Chapter 2653: You Come With Me

The moment Xuan Wuzong fled and his mind relaxed, a point of light suddenly condensed somewhere in the void. It trailed a long afterimage, pursuing him at an incredible speed. Where the light passed, deep, lingering imprints were left in the void.

"Sun-Shattering Arrow, Great Yi Bow!" Xuan Wuzong's soul nearly left his body. As he roared, he frantically urged his Dao power, but he still couldn't block the arrow's might. His body flew out like a tattered sack, his blood staining the void.

The instant he stabilized himself, he fled into the distance at an even faster speed than before, his weak voice echoing back: "Xiao Qianchen, may your ancestors be cursed!" He truly had the worst luck imaginable; if Ba Qiu's earlier sword strike meant he would need at least thirty years to recover, then this Sun-Shattering Arrow had extended that recovery period to a hundred years! He was filled with intense regret, realizing he truly shouldn't have spoken that extra word just now. That had led to Ba Qiu targeting and injuring him, and without that injury, Xiao Qianchen's arrow wouldn't have focused on him. This fellow had arrived near the battlefield at some unknown time, remaining hidden and inactive, only to strike a merciless blow at the crucial moment.

"Hahaha, how exhilarating!" From where the arrow was shot, a tall, burly man burst into laughter. With a sabre at his waist and a bow in hand, he turned and vanished after his laugh.

"When did the City Lord of Myriad City arrive as well...?" In Yuan Xi City, Yuan Xi gazed thoughtfully in the direction Xiao Qianchen had departed.

Considering today's conflict, nine of the ten City Lords had made appearances, with only the Dragon Lord of Dragon City remaining unseen.

However, the Dragon Lord of Dragon City might not necessarily have been absent. For an event of such magnitude, Dragon City would certainly be paying attention. Even if the Dragon Lord had come, he would likely remain hidden, observing from the shadows and never easily showing himself. There would be no point in revealing his presence, as it would be unclear whether he was assisting Ba Qiu or acting as his adversary.

"He was likely invited to assist by the one from the Battle Arena," Ni Chiluan said softly.

The conflict in the Snowfield had been instigated by Qin Feng from its very roots. The two major factions involved in the struggle were backed by Blooddrink City and Myriad City.

Given the current scale of the conflict, with the City Lord of Blooddrink City personally entering the fray, how could the City Lord of Myriad City not make an appearance?

"Did you detect him?" Yuan Xi looked at Ni Chiluan.

Ni Chiluan slowly shook her head. She truly hadn't known that Xiao Qianchen was also hidden nearby. She surmised that Xiao Qianchen hadn't detected her presence before she revealed herself.

When cultivators reach their level of power, they each possess unique concealment techniques, making it difficult for others to detect them when they hide in the shadows.

"My Lord, I'll go over there for a moment," Fu Wei requested with clasped fists. It was a rare opportunity to see his ancestor, so he naturally wished to receive some guidance.

"Go on," Yuan Xi waved her hand.

"Senior Brother, would you mind giving me a ride?" Fu Wei turned to look at Lu Ye.

Lu Ye was momentarily stunned, then nodded. "Of course, no problem."

The great battle had now concluded, and all powerful enemies had fled. The only remaining forces near the battlefield were Yuan Xi City and Yi Fu City, so there should theoretically be no danger. Therefore, Lu Ye wasn't sure why Fu Wei wanted him to escort him, but since Fu Wei had asked, he naturally wouldn't refuse. In terms of speed, he was indeed much faster than Fu Wei. Moreover, he also wanted to meet Ba Qiu and personally ask him about matters concerning Liao's advancement.

Immediately, he activated his Dao power, enveloping Fu Wei and soaring towards Yi Fu City.

The myriad stars that had hovered above Yi Fu City had vanished, and the giant tortoise bearing the city had transformed back into its human form. It now stood hunched before the towering Ba Qiu, reaching only to his thighs. Ba Qiu wore a cold sneer on his face, though it was unclear what they were discussing.

"Ancestor!" Fu Wei landed within the city, his voice choked. He took a step forward, knelt on the ground, and bowed his head to the earth. "Greetings, Ancestor!"

"Greetings, City Lord; greetings, Senior Ba Xia," Lu Ye hastily saluted.

Ba Qiu merely nodded slightly. Although the great battle had ended, his surging vitality had not yet settled, indicating that his injuries were still quite severe. Otherwise, he wouldn't be struggling to control his powerful vital energy.

Ba Xia had initially appeared indifferent to Lu Ye, but with a casual glance, his expression suddenly froze. A sharp glint erupted in his seemingly cloudy eyes, and he meticulously scrutinized Lu Ye from head to toe. After a few moments, he turned to look at Ba Qiu, letting out a soft chuckle. "So that's it."

Lu Ye's heart stirred. He clasped his fists and asked, "Senior, do you have something to teach me?"

"Hehe..." Ba Xia chuckled, slowly shaking his head without answering. He simply extended a hand to help Fu Wei, who was kneeling before him, to his feet. "Rise. You have done very well; you will do even better than me."

"Ancestor..." Fu Wei looked up and slowly rose, unsure of what he had done well. All he had done was follow the prophecy his ancestor had left behind, leaving his ancestral land at the appropriate time and heading to the designated place.

The elder and the junior, who hadn't seen each other for hundreds of years, naturally had much to say.

Seeing that Ba Xia was unwilling to converse further, Lu Ye couldn't force him. He then turned to Ba Qiu: "City Lord, I have something I wish to ask for your guidance on."

