Chapter 2111: Three Six Paths Are Born

After the discussion, Jiu Yan and Su Wan stayed to guard the Star Tree and the four cultivators. Lu Ye also left a talent tree clone to oversee the area.

The remaining six people split into three teams and began hunting for Dao Bones.

Lu Ye went alone, while Zi Ji teamed up with Mei Ying, and Zhong Yue with Shui Xian and Chen Li.

This division of labor naturally made hunting for Dao Bones much more efficient than when Lu Ye was alone. Initially, Zi Ji and Zhong Yue prioritized using the Dao Bones they acquired to strengthen themselves.

Only after each had accumulated over two hundred Dao Bones did they begin feeding the Star Tree.

During this period, all the Dao Bones Lu Ye obtained were sent back using the Void Spirit Mark. Jiu Yan's Dao power accumulation had already exceeded two hundred, with plenty to spare.

The four cultivators had said that feeding the Star Tree this way might take three to five months to ripen the Star Fruits, but in reality, that amount of time was nowhere near enough.

It wasn't that he had lied.

Rather, three members of the team needed to accumulate their own Dao power in preparation for consuming the Star Fruits, which slowed down the process.

Eight months later, the eight-member team gathered under the Star Tree again.

At this moment, the Star Tree had changed significantly compared to eight months prior. The entire tree had become incredibly transparent, as if it could disappear at any moment.

Conversely, the three fruits hanging on the tree glowed with an increasingly brilliant and dense starlight.

This situation made it seem as if the Star Fruits had absorbed all the essence of the Star Tree.

According to the four cultivators, this was a sign that the fruits were about to ripen.

Lu Ye stood before the roots at the base of the tree, holding several Dao Bones and dropping them one by one into the root system.

The others waited quietly nearby, silently anticipating.

When only two Dao Bones remained in his hand, the Star Tree suddenly swayed. Its already almost invisible trunk completely vanished.

Only three Star Fruits remained suspended in place. They now emitted a light even more dazzling than before and rapidly expanded, transforming into the size of water vats in the blink of an eye.

"Now!" Lu Ye exclaimed in a low voice.

Three prepared figures darted out, lunging towards the three fruits. They instantly vanished inside. Star Fruits are not meant to be eaten. They are not true fruits but require cultivators to merge with them, using their mystical power to refine their Dao Bones. This is why such a treasure needs a special vessel for preservation.

He released his divine sense to probe, but detected nothing.

Lu Ye turned to the four cultivators and asked, "What is the success rate of refining Dao Bones with Star Fruits?" After spending so much time with Jiu Yan and Su Wan, the four cultivators realized that Lu Ye's group wasn't unreasonable. Their previous apprehension was replaced by a degree of composure. "I don't know; I've never used one myself," one replied, "but I once heard our leader say that unless one's foundation is extremely poor, there's virtually no chance of failure when refining Dao Bones with a Star Fruit."

Lu Ye slightly raised an eyebrow, feeling relieved.

As for foundation, those chosen by the Ghost Sedan all had solid ones. Which one of them hadn't accumulated years of experience at the peak of the Sunlit Realm?

Jiu Yan's difficult journey into the Dao realm was due to an unresolved inner knot. After helping her resolve it that day, she quickly forged her Dao foundation.

While waiting, Lu Ye remained vigilant, monitoring the surroundings with the others to guard against unforeseen events.

Perhaps because they had been hunting extensively in the vicinity recently, there weren't many Star Abyss creatures left nearby, so naturally, nothing eventful occurred.

Two days later, the light from one of the Star Fruits suddenly receded, revealing Zi Ji's figure. Their eyes met, and he gave a slight nod, conveying everything without words.

A day later, the light from the other two Star Fruits vanished simultaneously, revealing the figures of Jiu Yan and Zhong Yue.

Zhong Yue's face beamed with joy, an obvious sign that it had worked.

Although Jiu Yan didn't show it as overtly, her eyes curved into crescents, indicating she was clearly in a good mood.

"Congratulations, fellow Daoists, on reaching the Sixth Dao!" Su Wan chirped cheerfully. "Our strength has grown even more!"

The emergence of three Sixth Dao cultivators meant that the eight months of effort had been worthwhile. In a place like the Star Abyss, every increment of strength translated into a greater ability to protect oneself.

The others also offered their congratulations, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

Lu Ye looked at the four cultivators beside him and asked, "If you have nowhere to go, would you like to join us?"

After a slight pause, the other party shook his head. "I appreciate your kind offer, Daoist, but I'd prefer to stay here."

Lu Ye didn't press the matter. His intention to recruit them was mainly because they knew more about the Star Abyss. Having them along would provide someone to consult if they encountered problems.

However, the other party seemed very cautious.

This was not surprising. All eight of them originated from the same starry sky, allowing them to cooperate closely and support each other. But for an outsider to integrate would not be so simple.

"Then, please, Daoist, feel free!" Lu Ye gestured with his hand. The other party nodded slightly, turned, and teleported into the distance. His voice echoed back, "Daoist, when surviving in the Star Abyss, never easily swear oaths in the name of the Star Abyss Will again in the future. The Star Abyss Will is omnipresent; any oath made will be observed, and any violation will inevitably lead to disaster!"

