Chapter 1873: Spirit Island Has Value, Face Is Priceless

This was undoubtedly a fortunate predicament. On the Myriad Manifestations Sea, countless large and small forces abounded, but the number of spiritual islands was limited. Countless factions had nowhere to settle, forced to scatter and wander. If lucky, they might find a desolate island to temporarily occupy; otherwise, they were homeless.

Yet, for Three Realms Island, the situation was quite different.

Years ago, after conquering Baiyue, they secretly handed it over to Four Quarters Island—but that's another matter. Now, having captured Zixuan, they still couldn't occupy it.

This was quite the situation...

"We can't keep Zixuan; we're clear on that, right?" Tang Jun looked at everyone.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

In fact, even if Tang Jun hadn't rushed over to bring up the topic, Luan Xiao'e would have gathered the island's Moon Bloom cultivators to quickly discuss Zixuan's fate. As it stood, not keeping Zixuan was already a consensus.

"If we don't want Zixuan, how should we handle it?" He Baichuan asked. They had finally captured such a top-tier spiritual island; they couldn't just abandon it.

If that were the case, someone would surely come to occupy it, gaining a massive benefit for free.

"Auction it?" Yan Miao suggested. "Just like we auctioned Baiyue last time; it should fetch a good price."

"Though that method is feasible, I'm worried no one will dare to take it on," Luan Xiao'e said.

After all, Zixuan was a spiritual island occupied by a top-tier force. Although Three Realms Island had now captured it, it wasn't something just any Tom, Dick, or Harry could covet. This top-tier spiritual island was different from Baiyue. Back then, countless forces eagerly pursued Baiyue, bidding fiercely at the auction. But it was uncertain if anyone would dare to take on Zixuan, because once they did, they would inevitably become an adversary of Zixuan.

Having lost the spiritual island, Zixuan would certainly try to reclaim it. Take Four Quarters Island, for instance: The Baiyue Star System had always eyed it covetously, wanting to reclaim jurisdiction over Four Quarters Island. However, Four Quarters Island's overall strength wasn't weak, rendering the Baiyue Star System powerless.

But Zixuan was different. Any force without significant backing would truly not dare to entertain such thoughts.

This could easily be a hot potato.

"Wrong!" Tang Jun smiled slightly. "There are indeed people interested in Zixuan."

"What rumors have you heard?" Lu Ye asked, looking at him.

Tang Jun replied, "Soon after you captured Zixuan, we received messages from people wanting to take it over and asking us to name a reasonable price. There aren't many, but there are four or five factions."

Lu Ye wondered, "Who would be so bold?"

Tang Jun explained, "In a place without rules, perhaps no one would dare to disregard Zixuan's prestige. But this is, after all, the Myriad Manifestations Sea. Though Zixuan's reputation is immense, the rule that only five registered Moon Bloom cultivators can participate in spiritual island battles ensures that no major turmoil will erupt across this vast Myriad Manifestations Sea. Once those forces take over Zixuan and establish their defenses, even if Zixuan dispatches more troops to reclaim it, it won't be an easy feat. And once they hold out for a while, and their defensive formations become even more stable, they'll be able to firmly establish themselves. So, it actually has little to do with how bold they are. Zixuan is a top-tier realm, true, but the cosmos is vast, and some large realms actually possess very strong foundations. The star systems they lead are naturally not weak in overall strength."

Lu Ye understood. He realized that the forces secretly contacting Tang Jun, wanting to occupy Zixuan, weren't fearless of Zixuan. It was simply that the rules of the Myriad Manifestations Sea greatly restrained even a colossus like Zixuan. Even with immense power, its capabilities on the Myriad Manifestations Sea were limited. Thus, it was worth the risk, and they themselves possessed a certain level of confidence.

A top-tier spiritual island changing hands—if they missed this opportunity, they might not see another in their lifetime. Naturally, people would take action.

"Though four or five factions aren't many, it should still fetch a good price," He Baichuan nodded. "We can sell it."

Luan Xiao'e pondered for a moment, also swayed by the idea. Given that Three Realms cultivators couldn't occupy Zixuan, selling it was indeed the only option.

Everyone turned to look at Lu Ye. Although, nominally, Lu Ye was only the Third Island Master, he had played a decisive role in the development of Three Realms Island over the years. He had also led the resolution of the trials they faced. Without him, Zixuan could not have been captured this time.

Therefore, the final decision on how to handle it rested with him.

After a brief moment of thought, Lu Ye spoke: "It definitely needs to be sold. I already have a suitable buyer, and I believe they'll offer a very high price."

Luan Xiao'e was surprised. "Who?" She hadn't seen Lu Ye in contact with anyone; how could he already have a suitable buyer?

Lu Ye shook his head. "Let's not talk about that for now. Old Tang, you rushed over here so eagerly, surely not just to discuss Zixuan's ownership, right? Is there some other mystery at play?"

Tang Jun chuckled. "You're a clever one! Since you've figured it out, I won't keep you in suspense. Here's what happened: Not long after you killed Lionheart outside Myriad Manifestations Island, Three Realms Island had a visitor: Fellow Daoist Yue from the Chime Realm. She passed by Three Realms Island and went to see young Chu Shen. After she left, Chu Shen came to me and said something."

"What?" He Baichuan asked curiously.

Tang Jun said, "We could find a way to sell Zixuan Island back to the Zixuan Demonic Star!"

