Chapter 201: Deserved

"How so?" Lu Ye humbly asked.

"The effects of the Spirit Fruit core are not fixed. Some cores have one effect, others have a different one. A sect in Tianzhou once obtained a Spirit Fruit; after using its core, they gained access to an unknown minor realm. That realm contained a supreme-grade spirit vein, filled with high-grade and supreme-grade spirit stones, making its value inestimable."

"Other cores can allow one to enter a miraculous cultivation state, where cultivating spells or engaging in any other activity yields twice the results with half the effort."

"Furthermore, some cores can be sold directly to the Heavenly Secret Vault, starting at 100,000 merit points!"

Lu Ye was stunned by this number. How many portions of Earth Core Fire would 100,000 merit points be equivalent to? And this was just the starting price; it could be even more than 100,000.

"Some cores can also be placed within spirit arrays as a core component, amplifying the array's power several times over. A second-rank sect in the core region was fortunate enough to acquire such a core; their spirit array is the most powerful among all sects in the Spirit Stream Battlefield, even surpassing those of first-rank sects."

Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan took turns explaining the various uses of the core, astonishing Lu Ye. This treasure, found only on Chess Island, was truly extraordinary.

This place was originally occupied by cultivators from Myriad Demons Ridge. If nothing unexpected had happened, the Vast Sky Alliance would have had no chance of getting their hands on this Spirit Fruit tree.

However, the outstanding performance of the low-level cultivators this time foiled Myriad Demons Ridge's plans. In the preceding days, cultivators from the Vast Sky Alliance, led by the strong cultivators from the core region, swept across the continent layer by layer, eliminating countless enemies and completely driving out the Myriad Demons Ridge cultivators entrenched there.

Seeing the treasure about to fall into their hands snatched away, Myriad Demons Ridge was naturally unwilling. They had previously launched several strong assaults, but currently, Myriad Demons Ridge had far fewer cultivators, both low- and high-level, than the Vast Sky Alliance. How could they possibly conquer it?

Instead, they suffered heavy losses.

Now that Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan had also arrived, Myriad Demons Ridge dared not act presumptuously.

It was foreseeable that the coming days would be peaceful. The Vast Sky Alliance would guard this place, waiting for the Spirit Fruit to ripen, and would not launch further attacks. Even if Myriad Demons Ridge was envious and unwilling, they could only swallow their resentment.

The Spirit Stream Guarding War was drawing to a close, but the Spirit Fruit would ripen before then.

"There are only nine Spirit Fruits. With so many sects present, how will they be divided?" Lu Ye voiced his doubt. Everyone surely wanted such a valuable item, but low-level cultivators had no competitive edge. They couldn't simply fight it out and distribute them based on strength; doing so would only give Myriad Demons Ridge an opportunity to launch a sneak attack.

"Typically, in such situations, an auction is held," Li Baxian explained to Lu Ye, clearly experienced in these matters. "Each guardian representative bids on behalf of their respective sect, and the highest bidder wins. The proceeds from the auction are then equally divided among all present sects."

"That works," Lu Ye nodded. This method was fair and just. He figured that sects without a competitive edge would also be willing to participate, as they would still receive some benefit regardless.

Time passed. Many from the Vast Sky Alliance were recovering from injuries, but more often, people gathered in small groups, discussing matters.

It was rare to have so many guardian representatives and deputy representatives from various sects gathered together. The Spirit Stream Guarding War presented such an opportunity, as almost all sects with strongholds in the Spirit Stream Battlefield would participate. This allowed sects to discuss potential collaborations or important matters, and even form alliance pacts.

Guardian representatives were authorized to form alliance pacts, but such agreements were limited to within the Spirit Stream Battlefield. For two sects to truly become allied, their respective sect masters or leaders would need to personally oversee the matter.

Lu Ye and Hua Ci's side was also quite lively, with many acquaintances coming over.

At this moment, Lu Ye was playing with a small, exquisite mechanical contraption. It was a sphere with a pair of tiny wings that allowed it to fly, and two crystal-polished eyes on its surface. Next to him, Lu Yushan explained the principles of this mechanical creation.

The trinket wasn't very useful, but it could be considered a special spirit artifact. Once a cultivator refined and released it, it could be used to observe dangerous areas.

"If Brother Yiye is interested in this path, feel free to visit the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion sometime," Lu Yushan cordially invited him. They had a bond forged through life-or-death situations. Moreover, the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion never hoarded its heritage; because mechanical masters had always been a minor discipline, each generation's Pavilion Master saw it as their duty to expand this path. Thus, the doors of the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion were always open to all sects of the Vast Sky Alliance. Regardless of background, anyone interested in mechanical arts could go to the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion for advanced study.

Therefore, throughout the Vast Sky Alliance, even though the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion was not high-ranking, being only an eighth-rank sect, its network of connections was extensive. Across the nine continents of Kyushu, many sects on each continent had formed alliance pacts with them.

However, mechanical arts required talent. Despite the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion's continuous efforts through generations, the number of mechanical masters remained small. Especially as their cultivation deepened, the number of mechanical masters sharply declined, mainly because they relied too heavily on external forces.

