Chapter 1696: Changes in the Flower Realm

This, however, couldn't be accomplished in Kyushu. Although Kyushu had been elevated to a large realm more than a decade ago, many materials take a long time to develop. Lu Ye couldn't find suitable materials to craft a scabbard there.

Perhaps he could visit the Jade Spiral Realm?

While not a top-tier realm, the Jade Spiral Realm was an ancient large realm. The materials cultivated there were far superior to anything Kyushu could currently offer.

If Kyushu was a newly cultivated wild field, then the Jade Spiral Realm was a fertile land tilled for many years, yielding entirely different resources.

Furthermore, Lu Ye had already intended to visit the Jade Spiral Realm.

He had wanted to go to the Jade Spiral Realm upon his last return, but back then, his influence was minor, and it was more effective for Wu Zhuo to handle the matter than for him to go personally.

Now that he had advanced to the Moon Shard stage, Kyushu, in a sense, had the standing to be on par with the Green Sepal Dao Realm and the Jade Spiral Realm.

Moreover, relations among the cultivators of the three realms in the Myriad Manifestations Sea were harmonious and progressing well. Lu Ye felt it was time to pay a visit to the prominent powers of their star system.

Having returned by unexpected chance, Lu Ye planned to bring more people to the Myriad Manifestations Sea to bolster their strength there.

Three Realms Island was vast; five hundred cultivators—three hundred from Kyushu and one hundred each from the Jade Spiral and Green Sepal Dao Realms—were insufficient to maintain such a large territory.

The Minor Star Palace had been operational, and Three Realms Island was now at least a mid-grade spiritual island, destined to become a high-grade one. Bringing more people earlier would also allow them to consolidate the island's defenses sooner.

While the Merfolk were the most reliable allies on Three Realms Island, one could not always depend entirely on others. In the vast world of cultivation, true strength came only through self-reliance.

Having made up his mind, he decided to depart for the Jade Spiral Realm once his current affairs were resolved.

He could also visit the Green Sepal Dao Realm to update Wu Zhuo on Three Realms Island, alleviating any unnecessary concern.

Dismissing these thoughts, Lu Ye put away his Pan Shan Blade and took out another item.

A White Moon Crystal!

This item was used to enhance the quality of one's Dharma Source and improve a cultivator's efficiency in practice.

Typically, a newly advanced Moon Shard cultivator wouldn't require such an item. The newly formed Dharma Source of a Moon Shard was generally sufficient for their cultivation needs, and only after significant progress in their strength would they need to improve its quality.

Lu Ye, however, was different. If he didn't possess the Talent Tree and relied solely on refining spirit jade for cultivation, his current Dharma Source would indeed suffice.

Yet, he primarily cultivated with the aid of the Talent Tree, and its efficiency in refining spirit jade was unparalleled by ordinary cultivators.

When spirit jade was refined and converted into spiritual power within the body, the Dharma Source needed to promptly transform it into magical power. If the Dharma Source's quality was low, it naturally couldn't keep pace with cultivation demands.

Many items in the starry sky could enhance Dharma Source quality, and White Moon Crystal was just one of them. While not top-tier, its quality was certainly not poor, especially considering its price tag of tens of millions of spirit jade.

Refining it was also straightforward, similar to refining spirit jade.

Lu Ye sat down, holding the White Moon Crystal in one hand, and began meticulously refining it.

He soon noticed a warm, cool sensation flowing through his body, the mysterious power contained within the White Moon Crystal, distinctly different from spiritual energy.

This warm, cool profound energy flowed into his Dharma Source, like a drop of water into the ocean, quickly merging with, or rather, being absorbed by it.

During this process, his Dharma Source also underwent subtle changes.

Lu Ye's Dharma Source manifested as a small flame. A change in its form indicated a breakthrough in his cultivation.

However, an improvement in Dharma Source quality would not alter the flame's shape, though as the White Moon Crystal was refined, the flame noticeably brightened.

Several days later, the profound energy within the White Moon Crystal was entirely depleted, leaving behind a useless stone.

Lu Ye observed his Dharma Source, which was clearly much brighter than before. With a sense of anticipation, he retrieved some spirit jade and activated the Talent Tree for refining.

After quietly sensing, he found that his Dharma Source's efficiency in converting spiritual power into magical power was indeed faster, though only by about ten percent, still far from sufficient for his needs.

Nevertheless, this was a promising start.

Therefore, it seemed he would need to seek out more items capable of enhancing his Dharma Source's quality. He would achieve perfection once his Dharma Source could convert spiritual power into magical power efficiently enough to match his cultivation rate.

Yet, Lu Ye suspected that even if he elevated his Dharma Source to the highest possible quality, it still wouldn't be enough to keep pace with the Talent Tree's formidable power.

After several days of quiet cultivation, Lu Ye was practicing one day when he suddenly sensed an unusual stir outside and swiftly emerged.

Looking up, he saw a portal open, and Hua Qianying emerged from it.

Since the Flower Realm had been settled, Hua Qianying had returned there and hadn't appeared for days. She had mentioned that the realm experienced some turbulence during its relocation, requiring her attention.

Lu Ye hadn't disturbed her.

Now that she had reappeared, it likely meant the issues were resolved.

