Chapter 1216: Nine Mystical Jade Enchantment

As the rich yellow color dissipated, Lu Ye suddenly found himself in a place where spiritual energy was pure, and birds sang among fragrant flowers.

This was definitely not Kyushu; the native spiritual energy there wasn't nearly this abundant. So... he had arrived.

Now *this* was a proper teleportation. The entire process was virtually imperceptible, unlike his previous journey to Wushuang Continent via the Liyuan Great Array, which had been an unforgettable ordeal.

What met his eyes was a vibrant tapestry of green, purple, and red. His nose was filled with various subtle yet fragrant floral scents... and there seemed to be another very distinct aroma as well.

Just as Lu Ye was about to take a closer look at his surroundings, he suddenly sensed something amiss. He darted aside, his hand instinctively gripping the hilt of his Panshan Blade, his gaze fixed intently on the spot where he had just stood.

Another figure stood in that exact spot, but it wasn't Yang Qing, who had brought him here. Instead, it was an incredibly graceful and enchanting woman.

The unique floral scents of the place were not the only aromas that had lingered in his nose; there was also the distinct fragrance of this woman.

When Lu Ye looked, his eyes were met with a cascade of waist-length hair, so dazzling it almost made him dizzy.

The woman was undoubtedly breathtakingly beautiful, possessing an indescribable aura of graceful charm and allure. Lu Ye had seen all sorts of beauties in Kyushu, but when it came to sheer captivating elegance, no one could compare to even a fraction of this woman's charm.

Combined with her alluring figure—a classic "slender branch bearing abundant fruit" type—she created a powerful visual impact. Any male creature who saw her would likely be unable to resist stealing a few extra glances.

Lu Ye now had only one question.

Where was Yang Qing?

And who was this woman?

In contrast to Lu Ye's bewildered uncertainty, the woman appeared far more composed. After a brief moment of thought, she understood exactly what had happened.

This was the advantage of having a reliable elder by your side. Before coming here, her elder had already informed her of the situations she might encounter, allowing her to accept things as they were.

In contrast, Yang Qing seemed quite unreliable. However, he couldn't be blamed. Having been sealed away for ten thousand years and bringing a junior here for the first time as an elder, he wouldn't think to give too many instructions. Moreover, the Dragon race wasn't known for its meticulous nature.

As a result, Lu Ye was utterly bewildered at this moment.

When Lu Ye noticed the woman, she had clearly noticed him too. She tilted her head, glanced at him, and seeing his attire, immediately felt a headache coming on. "A brute of a warrior..." she muttered.

In the starry sky, several major factions had their own nicknames: "Fleshy Brutes," "Dumb Mages," "Sword Maniacs," "Warrior Savages," "Ghost Shadows"...

All these nicknames were closely related to their respective combat styles.

It wasn't necessarily a matter of looking down on one another, but there were inevitably some clashes in philosophy.

Among them, cultivators of magic were most willing to cooperate with body cultivators, as body cultivators were tough enough to charge forward and draw fire, giving mages ample time and energy to cast powerful spells.

The least preferred partners were Sword Maniacs and Warrior Savages. Strictly speaking, both types were cut from the same cloth; they fought recklessly, completely disregarding cooperation.

Even if Lu Ye had been a ghost cultivator, the woman wouldn't have reacted with such a look. But upon seeing his attire, she knew he was a warrior cultivator.

As the words slipped out, she quickly raised a hand to cover her lips, then smiled thinly. "My apologies, fellow Daoist, please forgive my blunder!"

Lu Ye simply stared at her. He had no idea what was happening, but one thing was certain: the woman who had suddenly appeared before him seemed to bear no ill will.

This made his previous actions seem a bit overly cautious.

The woman curtsied elegantly. "I am Yu Yaorao of Jiuxuan. Greetings, fellow Daoist."

She was introducing her origin.

Jiuxuan was likely the name of her home realm, though its specific location in the starry sky was unknown.

Since she was being so polite, Lu Ye naturally couldn't be rude. Moreover, at such close proximity, she was the one who should be on guard.

If Yu Yaorao could discern Lu Ye's warrior cultivator background, how could he not recognize Yu Yaorao's path as a magic cultivator?

He cupped his fist. "Jiutian, Lu Ye."

One was Jiuxuan, the other Jiutian. They sounded similar, but Jiutian was a fabrication, while Jiuxuan was real.

Yu Yaorao pondered for a moment, realizing she had never heard the name Jiutian. However, the starry sky was vast, and it was normal for someone at the Divine Sea realm to have limited knowledge. Since he could come here, it indicated that Jiutian must be a large realm, so she didn't pay it too much mind.

"Junior Brother Lu seems a bit confused about his current situation." Yu Yaorao was clearly adept at making acquaintances; just moments ago she had been polite, but now she was calling him 'Junior Brother.' This was because Lu Ye's energy fluctuations had become clear, revealing his cultivation level was one tier lower than hers.

