For several consecutive days, Lu Ye had been studying audio talismans, gaining insight into their various mysteries. These audio talismans were quite popular throughout the starry sky and were not too difficult to refine. Anyone with some skill in the Path of Spirit Runes could create them, as they involved fairly complex spirit rune constructions. Lu Ye's mastery in the Path of Spirit Runes naturally met the requirements for refining audio talismans. However, what he currently lacked was the materials. He had never seen the type of jade stones needed to refine the audio talismans. It seemed that it was not an ordinary jade stone, at least something not found in the Nine Provinces. This was easy to handle. He decided to communicate with Haitang to see if she could help him acquire some. He could pay the appropriate amount of spirit jades, treating it as a purchase. Putting thought into action, he sent out a communication. Shortly after, Haitang replied, telling him to wait in the valley, and she would arrange for someone to deliver the materials. As for the spirit jades, Haitang said there was no need for them, saying such jade stones were not so precious as to require taking Lu Ye's spirit jades. Lu Ye did not insist and waited patiently. At Immortal Spirit Peak, in a secret chamber, having finished communicating with Lu Ye, Haitang sighed softly. She had originally planned to visit Lu Ye and his fellow disciples frequently over the next few days. After all, Lu Ye was a guest she had brought, and as the host, she couldn't justify neglecting her guest. Such was not the way of the Dwarf Race. However, her master had given strict orders, requiring her to remain in seclusion for cultivation to prepare for the Black Abyss Martial Arts Meet in a few months, with no permission to leave without orders. Reluctantly, Haitang had no choice but to comply. In the valley, Lu Ye did not have to wait long before a cultivator in the Divine Sea Realm flew down, delivering a storage ring. Lu Ye inspected it and found that it contained the type of jade stones he needed, and in large quantity, sufficient for him to indulge greatly. It indeed seemed that these were not very precious items. With that, he began refining audio talismans in earnest. The initial attempts were not smooth, as there was a learning curve to everything. After several days of effort, he finally managed to refine his first audio talisman. Excited, he found Nian Yuexian and handed the audio talisman to her. Then the two of them positioned themselves apart and started to experiment with communicating via the audio talisman, as a sort of trial. Everything went smoothly. Although this method of communication was not as convenient and swift as the battlefield marking transmission, it had one significant advantage; it was not restricted by Heaven's Augury's coverage. The transmission distance also far exceeded that of the audio transmission stone, although Lu Ye was uncertain about the exact maximum range, as it needed further verification in the future. In any case, when it came to communication, the Nine Provinces were now connected with the starry sky, and in future travels, they would not appear ignorant if they encountered cultivators from other domains using audio talismans. The following period saw Lu Ye continually refining more audio talismans, partly to hone his skills and partly to prepare for the constellations of the Nine Provinces. In this way, half a month's time swiftly passed, and Lu Ye had amassed a large batch of audio talismans, enough for the Nine Provinces Constellations to have one each, with spares to spare. There was still more than half of the jade stones Haitang had sent remaining. Refining the same item over a long period inevitably grew dull, and what puzzled Lu Ye was the lack of any news from Haitang's master. Though he understood that good things often underwent setbacks, a pressing practical issue was that Mount Fangcun was continuously on the move. He and Nian Yuexian couldn't remain in this place for too long. If they stayed too long, they might not be able to find their way back home, even if they left Mount Fangcun. Therefore, it was best to resolve Nian Yuexian's matter promptly. While others were aiding him, it wasn't polite for him to urge hastily. But after so much time had passed, shouldn't there be some news by now? Communication between those in the Sun Blaze Realm shouldn't be this complicated. Lu Ye sent another communication to Haitang and soon received a response. However, Haitang's tone carried a bit of helplessness: "Junior Brother Lu, wait for me there for a moment, I will personally come to speak with you." Previously, Su Yuqing had instructed Haitang to focus on cultivation, yet also told her that if Lu Ye sought information, she should explain matters to him face-to-face. However, the specifics of the situation, Haitang did not yet know, as she still needed to consult with Su Yuqing. Emerging from seclusion, she met with her master and listened to guidance. Haitang, heavy-hearted, descended from Immortal Spirit Peak. Arriving at Lu Ye's residence, she exchanged formalities with Lu Ye and Nian Yuexian. Lu Ye asked, "Senior Sister Haitang, is there some difficulty?" Haitang's expression was noticeably troubled, which made Lu Ye uneasy. For Su Yuqing to personally intervene, yet to no avail—what kind of obstinacy did that Master Uncle Chen possess? Haitang looked at Lu Ye, then at Nian Yuexian, her expression apologetic, and said softly, "My master said she had already negotiated with Master Uncle Chen. Initially, Master Uncle Chen was rigidly adhering to the ancestral rules. But ultimately, he was persuaded by my master to allow Fellow Daoist