Chapter 1612: Yaya's Abnormality

After bypassing the Rift Mirror, the fleet sailed for another half a month before finally arriving at the location of the Mist Dragon.

From a distance, it resembled a gigantic dragon formed from condensed mist, coiled in the starry sky and occupying a vast expanse.

Unlike the Rift Mirror, this cosmic wonder showed no outward signs of danger. In fact, entering it wasn't particularly perilous. However, without a special method, even a Sun-Devouring cultivator would lose their way and become trapped within, unable to escape.

The fleet stopped at the edge of the Mist Dragon. This wasn't a random choice but a location specified by Lu Ye. Only by entering the Mist Dragon from this precise spot and moving straight ahead would they reach the wormhole. Even a slight deviation could lead them to miss it, wasting valuable time and effort. At this moment, many cultivators were making preparations. The five Tiger Shark warships had been retracted, and the thirty-one star skiffs were consolidated into five, with everyone crowding onto these five vessels.

The cultivators brought out rope-like treasures, securing them firmly to the bow and stern of each star skiff. This was a necessary precaution before entering the Mist Dragon. When Lu Ye previously traversed the Mist Dragon alone, he didn't encounter such complications. However, with so many people now, he had to consider more factors. He needed to ensure no one would get lost in this place. A large number of star skiffs would be inconvenient, so they had to streamline the fleet as much as possible.

The star skiff carrying Lu Ye still took the lead. After ensuring everyone was ready and sternly reminding them not to leave their vessels under any circumstances, Lu Ye finally gave the order to set sail.

The five star skiffs, linked together in a single line, slowly moved towards the Mist Dragon. Cultivators from the Four Directions Star System, aware of the Mist Dragon's peculiarities, couldn't help but feel apprehensive, while the cultivators from the Three Realms seemed to exhibit the fearlessness of the ignorant.

Luo Xie stood beside Lu Ye, observing him with keen interest. He was very curious about how Lu Ye intended to guide everyone through the Mist Dragon. Lu Ye had previously shown the star map from Wuding to the Myriad Manifestations Sea to Jiang Shang. With his Sun-Devouring cultivation and eidetic memory, and the map not being overly complex, Jiang Shang had naturally memorized it. Most Sun-Devouring cultivators in the Four Directions Star System now knew the route on this star map and were aware it was bestowed by the Reincarnation Tree. However, no one understood how to safely pass through the Mist Dragon and enter the internal wormhole.

This was likely the greatest challenge of their journey. Luo Xie accompanied them for two reasons: first, to oversee the fleet and ensure its safety, and second, to figure this out. Once he understood Lu Ye's method, the Four Directions Star System could send people to the Myriad Manifestations Sea on their own in the future. Being an old and shrewd individual, he didn't directly ask Lu Ye, believing he could discern the method through observation.

As they drew closer to the Mist Dragon, under Luo Xie's watchful gaze, Lu Ye suddenly took out a piece of withered wood from his storage ring. Then, a flame ignited in his hand, setting the wood alight.

Luo Xie stared intently at the withered wood for a moment before suddenly realizing something was amiss. "Young friend, this wood..." Lu Ye turned to him, "Old Luo, do you recognize it?" Luo Xie shook his head, "I can't quite say, but this object feels familiar to me, as if I've seen it somewhere before." He was certain he had encountered this type of wood, yet despite his Sun-Devouring memory, he couldn't recall where. This was rather odd. Such wood was definitely not ordinary; otherwise, it wouldn't evoke such a strange sense of familiarity. But could a piece of burning withered wood truly affect the peculiarities within the Mist Dragon?

"What is this wood?" Luo Xie couldn't restrain his curiosity. He simply couldn't understand this matter; it seemed impossible to traverse the Mist Dragon without any special method.

"The Grand Luo Star System should have something like this," Lu Ye said, piquing Luo Xie's interest. "And it's related to the Reincarnation Tree." Related to the Reincarnation Tree... Luo Xie was stunned, then immediately reacted with great surprise, "Is this a clone of the Reincarnation Tree?" Lu Ye nodded, "Exactly!"

"This was also bestowed by the Reincarnation Tree?" Luo Xie's eyelids twitched uncontrollably. Although throughout history the Reincarnation Tree had bestowed countless clones, any realm that received one treated it with the utmost reverence. After all, it was a means to connect with a cosmic treasure like the Reincarnation Tree. No realm would take it lightly; they would regard it as their most precious treasure, not only guarded by powerful cultivators but also carefully protected from damage. Furthermore, no one knew if damaging a Reincarnation Tree clone would provoke that most renowned cosmic treasure. Yet, now someone was lighting a clone of the Reincarnation Tree right before his eyes... If he hadn't seen it himself, Luo Xie would simply not believe it. However, considering that the star map in Lu Ye's possession was also bestowed by the Reincarnation Tree, it seemed plausible that the cosmic treasure might bestow such a piece of withered wood.

Lu Ye offered no further explanation, simply nodding, "Something like that!" Although this clone of the Reincarnation Tree was dug out by him from a dead star, without the Reincarnation Tree's guidance, he wouldn't have known how to obtain it. So, saying it was bestowed by the Reincarnation Tree was not incorrect.