When their cultivation was not high, they could utilize various wondrous mechanical contraptions to unleash power far beyond their own. But doing so for too long would undoubtedly be detrimental to their own cultivation.

The Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion was aware of this drawback, but there was simply no way to solve it. The very foundation of mechanical masters dictated that they would have to spend a great deal of effort on mechanical contraptions.

Sharing a similar predicament with mechanical masters was another discipline: beast taming. This discipline also had few practitioners. They focused primarily on taming beasts, choosing a life-bound demonic beast from a young age and living, eating, and sleeping with it. One could say they regarded their demonic beasts as lifelong companions.

Both the mechanical master and beast taming disciplines, though niche, were certainly not to be trifled with. They often achieved victory against stronger opponents. Their true strength was tied to their mechanical contraptions or the demonic beasts they controlled, and could not be solely judged by their cultivation level.

"Brother Lu," Lu Ye suddenly recalled something. "Do you have any large constructs over there, the kind a cultivator can stay inside to assist in combat? It doesn't necessarily have to be a mechanical beast; a humanoid one would work too. Yes, preferably humanoid."

"Are you referring to 'Mecha'?"

Lu Ye's interest was piqued immediately: "They really exist?"

"They do exist, but I can't construct one right now; I still need to cultivate further," Lu Yushan chuckled. "Once I can build one, I'll give it to you."

"Then I'll thank you in advance, Brother Lu," Lu Ye said, filled with anticipation.

A Mecha... He wondered if it was truly what he imagined. That would be a good thing.

This Spirit Stream Guarding War had truly broadened his horizons. The more he learned, the more he realized the unfathomable depths of the cultivation world.

Although the gathering place was lively, vigilance was not relaxed. Ghost cultivators had hidden themselves ten li away from the Spirit Fruit tree, monitoring all directions to prevent a surprise attack from Myriad Demons Ridge. While this possibility was now low, necessary precautions were still maintained.

At a certain moment, the scent of the fruit suddenly vanished. Cultivators who noticed this looked towards the Spirit Fruit tree, seeing that the fruits there had ripened. Nine translucent blue fruits hung heavily from the branches.

Simultaneously, the barrier that had long encircled the fruit tree instantly disappeared.

The reason Myriad Demons Ridge did not destroy the Spirit Fruit before being driven back was primarily due to the Spirit Fruit tree's natural protection. A transparent barrier surrounded the tree, persisting until the Spirit Fruit ripened. It was impossible to even approach, let alone destroy, the Spirit Fruit.

Otherwise, would Myriad Demons Ridge have left such a valuable item for the Vast Sky Alliance when the situation turned unfavorable? What they couldn't obtain, they would destroy.

Pairs of eyes gazed intently, each filled with longing. Although the Spirit Fruit core had a myriad of uses, each one was highly valuable. At the very least, it could be sold to the Heavenly Secret Vault for 100,000 merit points.

It could be said that every Spirit Fruit was priceless.

Despite their longing, no one stepped forward to pluck the fruit. Anyone who dared to act rashly at this moment would surely be instantly obliterated.

"Fellow Daoist Li, please!" someone suddenly spoke.

A group of gazes turned towards Li Baxian.

Li Baxian smiled faintly, cupped his fists in all directions, and said, "Then I shall respectfully obey!"

He leaped into the air, hovering. He examined the nine fruits, and though it was unclear if he noticed any differences, he plucked one, took out a wooden box, and carefully placed it inside.

He then approached Lu Ye, handing over the wooden box. "Junior Brother, Junior Sister Hua Ci, this is yours."

Lu Ye stared at him in astonishment.

Li Baxian chuckled, "You and Junior Sister Hua Ci rendered such great service this time. The various sects can't just offer verbal thanks. It was discussed earlier that a Spirit Fruit would be allocated to you."

Meng Si also looked at Lu Ye, nodding. "This is what the Bloodline Sect deserves. Accept it."

Lu Ye's gaze swept over, seeing eyes filled with smiles and approval.

This sudden windfall surprised Lu Ye. He naturally desired such a valuable item as the Spirit Fruit, but his Fourth Senior Brother had previously mentioned that an auction would determine its ownership, with cultivators bidding on behalf of their respective sects, and the highest bidder winning.

The Bloodline Sect was currently severely underpopulated. Aside from a few minor cultivators and some spirit peaks, there was nothing of value within the sect. How could they possibly afford to participate in such an auction?

He had initially thought that sharing the proceeds from the auction with everyone else would be good enough, as that would still be a significant gain. Who would have expected such a fortunate turn of events to befall him?

In this Spirit Stream Guarding War, the two Bloodline Sect cultivators had made immense contributions. Without the team of cultivators gathered around them as a core, the current situation would not exist. When Chess Island completed its final fusion to form a continent, the high-level cultivators were evading pursuit from Myriad Demons Ridge. Even Li Baxian brought dozens of people to seek refuge with Lu Ye, let alone others. It was the low-level cultivators' battle on the periphery that extinguished Myriad Demons Ridge's arrogance and turned the tide.

Such immense contributions warranted more than just verbal thanks; a Spirit Fruit was a tangible token of gratitude.

As Meng Si said, this was what they deserved.