Chapter 406: One Flash and Heavenly Reward

Other messages invited him to cultivate at their strongholds.

These invitations weren't mere flattery; Lu Ye was currently embroiled in significant trouble. Especially now that he had topped the Spirit Creek List, the Ten-Thousand Demon Ridge's resolve to kill him had only intensified. Cultivating at any sect's stronghold would bring them little benefit, only the risk of being jointly targeted by the Ten-Thousand Demon Ridge.

Naturally, Lu Ye declined all these invitations.

The Myriad Poison Forest was his best hiding place for now. As long as he didn't reveal himself, the Ten-Thousand Demon Ridge would never find him. Yet, he could launch surprise attacks at any moment, catching them off guard.

Although the spiritual energy here wasn't particularly abundant, Lu Ye's cultivation speed wouldn't suffer as long as he had enough spiritual pills.

After finishing his communications, Lu Ye focused on eating his porridge.

Hua Ci came daily to treat his injuries, and in just three days, Lu Ye's condition had significantly improved.

He spent his leisure time cultivating and reading, and life suddenly became relaxed, free from the previous disturbances. To his surprise, Lu Ye found himself quite adaptable to this lifestyle, even growing to like it.

It was only then that he realized, deep down, he wasn't someone who enjoyed causing trouble. Compared to a thrilling and dangerous life, he yearned more for peace and tranquility.

However... in the martial world, one's fate is not entirely their own!

In the small courtyard outside the wooden house, Lu Ye held his Mountain Breaker saber. Spiritual energy boiled around him, frantically surging into the blade.

During his recent ranking battles, although he had been invincible and rarely met a worthy opponent, he discovered a problem during his fight with Shi Guang.

He lacked a decisive, finishing move!

Or, in other words, a trump card.

The Fire Phoenix spirit pattern was certainly one such move, but with his current strength, it was difficult to activate at will. The last time he used it, it required extensive preparation beforehand, and the after-effects were severe; he had been bedridden for many days under Hua Ci's care.

What he needed now was a trump card he could both withstand and deploy effectively.

Shi Guang's final spear strike gave him considerable inspiration. He also recalled a previous encounter at the Danxin Sect, where he fought a Heaven Nine sword cultivator. That opponent had only unleashed a single sword strike from start to finish, but it had concentrated all their power, much like Shi Guang's last spear strike – both were attacks that instantly unleashed a vast amount of spiritual energy.

This type of technique wasn't difficult to perform. In the final moments of his battle with Shi Guang, Lu Ye had actually grasped its essence, which was how he managed to block his opponent's blazing spear strike.

Now, all he needed to do was familiarize himself with this technique, refine it, and ensure he could deploy it at any moment during combat.

Flames blazed fiercely, and the long saber seemed to ignite. The Mountain Breaker saber hummed, and as Lu Ye brought it down, the space before him seemed to tear apart, leaving a new crack on the ground!

He hadn't activated the Sharpness spirit pattern's enhancement, yet the power of this strike was far greater than before.

Lu Ye frowned, not entirely satisfied with the strike. It was quite draining, not only in spiritual energy but also in physical stamina. Moreover, after delivering the blow, his right arm felt somewhat sore. With such a demanding strike, he could at most manage three in a short period before his right arm would likely be unable to lift it.

In a battle against a powerful foe, such a situation would quickly lead to defeat.

Although he wasn't satisfied, he had only just begun practicing, and there was still much room for improvement.

This was both a technique and a saber art.

As a saber art, it deserved a name.

Naming it, however, posed a challenge...

Lu Ye mused, recalling the fleeting gleam of sharpness as the long saber fell. An idea sparked in his mind.

He decided to call it "One Flash."

There were no shortcuts to practicing saber arts, only persistence and diligent practice.

In the small courtyard, Lu Ye would periodically pick up his Mountain Breaker saber to practice, then consume spiritual pills to recover. Once the soreness and swelling in his right arm subsided, he would resume training.

While this might slow down his cultivation progress, for Lu Ye, the level of his cultivation had never been his primary concern. His ability to reach the top of the Spirit Creek List with a Heaven Eight cultivation undoubtedly proved this. If he could master One Flash to the point of effortless execution, a slight delay in his cultivation speed would be well worth it.

Days passed, and Lu Ye gradually grew proficient with One Flash. However, the high self-consumption of the saber art remained an unsolved issue, making such an imperfect technique difficult to use against powerful enemies.

Lu Ye never believed that topping the Spirit Creek List meant he would have no more opponents. He would eventually ascend to the Cloud River realm, where the battlefield situation was far more complex than the Spirit Creek battlefield. Even if he could roam freely in the Spirit Creek battlefield, he would still need to be cautious everywhere in the Cloud River battlefield.

In recent days, several powerhouses from the Haotian Alliance had steadily held their rankings on the Spirit Creek List. Besides Shi Guang securing second place, only the female archer had risen to fourth. The rankings of others hadn't changed much, and as for Lu Ye, no one had challenged him from start to finish.

Both Shi Guang and the female archer knew they were no match for Lu Ye, so they naturally wouldn't seek trouble for no reason.

Half a month later, Lu Ye had opened 320 acupoints. Forty days had passed since his ascension to Heaven Eight. He had been busy with the ranking battles previously, leaving little time for cultivation, and recently, his focus on saber arts had also slowed his progress. Thus, despite the passage of many days, he had only managed to open twenty additional spiritual acupoints.

