Chapter 2551: Enough of a Big Gimmick

The lotus seed was an unexpected boon. In other Harmony Cities, this small item merely served to increase the yield of Dao Fish in the Dao Pond. However, here in Yuanxi City, its potential for the future was immense.

It was not unique. All Ten Greats possessed their own lotus seeds, and some other Harmony Cities had also, by chance, acquired this treasure in the Snow Plains. However, its potent venom was so formidable that even a Harmony Realm cultivator found it difficult to resist. Consequently, in the current Inner Realm, apart from Lu Ye, no one truly had the ability to use it for attacking cities. Perhaps such individuals existed, but their strength was far beyond ordinary comprehension; a casual strike from them would shatter the void, rendering any external aid unnecessary.

Lu Ye returned to his residence and tallied his Star Abyss Coins. The extensive slaughter during this period had allowed him to accumulate Star Abyss Coins rapidly. In particular, the deaths of Harmony Realm cultivators almost invariably yielded at least one Star Abyss Coin each. Although the probability of obtaining coins from killing Integration Realm cultivators had significantly decreased, it was not zero. In fact, most of his Star Abyss Coins were acquired by slaying Integration Realm cultivators.

The current number of Star Abyss Coins was sufficient for him to redeem a Sub-treasure from the Star Abyss Treasury. What made him hesitate was whether to send this Sub-treasure to the arena or simply let the Talent Tree devour it. He had previously speculated that for the Talent Tree to undergo another transformation, it would need to absorb the mysterious essence within a Sub-treasure as advancement material. Thus, he was eager to verify if this idea held true. Although the Talent Tree had consumed a Dice of Destiny a long time ago, he had neglected to observe the Talent Tree's changes at that time, focusing solely on accumulating Dao power. If he had paid more attention to the Talent Tree's changes back then, he wouldn't be hesitating now.

After much deliberation, Lu Ye still took the redeemed Sub-treasure and headed out. He decided to send this Sub-treasure to the arena. Liao's advancement required devouring a Sub-treasure, and this matter was urgent because Liao was his Dao Soldier, crucial to the foundation of his future Harmony Realm cultivation. Therefore, while he was still in the Integration Realm, it was naturally better for Liao to be as strong as possible. Fortunately, with the recent cessation of hostilities, both his city and City Lord Zhao's group were recuperating, making it an opportune time to address this.

He passed through the Central Grand Hall and entered the Union Realm. Lu Ye, familiar with the route, arrived at the arena.

“Has Brother Feng not returned yet?” Lu Ye asked, looking at Gong Mao, who had come to greet him.

Gong Mao replied, “The Arena Master returned once before but left again after only a few days. However, he left instructions for us to fully cooperate with you, Daoist Friend, should you have any matters, without fail.”

Lu Ye took out the Sub-treasure he had redeemed earlier and handed it to Gong Mao, saying, “Then, Brother Gong, please arrange another death match!”

Gong Mao took it, examining it closely, and asked with surprise and uncertainty, “Daoist Friend, is this another Sub-treasure?”

Lu Ye nodded.

Gong Mao was greatly astonished. Lu Ye had already provided two Sub-treasures to the arena, asking them to find suitable cultivators to bestow them upon and arrange death matches against him. This was already the third one. Ordinarily, even powerful Harmony Realm cultivators found it exceedingly difficult to obtain a single Sub-treasure. How was Lu Ye, an Integration Realm cultivator, managing to acquire one every now and then?

Observing that the Sub-treasure was clearly a sword, and knowing Gong Mao was not someone with shallow knowledge, he scrutinized it and raised an eyebrow, asking, “Daoist Friend, is this the Spring Radiance Sword?”

Lu Ye blinked. He had merely redeemed this Sub-treasure from the Star Abyss Treasury and genuinely didn't know which supreme treasure it had originated from. The previous two Sub-treasures had been identified by Qin Feng.

“Presumably,” Lu Ye replied vaguely.

“It would be such a pity if a Sub-treasure like this were destroyed,” Gong Mao said, wincing. From the two previous death matches, it seemed that any Sub-treasure used against Lu Ye ultimately met the fate of destruction.

“This sword doesn't seem particularly impressive,” Lu Ye said, confused. The one he had redeemed this time required the fewest Star Abyss Coins, meaning it should be among the lowest quality Sub-treasures. He didn't understand why Gong Mao would say that.

Gong Mao looked up at Lu Ye, suddenly realizing he might not know what kind of Sub-treasure it was. He then asked, “Daoist Friend, do you know of the Four Seasons Divine Swords?”

Lu Ye shook his head.

“No wonder then…” Gong Mao said, with an expression that confirmed his suspicion. “This Spring Radiance Sword is a Sub-treasure birthed from the supreme treasure, the Four Seasons Divine Swords. Generally, supreme treasures only birth one type of Sub-treasure, but there are a few exceptions, and the Four Seasons Divine Swords are one of them. They birth a total of four types of Sub-treasures, corresponding to the changing seasons. A single Sub-treasure on its own might not be much, but it is rumored that if all four are gathered, they can unleash a trace of the supreme treasure’s power.”

“There’s such a thing?” Lu Ye asked, surprised. Then he recalled the Creation Vine. According to Gong Mao's words, the Creation Vine, as a supreme treasure, should be similar in type to the Four Seasons Divine Swords, and it even birthed more Sub-treasures than the Four Seasons Divine Swords, as it could produce seven treasure gourds. It was rumored that if all seven treasure gourds were gathered, one could glimpse the wonders of creation.

