Chapter 2109: Feeding the Star Tree

The Yan Clan had brought over twenty people this time, and almost all of them were wiped out. Everyone died except for the Fourth-Order cultivator.

Cultivators below the Sixth Order possessed only one Dao Bone each, while Sixth Order cultivators had two, and Seventh Order cultivators had three.

Apart from the three Dao Bones from the star beast, all the other Dao Bones retained varying amounts of Dao power.

Jiuyan had initially discarded the three Dao Bones from the star beast, but after hearing the Fourth-Order cultivator's explanation, she retrieved them.

Only then did Lu Ye realize that even Dao Bones whose power had been depleted were still useful. He had previously acquired numerous Dao Bones, only to discard them after absorbing their Dao power...

And he wasn't alone; everyone else did the same.

It seemed Dao Bones shouldn't be discarded carelessly, as they might encounter another Star Tree in the future.

“What about their storage rings?” Lu Ye suddenly recalled something. Since the Yan Clan had chosen this moment to strike, they must have come prepared, likely with Dao Bones that had no residual Dao power.

Jiuyan also had the storage rings, which she handed over to Lu Ye along with the Dao Bones.

Lu Ye unsealed each storage ring. As expected, he discovered a large quantity of Dao Bones with no Dao power in one of them, and its contents were quite considerable.

It must have belonged to the Seventh-Order Yan Clan member.

“Let’s go take a look,” Lu Ye called out, leading the group towards the Star Tree.

From a distance, the Star Tree didn't appear particularly large, but upon closer inspection, they realized it was indeed massive.

However, the entire tree was not a living entity; rather, it was a profound phenomenon formed from countless dense starlight. Its roots, resembling glowing whips, protruded into the void.

Looking up, only three fruits hung from the colossal Star Tree.

These weren't ordinary fruits as commonly understood; they were also formed by a convergence of wondrous energy, merely resembling fruits.

Standing beneath the tree, Lu Ye tossed a Dao Bone devoid of power onto one of its roots. The root immediately sprang to life, enveloped in a bright glow, and the Dao Bone rapidly dissolved. It was remarkable; even without residual Dao power, a Dao Bone was considered the most resilient part of a cultivator's being. Lu Ye knew that even striking it with his Pan Mountain Blade might not cleave it in a single blow, yet here it was, swiftly consumed by the Star Tree’s root. Truly astonishing.

As one Dao Bone vanished, Lu Ye looked up at the three fruits, noting that they appeared completely unchanged.

With a sweep of his hand, he cast all the power-depleted Dao Bones onto the tree's roots.

After a brief wait, all the Dao Bones vanished. This time, the three fruits showed some change, their internal starlight appearing denser.

“How does one know when they are ripe?” Lu Ye asked, turning to the Fourth-Order cultivator.

The cultivator replied, “When the Star Fruits mature, the Star Tree will naturally dissipate. Each Star Tree bears fruit only once in its lifetime.”

Lu Ye understood, assuming the cultivator wouldn't lie at such a moment. He immediately began tossing the Dao Bones with residual Dao power, one by one, into the tree's roots.

As the roots consumed Dao Bones that still contained Dao power, the effect was noticeably different; the three fruits visibly transformed.

Moments later, all twenty-nine Dao Bones were completely consumed. The Star Tree seemed insatiable. It was worth noting that if these twenty-nine Dao Bones had been refined collectively by everyone, they would have yielded a significant amount of Dao power, leading to a substantial accumulation, if not an outright breakthrough in strength.

Yet now, they were all consumed, and the Star Fruits remained unripe. Lu Ye glanced at the Fourth-Order cultivator, who immediately understood and said, “Ripening Star Fruits is no simple task. Our reason for acting now was merely to secure this Star Tree first. Without you, we would currently be scouring for Dao Bones to nourish it.”

“Did your leader ever calculate how long it would take for the Star Fruits to mature using this method?” Lu Ye asked darkly.

“Three to five months?” the Fourth-Order cultivator replied hesitantly.

Lu Ye felt like strangling him.

However, with so much already invested, abandoning the effort now was unthinkable. If they gave up, all their previous contributions would be for naught.

On second thought, his urgency to leave the area had primarily stemmed from sensing a hostile force nearby.

Now that the force led by the Seventh-Order Yan Clan had been decisively dealt with, remaining for a longer period wouldn't pose significant danger.

After a brief contemplation, Lu Ye raised his hand and pressed it onto a glowing root before him.

Since Dao Bones were insufficient, he decided to use his own Dao power to nourish the Star Tree. Among their eight-person team, his accumulated Dao power was the greatest; even Ziji wouldn't possess enough to sustain such feeding.

As Dao power surged, Lu Ye immediately felt a ravenous sensation emanating from the Star Tree's roots.

Frustrated, he realized that while he had always been the one to activate his Talent Tree to absorb power from others, today he was being absorbed by the Star Tree.

His own Dao power rapidly depleted.

Lu Ye stopped when his personal Dao power dwindled to four hundred thirty units.

He could not allow it to consume any more; further depletion of his Dao power would prevent him from maintaining his Seventh-Order strength.