He Baichuan paused, looking bewildered. "What's the logic behind that? We fought so hard to capture it; wouldn't selling it back make all our efforts pointless?"

Tang Jun nodded. "Indeed, that's what I thought when I heard it too. But what Chu Shen told me was clearly guidance from Fellow Daoist Yue. Fellow Daoist Yue is a cultivator from the Chime Realm, and it's not proper for her to directly interact with us, so she had young Chu Shen convey it." Pausing, Tang Jun continued, "Thinking deeper, could Fellow Daoist Yue's meaning actually be the intention of that venerable one from the Chime Realm? If so, it carries significant meaning."

The thoughts of a Sun-gazer were unfathomable, but no one dared to ignore them.

"So, all the way here, I've been pondering what deep meaning lies within this. We've broken Zixuan Island and killed so many Zixuan demonic cultivators; even selling it back to them won't resolve this enmity. Given that, why would we sell it back to Zixuan?" Tang Jun showed a troubled expression.

He Baichuan asked, "Have you figured it out?"

Tang Jun chuckled, not answering immediately. Instead, he looked at Lu Ye. "Who is that suitable buyer you mentioned?"

Lu Ye said calmly, "The Zixuan Demonic Star!"

Tang Jun pointed at him, clapping his hands. "See, he's figured it out!"

He Baichuan felt overwhelmed. "Stop being so mysterious! Tell me, what are you two thinking?"

Tang Jun chuckled. "It's quite simple. If Zixuan is to be sold, it must fetch a high price. Certainly, those few interested factions wouldn't offer a low price. But only by selling it back to Zixuan can we get the absolute highest price! For Zixuan, buying back this spiritual island isn't just about completing a transaction; they're buying their reputation!" At this point, Tang Jun sighed with emotion: "A top-tier force losing a spiritual island on the Myriad Manifestations Sea—this has never happened before. If Zixuan doesn't buy back the island, from now on, they'll be the only top-tier force without a top-tier spiritual island, becoming the subject of endless discussion. The prestige of a top-tier force is something invaluable, something money can't buy. So, by selling it to Zixuan, we gain absolute leverage. We can name any price we want, ask for as much as we want!"

After Tang Jun's explanation, He Baichuan suddenly understood.

Indeed, a spiritual island has a price, but prestige is priceless!

To reclaim the spiritual island, as long as Three Realms Island didn't set an outrageous price, the Zixuan Demonic Star would accept it.

Most importantly, in terms of financial resources, what force could compare to a top-tier realm? The benefits gained from selling it to others would certainly not compare to selling it back to the Zixuan Demonic Star.

This was truly the best buyer for Zixuan.

Jiuyan must have seen this point, which was why she instructed Aunt Yue to visit Three Realms Island and convey this idea through Chu Shen.

Tang Jun, however, hadn't expected that Lu Ye's idea aligned perfectly with Jiuyan's. So even if he hadn't made this trip, Lu Ye would have already made a decision.

"Will Zixuan actually buy it?" He Baichuan asked.

Tang Jun said, "Rest assured, Zixuan will definitely buy it. As soon as the news here reaches the Zixuan Demonic Star, someone there will be unable to sit still." As he spoke, he stood up and said, "Alright, if I had known you already made a decision, I wouldn't have made this trip. You all get back to work; I'll be leaving now."

Tang Jun departed. Several days later, the cultivators of Three Realms Island gradually withdrew.

The vast, top-tier spiritual island instantly became an unoccupied, empty island.

Originally, Luan Xiao'e had intended to set up a simple defensive formation here and leave some Three Realms cultivators to guard it. However, she gave up the idea after Lu Ye's persuasion.

Yuan Du harbored deep hatred for him. Therefore, Three Realms Island needed to act cautiously, to avoid giving Yuan Du any leverage.

If they split their forces to occupy Zixuan, it would undoubtedly violate the Myriad Manifestations Sea's rule that no single force may occupy two spiritual islands. Should Yuan Du exploit this, even if he killed Three Realms cultivators, Lu Ye would be powerless to intervene.

With the withdrawal of Three Realms cultivators, everything of value on Zixuan Island was taken, except for the spiritual jade ore vein, which couldn't be moved. Yet, even so, no shortsighted force dared to simply occupy it, because Three Realms Island, having been able to breach Zixuan in its prime, certainly had the ability to breach the now desolate Zixuan.

Anyone attempting to occupy Zixuan would inevitably incur the hostility of Three Realms Island. Once attacked, things would not end well.

The major forces on the Myriad Manifestations Sea understood this very clearly. Thus, though they eyed it enviously, they could only restrain themselves. Those few factions interested in buying Zixuan had been frequently contacting Tang Jun these past few days. Even though Tang Jun had explicitly rejected them, he couldn't escape their persistent enthusiasm.

Old Tang had been inundated with visitors these days, finding it quite vexing despite his continued vigor.

The grand, fierce battle thus concluded. However, the shock this battle brought to the cultivators of the Myriad Manifestations Sea far surpassed that of Three Realms Island's previous assault on Baiyue.

This was the first top-tier spiritual island to be breached in the Myriad Manifestations Sea's history.

Three Realms Island once again demonstrated its powerful and formidable foundation. Among them, Lu Ye, the Third Island Master of Three Realms Island, cemented his reputation as the foremost figure below the Sun-gazers, enjoying unparalleled prestige for a time.