Chapter 2011: Come Help

Jiuyan returned to Three Realms Island after more than a month.

Lu Ye personally came out to greet her, accompanied by Chu Shen, who felt a sense of unease.

In mid-air, Jiuyan stood still, her expression a mix of complexity and irritation.

She wasn't angry with Lu Ye. She had already fully understood the circumstances and aftermath of the recent turmoil. What Lu Ye did was an act of resistance born of necessity; anyone in his position would not have allowed themselves to be at the mercy of others.

Her irritation stemmed from Yuan Du.

To get her away from Three Realms Island, Yuan Du had gone to great lengths and finally succeeded. Furthermore, Yuan Du had even allied with Zi Xuan's Demon Venerable, completely disregarding their own star system's rules by bullying the less powerful.

And what was the outcome? He ended up dead and annihilated, causing their star system to suffer massive losses in strength and their prestige to be utterly ruined!

Being from the same star system as such a person, Jiuyan felt truly aggrieved.

When she first received the news, she found it hard to believe. She rushed back and only confirmed that the rumors she heard were true after meeting Yuan Se and the others.

In the short span of less than two months since she left their star system, the entire Myriad Manifestations Sea had undergone a drastic change, and their star system had completely lost its dominion over it.

Recalling Yuan Se and the others' earnest entreaties to her before she came here, she found it quite amusing.

Now, the news that Lu Ye of Three Realms Island possessed a supreme spatial treasure had spread far and wide. Yuan Se and the others lived in constant fear, dreading that Lu Ye might come to their territories, wielding the power of the treasure. If that happened, they would be utterly defenseless. Yuan Se had almost died at Lu Ye's hands previously, and he was still deeply traumatized by that experience.

So, for the past period, they had all gathered in One Yuan Realm, sticking together for mutual support.

Those few no longer hoped to regain dominion over the Myriad Manifestations Sea. They only wished for the conflict with Three Realms Island to end here, and that they could peacefully reside in their own territories without Three Realms Island causing them further trouble.

Jiuyan's visit was, firstly, a necessity because Three Realms Island had nominally once paid its respects to her. With such a major upheaval in the Myriad Manifestations Sea, it would have been inappropriate for her not to appear. Secondly, Yuan Se and the others hoped she could come and act as a mediator.

"Now that you are a Sun Glimmer, you no longer need to address me as 'senior'," Jiuyan said slowly, suppressing her thoughts. "Let's converse as equals."

She recalled how she had once considered taking Lu Ye as her disciple and guiding him. Who would have thought he had already advanced to such a level?

His progress was incredibly swift.

Lu Ye blinked, then readily complied, "Senior Sister, you must be tired from your journey. Please come inside and let's talk." As he spoke, he gestured for her to enter.

Jiuyan nodded slightly and stepped forward.

After entering Three Realms Island, her gaze inadvertently swept towards the spirit jade mine—the very place where Ma Bin was recuperating from his injuries.

Since that great battle, he had remained on Three Realms Island, not returning to the Mermaid territory. For him, healing anywhere was the same; it had been inconvenient before, but now it no longer mattered.

A short while later, in the reception hall, the host and guest took their seats.

Jiuyan glanced at Chu Shen. "You, go out," she instructed. "Your elder brother and I have something to discuss."

Chu Shen's eyelid twitched, his mind a mess. Lu Ye was his elder brother, and the person speaking was his own mother, who had just insisted on treating his elder brother as an equal. How was he supposed to make sense of this relationship?

But with Jiuyan's instruction, he wouldn't dare disobey. He also sensed that his mother didn't seem to intend any trouble for his elder brother, which relieved him greatly. After bowing, he gave Lu Ye a quick wink before withdrawing.

The hall fell silent.

After a good while, Jiuyan suddenly spoke: "You're quite bold. The supreme treasure isn't here; aren't you afraid I'll suddenly attack and kill you?"

"Is Senior Sister going to do that?" Lu Ye asked, looking at Jiuyan.

