Chapter 2284: 散伙饭

Lu Ye didn't have a deep understanding of the Inner World because all the information came from what Yodie and others told him; he had no means to investigate it himself.

However, based on the information he currently possessed, the Inner World was undoubtedly a deeper part of the Star Abyss. Although both it and the Outer World were parts of the Star Abyss, the Inner World was already a separate space.

It only had cultivators at the Integration and Union stages, but none at the Entry stage.

Entering from a specific location in the Outer World would lead to a corresponding fixed location in the Inner World, and this correlation remained constant, unaffected by the passage of time.

Lu Ye didn't know where Howler was currently located in the Inner World, but even if Howler emerged from it, he would certainly not be nearby. This explained why he hadn't appeared for so long.

Previously, when Howler had quickly manifested, it was merely a projection of some of his power from afar, guided by Mad Lion's methods, not his true body.

Even so, Lu Ye, despite leading the formation, was almost no match for him.

It was always wise to take precautions. Howler was a formidable enemy, and allowing the Speckled Nebula to drift away from this location was undoubtedly Lu Ye's only option.

He had actually considered this idea much earlier; the current crisis merely accelerated his plans.

This time, he intended to make the Speckled Nebula drift in the opposite direction from its original course. By his calculations, it had been five years since he left the Azure Palace, and four years since he became trapped within the Speckled Nebula. Until a few months ago, the Speckled Nebula had consistently drifted forward. Although its speed wasn't very fast, over the past four years, it had carried Lu Ye an unknown distance away from the Azure Palace.

If he wanted to return to the Azure Palace now, it would undoubtedly take a considerable amount of travel time.

Given this, it would be better to let the Speckled Nebula carry him back. He could continue his cultivation within it and then halt its movement when the time was right.

There was also another advantage to this approach.

Namely, if he could precisely anchor the Speckled Nebula near the Star Abyss Gate by the Azure Palace, his Starry Sky would gain a massive ally. The overall strength of humanity within the Speckled Nebula was quite impressive.

Then, no matter what crisis arose within the Starry Sky, it could be easily resolved.

Furthermore, cultivators from the Starry Sky could enter the Speckled Nebula to temper themselves by hunting the Bug and Blood races within it for their cultivation.

Of course, the plan was ideal, but its implementation would certainly not be so smooth. Firstly, Lu Ye had to ensure directional accuracy. After such a long period of drifting, even a slight error in direction would lead to a deviation of thousands of miles. Therefore, he might have to exit the Speckled Nebula periodically to check its position and correct any inaccuracies as needed.

Fortunately, the process of anchoring the Speckled Nebula initially wasn't an overnight success but a continuous effort. During that time, Lu Ye had intentionally observed the celestial phenomena in the Starry Sky that the Speckled Nebula passed through. This would undoubtedly serve as an accurate reference. Now, he only needed to guide the Speckled Nebula to pass through these same celestial phenomena again, and the general direction should remain largely correct.

Outside the Speckled Nebula, Lu Ye's spiritual power surged, and the colorful Starry Sky, which had been anchored, slowly began to move.

When Lu Ye had first anchored the Speckled Nebula, it had taken him a long time and consumed hundreds of thousands of units of spiritual power.

This time, pushing the Speckled Nebula to drift again would undoubtedly be simpler than anchoring it initially.

Lu Ye estimated this was due to his significant increase in strength; he had 160 units of spiritual power back then, but now he possessed 211, a clear improvement.

If that were the case, it would undoubtedly be more cost-effective to move the Speckled Nebula after he advanced to the Integration stage. A major realm advancement would certainly allow him to achieve more with less effort.

However, Lu Ye dared not wait any longer. Given the current situation, it was better to leave immediately.

A streak of light flew from the direction of the Bug Nest, quickly approaching. Yodie's soul form appeared, looking at him curiously: "Brother Ye, what are you doing?"

"Running away!" Lu Ye replied concisely.

Yodie blinked, comprehending Lu Ye's intention, and asked in surprise, "What about me then?"

If the Speckled Nebula remained here, she could continue to stay nearby. But if it left, what purpose would there be in her remaining?

"As you wish. If you want to come along, then follow. If not, then we part ways amicably!" His connection with Yodie was originally a life chain. Previously, he had used various means to restrict her because he needed to utilize her, but now that was no longer necessary. If Yodie wanted to, he could completely agree to sever the life chain with her. If not, it also didn't matter.

He had already discovered that the life chain had significant drawbacks; as long as they were far enough apart, the spiritual pattern would not function.

So, even if Yodie left immediately, he wouldn't be particularly concerned.

"Brother Ye, you're so heartless…" Yodie said with a resentful expression.

When he needed her before, he would use both gentle and harsh tactics to coax her, but now that she was no longer useful, he cast her aside like a worn-out shoe.

"Speak properly," Lu Ye glared at her and continued to focus on exerting his power.

The Speckled Nebula's drifting direction had to be strictly controlled, otherwise, correcting it later would require an enormous expenditure of spiritual power.

Yodie eventually left, still dejected.