He was still forty acupoints short of reaching Heaven Nine cultivation.

Lu Ye, who was practicing his saber art in the small courtyard, suddenly stopped. He looked up at the sky, sensing that a heavenly mechanism had descended from the ethereal realm!

Thirty days had passed since he reclaimed the top spot on the Spirit Creek List; it was time for the Heavenly Mechanism's reward.

He had stayed in the wooden house all these days, essentially waiting for this very day to arrive. He had inquired with many people about the Heavenly Mechanism's rewards for Spirit Creek List powerhouses, so even though it was his first time experiencing it, he knew what the process would be.

His only concern now was whether Amber and Yi Yi would receive the reward alongside him!

However, on second thought, Amber was his beast companion, acknowledged by the Heavenly Mechanism, and Yi Yi was Amber's companion spirit. Both had participated in every battle during his Spirit Creek List challenge, so they shouldn't be overlooked when it came to the rewards.

Just as he was pondering this, Yi Yi and Amber ran out from the wooden house.

"Lu Ye, Lu Ye, I think I feel something, and so does Amber," Yi Yi exclaimed, a little bewildered by her first encounter with the Heavenly Mechanism.

"Just don't resist," Lu Ye instructed.

Hua Ci heard the commotion and also stepped out. Their eyes met, and she quickly understood, "It's time?"

Lu Ye nodded.

As he finished speaking, Lu Ye, along with Amber and Yi Yi, rapidly faded and vanished.

In a misty realm, the three vanished figures abruptly reappeared.

This was the distribution point for the Heavenly Mechanism's rewards: the Heavenly Mechanism Pool!

The mist in the pool wasn't spiritual energy, but rather a form of energy incredibly beneficial to cultivators.

Absorbing and refining this mist could not only temper a cultivator's physique and enhance their soul strength, but also purify accumulated pill toxins within their body and increase the purity of their spiritual energy. The benefits were numerous and varied.

Any powerhouse on the Spirit Creek List who maintained their position for a full month would be drawn here by the Heavenly Mechanism to undergo the baptism of its reward, thereby becoming stronger.

This was why Shi Guang had mentioned receiving several Heavenly Mechanism baptisms when Lu Ye challenged him; Shi Guang had already been on the Spirit Creek List for several months.

The duration a cultivator could stay here varied depending on their Spirit Creek List ranking; the higher the rank, the longer the stay, and vice versa.

Lu Ye had inquired with Yu Lianzhou, who said he could only stay in the Heavenly Mechanism Pool for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Once the time limit was up, the Heavenly Mechanism would teleport him back to his original location.

As for the top rank, Yu Lianzhou wasn't quite sure.

Lu Ye had also asked his second senior sister to inquire with Feng Yuechan. According to Feng Yuechan, on her several visits to the Heavenly Mechanism Pool, her stay never exceeded half an hour.

This was also why powerhouses on the Spirit Creek battlefield were so enthusiastic about the Spirit Creek List: attaining a spot on the list offered not just fame, but tangible benefits.

The spiritual mist here could temper one's physique, strengthen the soul, and enhance the purity of spiritual energy. Which of these aspects wouldn't impact a cultivator's future and strength?

It could be said that undergoing a baptism in the Heavenly Mechanism Pool would significantly broaden a cultivator's future prospects.

Furthermore, the rule that a higher Spirit Creek List ranking allowed for a longer stay in the Heavenly Mechanism Pool created a distinct phenomenon: the strong getting stronger!

This might be a tacit encouragement from the Heavenly Mechanism, channeling more rewards toward those with greater innate talent!

Why did those Heaven Nine cultivators, who had clearly reached the limits of the Spirit Creek realm, not choose to ascend to the Cloud River realm?

Lu Ye had previously simply assumed that these Heaven Nine cultivators were lingering in the Spirit Creek realm to consolidate their foundations. Now, it seemed his initial thought wasn't entirely wrong, just incomplete.

These Heaven Nine cultivators all yearned to claim a spot on the Spirit Creek List. Relying solely on their own efforts to consolidate their cultivation could hardly compare to the baptism of the Heavenly Mechanism's rewards. That's why Heaven Nine cultivators weren't rushing to ascend to the Cloud River realm; instead, their eyes were all fixed on the Spirit Creek List.

However, this baptism also had its limits, which varied for each individual. When the Heavenly Mechanism's baptism ceased to provide significant benefit to those Spirit Creek List powerhouses, they would naturally choose to ascend to the Cloud River realm to avoid wasting time.

Generally, most cultivators eligible for the Heavenly Mechanism Pool reached their limit after three or four visits. Even if they had further opportunities to enter afterward, refining the spiritual mist would provide no significant benefit to them.

There was a rumor that the three scourges—Feng Yuechan, Li Baxian, and Yan Xing—were disliked by the Heavenly Mechanism because they had occupied spots on the Spirit Creek List for too long. Thus, after their initial few visits, they no longer received their monthly Heavenly Mechanism baptism rewards.

In reality, it wasn't that the Heavenly Mechanism disliked them; it was simply that the spiritual mist here no longer had any effect on them, which was why the Heavenly Mechanism ceased drawing them to this place.

Inside the Heavenly Mechanism Pool, Lu Ye looked around and saw both Amber and Yi Yi by his side, and his heart settled in great relief!