Chapter 1773: You’re Not Bad, Kid

Haitang left after escorting Lu Ye to Chen Xuanhai, who then activated the altar's power to send Lu Ye and Ya Ya back to Western Square Inch Mountain.

At the Western altar, Lu Ye materialized. Zhang Kun, who was stationed there, looked up at him, a smile on his face, and asked, "How come you're back alone? Where's little Haitang?"

"Haitang has some matters to attend to and will remain there for now," Lu Ye replied. He stepped down from the altar, took out a jade slip, and handed it to Zhang Kun.

Zhang Kun took it, a hint of suspicion in his eyes.

Lu Ye explained, "This is from Peak Master Su Yuqing. Please take a look, Senior Brother."

Zhang Kun immediately extended his divine sense to examine the jade slip's contents. As he did so, he remarked, "You're so disrespectful! Haitang calls me Senior Uncle, yet you call me Senior Brother. How are we supposed to sort out this seniority..."

He didn't finish his sentence. His expression turned odd, and he looked up at Lu Ye.

The jade slip revealed that Su Yuqing had explicitly stated her relationship with Lu Ye.

Zhang Kun was utterly shocked!

It turned out this Lu Yiye wasn't Haitang's Dao companion, but Su Yuqing's?

What was happening? Had the master taken her disciple's partner, or had both master and disciple been ensnared by him?

And... Su Yuqing actually went through with it! Wasn't this a classic case of an older person preying on a younger one?

Zhang Kun couldn't help but suck air through his teeth. He had lived for such a long time and had never witnessed anything so bizarre, yet he felt an inexplicable pang of heartache!

Considering the Sun-grade cultivators of the Little Folk, there were already so few women, and Su Yuqing was the undisputed best among them. Yet, none of their own Sun-grade cultivators, despite their proximity, had managed to form such a bond; instead, she was taken by a human boy.

What virtues and abilities did this young man possess?

Zhang Kun soon understood why Su Yuqing had clarified the situation: it was undoubtedly to reassure him that Lu Ye was someone the Little Folk could trust. Otherwise, why would Su Yuqing specifically mention such a personal matter?

Once he finished reading the jade slip, Zhang Kun understood Su Yuqing's intentions.

Indeed, compared to the external aid previously sought by other Square Inch Mountain factions, Lu Ye was undoubtedly a better fit. With his connection to Su Yuqing, and not originating from any powerful force himself, he certainly wouldn't act against the interests of the Little Folk.

After a moment's contemplation, Zhang Kun looked up, slapped Lu Ye on the shoulder, and said through gritted teeth, "You little rascal... you're really something!"

Lu Ye maintained his smile, though he felt his shoulder was about to be crushed.

"Alright," Zhang Kun said, retracting his hand. "I understand the situation. I'll discuss it thoroughly with the Senior Brothers and Sisters of our main branch. I'll inform you once we have a decision, which should be within the next month. Be ready to depart at any time."

"Understood!" Lu Ye nodded.

"You may go," Zhang Kun waved him off.

Lu Ye, holding Ya Ya, shot into the sky and quickly left Square Inch Mountain. When he reappeared, he was already above the Myriad Manifestation Sea. He oriented himself and flew directly towards Three Realms Island.

While Square Inch Mountain needed to make its own arrangements, Lu Ye also had some preparations to make at Three Realms Island, as this journey was likely to take a considerable amount of time.

Furthermore, he needed to ensure his Talent Tree had sufficient fuel.

For over three days, Grand Disc Island remained bustling with countless cultivators coming and going, all hoping to trade for spirit talismans with the Little Folk.

Three Realms Island, however, had already finished its dealings early.

Thanks to Lu Ye's connection, Duan Xiuchen and Ye Chaoqun had supplied Three Realms Island with a large quantity of spirit talismans at significant discounts. Consequently, Three Realms Island had completed a very profitable transaction, accumulating a considerable number of talismans from the Little Folk in its treasury.

Naturally, these were all White and Purple Talismans; Red Talismans, which could only be refined by Sun-grade cultivators, were not available for purchase.

Nevertheless, once these talismans were distributed and diligently cultivated by the Three Realms cultivators, their strength was bound to increase significantly.

Lu Ye convened the Moon-grade cultivators of Three Realms Island and informed them he would be leaving for an indefinite period.

No one questioned him further. For a Moon-grade cultivator, it was perfectly normal to travel extensively. Occasional spontaneous journeys or trips to handle important matters were commonplace.

Only Ma Shangsi, ever loyal, immediately volunteered to follow Lu Ye and serve him diligently.

Lu Ye decisively refused, instructing him instead to diligently watch over Three Realms Island, warning that any issues upon his return would be attributed to him.

Ma Shangsi meekly assented.

The Spirit Talisman Convention on Grand Disc Island concluded ten days after its commencement. Following the convention, the Little Folk also held a Constellation Grand Competition, whose exceptionally rich rewards made many Constellation-grade cultivators extremely envious.

The first-place winner in the Constellation Grand Competition could even receive five Purple Talismans as a single reward.

Even the tenth-ranked competitor would receive one Purple Talisman!

While ordinary Purple Talismans might not possess such immense appeal, the value of those crafted by the Little Folk was entirely different. For Constellation-grade cultivators, a Purple Talisman nurtured over many years could undoubtedly serve as a potent trump card.

When this news reached Lu Ye, he immediately recalled what Su Yuqing had mentioned earlier.

The primary objective of Western Square Inch Mountain in hosting the Spirit Talisman Convention in the Myriad Manifestation Sea was to identify suitable talents.

