Chapter 2407: Encountering Some Trouble

Lu Ye hadn't known about these things before, but now that he had the opportunity, he naturally wanted to explore them.

The exploration was fraught with dangers; some celestial wonders concealed deadly traps. Even cultivators in the Dao Integration Realm, let alone ordinary Starry Sky cultivators, might not escape them unharmed.

Through conversations with Old Tree, Lu Ye gradually learned that many Starry Sky Supreme Treasures were actually conceived within these celestial wonders.

This implied that some celestial wonders contained Starry Sky Supreme Treasures that were either not fully formed or had failed to gestate. These unique treasures constantly emanated a dangerous aura, and their power, when it occasionally erupted, was terrifying.

This was precisely why celestial wonders were so perilous.

Lu Ye always maintained a cautious approach while exploring these celestial wonders, and with Old Tree's guidance, he didn't encounter any significant dangers.

Ten years passed in a flash.

Lu Ye explored one celestial wonder after another, accumulating substantial gains.

Fourteen years had passed since his Nirvana.

His cultivation had finally fully recovered, reaching the fifth level of Dao Integration!

Compared to Su Yan's recovery process, his own was undoubtedly much slower, but this was unavoidable. Su Yan was a true member of the Phoenix clan, and the Nirvana technique was her innate talent. Lu Ye's ability to undergo Nirvana was solely thanks to the Phoenix Primordial Blood, which meant his Nirvana, both in its duration and recovery speed, was far slower than hers.

When his cultivation was fully restored, Lu Ye discovered that the basic Dao power he could control had reached 350 strands.

This was a pleasant surprise, as when he had initially advanced to the fifth level of Dao Integration, he could only control 340 strands of basic Dao power.

An increase of ten strands of power was not significant, and given Lu Ye's current strength, such an improvement seemed negligible.

However, it undeniably meant that during this period of cultivation recovery, Lu Ye's mind and body had undergone a certain degree of refinement, strengthening his foundation and directly manifesting as an increased ability to control Dao power.

The Myriad Phenomena Sea was tranquil.

On Three Realms Island, Hua Ci, Su Yuqing, and Jiu Yan eagerly awaited his return.

Today was the day Lu Ye was due to return.

Old Tree had informed them of his return. The three women hadn't seen Lu Ye for ten years, as he had been continuously exploring various celestial wonders since leaving Kyushu for the starry sky, and they hadn't wanted to disturb him.

Ten years had passed, and their longing was like aged wine, rich and potent.

When his familiar figure appeared in their sight, all three women were momentarily stunned.

Lu Ye was still himself; though he had grown a little taller since his Nirvana, he still looked youthful and tender.

The difference was that his previous youthful appearance had concealed the sharp edge of a military cultivator, but his current youthful demeanor was truly unburdened by any such sharpness.

None of the three women could detect even a hint of a Dao Integration cultivator's aura from Lu Ye.

He resembled a novice young man from the mortal world who had wandered in by chance.

Anyone unfamiliar with Lu Ye, seeing his current appearance and demeanor, would never have guessed that he was once a fearsome killing star who, in his pursuit of rapid strength, had wrought widespread slaughter within the Variegated Realm, striking such terror that even now, the Insect and Blood races trembled at the mere mention of his name.

Without a doubt, fourteen years of self-cultivation had allowed Lu Ye to sheath his former sharpness, making his entire being appear unassuming and simple.

Lu Ye descended before the three women, his arms wide open and a smile on his face.

Hua Ci couldn't help but roll her eyes at him before stepping forward.

Jiu Yan and Su Yuqing followed close behind.

Some things, once they've happened, tend to happen countless times thereafter.

In Lu Ye's private quarters on Three Realms Island, the intimate revelry continued.

Everyone knew Lu Ye had returned, but for the next month, no one saw any sign of him.

It wasn't until a month later that he made a brief appearance, only to vanish once more.

A month of tenderness and endless intimacy followed, during which Hua Ci, Jiu Yan, and Su Yuqing were insatiable in their desire.

For they knew in their hearts that Lu Ye's cultivation had fully recovered, and thus, he would soon depart!

His previous departure, years ago, had brought back a temporary solution for the starry sky, but it was ultimately a stopgap measure, not a permanent cure. As long as the Star Abyss Gates existed, the crisis in the starry sky could not truly be resolved.

Therefore, Lu Ye absolutely had to find a way to completely resolve the starry sky crisis.

With this departure, who knew how many years would pass before they could meet again, or if they would ever have the chance to meet at all!

They did not ask, and Lu Ye could not bear to speak of it; a silent understanding passed between them.

During this return to Myriad Phenomena Sea, Lu Ye only met with Hua Ci and the other two women; he didn't even see Yi Yi.

Yi Yi deliberately avoided seeing him, instead having Old Tree relay a message: she would wait for him in the starry sky, and he must return safely.

Lu Ye understood Yi Yi's subtle intention, knowing she wanted him to have something to care for, ensuring he wouldn't act impulsively while away.

After leaving the Myriad Phenomena Sea, Lu Ye first journeyed to the Puling Star System.

He hadn't returned there since that year, only learning from Old Tree that the Star Abyss Gate he had repaired had remained without issue.

