Chapter 1230: The Battle for the Divine Sea

The world was purified!

The bugs in the Bug Tree Realm had been completely eradicated, resolving the Tree Realm's ten-thousand-year-old problem in a single stroke. Now, only one problem remained before him.

How to get out of here?

The Void Beast's core could open passages to other Tree Realms, but it couldn't send him to Yang Qing's side. Moreover, he didn't even know where to find Yang Qing.

For this, he could only trouble the Reincarnation Tree.

His presence in the Tree Realm was due to the Reincarnation Tree's covert arrangements. Now that the trial was successfully completed, it was naturally up to the Reincarnation Tree to guide him out.

So, after a brief deliberation, Lu Ye spoke, "Let me out!"

He felt a slight unease. Normally, his request would be unremarkable, as other prodigious talents from various races who entered the Tree Realm likely left this way. Yet, he still harbored a trace of a guilty conscience.

This was the Tree Realm; if the Reincarnation Tree wished, it could perceive everything. His recent subtle actions surely couldn't have escaped its perception.

However, it might not have been constantly monitoring him, unless he called out directly.

As he finished speaking, the void before him trembled slightly, and then a portal appeared. Lu Ye knew his assumption was correct: the Reincarnation Tree truly wasn't constantly observing him. It probably hadn't noticed his recent actions, otherwise, it wouldn't have opened the portal for him to leave.

He stepped into it. When he reappeared, he was standing on an enormous platform.

The platform was so vast that its edges were out of sight. Its smooth surface was entirely paved with pure, flawless white jade. And it wasn't ordinary white jade, because Lu Ye faintly sensed extremely mysterious power fluctuations emanating from it.

This white jade... it was Spirit Jade!

Lu Ye couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. The Star Constellation Realm cultivators of Kyushu had painstakingly searched the starry sky for one or two months, with the most anyone acquiring only a hundred pieces of Spirit Jade, and even those weren't large.

This was also because the starry sky near Kyushu had been undisturbed for countless years, resulting in a significant accumulation.

In contrast, in the starry sky near large realms where Star Constellation Realm cultivators were constantly emerging, the output of Spirit Jade was generally very low, as it would be collected by cultivators as soon as it appeared.

But here, there was such an enormous platform, entirely paved with Spirit Jade. How much Spirit Jade must have been consumed for this?

The Reincarnation Tree... is it that wealthy?

This platform was undoubtedly floating in the void, because when Lu Ye looked up, his eyes met a sky full of stars, and drifting meteorites slowly glided past from the nearby starry sky. This was a sight completely unseen on the land of Kyushu.

Figures of various forms were everywhere on the platform, moving back and forth in a dense stream. Many were beings with physiques similar to humans, while others were non-human, creating a dazzling spectacle.

Though numerous, there was no clamor whatsoever on the entire platform. Instead, it was remarkably quiet.

The cultivators present, even the lowest in cultivation, were at the Divine Sea Realm, all possessing the ability to transmit messages via divine sense. In such a setting, who would shout loudly everywhere? Regardless of their original disposition, once here, everyone was conscious of maintaining a certain decorum.

"What took you so long?" A familiar voice suddenly reached Lu Ye's ears.

Lu Ye looked in the direction of the voice and immediately saw Yang Qing.

The Reincarnation Tree was very considerate; when it brought him out of the Bug Tree Realm, it sent him directly to Yang Qing's side. "Was the trial difficult?" Yang Qing asked.

Lu Ye shook his head, "Not difficult, just a few minor twists." If he hadn't, on a whim, decided to charge into the Bug Tree Realm, the trial in the Fairy Tree Realm should have been completed long ago. That Tree Realm wasn't large, and with the combined strength of him and Yu Yaorao, clearing out the bugs in the entire realm would have been easy after dealing with the insect nest.

Yang Qing nodded. He didn't doubt whether Lu Ye could pass the trial, but there were always unforeseen circumstances, and people had died in previous Reincarnation Tree trials.

"Senior, what exactly are we here to compete for?" Lu Ye asked directly. He had heard mentions of something called the 'Divine Sea Contest,' and from the name alone, it seemed to be a competition between cultivators at the Divine Sea Realm. However, Lu Ye was completely in the dark about the specific rules and procedures.

It wasn't appropriate to ask Yu Yaorao. While they were natural allies in the Fairy Tree Realm, they might turn into rivals at any moment. Relying on others to explain crucial information wasn't reliable or trustworthy.

So, he could only ask Yang Qing.

Instead of answering, Yang Qing countered, "What is the key for a Divine Sea cultivator to advance to the Star Constellation Realm?" Lu Ye thought for a moment and replied, "To gain power that connects one to the starry sky."

"Exactly, one needs to acquire power that connects them to the starry sky. Only then, after advancing to the Star Constellation Realm, can a cultivator physically traverse and explore the starry sky." Yang Qing nodded. "Generally speaking, all large realms can nurture such power for their cultivators to acquire. This is similar to what the Heavenly Dao Plate did in Kyushu, but it acted consciously. For large realms with less clear or strong Heaven and Earth Wills, performing this act is an instinct, a response from the world to the cultivators' aspirations within it."