"Do you think I wouldn't?"

Lu Ye smiled. "If Senior Sister harbored murderous intent, you wouldn't have come so openly. And even if you killed me, what good would it do? To be honest, Senior Sister, that supreme treasure doesn't actually belong to me. So even if someone were to kill me, the treasure would still remain guarding Three Realms Island."

Jiuyan was somewhat surprised. "That supreme treasure isn't yours?" she asked.

Lu Ye shook his head. "That's... a beast companion of a relative of mine," he said. "I merely borrowed it for a while."

"A relative..." Jiuyan murmured, observing his expression and tone. She then spoke meaningfully, "I'm afraid it's your woman, isn't it?"

"Not married yet, not married," Lu Ye said, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Hmph," Jiuyan snorted lightly. "I was wondering why I never saw any supreme treasure when I was on Three Realms Island before. So that's how it is."

"Senior should know about the Mermaid race," Lu Ye explained. "She had an accident previously and had been cultivating in seclusion there, only emerging during this recent turmoil."

The cultivators from Wheel Bell Realm who were stationed on Three Realms Island for cultivation had also visited the Mermaid territory, and some of them had even gained benefits from the Heavenly Snail Palace. Thus, Jiuyan was not entirely unfamiliar with the Mermaid race's situation.

Jiuyan clearly didn't want to discuss this matter further. She changed the subject, asking, "Now that your Three Realms Island controls the Myriad Manifestations Sea, what are your plans for the future?"

Lu Ye followed her lead. "Does Senior Sister have any good suggestions?" he asked.

Jiuyan's tone was ambiguous. "Don't go too far," she said. "I am a Myriad Manifestations Sun Glimmer! Our star system suffered the greatest losses in this turmoil. I'm not here to be your enemy out of consideration for Shen'er, and you actually come to ask for my opinion? Do you truly believe Myriad Manifestations can be manipulated by you at will?"

Lu Ye's expression was bitter. "Senior Sister, please don't blame me," he said. "I've suddenly ascended to a high position and feel quite out of my depth. As Senior Sister knows, the cultivators of my Three Realms Island all come from a remote place, where not even a single Sun Glimmer has ever been born. This time, by sheer luck, we gained the recognition of many fellow Daoists and were able to take control of this treasure land, the Myriad Manifestations Sea. But my Three Realms Island has weak foundations. Currently, we only have three Sun Glimmers, all recently advanced, with limited experience and no exposure to grand occasions. So when Senior Sister asks what plans I have, I honestly don't know what to say."

He presented such a pitiful image that an uninformed listener might actually believe him.

But on closer thought, while every word he said was true, the overall impression was somewhat strange.

"Isn't there also Ma Bin?" Jiuyan said slowly. Mentioning Ma Bin, she suddenly felt irritated. She snorted coldly, "The name 'Azure Demon King' is renowned throughout the starry sky. With such a pillar of strength, what more do you have to worry about?"

She had been on Three Realms Island previously but had been completely unaware of Three Realms Island's connection to Ma Bin, or that he had been harbored in the Mermaid territory.

"Senior Ma Bin's injuries haven't healed, and he's currently recuperating," Lu Ye explained, looking troubled. "Moreover, the Azure Demon King has a fearsome reputation; asking him to kill is no problem, but managing a treasure land like Myriad Manifestations Sea simply won't do." Suddenly, his expression changed, and he looked up at Jiuyan. "Senior Sister, why don't you come and help me?" he proposed.

Jiuyan was stunned. She stared intently at Lu Ye for a long moment before finally saying, "Do you even hear what you're saying?"

Her purpose in coming this time was, firstly, to witness the changes in the Myriad Manifestations Sea for herself. Secondly, she had been entrusted by Yuan Se and the others; after all, she was a Sun Glimmer from their star system, and she couldn't simply ignore them, despite her extreme reluctance.

She never expected Lu Ye to make such a proposal!

