Chapter 2366: Borrowing a Batch of Taoist Artifacts

"What do you want to discuss?" the Insect Queen's voice echoed from within the Insect Emperor Star, after a moment of deliberation.

"I'd like to borrow a batch of Dao artifacts from you!" Lu Ye stated his purpose.

The Insect Queen knew this wasn't a request for a loan, but an outright demand. Yet, she found herself without the leverage to refuse.

"How many, may I ask, do you intend to borrow?" the Insect Queen inquired slowly.

"Three thousand Dao artifacts!""Impossible!" the Insect Queen immediately retorted. Three thousand Dao artifacts—this human truly dared to make such a demand! While the Insect and Blood races could also refine Dao artifacts, they were far less proficient than humans in this craft. Consequently, their accumulated stock of Dao artifacts over the years was significantly smaller than that of humanity.

Humans could spare three thousand Dao artifacts without significantly affecting their overall situation, but if the Insect and Blood races were to hand over such a quantity, the repercussions for them would undoubtedly be far graver.

The Insect Queen knew resistance was futile, so her immediate instinct was to bargain."I will return in three days," Lu Ye interjected, cutting off any further discussion. "For every missing artifact, a Convergent Realm cultivator from your side will pay with their life!" He wasn't interested in idle chatter. His visit wasn't to negotiate with the Insect and Blood races, but simply to issue a decree. He also intended to use this incident to clearly demonstrate who held ultimate authority within this Splendid Realm.

Having delivered his message, Lu Ye vanished.

The Convergent Realm cultivators watched him depart, yet not one dared to stir. It wasn't until Lu Ye's figure vanished from sight that a peak Convergent Realm cultivator roared in humiliated rage: "This human... he's gone too far!"

To demand a Convergent Realm cultivator's life for every missing artifact—did he truly hold the Insect and Blood races in such utter contempt? Yet, his recent display of power, resulting in the horrifying deaths of ten Convergent Realm cultivators in mere moments, had left them all deeply unsettled. They had truly never witnessed such strength.

A short while later, in a remote corner of the void, a peculiar, translucent star beast, resembling a massive ribbonfish, drifted slowly. Its two eyes, bulging prominently, were filled with a look of profound bewilderment. As a star beast, it lacked significant intelligence, yet its considerable lifespan meant it was more astute than the typical mindless creatures of its kind. In essence, it was capable of simple thought processes. Such as, "What is this place?" "How can I leave?" And "Why is there fighting everywhere?"

Its life had changed dramatically ever since it discovered this vibrant, colorful realm several years ago and stumbled into it. Unlike the Star Abyss, most areas within this Splendid Realm were battlefields. Yet, being an inherently curious creature, it simply couldn't resist investigating any commotion. This repeatedly led to trouble, resulting in it being hunted by human cultivators, pursued by the Insect and Blood races, and chased by cultivators from the Giant race. For the past few years, it had been perpetually on the run. Luckily, its speed was exceptional; even Convergent Realm cultivators couldn't subdue it. However, its simple mind told it this couldn't continue indefinitely. While it was indeed fast, it understood that constantly treading dangerous paths would eventually lead to misfortune.

Abruptly, ripples appeared in a nearby patch of space, like a pebble disturbing a calm lake. It immediately halted, gazing towards the ripples with astonishment. The bewilderment in its eyes dissipated, replaced by boundless curiosity. As if unable to see clearly, it swayed its body closer, almost pressing its two bulging eyes against the shimmering ripples. It vaguely sensed something amiss, yet its innate, powerful curiosity held it captive.

Then, a figure was suddenly reflected in its vision. Startled, it remembered its recent years of constant pursuit, and with a swift flick of its body, it prepared to flee. However, a large hand suddenly reached out, precisely seizing its body. It struggled violently, its eyes wide with terror. Yet, even in this precarious situation, it merely tried to break free, showing no intent to attack.

Lu Ye, having teleported here with the ease of the Splendid Realm's master, raised an eyebrow. This creature... it was indeed the Wandering Dragon he had encountered years ago. It must have followed him into the Splendid Realm. However, after returning, he had immediately entered seclusion to ascend to the Convergent Realm, and subsequent to that, he had been preoccupied with finding a way back. Had he not stumbled upon it by chance this time, he would never have known it was also within the Splendid Realm.

It had to be said, this Wandering Dragon's strength was quite formidable. In a surge, it could exert over 220 streams of power, indicating it was at least a ninth-stage Convergent Realm creature. Yet, it appeared to lack any means of attack, or perhaps, it simply didn't understand how to fight. Over 220 streams of power, naturally, made no impact against him. In his grasp, the Wandering Dragon writhed like a captured eel, twisting incessantly but unable to escape his hold. Indeed, just as the legends claimed, Wandering Dragons were gentle creatures, though this particular one seemed excessively so. Fearing he might injure it, Lu Ye decided to release his grip.

Instantly freed, the Wandering Dragon darted away, vanishing in a flash! Lu Ye clearly sensed that in that brief moment, the Wandering Dragon had already shot tens of thousands of miles away. What incredible speed! Even Lu Ye's current pace was vastly inferior. No wonder it had survived safely in the Splendid Realm for several years. Its formidable strength combined with its extraordinary speed meant that as long as it wasn't ensnared by a formation, it faced virtually no danger within this realm.