"So that's it!" Luo Xie suddenly understood. He had wondered what method Lu Ye, merely a Star Constellation cultivator, would use to navigate the Mist Dragon so freely. It turned out he was leveraging the power of the Reincarnation Tree. This made perfect sense; even if it was just a piece of withered wood, it originated from the Reincarnation Tree and naturally possessed mysterious and unfathomable power. Luo Xie felt a pang of disappointment; if this was the case, the Four Directions Star System couldn't replicate it. The Grand Luo Star System did indeed have clones of the Reincarnation Tree, more than one even, but they certainly couldn't just chop off a piece. If that angered the Reincarnation Tree, the consequences would be dire.

He finally understood why Lu Ye had been so generous in sharing the star map. Now it seemed that merely having the star map wasn't enough to travel from Wuding to the Myriad Manifestations Sea; one also needed a burning clone of the Reincarnation Tree to serve as a torch!

The firelight only illuminated an area of about three zhang (approximately 10 meters), flickering but never extinguishing, even in the vast starry sky, serving as a beacon for the fleet. As the fleet entered the Mist Dragon, the surroundings became pitch-black, with only dense mist swirling. Divine Sense could barely extend three inches from the body. Everyone had been warned in advance to stay put on their star skiffs and not wander off.

During this time, Lu Ye did nothing but diligently oversee their journey. Although he had previous experience traversing the Mist Dragon and felt confident in the torch made from the Reincarnation Tree clone, there were fifteen hundred cultivators accompanying him this time, so he couldn't afford any carelessness. He stood at the bow, surveying all directions, watchful for any potential mishaps. After several days of this, as Lu Ye was observing from the bow, he suddenly heard Yiyi call out, "Lu Ye!" Lu Ye quickly turned to see Yiyi nearby, a worried expression on her face, gazing at Ya Ya, whom she held in her arms. Both stood by the ship's rail, but Ya Ya was intently staring towards a certain direction deep within the Mist Dragon, her gaze fixed, as if she had discovered something.

"What's wrong?" Lu Ye quickly handed the torch he was holding to Luan Xiao'e and walked over to Yiyi. Yiyi explained, "Ya Ya has been a bit off since yesterday, constantly looking in that direction. Now it's even more apparent; it's like she wants to go in!" As Yiyi spoke, Ya Ya indeed squirmed restlessly in her arms.

Lu Ye's heart stirred. Looking at Ya Ya, he asked, "Ya Ya, is there something inside?" Ya Ya was the one he had rescued from within the Mist Dragon. Although he didn't know who Ya Ya truly was, her exhibited wonders clearly indicated she was no ordinary person. When Lu Ye rescued her, she had been in a deep slumber and naturally showed no reaction. Now that she was awake and had returned, if there was anything related to her within the Mist Dragon, she might be able to sense it.

"Yes!" Ya Ya nodded.

"What is it?" Lu Ye asked. Ya Ya shook her head, a confused expression on her face. "I don't know." At present, she might not even know who she was, and her consciousness was impaired. Even if she sensed something, it was limited to mere perception.

"I'll go get it!" Ya Ya suddenly declared, then her tiny body darted out of Yiyi's embrace like a monkey, plunging into the Mist Dragon!

Yiyi was greatly alarmed, reaching out to grab her, but it was too late. Though she watched Ya Ya enter the Mist Dragon with her own eyes, the child vanished in the blink of an eye.

A figure flashed past her. Lu Ye's voice reached Yiyi's ears: "Have the fleet continue forward. Once you reach the wormhole, pass through directly. We'll meet on the other side of the wormhole!"

"Lu Ye!" Yiyi cried out in alarm, but Lu Ye had also disappeared. Hearing the commotion, Luo Xie hurried over. After learning what had happened, he pondered for a moment before saying, "Since Young Friend Lu said so, we should follow his instructions." It wasn't advisable for the fleet to stop and wait here. As for Lu Ye's safety, there was no need to worry; he had experience traversing the Mist Dragon, and he likely had more than one clone of the Reincarnation Tree on hand.

Inside the Mist Dragon, Lu Ye moved extremely fast, catching Ya Ya. He then took out another piece of the Reincarnation Tree from his storage ring, lit it, and held it in his hand.

He looked down and admonished her, "Next time, if there's anything, you need to discuss it with me. You can't just run off on your own!" Ya Ya didn't speak, perhaps not hearing him, but merely stared straight ahead, unblinking.

As they continued forward, Lu Ye dared not move too quickly within the Mist Dragon. Sometimes, if they deviated slightly, Ya Ya would offer guidance.

After traveling for a full day inside the Mist Dragon, Lu Ye suddenly noticed something unusual: a faint glow was emanating from his embrace.

He looked down and discovered that the faint glow came from a jade bracelet on Ya Ya's lotus-root-like wrist. When he first found Ya Ya, apart from the clothes she wore, this jade bracelet was her only possession. Until now, Lu Ye hadn't found anything special about it and hadn't paid much attention, but he never expected it to react at this moment.

Not only was the jade bracelet emitting a faint light, but a similar glow was also radiating from deep within the Mist Dragon.

Now, Lu Ye knew what to do without Ya Ya's guidance.