Chapter 2475: I miscalculated?

"I was wondering, Senior Brother, which He Dao city are you from? And does that city still accept new members?" Fu Wei asked, rubbing his hands together with a fawning smile.

Lu Ye had expected a different request, but it turned out Fu Wei merely wanted to join a He Dao city, which wasn't an unreasonable demand. Yuan Xi City would certainly need to recruit more members. Even though Fu Wei was only at the Fusion Dao cultivation level, he would undoubtedly find a useful role within the city. Besides, under the watchful eyes of a powerful figure like Yuan Xi, any hidden intentions he might have would remain suppressed.

"Your Divination Clan must have some reputation in the Inner World, I presume?" Lu Ye asked, looking at him.

Just because he hadn't heard of the Divination Clan didn't mean others hadn't, especially the well-traveled He Dao cultivators. Given their unique nature, many city lords would surely be eager to welcome them.

"We're somewhat known," Fu Wei chuckled sheepishly. "However, our clan members are scarce, so not many people have actually seen us. Senior Brother might not be aware, but despite our small size, our clan has many rules. With my current cultivation, I can no longer stay in our territory. I must go out and seek my own opportunities. To be frank, Senior Brother, this is my first time leaving the clan lands. I only recently discovered how dangerous the Inner World is, which is why I'm looking for a suitable He Dao city to join."

"Then why do you want to join my He Dao city specifically?"

Fu Wei's expression grew serious, his gaze clear. "Of course, it's because Senior Brother and I share a destined connection. The concept of 'destiny' is wondrous, profound, and immeasurable. We of the Divination Clan strongly believe in this. So, if it's not too much trouble for you, Senior Brother, I would like to join your He Dao city. Regardless, we share a certain fate, which is surely better than joining some unfamiliar He Dao city."

Lu Ye paused for a moment. "I'll consider it."

If he were to bring Fu Wei back, Yuan Xi would likely not object. Their city was currently in need of more personnel. However, Yuan Xi was someone who prioritized quality over quantity, which was why she hadn't extensively recruited. Otherwise, during the attack on Chen Shuang, she could have easily seized the opportunity to subdue some Fusion Dao or even He Dao cultivators.

"Alright, I'll await your news, Senior Brother," Fu Wei said, chuckling as if completely unconcerned.

"By the way, you previously mentioned that my biggest gain on this journey would be in that direction, along with a great life-or-death crisis. The latter has already occurred, so the former shouldn't be wrong, right?" He was more concerned about the Moonlight Wheel's associated treasure than about bringing Fu Wei back.

Fu Wei looked startled by his question. "Senior Brother, did you not gain anything from this trip?"

"What do you mean?" Lu Ye frowned.

Fu Wei explained, "According to the previous divination, Senior Brother's gains and crises on this journey were complementary. After overcoming this tribulation, you should have already received your reward."

Was he referring to killing Pei Lin?

Indeed, there was a gain: Liao had devoured the mysteries within Pei Lin's silver spear treasure, and Lu Ye had also claimed Pei Lin's blessing. Neither of these benefits was something one would ordinarily encounter, and obtaining both simultaneously was undeniably a huge acquisition.

However, Lu Ye was focused on more than just those benefits; his primary goal for this trip was the Moonlight Wheel's associated treasure.

"Did I make a mistake in my divination?" Fu Wei looked utterly bewildered and began to count on his fingers. It was then that Lu Ye noticed he had six fingers on each hand. After a moment, Fu Wei declared, "No, it's correct. The divination was exactly like that."

Lu Ye narrowed his eyes slightly. "So, according to your divination, I've already achieved the greatest gain from this journey, and there won't be any more?"

"Roughly so," Fu Wei nodded, puzzled why Lu Ye had suddenly seemed displeased when they had just been conversing pleasantly.

"The Moonlight Wheel's associated treasure hasn't even appeared yet!"

Fu Wei's expression instantly froze. He suddenly realized what was bothering Lu Ye. Regardless of any previous gains, the ultimate goal for all cultivators entering this wonder was the Moonlight Wheel's associated treasure. Since the treasure hadn't even emerged yet, his assertion that Lu Ye wouldn't have any further significant gains was essentially telling him he wouldn't get the Moonlight Wheel.

"Divine for me again," Lu Ye requested, "can I obtain the Moonlight Wheel's associated treasure?" He refused to believe it; besides Ba Qiu, who else in this wonder could possibly be his match?

Ba Qiu was focused on the supreme treasure, so an associated treasure likely wouldn't catch his eye, and he certainly wouldn't bother fighting a group of Fusion Dao cultivators for it.

Fu Wei looked troubled. "Senior Brother, I already performed a divination a few days ago. I genuinely don't have any energy left right now, so please forgive me."

Lu Ye stared at him intently, then abandoned the idea of forcing him. He remembered how weak Fu Wei had appeared after performing a divination a few days prior; such an act must be incredibly draining for him.

"However, Senior Brother, while our Divination Clan can feign things in other matters, we would never show disrespect towards a divination," Fu Wei stated solemnly. "It's our innate talent, and there are significant implications involved; any false statements could lead to our eternal ruin. Furthermore, Senior Brother is gravely injured right now, so I believe it would be best to leave this dangerous place first and prioritize your healing."

