revolutionary changes to Kyushu itself.

Particularly now that Kyushu itself also had the Realm King Flower attached, it could be said that Kyushu's future was bright. However, it required the accumulation of time and, more importantly, a collective effort to overcome the current challenges.