Chapter 2185: 推衍

Lu Ye had long speculated about how the numerous spirit patterns and insights into the path of spirit patterns came to be carried on the leaves of the Talent Tree. Setting aside the spirit patterns themselves, the insights alone, being insights, naturally pertained to cultivators, specifically spirit pattern masters. It was likely that powerful cultivators had once instilled their personal understanding into them, thereby benefiting later generations. This is the very essence of the saying, "one generation plants trees, another enjoys the shade." That's why these profound insights allowed Lu Ye to progress smoothly along the path of spirit patterns.

However, not all leaves of the Talent Tree bore such content; many remained blank. It's also possible that these blank leaves once carried something, but it gradually faded over time due to their immense age. Since acquiring the Talent Tree, Lu Ye had always been the beneficiary, enjoying the legacy left by his predecessors. Now that the Talent Tree had undergone its second transformation, it was his turn to "plant trees." In other words, if he could construct spirit patterns on these blank leaves, he would be able to use them freely in the future. If this were true, it would be a huge advantage for him, not a drawback.

Although the Talent Tree carried a significant number and variety of spirit patterns, they were actually quite limited. For instance, some spirit patterns Lu Ye had learned from books were not present on the Talent Tree, such as the void spirit pattern he had always yearned to master. He had initially believed that specific leaves on the Talent Tree would surely contain this spirit pattern, and that by continually feeding the tree fire-element energy, he would eventually acquire it. However, it now appeared the situation was not as he had imagined. If his theory proved correct, he could entirely construct the void pattern on the Talent Tree, thoroughly master it, and then wield this spirit pattern at will during combat. Previously, spirit patterns from the Talent Tree were passively acquired, leaving Lu Ye no choice in their selection. But now, he might have the option to actively choose.

As numerous thoughts surged through his mind, Lu Ye found the possibility increasingly plausible. If true, the advantages gained from the Talent Tree's second transformation would be monumental. The only way to confirm was to try!

Lu Ye immersed his mind and began to construct the void spirit pattern on the blank leaves. The void spirit pattern was incredibly complex, involving thousands of variations of yin and yang elements. It couldn't be contained on a single leaf; Lu Ye estimated it would require at least a dozen. Fortunately, the number of new leaves consumed this time was sufficient to meet the requirements for constructing the void pattern.

For him, this wasn't overly difficult, as his success rate in constructing the void had always been very high, with little chance of failure. However, even the quickest construction still took a significant amount of time, preventing him from using it in combat.

As numerous yin and yang elements spread, connected, and interlocked on the first leaf, Lu Ye suddenly entered a state of profound clarity. Countless inspirations erupted in his mind, as if the entire world had transformed into one solely composed of yin and yang elements. These two fundamental elements constantly shifted into various combinations, surprisingly allowing him to glimpse countless variations and possibilities within them. The first leaf was swiftly filled with yin and yang elements, followed by the second, then the third, and so on. Lu Ye was utterly lost to himself, completely immersed and unable to extract himself, entirely unaware of the changes happening to him. The saying "with ears deaf to matters outside the window" perfectly encapsulated his state.

During the process of activating the Talent Tree leaves, Lu Ye had gained numerous insights and profound applications of the path of spirit patterns. He had believed he had thoroughly grasped these, but in reality, he had only scratched the surface. After all, it was the legacy left by countless predecessors; no matter how deeply he understood them, they were still ultimately someone else's knowledge. But at this very moment, these previously acquired insights and profound applications truly transformed into his own fundamental understanding. It was precisely in this state of complete self-forgetfulness that his comprehension of the path of spirit patterns ascended to a new level, leading to an explosive collision of ideas in his mind. The spread of yin and yang elements was not continuous; instead, under Lu Ye's control, they would sometimes increase and sometimes diminish.

He realized that his spiritual power was surprisingly close to depletion, revealing the terrifying consumption involved in constructing spirit patterns on the Talent Tree's leaves. Simple construction wouldn't incur such high consumption; the key lay in the peculiar state he entered while constructing the spirit patterns. He quickly took out a drop of Soul Cleansing Water and swallowed it, then closed his eyes to concentrate, carefully contemplating everything that had just occurred. The state he had just experienced was clearly abnormal. It seemed that the transformed Talent Tree had a miraculous guiding effect while he was constructing spirit patterns, leading him to deduce and comprehend the intricacies of spirit pattern variations.

The path of spirit patterns was unpredictable and constantly changing. The same spirit pattern could be constructed in multiple ways: some methods required more yin and yang elements, some fewer; some were faster, others yielded stronger effects. Indeed, even a minor alteration to a fundamental element during construction could completely transform a spirit pattern or drastically amplify its power. Deducing new spirit patterns was a favorite activity for spirit pattern masters once they reached a certain level of proficiency. His master, Yun Xuechu, for instance, often engaged in such deductions during her secluded cultivation. It was precisely because countless spirit pattern masters ceaselessly dedicated themselves to research and deduction that the current cultivation world boasted such a wide array of diverse spirit patterns.