Chapter 2123: We Were All Wrong

The Winds of Jiuzhou

"You've come at a good time; I need to talk to you," Jiu Yan said, looking quite excited.

"Another breakthrough?" Lu Ye was overjoyed.

Jiu Yan was already at the seventh stage; another breakthrough would mean the eighth stage! There were no eighth-stage powerhouses in their team yet.

"No!" Jiu Yan shook her head. "Come in first and we'll talk."

As she spoke, she stepped aside, and Lu Ye walked in.

A moment later, in Jiu Yan's room, they both sat down. "What good news have you come across?" Lu Ye asked, puzzled. Since it wasn't a breakthrough, he couldn't understand why she was so visibly delighted.

Jiu Yan smiled, then with a flip of her hand, an item appeared. "It's this!" she announced.

Lu Ye looked and saw a small, palm-sized umbrella in Jiu Yan's hand. "The Heavenly Net Umbrella? What about it?" he asked, puzzled.

Back in the Mechanized Starry Sky, when Jiu Yan hadn't yet formed her Dao Foundation, Lu Ye had given her this treasure for self-defense. The Heavenly Net Umbrella had remained with her ever since.

However, logically, the defensive power provided by the Heavenly Net Umbrella should no longer be useful for Jiu Yan at her current cultivation level.

Based on Lu Ye's past attempts, the power within a 'sub-treasure' was generally equivalent to only one 'dao power'. This was why absorbing the wondrous fire from the Fire Gourd or the sword qi from the Sword Gourd only added a minuscule amount of dao power, far less efficiently than refining dao bones.

Moreover, when the Star Abyss Gate in the Myriad Forms Sea was opened, Lu Ye had used the Fire Gourd against an ox demon without a Dao Foundation, and the demon was able to block it.

That ox demon only had one or two dao power, yet it could block the sub-treasure's might, which clearly indicated that the sub-treasure's power was not very strong.

Hearing his question, Jiu Yan sighed, "Indeed... You haven't activated any sub-treasures since you started cultivating dao power, have you?"

"No," Lu Ye shook his head.

After the fourth transformation of his Talent Tree, he was already equivalent to a fifth-stage cultivator. Since he could wield five dao power on his own, what need did he have for sub-treasures?

"Me too," Jiu Yan said with a wry smile. "But unfortunately, we were both wrong!"

"What do you mean?" Lu Ye asked, bewildered.

"The power of sub-treasures isn't as simple as we thought. Try activating a sub-treasure with your dao power now!" Jiu Yan instructed.

"Activating a sub-treasure with dao power..." Lu Ye murmured, then as if something clicked, his expression shifted, and he quickly took out his Sword Gourd.

He activated it with dao power, and the mouth of the gourd trembled. A ray of sword light shot out from the Sword Gourd, but this sword light felt completely different to Lu Ye than before.

Previously, the sword light, though sharp with its single dao power, was never as chillingly oppressive as this.

"This is..." Lu Ye's eyes lit up.

"Attack me!" Jiu Yan tossed the Heavenly Net Umbrella in her hand. The small umbrella spun above her head, its edges dropping down like tassels, forming a protective barrier that enveloped her.

Lu Ye didn't hesitate, immediately directing the sword light towards Jiu Yan.

In a brilliant flash, the sword light vanished, and the Heavenly Net Umbrella's protective glow dimmed but did not break.

"So that's how it is!" Lu Ye suddenly understood.

Jiu Yan retrieved the Heavenly Net Umbrella, chuckling wryly. "I discovered this by accident. With sub-treasures, we can exert even greater power!"

For instance, Jiu Yan was at the seventh stage, but if she activated the Heavenly Net Umbrella with dao power, the protection it offered would be equivalent to an eighth-stage cultivator.

It was the same for Lu Ye. He had just used his sixth-stage power to activate the Sword Gourd's sword light, and the destructive power unleashed by that sword light was equivalent to the seventh stage!

"This is truly..." Lu Ye was momentarily at a loss for words.

He had several treasures in hand, yet for years, while surviving in extremely harsh environments, he hadn't known how to properly use them. It was utterly foolish.

He truly hadn't expected sub-treasures could be used in this manner.

Just as Jiu Yan had said, ever since he could cultivate dao power, he had dismissed the idea of using sub-treasures. He had even considered using his Talent Tree to devour the Sword Gourd and Fire Gourd, but given that such absorption wouldn't significantly increase his dao power, he had ultimately refrained.

Fortunately, it wasn't too late to discover this now. It would have been truly disastrous if they had only realized it after sustaining losses within the team.

Depending on its nature, a single sub-treasure could provide a cultivator with an additional stage of offensive or defensive power. Such an enhancement was truly significant.

"We need to call them back," Lu Ye said.

Now that they had discovered the true function of sub-treasures, they naturally couldn't keep it a secret.

Jiu Yan nodded, handed the Heavenly Net Umbrella to Lu Ye, and effortlessly erased her imprint from it. "Three sub-treasures, exactly enough for our three teams," she noted.

Lu Ye took it.

A few hours later, everyone gathered in Lu Ye's room, except for Jiu Yan.

Lu Ye placed the three sub-treasures before them and then informed everyone of his discovery. The group's eyes lit up as they listened.

"Two are offensive and one defensive. Each can boost the user's corresponding power by one stage. However, once a sub-treasure's power is consumed, it requires additional nurturing. I have some resources for nurturing the Sword Gourd and Fire Gourd, but the Heavenly Net Umbrella seems to require a large investment of spiritual power to restore. Take a look and decide how to distribute them; it's perfect for our three teams."