Lu Ye had never heard this explanation before. He couldn't help but marvel that Yang Qing, as a dragon who had lived for countless millennia, was indeed remarkably knowledgeable.

"Besides the large realms that can nurture such power, the Reincarnation Tree also has a place that can nurture this power. Moreover, compared to all realms in this part of the starry sky, the power it nurtures is stronger and purer, offering greater benefits for a cultivator's future! It's like the growth of mortals: a child who grew up eating gruel and pickles all their life cannot be compared physically to a child who grew up with lavish meals. Of course, the difference isn't that exaggerated, but the power nurtured by the Reincarnation Tree is indeed better for cultivators. Basically, cultivators who obtain the power nurtured by the Reincarnation Tree will not achieve anything less than the Moon-Illuminated Realm in the future. This is also why so many people have come here."

Lu Ye's eyes lit up as he listened. He had never known what Yang Qing had brought him here to contend for. Now he knew: they were competing for the crucial power that allows cultivators to advance to the Star Constellation Realm!

This was indeed something worth contending for, especially at his current cultivation level.

But he quickly realized a problem: "Senior, I'm only at the eighth level of the Divine Sea Realm. Even if I win, I won't be able to advance to the Star Constellation Realm anytime soon."

No matter how fast his cultivation speed was, it would still take some time to advance to the ninth level. It wasn't an efficiency issue, but rather a need for consolidation to ensure a stable foundation. And even if he advanced to the ninth level, he would still need further consolidation and accumulation!

Yang Qing gave him a meaningful glance. "Don't worry about that. That power will be deeply embedded within your flesh and blood, only activating when you need it. Those at the ninth level of the Divine Sea Realm don't immediately advance to the Star Constellation Realm just by obtaining that power; they all need to return to their own realms before advancing."

Then it was fine.

Lu Ye looked up at the enormous platform, clicking his tongue in wonder. "How many people are participating in this event, and how many spots will there be in the end?"

This was a crucial question that would determine how Lu Ye should exert himself in the upcoming Divine Sea Contest.

The cultivators gathered on the platform numbered at least tens of thousands. Not to mention cultivators above the Divine Sea Realm, just those at the Divine Sea Realm alone amounted to twenty or thirty thousand.

Since it was the Divine Sea Contest, cultivators above the Divine Sea Realm definitely wouldn't participate, effectively cutting the numbers in half. But even with only half, it was still an incredibly vast number.

"Each large realm has one participation slot, while top-tier realms have two or three. I don't know the exact number of participants, but I imagine there will be two to three thousand. As for the final number of spots..." Yang Qing's lips curled into a meaningful smile. "One hundred!"

Not all Divine Sea Realm cultivators present were here to participate in the Divine Sea Contest. Due to the limited slots, most were here to gain experience, accompanying their elders. This grand event hosted by the Reincarnation Tree occurs once every hundred years; missing this one would mean waiting another century.

Lu Ye's expression turned serious. One hundred out of two or three thousand—the competition was far from ordinary.

Moreover, this mode of participation and competition gave a natural advantage to top-tier realms with extensive connections, because they had more participation slots and broader networks, easily forming a collective force.

It was unfriendly to realms that didn't interact much with other realms, because in such an environment, finding temporary allies would be difficult.

Lu Ye, furthermore, had no advantage whatsoever!

Kyushu had only just integrated into the starry sky and had no established allies. Moreover, the name 'Kyushu' was not something to be easily revealed.

If he were to announce himself as 'Lu Ye of Nine Heavens' at that time, who would pay him any heed? Not to mention, he was only an eighth-level Divine Sea Realm cultivator! Among all the cultivators participating in this grand event, he was arguably the only one of his kind!

All Divine Sea Realm cultivators qualified to participate in this grand event were undoubtedly the top talents of their respective realms in this generation. Yu Yaorao was such a talent, as was Yan Ya, whom he had slain; others were no different.

In such an environment, even Lu Ye felt a subtle pressure.

But he quickly realized a problem: "Senior, with this method of competition, wouldn't it be possible to just hide from start to finish? If one found a safe place, or possessed innate divine abilities to conceal oneself, wouldn't that be a huge advantage?"

Yang Qing scoffed softly. "Cultivators cultivate by contending with others and contending with heaven. If one doesn't even have the drive to contend, what good is ranking among the top hundred? They are destined not to achieve anything great in the future. Take you, for instance; if you truly possessed such innate divine abilities, would you be willing to hide all the time?"

Lu Ye considered carefully and shook his head, "No, I wouldn't."

This grand event was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity for the prodigies of various realms to interact and clash with others. Every prodigy would want to know their standing within this group and if there were anyone stronger than themselves. Individuals capable of leading an era in a large realm would indeed not do something so ignoble, lest they tarnish the reputation of their home realm and bring shame upon their elders.