Star Islands

Bai Zhihua’s identity was special, and she had specifically instructed Yan Yun not to reveal it to outsiders.

However, Wen Meng and the others could see that the relationship between Yan Yun, Xiao Leng, and Bai Zhihua was anything but ordinary.

They looked like close sisters, constantly teasing and playfully bickering with each other.

It was clear at a glance that the three of them were closer than the four of them were with Yan Yun.

Yan Yun greeted Wen Meng and her companions, then took Bai Zhihua on a tour of the Poison Sect.

As they walked, she explained her requirements, and Bai Zhihua, in turn, told Yan Yun what kind of arrays she could set up and the materials needed.

As long as the materials were available, Bai Zhihua could set them up.

Given Yan Yun’s personality, she naturally wanted the strongest possible setup.

However, there was one crucial element for setting up a sect’s grand array: a spirit vein.

This was because an array of this level required an enormous amount of energy.

As for regional arrays, such as spirit-gathering arrays and isolation arrays, those were relatively simple.

“I don’t have a spirit vein, but will a spirit mother lode do?”

Yan Yun directly took out the spirit mother lode she had obtained from Tianwu Gate.

When Bai Zhihua saw the golden crystal in Yan Yun’s hand, her eyes widened in surprise.

“My heavens, a large-scale spirit mother lode.”

“So it was you, you old rascal, who snatched food from the tiger’s mouth, right from under the Qianjin Pavilion’s nose.”

“Third Sister, you’re far too bold,” she said.

Seeing this, Bai Zhihua instantly understood who had taken the items from Tianwu Gate.

Seeing that Bai Zhihua already knew, Yan Yun immediately became worried.

“What, did the Qianjin Pavilion buy information from you and your master?”

Bai Zhihua nodded.

“Of course.”

“You’re the only person in the last five thousand years who has dared to rob the Qianjin Pavilion.”

“However, since the information they provided was so limited, I haven’t been able to figure out who stole it.”

“Now I know, and I don’t need to figure it out anymore.”

“I’m afraid my master’s reputation is going to take another hit.”

Bai Zhihua’s expression immediately fell.

Seeing Bai Zhihua’s reaction, Yan Yun immediately came up behind her, placed her hands on her shoulders, and began to massage them.

“Good brother, my sister’s safety depends on you!”

“Cut it out.”

“Can’t you be a little more honest, you rascal?”

“Why do you always get into such dangerous and life-threatening situations?”

“Let me tell you, this Qianjin Pavilion is a behemoth even in the upper Xuanyuan Realm.”

“Offending them is far more troublesome than your Old Ancestor offending those great sects back in the day,” Bai Zhihua lectured.

Hearing this, cold sweat broke out on Yan Yun’s forehead.

“Well, I’ll try to be more careful next time.”

“Don’t tell your sister-in-law or Old Xie when you get back,” Yan Yun quickly reminded her.

Bai Zhihua looked as if she had been defeated by Yan Yun, then glanced at Xiao Leng.

“Oldest, you have to keep her in check too.”

“She’s completely fearless.”

“Unless she’s the chosen one, she’ll be done for sooner or later, and no one will be able to save her.”

Seeing how serious Bai Zhihua was, Xiao Leng immediately nodded solemnly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep a close eye on Old Third from now on.”

In the days that followed, Yan Yun was busy again.

First, the sect-protecting grand array that Bai Zhihua wanted to set up was called the Four Absolutes Divine Array.

Once activated, this array could withstand the attacks of an ordinary Great Accomplishment Divine Venerable.

Then there were the other miscellaneous arrays and restrictions.

She estimated that she would be busy for two to three months.

The main problem was the materials.

Although Yan Yun had obtained many rare materials from Tianwu Gate, they were not enough to fully establish the restriction system.

She was still short by at least two-thirds.

Yan Yun needed to collect them.

The establishment of other sects took many years of preparation.

Since Yan Yun was unwilling to wait to establish her sect, she could only spend more money.

After Bai Zhihua wrote out the list, Yan Yun had her work cut out for her.

This was a job only she could do.

So, she once again left the valley and headed to the various Qianjin Pavilions and trading markets in the surrounding area.

She searched for the materials on the list one by one.

She couldn’t wait until she had found everything to send it back; she had to send back a batch as soon as she found one, then go out again to search.

These items were too valuable, and she didn’t dare let Wen Meng and the others accompany her.

Because if Wen Meng and the others encountered trouble in the Dao Alliance, it would be difficult for them to protect the items, and they might even lose their lives.

To save time on her journey, Yan Yun frequently used high-speed flight talismans.

Talismans and talisman treasures were two different things.

The former was more powerful and suitable for combat, while the latter was generally consumable and had limited destructive power.

Time passed quickly as Yan Yun traveled back and forth searching for materials.

In the blink of an eye, another month had passed.

In this month, the buildings of the Poison Sect were almost completely constructed.

As for the arrays and restrictions, a portion had been completed, but the materials for some of the more powerful arrays were still not all gathered.

Many materials were not even available in the Qianjin Pavilions of the neighboring kingdoms.

Finally, Bai Zhihua gave her a suggestion: go to the Qianjin Pavilion at the Dao Alliance headquarters, where she would surely find everything.

The Dao Alliance headquarters was quite far from their location.