Given her identity as a Myriad Manifestations Sun Glimmer, it was clear that she couldn't have any close ties with Three Realms Island in the future, let alone come to help Lu Ye manage the Myriad Manifestations Sea.

Lu Ye's proposal, in her view, was simply unrealistic.

Lu Ye, however, seemed oblivious. He picked up a teacup nearby and took a sip before slowly saying, "In the Myriad Manifestations Sea, the largest top-tier spirit island is Myriad Manifestations Island, which also serves as its symbol. During the previous battle, Myriad Manifestations Island was devastated, and now it's in ruins, awaiting reconstruction. This is a loss for the Myriad Manifestations Sea and for the entire starry sky. Although there are still a few commercial spirit islands like my Three Realms Island in the Myriad Manifestations Sea, without Myriad Manifestations Island, the circulation of many resources is hindered, which is extremely detrimental to the Myriad Manifestations Sea's development. If Senior Sister is willing, I can hand over Myriad Manifestations Island for you to manage. With your status, you can completely rebuild the Myriad Manifestations Chamber of Commerce."

"Rebuild the Myriad Manifestations Chamber of Commerce?" Jiuyan's expression stirred.

"Indeed," Lu Ye nodded. "The Myriad Manifestations Chamber of Commerce has existed for many years, possessing many unique channels and connections that are unrivaled by any other force. Currently, due to the previous upheaval, it exists in name only. But if Senior Sister can step forward at this time, with your background and strength, the Myriad Manifestations Chamber of Commerce can be easily rebuilt."

Jiuyan pondered in silence. It must be said that Lu Ye's proposal held great temptation for her.

A powerful individual like her truly had little interest in material possessions and wouldn't care about the survival of a mere chamber of commerce. However, reclaiming Myriad Manifestations Island from Lu Ye would indeed be beneficial to her.

Firstly, Myriad Manifestations Island possessed the largest spirit jade mine in the entire Myriad Manifestations Sea, where she could cultivate.

Secondly, reclaiming Myriad Manifestations Island would significantly salvage the reputation of the Myriad Manifestations star system. Although they had lost dominion over the entire Myriad Manifestations Sea, at the very least, Myriad Manifestations Island could still be under their control.

Thirdly, the annual profits generated by the Myriad Manifestations Chamber of Commerce were enormous, which would be extremely beneficial for the future development of cultivators in their star system.

The Myriad Manifestations Chamber of Commerce had indeed lost considerable resources and personnel during this turmoil, but its foundation remained. As long as she sent out word, the major territories of their star system would undoubtedly provide strong support, making the rebuilding of the Myriad Manifestations Chamber of Commerce relatively straightforward.

This was her unique advantage; no one else could achieve it.

She glanced at Lu Ye, then thought about his earlier act of feigned misery. Jiuyan suddenly realized, "You've had this plan all along, haven't you?"

Lu Ye's face was serious. "Senior Sister, you've misunderstood me," he said. "I just thought of it on the spur of the moment."

"Heh..." Jiuyan chuckled lightly, naturally not believing his nonsense.

How could such a matter be decided on the spur of the moment? It must have been well thought out beforehand. One might even say Lu Ye had been waiting for her to come.

"You... are you willing to give it up?" Jiuyan asked, looking at Lu Ye.

That was Myriad Manifestations Island, the very symbol of the Myriad Manifestations Sea. It was quite incredible that Lu Ye was actually willing to hand it over to her.

Lu Ye replied, "Myriad Manifestations Island is indeed precious, but its value depends on whose hands it's in. If it were in the hands of my Three Realms Island, it would just be a top-tier spirit island, nothing more. But in Senior Sister's hands, it truly becomes the symbol of the Myriad Manifestations Sea."

Rebuilding the Myriad Manifestations Chamber of Commerce was not something that could be achieved by force. Too many issues were involved; only a Sun Glimmer like Jiuyan, who originated from their star system, could step forward and swiftly gain control of the channels and connections left by the Myriad Manifestations Chamber of Commerce.