He pleaded earnestly, seemingly for Lu Ye's well-being, but clearly with a degree of self-interest.

How could Lu Ye agree? If the Moonlight Wheel's associated treasure were merely an ordinary one, it wouldn't matter as much. But the crucial point was that, by his estimation, one of these was worth two or three silver spears, valuing at least one or two hundred Star Abyss Coins to him.

He was also curious why he supposedly couldn't obtain the Moonlight Wheel's associated treasure. It was highly unlikely there was a stronger Fusion Dao cultivator than him within this wonder.

Fu Wei had certainly demonstrated his divinatory powers, but for some things, who could know the final outcome without making an effort? Sometimes, even if one knew their efforts might be in vain, only by striving could they avoid regret.

"If you have any concerns, you can go ahead," Lu Ye told him. "We can discuss joining the He Dao city after I've left this place."

Sensing Lu Ye's intention for him to leave, Fu Wei didn't press the matter further. He nodded and said:

"Then, Senior Brother, please take care. I'll go on ahead and wait for you outside."

With that, he acted decisively and immediately flew off in a certain direction.

Lu Ye was left alone, sitting quietly and recuperating. By his estimation, his injuries would take about another day to fully recover. As for the sword wound inflicted by Ba Qiu... that wouldn't heal for at least half a month.

Thanks to the Talent Tree, his current strength had recovered somewhat compared to when he fought Pei Lin, now estimated to exceed 300 Dao power. However, he was still far from his peak.

Suddenly, he realized that Fu Wei, who had already departed, was returning.

Moments later, Fu Wei rushed back. Lu Ye looked at him, puzzled. "Why are you back?"

As Fu Wei activated the various restrictions he had previously set up to seal off the area, he replied, "There's a very powerful-looking individual heading this way. I was afraid you might be discovered, Senior Brother, so I came back to provide some protection."

Lu Ye initially wanted to ask how formidable the approaching person was, but then he remembered that his current condition made any further conflict highly undesirable. So, he abandoned the thought and allowed Fu Wei to continue his work.

Although the restrictions Fu Wei had set up earlier hadn't required much effort, the Divination Clan possessed unique advantages in this area, making their concealment quite effective. With Fu Wei personally returning to oversee them, it was enough to ensure that no one at the Fusion Dao level would detect their presence.

"Why is he coming directly this way?" Fu Wei suddenly felt a headache coming on, as he realized the powerful individual was flying straight towards the asteroid where they were hidden, without any deviation. It was too much of a coincidence.

Moments later, Lu Ye also got a clear look at the newcomer.

His first impression was one of striking handsomeness, an unblemished kind of beauty. In the cultivation world, individuals, regardless of gender, rarely had poor appearances, but Lu Ye had genuinely encountered few as exceptionally handsome as this newcomer.

He also appeared quite young, dressed in a form-fitting green tunic, his posture as straight and sharp as a spear. Such an appearance would undoubtedly easily garner the admiration of many female cultivators.

As Lu Ye stared at the young man's face, he suddenly felt an odd sense of familiarity, as if he had encountered him somewhere before.

Yet, he was certain that if he had ever met such a remarkably handsome young man, he would have remembered him. This had to be their first meeting.

So, where did this peculiar sense of familiarity originate?

Next to him, Fu Wei wore an expression of utter dismay, for the young man was standing directly in front of the asteroid, his gaze fixed precisely on their hiding spot. Were it not for the protective restrictions, their eyes would surely have already met.

But even with the barrier, the young man's stance indicated only one thing: he had already detected their presence!

This was what left Fu Wei utterly speechless. He had rushed back earlier, worried that the gravely injured Lu Ye would be discovered, only to find that even his presence was proving useless.

For a moment, he couldn't tell if it was the newcomer's keen perception or if he had somehow given away their position.

Just as he was wondering what to do, the young man suddenly raised his fist slightly, drawing his arm back.

Seeing this posture, Fu Wei's heart pounded, and he cried out, "Oh no!"

The moment the words left his lips, the handsome young man unleashed a punch. Though seemingly light and lacking force, it struck the invisible restriction without creating a single ripple.

Yet, within the barrier, a sudden surge of violent energy intruded. The not-so-large asteroid shattered instantly, and Lu Ye and Fu Wei shot out, one to the left, one to the right.

The young man's gaze shifted, fixing directly on Lu Ye.

Lu Ye steadied himself and frowned, looking at the newcomer. He clearly sensed intense hostility radiating from the young man, making him wonder about its cause.

Despite Fu Wei being right beside him, the young man completely ignored him, his gaze solely fixed on Lu Ye.

The critical point was that he had never encountered this person before, and there was no way they could have any past grievances.

The young man's sharp gaze brazenly scrutinized Lu Ye's disheveled appearance. After his battle with Pei Lin, he had been brought here by Fu Dong. Although his injuries were healing, Lu Ye hadn't taken the time to tidy himself, so he still looked quite wretched.

"What a waste! With such meager skill, you dare show your face here?" The young man's first words left Lu Ye utterly bewildered.