Even if Yan Yun used a fifth-tier Divine Travel Talisman, a round trip would take six days.

But she had no choice but to go.

The Dao Alliance headquarters was on an island in the Star Ocean called Tianji Island.

This Tianji Island was also the most prosperous place in the Dao Alliance’s territory.

You could find everything you needed there.

Three days later, on a sapphire-blue coastline, a streak of azure light flew rapidly over a mountain range, finally stopping at the edge of the sea.

The azure light then faded, and Yan Yun’s figure emerged.

“So this is the Star Ocean.”

“It’s truly vast and boundless,” Yan Yun remarked, looking at the endless sea.

She then took out a map.

She had flown directly through Xiang Country, with Xiang Country behind her.

And the sea area ahead was the complete sphere of influence of the Dao Alliance’s cultivation forces.

The islands she encountered on the way were likely all individual cultivation forces.

This area was also called the Star Sea Archipelago, and Tianji Island was the largest island in the archipelago.

This meant she would likely have to cross the territories of many cultivation forces, which could lead to a lot of trouble.

After muttering to herself, Yan Yun once again transformed into a streak of azure light and flew towards the end of the sea.

But after flying for about thirty or forty li, Yan Yun saw a beautiful cluster of buildings on the sea.

This cluster of buildings was very large and special.

It didn’t seem to be built on an island, but on a huge ship.

“Halt.”

As she flew, several men and women in water-blue robes suddenly appeared in front of Yan Yun.

Yan Yun quickly stopped.

“Ahead is the territory of our Canghai Palace.”

“No passage without permission,” a woman in palace attire at the Spirit Transformation Realm said to Yan Yun in a deep voice.

Yan Yun immediately asked, “Could you make an exception?”

“I need to go to Tianji Island on some business.”

“It’s not impossible to pass, but the toll is ten thousand spirit stones,” another man directly stated a price.

Yan Yun didn’t haggle over the ten thousand spirit stones.

“Alright, here are ten thousand spirit stones, take them.”

“Please let me pass,” Yan Yun immediately tossed them a bag of spirit stones.

The young man took it, glanced at it, and then nodded to the woman in palace attire.

Only then did the two of them make way.

Yan Yun also immediately flew forward.

But what she didn’t know was that after she had flown away, these two disciples of Canghai Palace mocked her.

“Hehe, is she a country bumpkin from Xiang Country?”

“She doesn’t seem to know the rules of the Star Ocean at all.”

“If she just flies around like this, I’m afraid she’ll stray into the territory of other forces soon.”

“Yes, she could have just taken the public sea route,” another female disciple said.

Yan Yun flew past the territory of Canghai Palace.

After flying for about twenty more li, she saw an island.

Seeing the island, Yan Yun knew it must be the territory of some other force and quickly tried to avoid it.

But it was clear that, without knowing the extent of the other party’s territory, she had still strayed into their land.

And just then, several strangely dressed cultivators flew out from the sea.

“Halt, this is the territory of our Haisha Island.”

“If you want to pass, please pay a toll of ten thousand spirit stones,” one of the cultivators directly demanded money.

Yan Yun’s face darkened, and she couldn’t help but ask, “This place is about seven or eight li from your Haisha Island, isn’t it?”

But another cultivator directly said, “Young lady, you are already within the sphere of influence of our Haisha Gang.”

“You must be new to the Star Ocean.”

“Almost all areas of the Star Ocean are under the jurisdiction of some force.”

Yan Yun felt like she was going to vomit blood, but since she had broken the rules, she had nothing to say, so she still paid the money.

But while paying, she also asked the cultivator from Haisha Island, “Fellow Daoist, do you have a map of the distribution of forces in the Star Ocean region?”

“You must, right?”

“If you do, I can buy it with money.”

The disciple from Haisha Island was quite straightforward and immediately tossed Yan Yun a map of the sea area’s forces.

When she looked at it, her expression turned green.

Because apart from a designated public sea route, almost all areas were occupied by various forces.

There were forces on all four sides.

Even if she wanted to go out, she still had to cross into the territories of other forces.

“Damn it, why didn’t those cultivators from Canghai Palace remind me?”

“They must have done it on purpose, right?” Yan Yun felt like she was going to vomit blood.

To reach Tianji Island by passing through the territories of other forces, she would have to cross at least a dozen more.

The tolls would cost her over a hundred thousand spirit stones.

“Young lady, our forces are still considered polite.”

“We let people pass for money.”

“Ahead, there are several forces that are very hostile to cultivators who accidentally stray into their territory.”

“At best, you’ll have to hand over all your valuables; at worst, you’ll lose your life.”

“I advise you to turn back and take the public sea route on the map to Tianji Island,” a female disciple from Haisha Island kindly reminded her.

But Yan Yun pressed on.

“I’m very curious, do those Divine Venerable experts abide by this rule and pass through the islands?”

The female disciple smiled.

“The strong naturally have the privileges of the strong.”

“Divine Venerable experts certainly don’t have to abide by this rule.”

“But unfortunately, young lady, you are not a Divine Venerable, so you should turn back.”

But Yan Yun’s stubbornness flared up again.

“Is that so?”

“Then I’ll just have to barge through.”

With that, Yan Yun bought the sea map and flew directly towards the next territory.