Chapter 1957: The Battleground Is Closing

In a training scenario, Lu Ye held his Mountain Breaker saber, surrounded by the wreckage of exploded warships. The training was already past its halfway point; he only needed to locate the enemy's stronghold and directly assault it. In a scenario devoid of Sunlit cultivators, other Moon-Glow cultivators might require some strategic planning. However, for him, such considerations were unnecessary; he could charge through unimpeded, truly unstoppable.

Having obtained detailed information about Sanhua from Hai Chuan Lou, Lu Ye no longer lingered. Now that he enjoyed the same rights as the Celestial Asura tribe, it was crucial to quickly earn more Asura Marks. If his guess was correct, Abro's purpose in training in the Asura Arena was also to acquire treasures capable of breaking through the Law Origin. While the quantity of such treasures wasn't small, it was still relatively insufficient. Lu Ye intended to acquire as many as he possibly could.

After his spiritual sense swept the surroundings, confirming no enemies had escaped, he was about to depart when the entire space suddenly jolted violently. Immediately, everything around him began to warp. Lu Ye immediately stood still, frowning. He initially thought he was under attack, but upon reflection, it didn't make sense. He had clearly eliminated all enemies, and there was no residual life force nearby; an ambush seemed impossible.

The sensation of distortion intensified, and simultaneously, he detected a strange power being applied to him. This peculiar force appeared inexplicably, immediately making him feel completely out of sync with his surroundings.

"What's happening?"

Before Lu Ye could comprehend the situation, he heard a soft pop, and then the scenery around him drastically changed. A rich realm aura enveloped him, accompanied by gasps of astonishment from nearby. Simultaneously, countless cultivators filled his vision, packed tightly together, many huddled, all crying out in surprise. Lu Ye was surrounded by cultivators as well. A curvaceous woman was pressed against his back, soft and yielding. Lu Ye couldn't help but glance back at her, and she flushed with embarrassment.

"What happened?"

"Wasn't I training? Why am I back in the Celestial Asura Realm?"

"Why are so many people back?"

"Hahahahaha, heaven doesn't want me dead! I got my life back at a crucial moment. Good deeds truly are rewarded!"

Amidst the clamor, some were bewildered, others laughed wildly, releasing their pent-up emotions after a narrow escape, and still others cursed vehemently. Cultivators' minds worked incredibly fast; after a brief period of bewilderment, they quickly reached a consensus: the Asura Arena was malfunctioning! From the looks of it, all cultivators who had entered for training seemed to have been expelled, leading to the current chaotic and crowded situation.

This was unprecedented. For centuries, the Asura Arena had always operated according to its own rules, welcoming visitors from all corners. Yet, today, such an extraordinary event had transpired.

Lu Ye withdrew from the crowd, took out his Asura Token, and was about to message A Qiduo for information. He vaguely sensed that this upheaval in the Asura Arena was likely connected to the Celestial Asura tribe. But before he could send his message, A Qiduo's had already arrived: "Senior Brother, return to your cave dwelling immediately!" The urgent tone indicated that something significant had clearly occurred. Lu Ye quickly turned and sped towards his cave dwelling.

Not far from him, Yu Yaorao, also expelled from her training scenario, turned and caught sight of his figure. Just as she was about to call out, Lu Ye had already vanished, leaving her with a sudden feeling of loss. She hadn't yet formally thanked Lu Ye since their last encounter. Previously, when she tried to contact him, he had said he was in seclusion, so she hadn't dared to disturb him. Only now did she realize he had emerged from seclusion. After a moment's thought, Yu Yaorao flew towards Lu Ye's cave dwelling. It was a rare chance to see him today, and she felt it was appropriate to thank him in person.

Back in his cave dwelling, no sooner had Lu Ye returned than another message from A Qiduo arrived: "Senior Brother, the Patriarch is summoning you!" Simultaneously, a point of light suddenly appeared beside him, swiftly transforming into an oval light portal. Lu Ye stepped in. He reappeared in front of the original wooden house, where A Qiduo and Mi Shi were waiting for him.

Lu Ye nodded to A Qiduo, then turned to Mi Shi. He was about to ask what was happening, but a glance at Mi Shi made him raise an eyebrow. Mi Shi had actually become younger! Previously, he had appeared decrepit, on the verge of death, needing a cane to walk. But now, all signs of age were gone. At this moment, Mi Shi looked to be in his early forties, his once-white hair now dark, his eyes bright, and his build robust. This change was like two different people. Moreover, the subtle aura around Mi Shi also caught Lu Ye's attention.

With a thought, he clasped his fists and said, "Congratulations, Patriarch, on reaching the Sunlit realm!" Over the years, he had encountered many Sunlit cultivators, both powerful and less so, allowing him to instantly discern Mi Shi's current realm. Nearly two years ago, after he helped Mi Shi resolve the bloodline curse poison within him, Mi Shi disappeared. Lu Ye had asked A Qiduo, who told him the Patriarch was in seclusion. Two years later, Mi Shi emerged from seclusion as a Sunlit cultivator, looking completely rejuvenated, clearly indicating the immense gains from his time in seclusion.