Nian to leave." If it were just this, Hai Tang wouldn't have such a worried look on her face. Lu Ye calmly asked, "Is there another condition?" Hai Tang bit her red lips and slowly nodded. "Tell me." Lu Ye said, "If it's not something too unreasonable, my Senior Sister and I will surely give it our all." Hai Tang hesitated for a while before speaking: "Master Uncle Chen said that since ancient times, those who intrude have all had to serve a hundred years on Mount Fangcun, even those from the top domains have had to follow this rule, and there's no precedent for breaking it. This precedent cannot be set, otherwise, in the future, no one will take Mount Fangcun seriously, so he proposed a compromise." Hai Tang looked up at Nian Yuexian: "Master Uncle Chen said, if Fellow Daoist Nian can find a man on Mount Fangcun to become her Dao companion, then she'd be considered one of our own, and the rules for outsiders naturally wouldn't apply." Upon hearing this, Nian Yuexian turned around and left, her voice drifting over, "I'd choose to serve the hundred years here." Finding a Dao companion on Mount Fangcun was absolutely out of the question for her. Lu Ye turned his head to watch her departing back, and only after a long time did he withdraw his gaze, saying in a deep voice: "Is there no other way to make an exception?" Hai Tang's face showed deeper guilt: "Junior Brother Lu, I'm sorry, I thought this wasn't too troublesome, who knew Master Uncle Chen Xuanhai would... it's really confusing how things turned out this way. When I met with my master earlier, and she told me these things, I knew the situation wasn't good, and I almost felt too ashamed to face Lu Ye." But she had no choice, she had to brace herself and come. Lu Ye waved his hand: "It's not related to you, Senior Sister Hai Tang, please don't blame yourself. But under such conditions, forgive my Senior Sister and I for not being able to agree!" New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩 Were it not for the fact that his strength was indeed inferior, upon hearing that condition, Lu Ye would have stormed Cloud Sea Peak, eager to see what kind of strange thing Chen Xuanhai was to propose such a condition. But Constellation versus Sun Blaze, the disparity in power was too great. Even if Lu Ye really went, it would be to no avail. If Nian Yuexian is not allowed to pass, Lu Ye couldn't leave alone. He thought silently, if it comes to that, he would stay here with Nian Yuexian for the hundred years. After all, he was considered a guest of Mount Fangcun and could come and go freely without much delay in cultivation. "Junior Brother Lu, don't worry. I'll go plead with my master again! I must ensure both you and your Senior Sister leave safely!" Hai Tang could not remain any longer, said a sentence, then soared into the sky straight to Immortal Spirit Peak. After Hai Tang left, Lu Ye stood in place in silence for a long time before turning to come to Nian Yuexian's room, raised his hand, and gently knocked on the door. Obtaining permission, he pushed the door and entered. Nian Yuexian was sitting cross-legged on a meditation mat, seemingly in cultivation. Seeing her , Lu Ye was slightly relieved. Being able to cultivate meant that what happened earlier hadn't disturbed her state of mind. It seemed so. Already being at the Constellation Realm, such words could not shake one's state of mind. Lu Ye sat down before her, opened his mouth, but swallowed the words back down. There were things he wanted to ask but didn't know how, regretting running over. Nian Yuexian glanced at him, "If you have something to say, just say it. As a man, don't be so hesitant." Lu Ye felt embarrassed and spoke, "Senior Sister, I want to ask, about my Senior Brother...that...that..." "You're asking whether I still admire your Senior Brother, right?" Nian Yuexian continued the sentence herself. Lu Ye chuckled, "That's what I meant." Nian Yuexian didn't hesitate: "In our time, your Senior Brother was the most dazzling figure in the Nine Provinces, the brightest star in the sky. Which young girl wasn't enamored? Women do admire heroes and look up to strongmen; it wasn't just me, there were many you know and don't know, who were deeply fond of your Senior Brother." "Let's just talk about you." Lu Ye looked at her. "I was no different." Nian Yuexian showed a rare smile, her eyes flickered with memories, "At that time, I followed your Senior Brother, I and Mount Tai were considered his left and right arms, Mount Tai had brotherly affections with him, I am a woman, naturally I had some other thoughts. Those were beautiful times, unforgettable times. But your Senior Brother eventually chose another woman to marry and bore a daughter. In the last battle, your Senior Brother also died, of course, now we know, his death was a ruse. But at that time, even his body was found by Mount Tai, who would have known he was alive, living in another domain." "Decades have passed, time can change many things. Some have forgotten your Senior Brother, while others still remember him. But these are ultimately just memories, even if he resurrected and returned, memories are just memories, do you understand?" Lu Ye roughly understood Nian Yuexian's feelings, nodded, "I understand." Nian Yuexian spoke very clearly. To her, Feng Wujiang was just an episode in her memory. Some things were set, she would not cling to the past. Memories are indeed beautiful, but people cannot live in memory forever, that will only make one complacent. It's a bit busy today, about to go visit my family for the New Year, first here to wish all brothers and sisters a Happy New Year. May you have good fortune in the Year of the Rabbit, may wealth come endlessly!!