Rising and surveying his surroundings, Lu Ye stated, “We still need to go out and acquire more Dao Bones.”

“Let’s go together,” Ziji offered. For a long time, Lu Ye had been fighting on his own to provide for everyone; now, it was time for a collective effort.

Lu Ye had no objections. After a brief pause for thought, he stated, “Sisters Jiuyan and Su Wan will remain here to guard this place. I’ll leave a clone behind as well. The rest of you will split into two teams, and I will operate independently.”

This arrangement was certainly sound. Jiuyan opened her mouth as if to speak, but ultimately remained silent.

She understood that a team ultimately needed only one clear voice. With the plan settled, just as they were about to depart, the Fourth-Order cultivator spoke leisurely, “Just a reminder: once the Star Fruits mature, they won’t last long without special preservation methods. If any of you intend to refine a second Dao Bone, you’ll need to prepare in advance.”

Lu Ye paused, “How are Star Fruits preserved?”

The Fourth-Order cultivator spread his hands, “I wouldn’t know. It probably requires some special vessel, which I certainly don’t possess.”

Lu Ye quickly retrieved the Yan Clan storage ring and rummaged through it, but found no vessels or similar items. It appeared the previous owner had intended to consume the fruit immediately.

This presented a challenge.

He had initially planned to secure the three Star Fruits and then discuss their distribution, but now it seemed the allocation would need to be decided beforehand.

He didn't currently need these items himself. His initial thought was to distribute the three Star Fruits among three Fifth-Order cultivators, enabling them to refine their second Dao Bones and potentially ascend to the Sixth Order.

With an eight-person team comprising one Seventh-Order and three Sixth-Order cultivators, their overall strength would undoubtedly see a significant boost, allowing them to better protect themselves within this Star Abyss.

Currently, the team included Ziji, Jiuyan, Su Wan, and Chong Yue, all Fifth-Order cultivators. Four were qualified, but there were only three fruits, making the decision challenging.

Jiuyan, clearly discerning Lu Ye's predicament, promptly suggested, “Then let’s fully assist Daoist Ziji, Su Wan, and Chong Yue in reaching the Sixth Order. How about that?” By removing herself from consideration, she alleviated Lu Ye’s dilemma.

Chong Yue shook his head upon hearing this. “That’s not right,” he stated. “Brother Lu contributed the most to this endeavor. Regardless, he must take one Star Fruit. If he doesn't, then none of us are truly deserving.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Lu Ye had uncovered the information about the Star Tree, brought them all here, and contributed the most in the battle against the Yan Clan cultivators from the Star Abyss.

Moreover, he had just expended an unknown amount of Dao power to feed the Star Tree.

It made no sense for someone who had exerted so much effort to ultimately gain nothing. Therefore, regardless of whether a Star Fruit was useful to Lu Ye, he was entitled to one.

As for whom he chose to give the Star Fruit to, that would be his prerogative, and no one would question it. Chong Yue then added, “Daoist Ziji was the first to forge his Dao Foundation, and he has continuously safeguarded our well-being throughout this past year. Both publicly and privately, he deserves one.” He then grinned. “I won’t take one. The last fruit should go to Daoist Su Wan. I’ll refine my second Dao Bone on my own; I'll reach the Sixth Order eventually anyway.”

Su Wan offered a sweet smile. “Brother Chong Yue, I appreciate your kind intentions,” she said. “In my view, since we are now a cohesive group, we should prioritize the team’s collective interest. Brother Chong Yue entered the Dao Realm before me, and his accumulated Dao power is greater than mine, bringing him naturally closer to refining his second Dao Bone. Therefore, this third Star Fruit would be more suitable for Brother Chong Yue than for me.” She then looked at Lu Ye. “Over the past year, Daoist Lu, your dedication has been evident to all of us. Our hearts are not made of stone; how could we not acknowledge your immense selflessness? Your actions truly set an example for us. While Star Fruits are valuable, in this Star Abyss, our survival depends on prioritizing the entire team’s benefit.”

Lu Ye nodded, feeling greatly comforted.

If these eight individuals were in the Myriad Elephant Sea Starry Sky, they would likely possess eight hundred hidden motives each. Yet, in the Star Abyss, they could coexist peacefully and commit themselves entirely to the team, holding nothing back.

This harmonious atmosphere was undoubtedly a direct result of his selfless dedication over the past year. He set an excellent precedent, ensuring the team's cohesion; had he been even slightly self-serving, the group would have long since fractured.

“Alright, the Star Fruits will be distributed as follows: Ziji, Chong Yue, and I will each take one,” Lu Ye declared definitively.

Naturally, no one voiced any objections.

With this decision, Ziji, Chong Yue, and Jiuyan would need to prepare to refine their second Dao Bones.

Jiuyan was in a relatively favorable position; over the past year, she had received the largest share of Dao Bones from Lu Ye, making her the closest to accumulating two hundred units of Dao power. Chong Yue was next. Ziji, however, had the least accumulated Dao power due to a previous failed attempt at refining a Dao Bone. Yet, paradoxically, his prior experience meant that his chances of success using the Star Fruit for refinement were now the highest.