Chapter 2493: Golden Bud Building

After a brief moment to compose himself, Lu Ye began to assess the improvements brought by his recent breakthrough.

Activating his Dao power, he immediately sensed the difference. Now at the eighth stage of Fusion, the foundational Dao power he could wield had increased by another twenty units compared to before, reaching four hundred and ten units. With the augmentation of the eighth-stage Dao Mark, this figure soared to nearly seven hundred and forty units.

These were all part of Lu Ye's inherent strength, meaning that whether he possessed Dao soldiers or not, his offensive and defensive capabilities in combat remained equally formidable.

Furthermore, with the current enhancements from the Mountain-Slayer Saber, his offensive power against enemies would reach approximately eight hundred and fifty units! He recalled how difficult it had been to improve even a single unit of power when he first entered the Dao, meticulously refining each piece of Dao bone through arduous effort.

However, all those past efforts were finally yielding substantial rewards today.

Because Lu Ye's own foundation was so profound, every cultivation advancement brought significant changes to his strength. Especially at his current level, the increase in power was becoming increasingly substantial compared to previous promotions.

If he continued to progress at this rate, and if he reached the ninth stage of Fusion while Old Man Liao completed his second hurdle, Lu Ye's total power could genuinely surpass a thousand units.

This was a level many Harmonization cultivators could never achieve in their entire lives.

While the Dao power expended was considerable, the gains were equally significant. All in all, Lu Ye was quite satisfied with this advancement.

"Lu Ye, come and test its effects!"

Old Man Liao's voice chimed in from the side.

Lu Ye understood what he meant. He immediately grabbed the Mountain-Slayer Saber, drew it from its sheath, and activated his Dao power. Instantly, the saber hummed, a blue light bloomed along its blade, and space warped around it.

"Not bad at all."

Old Man Liao remarked with an air of composure.

Lu Ye offered no comment, though in his mind, it was more than "not bad." Compared to before, the augmentation of the eighth-stage Divine Edge Dao Mark had clearly elevated the Mountain-Slayer Saber's sharpness to a new level.

Previously, when he wielded the Mountain-Slayer Saber against enemies, Dao soldiers of the Fusion stage couldn't withstand a single blow. Now, they would likely be as fragile as tofu.

This change made Lu Ye somewhat anticipate what it would be like with the augmentation of a ninth-stage Divine Edge Dao Mark.

Nine is the extreme of numbers, and he had heard before that if a Fusion cultivator could stack their Dao Marks to the ultimate extent, there was a high probability of some unknown changes occurring.

With his cultivation improved and the Mountain-Slayer Saber sharpened, confronting formidable enemies in the future would become easier.

Sheathing his saber, Lu Ye then took stock of his remaining Dao Fish. Although he still had a considerable amount, it was clearly not enough for the next advancement. Moreover, having just reached the eighth stage, Lu Ye was not planning to break through again so soon.

However, while he couldn't continue advancing, refining them was still an option. After all, once refined, Dao Fish would become his Dao power reserve, always useful at some point.

Spending another day, Lu Ye refined a portion of the remaining large fish, keeping some as backup, before leisurely standing up.

He had been out for quite some time; it was time to return to Yuanxi City. Although Qin Feng provided care in the Harmony Realm, this was a pure land devoid of Star Abyss aura, making even arduous cultivation impossible.

Yuanxi City was now at least a Heaven-grade Harmonization City, and likely not far from being a Desolate-grade one. Lu Ye had also previously claimed Pellin's blessing. Given the current circumstances, returning to Yuanxi City for intense cultivation and continued accumulation of Dao power was the proper course.

He had intended to bid farewell to Qin Feng, but Gong Mao informed him that Qin Feng was not in the Harmony Realm. With Qin Feng absent, Bobo naturally wasn't there either.

However, Gong Mao had received instructions from Qin Feng to relay a message: if Lu Ye ever encountered any trouble in the future, he should feel free to seek Qin Feng's help.

Leaving the combat arena, Lu Ye headed directly towards the grand hall. Yet, vaguely, he felt as if something was missing.

It wasn't until he entered the grand hall, preparing to return to Yuanxi City, that Lu Ye suddenly realized he had completely forgotten about Fu Wei.

It wasn't that he was careless; rather, ever since they parted ways after entering this place, Fu Wei hadn't contacted him at all, which now amounted to half a month.

He wondered what that fellow was up to.

Lu Ye quickly contacted Fu Wei, informing him that he was returning and asking him to come to his location.

When they had parted earlier, they had exchanged contact methods, so communicating was not an issue as long as they were both within the Harmony Realm.

After waiting for a moment, he finally received a reply from Fu Wei.

Lu Ye checked the message, furrowed his brow, hesitated briefly, and then quickly left the grand hall.

A moment later, Lu Ye stood before a magnificent, colossal building. He looked up, and a large plaque came into view.

Golden Stamen Pavilion!

The name alone didn't reveal much, but a glance at the two rows of tall, curvaceous women in revealing attire standing before the building, combined with the laughter and decadent music emanating from within, made it clear what kind of establishment the Golden Stamen Pavilion was.

Lu Ye hadn't expected to find a brothel in the Harmony Realm. But then he reconsidered: what did it matter if one was a Fusion or Harmonization cultivator? The union of Yin and Yang was a natural instinct for all races and cultivation levels. While some cultivators had their own Dao companions and naturally wouldn't need such places, many more did not, and that's where the Golden Stamen Pavilion served its purpose.

