Sage of Humanity-Chapter 1570 - 1568: Negotiation

"Who killed her? Was it a Jade Conch cultivator?" Wu Zhuo pursued the question. All these years, he had been investigating this matter. But looking at this star system, only the people from Jade Conch could have killed Qin Yuandai, leading to such speculations.

However, there's no way to directly ask about such matters. Jade Conch is the powerhouse in this star system, backed by formidable foundations, incomparable to Qingli Dao World. If they are offended, there's nothing good in store for Qingli Dao World.

Wu Zhuo has been holding back for years, waiting until he achieves Moon Jade Late Stage before asking directly.

Nevertheless, if he could gather more specific information now, it would be ideal. Seeing Lu Yiye in front of him, it was clear he knew the details.

"It's not Jade Conch cultivators; the Moon Jade of your domain died by my hand!" Lu Ye gazed calmly at Wu Zhuo.

Wu Zhuo was stunned for a moment before he lowered his gaze, a shadow cast by his long hair on his forehead. He softly said, "Do you know what you're saying?"

Having admitted it, Lu Ye naturally didn't intend to hide it. Tang Jun knew the truth of Qin Yuandai's death, and many cultivators in the Nine Provinces did as well. There are no secrets in this world, and rather than letting Wu Zhuo find out through other means later, it's better to reveal it here.

Moreover, he didn't think he had done anything wrong in killing Qin Yuandai. At that time, it was either the enemy dies or he perishes.

"Indeed, Fellow Daoist Qin Yuandai was killed by me!"

Despite Wu Zhuo's presence, imposing like a mountain or a prison, Lu Ye remained calm and composed.

"By you alone?" Wu Zhuo's voice turned cold. Although Qin Yuandai was old and frail, she was still Moon Jade Mid-Stage. How could Lu Ye, a Constellation, kill her? He instinctively felt there was more to it.

Lu Ye replied, "In terms of strength, I'm naturally not her match. But to kill someone, strength alone isn't necessary; one can also leverage... External Force!" As he spoke, he raised his hand, pinching the air, causing a spark of red light to shine at his fingertips.

Wu Zhuo instantly felt threatened, his entire body tensed as he stared at the red light at Lu Ye's fingertips, saying in a low voice, "Red talisman!"

Lu Ye nodded, "A red talisman from the Dwarf Race!"

Wu Zhuo's gaze shifted between Lu Ye and the red talisman, before speaking after a long pause, "If Fellow Daoist intends to threaten me with this red talisman, you might be mistaken. At such close range, even if you can unleash the talisman's power, I can still take your life!" 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Lu Ye maintained a calm demeanor, and with a casual flick, the red light at his fingertips dissipated, "I came here merely to discuss some cooperation matters with Fellow Daoist, not to threaten. You asked, so I answered."

Wu Zhuo looked intently at Lu Ye, his eyes showing surprise. He didn't expect Lu Ye to dispel the talisman's power. Without the red talisman's constraint, it would be easy to take Lu Ye's life now.

Understanding this, he realized this young man, despite his seemingly young age, possessed exceptional courage and poise.

"Are you that sure I won't kill you?" Wu Zhuo leaned slightly forward, the aura of an ancient ferocious beast growing stronger.

Lu Ye answered calmly, "Although I have never met Fellow Daoist, I know much about you from my chats with Old Tang. Fellow Daoist is ambitious, and those with ambition do not cut off their own routes or act unwise!"

"Hum!" Wu Zhuo responded with a faint hum, dispersing the pressure that accompanied his forward lean, and after a moment of silence, asked, "Does Tang Jun know about this?"

"At that time, Old Tang went with Fellow Daoist Qin to Unparalleled and witnessed it. That's why Old Tang pursued me relentlessly. In the end, we both got trapped in a newly formed Insect Path but fortunately escaped, ending up in All Phenomena Galaxy."

Wu Zhuo frowned because Tang Jun hadn't clarified this in the jade slip. He only mentioned that he and Lu Ye fell into the newly formed Insect Path, without stating the cause. It seemed he intentionally concealed it.

"Why did the conflict arise?" Wu Zhuo asked, as some matters, though past, need to be clarified.

Lu Ye recounted the past conflict to Wu Zhuo, whose face darkened upon hearing it. The Million Souls Banner, even in Qingli Dao World, was restricted, too inhumane.

He didn't expect the offspring of Qin Yuandai would secretly go to a living domain to refine the Million Souls Banner.

This is simply unforgivable. In this star system, any living domain is a resource, much like how Qingfeng World is valuable to Qingli Dao World.

If all Constellation cultivators act recklessly, disrupting domains, what future would await the cultivation world?

Qin Yuandai also bears unshirkable responsibility; knowing her family's actions, she didn't stop but rather covered it up, leading to her demise by a red talisman in the shadows.

Every vexing matter seemed to come to him, and Wu Zhuo felt indignant.

"The culprit has been punished, and the deceased Nine Heavens cultivators avenged. I won't pursue the matter further," Lu Ye said slowly.

Wu Zhuo couldn't help but glance at him, tempted to ask what right he had to pursue, but realized the trouble stemmed from Qingli Dao World, making him hesitant to question further.

After a moment of silence, he said, "Tang Jun and you have reconciled your differences?" Otherwise, Tang Jun would have had no reason to help Lu Ye conceal this matter.

