Chapter 1272: End

**The Wind Rises in Kyushu**

This situation persisted for approximately ten days. Then, a huge hum resonated throughout the world, and everyone instantly realized that the Divine Sea Competition had concluded, and the final hundred victors had been determined.

Across the Primordial Realm, cultivators who had been locked in fierce combat ceased their actions, retreating to a safe distance. Their nearly three months of persistence and struggle had been for this very moment. With the competition over, there was naturally no longer any need for further large-scale fighting.

Where Lu Ye and others had gathered, everyone quietly drank from their cups, waiting.

Originally, a single great sun hung in the sky. But at that moment, another glorious sun suddenly rose. This second sun was bright yet not dazzling; its brilliant light also conveyed a gentle sensation. As this second sun ascended to mid-air, it suddenly quivered, instantly transforming into a hundred orbs of light. These orbs varied in size, with the largest being more than ten times bigger than the smallest.

After splitting, these orbs of light, as if possessing sentience, immediately soared in all directions, settling into the bodies of the cultivators still remaining in the Primordial Realm.

As the top-ranked competitor in this Divine Sea Competition, Lu Ye undoubtedly received the largest orb. Since he had anticipated this, he neither dodged nor resisted.

As this spiritual light surged into his body, Lu Ye felt a warmth spread throughout him, as if days of accumulated fatigue vanished instantly, and his energy surged significantly. Beyond that, there didn't seem to be anything else particularly special. However, upon careful perception, he clearly discerned a mysterious power within his flesh and blood. This power could not be activated yet and posed no harm to him; it merely resided temporarily within his body.

He understood that this dormant power would only truly come into play when he broke through the Divine Sea realm and advanced to the Constellation realm, granting him the ability to connect with the starry sky. Furthermore, this spiritual light from the Primordial Realm offered immense benefits for a cultivator's growth and advancement. As for the specific benefits, Lu Ye had no idea. He would only gradually come to understand them after advancing to the Constellation realm.

Every cultivator remaining in the Primordial Realm received their own portion of spiritual light, regardless of its size, which was ultimately sufficient for their own advancement.

Yu Yaorao looked at Lu Ye with gratitude. Honestly, if she hadn't stayed with Lu Ye until the very end, largely avoiding conflicts with others, she definitely wouldn't have secured one of the final hundred coveted spots. There was a high chance she would have been eliminated. Being eliminated in such a situation meant only death, unless she willingly gave up and departed early.

With the spiritual light settling into each body without delay, powerful repulsive forces immediately emanated from all directions. Thus, everyone knew it was time to depart.

Some cultivators cupped their fists and said, "Fellow Daoists, should we ever meet again while traversing the starry sky, please look kindly upon me!"

This was, of course, merely polite formality. After leaving this place, the chances of these cultivators meeting again in the starry sky were slim. The starry sky was vast, and each originated from a different realm. Reuniting in such a boundless expanse would be akin to finding a needle in a haystack. However, anything was possible. The camaraderie forged today might be the beginning of future friendships. As the absolute top talents who had endured until the very end, they naturally felt a sense of mutual appreciation.

Some returned the gesture, while others remained silent. The repulsive forces from all directions grew stronger, and figures began to vanish as the void twisted.

On the white jade platform of the Reincarnation Tree, after a three-month interval, activity once again buzzed. However, compared to the spectacular scene three months prior when thousands of Divine Sea cultivators journeyed to the Primordial Realm, only a hundred returned this time, undoubtedly diminishing the liveliness.

The powerful individuals whose juniors had gained something were naturally beaming with joy. However, many more had lost their juniors in the Primordial Realm, and could only watch enviously as others' families reunited, truly a mix of joy and sorrow.

As the top-ranked competitor in this Divine Sea Competition, Lu Ye's return immediately drew the attention of many powerful individuals. He had already caused a stir upon entering the Primordial Realm, being the most unusual among a uniformly Ninth-Order Divine Sea group. After all, an Eighth-Order Divine Sea cultivator was simply too conspicuous. Yet, no one had expected that such an Eighth-Order cultivator, whom many powerful figures had inwardly believed wouldn't last long, and who hailed from an utterly unremarkable realm, would actually seize the top spot.

Throughout history, every prodigious talent who secured a top ten position in the Primordial Realm went on to achieve great things in the future, let alone the very top. Even before Lu Ye's return, powerful individuals had been privately discussing and inquiring about the Nine Heavens Realm's whereabouts. Yet, no matter how much they discussed or searched, no one had ever heard of the Nine Heavens Realm's name, nor had there been any prior instances of this realm participating in the Divine Sea Competition.

