Chapter 2281: Became Clean

The core of Boundless City was not difficult to find, as it was located in a main hall at the very center of the colossal city. Ziying began refining it. It wasn't too difficult; by her own estimation, it would take less than a month to successfully refine it.

At that point, she would be able to control Boundless City and transport it to Variegated for placement.

While Ziying was busy, Lu Ye was not idle.

He first went to the numerous Bone Pools and informed the Bone Golems about the demise of the Beast Race Integration Realm cultivators in Boundless City. He had expected the Bone Golems to be overjoyed upon hearing this news. After all, without the oppression of those Beast Race Integration Realm cultivators, they would regain their freedom and no longer live such miserable lives.

To his surprise, all the Bone Golems reacted indifferently, even coldly.

Even after learning the news and Lu Ye personally assuring them that no one would ever bully them again, the Bone Golems still showed no intention of leaving the Bone Pools...

Many of them even looked bewildered, as if they had suddenly lost their direction in life.

Lu Ye sighed inwardly, realizing that the human race in Boundless City had been oppressed for too long. They had long grown accustomed to their fate and their identity as Bone Golems. Among the many races in Boundless City, humans held the lowest status, like livestock. With such a sudden and massive change, they simply couldn't adapt.

Making such a change wouldn't happen overnight; it would likely require the efforts of several generations, or even longer.

Lu Ye didn't force the Bone Golems to do anything and soon left the area. With all the Integration Realm cultivators in Boundless City gone and all the cultivators who had entered the Dao having fled, these Bone Golems faced no significant danger even if they remained.

Before a portal, Lu Ye briefly investigated, then stepped inside. His vision blurred, and he found himself in a realm.

This realm was hidden within Boundless City, serving as a dwelling place for the human race. The Beast Race in Boundless City treated countless humans like captive livestock, raising them within this realm to sustain their lives and cultivation. Those qualified to enter the Dao would be nurtured, and then these human cultivators would be sent into the Bone Pools to practice the special methods that would transform them into Bone Golems.

Environmentally, this realm was quite favorable, with birds singing, flowers blooming, scenic mountains and clear waters. Even the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was extremely rich. Such a realm was indeed very suitable for the growth of lower-level cultivators.

Therefore, not only humans resided here, but also beings from other races, who were responsible for overseeing the human population.

The upheaval in Boundless City had not affected this realm, as the news had not reached it.

Lu Ye stayed in this realm for a few days and truly witnessed many appalling tragedies.

Since the ultimate purpose of Boundless City in raising humans was to produce more Bone Golems, entering the Dao was the most fundamental requirement. In this realm, humans who were qualified and had the potential to enter the Dao would have no problems with their survival. The cultivators responsible for managing the humans were even willing to provide such individuals with the best cultivation environment, and even if these humans remained low in status, they at least didn't have to worry about other things.

However, the fate of humans not qualified to enter the Dao was far worse.

Young and beautiful women regularly became playthings, while strong men performed various menial tasks to barely sustain themselves. Beyond that, the sole lifelong mission for most humans was one thing: procreation!

Because Bone Golems needed to be cultivated, the human population base was very important, a factor highly valued by the Beast Race Integration Realm cultivators in Boundless City.

The foreign races managing the humans would confine many individuals in designated areas, using either secret techniques or drugs to stimulate their most primal desires, day and night without rest. Once a woman became pregnant, she would be taken out to carry the child to term. After giving birth, special personnel would take over the rearing and cultivation of the infant. Those who had given birth usually had only two months for rest and recuperation before being sent back.

There were over two thousand such places throughout the entire realm, specifically designed to confine humans for procreation, with each holding at least three thousand individuals!

Many humans died in these places.

Even if they didn't die, once women lost their fertility or men's bodies could no longer endure, they would all be uniformly incinerated.

Lu Ye personally witnessed a large group of emaciated, naked humans gathered in a large pit. A foreign cultivator activated a secret technique, and flames swept through, turning them all into charred bones in just three breaths.

Countless millennia of continuity had made humans accustomed to their livestock-like status, and other races accustomed to human subservience.

Just like the apathy of those Bone Golems who had entered the Dao, this was a deeply rooted issue.

Within a few days, Lu Ye had utterly eradicated all foreign races within the entire realm!

None of these foreign races, regardless of gender, age, or cultivation level, were worth sparing.

Now, only humans remained in the realm. As for their future, Lu Ye couldn't make that decision for them. Once Ziying had refined Boundless City and moved it into Variegated, he would let the Human Race War Alliance deal with that headache.

While Ziying continued to refine the core of Boundless City, Lu Ye stood guard beside her.

Compared to Variegated, Boundless City's quality and level were far lower. Yet, even so, it was not easy for Ziying to refine.