"Understood!" Lu Ye bowed in return from a distance.

Zi Ji, who had been itching for action, paused when he heard this.

He had just forged his second Dao Bone and his Dao power was severely depleted. He had originally intended to use the Dao Bones from the four cultivators to replenish himself...

"Star Abyss Will..." Zi Ji muttered, turning to Lu Ye. "Did you feel anything special when you swore the oath?"

Lu Ye shook his head. "No, I didn't."

A glint flashed in Zi Ji's eyes. "So, he might just be trying to mislead us?" Despite his words, he had no intention of pursuing. After all, some things are better believed than disbelieved.

"Let's go," Lu Ye called out.

Although their planned journey was delayed by eight months, the team's overall strength had significantly increased, which would undoubtedly be a great help for their subsequent travels.

The group of eight set off. Lu Ye led the way, Zi Ji brought up the rear, Zhong Yue and Jiu Yan flanked them, and the others were positioned in the middle. They continued their journey through the vast Star Abyss.

Due to the existence of Dao Bones, conflicts and battles could erupt at any moment in the Star Abyss.

As the team advanced, they frequently encountered enemies and faced numerous dangers. The eight members narrowly escaped death on multiple occasions.

The most perilous encounter was with a nine-Dao Star Beast.

From a distance, the Star Beast appeared unremarkable and not particularly large, but only when they engaged in battle did they realize its true power.

With just one strike, Zi Ji was severely wounded. Had it not been for his strong demonic physique, he might have died instantly.

In that battle, Lu Ye exerted all his strength. Fortunately, the nine-Dao Star Beast, despite its power, had low intelligence. This allowed Lu Ye to use the Sea of Blood for cover, helping the others escape. He himself used a Void Spirit Mark to get away with the help of a clone. Even so, he ended up severely wounded.

Had they encountered a more intelligent Star Abyss cultivator, they might have been completely wiped out in that battle.

After this battle, the eight members of the team recuperated in a hidden location for several months before slowly recovering.

The path ahead was arduous, but they had no choice but to face the challenges.

With hardships naturally came gains.

Among the eight, Mei Ying, Shui Xian, and Chen Li had already advanced to the Fifth Dao. They only needed to accumulate enough Dao power before attempting to refine their second Dao Bones.

Su Wan did not break through. She had attempted to refine a Dao Bone once, but like Zi Ji's previous experience, she failed, and the invested Dao power was wasted.

The three Sixth Dao cultivators did not increase their strength, but because their Dao power had accumulated, they no longer needed to hold back in combat or worry about Dao power consumption as much as before.

The most significant improvement was likely Lu Ye's.

Currently, his accumulated Dao power had surpassed nine hundred. Theoretically, with so much Dao power, he should be able to exert the strength of a Ninth Dao cultivator.

However, at this stage, given his foundation, the limit of the Dao power he could control was that of a Seventh Dao cultivator. Therefore, accumulating more Dao power beyond that was meaningless.

Nevertheless, by distributing his power, both his main body and his talent tree clone could exhibit Seventh Dao strength, effectively adding another Seventh Dao cultivator to the team.

Inside a celestial wonder, everyone searched around. Star Trees only manifest within celestial wonders, which was no secret in the Star Abyss. Therefore, whenever they encountered a celestial wonder on their journey, they would explore it, hoping to find more Star Fruits to aid their breakthroughs.

Celestial wonders in the Star Abyss differed significantly from those in the starry sky, primarily in their scale.

In the Myriad Forms Sea Starry Sky, for instance, each celestial wonder was immensely vast, with smaller ones covering an entire galaxy and larger ones spanning hundreds of galaxies.

However, this was not the case in the Star Abyss. Celestial wonders there were not large, and the reason for this was unknown.

Unfortunately, despite encountering many celestial wonders along the way, there was no sign of a Star Tree.

This time was no different; they still found nothing.

Lu Ye led the group out of the celestial wonder and found a nearby spot for a brief rest.

"How long has it been?" Shui Xian's soft voice asked.

The scenery in the Star Abyss rarely changed, making it difficult even for powerful cultivators like Shui Xian to keep track of time without paying close attention.

"Almost four years!" Zi Ji replied.

Three years had passed since they left the area of the Golden Rice Bowl. No one had expected the journey to be so long.

Although they traveled slowly and had many delays due to their cautious approach, the sheer amount of time spent on travel alone was a unique experience for everyone.

Previously, in the Myriad Forms Sea Starry Sky, no matter where they went, it never took so long. Even for distant destinations, they could use wormholes to shorten the journey.

The Star Abyss also had wormholes, and quite a few of them. They occasionally encountered them on their journey, but no one knew what lay on the other side or where they led, so no one dared to venture inside.

If a powerful cultivator were waiting on the other side, entering would be suicidal.

"Brother Lu, how much longer until we arrive?" Zhong Yue asked Lu Ye.

Hearing this, Lu Ye circulated his spiritual power, quietly sensing the Reincarnation Tree imprint on the back of his hand. After a brief contemplation, he replied, "At our current pace, perhaps within a year!"