Chapter 2094: Swallowing the Treasure

Winds Rise in Kyushu

By now, Lu Ye probably understood why damaged affiliated treasures could be repaired when placed next to ultimate treasures. It was because ultimate treasures were crystallizations of the Dao, and thus, as long as their affinities aligned, the affiliated treasures could leverage the ultimate treasures' Dao power to perfect themselves.

If that was the case, could his own Dao power serve a similar repair function?

If so, then the Sky Net Umbrella still had some use, at least as a defensive item for Jiu Yan.

A wisp of golden Dao power vanished from the leaves of the Talent Tree, and a layer of golden light shimmered across the damaged Sky Net Umbrella before quickly receding.

It was still tattered, but Lu Ye noticed that the Sky Net Umbrella was clearly in better condition than before.

It could truly be repaired!

Naturally, there was no talk of compatibility between his Dao power and the Sky Net Umbrella, as he was a cultivator, not an ultimate treasure. Such a result was therefore within his expectations.

With four wisps of Dao power remaining, Lu Ye consumed another. Just as before, a golden light flashed across the Sky Net Umbrella, and its damaged state improved further.

He didn't continue, as Lu Ye realized that at this rate, a mere few wisps of Dao power would be insufficient to fully repair the Sky Net Umbrella.

He needed more Dao power!

The Sky Net Umbrella was still useful and couldn't be absorbed. If that was the case...

Lu Ye rummaged through his storage ring and pulled out a fist-sized, square object.

The Fate Dice!

This affiliated treasure, acquired from the Asura Field, was undoubtedly the most suitable for absorption. Although it possessed mysterious abilities, it was neither an offensive nor a defensive treasure. For Lu Ye, such an item was practically useless. Since returning from the Asura Field, he hadn't even actively used it, fearing he might roll a "great ill omen" and bring terrible luck upon himself.

Holding the dice, Lu Ye activated the Talent Tree. Invisible roots spread from his palm and burrowed into the dice.

As the frantic absorption began, Lu Ye raised an eyebrow.

A continuous stream of pure, intertwined, and profound Dao power flowed from the dice, surging into his body. At this moment, the Talent Tree emitted a more dazzling light than ever before, and the entire tree swayed.

Lu Ye quickly immersed himself to examine the changes.

He could feel that the Dao power flowing from the dice, after being absorbed by the Talent Tree, did not immediately transform into his own Dao power. Instead, it underwent some marvelous precipitation and transformation within the Talent Tree.

Lu Ye pondered for a moment and understood the reason: even Dao power was not entirely uniform. For instance, the Dao power nurtured within the Fire Gourd was supremely hot and potent, while the Dao power in the Sword Gourd was incomparably sharp. Such Dao power was not inherently compatible with him, naturally requiring conversion by the Talent Tree. Only after that marvelous precipitation and transformation would it become his own Dao power.

On the leaves that originally held only three wisps of Dao power, golden light began to form and bloom. Wisps of new Dao power appeared, their numbers gradually increasing.

In just a moment, one leaf was completely covered in golden light, with no more space remaining.

Another adjacent, blank leaf began to glow golden as new Dao power emerged...

Time passed, and after more than half a day, when Lu Ye opened his hand, the Fate Dice he had held had completely vanished, as if it had never existed.

In its place, four leaves of the Talent Tree glowed with brilliant golden light. Three of them were completely filled with Dao power, while the fourth still had some empty space.

Lu Ye counted carefully and found that he now possessed a staggering one hundred and twenty-six wisps of Dao power!

He let out a deep breath. Since arriving at this frontline battlefield, he had been cautious and anxious, fearing he might encounter some unbeatable strong opponent. But at this moment, all his worries vanished.

"I, Lu Yiye... have risen again!"

One hundred and twenty-six wisps of Dao power! Excluding the initial three wisps he possessed, the Dao power gained from absorbing a single Fate Dice amounted to one hundred and twenty-three wisps. Such an increase was simply astonishing.

Based on the current situation, only cultivators who had entered the Dao Realm were qualified to possess a hundred wisps of Dao power. Lu Ye had clearly surpassed this standard.

However, on the other hand, while theoretically one became stronger with more Dao power, it wasn't an absolute rule. When clashing with enemies, those who possessed Dao power would integrate it into their own spiritual power, whether for offense or defense, greatly increasing their might. This was a world of difference compared to the attacks of ordinary cultivators.

Therefore, when facing enemies, the utilization of Dao power became the key to victory or defeat.

The only absolute truth was that the more Dao power one possessed, the stronger their sustained combat capability!

Now possessing significant resources, Lu Ye once again took out the Sky Net Umbrella and used his Dao power to repair it. Although this would consume a considerable amount of his Dao power, in this place, he couldn't guarantee Jiu Yan's safety by himself. With an affiliated treasure for self-defense, Jiu Yan would be safer.

His own Dao power continued to be consumed until only over eighty wisps remained, at which point the tattered Sky Net Umbrella was finally completely repaired.

Without delay, Lu Ye called out to Jiu Yan.

Jiu Yan opened her eyes and looked at him, puzzled. She knew Lu Ye wouldn't disturb her unless it was urgent, but there were no signs of enemies at the moment, so she wasn't sure why he had called her.