This showed that if not for Jiuying's clandestine cooperation, Youdie alone could not have refined Variegated's core. After all, in terms of strength and cultivation realm, Ziying and Youdie were quite similar.

Although not easy, Ziying didn't need to expend too much mental energy. Thus, while refining, she even had the leisure to chat with Lu Ye.

The two discussed the matter of integration extensively.

Although Lu Ye had only just entered the Dao, he was confident he would reach that stage eventually. Chatting with Ziying now would naturally be beneficial, allowing him to avoid some detours later on.

The two also made some plans for the future of Boundless City. When Lu Ye mentioned the miserable plight of the human race in that realm, Ziying was filled with righteous indignation. Learning that Lu Ye had slaughtered all the foreign races in that realm, her mood greatly improved.

As Lu Ye had planned, she did not intend to interfere much with the future of these many humans from Boundless City. They would be sent into Variegated for the War Alliance to handle.

"Sister Ying, I have a secret technique that might help you increase your success rate for integration," Lu Ye suddenly remembered during their conversation.

Youdie had been fixated on the Talent Tree's cleansing power, simply because she could gain benefits from it. Through the Talent Tree's refining process, her soul body had become purer and more condensed. For a Mother of Bugs who primarily cultivated the soul, this was an invaluable opportunity.

Ziying was also about to attempt integration, and Lu Ye, of course, would not hesitate to lend her a hand.

"Can I practice it?" Ziying immediately became interested.

"No need to practice it yourself. I will guide this secret technique. Give me your hand, Sister Ying."

Ziying didn't doubt him, immediately extended a hand, and Lu Ye grasped her wrist, silently activating the power of the Talent Tree.

The next moment, Ziying's expression brightened because she could clearly feel a gentle power emanating from her wrist, flowing like a warm current rapidly into every corner of her body.

This warm sensation was very comforting.

She couldn't immediately feel any benefits, but she trusted Lu Ye wouldn't deceive or harm her.

As time passed, Ziying's expression gradually turned to shock.

The power of the Talent Tree's cleansing ability began to manifest. Even with her exceptional talent, having cultivated all the way to the peak of the Integration Realm, there were still many impurities lingering within her body. These impurities were so subtle that even she couldn't detect them, let alone remove them.

However, under the flow of this gentle power, those impurities had nowhere to hide and were incinerated one by one.

Ziying felt as if her entire body had become much more translucent.

Not only that, but her aura was also gradually changing.

It took a full half month before Lu Ye withdrew his hand.

Ziying silently sensed herself, filled with surprise. "Brother Ye, how do I feel like I've become..." She paused, struggling for words to describe the change, then finally said, "...cleaner?"

"Sister Ying, you've been in Variegated since birth, so naturally, you don't know the situation in the Starry Sky. Actually, cultivators in the Starry Sky have such pure auras before entering the Star Abyss. It's only by living and cultivating in the Star Abyss that they gradually become imbued with its aura."

Ziying's expression faltered. "Is there something bad about this Star Abyss aura?"

Lu Ye shook his head. "I don't know, but I've never found anything bad about it." As he spoke, he smiled. "Sister Ying's current state is generally referred to as 'the Lost ones'—the state of beings who have just entered the Star Abyss after the Starry Sky's destruction. Star Abyss beings are very interested in the Lost ones."

He couldn't help but recall his own past, where his aura, once revealed, shone as brightly as a lighthouse in the dark, attracting attacks from numerous Star Abyss beings in all directions.

"Why are they interested in the Lost ones?" Ziying asked, puzzled.

"I'm not sure," Lu Ye replied. "Perhaps it's simply because they stand out, or perhaps it's a common perception that cultivators who have just emerged from the Starry Sky are vulnerable and easy to bully."

Ziying understood, but then grew curious again. "Brother Ye, since you can make my aura so pure, why isn't your own aura like that?"

Lu Ye took a bead from his robes. The moment the bead left his body, his aura suddenly changed, becoming pure as well.

"This Foul Bead was given to me by a senior back then. It helps me conceal my aura and avoid some trouble."

Duan Bo had given it to him when he left Azure Palace years ago. He had carried it with him ever since; otherwise, due to his distinct aura, he would attract attention everywhere he went.

"Later, once Sister Ying has refined Boundless City, I'll find a time to help you refine your soul body as well. With both methods combined, the chances of advancing to integration should increase," Lu Ye said, putting away the Foul Bead close to his body.

Currently, Ziying still needed to refine Boundless City, so it wasn't suitable for her soul to leave her body. They would have to wait.

Ziying looked at him gratefully. "Thank you, Brother Ye."

She had never imagined that Lu Ye could help her so much. It was safe to say that her greatest gain in life, until now, was acknowledging him as her brother.