She needed to carefully consider her future plans: whether to use this opportunity to break free from her entanglement with Lu Ye and embark on her own path, or to continue accompanying him.

Deep down, she leaned towards the former. Now that she had left the Speckled Nebula and possessed the method of Union, she had a high probability of successfully achieving Union, assuming no unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, remaining with Lu Ye offered little benefit; he could no longer help her with her Union cultivation, and she could not gain any further advantages from him.

However, she couldn't help but recall Lu Ye's actions recently. As an Entry stage cultivator, he had accomplished things that many Integration stage cultivators could not, including the previous confrontation with Howler. Without Lu Ye, all the Integration stage cultivators present would have died!

Such a person defied conventional understanding.

He would undoubtedly achieve great things in the future, and continuing to follow him might also be a good choice. Yodie had a strong premonition that one day, Lu Ye's strength would grow to an unimaginable level, beyond her reach.

When that day came, seeking shelter under Lu Ye's wing would undoubtedly be better than fighting alone.

For a moment, she was unsure how to choose.

Lu Ye spent nearly half a month before finally getting the Speckled Nebula to resume its drift, albeit in the exact opposite direction from before.

Its speed was not fast, similar to its previous drifting pace. This meant he wouldn't face too much trouble when correcting its direction or anchoring it.

And if all went smoothly, he would return to the area of the Azure Palace with the Speckled Nebula in approximately five years.

Of course, these were predictions based on ideal conditions. If any unforeseen circumstances arose along the way, he would have to adapt accordingly.

Inside the Bug Nest, Lu Ye strode in.

Amidst the undulating pale blue ripples, Lu Ye's vision blurred. When he regained his senses, he was in the familiar small farmhouse courtyard.

It was the scene from his first reincarnation.

Yodie, still dressed as a pure village girl, had prepared a table full of dishes and was smiling as she looked at Lu Ye: "Brother Ye, dinner's ready."

Lu Ye's gaze flickered; he realized Yodie had made her decision.

He sat down decisively. Yodie gracefully walked to his side, carrying a fragrant breeze, and poured him a cup of wine. She then walked to the opposite side and sat down, pouring a cup for herself.

"Brother Ye, I toast you with this cup."

She held her cup, looking earnestly at Lu Ye.

Lu Ye picked up his cup, looking at her playfully: "What's the occasion? A farewell meal?"

Yodie smiled, "I once heard a saying among your human race: 'All feasts must end.' I also wanted to stay with you always, but then I thought about it, and it seems I can't. If I successfully achieve Union, I will definitely have to enter the Inner World. At that point, even if I wanted to follow, I wouldn't be able to."

Lu Ye nodded; what she said was the truth.

If Yodie truly advanced to Union, she would certainly go to the Inner World, and they would still be separated then. It was better to make a decision now rather than prolonging it.

"I want to thank Brother Ye for bringing me out of the Speckled Nebula!" Yodie said, drinking her cup first as a sign of respect.

Lu Ye wasn't worried she would harm him, so he drank his cup along with her.

Yodie poured a second cup, raised it, and said, "And I also want to thank Brother Ye for imparting to me the method of Union. Little Die will forever remember this kindness and never dare to forget it!"

Although she would eventually figure it out herself even without Lu Ye, it would ultimately require time and effort.

Both cups were drained.

Next was the third cup. Yodie said, "This cup is to wish both Brother Ye and me a better future. Should fate allow, we will meet again in the Inner World!"

Lu Ye nodded slightly and drank the wine in his cup.

Immediately, he frowned, looking at Yodie in astonishment. He saw her face suddenly turn pale, while his own soul body felt warm, its strength slowly but powerfully increasing.

This was undoubtedly a sign of soul power growing.

"What did you do?" Lu Ye frowned.

Yodie smiled faintly: "We Bug Mothers specialize in cultivating the soul. This is merely a secret technique. I sacrificed a portion of my soul power and gave it to Brother Ye. With the aid of this illusion, you should be able to perfectly assimilate it and strengthen your soul. Consider it my apology to Brother Ye; I truly didn't have good intentions when I captured you. Little Die was in the wrong."

Only then did Lu Ye understand what had happened. He couldn't help but look down at the empty wine cup...

The first two cups were mere illusions; he could taste the very real flavor of the wine, but they were illusions nonetheless. This third cup, however, was a portion of Yodie's sacrificed soul power.

As a peak Integration stage cultivator and a Bug Mother specializing in soul cultivation, even a small portion of her soul power could greatly benefit Lu Ye.

The warmth within his soul body persisted, evidently set to continue for some time.

He raised his eyes and looked at Yodie, his gaze as calm as still water.

Yodie was undoubtedly intelligent. Regardless of Lu Ye's usual demeanor, she could sense a layer of detachment in his heart. It could be said that from beginning to end, Lu Ye had never truly trusted her completely, always maintaining a guard against her. Even the oaths they had sworn in the name of the Star Abyss's Will had long been slowly incinerated by the power of Lu Ye's Talent Tree. Such oaths held strong binding power over Yodie, but they were utterly useless to Lu Ye.