"Here, this is for you," Lu Ye said, handing over the Sky Net Umbrella.

"What is this?" Jiu Yan asked, taking it curiously and examining it closely. Then, as if realizing something, she exclaimed, "Could this be the Sky Net Umbrella?"

The news of Yi Tianxing's Shen Yun being killed in the Myriad Manifestations Sea and the destruction of the Sky Net Umbrella was already widely known. Jiu Yan had naturally heard of it, so she recognized the treasure at a glance.

"Precisely," Lu Ye replied, not hiding anything. "Sister, it's not too late to cultivate after you've refined this treasure for self-defense."

"No!" Jiu Yan adamantly refused, handing the Sky Net Umbrella back. "This item is too precious; I cannot accept it!"

Her relationship with Lu Ye was, after all, somewhat ambiguous. What would it mean if she accepted such a valuable treasure?

Lu Ye had already anticipated her attitude, so he said, "Just consider it something I'm lending you, Sister..."

"That won't do either. You should refine it yourself. This treasure offers powerful protection and can ensure your safety at critical moments."

"It's like this, Sister..." Lu Ye began, presenting the argument he had prepared. "The reason affiliated treasures are so powerful is because they contain Dao power when activated. If you refine it and immerse yourself in its study, you might glimpse the mysteries of Dao power, which should be quite beneficial for you to establish your own Dao foundation!"

"The power of affiliated treasures contains Dao power..." Jiu Yan fell into thought, her eyes lighting up. "That makes sense! How did you think of that?"

Lu Ye blinked. "Because I have several affiliated treasures, and I've already comprehended the mysteries of Dao power!"

Even though Jiu Yan knew some of Lu Ye's background, hearing this, she couldn't help but feel like hitting him. Affiliated treasures that countless Starry Sky cultivators eagerly sought after — Lu Ye had several!

"So, Sister, you don't need to worry about my safety. My current strength should be no weaker than those in the Dao Realm!"

"Nonsense!" Jiu Yan naturally didn't believe him. Just recently, Lu Ye had been brought back from the dead, and it had only been a little over a month; how could his strength have changed so dramatically?

However, what Lu Ye had just said undoubtedly tempted her greatly. If she could comprehend Dao power through the affiliated treasure, it would indeed benefit her in establishing her Dao foundation.

"This treasure... I'll borrow it for now. Tell me whenever you need it back." Jiu Yan pursed her lips, sighed inwardly, and felt she owed him another favor.

She knew clearly that if it weren't for her, Lu Ye, even with more affiliated treasures, wouldn't lend them out so casually.

She resumed her cultivation, but this time, Jiu Yan was not in a hurry to transform into a furnace. Instead, she began refining the Sky Net Umbrella. Refining affiliated treasures was actually not too difficult. Strictly speaking, affiliated treasures were merely magical artifacts of higher quality; as long as one progressed steadily and had sufficient cultivation, anyone could refine them.

Meanwhile, Lu Ye cultivated while remaining vigilant.

No amount of Dao power was too much. Now that he had arrived in this Starry Sky with no immediate way back, he could only strive to make himself as strong as possible.

Lu Ye's only regret was his insufficient cultivation.

If he were already at the peak of the Sunlit Realm, having condensed a Flower of Divinity, he should be able to easily establish his Dao foundation and enter the Dao Realm.

After all, since he could even cultivate Dao power, establishing a Dao foundation shouldn't be difficult for him.

However, life rarely went as planned, and perfection was hard to come by.

Thus, another two months passed.

A thousand *li* away from Jiu Yan's secluded cultivation spot, Lu Ye's figure swept over. He had detected signs of conflict here and came to investigate, lest the aftermath disturb Jiu Yan.

As for Jiu Yan's safety, there was no need to worry. She had already refined the Sky Net Umbrella, and his Precious Blood Clone was left there, allowing Lu Ye to return at any time.

Looking up, he immediately saw several figures engaged in an intense battle. One of them was clearly a cultivator from this Starry Sky, as they were controlling a humanoid mech.

The others were all Abyss anomalies. Although their races differed, the Abyss aura on each of them was extremely distinct.

It was one against many, and even though the mech cultivator was a Dao Realm expert who had established his Dao foundation, he was repeatedly pushed into perilous situations.

This person was indeed extremely valiant. Risking an entire round of enemy encirclement, he managed to forcefully kill one of the Abyss anomalies.

However, putting himself in danger this time also damaged his mech, leaving it somewhat tattered.

Upon seeing this, Lu Ye knew that the mech cultivator wouldn't last much longer. The prolonged fierce combat had severely depleted his Dao power; once it was exhausted, only death awaited him.

In such a situation, Lu Ye ultimately could not stand idly by. Although he was not from this particular Starry Sky, his stance on the Abyss was consistent with its inhabitants.

Without hesitation, Lu Ye flashed into the battlefield.

The Abyss anomalies who were besieging the mech cultivator clearly detected Lu Ye's aura. Immediately, one figure broke away from the group and moved to intercept Lu Ye.

This particular foe was a Two-Headed Race member, naturally born with two heads: one with a smiling face, the other horrifyingly ferocious, making for an extremely bizarre sight.