Chapter 2117: Not the Right Time

Lu Ye had once speculated whether Yang Qing had met with an accident, gotten trapped somewhere, or had already perished. But now it seemed the truth was that he had long since left the Starry Sky, entered the Star Abyss, and acquired immense power. As for the relationship between Yang Qing and Yin Luo, Lu Ye was unsure and might try to find out.

After Lu Ye briefly explained Yang Qing's situation, everyone finally understood. Especially Zi Ji, as a venerable demon sovereign with a long lifespan, he actually knew of Yang Qing because he had heard about the battle that led to the downfall of Jiuzhou back then. However, the Yang Qing he knew, while powerful, was not so strong as to be unfathomable. He wondered what kind of fortuitous encounters Yang Qing had after entering the Star Abyss, causing him to suddenly become so powerful.

"So, Yang Qing left the Starry Sky and entered the Star Abyss before us. He should have already known about the Star Abyss. We were brought here by the Ghost Palanquin, but how did he get here?" Chen Li asked, looking puzzled.

Traveling from the Starry Sky to the Star Abyss was no simple feat. The Ghost Palanquin could traverse different Starry Skies and even the Star Abyss, which was its power as a supreme treasure. What did Yang Qing rely on? Lu Ye couldn't help but recall Yang Qing's encounter with Elder Tree. Elder Tree, a supreme treasure himself, had a thoughtful attitude towards Yang Qing. From this perspective, Elder Tree must have known the situation. In fact, it was possible that Elder Tree had contributed to Yang Qing's entry into the Star Abyss!

Looking across the entire Starry Sky, perhaps only the Reincarnation Tree could send someone away without anyone knowing. Lu Ye voiced his conjecture, though there was no way to verify it.

"In any case, we should be safe for now," Lu Ye continued. "As long as we're within Qing Palace, we don't have to worry about safety. As for the future..."

Chen Wulei said, "Lu Ye, I think your previous idea might not be feasible anymore. Before we came here, we didn't know so many Star Abyss creatures were gathered. That turbid void must be where the Star Abyss Gate is about to open. If nothing unexpected happens, that situation should last for a while, but if there's external interference, no one can say what might happen. What if the Star Abyss Gate is fully opened, then..."

That would mean the Star Abyss invasion would be accelerated, and the Star Abyss creatures gathered here would pour into the Starry Sky, surely causing a catastrophe.

Lu Ye nodded. "I've considered that." Speaking of which, he was somewhat grateful that Uncle Duan had intercepted them in front of the Star Abyss Gate earlier; otherwise, an accident might indeed have occurred.

"I still have some things I want to verify. For now, everyone please wait. Cultivate on your own, and I'll inform you if anything comes up."

Naturally, everyone had no objection. They returned to their rooms and began meditating. In recent years, everyone's strength had mainly increased by hunting Star Abyss creatures to obtain Dao Bones, as they generally couldn't meditate while traveling. However, the situation was different now. While meditation was less efficient, it had the advantage of being safe and stable.

Lu Ye didn't idle; instead, he slipped out of Qing Palace. The previous battle had ended, and the attacking enemies were completely repelled after Yin Luo made her move. But even without external disturbance, the Star Abyss creatures gathered here continued their endless internal killings and conflicts. Fortunately, no Star Abyss creature dared to approach within a thousand miles of Qing Palace.

By this point, he finally understood why it had been so easy to leave the battlefield earlier. Clearly, Yin Luo had given some command, which was why those Star Abyss creatures didn't trouble them. Considering this, even though there were many Star Abyss creatures nearby, as long as he acted carefully, there shouldn't be much of a problem. It was simply a matter of borrowing power. As long as Yin Luo was willing to protect him, those Star Abyss creatures should not make things difficult for him.

While he thought this, for safety's sake, Lu Ye had already condensed a Talent Tree clone and left it in his room before acting. If anything went wrong, it could assist his main body at any time.

He activated his flight ability and flew outwards, quickly leaving the thousand-mile boundary of Qing Palace. Immediately, a Star Abyss creature glared fiercely in his direction. Lu Ye promptly drew his Pan Shan Blade, raised a hand, and provocatively beckoned with his finger. Unexpectedly, the creature merely stared at him for a moment, then spat, gave him a disdainful look, and turned away.

This was the first time Lu Ye had encountered a Star Abyss cultivator who didn't immediately engage him. For a moment, he felt a bit unaccustomed. However, this situation undoubtedly confirmed his suspicion: these Star Abyss creatures under Yin Luo's command had received her orders and seemed disinclined to easily attack him. With this thought, Lu Ye felt even more at ease and boldly darted towards the Star Abyss Gate. Along the way, he repeatedly provoked the Star Abyss cultivators he encountered, but without exception, they completely ignored him. It wasn't until one instance when Lu Ye proactively attacked that the opponent fiercely retaliated, but unfortunately, they were too weak and were simply killed.

