Chapter 1514: Moon Yao Attacks

Lu Ye perceived that the two green crystals contained immense yet gentle energy, along with rich vitality. He wondered if they could be used for healing, possibly with excellent results. However, if that were their only purpose, their value wouldn't be particularly high.

Since it was a thank-you gift, Lu Ye felt it would be improper to question the two tribal chiefs about its purpose.

As he pondered, Li Shang spoke up, "These are Wood Crystals, left behind by deceased Wood Spirits." She evidently recognized them.

Ever since Lu Ye had acquired Li Shang, the Soul Clan woman had never initiated conversation with him. She usually remained silent, like a mute, filled with caution and a hint of hostility towards him. However, since being summoned by the Reincarnation Tree, Lu Ye had noticed a distinct change in her demeanor. Though he didn't know the reason, he considered it a positive development. Earlier, Li Shang had even voluntarily performed her Soul Attachment secret art on him to help him defeat enemies.

Lu Ye had always wanted to open up and be candid with Li Shang, as he believed the issues concerning the fallen heroes of Immortal Yuan City might be solvable through the Soul Clan. Li Shang's change in attitude gave Lu Ye hope.

"Wood Crystals from deceased Wood Spirits? Are they similar to the crystal cores of star beasts or the blood crystals of the Blood Clan?" Lu Ye asked.

Li Shang nodded. "Exactly. However, Wood Spirit Wood Crystals are far more valuable and considerably rarer than crystal cores or blood crystals. Not all Wood Spirits leave behind Wood Crystals upon death; only a select few do."

"What are their uses?" Lu Ye humbly inquired.

"Wood Crystals contain a vast amount of pure power. Refining them can enhance vitality and refine the essence of flesh and blood," she explained. She then scrutinized the two Wood Crystals in Lu Ye's hand. "These two appear to be from deceased Moonshadow Realm Wood Spirits. If you refine them, you could reach the peak of the Star Constellation Realm in a short amount of time."

Upon hearing this, Lu Ye felt a touch of disappointment.

Undeniably, Wood Crystals were valuable items, capable of saving cultivation time and significantly accelerating progress. Furthermore, these were two Wood Crystals left by deceased Moonshadow Realm Wood Spirits. Currently, the Wood Spirit Clan had no Moonshadow Realm cultivators. These crystals were likely legacies from their ancestors, perhaps their most treasured heirlooms. The fact that they offered such items as a thank-you gift clearly demonstrated the Wood Spirits' sincerity.

However, Lu Ye didn't need them. If he truly desired rapid cultivation, he could simply enter the Myriad Manifestation Sea; there was no need for Wood Crystals.

As if sensing Lu Ye's disappointment, Li Shang added, "Wood Spirit Wood Crystals possess profound power. Not only can they refine the essence of flesh and blood, but if you refine them, your comprehension of Wood-element secret arts will be greatly enhanced."

Lu Ye had no need to comprehend Wood-element secret arts; his own power was fire-element, completely unrelated to wood. While his Talent Tree did possess a Leaf Dance Spirit Rune, a Wood-element ability, Lu Ye rarely used it. When he attempted to activate it with his fire-element spiritual power, it felt incongruous and somewhat difficult to control.

"Are there no other uses?" Lu Ye asked.

Li Shang considered for a moment. "Your human race has a faction of Medical Cultivators. If they were to refine Wood Crystals, their healing abilities would be significantly enhanced. These are, arguably, treasures that every Medical Cultivator dreams of!"

Lu Ye's eyes lit up at her words. He wasn't a Medical Cultivator, but his second senior sister and Hua Ci were. These two Wood Crystals would make excellent gifts for them. Firstly, they could boost their cultivation and accelerate their progress; secondly, they would enhance their medical healing abilities.

With two Wood Crystals, it was implied there was one for Lu Ye and one for Li Shang. Lu Ye looked up at Li Shang. "How about we make a deal?"

"About what?" Li Shang asked, looking at him.

"I'll take both Wood Crystals. If there's anything you desire, I'll trade it for them."

Only then did Li Shang understand Lu Ye's intention. She slowly shook her head. "You would have been invincible in that battle even without me. These are thank-you gifts from the Wood Spirits and the Spore Clan to you; they have nothing to do with me." She still hadn't fully grasped why the Blood Clan's Star Constellation cultivators were so severely suppressed, like mice seeing a cat, when confronting Lu Ye. It was Lu Ye's secret, and she had no intention of prying. However, she knew that even without her Soul Attachment, Lu Ye could have dealt with those Blood Clan members without much effort.

"That may be true, but one of these Wood Crystals is certainly intended for you."

The Spore Clan and Wood Spirits were unaware of the true circumstances of that battle, believing Lu Ye and Li Shang had cooperated, which was why they had presented two Wood Crystals.

Li Shang shook her head. "I don't have any desires. If you insist on giving me something, I hope you can lift my restriction!"

Lu Ye watched her quietly for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand and tossed a token to Li Shang—the very token that controlled the restriction on her.

Li Shang had only mentioned it casually, never expecting Lu Ye to actually give it to her. After taking the token, she couldn't help but be stunned, her expression complex. "Aren't you afraid I'll run away?"

