Chapter 1977: Dark Currents

While feeling somewhat bored, his expression suddenly shifted, and he quickly moved in a particular direction. It was because Jiu Yan had summoned him, though he didn't know why.

A moment later, inside the Spirit Jade Mine, Lu Ye bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Senior," he said.

Jiu Yan was still seated in meditation, just as before. However, she didn't make Lu Ye wait this time, directly asking, "What have you decided about the matter we discussed last time?"

"What?" Lu Ye was momentarily stunned. 'The matter from last time... was it about Zhu Yuan?' But he quickly realized that Jiu Yan was likely referring to her offer to take him as her disciple. This left him unsure how to respond, as he hadn't even considered it. Yet, refusing her directly seemed inappropriate.

"It seems you're unwilling!" Jiu Yan lightly snorted, having already perceived his thoughts.

Lu Ye apologized, "Senior, please forgive me, it's just that..."

"No need to explain. If you're unwilling, I won't force you," Jiu Yan interrupted, sounding a bit annoyed. "However, your cultivation seems to have progressed significantly."

Lu Ye quickly replied, "I've been in secluded cultivation recently and made some slight gains."

Jiu Yan said, "There's only one step between the Moon Splendor and Sun Splendor realms, but in reality, the difference is vast. Crossing it opens up a new world, but if you can't, you'll waste your life away. You are now at a critical stage; remember to avoid arrogance and impatience, try not to engage in combat, and don't get injured easily."

"Yes," Lu Ye replied. He suddenly wondered if he had misunderstood Jiu Yan. She didn't seem to harbor any ill will towards him; her words clearly showed the concern of an elder for a junior.

"I heard you're looking for treasures that can refine the quality of one's Dharma Source?" Jiu Yan suddenly changed the topic. Three Realms Island had been sparing no effort in offering bounties for such treasures, so naturally, Jiu Yan must have heard about it.

"That's right," Lu Ye's expression stirred. "Do you have any leads, Senior?"

Jiu Yan did not answer. She merely said, "While a higher Dharma Source quality is certainly better, everyone has their own limits. Therefore, sufficient Dharma Source quality is enough; there's no need to pursue it excessively."

Lu Ye naturally understood this principle. The primary function of a Dharma Source is to convert the spiritual energy absorbed by cultivators during practice into magical power. It is also unique to cultivators above the Moon Splendor realm. If a cultivator's efficiency in absorbing spiritual energy is limited, then even the highest quality Dharma Source is meaningless, because there won't be enough spiritual energy to convert. So, for a Dharma Source, being sufficient truly is enough...

However, Lu Ye didn't just want it to be sufficient; he wanted to refine his Dharma Source to perfection. This was something he couldn't elaborate on with Jiu Yan, so he could only respectfully say, "This junior understands."

"It's good that you understand," Jiu Yan said. She flicked her finger, and an object flew towards him.

Lu Ye instinctively caught it. Before he could examine it, Jiu Yan's voice came through: "Go now, cultivate diligently, and break through as soon as possible."

Lu Ye blinked, then bowed and withdrew.

After leaving the Spirit Jade Mine and returning to his residence, Lu Ye finally had the chance to examine what Jiu Yan had given him. It was a storage ring, and as he examined its contents, he was both bewildered and pleasantly surprised. Because the ring contained no less than eight items for refining Dharma Source quality. If calculated according to the rules of the Asura Arena, these eight items would be worth at least a Shura Mark.

What was Jiu Yan's intention? She had summoned him to give advice, telling him that sufficient Dharma Source quality was enough, seemingly advising him not to waste energy and time on it. Yet, she had also given him these treasures... Lu Ye truly couldn't understand the reason behind this. As a Sun Splendor cultivator, and an old, experienced one who had lived for countless years, it was normal for her to possess such treasures. But... why would she give them to him? This was what Lu Ye couldn't comprehend.

Aunt Yue would likely need them. And Chu Shen, who had already advanced to Moon Splendor, would also need them. So why would Jiu Yan give them to him? To say that she favored him simply because of Chu Shen didn't seem to make sense either.

After much thought, Lu Ye concluded there was only one explanation: both Aunt Yue and Chu Shen already had sufficient Dharma Source quality, so the treasures Jiu Yan possessed were simply surplus to her needs. She also knew that Three Realms Island was offering bounties for such items, so she simply gave them to him.

But regardless, Jiu Yan's gift was precisely what Lu Ye desired, and he silently noted this favor in his heart. Given the current vast disparity in power and status, there was no talk of repayment; he would consider it at a later date.

After contentedly refining these treasures, Lu Ye keenly felt an unusual change in his Dharma Source. It was as if... it was very close to perfection! He carefully sensed, confirming it was not an illusion; his Dharma Source was indeed not far from perfection. This couldn't help but surprise him pleasantly. From this perspective, his previous estimates had been somewhat different from the actual situation. And judging by the current situation, he would only need two or three more such items.

Two or three items... that really wasn't much. With good luck, he might achieve it in a single day. Even with bad luck, it was hopeful within two or three years. Now his cultivation was sufficient, and he had also met all the requirements for breaking through to Sun Splendor. All that remained was to condense his 'Flower of Qi,' after which he could advance in a single stroke. Lu Ye was in a great mood and extremely eager for this.

