Chapter 2827: New Fuel

Winds Stir Kyushu

After this recent attempt, Lu Ye confirmed the method's feasibility. At this very moment, the power of the Talent Tree was incinerating the corrosive energy accumulated within the Primordial Parasol Tree. If this corrosive energy were considered a special kind of poison, then Lu Ye was currently detoxifying the Primordial Parasol Tree. While no immediate results might be apparent, sustained effort would eventually yield success.

Lu Ye unbuckled the Pan Shan Blade from his waist and laid it across his knees. He drew the blade, revealing a faint, ethereal glow slowly rippling across its previously dark surface. Gazing at the inconspicuous glow, Lu Ye sighed inwardly.

After the battle with Ba Qiu, Liao fell into a deep slumber. This was undoubtedly a sign of its impending advancement; when it awoke again someday, it would be able to ascend to the level of a supreme treasure. Many years ago, Ba Qiu had told Lu Ye that for Liao to advance to a supreme treasure, it had to cleave another supreme treasure, just as it had done for its advancement at the subordinate treasure level. However, over the years, Lu Ye had never found a suitable opportunity. While he had encountered many supreme treasures, none met the necessary conditions. This had been a persistent problem for Lu Ye because, as his strength grew, the Pan Shan Blade, though still sharp at the subordinate treasure level, was starting to fall behind his combat pace.

Unexpectedly, the battle with Ba Qiu resolved this dilemma. Strictly speaking, Shang was not shattered by Liao. This weapon-spirit had been nurtured by Ba Qiu for countless millennia, having ascended to the supreme treasure level untold ages ago, and was even considered a top-tier entity among supreme treasures. Even if the Pan Shan Blade was incredibly sharp, it was still only a subordinate treasure and could not possibly have shattered Shang. She shattered herself!

Lu Ye could clearly sense at the time that with every fierce clash against Ba Qiu, a trace of mystery would flow from Shang and pour into the Pan Shan Blade. Through countless collisions, Shang repeatedly infused its essence into the Pan Shan Blade. This was a unique inheritance between two weapon-spirits. After quietly observing the Pan Shan Blade for a while, Lu Ye returned it to its sheath, dispelling the sorrow in his eyes. The departed were gone, and dwelling on their memory was futile. Only by inheriting their will and continuing to forge ahead could the living live up to the expectations of their predecessors.

Immediately after, he took out a large package. When the package was unfolded, countless densely packed fragments of the Dao Integration Pearl lay before him. These were the remnants of Yi Fu City's Dao Integration Pearl, and they would be his reliance for cultivating the ninth level of his Minor World Secret Art. Once all these fragments were refined and integrated into the Dao Integration Pearl within his own Minor World, his Dao Integration Pearl would be able to advance to the Cosmic level, providing him with further room for improvement in his strength.

Lu Ye reached out and picked up one fragment from the countless pieces. This fragment appeared no different from the others, almost identical in fact, yet Lu Ye could clearly sense that it was unique. It was a core fragment of the Dao Integration Pearl, one of only ten in existence! Its presence was precisely what enabled the creation of the Ten Great Dao Integration Cities. The reason the Ten Great City Lords could enjoy a portion of the Dao Integration Pearl's amplification power simply by being within the Inner Realm was due to the presence of these core fragments. City Lords below the Cosmic level, however, could not. To benefit from the Dao Integration Pearl's amplification, they had to remain within the radiation range of their own Dao Integration City; outside this range, they would receive no benefit whatsoever.

As he quietly observed, Lu Ye activated a portion of the Talent Tree's power to begin refining this fragment. In a matter of moments, the fragment vanished from his hand, integrating into his Minor World. The next moment, Lu Ye suddenly raised an eyebrow, looking up towards a certain direction with a suspicious expression. Just now, he had inexplicably developed a peculiar sensation, as if something in that direction resonated with the Dao Integration Pearl within him. Before he could figure out what was happening, several more sensations emerged from different directions. In total, there were nine! And one of them... was nearby! Lu Ye couldn't help but turn his head in that direction, staring fixedly for a moment, a look of astonishment on his face. The source of the nearby sensation, incredibly, was located in the central hall of the Phoenix Nest! He immediately realized what was going on. The sensations he felt were clearly from other core fragments of the Dao Integration Pearl; otherwise, it wouldn't be such a coincidence to have nine of them, with one located in the central hall of the Phoenix Nest.

"Do core fragments resonate with each other?" This thought immediately popped into Lu Ye's mind. But he quickly felt that something wasn't quite right. After a moment's thought, he focused his mind and used the Dragon Scroll in his Divine Sea to send a message to Dragon Venerable. Soon, Dragon Venerable's voice echoed in his mind: "The core fragment of Blood Drink City? We haven't found it. After Phoenix Lord and I shattered Blood Drink City's Dao Integration Pearl that day, we did seize some spoils, but the core fragment wasn't among them. We don't know where that fragment has ended up." When they broke the Dao Integration Pearl of Blood Drink City, Dragon Venerable and Phoenix Lord had indeed paid attention, but the core fragment was indistinguishable from ordinary fragments, so they couldn't identify the one they sought. They later examined all the seized items one by one, but found no trace of the core fragment, eventually having to abandon the search.

