Chapter 2885: Action

In the Star Abyss, when a Path-Integration Bead is shattered, most of its fragments disappear into the void, passing through the unusual realm of the Origin World before circulating into the Inner Realm, where they scatter far and wide. Eventually, cultivators retrieve them, whether intentionally or by chance.

This was how the core fragment of Blood Drinking City was lost when it was destroyed.

Without intervention, it was highly probable that a fortunate cultivator would stumble upon and acquire this core fragment, though such a discovery always relied on a degree of luck.

When this core fragment was lost, both Dragon City and the other Ten Greats dispatched numerous personnel to search for it. Unfortunately, their efforts yielded no results.

It wasn't until Lu Ye returned from the Origin World that he, with the aid of the Path-Integration Bead's spirit, clearly sensed the core fragment's location and guided Dragon Sovereign to it. With this information, the task became straightforward.

Dragon Sovereign immediately deployed a large force to explore that specific area, and they successfully located the core fragment that had originally belonged to Blood Drinking City. Although this fragment was essential for constructing a Universe-tier Path-Integration City, Dragon Sovereign evidently had no such intention and therefore kept it in his personal safekeeping. He held onto it until his last period of seclusion, when he entrusted it to Lu Ye.

Consequently, even after Lu Ye distributed one core fragment each to Xue Jiu and Si Shengya, he still had several left over. He even had a subtle intuition that this fragment could be integrated into the Path-Integration Bead within his own Inner Heaven and Earth.

Standard Universe-tier Path-Integration Beads lack this capability. As the highest quality, Universe-tier beads cannot integrate any further fragments, not even common ones, let alone core fragments. It seemed this was the inherent limit of such beads. However, the Path-Integration Bead within Lu Ye's Inner Heaven and Earth was clearly an exception, likely due to the unique secret technique he practiced.

With the numerous fragments distributed, Xue Jiu and Si Shengya each set about their work. While there was a plentiful supply of fragments, making the condensation of Universe-tier Path-Integration Beads relatively straightforward, the process still required some time. Once successful, both Xue Jiu and Si Shengya would benefit from the amplification provided by their respective Path-Integration Beads, as long as they remained within the Star Abyss.

Xue Jiu possessed a Flood-tier Path-Integration Bead, but its effectiveness depended on him carrying it at all times, which would be a clear disadvantage in the imminent major conflict. During a major battle, the intense collateral damage could very easily destroy a Path-Integration Bead. For instance, when he previously led Lu Ye into Ten-Step City to fight against Xuan Wuzong and others, he had preemptively placed his Path-Integration Bead at Xue Kuang's residence instead of keeping it on his person. However, possessing a Universe-tier Path-Integration Bead would eliminate such concerns. Even if the Path-Integration Bead remained in Phoenix Nest, both Xue Jiu and Si Shengya would be able to act without restraint, free from other concerns.

As Xue Jiu and Si Shengya were occupied, Lu Ye also remained busy. Recently, one matter after another had arisen, seemingly without end, and it appeared that more troubles lay ahead. Thus, Lu Ye dared not waste even a moment of his spare time. He was keenly aware that his Ninth Layer Small World Secret Art was not yet perfected, nor had his Tusker Blade been nurtured to its full potential. His own strength still had significant room for improvement. Especially with the Origin World now merged back, and Half-Saints active in the Star Abyss, Lu Ye felt an urgent need to enhance his own power.

As before, he immersed himself in cultivation, simultaneously inscribing Dao marks within his Inner Heaven and Earth and nurturing his Tusker Blade, which led to an exceptionally rapid consumption of Dao power.

Approximately ten days later, as Lu Ye was cultivating, he suddenly heard a joyous exclamation from nearby: "It's done!" He turned to see Xue Jiu beaming with delight, holding a brilliant, shimmering Path-Integration Bead. This was, without a doubt, a Universe-tier Path-Integration Bead.

Condensing a Path-Integration Bead was not particularly difficult; in fact, given a sufficient number of fragments, the process could be quite rapid. This was especially true for Xue Jiu, who, as a former City Lord among the Ten Greats, was already well-versed in such procedures. He hadn't even used all the fragments Lu Ye had provided. While his Universe-tier Path-Integration Bead was complete, Si Shengya's was not yet finished, though it appeared it would be soon.

"How is the amplification?" Lu Ye promptly inquired.

The previous Flood-tier Path-Integration Bead had provided Xue Jiu with a ten percent power boost; a Universe-tier bead was sure to offer more. Xue Jiu quietly assessed it, then raised an eyebrow. "It's nearly twenty percent!" Meaning, it was still just under twenty percent.

While this level of amplification was slightly less than Lu Ye had anticipated, it was acceptable given that a Universe-tier Path-Integration Bead was only two grades above a Flood-tier one. Of course, this amplification of just under twenty percent required proximity to the Path-Integration Bead; its effect would undoubtedly diminish if one moved too far away. Even at its weakest, it should still provide at least a ten percent increase. While similar to the Flood-tier Path-Integration Bead in some respects, the main benefit was eliminating the concern of the bead shattering during a major battle. Therefore, it was crucial for both Xue Jiu and Si Shengya to condense their own Path-Integration Beads.

Lu Ye had complete trust in Si Shengya. However, Xue Jiu could not be fully trusted. He was inherently cunning and sly; Lu Ye had only partnered with him on occasions dictated by circumstances or potential gain. But as long as his Universe-tier Path-Integration Bead remained in Phoenix Nest, he wouldn't be able to stir up any significant trouble. Lu Ye would certainly never permit him to take the Path-Integration Bead away.

