Chapter 2127: Disillusioned Galaxy

Lu Ye felt as if his entire being had entered a turbulent tunnel, buffeted by a powerful pulling force that drew his body forward.

All around him was an eerie, glowing green, and he could see no one else.

Lu Ye dared not make any sudden moves, understanding that Tree Elder was actively assisting them. Any rash action at this moment could lead to unnecessary complications.

He drifted along with the current...

It felt as if several days had passed. The green light around him gradually faded, and just as a faint worry began to creep into Lu Ye's mind, his body suddenly lightened. The familiar aura of the starry sky enveloped him!

He quickly steadied himself, turning to look back. Ripples surged violently in the void behind him, and then, one after another, familiar figures materialized from within the distortions.

These were the very individuals who had wandered with him in the Star Abyss for many years.

Activating his spiritual power, Lu Ye stabilized everyone's positions. Before he could speak, he sensed several powerful auras rapidly approaching.

Lu Ye turned his head to look, his gaze first falling on the approaching figures. However, his attention was immediately drawn to the sight behind them.

Everyone else reacted similarly!

Behind the approaching figures, a colossal city floated in mid-air. Throughout the city, a vast number of cultivators were busily working with fervent energy. The entire city felt to Lu Ye like a fearsome behemoth sprawling across the void.

Upon seeing the floating city, Lu Ye immediately thought of the war fortresses in the Mechanist Starry Sky.

A thought struck him: Yes, since Tree Elder was already aware of the Star Abyss invasion, it was impossible for him to be unprepared.

A battle city of this scale wouldn't appear in this exact location without reason. It seemed many changes had occurred in the starry sky during his absence.

The individuals Lu Ye had spotted earlier now stood before them. Each possessed a Sun-Illuminated cultivation, and the aura of their leader was profoundly deep, clearly indicating he was at the peak of the Sun-Illuminated realm.

Compared to Zi Ji and others before their advancement to the Dao realm, this leader was no less formidable, perhaps even slightly superior.

"Fellow cultivators, you've worked hard," he said, nodding slightly.

"So it's Brother Gu." Chong Yue immediately recognized him. This person's reputation was immense; in the starry sky of old, he was undoubtedly one of the top three most powerful cultivators.

Most of the others also knew him and greeted him respectfully.

Jiu Yan's voice whispered into Lu Ye's ear: "That's Gu Yunliu, the World Master of Huanglong World."

She informed him, fearing Lu Ye wouldn't recognize him.

Lu Ye indeed didn't know him, but as soon as Chong Yue spoke, he had already discerned Gu Yunliu's identity.

"I've come to welcome you all, by Tree Elder's command," Gu Yunliu stated.

"Tree Elder!" Lu Ye's expression stirred. He had initially expected Tree Elder to bring them directly into the Samsara Tree, but it seemed that was not the case.

Gu Yunliu looked at him. "I know you all have many questions. Please return with me to the battle city to meet Tree Elder. All will be revealed then."

Zi Ji asked curiously, "Is Tree Elder currently in that battle city?"

Gu Yunliu smiled. "Tree Elder has a clone residing in the battle city!"

Everyone immediately understood. If there was anyone in the world with the most clones, it was undoubtedly the Samsara Tree. Its clones were scattered throughout every corner of the starry sky, countless in number. It was hardly surprising that one of its clones was stationed in this battle city.

So, everyone followed Gu Yunliu towards the battle city.

"Brother Lu, long time no see!" As they proceeded, a young man who had accompanied Gu Yunliu to welcome them approached Lu Ye. It was Gu Sheng.

After many years, he too had advanced to the Sun-Illuminated realm.

It wasn't surprising. He and Abulo had dominated the top two spots in the Asura Arena back then, their strength unmatched and their talent exceptional. Advancing to the Sun-Illuminated realm was no difficult feat for him.

Before the Asura Arena closed, Lu Ye and the two of them had even agreed to explore a secret realm. However, Lu Ye was taken away by the Celestial Asura clan, leaving just Gu Sheng and Abulo, who later found nothing.

"Brother Gu, it's been a while," Lu Ye said, smiling as he patted his shoulder. Finally seeing a familiar face again gave him a true sense of being back in the starry sky. "Congratulations on your advancement to the Sun-Illuminated realm!"

Gu Sheng gave a wry smile. "What is a mere Sun-Illuminated realm compared to you?" He had heard of the great deeds Lu Ye had accomplished, which seemed utterly out of reach compared to his own. This left him feeling a bit frustrated, yet it also fueled his desire to catch up.

"How's Old Luo?" Lu Ye asked casually.

Gu Sheng paused, then realized that "Old Luo" referred to Abulo. He immediately replied, "He also advanced to the Sun-Illuminated realm. In recent years, the spiritual energy in the starry sky has become increasingly active, making cultivation much easier than before. He advanced even earlier than I did. Currently, he's gathered with seniors from the Ancient Barbarian World in another battle city."

The increasing activity of spiritual energy and easier cultivation in the starry sky were changes that occurred before the arrival of the great trend. Every starry sky experienced this. However, with the invasion of the Star Abyss, these favorable conditions would gradually disappear, making cultivation progressively more difficult.

The Mechanist Starry Sky had experienced this very phenomenon.

