Chapter 2155: Qingyu

Whether he was brought into the Star Abyss by the Ghost Sedan back then, or leaving the Azure Palace this time, this was Lu Ye's first encounter with Star Abyss cultivators who held no killing intent towards him.

Of course, one shouldn't believe everything they hear. Before any direct interaction, he couldn't judge their true intentions. Sweet words masking ruthless actions are common throughout the Starry Sky, let alone in the largely lawless Star Abyss.

Yet, he stopped.

It wasn't trust, but self-confidence. The group of people didn't seem to have reached the Fusion Dao stage, and with his current strength, he didn't need to be overly concerned with cultivators at the Dao Entry level. If they truly harbored ill intentions, he would simply kill them.

Chen Wu slowly approached Lu Ye, stopping at a distance without getting too close. He sighed and said, "Judging by your aura, you must have recently entered the Star Abyss, haven't you? To be frank, we are also refugees from the Starry Sky. If you don't mind, why not come with me to meet our Madam? Wandering alone in the Star Abyss like this, you'll find it hard to survive for long."

Lu Ye pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Thank you, fellow cultivator."

Setting aside Yin Luo's words, this was the first relatively friendly group he had encountered in the Star Abyss. It was a good opportunity to infiltrate and observe how they survived. Moreover, Lu Ye was somewhat interested in the factions within the Star Abyss, hoping to gather information from them.

"Please!" Chen Wu gestured with his hand, showing no sign of underestimating Lu Ye. He knew that someone like Lu Ye, who had survived the destruction of their Starry Sky, must have been a top-tier powerhouse in their original realm. While such "powerhouses" might not seem significant in the Star Abyss, once they achieved Dao Entry, they were certainly not to be underestimated. Such individuals often possessed immense potential for growth.

The two walked side-by-side, and in a moment, they returned to where the group was.

Chen Wu stepped forward, "Madam, I've brought him back."

The leading woman nodded slightly, examining Lu Ye from head to toe. A faint shimmer flickered in her beautiful eyes as she smiled and said, "My name is Qing Yu. May I ask for your name, fellow cultivator?"

"Lu Ye!"

"Fellow Cultivator Lu," Qing Yu nodded slightly. "As fellow humans, it's fate to meet in this vast Star Abyss. I saw you alone just now, and your aura was pure, suggesting you only recently entered the Star Abyss. That's why I sent someone to invite you. Please forgive any offense."

"Madam, you're too kind. I am but a lonely wanderer with nothing to rely on. To receive your invitation is more than I could wish for."

"Have you achieved Dao Entry, Fellow Cultivator Lu?" Madam Qing Yu asked again.

"I have," Lu Ye answered honestly. There was no need to hide it. As he spoke, he covertly assessed the group. Their average strength seemed quite decent, especially Madam Qing Yu, who was likely the strongest. Otherwise, in a place like this, such a beautiful woman would never be in command.

"That's good." Madam Qing Yu looked at Chen Wu, "Chen Wu, please look after Fellow Cultivator Lu. Let's continue our journey."

Chen Wu blinked and accepted the order, "Yes!"

A short while later, the group continued forward.

Beside Madam Qing Yu, a burly man's spiritual sense stirred, sending a voice transmission, "Madam, is there... anything amiss with that person?"

They had lived together for so many years that even though the burly man wasn't particularly astute, he sensed something unusual in Madam Qing Yu's final instruction. Her request for Chen Wu to "look after" Lu Ye was more likely an instruction to monitor him, and Chen Wu had clearly understood Madam Qing Yu's intention.

Madam Qing Yu mused for a moment, "Something is strange."

The burly man's expression turned cold, "Is he a spy?"

Madam Qing Yu chuckled, "Not necessarily. Although the factions nearby aren't particularly strong, who would use someone who just entered the Star Abyss as a spy? I just feel... he's a bit too clean."

The burly man might not have been quick-witted, but he wasn't foolish. Upon hearing Madam Qing Yu's words, he immediately realized, "You're right, he's too clean." When their Starry Sky shattered, every single one of them was in a sorry state. Yet, Lu Ye's clothes were neat, as if he hadn't endured any hardships at all. But could such a thing truly happen? Moreover, his demeanor was far too composed.

The burly man said, "If Madam finds him suspicious, we should just kill him. He's just a newcomer; even if he's miraculously achieved Dao Entry, he's probably at most a Fifth-Level Dao cultivator, someone I can easily dispatch."

Madam Qing Yu sighed, "Ying Hu, if I had killed you when we first met back then, where would you be today? In this cannibalistic Star Abyss, humans are weak. It's rare to find a promising talent. Let's observe him first; he might be someone worth cultivating."

Hearing this, Ying Hu couldn't help but recall their first encounter. He had been alone and in a terrible state, and it was thanks to Madam Qing Yu's group that he had managed to survive. He nodded and said, "That works too, but if this brat tries anything, I won't let him off the hook."

In the middle of the procession, Lu Ye walked alongside Chen Wu. Lu Ye found it impossible to believe this arrangement was unintentional. He could sense Madam Qing Yu's distrust, but he also understood this was normal; if Madam Qing Yu were a truly naive woman, she wouldn't be able to survive in the Star Abyss. Placing a stranger like him in the middle of the group meant that any abnormality would likely result in an immediate pincer attack from everyone around him.

