Chapter 2404: Because of Love

Hua Ci rarely called Lu Ye "husband." Whenever those two words left her lips, it usually meant trouble.

"What's unclear?" Lu Ye feigned composure.

"Since when did my husband have phoenix bloodline? Our sisters never knew," Hua Ci whispered softly, her breath like orchids in Lu Ye's ear.

A storm of lightning raged in Lu Ye's mind, but he replied calmly, "Ah, that... it's actually a secret art I cultivated before, not due to bloodline."

"I see," Hua Ci said, as if realizing something. "So Tree Elder was right."

"What did Tree Elder say?" Lu Ye asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"Want to know?"

Though Lu Ye couldn't clearly see Hua Ci's face due to their proximity, he could almost picture her teasing expression.

"Not particularly..."

"Tree Elder said that the Phoenix Nirvana art is an innate talent of the Phoenix Clan," Hua Ci continued, ignoring him. "Besides the Phoenix Clan, there's a special circumstance where it can be used even without their bloodline."

Lu Ye dared not speak, for a small hand had also pinched his waist on the other side. He wasn't sure if it was Su Yuqing or Jiu Yan...

"Why aren't you speaking?" Hua Ci pressed him.

"Tree Elder knows so much?" Lu Ye expressed doubt. There were no Phoenix Clan members of legitimate origin in this starfield; logically, Tree Elder shouldn't know about them. This woman is trying to trick me!

"Tree Elder heard a lot about the Star Abyss from an elder named Yang Qing," Su Yuqing whispered softly into Lu Ye's ear.

Lu Ye stiffened. He had planned for everything, but not this. Indeed, Tree Elder couldn't possibly know much about the Star Abyss, but Yang Qing certainly would. There must have been many exchanges between Tree Elder and Yang Qing, making it entirely plausible for Tree Elder to learn some secrets of the Phoenix Clan.

Hua Ci straightened slightly, gazing at Lu Ye with a smile. "Husband, when did you obtain the Phoenix Primal Blood? Why didn't you share such joyful news with us sisters in detail?"

Nonsense! Lu Ye blinked, looking at Hua Ci's close-up face. A surge of mischief rose in his heart. He raised a hand, cupped the back of her head, and pressed his lips onto hers.

Hua Ci instinctively wanted to resist, but then she remembered Tree Elder saying that there would be a period of weakness after phoenix nirvana. She had also deliberately observed earlier that Lu Ye's aura was indeed not as profound and powerful as before, and she didn't know how weak he truly was after this nirvana. So, she didn't dare resist, fearing she might hurt Lu Ye.

The moment their lips met, Hua Ci's face flushed. Though she often spoke without restraint in front of Lu Ye, it was usually just words. Being held by Lu Ye with other women, as she was now, was already her limit. Not to mention Lu Ye's sudden aggressiveness.

Jiu Yan and Su Yuqing also blushed. Neither had expected this man to be so bold, and for a moment, they were at a loss. Hearing strange sounds by her ear, Su Yuqing stammered, "I... I have something to do..." and attempted to leave first.

How could Lu Ye let her go? Years ago, when he caught a glimpse of the Warm Spirit Lotus Master, surrounded by beautiful women of all shapes and sizes, their supreme charm had filled him with utmost admiration. He had wanted to emulate it, but lacked the courage, despite having the desire. Today was the perfect opportunity. Since they were here, no one was leaving! With a squeeze of his hand, Su Yuqing found herself unable to move.

Jiu Yan was even more stunned. She had never imagined things would progress this far. By now, she knew exactly what Lu Ye was thinking. Just as she wondered what to do, she suddenly noticed that Hua Ci, who had been faintly resisting, had given up struggling. Not only that, she was now passionately responding to Lu Ye's assertiveness! Her heart trembled, and she knew that today's events would not end peacefully.

Lu Ye genuinely hadn't expected Hua Ci to cooperate willingly, but because she did, he felt her love for him even more profoundly. Because of love, she could tolerate his mischief. Because of love, she was willing to cooperate with him. His rough actions became tender. With Hua Ci's cooperation, things became much easier. Even though Su Yuqing and Jiu Yan were deeply embarrassed, the thought that Lu Ye had almost died made it impossible for them to refuse any of his requests.

Lu Ye finally experienced the joy of the Warm Spirit Lotus Master, that esteemed predecessor. If Hua Ci hadn't stopped him from further antics, citing his recent nirvana and need for rest, Lu Ye felt he could have stayed in that grotto for several more years. Such pleasure was truly unforgettable. After their intimate moments, Hua Ci and the others departed. They were all now at the Dao Integration stage, each with their own responsibilities, so they couldn't stay with Lu Ye indefinitely. In any case, he had awakened, and they could visit him anytime they wished. Moreover, Kyushu was considered one of the safest places in the starfield.