Lu Ye's heart stirred, and he immediately understood that this unique sensation was something only he could perceive; otherwise, Dragon Venerable and Phoenix Lord would have long since recovered Blood Drink City's core fragment. This unique ability was likely not due to the Minor World Secret Art. Lu Ye speculated that the most probable reason was the Dao Integration Pearl Spirit residing within him. It was precisely because the Dao Integration Pearl Spirit was within him that he could experience this sensation. He hadn't had it before because he lacked the core fragment as a medium; to sense other core fragments, one naturally needed an identical fragment to act as a conduit.

"'If Dragon Venerable wishes to find that core fragment, you can send people to search in this location...'" Lu Ye messaged. If he weren't currently unable to leave, he could have gone to search for it himself. With his current perception, he could easily acquire that core fragment. However, a single core fragment held little practical use for him. On the other hand, if Dragon City obtained another core fragment, it could completely establish another one of the Ten Great Dao Integration Cities! "'What have you sensed, young man?'" Dragon Venerable asked, highly curious. Otherwise, why would Lu Ye so confidently indicate a specific location? "'It's hard to say for now. Dragon Venerable can send people to investigate first,'" Lu Ye replied, offering little explanation. Dragon Venerable immediately agreed. Recently, not just Dragon City but all major forces had been dispatching cultivators to search for the whereabouts of that core fragment. Unfortunately, none had had any success, and Dragon City naturally had many personnel scattered across the region. As Dragon Venerable's order was issued, numerous scattered cultivators converged towards the location Lu Ye had indicated.

Lu Ye continued to refine the Dao Integration Pearl fragments. To his surprise, with the integration of that core fragment, his efficiency in refining the other fragments had drastically improved. If refining fragments were likened to eating, previously Lu Ye would meticulously chew each bite, but now he could simply swallow them whole. His efficiency had increased severalfold. All the fragments originated from a single source, being part of the supreme treasure, the Dao Integration Pearl. Now, the presence of a core fragment allowed the other fragments to merge with each other more easily. This undoubtedly greatly facilitated Lu Ye's cultivation. Originally, refining so many fragments would have taken him at least six months to a year, but now, the time required was uncertain.

Time passed swiftly. The number of fragments in the package steadily decreased, and Lu Ye's mind became completely absorbed in the process. Until one moment, he suddenly reacted, because at that instant, the refining efficiency of the Dao Integration Pearl fragments had again significantly increased. Not only that, but other changes also seemed to be occurring. He quickly immersed his mind to investigate, then revealed a look of astonishment.

Unbeknownst to him, the Talent Tree's fuel reserves had been depleted. He had last replenished the fuel reserves a long time ago. For him, refueling was simple; he just needed to spend some time near any great sun, so he hadn't paid much attention to it. His original fuel reserves were still sufficient for a while, and he had planned to replenish them later. However, this time, to detoxify the Primordial Parasol Tree, the Talent Tree's power had been activated too intensely, leading to a significant depletion. Lu Ye had never before activated the Talent Tree's power so fiercely or for such an extended period. As a result, just now, all the fuel had run out. To his surprise, after the fuel was completely consumed, the incinerating power of the Talent Tree not only didn't disappear but became even stronger. Another kind of power had replaced the original reserves, transforming into new fuel! On the Talent Tree, the Dao Power reserves were being consumed! Lu Ye was greatly astonished. Dao Power could now be converted into fuel? When did this happen? Was this a result of the Talent Tree's last transformation, or had it always been possible? If it was the latter, then he had truly never noticed, as he always found a way to replenish the Talent Tree's fuel whenever it reached a certain level of depletion. Had the original fuel not been consumed unknowingly this time, he likely would still not have discovered this. However, he vaguely felt that this should be a change that occurred after the Talent Tree's last transformation. He couldn't be certain which it was, but for him, it was good news.

Because of this, he would no longer have to painstakingly go out of his way to replenish fuel. Although this would add to the consumption of Dao Power, the Talent Tree's power seemed even more formidable when fueled by it. He clearly perceived that the incinerating power was now stronger, which made the detoxification of the Primordial Parasol Tree proceed more smoothly. Continuously activating the Talent Tree's power, Lu Ye quietly observed for a while and breathed a sigh of relief. He found that using Dao Power as fuel for the Talent Tree resulted in a consumption rate that was within his acceptable limits. Lu Ye's mind was immersed. He checked the Dao Fish stored in his Minor World, his expression serene.