Lu Ye: "The dead cannot come back to life. Tang Jun and I ended up in the All Phenomena Galaxy together, so we can only support each other. There's no point in dwelling on the past."

Wu Zhuo said nothing. Given Tang Jun and Qin Yuandai's over three thousand years of friendship, he wasn't concerned about this matter himself. Besides, the future of Qingli Dao World was undoubtedly more important, so everything else had to take a back seat.

Avoiding further entanglement in the issue, Wu Zhuo eagerly asked, "Fellow Daoist Lu, how long did it take you to return from the All Phenomena Galaxy?"

Lu Ye: "About three years."

Wu Zhuo perked up, "If Fellow Daoist were to return again, would it take the same amount of time?"

"Almost!"

"How many people can you take along?"

"How many people does Fellow Daoist want me to take?" Lu Ye asked back.

Wu Zhuo was initially inclined to say the more, the better; he even wanted to visit the All Phenomena Galaxy himself. However, upon thinking more carefully, it didn't seem realistic because Qingli's constellation count was limited, and it was impossible for all to leave. Moreover, he couldn't leave, so even if Lu Ye had the capability, Qingli Dao World lacked the foundation.

Lu Ye said, "I understand your thoughts, but this matter isn't solely between the Nine Heavens and Qingli Dao World. I've discussed with Old Tang, and it needs the participation of Jade Conch as well."

"Why is that?" Wu Zhuo frowned, evidently reluctant to have Jade Conch involved in this good fortune.

Lu Ye replied, "The forces in the All Phenomena Ocean are numerous, with many rules. To establish a foothold there, Moon Jade is indispensable. To be honest with you, the Nine Heavens is a newly ascended domain with no Moon Jade cultivators, and Old Tang is struggling alone there. You cannot leave your Dao World, so for Moon Jade's support, we must rely on Jade Conch's people."

Wu Zhuo brooded for a while, then reluctantly nodded, "That's advantageous for them!"

Lu Ye: "I'm not familiar with Jade Conch and have never been there, so I'd like to ask Fellow Daoist to visit Jade Conch and communicate on my behalf."

He still needed to rush back to Nine Provinces for preparatory work. By the time he settled matters in Nine Provinces, Wu Zhuo would likely have negotiated with Jade Conch. Then, cultivators from the three domains could unite and set out for the All Phenomena Ocean, which would save time.

As for whether Jade Conch would be interested… there's no need to consider it. What Indeterminate and Daluo Galaxy could see, Jade Conch couldn't possibly miss. If they indeed failed to notice, they deserved to remain trapped on their small patch of land forever, and Lu Ye wasn't intent on sharing the riches with them.

"Going to Jade Conch is no problem, I'm reasonably familiar with that place," Wu Zhuo nodded, "But Fellow Daoist, Nine Heavens is in decline, and Qingli Dao World isn't much better. If this good fortune comes to Jade Conch's attention, and they develop inappropriate ideas..."

Lu Ye understood what he meant. Wu Zhuo's concern mirrored Huah Sheng's previous worries. He responded, "Even if they have thoughts, it's useless. The star map is in my hands. Even if I gave them the star map, they couldn't smoothly enter All Phenomena Ocean. Furthermore, once there, they'd need Old Tang and me to establish themselves. Just explain these points, and they'd be wise enough not to harbor inappropriate ideas!"

Wu Zhuo nodded upon hearing this, "I understand!"

"There's one more thing Fellow Daoist needs to remember."

Wu Zhuo: "What is it?"

Lu Ye: "Back when discussing this with Old Tang, he mentioned a problem with your domain. Cultivators who attempt to elevate to Moon Jade from your domain's constellations find it almost impossible to succeed. So, he hoped for some yearly slots to be sent to Unparalleled for constellation elevation. I agreed at the time, but Unparalleled World isn't suitable for constellation elevation as it's just an ordinary domain, with the Corpse Race rampant."

Upon hearing this, Wu Zhuo became increasingly worried about Tang Jun's intelligence…

Lu Ye continued, "Fellow Daoist, when you visit Jade Conch, perhaps you could discuss this matter. If successful, it would also be me fulfilling a promise to Old Tang."

Wu Zhuo nodded, "We've considered sending people to Jade Conch for constellation elevation before, but as Fellow Daoist knows, the spirit light nurtured by large domains is their own foundation. It's understandable for the domain's cultivators to use it for elevation, but they will never easily allow outsiders to benefit. Hence, we abandoned the thought. However, if we use this for negotiation now, it might be possible."

At least there's hope for success; Lu Yiye has shown genuine intent.

Lu Ye stood up, "Then I'll leave Jade Conch's matter to Fellow Daoist. I must return to Nine Heavens. Farewell!"

Wu Zhuo, though wishing Lu Ye would stay a bit longer to inquire more about the All Phenomena Galaxy, seeing Lu Ye's clear intention to leave, didn't insist and rose to see him off.

"Oh, Fellow Daoist Lu, spoken words aren't reliable. Do you have any specialty items from the All Phenomena Ocean to leave behind? If I take some to Jade Conch, it might better convince them," Wu Zhuo suddenly said.

"Specialty items…" Lu Ye thought for a moment and brought out a few White Spirits, "These are spirit fish from the All Phenomena Ocean, considered unique star beasts, highly valuable whether for culinary use or medicine."