Chapter 2753: Five Transformations (Happy Lantern Festival to Everyone)

Related to the novel.

The Blood Source Sea is a wonder, and it's not surprising that many supreme treasures are born from such a wonder.

What puzzled Lu Ye was how Blood Scourge could possibly ignore a supreme treasure if one truly existed here. Given his capabilities, he should have long since refined and claimed it.

Even stranger was the faint sense of familiarity he felt from the supreme treasure's aura, as if he had encountered it somewhere before.

However, that feeling was fleeting. When Lu Ye tried to sense it more carefully after noticing it, he could no longer perceive anything.

For a moment, he even wondered if it was just his imagination.

Frowning, Lu Ye dismissed the thought. His priority now was to escape this troubled place; a supreme treasure, no matter how valuable, was not as important as his own life.

His figure darted forward, flying ahead.

Thirty breaths later, Lu Ye's figure returned, his gaze fixed on the depths of the thick blood mist.

There was indeed the aura of a supreme treasure. He had sensed it again just now, and this time, it was even clearer.

Lu Ye finally knew what that supreme treasure was.

The Starry Sky Chessboard!

In the Snowy Plains, the Starry Sky Chessboard had appeared, drawing countless Integration Cities and cultivators into it. A fierce battle had ensued, causing innumerable casualties. Afterward, Blood Scourge's clone lured Yun Shiwang, who wielded the Heavenly Pivot Sword, while Tyrant Qiong, commanding One-Husband City, forcibly entered the battlefield.

After that battle, Tyrant Qiong shattered the Heavenly Pivot Sword, Yun Shiwang passed away, and Blood Scourge and others escaped with injuries. The Starry Sky Chessboard vanished without a trace.

This supreme treasure was inherently elusive. Blood Scourge's ability to discover its whereabouts back then must have been a fortunate coincidence, and he had likely schemed for years to draw it out during the battle in the Snowy Plains.

He had originally intended to refine it during that battle, but unforeseen complications arose, leading to his failure.

Why would this item appear in the Blood Source Sea?

Could it be that after the Starry Sky Chessboard escaped that day, it came directly to the Blood Source Sea?

But that would be too much of a coincidence. Moreover, from previous observations, the Starry Sky Chessboard seemed to have developed some intelligence. While it might not possess clear thought, it definitely had an instinct for seeking fortune and avoiding calamity.

There was no logical reason for it to come right under Blood Scourge's nose. The Star Abyss was vast; any other location would have been safer than this.

Furthermore, in Lu Ye's perception, the Starry Sky Chessboard's aura had flashed and vanished, as if it were being suppressed by some force.

He was truly curious about the current state of this supreme treasure.

Following the direction of the aura, Lu Ye ventured deeper.

The further he went, the denser the blood mist became, almost solidifying into a sea of blood. From time to time, the Starry Sky Chessboard's aura would surge, but it would quickly be suppressed again by some force.

A day later, upon reaching the very center of the Blood Source Sea, Lu Ye immediately spotted an anomaly.

In that direction, a colossal blood-red figure, vast enough to span heaven and earth, sat cross-legged. Its hands were clasped loosely, eyes closed in concentration, and its body pulsated with power.

Before this figure lay a chessboard, from which various attacks constantly erupted, striking the colossal blood-red figure, only to be neutralized and rendered invisible.

The chessboard trembled occasionally, seemingly trying to break free from its current predicament, but it was firmly suppressed.

Each tremor it made triggered various phenomena in the surroundings.

The disturbances Lu Ye had sensed on his way here were precisely caused by this.

His pupils involuntarily contracted, and a chill shot straight to his scalp!

Ever since he learned he was banished to the territory of the Insect and Blood tribes, he had constantly worried about drawing out Blood Scourge. If this one of the Ten Great City Lords were to personally intervene, Lu Ye knew he would be utterly defenseless.

Fortunately, Blood Scourge had not appeared.

Lu Ye had previously assumed that Blood Scourge had been injured by Tyrant Qiong and was still recovering.

Now he knew that wasn't the case!

Blood Scourge might have been injured initially, but his wounds had long since healed. The reason he hadn't shown himself wasn't for recovery, but because he was here, subduing and refining the supreme treasure!

The colossal blood-red figure before him was clearly Blood Scourge's Dharmakaya.

And the chessboard before him was precisely the Starry Sky Chessboard that had appeared in the Snowy Plains that day!

Why was this supreme treasure here?

It certainly couldn't have come here on its own; it must have been brought by Blood Scourge.

This implied that during the battle in the Snowy Plains, Blood Scourge must have left some hidden maneuver within the Starry Sky Chessboard. That was how he was able to track the treasure's whereabouts again after it escaped and subsequently bring it back to the Blood Source Sea.

Within the Blood Source Sea, the Blood Tribe's bloodline became extremely active. Blood Scourge refining the supreme treasure here would undoubtedly yield twice the results with half the effort.

In an instant, Lu Ye roughly grasped the truth of the situation.

He immediately held his breath, focused his mind, and suppressed all his aura, slowly retreating.

Curiosity kills the cat. If he had known Blood Scourge was here, he would never have come back.

Now, he only hoped that Blood Scourge, being engrossed in refining the supreme treasure, wouldn't be distracted and wouldn't notice his arrival, thus giving him a slim chance of survival.

Just as he feared, the moment he moved, Blood Scourge suddenly opened his eyes, his blood-red pupils reflecting Lu Ye's stealthy retreating figure.

The instant their eyes met, Lu Ye's mind tensed. He immediately gripped his Pan Mountain Saber, his entire body frozen in place.

One breath...

Two breaths...

Three breaths...