In the grotto, only now did Lu Ye have time to examine himself. The first thing he checked was the Fire Phoenix Dao Mark on his Talent Tree. After he obtained the Phoenix Primal Blood, this mark underwent a fundamental transformation. It could no longer be called a Fire Phoenix Dao Mark; it was now a Nirvana Dao Mark! At that time, Lu Ye knew he possessed the Phoenix Clan's Nirvana art. That was why, when repairing the Star Abyss Gate earlier, he could calmly face the irresistible punishment, knowing he had a fallback. If not for such confidence, honestly, Lu Ye wouldn't have dared to take that risk in such a situation. His life or death alone was minor; behind him stood all his family and friends, and an entire starfield.

Now, the Fire Phoenix Dao Mark on his Talent Tree had completely vanished. This was clearly due to his completed nirvana. However, Lu Ye could feel that he could re-inscribe a Fire Phoenix Dao Mark on his Talent Tree, but it would no longer possess the power of nirvana. His acquisition of the Phoenix Primal Blood had granted him a single chance to be reborn after death.

Compared to Su Yan's previous nirvana, his own was markedly different. Firstly, it took much longer, a full three years for him to complete the process. Secondly, his cultivation base underwent significant changes. Currently, in terms of cultivation, he was only at the Divine Sea stage! This wasn't a problem, however. Having experienced a nirvana process with Su Yan, Lu Ye knew his cultivation would gradually recover. Even if he did nothing, he would eventually return to his peak. What was miraculous was that despite his current low cultivation, his entire Dao bone structure remained perfectly intact, and the Dao power reserves on his Talent Tree were still present. This was truly an anomaly, a testament to the marvel of the Phoenix Clan's Nirvana art.

Besides his weakened cultivation, there was also a change in his appearance. He now truly looked like a boy of sixteen or seventeen, and he was also a bit shorter than before.

As he was examining himself, Lu Ye's heart jolted, and he quickly checked his Small Flower Realm. Three years ago, the Star Abyss Will's punishment had caused his instant death. If even the Small Flower Realm had been destroyed, he would have been inconsolable. Nothing else mattered as much as the Crag Mountain Blade. He had anticipated great danger beforehand, which was why he had deliberately put the Crag Mountain Blade into the Small Flower Realm. He just hadn't expected the danger he faced to be so ferocious. Only when he found that the Small Flower Realm still existed did Lu Ye breathe a sigh of relief. The Crag Mountain Blade was safely placed within the Small Flower Realm. Not only was the Small Flower Realm intact, but even the Cycle Tree mark was still there. These two marks appeared to be imprinted in his flesh, but they were actually branded upon Lu Ye's soul. The mark on the back of his hand was merely an external manifestation. Therefore, as long as Lu Ye's soul remained, this mark would always exist.

The Cycle Tree mark was still there... Lu Ye blinked, unable to help but recall all the ridiculousness from before.

"Tree Elder!" he called softly, feeling a little guilty. But he received no response.

"Xiao Jiu?" Lu Ye called out again, looking up, but still received no reply.

A moment later, fully dressed, he emerged from the grotto. Having not seen daylight for three years, the dazzling light made him temporarily uncomfortable, and he squinted. The surroundings were familiar; this place was essentially his home in Kyushu. Laughter drifted from nearby. Lu Ye followed the sound and saw a boy standing beneath a swing, while a little girl, like a carved pink jade figurine, happily swung back and forth. Xiao Jiu, who had always feigned seriousness since taking on the appearance of a young boy, now had a gentle smile on his face. In the peaceful and harmonious atmosphere, autumn winds swept by, scattering fallen leaves, mingled with the little girl's joyous laughter. In that moment, Lu Ye felt as if all his past battles and killings were infinitely far away. He couldn't help but imagine when all parts of the starfield could be as beautiful as this scene before him.

Xiao Jiu seemed to sense something, suddenly turned his head, and saw Lu Ye leaning against a tree, arms crossed, watching them with interest. His face flushed as if caught red-handed doing something wrong, then he feigned composure. "You're finally out!"

Lu Ye straightened up, stretching. "If I didn't come out, I'd get moldy. You two keep playing."

"Where are you going?" Xiao Jiu asked, watching Lu Ye walk away.

"To find Tree Elder!" Many years had passed, and there were many changes in the starfield. When he was with Hua Ci and the others earlier, he had only been interested in mischief and hadn't thought about inquiring about anything. So he needed to ask Tree Elder about the current situation in the starfield.

"I'll send you!" Xiao Jiu said, waving a hand. Before Lu Ye could react to what was happening, the world spun. When he regained his senses, he was already standing in front of the Kyushu Garrison Hall! This Xiao Jiu was certainly good at acting out of exasperation, sending him over so decisively.

"Lu Ye, you've finally woken up," Tree Elder's voice immediately followed.

Lu Ye walked towards the Cycle Tree, sat down at its roots, and sighed, "You old man, you really got me into trouble."

Tree Elder looked very surprised. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

Lu Ye turned to look at the Cycle Tree, saying nothing. He didn't believe for a moment that Tree Elder knew nothing about what had happened. At most, Tree Elder had later avoided suspicion by disconnecting his monitoring through the Cycle Tree mark, which was why he received no response when he called Tree Elder earlier, even with the mark present.