This realm seemed to have sprung out of nowhere, leaving no trace. This was not particularly surprising. There were so many realms in the starry sky that even the most knowledgeable cultivators couldn't claim to understand all of them thoroughly. Furthermore, not all large realms sent cultivators to participate in the Divine Sea Competition. Many large realms, despite being qualified, struggled to find the proper channels, and thus had never revealed themselves to the world. Therefore, many powerful figures concluded that the Nine Heavens Realm must be one such case. Perhaps cultivators from the Nine Heavens Realm had participated in previous Divine Sea Competitions but had gone unnoticed, failing to cause any stir, and thus remained unknown. Just like this time, thousands of realms participated, but now, apart from the particularly famous ones, who would bother to record the obscure ones?

On the white jade platform, Lu Ye keenly sensed many hostile gazes. Following them, he distinctly saw a gathering of powerful Blood and Insect race cultivators. He understood instantly: his actions against the Blood and Insect races in the Primordial Realm hadn't escaped these individuals. Although they didn't know the exact events within the Primordial Realm, his gains from slaying enemies would have boosted his ranking. Anyone paying close attention to the ranking changes would likely be able to deduce who was responsible for the deaths of their younger generation. These powerful Blood and Insect race cultivators had evidently concluded that their juniors had died by Lu Ye's hand. If the circumstances weren't inappropriate, they would likely have already confronted him.

"Well done!" A familiar voice spoke. Yang Qing appeared beside him, praising with a smile, cutting off the gazes of the Blood and Insect race powerhouses.

"I didn't fail you," Lu Ye nodded slightly. He could see that Yang Qing seemed to be in excellent spirits, though he wasn't sure what good fortune the man had encountered. Naturally, he didn't know that it was precisely due to his performance this time that Yang Qing had reaped a bountiful harvest. A Nine-Star Dragon Pearl as a wager had allowed him to claim 30% of the treasures in the treasure pond. Although the individual value of each item wasn't particularly high, their sheer quantity made up for it. In the future, he only needed to find an opportunity to exchange these treasures for spirit jade, and he wouldn't have to worry about the resources needed for his recovery. He increasingly felt that bringing Lu Ye to the Reincarnation Tree to participate in the Divine Sea Competition was a wise decision. Otherwise, how could he have gained so many benefits so easily? Even a powerful individual like him found the act of searching and collecting resources in the starry sky quite tiresome. Acquiring spirit jade often meant enduring immense solitude and tedium.

With matters here concluded, Yang Qing had no intention of lingering and was preparing to leave with Lu Ye. However, before the two could depart, Yu Yaorao approached, leading a distinguished-looking middle-aged man. Yu Yaorao had specifically come to express her gratitude. She had just briefly explained her experiences in the Primordial Realm to her elder, stating that her safe victory was entirely due to Lu Ye's protection at the final moment. This Moon Phase Realm elder, being a grateful person, insisted on personally extending his thanks.

After some pleasantries, Yu Yaorao's elder expressed his sincere gratitude. He then invited Lu Ye to visit the Nine Profound Realm if he ever had the chance, stating that the entire Nine Profound Realm would treat him as their most honored guest. Lu Ye naturally agreed casually. As for whether he would actually go, he didn't even know where the Nine Profound Realm was, so how could he go? This matter could only be left to fate.

While Lu Ye exchanged pleasantries, Yang Qing stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an air of supreme arrogance, as if he were the most important being under heaven. The Moon Phase Realm elder didn't mind in the slightest. Someone who could casually mention a Nine-Star treasure possessed a status and background far beyond what a Moon Phase Realm cultivator could compare to. He was self-aware and wouldn't do anything to embarrass himself.

While it was lively on that side, at the edge of the white jade platform, Du Liang let out a long breath.

"Uncle, let's go!"

The cultivator beside Du Liang said, "This is a rare opportunity, aren't you going to greet him?"

Du Liang shook his head. "No need, Uncle. Lu Daoist and I are merely passing acquaintances. Being able to witness him secure first place was akin to witnessing history. Since I wasn't involved before, there's no need to interfere now and disturb my peace of mind. In the future, when this disciple advances to the Constellation realm, if fate allows, we might meet again in the starry sky, and then we can forge a friendship as equals."

The cultivator nodded slightly. "That's fine too!" His nephew was also a proud individual. Going to offer congratulations at this moment would clearly carry the suspicion of currying favor, which no ambitious cultivator would do. Moreover, Du Liang was right; he and Lu Ye were merely passing acquaintances. Originally, the uncle and nephew should have already departed, but they decided to stay and observe after seeing Lu Ye's ranking. Now that the results were out, there was no longer any need to linger.

For Du Liang, he had initially thought that Lu Ye from the Nine Heavens Realm was similar to him, but as things progressed, Lu Ye fought his way to the top. Lu Ye had achieved the greatest honor in this Divine Sea Competition, while Du Liang had to exit the Primordial Realm early due to some unavoidable reasons. Comparing the two, even if he claimed not to care, he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss.