Chapter 2488: Broken Small Town, Severely Injured Person

After four transformations, the Talent Tree gained the ability to refine Dao power, which allowed Lu Ye to cultivate much faster than others after entering the Dao.

In fact, over the years, whenever Lu Ye had spare time, he had explored methods for the Talent Tree's subsequent transformations, but he had never grasped the key. After the fourth transformation, the Talent Tree seemed to undergo a qualitative change. Unlike before, when Lu Ye could vaguely sense the conditions required for a transformation, this time he was completely unaware of what to do to satisfy its needs.

As he pondered, Lu Ye suddenly turned his gaze to Fu Wei, who was sitting nearby. Fu Wei wasn't cultivating; he was just idly sitting, watching the situation at the Spectacle from a distance. Noticing Lu Ye's gaze, he slowly turned his head. "Is something wrong, Senior Brother?"

"What can your divination calculate?"

Fu Wei's spirits immediately lifted at the mention of this. He straightened his face and declared, "My Divination Tribe's abilities are uniquely profound; there is nothing in the universe that cannot be divined!"

Lu Ye raised an eyebrow. "Then help me divine something."

Fu Wei's face fell. "Senior Brother, I haven't recovered yet." He had performed a divination for Lu Ye in the Spectacle previously, which had depleted some of his vital energy. To use that secret art again, he would need to wait a while.

"How long will that take?" Lu Ye asked.

"At least three to five years," Fu Wei said with a heavy expression.

"Forget it. You can go back to wherever you came from."

Lu Ye valued Fu Wei's divination ability, which was why he was willing to bring him back to Yuanxi City. But if a single divination required such a long wait, what use was he?

Fu Wei's expression grew pained. *Why is this Senior Brother so impatient?* For a Dao Integration cultivator, three to five years was nothing; the time would pass quickly with a bit of cultivation. However, Lu Ye's stance clearly indicated he wasn't willing to wait.

"It won't take that long," Fu Wei quickly revised. "Perhaps a year or a year and a half would be enough."

"Within half a year!" Lu Ye said, looking at him calmly.

Fu Wei's expression was bitter. "Senior Brother, may I ask what you want me to divine?" If the matter was deeply connected to Lu Ye, the price he would pay would be significant. Of course, if the divination was accurate, the rewards would also be substantial. This was the unique Dao of Destiny of the Divination Tribe, where one's honor and disgrace were inextricably linked to destiny.

"A direction!" Lu Ye wasn't sure how to explain. The Talent Tree couldn't be exposed to outsiders, much less to Fu Wei.

"A direction?" Fu Wei mused. "Is Senior Brother planning to go somewhere?"

"Not that kind of direction. I've encountered a problem, and I don't know which way to think to solve it. I need you to divine a way for me."

"Let me ask you one thing: is this matter very important to Senior Brother?"

"Extremely important. One could say it concerns my future cultivation!"

Fu Wei instantly felt immense pressure. If, as Lu Ye said, it concerned his future cultivation, it was certainly no small matter. If Lu Ye hadn't brought it up in front of him, the matter would have had nothing to do with him. But since Lu Ye did, he couldn't simply stay out of it.

Gritting his teeth, Fu Wei nodded. "Senior Brother, rest assured. I will give you an answer in half a year!"

Lu Ye blinked. "Don't you need to know more?"

"If Senior Brother is willing to share more, of course, I'd like to understand the crux of the matter better. That way, I can get a more accurate result during divination."

Lu Ye was silent for a moment. "There doesn't seem to be anything to say." He mainly didn't know how to explain it.

Fu Wei gave a bitter smile. "Then don't say anything. I will certainly do my best when the time comes."

Lu Ye nodded, then stood up and headed outside.

"Where are you going, Senior Brother?" Fu Wei immediately made to follow.

"You wait here. I'll be back soon," Lu Ye's voice echoed as he quickly departed. He had just noticed that the Talent Tree's fuel consumption was quite severe and needed replenishment. Fortunately, replenishing fuel was no trouble for him now; he simply needed to find a great sun and fully devour and refine it.

A day later, Lu Ye submerged himself into a dazzling great sun. Five days later, when he emerged, the great sun's radiance had become extremely dim and highly unstable, appearing as if it could explode at any moment.

In the starry sky, Lu Ye wouldn't dare to act so recklessly. Generally, areas with a sun usually showed signs of existing domains, and if a sun were destroyed, nearby domains would inevitably suffer disaster. However, this was the Inner Realm of the Star Abyss, so he didn't need to worry so much. The entire Star Abyss was composed of countless fragmented star regions merged and pieced together. When the star region shattered, very few domains could be preserved, and even if they were, the living beings within them might not have survived.

Upon his leisurely return, Lu Ye saw Fu Wei staring in horror at the Spectacle ahead. Lu Ye landed and stood beside him, then looked up. He saw that the Spectacle ahead was covered in a layer of crimson light, which looked identical to the light he had encountered inside the Spectacle earlier.

He didn't know if this was the work of Ba Qiu or the power of the Supreme Treasure, but from the current situation, the conflict between the two had likely reached its final stage. Around the Spectacle, many Dao Integration cultivators were observing from a distance, eager to see the final outcome.

