Sage of Humanity-Chapter 1509 - 1507: Summons
Ahn Zhe pondered, "Could the place you are referring to be Unparalleled Island?"
Currently, among the Spirit Islands on the All Phenomena Ocean, if there's any place that's developing and gaining popularity, it's definitely Unparalleled Island.
"Indeed, it's Unparalleled Island."
Ahn Zhe seemed to have heard of Unparalleled Island, which made things easier.
"Unparalleled Island is certainly remarkable, showing a lot of potential. I had visited it before, but renting a shop there comes with certain conditions. Honestly, my domain's power is not sufficient to meet the requirements of Unparalleled Island."
Chu Shen was seeking cooperation with well-established forces, so that their interests could be intertwined, thus enhancing the security and stability of Unparalleled Island. Since the strength of Ahn Zhe's backing domain wasn't enough, he wasn't really considered by Chu Shen. Hence, even though Ahn Zhe had once thought about getting a shop on Unparalleled Island, he gave up after an inquiry.
"If you have this intention, go to Unparalleled Island and find the Island Master Chu Shen, tell him it was I who referred you, and he will make the arrangements."
Ahn Zhe's eyes brightened, "You know Island Master Chu Shen?"
Lu Ye nodded.
Ahn Zhe was immediately intrigued, understanding that if Lu Ye dared to say such a thing, it certainly wasn't just mere acquaintance. Moreover, considering Lu Ye's generous actions here, it was clear that Lu Ye came from an extraordinary background, and it wouldn't be unusual if there was some connection with Chu Shen.
With a word of thanks to Lu Ye, he then flew enthusiastically in the direction of Unparalleled Island.
Lu Ye didn't leave, but turned his gaze to not far away, at a stall where a graceful woman was sitting. Visiting cultivators stopped at her stall, exchanged a few words, and then shook their heads and left.
When the stall was empty, Lu Ye stepped forward.
"Do you need elixir pills? Fellow Daoist can have a look." The stall owner warmly greeted him, but after speaking, she looked at Lu Ye with surprise, "It's you!"
This stall owner was the same woman selling elixir pills whom Lu Ye had encountered last time. Her alchemy skill was quite proficient, and the quality of her elixir pills was excellent, although the prices were slightly higher than the All Phenomena Merchants Guild. Last time, Lu Ye bought all her elixir pills, and now she had crafted some more to sell.
Previously, Lu Ye had also asked Chu Shen to send someone to look for her, but according to Chu Shen's subsequent feedback, she hadn't been found.
Unexpectedly, they met again by chance this time.
Lu Ye squatted down, casually picked up a jade vial, opened it, and gently inhaled. The scent of the pills wafted over.
The woman said, "Rest assured, Fellow Daoist, the quality of the elixir pills I craft is guaranteed."
Lu Ye believed her because, thanks to the Talent Tree, he could more intuitively judge the quality of the elixir pills than others.
"I'll take them all," Lu Ye said.
The woman was very pleased. Last time, Lu Ye had bought all her elixir pills, and now he was doing it again with such generosity; clearly, he didn't lack money.
She quickly counted her elixir pills and quoted a price. Lu Ye paid without haggling.
With the spirit jade in hand, the woman smiled sweetly, "Would you like to exchange audio talisman markings? If you want to buy any elixir pills next time, you can directly contact me. If you need any special elixir pills, I can craft them for you as well."
"Can you craft every kind of elixir pill?" Lu Ye asked.
"I can craft most of the elixir pills available on the market," she replied.
Lu Ye nodded and asked, "Are you interested in opening a shop?"
He didn't ask if she was interested in joining him, because her alchemy skill was quite outstanding. If she wanted to pledge to any force, she would have done so already. By choosing to set up a stall here, it indicated that she wasn't a person who wanted to be tied down.
There were many such cultivators.
However, not wanting to pledge to a force didn't mean she wasn't willing to open a shop and do business.
The woman smiled, "Of course I'm interested, but I don't have money."
Lu Ye said, "Go to Unparalleled Island and find the Island Master Chu Shen. He will give you a shop. You won't need to pay a single spirit jade. Just sell your elixir pills there."
The woman looked warily at Lu Ye. Although she hadn't been in the All Phenomena Ocean for long, she knew that no goodwill comes without a reason. If Lu Ye just wanted to do business with her, she welcomed it, but if he had any ulterior motives, she would naturally be cautious.
Perceiving her thoughts, Lu Ye explained, "I have a few friends who are healing cultivators. In the future, they might want to consult you about alchemy matters. I hope you can share some of your experience and insights with them."
Healing cultivators from the Nine Provinces will come here sooner or later, like the Second Senior Sister and Hua Ci. Without guidance, it'd take them much longer to figure things out themselves. After all, the varieties and properties of medicinal herbs in the stellar space can't be compared to those produced in the Nine Provinces domain. There are many herbs and elixir pills in stellar space that don't exist in the Nine Provinces. The woman's alchemy skill is commendable; if she can provide some teaching, the Second Senior Sister and others would find it much easier to get started.
"Is it really just like this?" The woman was clearly still in disbelief.
"Just like this!"
"Then... may I consider it first?" The woman asked cautiously.
