Chapter 2160: Dao Fish

The Winds Rise in Kyushu

"I'll consider it." Qing Yu didn't immediately agree to Lu Ye's proposal. Having survived in the Star Abyss for so many years, she was clearly not impulsive. She had more than twenty people under her command, and she needed to think everything through carefully.

Lu Ye didn't force her. While it would certainly be beneficial if these individuals could enter the Starry Sky and assist the garrisons, the current Starry Sky wouldn't face significant problems even without them. Moreover, Lu Ye had a faint suspicion that since they were already considered Star Abyss cultivators, entering the Starry Sky through the Star Abyss Gate might not be easy. They would likely be subject to the gate's restrictions, just like other Star Abyss creatures.

"In two or three days, the Dao Fish will appear. Brother Dao, you probably don't know how to catch them, do you?" Qing Yu changed the subject.

"I was just about to ask."

Qing Yu explained, "The Dao Pool is mysterious. When the Dao Fish appear, the entire pool undergoes strange changes. However, Brother Dao, you must not enter the pool at that time, as it will be extremely dangerous. To catch Dao Fish, you can only use Dao Power..." As Qing Yu described it, Lu Ye listened quietly, his interest in the Dao Pool growing considerably.

After another two or three days, the Dao Pool indeed began to change. The not-so-large Dao Pool, originally crystal clear, suddenly became murky at a certain point, as if something invisible was stirring within it. In just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the water turned ink-black. Lu Ye attempted to use his divine sense to probe it. As Qing Yu had mentioned, his divine sense could not penetrate the water; it merely floated on the surface, making it impossible to discern what was inside.

Qing Yu and her group spread out around the Dao Pool, waiting with expectant expressions. In the past, whenever the Dao Pool opened, their group could only claim a small section, sharing with the other two factions. But this time was different. With Manshan and Longji destroyed, only their group remained, guaranteeing a bountiful harvest. For cultivators like them, who mostly relied on arduous cultivation to accumulate their Dao Power, such an opportunity was extremely rare.

Lu Ye intently stared at the water before him. While others weren't paying attention, he quietly dipped a hand into the pool. According to the information Qing Yu had given him, after the Dao Pool's strange phenomena began, the water seemed to possess a strong corrosive property. There were instances where cultivators in the Dao Realm fell in and lost half their bodies in the blink of an eye, eventually dying miserably. He wanted to test the situation for himself, knowing his Talent Tree had an absolute advantage when dealing with corrosive effects.

With just a portion of his finger in the water, Lu Ye immediately noticed a change in his Talent Tree. Indeed, some power had invaded his body, eliciting a reaction from the Talent Tree, though it wasn't very strong. If that were all, it would have been fine. The crucial point was that in just three breaths, Lu Ye felt that part of his finger rapidly stiffening, followed by signs of numbness. He quickly withdrew his hand and examined it closely, his expression turning serious. That section of his finger had become somewhat ethereal, subtly hinting at a non-existence in this space. He had never encountered such a bizarre phenomenon. After a moment of thought, he abandoned his plan to enter the pool himself. Qing Yu was right; the Dao Pool at this time posed great danger. It wasn't just a corrosive force that his Talent Tree couldn't resist, but a more perilous power at work. A moment later, the ethereal finger slowly solidified, and the numbness and stiffness disappeared.

Lu Ye refocused on the water before him, secretly activating his Dao Power, poised to act. Suddenly, a speck of gold flashed and vanished in the darkness, and faint ripples spread across the water. He immediately raised his hand, condensing Dao Power into a beam, and directed it towards that spot. As the condensed Dao Power entered the water, Lu Ye vaguely felt as if he had locked onto something. Simultaneously, there was intense struggling, but before he could continue, the trapped object broke free from his control, causing a large splash. Lu Ye frowned deeply.

With a splash, Qing Yu, who was beside him, showed a joyful expression. Lu Ye turned to look and saw a golden fish, about the length of a palm, flying out of the water under Qing Yu's guidance. The golden fish appeared to be a living creature, but Lu Ye recognized at a glance that it was not a living being. Instead, it was a wondrous entity formed from extremely pure Dao Power. It was like the Starfall Fruit, which looked like a fruit but wasn't actually one. The Dao Fish landed in Qing Yu's hand. She slightly opened her mouth, and with a gentle inhale, she absorbed all the golden essence. Dao Fish could not be preserved; once caught, they had to be used immediately, otherwise, they would gradually dissipate over time.

Qing Yu turned to Lu Ye and said, "You can't use brute force; you need finesse. The more brute force you apply to a Dao Fish, the stronger it resists. Brother Dao, don't rush, you'll get it after a few more tries." Lu Ye nodded and continued to observe the water surface in front of him.

As soon as there was any movement, he immediately began to attempt a capture. However, he failed several times in a row. In his best attempt, the Dao Fish had already left the water, but it still broke free from his control and fell back in. Lu Ye's heart hardened, and he directly activated fifteen strands of Dao Power. This time, he finally succeeded! The so-called resistance was nothing but a joke in the face of absolute power.

Mimicking Qing Yu, Lu Ye consumed the Dao Fish and found that his Dao Power only increased by about twenty strands! The gain was not significant... because the Dao Power used for each capture was directly consumed after being tainted by the strange pool water. This meant he effectively only gained five strands of Dao Power. This was also why Qing Yu kept emphasizing the need for finesse. Each time they acted, they only activated one or two strands of Dao Power, never more, because they couldn't afford the consumption.

