Chapter 2014: Plan Changes

It wasn't just cultivators from his home star system who intended to return with Lu Ye and participate in the defense of Jade Snail.

He soon encountered another group.

Lu Ye was astonished to see a group of Merfolk cultivators rushing over, led by Yan Miao. "Grand Elder, why are you here too? And Princess, you..." Following closely behind Yan Miao was none other than Bailu, the Merfolk Princess.

The Merfolk race was not numerous to begin with, and their available combat power was even scarcer. Yet, nearly two hundred of them had arrived, including Yan Miao, their sole Sun-level cultivator, and almost all of their Moon-level cultivators. The Merfolk had practically brought out all their fighting elites, leaving only a small number of Constellation-level cultivators and those below in their territory.

"We're here to help," Yan Miao replied with a smile. "Junior Brother, don't rush to refuse. Take us with you, and there will be a surprise."

Lu Ye didn't know what surprise she was referring to, but if the Merfolk suffered any losses in such a large-scale battle, he would be deeply culpable. In the vastness of space, this was likely the last Merfolk population.

Lu Ye was about to refuse immediately. It was natural for these cultivators from the Three Realms to return with him, as Zi Xuan had invaded their respective home star systems. But the Merfolk were different.

As if discerning Lu Ye's thoughts, Yan Miao interrupted him before he could speak. "Junior Brother, you have shown great kindness to our race. Now that there's an opportunity, please allow us the chance to contribute and repay your kindness, alright?"

Bailu even stepped forward, clinging tightly to Lu Ye's arm, completely unconcerned that her ample chest was pressed against him. "Senior Brother, if you don't agree, I won't let go!"

Although Lu Ye's heart remained as clear as ice and as still as an ancient well, he suddenly sensed something and quickly turned to look in a certain direction. In that direction, Hua Ci had appeared at a second-story window at some point, leaning against the sill, her face radiant, smiling meaningfully as she watched him.

His knees weakened, and Lu Ye sighed, "Since you all have such intentions, I thank you in advance!"

Yan Miao was surprised by how easily he agreed. She nodded, "Rest assured, we will not disappoint Junior Brother!"

Lu Ye subtly withdrew his arm from Bailu's grasp and surveyed the group. The cultivators from the Three Realms and the Merfolk, together, amounted to approximately two thousand individuals who intended to return with him to his home star system. Among them, besides himself, only Luan Xiao'e and Yan Miao were at the Sun-level. The number of Moon-level cultivators was also not large, roughly forty in total.

However, this represented the entirety of Three Realms Island's available forces at this stage, as some cultivators still needed to remain on Three Realms Island to guard the Myriad Manifestations Sea.

The plan had to change. So many people couldn't possibly fit into the Small Flower Realm.

"Open the armory and deploy the warships we captured previously," Lu Ye ordered.

There was no need to investigate the situation on the wormhole side anymore. Since Su Yiming had managed to cross, it meant the wormhole was passable, just not stable enough. With the warships' protection, there shouldn't be much of a problem.

Upon receiving the order, everyone immediately got busy. Three Realms Island possessed a substantial fleet of warships, thanks to Zi Xuan Island's "gift" from back then. During the conflict with Zi Xuan, Zi Xuan had dispatched a fleet to attack Three Realms Island, only for Lu Ye to single-handedly repel them, rendering the large fleet useless. After Zi Xuan was defeated, most of these warships remained behind, becoming spoils of war for Three Realms Island, with only a small number taken away by Zi Xuan cultivators. They were usually unused and stored in a vast warehouse. Lu Ye had never anticipated a time when they would need to be deployed.

Half a day later, countless cultivators looked up to see a massive central warship hovering above Three Realms Island, almost obscuring a significant portion of it. Surrounding this central warship were numerous escorting Tiger Shark warships.

No one knew what was happening, but seeing Three Realms Island's actions, it was clear that a conflict must have erupted. Many were puzzled, wondering what enemy could prompt such a grand display when Three Realms Island now held sway over the Myriad Manifestations Sea. Rumors quickly spread, claiming that Three Realms Island was preparing to attack the One Origin Realm...

This news swiftly reached Jiuyan, who was currently stationed on Myriad Manifestations Island. Being very efficient, she was already working on rebuilding the Myriad Manifestations Merchant Guild. Upon receiving the news, she immediately contacted Lu Ye to inquire about the situation. She had previously settled all matters with Lu Ye, so it would be highly dishonorable if Lu Ye were to launch an attack on the One Origin Realm now. Lu Ye's explanation finally dispelled her doubts.

Inside the central warship, numerous cultivators took their positions. At Lu Ye's command, the colossal warship soared into the distance, with many Tiger Sharks following closely. It wasn't until the warship left the Myriad Manifestations Sea, showing no intention of heading towards any Myriad Manifestations star system realm, that the previous rumors dissipated. However, the news of Lu Ye leading many Three Realms Island cultivators away could not be concealed. Even so, no one dared to harbor any mischievous thoughts on the Myriad Manifestations Sea at present.