"No problem!" Lu Ye did not pressure her. After speaking, he turned and left.
Watching his departing figure, the woman felt a bit at a loss. Unparalleled Island had recently gained quite a reputation. After all, it was a newly risen Spirit Island, and its rise was astonishingly fast, having already spread across All Phenomena Ocean. Since Ahn Zhe had heard of Unparalleled Island, it was only natural that the woman had heard of it too.
She never imagined she could own a shop of her own, especially in a place like Unparalleled Island. Now that such an opportunity was in front of her, it naturally made her tempted. However, she decided to first go to Unparalleled Island and see the situation before making plans. If she could truly obtain a shop without any troublesome conditions, it would indeed be a good thing.
The woman set out for Unparalleled Island, and Lu Ye was already on his way back to Unparalleled Island.
Halfway there, he contacted Chu Shen and told him about Ahn Zhe and the woman. Chu Shen naturally agreed without hesitation.
There were still some vacant shops on Unparalleled Island, and as the Island Master, keeping two in reserve was certainly not a problem.
Back in the cave on Unparalleled Island, Lu Ye prepared to begin his cultivation matters.
It had been almost a year since he advanced to the Constellation Late Stage. Over this past year, his cultivation had been stagnant, primarily because his cultivation progressed too quickly before, and he intended to consolidate.
A year's time is not long, but Lu Ye felt he had settled enough and it was time to move forward again. Even if he started cultivating, he could control his cultivation pace. As long as he didn't delve deep into All Phenomena Ocean and only refined spirit jade, his cultivation efficiency, no matter how high, had a limit.
Lu Ye had no plans to delve into All Phenomena Ocean for now. Firstly, the Soul Race woman was by his side, making it inappropriate to delve deep into All Phenomena Ocean; secondly, cultivating in All Phenomena Ocean consumed too much.
Even though he had just acquired seven million spirit jade worth of Dragon Breath Crystal from Ahn Zhe, if he truly entered All Phenomena Ocean, it might not last long.
There was no need for him to worry about the development of Unparalleled Island. He increasingly felt that leaving Chu Shen in charge back then was a wise decision. Otherwise, managing it alone would have required an enormous amount of time and energy.
Moreover, he did not have Chu Shen's background. Currently, Unparalleled Island could cooperate with various powerful factions, largely due to Chu Shen's background. Although Chu Shen hadn't flaunted his background, who among those powerhouse experts didn't know about the Jiu Yan backing him? With such a connection, Chu Shen could accomplish twice as much with half the effort.
Only the crowd from Koi Island, unaware of Chu Shen's background, rashly launched an offense and ended up suffering heavy losses.
Day by day passed, and besides refining spirit jade to cultivate, Lu Ye let the Talent Tree absorb the power of the Dragon Breath Crystal. He also crafted many As-Close-As-Siblings Array Discs, handing them over to Chu Shen periodically for sale.
Occasionally, he would seek opportunities to converse with the Soul Race woman, but she consistently showed no intention of responding, as if determined to remain silent forever.
Lu Ye found this woman exceedingly difficult to understand and didn't know how to break through her defenses. Until now, he didn't even know what her name was.
One day, while Lu Ye was cultivating in the cave, he suddenly frowned and looked down at the back of his hand.
That spot was burning hot, and just as Lu Ye was unsure of what was happening, a marking inexplicably appeared.
Seeing the shape of this marking, Lu Ye was initially stunned, then delighted, because the marking was in the shape of a green leaf!
There were two types of markings on the back of his hand; one was the battlefield marking. However, this only worked within the Nine Provinces. Since leaving the Nine Provinces, it had shown no reaction, being a marking bestowed by Nine Provinces Heaven's Augury, connected to it.
The other marking was the Reincarnation Tree marking!
This was given by the Reincarnation Tree when he and Yang Qing visited it. When they left, the Reincarnation Tree bestowed it upon them.
At that time, Lu Ye had hidden two fairies, intending to bring them back to the Nine Provinces. Unfortunately, the Reincarnation Tree saw through his plan, forcing Lu Ye to release the fairies. As compensation, the Reincarnation Tree granted him this marking.
According to Yang Qing, the Reincarnation Tree's marking wasn't given lightly. While it was said to compensate Lu Ye, it was more of a bet by the Reincarnation Tree.
The Reincarnation Tree undergoes a cycle every ten thousand years. At such times, it becomes extremely weak, possibly attracting unwanted attention. By then, the Reincarnation Tree could invite those strong individuals granted the marking to protect it.
With this marking, a cultivator could enter the Reincarnation Tree at any time and place.
Thus, the Reincarnation Tree marking is only given to cultivators highly favored by the Reincarnation Tree, and it might take hundreds or thousands of years to see even one.
The Reincarnation Tree granting a marking to Lu Ye indicated its favor towards him.
When he was lost in the All Phenomena Galaxy and couldn't find his way home, Lu Ye had considered using this marking to directly visit the Reincarnation Tree and ask for help.
The Reincarnation Tree's doppelgangers are scattered across major star systems, and since the Nine Provinces has one, the Reincarnation Tree surely knows the specific location of the Nine Provinces.