Lu Ye replied seriously, "I have something I need your help with, and you should be able to feel that I bear you no ill will!" If he needed her help, he naturally had to discuss it with her properly. Controlling Li Shang with the restriction would not guarantee her willing cooperation. Lu Ye had been contemplating finding a suitable opportunity to lift her restriction. However, doing so rashly, without first earning her trust or establishing a basic rapport, would almost certainly cause Li Shang to flee. This moment, perhaps, was that opportunity. Lu Ye had to take a gamble.

Li Shang gazed deeply at Lu Ye, then crushed the token in her hand. An unseen force seemed to dissipate from her, making her feel significantly lighter. She showed no intention of escaping. Instead, she sat down near Lu Ye and said, "Tell me about your friends."

Previously, Lu Ye had mentioned them vaguely, and Li Shang hadn't been inclined to learn more. Now that she was actively inquiring, it was undoubtedly a positive development for Lu Ye.

Lu Ye then briefly explained the situation in Immortal Yuan City.

Li Shang listened and commented, "Using Soul Cleansing Water to preserve the soul's immortality is indeed a method. It has its advantages and disadvantages. The benefit is that the soul imprint remains intact, allowing a soul to re-coalesce with the water's power even if scattered. The drawback is the loss of freedom; they are essentially trapped. Your friends must have possessed extremely strong dispositions during their lives, otherwise, their souls would have surely succumbed to chaos within a short time."

Lu Ye thought of the people in Immortal Yuan City, nodded, and said, "They are a group of admirable predecessors." He then humbly asked, "Is there a way to resolve their situation?"

Li Shang pondered for a moment. "I'll need to see the specific situation to know. Once this task is completed, you can take me there."

"Alright, I appreciate your help," Lu Ye agreed, visibly excited.

Previously, he hadn't known how to return to Kyushu. However, once he completed the Reincarnation Tree's commission, he could inquire about Kyushu and undoubtedly find a way back. Given the Reincarnation Tree's ability to scatter its avatars throughout the starry sky, such a task shouldn't be difficult for it.

As they journeyed, the path was not entirely peaceful. Star beasts occasionally attempted to harass them, but they were consistently repelled by the combined forces of the Spore Clan and Wood Spirit Star Constellation cultivators. Some star beasts actually bore no ill will; they simply approached out of curiosity, as spore clouds were an extremely rare sight in the starry sky.

During this journey, they even encountered a Moonshadow Realm star beast, an enormous creature resembling a whale swimming through the starry sky. This particular beast was accompanied by three smaller whale-like star beasts, presumably a family of four. The Spore Clan and Wood Spirit Star Constellation cultivators were very tense. Even if they combined their strength, facing a Moonshadow Realm star beast would inevitably result in heavy casualties.

Ultimately, Lu Ye intervened, using the power of the Red Talisman to confront the family of four for a long time until they finally retreated. As long as the Red Talisman wasn't fully activated, there was no major issue. A slight activation of its power was enough to deter star beasts, making them sense the danger and retreat. This tactic was effective only against star beasts; if it were cultivators, it would merely incite greater covetousness.

After witnessing the terrifying power of the Red Talisman, Li Shang found Lu Ye even more perplexing. She naturally recognized it as a Red Talisman from the Pygmy Race, knowing it couldn't possess such immense power otherwise. Yet, Lu Ye didn't seem to originate from a top-tier realm. She wondered why he possessed such a talisman and why he was esteemed by the Reincarnation Tree, even receiving its mark.

After traveling for over three months in this manner, Lu Ye felt the connection between his Reincarnation Tree mark and their destination grow increasingly strong, signifying their approach to the Reincarnation Tree. Over these three months, his relationship with Li Shang had improved considerably. While they weren't yet friends, they could at least engage in casual conversation. Lu Ye had also inquired about her concealment abilities, discovering that the Soul Clan's method differed from that of Ghost Cultivators. Ghost Cultivators utilized the power of ghost patterns for concealment, whereas the Soul Clan possessed an innate ability, being inherently ethereal and enigmatic entities. Lu Ye's plan to re-deduce the concealment spirit pattern, hoping to leverage the Soul Clan's abilities, was now dashed.

One day, as Lu Ye was refining spiritual jade for cultivation, his heart suddenly lurched, sensing an unseen crisis approaching. He quickly opened his eyes and saw Li Shang across from him, her eyes also open, looking at him with a solemn expression. Li Shang had clearly sensed it as well. Not only he, but the Star Constellation cultivators of both the Spore Clan and the Wood Spirits within the spore cloud also detected it, causing immediate commotion.

Lu Ye swiftly leaped out of the spore cloud and looked back to see a blood-red light rapidly approaching in the distance. Li Shang stood beside him, her expression grave. "A Moonshadow Realm Blood Clan cultivator!" Judging by the approaching figure's aura, it wasn't an ordinary Moonshadow Realm cultivator; it was at least mid-stage, possibly even late-stage.

Three months had passed since they left the Azure Jade Realm, and Lu Ye had never imagined a Blood Clan powerhouse would still be pursuing them. With his current strength, even a newly promoted Moonshadow Realm cultivator would pose immense pressure, let alone one in the mid or late stages.

Black Umbrella and Mu He also arrived, their expressions changing instantly upon seeing the crimson light behind them. This was the inherent tragedy of smaller races: without powerful protectors, encountering danger in the boundless starry sky meant virtually no means of defense, and a single misstep could spell the extinction of their lineage.

(End of chapter)