This naturally surprised Yu Yaorao. As far as she knew, all those qualified to be brought here by their elders were at the ninth layer of the Divine Sea realm, merely a step away from making that final breakthrough. There seemed to be no precedent for someone at the eighth layer of the Divine Sea realm coming here. After all, what major realm couldn't find a ninth-layer Divine Sea realm cultivator? It made no sense to overlook a ninth-layer cultivator and instead bring an eighth-layer one.

"I was just about to ask, Senior Sister. I came here with an elder from my family, but upon arriving, my elder vanished, and instead, I found you. What exactly happened? And where is this place?" Since she was willing to be amicable, Lu Ye naturally went along with it.

"Your elder didn't tell you anything?"

Lu Ye replied, "He only said he was bringing me to the Reincarnation Tree. But looking around, I don't see any 'Reincarnation Tree.' It's a place filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, lush and green, with an otherworldly transcendence about it, but nothing else particularly noteworthy."

Yu Yaorao laughed, "Your elder truly is unreliable!" She composed herself and explained, "This is indeed the Reincarnation Tree. More precisely, it is one of its many Tree Realms. Which specific Tree Realm this is, I don't know. As for why we are here..."

She paused briefly, seemingly organizing her thoughts. "The Reincarnation Tree is an ultimate treasure of the starry sky, having existed for untold tens of thousands of years. It embraces all and accepts all, without discrimination. That's why in this vast starry sky, many ethnic groups who have lost their realms or are forced to wander for various reasons come to the Reincarnation Tree seeking a place to reside. The Reincarnation Tree never refuses them, as it possesses countless Tree Realms, enough to accommodate all those displaced and wandering groups. Of course, many also come here simply out of admiration."

"So, the Reincarnation Tree can essentially be viewed as a miniature starry sky. Nearly every race found in the starry sky can also be found here, including our human race, which occupies many Tree Realms. Often, races cannot coexist peacefully, leading to frequent friction and conflict. However, since everyone is trying to make a living here, they generally exercise restraint – unless a specific situation arises!"

"What kind of situation?" Lu Ye asked, seizing the moment.

"Not all groups who seek refuge at the Reincarnation Tree come with the sole intention of finding a home. Some harbor malicious intentions! They come with the idea of plundering rare races, as some rare races in the starry sky often possess very unique abilities. Most of the conflicts and frictions among the Reincarnation Tree's Tree Realms are sparked by this."

Lu Ye was somewhat surprised. "If that's the case, wouldn't it be simpler for the Reincarnation Tree to just expel them? Surely it has the power to do so?"

Yu Yaorao smiled, her expression truly captivating and graceful. It was hard to imagine how a woman in her early twenties possessed such charm.

"Of course, the Reincarnation Tree possesses that power, but its fundamental principle is to embrace all. When these ethnic groups arrive, it accepts them, but it won't expel them! Nor will it actively do anything on their behalf."

Lu Ye pondered, "Not active, but it can be passive then?"

Yu Yaorao looked at him, surprised. "Junior Brother, your mind is sharp! Indeed! Take this realm, for example. It must have already encountered some disturbances. So, no matter which race lives in this Tree Realm, they can send a request to the Reincarnation Tree, asking it to send people to help them. That's why we are here; the Reincarnation Tree sent us here. What we need to do is help the beings in this Tree Realm resolve some troubles. Essentially, Junior Brother, you can view this as an assessment. If you pass, then you'll qualify to participate in the upcoming Divine Sea Conflict. If you don't pass, then you might have to return from whence you came."

Lu Ye really wanted to ask what the upcoming Divine Sea Conflict was about, but he thought better of it. He decided to ask Yang Qing later; asking now would only make him seem ignorant.

Even now, he had no idea why Yang Qing had brought him here. Yang Qing had only said it was to seize something, but what that 'something' was, Lu Ye had no clue.

However, from the information he had just received, it seemed he and Yu Yaorao were natural allies. Their experience in this Tree Realm would determine their qualifications for future endeavors.

Given this, there was no longer any need to be wary of her. Lu Ye turned his head and looked around. "So, Senior Sister, in your opinion, what race inhabits this Tree Realm?"

Yu Yaorao replied, "Certainly not humans!"

If it were humans, there wouldn't be such an absence of signs of human habitation. Although they didn't know the exact size of this Tree Realm, within the range of their spiritual senses, they hadn't detected any living beings.

"As for what race it is, they will naturally come find us."

No sooner had Yu Yaorao finished speaking than the surrounding trees suddenly began to emit a faint glow. Then, specks of light drifted out from within the trees, converging before the two of them. Enveloped in the light, an ethereal figure materialized, bowing slightly. "I apologize for the wait, distinguished guests. First, I want to thank you both for coming."