When Western Square Inch Mountain first descended, several Sun-grade cultivators from the western faction had already met with the native Sun-grade cultivators of the Myriad Manifestation Sea. They had likely discussed this matter and decided to hold the Constellation Grand Competition after the Spirit Talisman Convention.

Therefore, even with Lu Ye preparing to search for the core of Square Inch Mountain, the Constellation Grand Competition remained unavoidable.

From Square Inch Mountain's perspective, Lu Ye's mission might not succeed as hoped, so they needed to prepare for both contingencies. If they could discover suitable talents within the Myriad Manifestation Sea, they could naturally cultivate them for future deployment.

Offering Purple Talismans as rewards was an excellent decision. While valuable, these talismans might not hold sufficient appeal for Constellation-grade cultivators from top-tier factions, effectively pre-screening certain candidates.

Constellation-grade cultivators who were tempted by Purple Talismans were generally those without powerful backing or influence, making them reliable candidates for Square Inch Mountain to employ with confidence.

The Constellation-grade cultivators from Three Realms Island were all eager to participate. Whether they would gain anything would depend on their individual luck and strength.

The Constellation Grand Competition was also held on Grand Disc Island.

Lu Ye did not attend as a spectator. Now a Moon-grade cultivator, he found the contests of the Constellation realm held little interest for him. These past few days, he had been occupied with personal matters.

Before his departure, he visited Hua Ci, chatted with Chu Shen for half a day, and then personally traveled to Five Colors Island with fine wine to thank Mang Dang in person.

Regarding the Talent Tree's fuel, Tang Jun was assisting him with bulk purchases.

Several days later, while the Constellation Grand Competition on Grand Disc Island was in full swing, a group of guests arrived at Three Realms Island.

Upon receiving the news, Lu Ye quickly came out to greet them.

He immediately recognized many familiar faces.

Among them were Duan Xiuchen, Ye Chaoqun, and Haitang—a total of more than twenty Little Folk, every one of whom had participated in the Black Abyss Military Exercise years ago.

"What brings you all here...?" Lu Ye asked, looking at them with a puzzled expression.

Duan Xiuchen chuckled and explained, "By order of our Senior Uncles, Square Inch Mountain is opening a spirit talisman shop on Three Realms Island!"

While Lu Ye was still momentarily stunned, Tang Jun, his face alight with enthusiasm, exclaimed, "Welcome, welcome! It is an honor and a privilege for your esteemed race to open a shop on our island!"

He instantly recognized the immense value of the Little Folk establishing a shop on Three Realms Island.

Regardless of other factors, the mere name "Little Folk Spirit Talismans" would soon bring a surge of attention and popularity to Three Realms Island.

A Little Folk Spirit Talisman shop! Throughout the vast Myriad Manifestation Sea, it would be the only one of its kind, with no other branches. Who wouldn't want to acquire a few for themselves?

With increased attention and popularity, business on Three Realms Island was bound to flourish.

This was an advantage even Myriad Manifestation Island lacked.

Before this day, the Little Folk had never undertaken such an initiative.

Lu Ye immediately realized this was Su Yuqing's arrangement. Furthermore, judging by the number of Little Folk present, it was clear her plan had received support from both the Southern and Western factions, as so many would not have appeared otherwise.

The Little Folk's establishment here was undoubtedly a public declaration, signaling that Three Realms Island shared a deep and significant connection with them.

This measure would help avoid certain unnecessary troubles in the future.

Should Yuan Du harbor any intentions of secretly targeting Three Realms Island, he would now have to consider his relationship with the Little Folk's Sun-grade cultivators.

Three Realms Island previously had no powerful backing, but now it did! Coupled with the stance from the Cheling Realm, Lu Ye believed that Yuan Du would likely no longer harbor any ill intentions toward Three Realms Island.

Currently, Three Realms Island had fully risen. Unless he violated established rules, Yuan Du would be unable to act against Three Realms Island within the bounds of those rules.

Lu Ye had previously wondered how Su Yuqing would manage this situation.

Now, seeing her methods, they were truly simple yet remarkably effective.

In his presence, Su Yuqing was a woman who was gentle and affectionate, but she was, ultimately, a Sun-grade cultivator—a fact no one could overlook.

However... as Lu Ye mused, he glanced at Haitang, meeting her meaningful gaze.

He secretly felt fortunate that Hua Ci had been sealed; otherwise, some matters might have become unmanageable.

Ye Chaoqun stepped forward and handed Lu Ye a storage ring, saying, "Brother Lu, these are items our Senior Uncles instructed us to give you."

Lu Ye accepted it.

The management of the Little Folk Spirit Talisman shop was entrusted to Tang Jun. Although Three Realms Island was bustling and most shops had been leased, the island had specifically reserved a few prime locations not available for general lease, either in the central area or near the ferry.

Therefore, finding a suitable location for the Little Folk Spirit Talisman shop was not difficult.

Inside a bamboo building in the Garrison Area, Lu Ye examined the storage ring Ye Chaoqun had given him.

He immediately spotted three Red Talismans!

Since advancing to the Constellation-grade, after more than ten years of adventures and trials, Lu Ye's knowledge and experience had grown immensely. He was naturally aware of the difficulty involved in refining Red Talismans.

Even for the Little Folk's Sun-grade cultivators, successfully refining a Red Talisman was no easy feat; they might fail dozens of times before achieving a single success.

Each failure, moreover, represented a significant expenditure of time and effort for the Little Folk.

This underscored just how precious a gift it was when Su Yuqing had bestowed two Red Talismans upon him years ago.

Now there were three, indicating that each of the three Little Folk factions had contributed one.