Just like that, another three days passed.

At a certain moment, the crimson light covering the entire Spectacle suddenly receded like a tide, vanishing completely in the blink of an eye, as if it had never been there. At the same time, Lu Ye clearly felt that the Spectacle ahead had become somewhat different from before. Given the current situation, even he was curious: who was stronger, Ba Qiu or the Supreme Treasure?

He darted forward, quickly appearing beside Kun Li, and asked, "Brother Li, who won?"

Kun Li shook his head. "Who knows?"

Lu Ye glanced sideways. He had thought Kun Li might have discerned something, but even he was completely unaware. What then had these Dao Integration cultivators been watching for so many days?

"Let's go in and see!" Kun Li said, then indeed darted towards the interior of the Spectacle. As he moved, several Dao Integration cultivators nearby eagerly followed. Not only that, but many other Dao Integration cultivators from all around also made the same choice. Lu Ye thought for a moment, then followed behind Kun Li.

Soon, many cultivators passed through what was once the Spectacle's barrier. Previously, when Lu Ye passed through here, he clearly felt like he was breaking through a thin film, but this time there was no such sensation. Once inside, what he saw when he looked around left him astonished.

Inside the entire Spectacle, space was shattered like shards of a broken mirror strewn across the ground. In every direction, there were spiderweb-like void cracks. These cracks varied in size, with chaotic auras emanating from them. Occasionally, the wails and laments of void beasts could be heard from within. This was merely the edge of the Spectacle. The place where Ba Qiu and the Supreme Treasure had fought was clearly at its very center. If even the periphery was like this, one could imagine the devastation in the central region.

Countless Dao Integration cultivators watched in awe. Although they were all Dao Integration cultivators themselves, in terms of strength, most of them probably weren't even fit to carry Ba Qiu's shoes.

"Truly worthy of being an old monster," Kun Li remarked with a sigh. "No one in the entire Inner Realm can probably match this level of strength. If he survives this battle, he will truly cement his position as the strongest in the Inner Realm."

Although it had long been rumored that Ba Qiu was the strongest in the Inner Realm, unrivaled by anyone, it was ultimately just a rumor without concrete proof. Even when Ba Qiu single-handedly stormed Saint Dragon City three thousand years ago and retreated unscathed, it did not create as great a shock as the current scene. As Kun Li said, if Ba Qiu was still alive after this battle, he would be the undisputed strongest in the Inner Realm, bar none! Even the city lords of the other ten great Dao Integration cities would not deny the significance of this title.

"He might not survive. That person from Blood Drink City who broke in back then was also heavily wounded and had to flee, and it seems his injuries haven't fully healed even now," someone said, shaking their head.

"They can't be compared. The one from Blood Drink City didn't enter with his Dao Integration City then. His original intention was merely to peacefully persuade and subdue the Bright Moon Wheel. Who knew the Bright Moon Wheel would completely ignore him, leading to some conflicts? But now, Ba Qiu has arrived, commanding a Dao Integration City; this is the true display of peak power."

For figures like the city lords of the ten great Dao Integration cities, the difference in strength with or without the amplification of a Dao Integration City is immense. One could say that Ba Qiu, commanding the City of Lone Husband, represents the strongest power in the entire Inner Realm.

"City of Lone Husband!" A gasp suddenly came from not far away. At the same time, many Dao Integration cultivators noticed and turned their heads to look in one direction.

Lu Ye did the same. What met his eyes was a seemingly dilapidated city slowly drifting out from within the Spectacle—it was precisely the City of Lone Husband, which he had entered and exited before! And in the center of that city, on a skeletal throne, sat a majestic figure. Who else could it be but Ba Qiu? As the City of Lone Husband passed, the previous clamor instantly turned to dead silence. All the Dao Integration cultivators scattered, their gazes complex as they watched the figure on the skeletal throne.

Ba Qiu was still alive; his powerful life force couldn't be faked. However, anyone could sense that he was injured because his aura was highly unstable. It wasn't until the City of Lone Husband was nearby that Lu Ye realized Ba Qiu's injuries looked very severe. The upper half of his clothes were torn, and his exposed skin was covered in wounds, each one appearing shocking.

Adhering to those wounds were strange crimson lights, flickering as if alive. Even Ba Qiu's entire body was pierced by crimson lights, making him look like a porcupine at first glance. He remained seated there, leaning casually, one hand propping his chin, the other resting by his side, his Dao Soldier greatsword nearby. Though he appeared disheveled, even in this state, he exuded an overwhelming domineering presence. Wherever his gaze fell, no one dared to meet his eyes.

A dilapidated small city, and a heavily wounded man, slowly drifted out of the Spectacle under the gaze of numerous Dao Integration powerhouses. Lu Ye watched, his heart stirred with emotion. Fu Wei, standing beside him, was filled with worry but found it difficult to say much. It was his ancestor who had a connection with Ba Qiu; he was, after all, merely a junior. This was also why he had dared to rescue the heavily wounded Lu Ye right under Ba Qiu's nose earlier—because he was certain Ba Qiu would recognize his identity and not make things difficult for him.