"Was this battle city built under Tree Elder's command?" Lu Ye asked.

Gu Sheng nodded. "Yes. After the incident at the Myriad Manifestation Sea, when you and Island Master Jiu Yan disappeared, the various spirit islands jointly interrogated the enemy you had captured. They uncovered astonishing information. Following that, Tree Elder issued an oracle, revealing the truth about the impending great trend. For years, the entire starry sky has been preparing for the coming disaster."

"That's good!" Lu Ye sighed in relief.

He had initially worried that three to five years wouldn't be enough time for preparations, but now it seemed there wasn't too much to worry about. Tree Elder must have experienced a Star Abyss invasion before, and with his presence, foresight was naturally assured.

"So, is this the Huanglong Star System?" Lu Ye inquired.

Gu Sheng replied, "No, this is the Illusion Demise Star System, considered one of the periphery regions of the starry sky. It's actually quite far from my Huanglong World. However, a recently opened wormhole connected the two star systems, making travel convenient. Since this area is also one of the weak points in the starry sky, Huanglong, by Tree Elder's command, gathered personnel to guard it. The battle city there was built for this very purpose."

The two major signs preceding a Star Abyss invasion were the increased activity of spiritual energy and simplified cultivation in the starry sky, and the proliferation of wormholes.

For cultivators in the starry sky, this was actually beneficial, as the emergence of numerous wormholes meant greater convenience for travel between different locations.

Had it not been for the wormhole connection, Huanglong World could never have stationed its forces here, given the immense distance.

As they spoke, the group arrived at the battle city.

From a distance, the battle city appeared immense. Only upon entering did they realize it was not only vast but also meticulously constructed with formidable precision.

The entire battle city could almost be described as a super warship, capable of being deployed directly into battle to eliminate enemies if necessary.

Chen Wulei looked around, left and right, and couldn't help but sigh.

Compared to the war fortresses in the Mechanist Starry Sky, this battle city was undoubtedly better constructed. This was unavoidable; the fortresses in the Mechanist Starry Sky were only built after the Star Abyss invasion began, and the hasty preparations naturally couldn't compare to the foresight and readiness here.

If the Mechanist Starry Sky had possessed such a battle city back then, it certainly would have held out for much longer in the final battle.

In a courtyard within the battle city, a small tree was rooted. Such a tree would appear utterly ordinary outside, with nothing remarkable about it to anyone.

Yet, when Gu Yunliu brought everyone there, he respectfully bowed towards the small tree, announcing, "Tree Elder, the fellow cultivators have returned!"

The small tree immediately swayed, its trunk emanating light, from which a figure indistinctly emerged.

When the light dissipated, the small tree had vanished, replaced by a child with rosy lips and white teeth, appearing to be only seven or eight years old.

Moreover, the child seemed unwell, his complexion pale.

Lu Ye looked astonished. "Tree Elder?"

"It's me," the child said, smiling and nodding. "No need to be surprised!"

How could Lu Ye not be surprised? In his mind, Tree Elder had always been a wise and benevolent old man. He couldn't connect that image with the small child before him.

Gu Yunliu explained from the side, "Tree Elder has entered the reincarnation phase, and on top of that, pulling you all back from the Star Abyss... so..."

The child waved a hand, signaling him to say no more.

Only then did Lu Ye understand. Rescuing them from the Star Abyss had come at a great cost to Tree Elder, a fact evident from his pale complexion.

As for the child's appearance, it was a sign that the Samsara Tree had entered its reincarnation cycle, unrelated to Lu Ye and the others.

Yang Qing had once told Lu Ye that the Samsara Tree underwent reincarnation every ten thousand years. At such times, it was at its weakest. This was why the Samsara Tree selected certain individuals and bestowed marks upon them, so that these maturing powerhouses could protect it during its vulnerable period.

After all, the reputation of a supreme treasure was very enticing, and there were always those who wished to seize such an opportunity to see if they could refine it.

"Sit down, let's talk. I imagine you have many questions," the child said, directly plopping down onto the ground.

Gu Yunliu, having anticipated this, took out meditation cushions and distributed them among the group.

The group then arranged themselves in a fan shape, sitting before Tree Elder.

Tree Elder observed Chen Wulei and the two others, a benevolent smile appearing on his youthful face. "First, I must welcome our three guests from afar. If you don't mind, this Yuan Starry Sky will be your home from now on."

Chen Wulei cupped his fists. "Tree Elder's kindness is appreciated. That is precisely our intention."

"May I ask who these three are?" Gu Yunliu asked, looking at Chen Wulei and the others with some curiosity.

As the World Master of Huanglong, he was knowledgeable and well-traveled, yet he had never encountered Chen Wulei and the others. Now, hearing Tree Elder's words, he sensed something extraordinary about them.

Lu Ye explained, "Brother Chen and the other two are survivors from another starry sky. Their starry sky was invaded and destroyed by the Star Abyss over a decade ago."

Gu Yunliu's expression shifted drastically. Although he had learned many previously unheard-of secrets from Tree Elder over the years, including the fact that there was more than one starry sky, he never expected to meet cultivators from another starry sky so soon.

And their starry sky had been invaded and destroyed by the Star Abyss just over ten years ago.