"Hahahahaha!" Mi Shi boomed with laughter. "I must also thank you, young friend, for your assistance. Without you, I fear my life would have ended, and I'd be buried by now." At that time, he had only three years of life remaining. Without Lu Ye, he would indeed be on the brink of death by now. During his seclusion, he had countless times considered himself fortunate that, at the very end of his life, Lu Ye, the current successor of the Dao Tree, had entered the Asura Arena and passed the trials set by his tribe. This was both his luck and his destiny.

Lu Ye nodded, then changed the subject: "Patriarch, what's the situation with the Asura Arena now?"

Mi Shi's expression turned solemn. "This is precisely what I need to tell you, young friend. Time is short, so let's keep it brief." Many years ago, as the last Sunlit cultivator of the Celestial Asura tribe approached his demise, he used his authority to make several arrangements. The most significant arrangement was that even after his death, the Asura Arena would continue to function as before, attracting cultivators from across the starry sky to train and gain benefits. He also left a final instruction, informing future generations that only a Dao Tree successor could resolve their tribe's bloodline curse poison. Only by keeping the Asura Arena operational could a Dao Tree successor be drawn in, thus providing hope for solving the tribe's problem. If he had shut down the Asura Arena completely, the entire tribe would have lost all hope.

His arrangements proved correct; over the years, three different Dao Tree successors were drawn to the Asura Arena's reputation and entered the area. However, the first possessed Sunlit cultivation, which the Celestial Asura tribe dared not rashly approach. The second had an evil nature and failed their trials. Then came Lu Ye. That ancestor's arrangements did not stop there...

"I only discovered this after achieving Sunlit," Mi Shi explained. "That ancestor left a contingency plan: when a new Sunlit cultivator emerges within the tribe, the Asura Arena will expel all outsiders and temporarily shut down. The moment I achieved Sunlit, this condition was met, causing the Asura Arena to react."

Lu Ye's eyes widened. "The Asura Arena is closing?" He was still planning to earn more Asura Marks to exchange for needed resources. If it was closing now, what was the point?

"Temporarily closed!" Mi Shi nodded.

"When will it reopen?" Lu Ye asked.

Mi Shi replied, "I don't know. I need time to integrate the Asura Arena's authority to elevate my own permissions. Moreover, even if it reopens, it will no longer accept outsiders—you, young friend, being the sole exception. You will always receive the same treatment as our tribe members, regardless of when you visit." The level of authority held by Celestial Asura tribe members was directly tied to their cultivation. Previously, when Mi Shi was only Moon-Glow, it took considerable effort to interfere with the Asura Arena's operations, and even summoning Lu Ye required waiting for him to begin his training. But now, things were clearly different; he had been directly summoned from his cave dwelling. This was the enhancement of authority. But Mi Shi still needed more time to integrate more authority.

Lu Ye pondered briefly and understood Mi Shi's meaning. The Asura Arena was, after all, a supreme treasure of the Celestial Asura tribe, and the items in its treasury were their property. Previously, for the tribe's future and to attract a Dao Tree successor, they had opened their doors wide, allowing countless cultivators to train and gain benefits within. Now that the tribe's problem was resolved, from the Celestial Asura tribe's perspective, it was only natural that outsiders could no longer be allowed to freely train, earn Asura Marks, and exchange them for their resources. The items in the Asura Treasury were the capital for the entire tribe's resurgence.

"How much longer until the Asura Arena completely closes?" Lu Ye asked. He hadn't yet spent any of the Asura Marks he had earned since entering, having only purchased a single storage ring from the treasury, accumulating over fifteen million in total. Once the Asura Arena closed, these marks would become useless. He certainly couldn't wait for it to reopen, which could take an eternity.

"About fifteen minutes," Mi Shi said, sensing his thoughts. "Young friend, if you wish to exchange for resources, please do so quickly."

"I'll go now," Lu Ye said immediately. Fifteen minutes wasn't much time.

"Young friend," Mi Shi said, beckoning to A Qiduo. A Qiduo immediately handed him a storage ring, which Mi Shi then offered to Lu Ye. "These are resources our tribe exchanged from the treasury, a token of goodwill from our members. Unfortunately, our tribe members don't have many Asura Marks either, so these aren't particularly valuable items."

Lu Ye blinked, reached out, and accepted it. "Thank you very much, then." Regardless of the items' quality, it was the thought that counted.

"Senior Brother, please take care. If you have the chance, remember to visit us," A Qiduo said, gazing at Lu Ye with a hint of reluctance. She was deeply grateful to this Senior Brother who had saved their entire tribe.

"Alright!" Lu Ye nodded, cupped his fists, and bowed. "We part ways now. May we meet again if fate permits!"