After multiple confirmations, Lu Ye understood that as long as he didn't initiate an attack, he wouldn't encounter major problems. However, if he did strike first, these Star Abyss cultivators would still retaliate. This made him even bolder.

A short while later, he gradually approached the location of the Star Abyss Gate. Star Abyss creatures were densely gathered here, with constant fighting and killing everywhere. Winners took the Dao Bones to strengthen themselves, while losers met their demise. Lu Ye was secretly astonished. Such an environment, with its chaotic struggles, could easily cultivate powerful individuals. In a place like this, as long as one was strong enough, it was easier to obtain Dao Bones than ever before. For Dao Realm cultivators like them, acquiring Dao power was crucial for their advancement.

Lu Ye's aura of a "Lost One" made him as conspicuous as a lantern in the dark among the densely packed Star Abyss creatures. Wherever he went, he attracted countless ill-intentioned gazes. Yet, he remained calm and fearless, heading directly to where the ten powerful figures were located. At this spot, no ordinary Star Abyss creature dared to approach. Centered around the unopened Star Abyss Gate, there was no other living being apart from these ten figures.

These ten figures belonged to different races and varied in height. As Lu Ye approached, at least three pairs of eyes scrutinized him with interest. The closer he got, the more tense Lu Ye's mind became. He subtly activated his magic power, ready to conjure void spirit patterns for escape at any moment. Fortunately, no incidents occurred until he stood before the turbid void.

Gazing intently at the turbid void, Lu Ye faintly sensed an extremely chaotic convergence of void energy within it. It was clear that this was an incomplete Star Abyss Gate, one that connected to the Myriad Manifestation Sea Starry Sky. As for where it connected, he didn't know and would need to investigate.

Immersing his mind, he subtly activated his magic power, and the Reincarnation Tree mark slowly emerged on the back of his hand. Standing in this position, the sensation from the mark's connection was more intense than ever before.

In the Myriad Manifestation Sea Starry Sky, at the location of the Reincarnation Tree's main body.

Almost simultaneously with Lu Ye activating the Reincarnation Tree mark, Elder Tree immediately sensed it. He looked up towards the distant Starry Sky, a look of surprise and doubt appearing on his aged face. "This location..." Of course, he remembered this location, as it was one of the Starry Sky's weak points. Years ago, he had even secretly opened this weak point for a moment using his own power.

"So that's it!" Elder Tree quickly comprehended. The sudden appearance of the Ghost Palanquin, which took Lu Ye and others, caused a great stir. As a supreme treasure of this Starry Sky, Elder Tree had eyes and ears throughout the entire Starry Sky, so he naturally heard about it. He just hadn't expected that years later, he would sense the mark he had given Lu Ye at this very location, which undoubtedly indicated that Lu Ye was currently on the opposite side of this point.

He closed his eyes, and the enormous Reincarnation Tree's main body swayed. In an instant, an invisible force penetrated the void's blockade.

In front of the turbid void, Lu Ye blinked. In that fleeting moment, he faintly perceived something. As he was about to investigate closely, an incomplete piece of information suddenly emerged from the mark and flooded into his mind. He quickly examined it, and a moment later, opened his eyes.

Just as he had thought, reaching this location allowed him to establish contact with the Reincarnation Tree's main body via the mark. The information clearly came from Elder Tree, transmitted from the Starry Sky. However, possibly due to the isolation between different spaces, even the information transmitted by Elder Tree was incomplete. Consolidated, Elder Tree's only instruction was: "It's not time yet. Strive to improve yourselves!"

Elder Tree should have some knowledge of the situation here, as the Starry Sky had been invaded by the Star Abyss once before, and similar situations had occurred. Therefore, Elder Tree knew what consequences would arise if he used his own power to bring Lu Ye back at this time. Although the Star Abyss Gate would open eventually, Lu Ye and the others were currently in the Star Abyss, which was an excellent opportunity for them to improve. The more they improved, the stronger this Starry Sky's self-preservation ability would be once the Star Abyss Gate opened. As for when Lu Ye would be brought back, that would depend on future variables and Lu Ye's own considerations.

After a moment of contemplation, Lu Ye had a plan.

His magic power subsided. As he turned, he almost bumped into a towering figure. Lu Ye quickly stepped back a few paces and looked up, seeing a figure at least five zhang tall standing right behind him. Covered in black fur, it looked like an upright gorilla. Lu Ye was startled and almost couldn't resist fleeing immediately.

Calming himself, he bowed. "Greetings, fellow Daoist."

The gorilla-like strongman was one of the ten gathered there. He looked down at Lu Ye and boomed, "What did you just do?"

Lu Ye blinked. "I was just checking on this Star Abyss Gate. It was Miss Yin Luo's instruction."

Upon hearing Yin Luo's name, the other party couldn't help but frown, his face filled with apprehension. Seeing this, Lu Ye asked, "By the way, fellow Daoist, may I ask if this Star Abyss Gate has ever opened in the past few years?"

"Never!" he replied, then bothered no more with Lu Ye and returned to his previous spot, sitting down.