Chapter 2354: No More Days to Meet Again

Wind Rises in Kyushu

The four great families acted quickly; they were clearly eager to proceed with this matter. Consequently, within just three days, 150 Harmonization realm cultivators assembled before Lu Ye. The majority hailed from the four great families, with a smaller contingent from other minor and mid-sized families.

It was clear that everyone present had received some information, and upon their arrival, all eyes turned to Lu Ye with intense anticipation.

In those three days, Lu Ye had also made his preparations. He had created numerous jade slips, each inscribed with the celestial charts he had recorded previously. As he distributed these slips, he began, "From your expressions, I presume you are all aware of the purpose of this undertaking. This matter is of paramount importance. It's not merely my personal concern, but also significantly impacts Banyan's future. I implore you all to work together with dedication, meticulously investigate the celestial patterns along your paths, compare them diligently, and report any findings without delay!"

"By your command, Fellow Daoist Lu!" the many Harmonization realm cultivators replied in unison.

It was clear they had all received prior instructions from the four family heads. Despite the fact that most of these Harmonization realm cultivators surpassed Lu Ye in both age and cultivation, they exhibited remarkable deference at this moment.

Once the jade slips were distributed, Lu Ye turned to Elders Chen and He, asking, "Why did the two of you go to the trouble of coming along?"

To Lu Ye's surprise, the two elders were also part of the exploration team, having explicitly requested to join. Lu Ye had attempted to dissuade them, but his efforts were in vain, as they remained resolute.

Chen Gushan chuckled, "We're just taking a walk since we have nothing else to do."

The main reason was that they no longer needed to guard Boundless City. Ever since the secret of being able to leave Banyan was revealed, Boundless City had been entrusted to the four great families for control.

He Linglong added, "Yes, staying in one place for too long makes one rusty. It's good to get out and explore. Don't worry about us, young man; although Elder Chen and I are advanced in age, our strength is far from diminished."

Lu Ye, of course, knew they were powerful, but their lifespans were already limited. How could they afford to engage in frequent combat with others? Should they encounter any skirmishes outside, their remaining years would surely be drastically shortened.

"Then please, both of you must be extra careful."

A formidable contingent of Harmonization realm cultivators set forth from Boundless City, making their way to the nearest relic entrance. Such a large number of Harmonization realm cultivators mobilizing together was a rare sight across all of Banyan.

They swiftly reached the entrance. Lu Ye activated the barrier, and the many Harmonization realm cultivators filed in one by one.

Inside the relic, everyone looked around with curiosity. While they weren't entirely unfamiliar with the relic's interior, their knowledge was based purely on hearsay; for many, this was their first actual entry.

Lu Ye guided them forward, passing through the first grand hall, then reaching the second, and heading directly towards the exit portal.

When the open portal came into view, every Harmonization realm cultivator's gaze was captivated.

The goal that countless generations of Banyan cultivators had painstakingly sought was now within arm's reach. Many couldn't help but feel a sense of unreality.

"Let's go," Lu Ye called out, stepping through the portal first.

Upon seeing this, the four family heads signaled, and figures followed closely behind Lu Ye, vanishing from sight. The four family heads were the last to depart, leaving one by one.

Outside Banyan, they immediately saw Harmonization realm cultivators gathered nearby. Not far off, Banyan itself continued its slow drift through the void.

Although they had heard various descriptions of Banyan from external cultivators, seeing it firsthand from such close proximity filled everyone with a profound sense of wonder.

Had they not lived within it for many years, no one seeing Banyan for the first time would likely comprehend its immense internal expanse. "Has everyone understood the mission?" Huang Chen's voice resonated, "For those who haven't, I will reiterate. Each of you will select a direction. As you traverse, compare your observations with the stellar map in your hands. Report any discoveries immediately. The maximum distance for your individual exploration is a journey of half a year. Within this half-year, regardless of whether you've made a discovery or not, you must return along your original path. Should you encounter danger, prioritize your safety. Continue the mission if it is within your power, but if the situation becomes complex, use your own judgment to decide whether to return!"

"Understood!" the many Harmonization realm cultivators nodded in unison. "Then go!" With a wave of Huang Chen's hand, they dispersed, each choosing a different direction. Even Chen Gushan and He Linglong were no exception; however, unlike other Harmonization realm cultivators who set out alone, these two departed together.

Lu Ye watched them depart, letting out a soft sigh.

Huang Chen approached him, his face etched with sorrow. "The two elders, I'm afraid, won't be returning."

"I've realized that."

Lu Ye had already understood their intentions the moment Elders Chen and He insisted on leaving Banyan to participate in the exploration. But some things are difficult, if not impossible, to prevent.

In truth, after Boundless City was breached, Elders Chen and He had no desire to return to Banyan. To them, Banyan was a lifelong prison, a cage that had held them captive. Their lifespans were already limited; even death would be preferable in the boundless Star Abyss than returning to that cage to merely prolong a meager existence.

However, Boundless City required their presence, which was why they had returned with Lu Ye. Now that Boundless City no longer required their presence, it was time for them to seek their freedom.

With this parting, they would never meet again.