He didn't mind, simply chatting with Chen Wu and trying to glean as much information as possible. Madam Qing Yu's group primarily consisted of survivors from a single Starry Sky. After their Starry Sky shattered, Madam Qing Yu and others narrowly escaped with their lives. After enduring many hardships, they finally established a foothold in the Star Abyss. Over the years, they sporadically rescued other humans, integrating them into their ranks. This is how they achieved their current scale.

If Lu Ye were truly an ordinary human, encountering this group would surely make him want to join them for protection. In the Starry Sky, there were many factions like Madam Qing Yu's, but in truth, they were all minor, insignificant forces. Of course, these small factions also had the potential to grow, eventually becoming major powers that controlled vast regions and reigned supreme.

"So, where are we heading this time?" Lu Ye asked again.

Chen Wu pondered for a moment, probably deeming it unnecessary to conceal, and said, "The Dao Pool!"

"Hm?" Lu Ye's brow rose. "What kind of place is that?" This made him think of the Enlightenment Pool in the Mech Starry Sky, though the two were likely unrelated.

Chen Wu explained, "Brother Lu, since you've just entered the Star Abyss, you naturally aren't familiar with its specifics. In the Star Abyss, there are many incredible things. For instance, there's something called a Star Tree, which bears Star Fruits. Consuming them can greatly increase the success rate of refining Dao Bones. However, Brother Lu, don't assume that because it's called a 'tree,' it's an actual plant. It's actually a miraculous condensation of energy, merely appearing in the form of a tree, and the fruits it bears are similar."

Lu Ye was, of course, aware of Star Trees and Star Fruits. The reason why Jiu Yan and others could easily advance to the Sixth Dao was all thanks to Star Fruits.

"Then there's the Dao Pool, another one of the many mysteries in the Star Abyss. The Star Trees I just mentioned only appear within various starry sky wonders, but Dao Pools can appear anywhere. The Dao Pool itself isn't special, but during certain periods, Dao Fish will emerge within it. They aren't actual fish, but merely resemble them; they are pure condensations of Dao Power. Anyone who obtains them can easily absorb and refine them to enhance their own Dao Power."

"Oh?" Lu Ye's interest was piqued. "That's truly remarkable."

Chen Wu said, "Brother Lu, you must understand that in this Star Abyss, Dao Power is supreme. Anything connected to Dao Power or Dao Bones is incredibly precious and will attract fierce competition from all sides."

Lu Ye understood. "So, we're going there to seize those Dao Fish?"

"Precisely!" Chen Wu nodded gravely. "That's why we've mobilized our entire force this time."

"Who are our opponents, then?" Since there's competition, there must be opponents.

"There are three factions in this vicinity. One is our group of Starry Sky refugees, and the other two are composed of Star Abyss cultivators. Star Abyss factions differ from those in the Starry Sky; many are named after their territory or leader. For example, we are known externally as Qing Yu, and another is also named after its leader, called Man Shan."

"Man Shan!"

"Yes. Their leader is likely a barbarian, incredibly powerful with a terrifying physique. Madam has clashed with him several times over the years, and it's generally been a stalemate." His words implied that Madam Qing Yu had, in fact, been at a disadvantage.

"There's also a faction that occupies a shattered realm resembling a dragon's spine, using it as their base. They call themselves Dragon Spine and are predominantly composed of demon cultivators."

Lu Ye raised an eyebrow. "So, this expedition for Dao Fish will be a three-way free-for-all?"

It seemed that infiltrating this group was the correct approach. He needed to acquire more Dao Bones to accumulate his own Dao Power, and the most troublesome part was finding targets. Although he had killed quite a few along the way, they were mostly just small fry. If he could "stew" the so-called Man Shan and Dragon Spine factions in one pot, the gains would undoubtedly be significant.

"It won't necessarily be a free-for-all. When we arrive at the Dao Pool, everyone will occupy a corner and try to catch the Dao Fish. Our overall strengths are quite similar, and we've had a few skirmishes in earlier years, so we're all wary of each other."

"What is Madam Qing Yu's Dao cultivation level?" Lu Ye asked.

"Madam is at the Ninth Dao!" A look of reverence appeared on Chen Wu's face.

"Are there any other Ninth-Level Dao cultivators?"

Chen Wu shook his head, "No, there are three Eighth-Level Dao cultivators left."

Lu Ye couldn't help but frown. "How many years has Madam Qing Yu been in the Star Abyss?"

"It's been several hundred years."

Several hundred years, yet only Ninth-Level Dao cultivation? Logically, a figure like Madam Qing Yu must have been a top-tier powerhouse in her original Starry Sky; her talent and aptitude couldn't be poor. After such a long time, she should have reached the Fusion Dao stage by now. Even if progressing from Dao Entry to Fusion Dao isn't simple, what about the others? How come there isn't even a single Ninth-Level Dao cultivator among them? Compared to the cultivation progress of Jiu Yan and others, this group's advancement was like night and day.

But then he reconsidered: surviving and growing stronger in the Star Abyss was far from simple. The rapid advancement of Jiu Yan and others was due to favorable timing, geographical advantages, and cooperative factors. They had Yin Luo providing large quantities of Dao Bones monthly, each containing abundant Dao Power. Additionally, they could freely hunt Star Abyss creatures outside the Azure Palace and retreat into it for refuge when danger arose. Madam Qing Yu and her group did not have such favorable conditions. The vast majority of the Dao Power they acquired must have come from arduous cultivation!