Chapter 2119: The Division of Dao Realms

Lu Ye had originally guessed that the Star Abyss Gate here corresponded to the Myriad Manifestation Ocean.

However, the answer he received now was quite different from his initial assumption. Since this Star Abyss Gate had not opened years ago, its corresponding location could not possibly be the Myriad Manifestation Ocean.

This was because, years ago, the Star Abyss Gate in the Myriad Manifestation Ocean had been opened by the Insect Race using various means.

Lu Ye leisurely returned to Qing Palace and searched for a long time before finally finding Uncle Duan.

Uncle Duan was in a place that resembled a kitchen, cooking something. A large, ordinary-looking iron pot was set over a stove fire, and bubbles gurgled inside.

As soon as Lu Ye entered, he caught a scent that made his mouth water.

"Something wrong?" Uncle Duan turned his head and glanced at him.

Lu Ye gazed intently at the flames on the stove. It was clearly no ordinary fire, for he distinctly felt the presence of Dao power within it. This flame was definitely stronger than the Strange Fire from the Fire Gourd.

Collecting his thoughts, Lu Ye cupped his fists and said, "Greetings, Uncle Duan. I have a few questions I'd like to ask."

Uncle Duan nodded slightly, waved his hand, and tossed something from his sleeve. "You are Miss's guest, so feel free to ask anything."

A scream rang out...

Lu Ye clearly saw that what Uncle Duan tossed from his sleeve was a Star Abyss creature, scaled down countless times. It appeared to be a demon, and despite its miniature form, it exuded an incredibly powerful aura.

Lu Ye estimated it was at least a Sixth Realm creature.

And now, it was simply tossed into the pot...

The demon entered the iron pot and tried to struggle free, but just as its head emerged, Uncle Duan picked up a large iron spoon and stirred the pot. The demon's figure was immediately submerged by the green broth, and its screams faded into inaudibility.

Lu Ye's eye twitched.

"What do you want to ask?" Uncle Duan spoke again.

Despite their slightly unpleasant previous interaction, he seemed to have completely dismissed the matter from his mind.

Lu Ye composed himself before speaking: "Uncle Duan, if I may ask, what cultivation realms are you and Miss Yin Luo currently in?"

This was a question he and the rest of his team urgently needed to understand. They had no channel for this before, but now that they did, they naturally had to seize the opportunity.

Uncle Duan immediately understood. "You wish to know about the divisions after the Dao Realm, don't you?"

"Precisely!" Lu Ye nodded earnestly. "Please enlighten me, Uncle Duan!"

"Take this!" Uncle Duan handed the large iron spoon to Lu Ye, who quickly took it. Uncle Duan then pointed at the large iron pot: "Stir it, don't stop!"

Lu Ye did as he was told.

Uncle Duan stood by, then raised his hand and tossed another Star Abyss creature, countless times smaller, into the pot. This time it wasn't a demon; it looked like a human...

Lu Ye couldn't help but glance at his sleeve cuff, wondering what mystery it held and how many Star Abyss creatures were hidden within.

"The Dao Realm: anyone who establishes a Dao Foundation can be considered to have entered the Dao Realm," Uncle Duan said, his hands clasped within his sleeves, supervising Lu Ye's work. "But the Dao Realm is a very broad concept. Not to mention you Lost Ones, even most Star Abyss creatures aren't very clear about its more detailed divisions. They don't need to know; once their strength reaches that level, they will naturally understand. You might have inquired about this from Star Abyss cultivators before, but you probably didn't gain much."

"That's right," Lu Ye nodded. The team had indeed tried to gather information on this subject during their journey, but without much progress.

Uncle Duan chuckled. "Cultivation in the Star Abyss is different from your Starry Sky. In the Starry Sky, lineage and inheritance are emphasized; even if your strength hasn't reached a certain level, you can learn what you need to know from your masters. The Star Abyss is different; cultivation here places more emphasis on natural progression."

He raised a hand and continued, "The Dao Realm can actually be divided into three layers: Dao Comprehension, Dao Integration, and Dao Convergence. Dao Comprehension is your current level, where you begin to understand and recognize the essence of Dao, entering the Dao realm, able to sense and use Dao power. For any cultivator at this stage, the most important thing is the Dao Foundation, or Dao Bones, which directly affects the strength of cultivators. In this realm, one Dao is the beginning, and nine Dao is the extreme!"

Lu Ye raised an eyebrow. "So, in the Dao Comprehension layer, nine Dao is the limit? There are no ten-Dao powerhouses?"

Uncle Duan chuckled. "There's no such thing as a ten-Dao powerhouse. Above nine Dao is the Dao Integration layer, which brings a significant leap in strength."

Lu Ye said, "In the Dao Comprehension layer, forging the second Dao Bone makes one a Six-Dao cultivator. By that calculation, forging the fifth Dao Bone would make one a Nine-Dao cultivator. So, how does one advance in the Dao Integration layer? By forging more Dao Bones?"

Uncle Duan slowly shook his head. "This is all I can tell you for now. It's not that I'm holding back information; it's just... the Star Abyss has its own rules, and I must abide by them."