Moreover, given that slavery existed in the Harmony Realm, what was a brothel by comparison? Lu Ye truly hadn't expected that Fu Wei, who appeared so honest and simple with his thick eyebrows and large eyes, would actually visit a brothel upon arriving in the Harmony Realm.

The crucial thing was, not only did he visit, but he was also detained! It made sense: when Lu Ye had parted ways with him, he had given Fu Wei some Dao Fish, but it wasn't much. A place like this clearly incurred significant expenses, far more than Fu Wei's meager resources could cover.

He probably felt too embarrassed to contact Lu Ye even in his predicament. If Lu Ye hadn't reached out first, he might never have known what happened.

Lu Ye was still counting on him to help divine the direction of his Talent Tree's transformation, so he couldn't simply ignore the situation. Besides, Fu Wei was ultimately someone he had brought into the Harmony Realm.

The moment he stood still in front of the Golden Stamen Pavilion, the two rows of women, slender and voluptuous, collectively curtsied and chimed, "Greetings, honored guest."

Lu Ye walked straight through the middle of the two rows, his gaze unwavering, and entered the building.

Immediately, a graceful woman, exuding a delightful fragrance, approached him with a charming smile. "You look new, sir. Is this your first time here?"

Lu Ye nodded.

The woman gestured with her hand, leading the way slightly ahead. "Would the guest care for some drinks, or perhaps something else?"

Lu Ye replied succinctly, "I'm looking for someone!"

The woman looked at him, puzzled. "Who might the guest be looking for?"

If he were a regular, he might be looking for a particular woman here, but as a new face, what could he be searching for?

"A friend of mine has been detained by you," Lu Ye stated. The woman immediately understood. "Ah, I see. So you're his friend."

She smiled, pursing her lips. "Then please follow me, guest."

With that, she led the way.

Her attitude somewhat surprised Lu Ye. Regardless, it was Fu Wei who had erred, and Lu Ye had mentally prepared himself to face some trouble upon arriving here.

He hadn't expected the woman's demeanor to be so accommodating.

He just wondered how Fu Wei was doing.

The Golden Stamen Pavilion was vast. As he followed the woman, they continuously encountered other women of the establishment, all of whom respectfully stepped aside and addressed the woman as Third Madam.

Observing her, Lu Ye vaguely sensed that this Third Madam was a Harmonization cultivator, though he couldn't ascertain her exact strength.

After walking for about the time it takes to steep a cup of tea, they arrived at a courtyard located at the back of the Golden Stamen Pavilion.

The courtyard gate was wide open. Lu Ye followed Third Madam inside and immediately spotted Fu Wei sitting by a rock garden, looking forlornly at a pond.

"This must be the person you're looking for, sir?" Third Madam asked, smiling at Lu Ye. Honestly, though she was called Third Madam, she didn't appear very old and possessed an abundance of charm. Her smile made one feel as if bathed in a spring breeze.

Lu Ye nodded, slightly surprised.

Fu Wei had only mentioned being detained by the Golden Stamen Pavilion, without providing further details. Lu Ye had naturally assumed he had suffered considerably, but now he realized that the Golden Stamen Pavilion had merely confined him here without causing him any harm. Fu Wei appeared completely unharmed, without a single trace of injury.

Such a way of handling things suggested that the Golden Stamen Pavilion was not petty.

Sensing movement nearby, Fu Wei turned his head and met Lu Ye's gaze. First, he showed delight and started to rise to greet him, but then he clearly remembered his embarrassing predicament. His long neck retracted, and he wished he could dive headfirst into the pond before him.

"Aren't you coming over?" Lu Ye snapped, annoyed.

Still retracting his neck, Fu Wei shuffled awkwardly toward Lu Ye, stopping nervously before him. "Senior Brother..." he mumbled.

He hadn't expected things to turn out this way.

Ultimately, he was inexperienced in the world. Before meeting Lu Ye, he had lived entirely within the divination clan's territory. This was his first time venturing out, having followed his ancestor's guidance to a certain wonder to seek his own destiny.

After being brought into the Harmony Realm by Lu Ye, it was like plunging headfirst into a dazzling, vibrant world.

Passing by the Golden Stamen Pavilion, he had suddenly felt a whim and walked in... He was fine when he entered, but then he couldn't leave! Lu Ye didn't know the full extent of his situation, but in front of others, he couldn't say too much. Besides, he wasn't particularly close to Fu Wei himself.

So he turned to Third Madam and asked, "What do we need to do to leave?"

Third Madam smiled gracefully. "You overstate the matter, sir. The Golden Stamen Pavilion is open for business; as long as the guest settles the bill, this establishment will not do anything to cause you trouble."

"How much?"

Lu Ye asked. Fortunately, he had kept some Dao Fish in reserve, otherwise, it would have been quite troublesome.

Third Madam stated a figure.

Lu Ye's eye twitched. He glanced at Fu Wei. "What did you do?"

The figure Third Madam quoted seemed problematic. Had Fu Wei gotten up to something bad here? "I just drank some wine... and then I accidentally drank too much."

Fu Wei almost buried his head in the ground.

End of Chapter.