Chapter 2078: Guessing

Lu Ye walked to a window, pulled back the hanging red curtain, and looked out. He saw beams of colorful light darting and swimming outside, like fish. Constantly, some light beams would be cast off, and new ones would emerge. The world outside looked bizarre and fantastical.

"What is this...?" Lu Ye murmured, a surprised expression on his face.

Jiu Yan said, "This palanquin is moving at an incredibly terrifying speed..." After speaking, she shook her head again. "No, it shouldn't be called moving. It's traversing space. What you're seeing are just the anomalies it generates while traversing space."

"Where is it going?" Lu Ye asked.

"I don't know," Jiu Yan replied. She also wanted to understand its destination, but so far, she had no clue.

Lu Ye walked to another window to observe, finding the situation there identical. He was astonished that inside the palanquin, he couldn't feel any movement at all. The space within was incredibly stable, as if it were truly just a secluded room. Considering the terrifying power the Ghost Palanquin had suddenly unleashed earlier, a thought crossed Lu Ye's mind: could this thing be an ultimate treasure? However, throughout the starry sky, ultimate treasures were limited in number. Why had he never heard of such a treasure before? Jiu Yan was clearly unaware of the Ghost Palanquin as well. Yet, here they were, trapped inside it.

"The origin of this Ghost Palanquin should be the same as that bull demon's – both come from a place called Star Abyss," Jiu Yan suddenly stated. This deduction wasn't surprising, as the bull demon recognized the Ghost Palanquin and was very eager to board it.

"Senior Sister knows about Star Abyss?" Lu Ye asked.

"I've never heard of it," Jiu Yan shook her head. "Actually, I'm more curious about what happened with that portal that suddenly appeared on Jade Sword Island."

When the incident occurred on Jade Sword Island, Lu Ye, along with Luan Xiao'e and Yan Miao, were the first to arrive. Jiu Yan arrived later, so she wasn't clear on the prior events. Lu Ye sighed, "It's related to the insectoids. They performed a strange ritual on Jade Sword Island, sacrificing two Sun Glow cultivators and the lives of all Jade Sword Island cultivators to open that portal. They also used a clay pot-like object that I'd never seen before."

"What did it look like?" Jiu Yan asked.

Lu Ye immediately described it in detail, but Jiu Yan also looked bewildered, clearly having no idea what the clay pot was.

"So, the insectoids opened that portal, and they paid with the lives of two Sun Glow cultivators as the price!"

"It's actually three, because the third one was injured by me and sent back to Mermaid Island. I originally planned to interrogate him thoroughly later." Now trapped in the Ghost Palanquin, there was no chance to question him.

"The insectoids paid such a huge price, and specifically chose Jade Sword Island. Could this matter be related to the arrival of the great trend?" Jiu Yan wondered, a mix of surprise and uncertainty on her face.

"I think so too. The insectoids clearly know something, but we have no way to verify it right now. The portal they opened on Jade Sword Island should connect to Star Abyss, and those few individuals who came from Star Abyss have very strange strengths."

Lu Ye wasn't clear on the situation of the other two, but regarding the bull demon, even Jiu Yan was surprisingly no match for it. Such terrifying power could truly be called unrivaled in the world.

Jiu Yan said, "That bull demon must have forged its Foundation, which is why it's so powerful."

"Forged its Foundation?" Lu Ye raised an eyebrow.

In the enveloping shadows, Jiu Yan's bright eyes glanced at him. "You have a good relationship with Ma Bin; haven't you ever asked him about the Foundation?" Ma Bin was one who had forged his Foundation, and his Foundation had been damaged previously, requiring him to recuperate on Three Realms Island for several years.

"No," Lu Ye shook his head. He really hadn't asked Ma Bin about such matters; he actually didn't understand much about the Foundation.

Jiu Yan sighed, "On the path of cultivation, Sun Glow is the peak. Throughout history, it has always been so. Countless cultivators reach their limits and can make no further progress. Although ancient legends speak of cultivators forging their own Foundation after reaching Sun Glow, allowing for further advancement, there are no unified standards or specific cultivation methods for how to forge a Foundation. This is why methods like external incarnations, internal elixirs, or various other techniques exist – these are all last resorts for Sun Glow cultivators when their cultivation can no longer advance."

"But Senior Ma Bin forged his own Foundation?" Lu Ye asked, surprised.

"Yes!" Jiu Yan nodded. "That's why he's so powerful."

"What about you?"

"If I knew how to forge a Foundation, I wouldn't cultivate an incarnation, I wouldn't..." Jiu Yan glared at him irritably, stopping mid-sentence before changing the subject. "Looking across this starry sky, those who have successfully forged their own Foundation, including Ma Bin, number no more than three. Furthermore, they all had unique fortuitous encounters that others simply cannot replicate."

Lu Ye finally understood why Ma Bin, despite being at the peak of Sun Glow like others, possessed superior strength. It was because of this. As for what fortuitous encounter allowed Ma Bin to successfully forge his Foundation, Lu Ye didn't know. This senior was from the previous Nine Provinces era, with a long lifespan, so it was not surprising for him to have his own unique encounters.

Immediately after, Lu Ye realized something else: "What about Chang Feng? Do the three Foundation-forgers include him?"