However, Lu Ye noticed a hint of anxiety in her expression.

"What's wrong?" Lu Ye asked, concerned.

Hua Qianying was indeed anxious, a bewildered and helpless sort of anxiety. Without pleasantries, she directly stated, "Fellow Daoist, please come with me to the Flower Realm."

Lu Ye immediately sensed that a significant issue might have arisen in the Flower Realm. His expression turned serious as he stepped forward.

He soon followed Hua Qianying into the Flower Realm.

Surveying the surroundings, the Flower Realm remained exquisitely beautiful, like a celestial paradise, with countless flowers of vibrant red and purple hues vying for splendor.

The realm was peaceful and harmonious; within its vast expanse, only a little over two hundred beings resided. Many flowers and plants considered rare and hard to find elsewhere were ubiquitous here.

Lu Ye felt a little puzzled. The Flower Realm… it didn't seem to have any problems.

He turned to Hua Qianying, a questioning look on his face.

Hua Qianying asked, "Fellow Daoist, do you not sense any difference in the Flower Realm compared to before?"

Lu Ye concentrated, sensing carefully again, then slowly shook his head. "I didn't notice anything."

Hua Qianying replied, "True, Fellow Daoist is not native to this realm, so it is indeed difficult to perceive."

"What exactly happened?"

Hua Qianying looked at him. "The Flower Realm… has given birth to a will!"

Lu Ye paused, even more perplexed. "Isn't that a good thing?"

Theoretically, any realm could develop its own Heavenly Will. Naturally, the nature of this will varied greatly depending on the realm itself.

The will born in most realms was merely nascent and lacked coherent thought. It functioned more like a fundamental rule of the realm, unconsciously maintaining its operation. Such a Heavenly Will was undoubtedly of the lowest tier.

A very small fraction of realms, while still nascent, possessed a certain level of thought, as was the case with the Blood Refining Realm previously. The will of such realms was highly repellant to outsiders. Once noticed, it would unleash hostile forces, such as divine lightning.

Kyushu's situation was unique. Little Nine was born from the fusion of Kyushu's Heavenly Will and the Heavenly Secret Disk's artifact spirit. Although it often behaved like a child in front of Lu Ye, it was undoubtedly the highest form of Heavenly Will.

It's important to remember that before Lu Ye, Little Nine had silently protected Kyushu for tens of thousands of years. Without its hidden guardianship and concealment, Kyushu's existence would have long since been noticed by the Green Sepal Dao Realm or the Jade Spiral Realm.

"It is a good thing," Hua Qianying affirmed, nodding.

As beings nurtured within the Flower Realm, the Flower Race could clearly perceive its changes. A few days prior, the Flower Realm had suddenly birthed its own Heavenly Will, which genuinely surprised Hua Qianying. She knew that once the Flower Realm possessed a will, it would significantly propel the entire realm's development.

This was especially true now that the Flower Realm was affiliated with a realm like Kyushu.

What puzzled her, however, was that shortly after the Flower Realm's Heavenly Will was born, she could no longer sense it. It was as if, in an instant, the Flower Realm's Heavenly Will had vanished into thin air!

This greatly panicked Hua Qianying. If the Flower Realm hadn't birthed a Heavenly Will, it would have been fine; things would have remained as they were.

But now that a Heavenly Will had indeed been born, only to mysteriously vanish, Hua Qianying was at a loss as to its meaning.

This concerned the entire Flower Realm, and Hua Qianying had spent several days investigating without finding any clues. She could only turn to Lu Ye for assistance.

She reasoned that Lu Ye, having explored the Myriad Manifestations Sea and now reached the Moon Shard stage, was well-informed and might have some insight.

How could Lu Ye know anything? He hadn't even perceived any difference in the Flower Realm.

After a moment's thought, he asked, "Fellow Daoist, do you detect anything amiss with the Flower Realm now?"

Hua Qianying shook her head. "No, not yet."

In fact, after only a few days of being attached to Kyushu, the Flower Realm had already reaped benefits. Previously, the Flower Realm was linked to a very low-tier realm and gained nothing from it, but now, with Kyushu, they complemented each other, ensuring rapid growth and promising prospects.

However, the current issue with the Heavenly Will made Hua Qianying very anxious.

"Since nothing appears amiss, why not observe for a while?" Lu Ye suggested casually. "Perhaps the Flower Realm's Heavenly Will has simply entered a slumber, much like a newborn who sleeps a lot."

"Is that so..." Hua Qianying mused, though she felt Lu Ye's explanation was somewhat off. Still, there was genuinely no immediate solution, and rushing wouldn't resolve such a matter.

"Furthermore, since you can still open the realm portal, it indicates that the Flower Realm itself has no inherent problems. If something truly uncontrollable had occurred within this realm, you likely wouldn't be able to open its portal so easily."

"You're right!" Hua Qianying agreed, finding Lu Ye's words sensible. She could still open the Flower Realm's portal at will, and her connection to it hadn't weakened; she merely couldn't sense its Heavenly Will.

Perhaps, as Lu Ye suggested, the Heavenly Will was newly born, somewhat fragile, and currently in a state of slumber.

If that were the case, she simply needed to wait.