Chapter 1937: Ding'an

Although Lu Ye’s actions since entering this unique trial scenario had met their expectations, the test was not yet over. As the old patriarch had said, true character is revealed in times of weakness; one's true nature only becomes apparent when they are vulnerable.

The future of their clan was at stake, and such an opportunity was too rare to come by. Therefore, no amount of caution was excessive.

They were anxious, and the group of women facing Lu Ye were even more so.

As if discerning his thoughts, the young girl suddenly smiled brightly and said, "Benefactor, please don't trouble yourself. It's already a great blessing that we sisters have escaped this misery. If you have other matters, please feel free to leave; we can survive by staying here!"

Lu Ye replied, "Since you've put it that way... let's all go together."

He suddenly realized that this must be one of the tasks of his current trial.

In front of the smooth mirror, several cultivators let out a long breath.

The old patriarch nodded repeatedly, saying, "Excellent, excellent! This person has compassion; he can be entrusted with this responsibility!"

The woman who had been by the patriarch's side asked, "Patriarch, does this mean he has passed the test?"

The patriarch nodded. "Yes, he has. However, he has already begun his trial, and it cannot be ended midway." He then turned to look at the woman. "Since you know him, prepare in advance. When he undergoes his next trial, bring him here."

"Yes!" the woman respectfully replied, her eyes filled with anticipation. After countless years of waiting for their clan, was this day finally approaching?

"Thank you, Benefactor!" The young girl was momentarily stunned, then quickly reacted, bowing her head in gratitude again. The group of women behind her followed suit.

"Alright, everyone, please stand up," Lu Ye said, raising a hand.

Since they were going to leave, they naturally needed to gather supplies first.

At the very least, they needed food for the journey.

Fortunately, while there wasn't much else in the stronghold, there was plenty of dried meat, obtained by the bandits from hunting exotic beasts. They also had rice, flour, and other provisions.

While Lu Ye waited, Yao Nuan walked over and handed him a cloth bag.

Yao Nuan was the young girl who had first spoken to Lu Ye.

Lu Ye curiously took the bag and opened it, finding it contained about ten jin (several kilograms) of yellowish, irregular stone-like objects of varying sizes.

"Hmm?" Lu Ye's eyes lit up. He reached for a piece, examined it briefly, and his expression turned to one of extreme surprise.

He had discovered that these objects actually contained faint spiritual energy. He had previously wondered if this world, which had the concept of cultivation, also possessed spirit stones, given that despite the thinness of the world's spiritual qi, it was still present.

Now, it seemed there were indeed such things. The items Yao Nuan brought were undoubtedly this world's spirit stones.

However, compared to the spirit stones he was familiar with, the spiritual energy reserves within these objects were small and impure. This was likely related to the overall environment of this realm, which was, after all, too low-level. Even if it could produce spirit stones in certain places, their quality would be very poor.

No wonder the bandit leader's spiritual energy was impure; it would be strange if it were pure when he used such items for cultivation.

However, this didn't bother him. With the power of his Talent Tree activated, any amount of impurities could be refined.

"Well done," Lu Ye praised. "Keep an eye out, and if you see any more items like these, collect them and give them to me."

Yao Nuan was clearly delighted by the praise. "Don't worry, Benefactor, I'll be sure to look out for them."

Collecting various supplies and preparing for the journey took a little over half a day. As dusk approached, Lu Ye decided to set off the next day. As for their destination, Yao Nuan suggested Ding'an City, located two hundred li away, which was undoubtedly a good choice.

Two hundred li was a distance Lu Ye could cover easily by himself, but with so many women, it would take much longer.

Fortunately, there were plenty of horses in the stronghold, suitable for carrying both people and goods.

Throughout the night, Lu Ye cultivated using those low-quality spirit stones. Though inferior, they were still spirit stones, and their cultivation effect was much better than consuming meat.

By dawn, all the rescued women were ready. They mounted their horses and, led by Lu Ye, left the stronghold, heading in the direction of Ding'an City.

The horse caravan moved forward, with Lu Ye leading the way. He ate continuously as they traveled, having already refined all the spirit stones Yao Nuan had given him. Now, to improve his cultivation, he could only rely on converting blood energy, and with his Talent Tree, the efficiency was still considerable.

Most of the women had never ridden horses before. They supported each other throughout the journey, enduring the pain of the bumpy ride.

Lu Ye noticed that this realm was very chaotic, as they frequently encountered bandits blocking their path and attempting robberies along the way.

This group of over twenty attractive women was undoubtedly the bandits' favorite target for robbery.

Unfortunately, the bandits never returned; they all became Lu Ye's Asura Marks, which kept him in a good mood throughout the journey.

It seemed he didn't need to go looking for them; as long as he had these women with him, living Asura Marks would always come to him.

What he found strange was that the bandits he encountered were becoming progressively stronger. He recalled that the Great Leader of Dafen Mountain, whom he had initially killed, only had four or five orifices of cultivation. Apart from a few leaders, the rest were ordinary people who hadn't cultivated.