As he mused on this, the next moment Lu Ye's expression became one of both amusement and exasperation. For, looking up, the Wandering Dragon, which had already fled far away, had somehow returned. It was now peeking out from behind an asteroid, cautiously observing him. It seemed to want to figure out who had just apprehended it! Earlier, it had been too busy struggling to get a clear look at Lu Ye's face.

How could such a star beast exist in the world...? Lu Ye was utterly bewildered. Upon recognizing Lu Ye, the Wandering Dragon's large eyes bulged out even further, and then it swayed its body, swimming gleefully towards him. After all, it had traveled alongside Lu Ye for a time in the past, considering them old acquaintances. But it quickly recalled its recent capture, and its body suddenly froze, indecisive.

Lu Ye beckoned to it, making a gesture, but the Wandering Dragon appeared not to comprehend. Lu Ye attempted to approach it, but the Wandering Dragon warily backed away, consistently maintaining a safe distance. Clearly, it had no desire to repeat their previous encounter. This left Lu Ye feeling rather helpless. He had given the Insect and Blood races three days, and he had originally intended to use this time to tame the Wandering Dragon. Its incredible speed could prove useful for future travels. However, he possessed no beast-taming techniques, and typical methods were largely ineffective on star beasts. This wouldn't work. If he couldn't even make contact, how could he possibly tame it?

A thought struck Lu Ye, and his form slowly faded, then vanished entirely. The Wandering Dragon nearby was visibly astonished. It swiftly darted to the spot where Lu Ye had vanished, its two large eyes wide as it searched. And at that very moment, Lu Ye's figure abruptly reappeared. He had merely employed a stealth Dao pattern to conceal himself. Any other cultivator, with sufficient spiritual perception and close enough proximity, would have easily detected it. The Wandering Dragon, however, clearly lacked this capability. Startled again, it hastily fled a considerable distance, yet refused to truly depart.

After several repetitions, the Wandering Dragon seemed to develop a misunderstanding, believing Lu Ye was simply toying with it. Its wariness vanished, and it began to play with him quite happily. It would sometimes approach, then hastily flee when Lu Ye reappeared, relishing the game. The peculiar thing was that each time it fled, it appeared genuinely startled. Lu Ye couldn't quite discern if it was truly frightened or merely putting on a performance.

Three days passed swiftly.

Outside the Twin Stars, numerous powerhouses from the Insect and Blood races stood ready. Unlike Lu Ye's abrupt arrival last time, the two races were thoroughly prepared this time. Every available Convergent Realm powerhouse had been summoned. Three thousand Dao artifacts was indeed a substantial quantity. However, given Lu Ye's prior demonstration of power, the Insect and Blood races were hesitant to openly defy him. Thus, after extensive deliberation among their many powerhouses, a plan was devised. The three thousand Dao artifacts had been assembled, but it wouldn't be simple for Lu Ye to simply claim them. He would first have to overcome their elaborate defenses. If this meticulously laid trap failed to stop the human, then they would have no choice but to accept their fate.

All Convergent Realm cultivators were scanning their surroundings, and any movement would be reported instantaneously. Time elapsed, yet Lu Ye remained unseen. Until, at a certain moment, the gazes of the scattered Convergent Realm cultivators uniformly converged upon the Insect Emperor Star. For at that precise instant, a new aura had abruptly appeared within the Insect Emperor Star. The human had arrived, but had inexplicably breached their defenses and infiltrated the interior of the Insect Emperor Star!

Deep within the insect nest, the Insect Queen, stationed at the heart of the Insect Emperor Star, stared in astonishment at Lu Ye's sudden appearance. She finally understood how he had arrived outside the Twin Stars three days prior. For she had just personally witnessed Lu Ye's method of entry. Such an extraordinary technique rendered all the extensive external preparations of the Insect and Blood races utterly futile and ridiculous.

Almost instinctively, the Insect Queen let out a fierce shriek, unleashing a torrent of spiritual power, intending to immediately launch a soul battle against Lu Ye! If she could successfully initiate a soul battle, the many Convergent Realm cultivators outside would be able to rush in and eliminate this human, as cultivators cannot control their physical bodies during a soul conflict.

However, her torrent of spiritual power couldn't shake Lu Ye in the slightest. He stood there, allowing the invisible waves to crash against him, yet remained as unmoving as an ancient reef. The Insect Queen knew this was due to the vast disparity in their power. Just as she was about to resort to a desperate secret technique, Lu Ye calmly stated, "I sent Youdie out of the Splendid Realm. She has likely already ascended to the Dao Integration Realm."

A seemingly innocuous statement, yet it acted like an invisible hand, instantly quelling the surging tide of spiritual power. The Insect Queen stood dumbfounded. Ever since their defeat in the Yellow Springs War Zone years ago, they had been diligently searching for Youdie's whereabouts. Sadly, they had found no trace and had largely concluded that Youdie must have met a grim fate. Who could have imagined that such astonishing news would come from Lu Ye's lips today?

Sent out of the Splendid Realm, and ascended to Dao Integration! A single, brief sentence provided the Insect Queen with endless possibilities for contemplation. As myriad thoughts spun in her mind, she transmitted a command outward. The numerous Insect and Blood powerhouses, who had been frantically rushing towards her, abruptly halted in their tracks, their expressions a mixture of shock and uncertainty. The Insect Queen had commanded them to stand by!