Although the sub-treasures possessed considerable power, their energy was ultimately consumed in a single use. Thus, they could only serve as hidden trump cards and couldn't be used indefinitely, especially in their current environment where replenishing the power of the Sword Gourd and Fire Gourd was difficult, unlike the Heavenly Net Umbrella.

"I'll take this one," Chong Yue said, picking up the Heavenly Net Umbrella. Due to his unique physique, he already possessed strong defenses, and with the Heavenly Net Umbrella as a trump card, his protection would be even greater.

There was little difference between the remaining Sword Gourd and Fire Gourd, so Zi Ji and Chen Wulei each took one. This meant that Chen Wulei could unleash eighth-stage power at critical moments.

After taking some time to refine their respective sub-treasures, they set out to hunt once more.

Several days later, as Lu Ye was peacefully cultivating, he suddenly heard Yin Luo's summons: "Lu Ye, quick, come here!"

Lu Ye's expression shifted. Yin Luo rarely disturbed his cultivation, so something significant must have happened.

He quickly moved, arriving in the grand hall. He immediately saw Yin Luo seated in her large chair, watching a holographic image projected before her.

The image displayed the scenery of the nearby void.

Uncle Duan had returned at some point and was standing respectfully behind Yin Luo.

When their eyes met, Uncle Duan merely glanced at Lu Ye before lowering his gaze.

"Over here!" Yin Luo beckoned to Lu Ye.

Lu Ye unceremoniously walked over and sat down to her left, looking up at the screen. He immediately saw countless figures.

"This is..." Lu Ye's expression changed.

"That bad guy is here again!" Yin Luo pouted.

The "bad guy" she referred to was undoubtedly Bloodfiend. Over the past few decades, they had clashed repeatedly, with Bloodfiend always being defeated by Yin Luo and forced to retreat with injuries. Yet, once he recovered, he would return, proving utterly exasperating.

Bloodfiend's objective was to seize control of the nearby Star Abyss Gate. His strength was not significantly different from Yin Luo's; as the saying goes, "one mountain cannot hold two tigers," so a clear victor had to be decided. Only by defeating Yin Luo could he gain control of the Star Abyss Gate. Once the gate opened and the Star Abyss encroached upon the starry sky, he could wait for an opportunity to infiltrate the starry sky, and after the starry sky was shattered, he would reap immense benefits.

It could be said that within the Star Abyss, any Star Abyss Gate on the verge of opening would attract contention from top-tier Fusion Dao powerhouses like Yin Luo and Bloodfiend.

This process greatly facilitated the advancement and breakthroughs of such powerhouses.

"You said you could help me," Yin Luo looked at Lu Ye.

"It's my duty!" Lu Ye declared righteously. He had gone to great lengths to make Yin Luo swear an oath, and now, Yin Luo could almost be considered the guardian of the nearby Star Abyss Gate. How could Lu Ye allow Bloodfiend to spoil his plans?

If Bloodfiend truly managed to defeat Yin Luo, then when the Star Abyss Gate opened in the future, it would spell disaster for the starry sky.

Furthermore, he also wanted to know if his own Sacred attribute could suppress Bloodfiend.

"However, Yin Luo, you must guarantee my safety," Lu Ye's tone shifted.

With two peak Fusion Dao cultivators clashing, he, a mere seventh-stage cultivator, was far too fragile; even a slight ripple of their power could take his life.

"Don't worry, I absolutely won't let anything happen to you!" Yin Luo assured him with a grand gesture. Not only was Lu Ye someone Qing Jun had instructed her to protect, but considering Lu Ye's own value to her, she wouldn't allow any harm to befall him.

As they spoke, another wave of figures appeared on the screen: ten Fusion Dao powerhouses from Yin Luo's side, leading tens of thousands of Star Abyss creatures, advanced to meet the enemy.

Lu Ye nervously searched for Chen Wulei and the others among them, but unfortunately couldn't find them immediately. He wondered if they were involved in the battle.

Logically speaking, in such a large-scale battle where casualties were common, it was precisely the time to seek fortune in danger, so those three teams wouldn't miss it.

Watching the scene, he asked, "Yin Luo, where did Bloodfiend gather so many people from?"

She had so many people due to the allure of the Star Abyss Gate, but what about Bloodfiend? He didn't have that advantage.

Yin Luo shook her head. "I don't know..."

Lu Ye then looked at Uncle Duan. "Uncle Duan, do you know?"

Uncle Duan chuckled. "Of course, it's because of the Star Abyss Gate's resonance!"

"Resonance with the Star Abyss Gate?" Lu Ye asked, puzzled.

Uncle Duan explained, "You haven't become a true Star Abyss creature yet, so you wouldn't know. Let me put it this way: within the Star Abyss, the appearance of a Star Abyss Gate is like a small light igniting in the darkness. As time passes, this light grows brighter and more prominent, drawing more Star Abyss creatures to sense it and converge here, attracted by its pull. Ordinary Star Abyss creatures will follow their instincts, seeking a suitable powerhouse to pledge allegiance to. If that powerhouse can lead them to capture the Star Abyss Gate, then after it erodes the starry sky, they will gain a significant advantage."

Lu Ye understood. "So Bloodfiend doesn't need to gather forces; people naturally flock to him?"

"Exactly!" Uncle Duan nodded.

Lu Ye couldn't help but worry, "Then will it attract Dao Integration powerhouses?"

Yin Luo was at the peak of Fusion Dao; if a Dao Integration powerhouse arrived, she wouldn't stand a chance.

Uncle Duan shook his head. "Dao Integration powerhouses don't get involved in such trivial matters. They are mostly in the depths of the Star Abyss, expanding its territory. These matters are for the Fusion Dao cultivators."