Chapter 1671: Last Question

Knowing that even Mu He and Black Umbrella had failed, Lu Ye dared not be careless.

To his surprise, refining it wasn't particularly difficult; Lu Ye felt he successfully refined the projection with ease.

Mu He kindly warned, "Brother Black Umbrella and I didn't face much difficulty during the refinement process, but absorbing it into our spiritual sea caused an extremely frightening drain. Be careful, young friend; if you sense anything amiss, let go immediately. Don't force it."

When he first absorbed the projection into his spiritual sea, it convulsed violently, almost completely depleting his soul power; he nearly met his end.

Black Umbrella had a similar experience.

"Understood," Lu Ye nodded, carefully absorbing the projection before him into his spiritual sea.

Throughout this process, Hua Qianying, Mu He, and Black Umbrella all watched nervously.

The next moment, the projection vanished, and Lu Ye's expression hardened. He felt his spiritual sea begin to churn violently the instant he absorbed the projection. Even the Soul Suppressing Pagoda couldn't quell the chaos; his entire spiritual sea erupted like a tsunami, with surging waters and towering waves.

While he might have endured that, what truly astonished him was that once absorbed, the World King Flower projection began to furiously drain his soul power. As it did so, the projection itself started to vibrate incessantly, as if struggling to break free from his spiritual sea.

Hua Qianying, who had been closely observing him, saw the situation was dire and immediately interjected, "Stop now!"

Lu Ye nodded, and just as he prepared to release his grip and allow the World King Flower projection to escape, a seven-colored glow suddenly burst forth within his spiritual sea. In an instant, the vibrant light enveloped the entire spiritual sea.

The seven-colored radiance seemed to possess an extraordinarily miraculous cleansing power. Wherever it spread, the turbulent spiritual sea instantly became calm and still.

Lu Ye felt the immense pressure dissipate, and he quickly directed his gaze towards the Seven-Colored Divine Lotus within his spiritual sea.

At this moment, the Seven-Colored Divine Lotus was enveloped in radiant light, clearly responsible for everything that had just occurred.

The seven-colored radiance continued to wash over the spiritual sea. Not only did his spiritual sea calm, but even the agitated World King Flower projection stabilized under this marvelous cleansing.

It was as if a restless young beast had found solace; it not only ceased its erratic behavior but even actively moved closer to the Seven-Colored Divine Lotus.

A moment later, everything settled down.

Lu Ye slowly opened his eyes, a peculiar expression on his face.

Recently, his spiritual sea had acquired many peculiar additions: first the Seven-Colored Divine Lotus, and now a projection of the World King Flower...

Upon closer inspection, the World King Flower projection was actually rooted within the stamen of the Seven-Colored Divine Lotus, adding a touch of pure white to the vibrant bloom.

"This is..." Hua Qianying gazed at Lu Ye in utter astonishment, while Mu He and Black Umbrella looked equally perplexed.

Just moments ago, Lu Ye had clearly been struggling and on the verge of failure, so how had he suddenly become so composed?

"Did you succeed?" Hua Qianying asked, still unsure.

Lu Ye replied, "The projection is now in my spiritual sea. Does that count as success?"

Hua Qianying was momentarily stunned, then murmured, "Of course... it does..." She then grew anxious again, asking, "Are you experiencing any discomfort?"

She had never imagined that Lu Ye, a late-stage Star Realm cultivator, could absorb the World King Flower's projection. Even Mu He and Black Umbrella, both Moonfall Realm cultivators, had failed. According to her calculations, an outsider not of the Flower Clan would need at least late-stage Moonfall Realm cultivation to accomplish this, as only then would their spiritual sea be powerful enough to sustain the World King Flower.

It would be an exaggeration to claim that Lu Ye, a Star Realm cultivator, possessed soul power comparable to a late-stage Moonfall Realm expert.

While Lu Ye's soul power was significantly stronger than other cultivators at his level, it still fell far short of a late-stage Moonfall Realm expert. His success this time was entirely due to the Seven-Colored Divine Lotus, which acted as the foundation for bearing the World King Flower, essentially substituting for Lu Ye's spiritual sea. Without it, relying solely on his own spiritual sea, success would have been impossible.

It was all a matter of fortuitous coincidence.

Had he not previously visited the Soul Clan ancestral land and acquired the Seven-Colored Divine Lotus, this current success would not have been possible.

At this very moment, the World King Flower projection was rooted atop the Seven-Colored Divine Lotus. Aside from looking somewhat peculiar, it didn't seem to cause any discomfort.

"It really worked?" Hua Qianying still couldn't believe it. She had been resigned to the Flower Clan facing realm destruction and annihilation, never imagining that Lu Ye's sudden arrival would turn their fortunes around.

Her heart was a mix of trepidation and hope; if this truly succeeded, the Flower Clan might just have a glimmer of survival. As she spoke, she looked at Lu Ye as if he were a beacon of dawn piercing through the darkness.

"It should be!" Lu Ye confirmed with a serious nod.

Mu He and Black Umbrella stood by, mouths agape. After a long pause, Mu He finally spoke with a sense of relief, "As expected of someone favored by the Samsara Tree; truly extraordinary."

Since ancient times, those chosen by the Samsara Tree and granted its mark have always been individuals of exceptional talent, capable of feats beyond ordinary comprehension. While the current situation was difficult to grasp, recalling that Lu Ye was ultimately favored by the Samsara Tree made it seem less unfathomable.

