Chapter 2244: Dao Soldier Core

Lu Ye immediately felt a surprising softness on his arm. His eyelid twitched slightly, and he heard You Die's flattering voice beside him: "Brother Ye is truly amazing! I suppose I'm the first Integration realm cultivator to enter the ruins, aren't I?"

She seemed to gain a lot of confidence and expectation in Lu Ye. Although she didn't know how Lu Ye had managed it, she was indeed the first Integration realm powerhouse to enter the ruins.

"Didn't you say there were trials here? Why don't I see any?" You Die asked, looking around.

Lu Ye casually replied, "I've deciphered the ruins' secrets. All those trials have disappeared."

You Die paused, then realized, "So, does that mean any Entry realm cultivator can now enter the ruins?"

Previously, only those with the Mayfly artifact dared to enter, as insufficient strength would lead to certain death. But with the trials gone, there were naturally no such concerns.

"Why didn't you mention this?" You Die asked, annoyed, looking at him. If she had known earlier, she would have insisted on sending some Entry realm cultivators with Lu Ye every time he came.

"You never asked," he replied.

You Die secretly gritted her teeth, knowing full well that Lu Ye had deliberately kept it from her.

They continued forward and soon arrived at the first grand hall. You Die curiously observed the altar there for a moment, but seeing Lu Ye kept moving, she quickly followed.

After passing through the first grand hall, they entered another passage, similar to the previous one, which led directly to the second grand hall.

You Die had never heard anything about the interior of this grand hall, as no Entry realm cultivator had reached this point before Lu Ye. Some high-ranking members of the Human Battle Alliance might have learned the situation from Yan Hong and Huang Zhihuan, but You Die had remained completely unaware.

"So many entrances..." You Die stared blankly, then quickly realized, "Do these entrances correspond to the altars outside? Entering from different altars leads through different passages, but they all eventually converge here?"

"Exactly!" Lu Ye nodded. "When I returned from the Human side previously, I came through that passage." As he spoke, he casually pointed in a direction.

"What about these two passages then?" You Die noticed something unusual again. All the doors corresponding to the passages in the grand hall were open, except for two that remained tightly shut.

Lu Ye's eyes flickered. "I speculate that one of these two doors must conceal an exit from the Splendor realm!"

You Die suddenly turned to look at him. Although her expression was calm, the excitement in her eyes was impossible to hide.

"You can't open these two doors, so you need my help?" You Die surmised.

Lu Ye neither confirmed nor denied it.

You Die's interest was piqued. If Lu Ye's speculation was correct, then opening these two doors would surely reveal a way to leave the Splendor realm. This was a pursuit and a wait of countless years for her, and for many other peak Integration realm cultivators.

"I'll try!" With that, You Die walked up to one of the doors. Lu Ye didn't even have time to stop her, and he knew that since You Die had noticed the anomaly of these two doors, he couldn't prevent her from trying. He decided to let her proceed.

One of these two doors led out of the Splendor realm, and the other to a medicinal garden. Without a special method of activation, they were impossible to open, even for a peak Integration realm cultivator like You Die. Compared to the peak of the Nine Infants, You Die was practically an ant.

In front of Lu Ye, she had appeared docile and gentle, but standing before the door, her demeanor abruptly turned cold and resolute. With a sweep of her hand, her Dao-soldier longsword was in her grasp, and her Dao power surged.

Sword light flashed, but the door remained motionless, not even a scratch left behind. You Die's eyes widened, a look of disbelief on her face. She knew the door wouldn't open easily, so she had used her full power from the start. Yet, the fact that it left no mark at all was disheartening. Refusing to give up, she tried several more times, still unable to budge it in the slightest.

"Brother Ye..." She turned, looking pitifully at Lu Ye, seemingly seeking some comfort.

"Alright, come here!" Lu Ye waved her over.

You Die walked back dejectedly, still unwilling to give up, constantly glancing back at the door. Lu Ye raised his hand and placed it on her head, turning her face towards him. "The key to leaving the Splendor realm isn't in that door; it's right here!"

You Die looked up, her brow furrowed. "Nine Infants?" The statue stood in the center of the grand hall. You Die had seen it when she entered, but hadn't paid much attention to it then. She had previously fought the Nine Infants in Lu Ye's spiritual sea and learned that the Splendor realm was a Dao-soldier left behind by the Nine Infants. The presence of a Nine Infants statue here was clearly unusual. A powerhouse of that caliber wouldn't need to leave a statue to prove anything.

"Break it!" Lu Ye instructed. You Die swung her sword without hesitation.

The Nine Infants statue didn't shatter; it merely cracked. Seeing this, You Die immediately felt a surge of anger. It was one thing that the impossibly sturdy door wouldn't budge, but for this statue not to break either, especially with Lu Ye watching, left her quite frustrated. Sword light rained down, and the statue shattered.