Lu Ye's eyes flickered.

Uncle Duan saw through his thoughts. "You don't need to ask Miss about these things either; her answer will be the same as mine. In the Star Abyss, once you reach the corresponding level, you will naturally understand some matters."

Lu Ye fell into silence, deep in thought.

After a good while, he spoke again: "Uncle Duan, there's one more thing I'd like to ask."

"Speak!"

"The primary goal of Star Abyss cultivators' practice is to acquire more Dao power, is that correct?"

"Of course, that's correct. Whether it's Dao Comprehension, Dao Integration, or Dao Convergence, Dao power is ultimately the foundation," Uncle Duan nodded.

"Then why are so many Star Abyss creatures gathered here? Even if the Star Abyss Gate opens and they rush into the Starry Sky, there's no Dao power there. In fact, places without Star Abyss aura aren't environments they prefer. So why would they do this?"

"Why..." Uncle Duan chuckled. "Of course, it's because there are benefits. Otherwise, why do you think an unopened Star Abyss Gate would attract so many powerhouses?"

"Benefits? What kind of benefits?" Lu Ye frowned, truly unable to understand the key.

Based on his time in the Constructs Starry Sky, even if Star Abyss cultivators killed many cultivators there, they didn't gain much benefit. It was more efficient to hunt each other within the Star Abyss.

"You wouldn't understand the specific benefits if I told you now, because you are currently a Lost One. One day, when you truly become a Star Abyss creature, you will naturally understand these things. All I can tell you is that the benefits they gain from invading the Starry Sky allow them to grow faster and cultivate more conveniently—benefits unobtainable within the Star Abyss itself. That's why whenever a Star Abyss Gate is about to open, it becomes a grand carnival for nearby Star Abyss creatures. Otherwise, why do you think so many would gather under Miss's command, given the inherent disorganization of Star Abyss creatures?"

Lu Ye had long suspected that Lost Ones would eventually become true Star Abyss creatures.

Because living in an environment like the Star Abyss for a long time, no matter how powerful a cultivator, they would inevitably be eroded by the Star Abyss aura.

Take the others in the team, for example; they already showed signs of this. It wasn't very obvious because little time had passed, but in the long run, they would eventually become true Star Abyss cultivators, losing all traces of being Lost Ones.

Throughout history, countless Starry Skies had been encroached upon by the Star Abyss. More or less, there were survivors among the cultivators from these Starry Skies, but because the aura of a Lost One was too conspicuous, these survivors were initially in a very dangerous situation. Their situation would only improve once they became true Star Abyss creatures.

While the others in the team were transforming into Star Abyss creatures, Lu Ye, thanks to his Talent Tree which incinerated anything useless to him, still maintained his original aura.

The information revealed by Uncle Duan made Lu Ye somewhat wary. "Then what is Miss Yin Luo's purpose in guarding this place?"

Uncle Duan gave him a chilling look. "Of course, it's also for the Starry Sky you came from. Fulfilling Young Lord Qing's instructions is just a secondary matter."

Lu Ye's expression remained calm, but his heart sank.

He had thought Yin Luo and Uncle Duan were allies, not enemies, but now it seemed that was not the case at all.

Their current ability to take refuge under Yin Luo's command and receive her protection was due to Yang Qing. But once the Star Abyss Gate opened, Yin Luo and Uncle Duan would become great enemies of the entire Starry Sky!

And such enemies...

Who could stop them?

"One last question, Uncle Duan and Miss Yin Luo, what are your current cultivation levels?" Lu Ye asked; this was also his initial question.

Uncle Duan said, "Both Miss and I are at the Dao Integration layer. However, once your Starry Sky is destroyed, Miss might then converge with Dao. This is her opportunity!"

This was somewhat expected. In fact, the ten powerhouses near the Star Abyss Gate should also be at the Dao Integration layer.

However, the implication of Uncle Duan's words sent a chill down Lu Ye's spine.

The destruction of the Starry Sky was related to Yin Luo's path to advancement. Combining this with what Uncle Duan had said earlier, Lu Ye immediately realized that destroying the Starry Sky would undoubtedly bring immense benefits to Yin Luo, giving her the opportunity to advance from Dao Integration to Dao Convergence.

This was truly a headache...

After chatting with Uncle Duan for a while longer and helping him prepare a pot of strange broth, Lu Ye finally left. Throughout the process, Lu Ye silently counted and realized that the pot of broth had used nearly twenty Star Abyss creatures of the Fifth Dao or higher.

Uncle Duan happily carried the pot of broth to find Yin Luo, while Lu Ye, heavy-hearted, returned to his residence and sent word to gather everyone.

He then relayed all the information he had gathered from Uncle Duan.

After he finished speaking, silence filled the room.

Although Lu Ye had gathered a fair amount of information this time, not much of it was truly useful.

However, at the very least, everyone now understood the divisions of the Dao Realm and knew their current level.

With an average level of five or six Dao in the team, they weren't at the bottom of the Star Abyss, but they weren't particularly strong either. On the path of Dao, they had just begun; a long and arduous journey lay ahead.