On Myriad Manifestation Island, inside Yuan Du's provisional palace.

A gust of demonic wind swept through, and Black Cloud's figure appeared. Yuan Du sensed his presence and immediately went to greet him. After seeing a figure captured in Black Cloud's hand, he nodded slightly and said, "Fellow Daoist Black Cloud certainly moves fast; you captured the person so quickly."

Black Cloud tossed the figure in his hand onto the ground. "It's just a Moon Splendor cultivator; what trouble could that be?" Although he said that, this Moon Splendor cultivator was no ordinary capture. The Moon Splendor cultivator lying on the ground was tall and slender, their exposed skin strikingly blood-red, and with two pointed ears, they were clearly a Blood Kin! At this moment, this Blood Kin Moon Splendor cultivator was evidently restrained by Black Cloud's own seals, unable to move at all. Their face was filled with fear and unease.

"So what do we do next?" Black Cloud asked Yuan Du, his expression very grim. Not only had Purple Vortex suffered heavy losses previously, but he had also believed Yuan Du's nonsense and made a trip to the Nine Provinces. As a result, even his Dharma Body, which he had spent three millennia cultivating, had perished there. How could he not seek revenge for such a great grievance?

Moreover, unlike Yuan Du, he recognized the Nine Provinces and still coveted the Dao Tree, a supreme treasure of the starry sky. His Dharma Body hadn't found any trace of the Dao Tree in the Nine Provinces. Coupled with the information he had gathered about Lu Ye, he boldly speculated: could this Lu Ye have already obtained the Dao Tree's inheritance? Otherwise, how could his cultivation have advanced so rapidly? This was a major point of suspicion, and since it was a point of suspicion, he couldn't let it go. With such a speculation, he naturally had to come to the Myriad Manifestation Sea, solely to capture Lu Ye!

On this point, he and Yuan Du were like-minded. The difference was that Yuan Du was merely acting to uphold his own prestige and vent his resentment, while Black Cloud had other motives. The reason he allied with Yuan Du was out of necessity. If he wanted to capture Lu Ye in the Myriad Manifestation Sea, he couldn't bypass the Myriad Manifestation Star System. Thus, he could only cooperate with Yuan Du. With Yuan Du's involvement, the resistance would be much smaller. He had no other demands; he simply wanted Lu Ye to be handed over to him for disposal when the time came. He told Yuan Du that he wanted to avenge the deceased Purple Vortex demonic cultivators and bring Lu Ye back to the Purple Vortex Demon Star to be sacrificed to the Demon God.

Yuan Du did not suspect anything and immediately agreed. Anyway, for him, as long as he captured Three Realms Island and the passage connected to the Merman territory, handing Lu Ye over to Black Cloud for disposal was fine. He believed Black Cloud would not let Lu Ye live. Furthermore, Purple Vortex had indeed suffered huge losses because of him. Yuan Du knew that if he still wanted to maintain his relationship with Purple Vortex, he couldn't refuse Black Cloud's small request.

Both had their own agendas, and naturally, they hit it off instantly. Moreover, from their perspective, two Sun Splendor cultivators joining forces to scheme against one Moon Splendor cultivator and the top-tier spirit island behind him would be effortless; there was no possibility of any mishaps.

Black Cloud had visited once half a year ago, reaching some verbal agreements with Yuan Du. Then Yuan Du asked him to capture a Blood Kin. Black Cloud didn't know the reason, but since it was a collaboration, he didn't refuse. He had also gone through a great deal of trouble; it was only after much effort that he captured a Moon Splendor cultivator in a Blood Kin's territory. For this, he was even pursued by several of their Sun Splendor cultivators for a month.

"As for what's next... we just need to wait," Yuan Du said with a slight smile, wearing an expression of absolute confidence. As long as Jiu Yan left Three Realms Island, then he could act without worry. Jiu Yan's presence there ultimately made him apprehensive. As for how to make Jiu Yan leave Three Realms Island, he had been planning for a long time. He believed it wouldn't be long before the news reached Jiu Yan's ears.

Days passed.

One day, in the cultivator residential area of Three Realms Island's main island, a group of people sat cross-legged around Lu Ye's bamboo house, encircling him in the center. His cultivation could no longer be advanced, and treasures for refining Dharma Source quality were temporarily unavailable, leaving Lu Ye with nothing to do. As he also wasn't keen on participating in the management of Three Realms Island, he simply let it be known that anyone with cultivation-related questions could come and ask him at any time. His original intention was to help the island's cultivators resolve some cultivation-related confusions and aid their growth. However, after the announcement, many people came to him for guidance every day. Over time, more and more people gathered, gradually forming the current scene. Those who came to him were not only from the Azure Dawn Sect and Jade Spiral Realm. A significant number of seniors from the Nine Provinces also came, and even the Venerable Sect Master had come to ask a few questions. Lu Ye answered all of them meticulously, and for a time, many cultivators gained greatly.

As the lively scene continued, Lu Ye's expression suddenly changed. He turned his head and looked in a certain direction, with a puzzled look in his eyes.

A little less than half a day later, the crowd dispersed. Lu Ye went to find Chu Shen. "Why did Senior Jiu Yan suddenly leave?" he asked. He had clearly sensed Jiu Yan's aura flash and disappear just now; she must have left Three Realms Island.