The immense fleet slowly approached the wormhole connecting Myriad Manifestations and Jade Snail, then came to a gradual stop. On the central warship, Lu Ye's figure appeared and he flashed towards the wormhole.

From a distance, the massive wormhole rotated slowly like a vortex, emanating an indescribable, eerie aura from within. With just a glance, Lu Ye knew that this wormhole was indeed not stable enough. Over the years, Lu Ye had traversed many wormholes, and his experience was naturally incomparable to what it once was. It was only in the process of gradually stabilizing, which was why Su Yiming had been able to pass through without major incident. However, a wormhole in such a state would inevitably pose unpredictable risks during transit.

Su Yiming's strength was considerable, possessing late-stage Moon-level cultivation, yet even that level of cultivation was not entirely safe for passage. Ordinary Tiger Shark warships would likely be unable to withstand the assault of the void turbulence within the wormhole. In other words, apart from him, Luan Xiao'e, and Yan Miao—the three Sun-level cultivators—anyone else attempting to pass would be at risk.

Fortunately, he had brought the central warship this time. Such a formidable siege weapon, in terms of defensive capability alone, was no weaker than any Moon-level cultivator and far stronger than the protection offered by Tiger Shark warships. Therefore, as long as the central warship's defenses were properly prepared, passing through the wormhole shouldn't be a major issue. Moreover, he had a treasure at his disposal that should significantly reduce the risks of transit.

After observing carefully for a while, Lu Ye issued his command. Soon, the cultivators retrieved their respective Tiger Shark warships and gathered on the central warship. After a moment more of preparation, the central warship hummed, and a bright, exceptionally solid light membrane covered its surface. With no regard for the consumption of Spirit Jade, and with two Sun-level cultivators personally activating the warship's defensive formations, it could be said that the central warship's defensive capability had been pushed to its absolute limit.

"Follow me!" Lu Ye transmitted, then was the first to enter the wormhole.

The world spun and his vision blurred. Unlike entering a normal, stable wormhole, entering this one brought a sense of upheaval, like riding in a carriage speeding over a bumpy road. Unidentifiable forces occasionally swirled around him. From his past experiences, Lu Ye naturally knew these were void turbulences, extremely dangerous phenomena that could easily cause injury or disorientation if one couldn't resist being swept away. Lu Ye activated his Sun-level spiritual power to protect himself, and every turbulence that swept towards him was blocked by his power.

Of course, this was also because the wormhole wasn't excessively chaotic; in truly chaotic areas, the threat of void turbulence would be much greater. His spiritual sense was greatly suppressed in this place, but fortunately, the central warship followed closely behind him into the wormhole, not too far away. He could still sense the warship's presence and, at the same time, channeled his spiritual sense to guide it.

As they proceeded, time and space seemed to blur in this place. Initially, there were no major issues, but as they advanced, the void turbulence became increasingly frequent. Although Lu Ye could still manage, he took out his treasure just to be safe.

It was a white jade-like object, resembling a lotus root: the Void Beast's Core! This was a spoil of war he had obtained years ago in the World Tree's realm. When he and Tang Jun were first trapped in a wormhole, it was entirely by this item's power that they managed to escape. At that time, he was only at the Constellation-level and couldn't activate the item himself, only borrowing Tang Jun's strength.

Now, it was no longer such a bother. With his Sun-level spiritual power, layers of white halos immediately rippled from the Void Beast's Core. These halos spread outwards, like an invisible hand, soothing the pervasive unrest of the void turbulence. Lu Ye immediately felt much more relaxed. The Void Beast's Core, when used in such a place, truly was the perfect solution. The path ahead was now clear!

In the Jade Snail star system, beside the wormhole entrance, a temporary palace stood on a massive meteorite. This palace had been constructed by Su Yiming. After all, he had been stationed there for many years and needed a suitable place for cultivation. Building a palace was no trouble; a Moon-level cultivator like him didn't have high demands for living conditions, just a sheltered spot.

At this time, many people were gathered at the palace, led by Qiu Wu, the Lord of the Jade Snail Realm. Han Dong, who had helped Lu Ye craft the sheath for his Pan Mountain Saber back then, was also present. Besides them, two other Moon-level cultivators had gathered, along with a group of Constellation-level cultivators. These Constellation cultivators were originally from Su Yiming's lineage, stationed there with him to monitor the wormhole.

However, ten days prior, Su Yiming had investigated the wormhole and then vanished. This had never happened before, causing the Constellation-level cultivators to panic and immediately send messages to the Jade Snail Realm. The news, relayed by various cultivators, reached Qiu Wu's ears in less than half a day. He promptly led a group to investigate personally. But no clues were found. All they knew was that Su Yiming was trapped in the wormhole and was likely still alive, as his sound-note imprint hadn't shattered, but they couldn't establish contact, which worried them greatly.

"I'll go there myself," Han Dong volunteered. "Senior Brother Su isn't dead; he must be trapped inside. Perhaps he needs help right now."