Lu Ye bowed deeply towards the direction the two elders had departed, offering a profound salute. Both in the initial confrontation with Boundless City and in its subsequent arrangements, the elders had provided invaluable assistance. It was a pity, however, that Lu Ye could not help them.

"We will depart now," Yan Yao announced. "Fellow Daoist Lu, you will remain here as the central coordinator. Should we make any discoveries, we will report them promptly."

"I appreciate your efforts," Lu Ye said, cupping his fists.

The four family heads then also flew off, each in a different direction.

After they departed, Lu Ye manifested his Talent Tree clone and dispatched it to explore a direction that no one else had taken.

As for his main body, Lu Ye appeared above Banyan, slowly lowering his hand and channeling his Dao power. The drifting Banyan's speed gradually began to diminish. He intended to temporarily halt Banyan's drift. If it continued moving, the exploring cultivators might not be able to find their way back. Stopping it here would resolve that issue. Furthermore, Lu Ye was uncertain if this current expedition would yield results; subsequent operations might necessitate a second or third similar search. In such a scenario, he would allow Banyan to drift forward for another significant period, perhaps half a year, before initiating further exploration.

This approach amounted to a systematic, carpet-like search. With this exploration method, any region Banyan traversed could be thoroughly explored by Harmonization realm cultivators within a half-year's journey.

As long as the initial directional deviation wasn't too significant, Lu Ye was confident that discoveries would be made. All he needed to do was wait and invest some time. Back when Lu Ye was at the Dao Entry realm, mooring Banyan had required immense effort, as did subsequently making it drift in reverse. However, now that he had advanced to the Harmonization realm, while still not effortless, it was considerably less arduous than before. The consumption of Dao power had also noticeably decreased.

During this waiting period, Lu Ye's sole activity was diligent cultivation.

It must be noted that after becoming a Son of the Star Abyss, his affinity for the Dao power dispersed throughout the void had increased to an astonishing degree. Now, with diligent cultivation alone, Lu Ye could effortlessly achieve the same level of progress he once only managed by employing his Talent Tree. Should he further supplement this by using the Talent Tree to construct a spirit-gathering funnel, his efficiency would increase dramatically.

Yet, even with such efficiency, the Dao power Lu Ye gained from a day of diligent cultivation amounted to only seven or eight strands. For him, seven or eight strands of power were merely better than nothing. However, if other cultivators could achieve such diligent cultivation efficiency, they would undoubtedly awaken from their dreams laughing with joy.

Because seven or eight strands a day meant at least two to three hundred strands a month. Even for Harmonization realm cultivators, two to three hundred strands of Dao power was a very substantial amount. At this level of strength, with their extended lifespans, improvements in power were often calculated in centuries or even millennia. With such cultivation efficiency, how much Dao power could be accumulated over hundreds or thousands of years? And to what extent could a cultivator's strength be elevated?

Yet, even if Lu Ye were given a hundred years, the Dao power he accumulated through diligent cultivation would likely only suffice for the construction of a single Harmonization Dao Mark. Lu Ye's current strength and vast potential, it could be said, were entirely built upon immense accumulations of Dao power. The amount of Dao power he consumed for cultivation was simply unimaginable to other cultivators.

A sudden flash of blade light erupted, and a Harmonization realm star beast, drawn by Banyan, fell dead beneath Lu Ye's long blade. This star beast's cultivation was actually quite decent, roughly at the sixth layer of the Harmonization realm. However, Lu Ye could have easily slain a creature of this level even when he was still in the Dao Entry realm, let alone now that he had advanced to the Harmonization realm.

After the star beast's demise, Lu Ye waited silently for a moment, then couldn't help but sigh softly.

This had indeed come to pass! Since becoming a Son of the Star Abyss, he no longer received Star Abyss blessings for defeating stronger opponents. However, he consistently received Star Abyss Coins as compensation, which was functionally the same, as these coins could be used to acquire a precious liquid that, when consumed, granted the effect of a Star Abyss blessing.

For many years now, he had received an additional reward every time he killed a Harmonization realm cultivator. But today, there was nothing! No Star Abyss blessing, no Star Abyss Coins. He had, in fact, had a premonition about this. Because he was already at the Harmonization realm, even if the star beast's cultivation was higher, he was only defeating an enemy a minor realm above him, unlike before when he would cross major realms to defeat foes. The probability of receiving a Star Abyss blessing was naturally lower than before; in his current capacity as a Son of the Star Abyss, this translated to not receiving Star Abyss Coins.

However, he believed this probability wouldn't be too low; Lu Ye felt that if he killed a few more Harmonization realm enemies with higher cultivation than himself, he would likely still gain rewards. Relatively speaking, defeating opponents of a higher cultivation level was ultimately not a difficult task for him.

Three months quickly passed.

After these days of recuperation, his Dao bones were nearly ready for the engraving of Dao marks once more. His Dao power reserves were sufficient, so Lu Ye didn't hesitate, teleporting back into Banyan. He dared not attempt a breakthrough there; the bone-gnawing, heart-wrenching pain of engraving Dao marks was still fresh in his memory. Should a star beast suddenly appear and disturb him at such a critical juncture, his breakthrough would inevitably fail. Therefore, he still needed to return to Banyan and enter the relic to ensure safety and success.