"When I was absorbing it, the projection was furiously draining my soul power. Now that it's rooted, why is there no reaction?" Lu Ye asked.

Hua Qianying finally managed to calm her excitement. Once she confirmed Lu Ye's success, she took a deep breath, her ample chest gently rising and falling. She then explained, "What you just experienced was a simulation. The entire process is largely identical to absorbing a true World King Flower. The sole difference is that since it was a simulation, and you only absorbed a projection, there's no ongoing reaction. However, if you were to absorb a genuine World King Flower, your soul power would be continuously drained. Can you... sustain that?"

Lu Ye's expression grew serious. "What is the rate of consumption?"

If the consumption rate wasn't rapid, he could certainly endure it. The Seven-Colored Soul Nurturing Lotus was constantly at work, and his own soul power was already quite formidable.

Hua Qianying shook her head. "I'm not sure of the exact rate, but theoretically, it's unsustainable for a Star Realm cultivator, and even a Moonfall Realm cultivator wouldn't last long."

Even if the late-stage Moonfall Realm cultivator from the Divine Wind Pirate Group outside successfully absorbed the World King Flower, they would surely act quickly. They would never hoard it or wait for a higher price, as they might not be able to withstand the prolonged drain.

After speaking, Hua Qianying's expression inevitably dimmed. Indeed, what good was it if Lu Ye could absorb the World King Flower but couldn't sustain it for long?

"Does the Flower Clan possess any spiritual elixirs capable of replenishing soul power?" Lu Ye asked.

Hua Qianying snapped back to attention and nodded. "Yes, we do."

"Then bring them all to me, regardless of their quality. Even raw materials that can replenish soul power will be useful."

Hua Qianying understood. "You intend to replenish the consumption by ingesting spiritual elixirs?"

"There's no other way."

Hua Qianying considered this, then nodded. "It's worth a try." She reasoned that while Lu Ye's refining speed likely couldn't outpace the consumption, spiritual elixirs might at least allow him to delay the inevitable for a period.

Within this branch of the Flower Clan, Hua Qianying held the highest status, virtually serving as the clan leader, for she was the first Flower Clan member to be born in this particular Flower Realm.

Immediately, at her command, all the Flower Clan's reserves of spiritual elixirs for soul power recovery, along with some raw medicinal ingredients for their creation, were brought forth.

While the Flower Clan boasted many skilled alchemists, and their alchemy techniques were indeed impressive, even the most formidable alchemists develop their craft step by step.

When their alchemy skills were less developed, the quality of their refined spiritual elixirs was, naturally, not as high.

Consequently, the quality of the spiritual elixirs presented by the Flower Clan was inconsistent.

For Lu Ye, however, this was irrelevant. To him, even a discarded elixir was useful as long as it had any effect on restoring soul power; it simply meant consuming a bit more fuel from the Talent Tree.

Before leaving the Myriad Manifestation Sea, he had abundantly refilled the Talent Tree's fuel, precisely to avoid running out.

Beyond the spiritual elixirs, there were also numerous flowers and herbs capable of restoring soul power, all cultivated by the Flower Clan themselves.

Furthermore, he possessed Soul Jades gifted by the Soul Clan!

When he departed the Soul Clan ancestral land, Xu Yuan had given him a storage ring containing a thousand pieces of Soul Jade, which were even more potent than a thousand high-grade Soul Refining Pills.

Lu Ye simply refused to believe that with such an abundance of resources, he wouldn't be able to endure!

With the soul power consumption issue seemingly resolved, Lu Ye asked with eager anticipation, "When can I absorb the World King Flower?"

This item absolutely had to be brought back to Kyushu and settled there. A rapidly growing large realm and a World King Flower that could complement its attached realm were a match made in heaven; no one would be allowed to separate them!

Hua Qianying offered a bitter smile. "As I mentioned before, the World King Flower will only separate from its attached realm when that realm is destroyed. Only then will you be able to absorb the World King Flower's true form!"

Lu Ye nodded. Considering the simulated scenario, he realized it wasn't a major issue. He was currently inside the World King Flower's Flower Realm, and when the realm shattered, outsiders wouldn't be able to penetrate the Flower Realm quickly. He would then have ample time to absorb the World King Flower.

"Then only one problem remains," Lu Ye said, looking up at the sky.

The Divine Wind Pirate Group outside!

When the realm shatters and the World King Flower is exposed, even if Lu Ye successfully absorbs it, he will face a critical challenge: escaping right under the noses of the Divine Wind Pirate Group.

Mu He and Black Umbrella exchanged glances, then declared in unison, "We will go and obstruct them!"

On the side of the three clans, apart from these two Moonfall Realm cultivators, the highest cultivation level was merely Star Realm. Facing the Divine Wind Pirate Group would be a futile sacrifice; only Mu He and Black Umbrella could offer any significant resistance.

If they could enable Lu Ye to escape with the World King Flower, then even if they perished in battle, their deaths would be well worth it.

Lu Ye shook his head. "No!"

Not only does the Divine Wind Pirate Group have a late-stage Moonfall Realm cultivator, but they also possess several Tiger Shark warships. Star Realm cultivators would be useless against them, and even Mu He and Black Umbrella, both early-stage Moonfall Realm cultivators, would be offering themselves up in vain.