In utter silence, Lu Ye felt immense pressure, like a mountain bearing down on him.

After a few more breaths, Lu Ye finally moved, transforming into a streak of blood-red light and fleeing backward, instantly disappearing into the distance, his back drenched in cold sweat.

Blood Scourge merely watched him coldly from beginning to end, making no move.

Only after running a great distance did Lu Ye secretly feel a surge of dread.

This encounter was undoubtedly fortunate because Blood Scourge was clearly at a critical stage of refining the supreme treasure and couldn't afford to be distracted. Thus, even after seeing Lu Ye, he was powerless to do anything and could only watch him leave.

Lu Ye did consider disrupting Blood Scourge's efforts to subdue the treasure, but if he actually did so and the Starry Sky Chessboard escaped, he would be the one to suffer. Blood Scourge would surely pursue him relentlessly.

Self-preservation was paramount now, so Lu Ye naturally wouldn't commit such a foolish act.

However, he had not flown much further when his mind suddenly stirred, and a look of delight appeared on his face.

At this time, Tai Kun stood with Flying Locust in Flying Locust City, receiving intelligence from all directions.

Since Jade Dragonfly's death a few days prior, Lu Ye had vanished without a trace. He had stopped conquering any Integration Cities and hadn't shown himself publicly.

This made it difficult for them to find Lu Ye's whereabouts.

They didn't even know if he had left the Blood Source Sea.

Their spirits were utterly dejected. In this confrontation with Lu Ye, not only had many Integration Cities been lost, but Jade Dragonfly, a Cosmic-grade City Lord, had also fallen in battle. Tai Kun didn't know how to explain it to the Blood Lord.

Just as he was anxious, his expression suddenly shifted, and he turned to Flying Locust: "Lu Ye is still in the Blood Source Sea!"

"You have news?" Flying Locust's spirits lifted.

Tai Kun nodded: "The Blood Lord sent a direct message."

Flying Locust was astonished: "Lord Blood Lord sent a message? How could he know Lu Ye is still in the Blood Source Sea?"

Tai Kun gave him a profound look.

Flying Locust was even more bewildered: "Could it be that Lord Blood Lord is here? If so, why doesn't he act personally?"

This was also Tai Kun's own uncertainty. However, as a subordinate, he didn't need to ask too many questions; he only had to follow orders. Blood Scourge had previously informed them that he was preoccupied with important matters and could not leave his post.

However, Blood Scourge had never told anyone that he was refining the Starry Sky Chessboard.

He had originally planned to quietly acquire this supreme treasure in the depths of the Blood Source Sea, but unexpectedly, Lu Ye stumbled upon his whereabouts today.

If not for being at such a critical stage of refining, he would never have allowed Lu Ye to leave.

Just as Lu Ye had suspected, during the battle in the Snowy Plains, although Blood Scourge had left in defeat, he hadn't been without gains. He had secretly left a hidden mark within the Starry Sky Chessboard, and after much effort, he had managed to locate the supreme treasure again and forcibly bring it back to the Blood Source Sea.

Within this wonder, his Blood Tribe bloodline greatly aided him, allowing him to refine this supreme treasure more easily.

A short while later, within the Blood Source Sea, the numerous Integration Cities, which had been aimlessly searching, began to move again. Under Tai Kun and Flying Locust's coordination, they pursued Lu Ye in the direction he had fled. Furthermore, a large number of Integration Cities also converged from the opposite direction to intercept him.

At this moment, Lu Ye was experiencing the wondrous changes occurring within his body.

He had never expected the Talent Tree to complete its metamorphosis at this very moment!

This was an unexpected delight, as Lu Ye had originally thought he would have to wait much longer.

Upon introspecting, he saw that the Talent Tree, which had previously transformed into a seed of fire, had once again spread its branches and leaves. Its crown was lush, with fierce flames burning on each leaf. Within its trunk, a vast reserve of Dao power made the trunk appear a dazzling gold, as if golden light flowed within it.

From its appearance alone, this metamorphosis of the Talent Tree didn't seem to show any significant changes compared to before.

But Lu Ye knew that the Talent Tree had definitely undergone changes.

Because with each metamorphosis, this inherited item would acquire new abilities.

This was the Talent Tree's fifth metamorphosis.

Lu Ye vaguely remembered that when he first acquired this inheritance, the Talent Tree only allowed him to refine the spiritual energy of heaven and earth more easily.

After the first metamorphosis, the Talent Tree gained the ability to devour, allowing it to absorb power from spirit stones, and it also manifested a Talent Tree clone.

After the second metamorphosis, the Talent Tree acquired the profound ability to deduce spirit patterns, enabling him to construct spirit patterns more quickly and conveniently.

The third metamorphosis allowed it to accelerate the deduction of spirit patterns, and its power became gentler, making it usable on others. The cursed poison of the Merfolk tribe beneath the Myriad Phenomena Sea was resolved thanks to this.

As for the fourth time... the Talent Tree gained the ability to refine Dao power, becoming Lu Ye's Dao foundation and a vessel for his Dao power reserves.

Now was the fifth time.

Lu Ye was incredibly eager to see what new changes the Talent Tree would bring.

He soon noticed.

Because just moments after the Talent Tree completed its metamorphosis, an anomaly on the tree began to stir.

It was a flower bud.

This bud had existed even before the Talent Tree underwent its metamorphosis.

It had emerged after the Talent Tree devoured ninety-nine subordinate treasures of the Myriad Poison Pearl back in the Giant Spirit Starry Sky.

However, after this bud appeared, it had remained dormant. Later, Lu Ye had the Talent Tree devour a few more subordinate treasures, after which it entered its state of metamorphosis.

And now, this flower bud had undergone a new transformation!