Half an hour later, Si Shengya's Path-Integration Bead was also successfully condensed. Feeling the familiar yet unfamiliar power of amplification, he was filled with emotion. It was worth noting that Si Shengya had also fallen from the Inner Realm into the Origin World long ago. He too had once been one of the Ten Great City Lords and possessed his own Universe-tier Path-Integration Bead. Yet, after countless years, he had long forgotten that sensation. Only now had he regained it.

His inherent strength was formidable; otherwise, he could not have maintained his standing in the Origin World for so many years single-handedly. Did powerful races like the Blood Clan and Feather Clan truly lack the desire to eliminate humanity's sole Half-Saint? They refrained from killing him not because they lacked the intent, but because they harbored deep reservations. A Half-Saint's desperate last stand was no laughing matter. No race could guarantee they could defeat Si Shengya without suffering casualties. Should he, in a final act of desperation, manage to take down an opponent with him, it would represent a catastrophic loss. It was precisely because of Si Shengya's immense power that he had managed to survive the previous encirclement; a Half-Saint like Xue Tianxing, for instance, would have perished that very day.

Now, with the added amplification from the Path-Integration Bead, Si Shengya felt his strength had reached its absolute pinnacle. With two Universe-tier Path-Integration Beads, two Half-Saints, and Lu Ye, whose overall power was nearly on par with a Half-Saint, their combined lineup was practically unstoppable in the current Star Abyss. Their only potential adversaries would be Xue Yuan and the other three Half-Saints if they were to unite.

"There's no time to lose. Only a few days remain until our agreed-upon time, so we must act swiftly," Xue Jiu said, his gaze fixed keenly on Lu Ye. He was undoubtedly more invested in the plan to encircle Xue Yuan than Lu Ye. It was uncertain whether the Blood Clan Half-Saints in the Origin World would regret not having eliminated him there, should they ever learn of his involvement.

Lu Ye nodded and softly called out, "Old Tree, your assistance, please!" There was no verbal response, but branches permeated the space before them, outlining a portal within which the internal space rippled and undulated.

"Let's go!" Lu Ye stepped through first, with Xue Jiu and Si Shengya following close behind.

When they reappeared, the trio found themselves at the location where Floating Light had once ascended—now the point of fusion for the Origin World, and also where Xue Jiu, Si Shengya, and others had crossed over from the Origin World. A quick sweep with their divine sense confirmed that the surroundings were empty. In fact, Yang Zhao of the Dragon Clan was discreetly monitoring the area from a distance; Lu Ye would be immediately notified of any unusual activity. The absence of Xue Yuan and his companions indicated that the appointed time had not yet come, and they had not returned. Therefore, the immediate priority was to quickly pinpoint Xue Yuan's exact location.

During his recent cultivation, Lu Ye had also instructed the Dragon Clan to watch for any anomalies in the Star Abyss, such as the sudden appearance of powerful individuals. He had hoped to use this information to determine Xue Yuan's precise whereabouts. However, the results were less than ideal because Xue Yuan was constantly on the move. Pinpointing his location would be difficult unless someone could track him secretly. But who in this world could secretly track a Half-Saint without being detected? Therefore, finding Xue Yuan now still depended on Xue Jiu. As both were members of the Blood Clan, there was bound to be some connection between them, much like how Lu Ye could easily contact Xue Jiu.

"Let me first outline my plan," Lu Ye stated calmly.

Xue Jiu and Si Shengya immediately adopted attentive postures. Moments later, both Half-Saints nodded in agreement.

"In that case, Xue Yuan is doomed this time!" Xue Jiu declared. "We'll proceed according to the plan. I'll go first!" As he spoke, Xue Jiu immediately shot off in the direction Xue Yuan had departed on that day.

Neither Lu Ye nor Si Shengya left; they remained stationed where they were. Leaving aside Lu Ye, Si Shengya alone, having coexisted with Xue Yuan in the Origin World for many years, was intimately familiar with his aura. Thus, Si Shengya absolutely could not reveal himself immediately; only by remaining hidden could they catch Xue Yuan by surprise. As for Lu Ye, Xue Yuan had also met him before. In the Origin World, Lu Ye had disguised himself as Xue Jiu's blood slave and lived for a time in the Blood Clan territory alongside him. Therefore, it was also unwise for Lu Ye to show himself. For this initial phase, they could only rely on Xue Jiu to lead the charge.

"Lu Ye, can Xue Jiu... be trusted?" Si Shengya inquired.

Although he was aware of the various restraints Lu Ye had placed on Xue Jiu, one could not afford to be complacent when dealing with a Half-Saint. If Xue Jiu were to unexpectedly betray them, the plan to encircle Xue Yuan would surely fail.

"Of course he can't be entirely trusted," Lu Ye replied, "but he will make the correct choice. As long as Xue Jiu remained wary of the poison in his body and coveted Xue Yuan's bloodline, he would never act foolishly. Moreover, his Universe-tier Path-Integration Bead remained in Phoenix Nest. Furthermore, even if Xue Jiu were to betray us mid-battle, Saint Si has the means to protect himself, and I am not so easily killed." At worst, the plan would fail, but there would be no significant concrete losses. This was also why Lu Ye felt confident allowing Xue Jiu to proceed alone.

"As long as you've considered all angles," Si Shengya said, feeling reassured.

After a brief wait, Lu Ye stated, "Saint Si, I'm also heading out."

"Be careful!" Si Shengya urged.

Lu Ye waved his hand and swiftly departed. However, even after his departure, a figure resembling Lu Ye remained standing beside Si Shengya—distinct in its white robes and sword gourd at its waist, it was undoubtedly a Talent Tree clone.