There was indeed a treasure gourd in the Star Abyss Treasury, but even if Lu Ye redeemed it, completing the set seemed far off. Besides the Pill Gourd and Fire Gourd he left in the Starry Sky, and the Sword Gourd he carried, he had no idea where to find the others. He took the opportunity to glance at the Star Abyss Treasury and noticed another sword with an aura somewhat similar to the Spring Radiance Sword, though its blade was crimson, likely corresponding to a summer-themed Sub-treasure. However, there was no sign of the other two Sub-treasure longswords. No wonder it was so inexpensive. It now seemed that to unleash its true power, all four would need to be redeemed together.

“Daoist Friend, do you wish to keep this sword?” Gong Mao urged.

Lu Ye shook his head and said, “There’s nothing to regret if it can be put to good use. I’ll use this treasure.” Primarily, he had no Star Abyss Coins left to redeem anything else. Currently at Integration Realm Eighth Stage, he still hoped to "get rich quick" from the arena, obtaining enough Dao Fish to advance to Integration Realm Ninth Stage. And once he reached Integration Realm Ninth Stage, he could begin his advancement to the Harmony Realm. As for Sub-treasures… as long as the supreme treasures existed, more would always be birthed. All he needed to do was acquire enough Star Abyss Coins.

Seeing that persuasion was futile, Gong Mao could only agree, but then suddenly remembered something: “However, Daoist Friend, now is actually not a suitable time for a death match.”

“Why is that?” Lu Ye humbly asked.

Gong Mao sighed, “The Snow Plains are in turmoil. Within this Inner Realm, countless Harmony Cities, large and small, are embroiled in it. Right now, the Snow Plains are the center of the entire Inner Realm. Even those not directly involved are paying close attention. Affected by this, the arena’s foot traffic and business have significantly decreased. So, Daoist Friend, if you wish to engage in a death match at this time, it might not be easy to gain much attention.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Ye frowned. He didn't need attention; what he needed was a large quantity of Dao Fish. However, without sufficient attention, there would be no way to attract spectators to place bets, which would naturally have a significant impact on his subsequent income. In his plan, this was his last death match in the arena under the identity of the Anonymous Guest. Therefore, he would likely no longer have the opportunity to acquire a large quantity of Dao Fish in a single go as before. This final match was crucial, as the Dao Fish he obtained would affect the speed of his advancement to the Harmony Realm.

“What if there's a significant gimmick?” Lu Ye asked.

“How significant?” Gong Mao asked, a little curious.

“I want to fight a Harmony Realm cultivator!”

Gong Mao froze upon hearing this, taking a full two seconds to react. “What did you say, Daoist Friend?” He wondered if he had misheard, or if Lu Ye had misspoken, then immediately asked, “Have you already advanced to the Harmony Realm, Daoist Friend?” If he recalled correctly, during the Anonymous Guest's last death match, the arena's records showed him at Integration Realm Seventh Stage. How much time had passed for him to have already advanced to the Harmony Realm? This cultivation advancement speed was simply too fast. His thinking was logical; after all, if Lu Ye hadn't advanced to the Harmony Realm, how could he propose fighting a Harmony Realm cultivator?

Lu Ye slowly shook his head. “If I were in the Harmony Realm, there would be no gimmick. I am currently at Integration Realm Eighth Stage, and I can assure you, I will remain at this cultivation level during the death match.”

Gong Mao’s expression changed. “Daoist Friend, are you not joking?” An Integration Realm Eighth Stage challenging a Harmony Realm cultivator—releasing this news would undoubtedly attract immense attention, even with the turmoil in the Snow Plains. It was almost foreseeable that if this battle truly took place, it would pack the entire arena. Because since its establishment, the arena had never hosted a death match with such a vast disparity in cultivation levels. This would be a death match worth the arena investing all its efforts into promoting!

“Brother Gong,” Lu Ye said in a calm tone. “In my first death match, my opponent was at Integration Realm Ninth Stage. In the second, my opponent was at Integration Realm Peak. I defeated stronger foes in both matches, establishing the Anonymous Guest’s reputation. What kind of opponent do you think would be suitable for me if there were another match? Still an Integration Realm Peak? That would likely no longer be appealing. Therefore, my opponent can only be a Harmony Realm cultivator!”

It was precisely for this reason that Lu Ye clearly knew this would be the Anonymous Guest’s last battle in the arena, a farewell match. Because after this battle, if the Anonymous Guest were to fight again, spectators would blindly bet on him. At that point, not only would he fail to earn Dao Fish, but he might also cause the arena to lose money.

Gong Mao was well aware of this principle. In fact, he had considered this after Lu Ye's last victory, but he had never imagined Lu Ye would challenge a Harmony Realm cultivator. He had thought of arranging other Integration Realm Peak opponents for Lu Ye. This would still be a weaker fighter challenging a stronger one, still attracting many cultivators to watch. While it might incur some losses, it would still bring immense popularity to the arena, and if they could earn a little, that would be even better. However, he never expected Lu Ye’s ambition to be so great, directly wanting to challenge a Harmony Realm cultivator.

“Absolutely not!” Gong Mao shook his head vigorously. “I cannot make this decision. If the Arena Master finds out later, I'll be in deep trouble.”