However, along this journey, almost all the bandits they met showed signs of cultivation, and several times, bandits had cultivation levels exceeding that of the Great Leader.

This made Lu Ye feel as if the strength of his enemies was increasing in tandem with his own cultivation level.

He didn't know why this was happening.

"Benefactor, please drink some water." During a rest, Yao Nuan took out a waterskin and handed it to Lu Ye.

Lu Ye took it, drank a mouthful, and thanked her.

Yao Nuan, however, didn't leave; she simply watched Lu Ye with curiosity.

"Something wrong?" Lu Ye asked, his words muffled by the food in his mouth.

"Benefactor, are you cultivating by eating like this?" Yao Nuan asked.

Mainly, Lu Ye ate an extraordinary amount. Ever since they left the stronghold, Lu Ye hadn't stopped eating. His black horse, which had been carrying large bags of food, was now almost completely unburdened.

Moreover, he occasionally hunted along the way, killing several exotic beasts.

What astonished Yao Nuan was that there was no sign of distention in Lu Ye's stomach.

"That's right," Lu Ye nodded.

Yao Nuan's eyes lit up. "Then can I cultivate like this?"

She had seen the bandit leader cultivate before, always appearing profound and mysterious. But if cultivation was simply a matter of eating, then perhaps she could do it too.

"You?" Lu Ye looked at her in surprise. However, recalling her past experiences, he could understand her desire for cultivation. He asked, "Do you want to try?"

"If it's possible..." Yao Nuan's eyes brimmed with anticipation.

"Give me your hand."

Yao Nuan quickly extended her hand. After several days of being together, she already had a clear understanding of Lu Ye's character. Among so many women, many of whom were beautiful, Lu Ye could have done whatever he pleased if he wished. Furthermore, with his immense strength and status as their savior, it was unlikely anyone would resist; they might even actively comply.

Yet, up until now, Lu Ye had done nothing inappropriate. His excellent care for them during their journey demonstrated his noble character.

Lu Ye took Yao Nuan's small hand and gently channeled a bit of spiritual energy.

Although his cultivation was currently insufficient, his foundation as a Moonbright cultivator remained. He could generally assess whether someone had cultivation aptitude and its quality just by touching their hand.

Strands of spiritual energy, like silk threads, flowed through Yao Nuan's body with almost no obstruction.

Lu Ye nodded. "Your aptitude is good!"

Yao Nuan's eyes lit up. "So... I can cultivate?"

"Yes," Lu Ye nodded.

Yao Nuan bit her lip, her face full of anticipation. "Benefactor, could you tell me... how can I cultivate like you?"

Lu Ye smiled slightly. "My cultivation method isn't suitable for you."

Yao Nuan's expression darkened.

"But you can still try," Lu Ye said, raising his hand and pointing towards Yao Nuan's abdomen.

For beginners in cultivation, without guidance, the most difficult hurdle is locating the spiritual apertures. In other words, finding the exact location of the spiritual aperture is challenging. Lu Ye had gone through this stage himself and naturally understood this difficulty, as he too had precisely located his spiritual aperture under Tang Yifeng's guidance.

What he was doing now was precisely what his Master had done for him years ago.

"Remember this location," he instructed. "This is the Origin Spiritual Aperture, the source of a cultivator's spiritual energy, and it is crucial."

As Lu Ye's voice rang out, Yao Nuan's slightly flushed face immediately became serious. She carefully sensed the location of the Origin Spiritual Aperture, listening intently to Lu Ye's explanation of the cultivation method.

In this realm of thin spiritual energy and impure spirit stones, the most traditional method of converting blood energy into spiritual power was likely the cultivation method for most cultivators.

Yao Nuan's aptitude was indeed good; as Lu Ye explained, she quickly gained some insights. She quietly sat there, converting her own blood energy.

Lu Ye didn't disturb her. He looked up and saw many eager eyes watching him.

"Do you all want to try?" Lu Ye asked.

The group of women immediately burst into joyful sounds, lining up one by one to approach Lu Ye.

Most of these women were not suitable for cultivation; the few who were had only mediocre aptitude. Only Yao Nuan was an exception.

However, Lu Ye didn't state this explicitly. Having previously endured humiliation, they had little hope left for life. Now that they had something to look forward to, there was no need to shatter their dreams.

Furthermore, cultivation required persistence; even Yao Nuan wouldn't see any substantial changes in a short period.

The horse caravan continued its journey, and after another two days, they finally arrived at Ding'an City.

Outside the city gate, Lu Ye bid farewell to Yao Nuan and the others.

By bringing them here, Lu Ye considered his task complete. He had given Yao Nuan and the others all the gold and silver he had found in the stronghold, so these women would undoubtedly have no problems once they entered the city.

Lu Ye had no intention of entering the city. The present opportunity was rare, so it was crucial to quickly go forth and perform acts of chivalry, punishing evil and upholding justice. Furthermore, he needed to quickly figure out one thing: what was the main task of his current trial?

Only by understanding this would he know precisely when this trial would end.