Ba Qiu lowered his gaze, looking at the Panguan Blade at Lu Ye's waist. "Have you passed the second threshold?"

"Yes, I gained something from this battle, and it has just fallen into slumber."

"You wish to know the subsequent advancement path for your weapon spirit?"

"Please enlighten me, City Lord!"

"You should have some idea yourself," Ba Qiu said indifferently.

Lu Ye's eye twitched. "Is it really as I suspected?"

Ba Qiu replied, "The core principle of a weapon spirit's advancement is consumption. To pass the third threshold, ordinary treasures are no longer sufficient."

Lu Ye's head immediately started to ache. If Liao wanted to advance to a supreme treasure, it would need to consume the power of another supreme treasure. Where could he possibly find one? He didn't have to worry about ordinary treasures; there were many in the Star Abyss Treasury, and he could exchange for them as long as he had enough Star Abyss Coins. But where could he obtain a supreme treasure?

There were no supreme treasures in the Star Abyss Treasury. While supreme treasures did exist in the Inner Realm, they were either owned or unowned. Owned supreme treasures were invariably in the hands of renowned powerhouses, such as the Ten City Lords, or certain Universe-level City Lords and reclusive masters. However, the strength of these individuals wielding supreme treasures was extraordinary, beyond what Lu Ye could currently covet. As for unowned supreme treasures, there was even less hope. They remained unowned precisely because they were too powerful to be easily claimed. For instance, the Luminous Moon Wheel he had encountered earlier: Ba Qiu himself had sustained significant injuries fighting it. If Lu Ye were to challenge it, it would be no different from seeking death. And then there was the Starry Chessboard in this very instance, whose true form Lu Ye couldn't even perceive.

"Did that sword slave just now originate from the same starfield as you?" Ba Qiu suddenly asked.

Lu Ye recovered from his thoughts, his gaze dim, and he nodded. "Yes."

"He was truly remarkable!" Ba Qiu slowly said. "When I fought him, I could feel a strong obsession within his heart. It was that very trace of obsession that eventually allowed him to regain some semblance of sentience."

To receive a compliment from Ba Qiu was undoubtedly a great honor. If Yun Shiwang's spirit was watching from the heavens, he would likely be roaring with laughter.

Ba Qiu continued, "In truth, the greatest number of supreme treasures isn't found in the Inner Realm, but in the starfields. If you have the opportunity, you might visit some starfields; you could find something."

Back then, he and Shang had gone through this process in a certain starfield.

Lu Ye forced a wry smile. For any other cultivator, this might be a viable solution, but not for him. He couldn't remain in the Outer Realm for too long. The last time Qin Feng took him there, it had required considerable effort just to allow him to accompany them. If he couldn't stay in the Outer Realm, then searching for starfields was out of the question. Unless a situation similar to the previous calamity in his own starfield occurred, such as Yun Shiwang directly opening a path to a starfield from the Inner Realm, he wouldn't have the chance to enter other starfields. However, this probability was low. Generally, the connection between starfields and the Star Abyss lay within the Outer Realm.

His head ached from thinking about it, so he decided not to dwell on it further. Instead of worrying about Liao's situation now, it would be better to focus on breaking through and advancing himself. As long as his own strength was sufficient, no supreme treasure would be beyond his grasp.

His mood brightened considerably.

Ripples spread through the void, like stones tossed into a lake. From within the ripples, a graceful and dignified figure stepped out – none other than the Phoenix Lord, who had pursued Gu Mingyue.

The killing intent in her eyes indicated that her pursuit had not yielded full results. However, Gu Mingyue had certainly suffered a significant loss, as the Phoenix Lord held a pale blue, liquid-like substance in her hand, imbued with Gu Mingyue's residual aura.

After appearing, the Phoenix Lord glanced at Ba Qiu before shifting her gaze, speaking very courteously to Ba Xia: "Brother Dao, it has been a long time."

Ba Xia chuckled. "It has been three thousand years. Phoenix Lord, your grace remains as ever."

The Phoenix Lord sighed with emotion. "Indeed, three millennia have passed in a blink... Brother Dao, if you have time, you are welcome to visit the Phoenix Nest."

"Very well," Ba Xia replied.

The Phoenix Lord then turned her gaze to Lu Ye. "Young man, you're coming with me!" As she spoke, she extended a hand and seized him.

"Huh?" Lu Ye was startled. He instinctively tried to resist, but before he could react, the Phoenix Lord pressed him onto her shoulder. His body was sealed by spatial power, and he instantly lost control over it. A chill ran through him. The power of a Ten City Lord-level expert was truly terrifying. He hadn't fully grasped it while observing from afar, but now, experiencing it firsthand, he understood its might.

At the same time, the void behind the Phoenix Lord suddenly twisted, and from within the distortion, a root emerged—it was unmistakably a root from the Primordial Wutong Tree. Earlier, the Phoenix Lord had used a root of the Primordial Wutong Tree to open a wormhole. She could naturally do so again now, and it would be even simpler because traces of the previous wormhole remained here.

The Phoenix Lord looked at Ba Qiu. "You owe me a favor!"

Ba Qiu nodded. "Two!"

He had been able to reach this place by borrowing the power of the Phoenix clan, and during the battle, the Phoenix Lord had also intervened to restrain Gu Mingyue. Indeed, these amounted to two favors.

"Who said I wanted two? I said one, and it's one!" the Phoenix Lord scoffed.

She then turned her head to look aside, as several figures were rapidly approaching from that direction.