Chapter 2443: The Arrival of the Ghost Butterfly

Given Lu Ye's current cultivation, he would have to kill a Hedao cultivator to guarantee acquiring Star Abyss Coins.

Yet, killing a Hedao in this inner realm was far from simple.

Perhaps… when Yuan Xi next attacked a Hedao city, he could find an opportunity to gain something. You Die was already on her way, and if all went well, once she arrived at Yuan Xi City, the city's defense could be entrusted to her, freeing him to act when the time was right.

This thought made Lu Ye somewhat look forward to You Die's arrival; indeed, life was full of unexpected turns.

With nothing to do, he left the Grand Commander's mansion and soon found Yuan Xi busy setting up a grand formation nearby.

"Are you recovered?" Yuan Xi asked casually, still occupied with her task.

"It was never a big deal," Lu Ye replied, openly observing and learning from her techniques.

He distinctly remembered how, in his early years wandering Kyushu, his exceptional mastery of formations had allowed him to accomplish many incredible feats, even earning him the notorious reputation of "Blade of Annihilation" on the Spirit Creek Battlefield.

However, as his cultivation grew higher, he had less energy to spare and consequently neglected his practice in formations.

Nevertheless, his foundation remained, especially since his proficiency in spirit runes was steadily improving, a discipline closely related to formations. Therefore, even after many years without focused training in formations, he still surpassed most cultivators at his level.

Yuan Xi's mastery in formations was exceptionally high, a fact Lu Ye had realized long ago; otherwise, she couldn't have single-handedly set up the grand formation for the entire Hedao City.

This method of covert observation might not yield many immediate practical benefits for Lu Ye, but it offered abundant inspiration that he might find useful in the future.

"Oh, your cultivation…" Yuan Xi suddenly turned, a noticeable golden light flashing in her beautiful eyes. "Has it improved?"

Lu Ye suddenly felt as though he had been completely seen through, a secret alarm rising within him. Yuan Xi's perception was indeed sharp; he hadn't even activated any Dao energy, yet she could tell. He wondered if this was her innate ability or a specialized ocular technique.

"Slight gains," Lu Ye nodded.

"It seems that previous battle brought you considerable gains," Yuan Xi said with pleasure.

She clearly misunderstood, believing Lu Ye's accumulation had long been sufficient and that the battle with Que Yue was merely a catalyst. She had no idea that the fight with Que Yue was precisely what provided him with enough Dao Fish to support his advancement.

"Madam, I have something I'd like to ask you about," Lu Ye said, adopting a deferential posture.

"Speak," Yuan Xi replied, her movements ceaseless, her Dao energy fluctuating.

"The items you gave me were called Dao Fish, but the arena records them as Dao Jade. These are just two different names, correct?"

"Of course!" Yuan Xi smiled slightly. "They're just two different names. Because it resembles a fish, some people call it Dao Fish, while others call it Dao Jade. Either way, they refer to the same thing."

"How are Dao Fish born?" This was the question Lu Ye was most curious about.

There was Spirit Jade in the starry void, and its creation was straightforward: areas with dense star energy had the potential to nurture it. This was why, when cultivators first ventured into the starry void beyond their realms, they often collected Spirit Jade aimlessly. Unless they were exceptionally lucky and stumbled upon a highly concentrated area, their harvests were typically modest.

The more frequently an area was visited, the lower the chance of finding Spirit Jade, as any that formed were usually collected swiftly. Therefore, harvesting Spirit Jade required strategy, often involving journeys to remote or dangerous locations.

So, how were Dao Fish born?

Could it be similar to the starry void? Yet, Lu Ye hadn't heard of anyone collecting Dao Fish in the inner realm. Of course, this could simply be due to his short time in the inner realm and the limited areas he had explored.

"Have you seen a Dao Pool?" Yuan Xi asked.

"I have, in a way," Lu Ye replied.

"Dao Fish are generally nurtured within Dao Pools," Yuan Xi explained. "The inner realm contains many treasure lands where the Star Abyss aura might be denser than in other places. These conditions can lead to the formation of Dao Pools, which are the source of Dao Fish."

Lu Ye understood, but quickly noticed a discrepancy: "But if that's the case, the number of Dao Fish shouldn't be very high. So why are there so many circulating in the Hehe Realm?"

Dao Fish were a cultivation resource, and cultivators often refined them upon acquisition, meaning they were in constant demand and consumption.

Relying solely on Dao Pools formed in these so-called treasure lands would be insufficient to meet the needs of cultivators in the inner realm, let alone account for the vast number of Dao Fish circulating in the Hehe Realm.

Just the battle he had previously fought yielded several million Dao Fish in total earnings from the arena, which clearly defied logic.

"Because Dao Pools aren't only formed naturally, you silly," Yuan Xi said, looking at him. "The primary condition for a Dao Pool's formation is a sufficiently dense Star Abyss aura, or rather, sufficiently dense Dao energy. Think about it: besides some natural treasure lands in the inner realm, where else could Dao Pools potentially appear?"

With such a clear hint, Lu Ye quickly figured it out: "Hedao City?"