Nevertheless, he wished to see it with his own eyes.

From a distance, he spotted Fangcun Mountain spanning the void, and not far from it, the very spot where the seventh Star Abyss Gate had opened years ago.

Lu Ye extended his divine sense, carefully probing, and only when he confirmed that there were no abnormalities, just as Old Tree had stated, did he finally relax.

He then turned his gaze to Fangcun Mountain.

This supreme treasure had become incredibly massive, a result of Lu Ye's past integration with the Blood Ancestor's corpse. Now that the corpse was destroyed, Lu Ye's own power was insufficient to restore it to its original size, so it remained as it was.

"Have all the Little People been relocated here?" Lu Ye inquired.

Old Tree's voice replied, "They've all migrated here. The Little People originated from Fangcun Mountain, which is their ancestral land; they live better within it."

Previously, to repair the Star Abyss Gate, all the Little People had been relocated elsewhere. However, living in other realms, they generally suffered from an inability to adapt to the new environment; cultivators below the Constellation level found their progress stalled, while those without a cultivation foundation frequently fell ill.

Consequently, those Little People were later moved back.

"Should they be sent back to Tiangang?" Old Tree inquired.

Lu Ye shook his head. "Just leave them here."

The Little People currently living within Fangcun Mountain are all below the Constellation level, so their location doesn't particularly matter. Tiangang already possesses sufficient defensive capabilities; sending Fangcun Mountain back would serve no real purpose beyond providing another dwelling.

Having confirmed everything was well in Puling, Lu Ye headed directly for the Huanmie Star System.

Presently, among the six great Star Abyss Gates in the starry sky, the Myriad Phenomena Sea and Tiangang Gates could now be traversed by Dao Integration cultivators, though only those at the first or second level. Starry Sky cultivators could naturally handle enemies of this caliber.

As time passed, stronger Dao Integration cultivators might eventually arrive, but by then, the Huanmie Gate would likely also be traversable by Dao Integration cultivators.

As long as the Huanmie Gate became traversable for Dao Integration cultivators, the Starry Sky could then borrow a large number of such cultivators from the Variegated Realm to bolster its defenses. Coupled with the continuous growth of Dao Integration cultivators within the Starry Sky itself, Lu Ye could then depart without any lingering concerns.

Several days later, Lu Ye stood before the Star Abyss Gate in the Huanmie Star System and slowly spoke, "Old Tree, after this departure, I don't know when we will meet again."

Old Tree replied, "The starry sky is secure. Just protect yourself out there, and don't worry about matters at home. As long as I am here, I will help them guard our homeland."

"Within a thousand years, whether I find a solution or not, I will return!" Lu Ye stated with conviction.

If a thousand years passed and he still hadn't found a way to resolve the starry Sky crisis, it likely meant no solution existed.

Old Tree offered reassurance, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Even if the starry sky truly shatters, we still have the Variegated Realm as a fallback. So, no matter what, the absolute worst will not come to pass."

As early as when the seventh Star Abyss Gate had opened, Old Tree had formulated a contingency plan to use the Variegated Realm as a retreat. Even after the seventh Star Abyss Gate closed, this plan was not abandoned; instead, under Old Tree's guidance, it was continuously refined.

All of this was in preparation for the day the starry sky might shatter.

It could be said that even if the starry sky were to shatter at this very moment, Old Tree could evacuate all Starry Sky beings into the Variegated Realm in the shortest possible time.

However, such an action would place an immense burden on the Variegated Realm.

"Understood!" Lu Ye nodded. "I'm off, Old Tree, take care!"

Without much lingering reluctance, Lu Ye stepped forward, for he knew he would eventually return.

After more than a decade away, Lu Ye once again stepped into the Star Abyss.

He had expected it to be no different from before, but the moment he stepped out of the Star Abyss Gate, he suddenly sensed that something was amiss!

In the unseen, a force seemed to suddenly descend upon him, and Lu Ye was overcome by a profound sense of heaviness, feeling as though his entire being was sinking...

It was as if he had accidentally fallen into water.

This was clearly an illusion, as Lu Ye knew he was standing perfectly still, with no actual descent.

Yet, the sensation of sinking grew increasingly intense, accompanied by everything around him gradually blurring and becoming ethereal, as if drifting farther and farther away!

This sensation... Lu Ye suddenly seemed to recall something, his heart seizing. He swiftly darted back into the Star Abyss Gate.

Moments later, he reappeared in the starry sky, and Old Tree's puzzled voice inquired, "What's wrong? Did you forget something?"

Lu Ye slowly shook his head, frowning deeply as he recalled the recent events. "Old Tree, I seem to have encountered some trouble."

Old Tree was startled. "What trouble?"

"I'm uncontrollably entering the Inner Realm!" Lu Ye declared.

"What do you mean?" Old Tree asked, puzzled.

Lu Ye explained, "After entering the Star Abyss, I seem unable to remain in the Outer Realm!"

Although he had never personally entered the Inner Realm, over the years, many people he knew had done so, and he had naturally heard their detailed descriptions of the experience.

Therefore, when Lu Ye suddenly experienced that sinking sensation just now, he immediately realized he was in the process of entering the Inner Realm!