After succeeding a few more times, Lu Ye frowned. "Fellow Daoist, is this the only way to catch Dao Fish?" Doing it this way, while he gained something, it wasn't much. Qing Yu replied, "To this day, we've always used this method, but..." She seemed to recall something. "Manshan did complain once, saying that when he advanced to the Dao Fusion Realm, he would definitely cultivate a Dao Weapon specifically for fishing, to clear out all the Dao Fish in this pool." She then chuckled self-deprecatingly, "He did indeed advance to the Dao Fusion Realm, but that Dao Weapon will probably never be cultivated now."

Lu Ye's expression shifted. "A Dao Weapon can withstand the strangeness of this pool water?" Qing Yu shook her head. "I'm not entirely sure, but that seemed to be the implication of Manshan's words..." Lu Ye immediately drew his Panshan Blade. Qing Yu was startled. "Brother Dao, what are you doing?" Lu Ye blinked. "Just testing it!"

Although he didn't yet have the spare capacity to nurture it, the Panshan Blade was definitely already at the Dao Weapon level! Despite his confidence, he was still very cautious, slowly lowering the blade's tip into the pool water, touching it briefly before withdrawing it. Upon close inspection, there was nothing unusual about the blade tip. He tried again, this time immersing a larger portion, and only after confirming that the Panshan Blade was undamaged did he feel relieved. Sure enough, a Dao Weapon could withstand the strange pool water.

"A Dao Weapon!" Qing Yu stared blankly at the Panshan Blade in Lu Ye's hand, finally confirming that Lu Ye was indeed a Dao Fusion realm cultivator. Only those in the Dao Fusion realm were qualified to possess a Dao Weapon. Cultivators like them, still painstakingly refining their Dao Bones, had no such qualification to cultivate a Dao Weapon. Then her eye twitched, as Lu Ye held the Panshan Blade upside down and began poking it repeatedly into the water in front of him...

Suddenly, Lu Ye's expression brightened. He lifted the long blade, revealing a struggling Dao Fish impaled on its tip. This works too? This comical action not only stunned Qing Yu but also left the surrounding individuals wide-eyed with astonishment, their amusement quickly overshadowed by envy.

With the help of the Panshan Blade, Lu Ye's efficiency in catching Dao Fish greatly increased. Moreover, he no longer had to bother activating his Dao Power; it was practically a cost-free endeavor. The Dao Fish, swimming and diving beneath the water, probably never imagined that a long blade would descend from above and pierce their bodies. However, gradually, Lu Ye noticed that the number of Dao Fish on his side became scarce, often making it difficult to catch any for a long time. It seemed his actions had frightened the Dao Fish, causing them to avoid his area. He wasn't particularly bothered. While the Dao Fish harvest was invaluable to Qing Yu's group, for him, it was merely an added bonus.

The Dao Pool's transformation lasted only two days. As the water gradually became clear again, there were no longer any anomalies within the pool. The more than twenty individuals each had their own gains, and their faces were beaming with joy.

"Brother Dao, we're preparing to head back. What are your plans next?" Qing Yu asked Lu Ye, walking up to him.

"I'll go with the flow and take things as they come," Lu Ye replied. Lu Ye genuinely had no specific plans. His main priorities were to improve his strength and, incidentally, find a way to resolve the Starry Sky crisis.

"Are you still not going to consider the previous proposal, Brother Dao?" Qing Yu hadn't intended to persuade him further, but she couldn't resist saying one more thing. Lu Ye shook his head. "I appreciate your kind offer, but I won't stay in any one place for long." Qing Yu sighed inwardly and could only say, "Then... farewell for now. I will seriously consider what you said earlier, Fellow Daoist." "Everyone, take care!" Lu Ye cupped his fists. The others returned the gesture.

Under Qing Yu's leadership, the twenty figures returned along the same path. As for whether they would go to the Star Abyss Gate... Lu Ye didn't insist, leaving it to Qing Yu and the others to decide. After they left, Lu Ye activated his Treasure Blood Avatar to monitor the surroundings while he sat down cross-legged.

Checking his own Dao Power, he had nearly four thousand strands. After setting aside the reserved two thousand, he had another two thousand Dao Power strands that could be used to refine Dao Bones. Calming his mind, he began the process.

A day later, Lu Ye stood up, his expression calm. After expending two thousand Dao Power, and with little deviation from his expectations, he had formed two more Dao Bones. Now, with ten Dao Bones and the ability to unleash nineteen strands of Dao Power, he was progressing further and further down the path of invincibility within the Dao Entry Realm.

When he previously fought Manshan, if he had possessed nineteen strands of Dao Power, Lu Ye estimated he wouldn't have been injured. He likely could have cornered and killed Manshan with just his main body and avatar. However, it was also fortunate that Manshan didn't have his own Dao Weapon; otherwise, Manshan's usable power would have been even greater.

Lu Ye's cultivation path before him was somewhat unique. While refining Dao Bones in this manner brought satisfying improvements in strength, it also meant that reaching the Dao Fusion Realm would be a distant prospect. It was, in a way, a trade-off of gains and losses.