"Naturally, Senior Brother Chang Feng is not included. Although his strength is considerable, it still falls within the limits of Sun Glow."

"That doesn't seem right," Lu Ye said, looking puzzled. "Comparing them this way, isn't Senior Ma Bin weaker than that bull demon?" Ma Bin had once fought multiple opponents and was besieged by Chang Feng and others, resulting in damage to his Foundation. In contrast, this time, even with four of them against one, they initially had no way to deal with the bull demon. Even the power of the Sword Gourd, a treasure, had no effect; the bull demon actually withstood it without a scratch. How terrifying! The strength it displayed seemed significantly greater than Ma Bin's.

Jiu Yan said, "Even among those who have forged their Foundation, there are differences in strength. That bull demon comes from Star Abyss; there must be profound mysteries within Star Abyss!" In the entire starry sky, including Ma Bin, there were no more than three cultivators who had forged their Foundation. Yet, this time, the three uninvited guests from Star Abyss were all Foundation-forgers. This was clearly no coincidence. This undoubtedly meant one thing: Star Abyss likely contained methods for forging a Foundation! This was also why Jiu Yan, though trapped here, remained calm and even somewhat expectant. Since the Ghost Palanquin came from Star Abyss, it was highly probable that it would take her there. If so, her path forward, which had been stagnant for years, would gain hope. If that were truly the case, then this journey would be a fortuitous opportunity for her. She just hadn't expected Lu Ye to be dragged in as well!

Lu Ye sensed Jiu Yan's thoughts, dimly perceiving her anticipation. However, being trapped in the Ghost Palanquin, whether they could escape, and when, remained unknown!

Reflecting on what happened earlier, the sudden appearance of the red vortex had alarmed the Constellation Palace deep within the Myriad Phenomena Sea. Its projection suppressed the portal, and under the shroud of its ultimate treasure power, the three powerful enemies' strengths rapidly weakened, providing the Sun Glow cultivators of the Myriad Phenomena Sea an opportunity to deal with them. Their weakening strength was clearly related to the portal's suppression. The bull demon had been in a panic then, trying to leave through the portal, but unfortunately failed. Since he couldn't leave, logically, nothing else should have been able to cross from the other side of the portal. Yet, the Ghost Palanquin arrived... Just before the Ghost Palanquin appeared, the Constellation Palace's projection faded to an almost invisible degree, somehow giving the impression that the Constellation Palace intentionally allowed it to pass. Why would the Constellation Palace let the Ghost Palanquin through? Was it unable to stop it? Or did the palanquin's arrival pose no harm to the starry sky? Lu Ye had no way of knowing. Afterward, the Ghost Palanquin swept Jiu Yan away, clearly due to her strength. Before the palanquin's strange movement, its power had radiated throughout the entire Myriad Phenomena Star System, and at that time, Jiu Yan was the strongest cultivator within it. As for himself... it was purely an accident. He could sense that the Ghost Palanquin's counterattack was something he couldn't resist at all, but for some reason, the moment the red ribbon touched him, the palanquin didn't kill him; instead, it pulled him in as well.

The current situation was quite clear. As long as they didn't cause too much commotion inside the Ghost Palanquin, they should be safe. And most likely, the palanquin would take them back to Star Abyss—this could be inferred from the bull demon's earlier reaction. Star Abyss... what kind of place was it exactly? Why could cultivators from Star Abyss easily forge their Foundations? Perhaps these questions would only be answered after they truly arrived at Star Abyss.

Since they were here, they might as well make the best of it. For the next period, Lu Ye focused on healing his injuries and cultivating, while Jiu Yan quietly sat in a corner. They didn't disturb each other, only occasionally exchanging a few words of idle chat to pass the time.

One day, Lu Ye, who was meditating and refining his Soul Suppression Secret Art, suddenly opened his eyes. Strange noises were emanating from within the always-silent Ghost Palanquin. It sounded as if something was sliding, creating a rustling sound. Yet, when he followed the sound with his gaze, he saw nothing.

"Come over!" Jiu Yan called out to Lu Ye. She had, of course, also noticed such obvious movement.

A warmth spread through Lu Ye's heart. Although Jiu Yan had tried to appear indifferent since being trapped in the Ghost Palanquin, rarely engaging in unnecessary conversation with him, when something genuinely happened, she still showed concern. The Ghost Palanquin had been completely still until today, when it suddenly reacted—a clear sign that something was amiss.

Lu Ye quickly moved to Jiu Yan's side. Just as he settled into position, the tightly closed palanquin door suddenly opened. Immediately after, a red ribbon swiftly retracted, with a figure coiled at its end. The person had a bewildered expression, clearly not understanding what had just happened. They were unceremoniously dropped onto the floor by the red ribbon, rolling several times before coming to a halt. The person immediately stood up, activated their spiritual power, and cautiously surveyed their surroundings. With a thud, the open palanquin door closed again. In the corner of the enclosed space, Lu Ye, standing beside Jiu Yan, met the eyes of the newly arrived individual. The person instantly adopted a hostile stance, raising a hand to summon a formidable magical treasure. "Fellow Daoists, we have no grievances, no grudges. Why resort to a sneak attack?"