Yuan Xi snapped her fingers. "Exactly, Hedao City! Hedao Cities of a sufficiently high grade can artificially create Dao Pools, which then continuously produce Dao Fish for the city's use."

Lu Ye's eyes lit up. "What grade must a Hedao City be to create a Dao Pool?"

"At the very least, it needs to be Heaven-grade, and that's just the basic requirement. Even then, if a Dao Pool is created, the output of Dao Fish won't be significant. The higher the grade, the greater the Dao Fish yield. That's why some cultivators in those top-tier Hedao Cities never actually lack cultivation resources. Their Hedao City's grade is already high enough, ensuring excellent cultivation efficiency. Even without Dao Fish, their cultivation progress is far superior to ordinary cultivators; with Dao Fish, it's even faster."

"Heaven-grade… then we're not far off," Lu Ye mused, his face full of anticipation.

Earth-grade was only one level below Heaven-grade; with some effort, it could be achieved quickly.

"Indeed, it won't be too far," Yuan Xi said, smiling as she looked at Lu Ye.

It wouldn't be too far because of Lu Ye, assuming his previous method of intercepting Hedao Bead fragments was still effective.

Otherwise, relying solely on the normal rate to upgrade the Hedao City would require at least several times more time and effort.

Yuan Xi continued to refine the details of the defensive grand formation. She didn't appear wealthy, having not possessed many Dao Fish previously, yet her personal assets were clearly substantial, as she had every material needed for these elaborate defensive formations.

Of course, these materials could also be spoils from the previous attack on Flowing Light. Lu Ye wasn't privy to the contents of the Flowing Light treasure vault; Yuan Xi had handled everything at the time.

Lu Ye would occasionally help her, while at other times he would cultivate diligently. With Cui Can and several slaves now in the city, it was no longer as deserted as before; at least there was some semblance of life.

One day, as Lu Ye was deep in cultivation, a soft voice suddenly reached his ear: "My lord, there's a situation."

It was Cui Can. Given her powerful soul cultivation, Yuan Xi had entrusted her with the task of monitoring the movements around Hedao City. As for Yuan Xi's earlier statement about Cui Can serving him, that had merely been an excuse; as a Hedao powerhouse, Cui Can required no such service.

"Speak!" Lu Ye slowly opened his eyes.

After three months of anxious waiting, Liao still showed no signs of waking, which greatly frustrated Lu Ye. He was uncertain if Liao's advancement would be successful.

The only good news was that the Mountain-Slaying Saber showed no changes, indicating that there were no major issues with Liao; otherwise, the saber would have certainly displayed a direct manifestation.

Even with this understanding, Lu Ye couldn't help but worry.

In this state of mind, he felt a burning urge for a fight. If his alias, "Nameless Guest," weren't already unsuitable for frequent appearances in the arena, he would certainly go to the Hehe Realm.

Now, he almost wished for some clueless individual to come and stir up trouble.

"A Hedao cultivator is approaching our Yuan Xi City," Cui Can reported. "They should be in the vicinity within approximately fifteen minutes."

"A Hedao cultivator…" Lu Ye's brow lifted; his first thought was You Die.

Although You Die hadn't specified how long it would take her to arrive, given her location in the inner realm and possession of a star map, three months seemed about right.

"Only one?" Lu Ye asked.

If there was only one, it was highly likely to be You Die.

"Three. One is a Hedao cultivator, and the other two are Rongdao cultivators."

Then it probably wasn't You Die...

"Where's the City Lord?" Lu Ye asked.

If a Hedao cultivator were attacking, Cui Can should report to Yuan Xi directly, not him.

"The City Lord entered the Hehe Realm earlier and hasn't returned yet."

Lu Ye understood, then stood up. "I'll go take a look."

As the Grand Commander responsible for Yuan Xi City's defense, it was essential to nip any potential threats to the city in the bud before they could fully materialize.

Moreover, Lu Ye wanted to know if, with his current strength, he would still be as discomfited as before when facing a Hedao cultivator. If he could kill one, that would mean a Star Abyss Coin for him.

After the incident with Liao, his attitude towards collecting Star Abyss Coins was significantly more enthusiastic than before.

Of course, even if he couldn't win, it wouldn't matter. He could quickly retreat to Hedao City, join forces with Cui Can and the others, rely on the defensive grand formation Yuan Xi had left for protection, and then simply send someone to the Hehe Realm to inform Yuan Xi to return.

A moment later, Lu Ye burst out of the Grand Commander's mansion, heading directly forward with an imposing momentum to confront them.

He was cloaked in killing intent, determined to engage in battle first, regardless of why they were passing through. However, once he sensed their aura, he couldn't help but frown.

Because the Hedao aura…

…was unmistakably You Die's.

She had finally arrived.

But if it was You Die, why were two Rongdao cultivators accompanying her?

Could it be that You Die had poached subordinates from someone else when she left her Hedao City?

What puzzled Lu Ye even more was that the auras of the two Rongdao cultivators felt strangely familiar, as if he had encountered them somewhere before.