Beneath its base was a shallow pit, from which multicolored, vibrant light spilled out. You Die looked wary, shielding Lu Ye behind her. A moment later, her eyes widened.

Although Lu Ye had known what was hidden here, this was his first time seeing it, and he couldn't help but marvel. Within the pit, it seemed as if a miniature universe, shrunk countless times, was concealed. Countless specks of light, each radiating a different color, made it look strikingly similar to the Splendor realm he had seen from the outside, though it was infinitely smaller in scale, only about the size of a fist.

"Dao-soldier Core!" You Die exclaimed, instinctively reaching out a hand, but then quickly recoiling. She seemed unable to believe what she was seeing, yet at the same time, she was enveloped by immense joy. If her physical body were here, her heart would probably be pounding out of her chest. The Dao-soldier Core was the artifact's central hub. If she could refine the core, she would be able to control the Splendor realm! Leaving then would naturally be effortless.

She finally understood why Lu Ye had brought her here. He intended for her to refine the Dao-soldier Core and take control of the Splendor realm! Unable to suppress her emotions, she turned, her eyes misty. "Brother Ye, you are too good to me!"

Lu Ye's expression was calm. "We share honor and disgrace; we've long been inseparable. Why say such foolish things?"

You Die was deeply moved and nodded vigorously. "Brother Ye, rest assured, I won't restrict you anymore. Whatever you want to do, I'll be your backing, even if it means opposing the entire Splendor realm!" To entrust her with even the Dao-soldier Core—what immense trust! You Die couldn't think of how she could possibly repay him. She secretly resolved that after refining the Splendor realm, she would strive to ascend to the Harmony realm as soon as possible, thereby shedding her unsightly physical body. She had always sensed Lu Ye's distaste for her unsightly body...

"Go ahead and refine it." Lu Ye gave her a push. You Die stood on the spot where the Nine Infants statue had been. In front of her was the pit concealing the Dao-soldier Core. Suppressing her excitement, she sat down cross-legged, looked at Lu Ye, and said softly, "It might take some time. Wait for me..."

Her tender gaze gave Lu Ye goosebumps.

You Die closed her eyes, and her soul power surged. Lu Ye clearly saw the substantial-looking soul power flowing towards the Dao-soldier Core, only to dissipate upon contact. He waited for a long time, but the situation remained the same. You Die's brow furrowed.

Lu Ye narrowed his eyes slightly, knowing that You Die alone would probably never be able to refine the Dao-soldier Core. It seemed the Nine Infants had been right; its cultivation realm was too high. The Splendor realm was its Dao-soldier, and even with the core right in front of her, You Die, an Integration realm cultivator, couldn't refine it at will.

Lu Ye stepped forward and sat down opposite You Die, his mind sinking into his spiritual sea. "Nine Infants, help!"

"Coming!" the Nine Infants responded.

For You Die to refine the Splendor realm, it was essential for the Nine Infants, its original owner, to assist. This was something Lu Ye had already discussed with the Nine Infants. He hadn't acted earlier because he wanted to see if You Die could refine it on her own. If she could, it would save him trouble.

A trace of peculiar aura suddenly emanated from Lu Ye. You Die immediately noticed! This had happened before, back in the insect nest, when the Nine Infants had used Lu Ye's body to sense the Mayflies' location. Although You Die found it strange then, she had never imagined that the Nine Infants wasn't completely dead, so she didn't think much of it. It happened again now. She was about to ask about it when she was surprised to find that her own power was beginning to permeate the Dao-soldier Core. She dared not delay, quickly suppressed her doubts, and continued the refinement process. Her heart pounded. She didn't know what Lu Ye had done, but she knew that ever since that strange aura emanated from him, the refinement, which had made no progress, now had hope.

Although the speed was very slow, it was indeed being refined. This time, Lu Ye did not hand over full control of his body to the Nine Infants, as he also needed to observe the refinement progress. It was indeed slow. At this rate, it would be impossible to fully refine the Splendor Core in less than one or two months. And this was with the Nine Infants' assistance, and the refiner was a peak Integration realm cultivator!

Lu Ye was glad he hadn't insisted on waiting to personally refine it after advancing to the Integration realm. As things stood, even if he did reach the Integration realm, his speed wouldn't compare to You Die's current progress, and he would still need to continue cultivating. Choosing to let You Die refine it was indeed a wise decision. And this was just the first step of the plan.

Time flowed on. Within the ruins, You Die meticulously refined the Splendor Core, completely lost in the process.

Outside the ruins, in the Yellow Springs Great War Zone, battles raged fiercely. Even though You Die had made numerous arrangements before leaving, the cultivators of the Insect and Blood races were accustomed to following her command. Now that she was gone, many areas descended into chaos. Seizing this opportunity, the Human Battle Alliance's strongholds advanced rapidly, gaining ground in battle after battle, forcing the Insect and Blood races' defenses to repeatedly contract and lose vast territories.