Chapter 889: 神池？

Lu Ye felt he had a very long dream, but when he woke up, he couldn't recall its content.

However, his mind felt exceptionally clear at this moment, clearer than ever before. His thoughts seemed to race faster, and there was a subtle sense that some kind of transformation had occurred within him.

He wasn't sure what had happened to him. He only remembered activating the "Colorful Phoenix Soaring" technique and joining forces with Nian Yuexian to fight the enemy. Following Wan Zhanggang's angry roar, a sharp pain erupted in his head, and then he lost consciousness.

Something seemed different…

He looked at Yi Yi, who was in front of him, and saw her frowning and staring behind him, her gaze seemingly passing through his body.

With a mix of surprise and uncertainty, Yi Yi turned to the side and asked, "Sister Xian, what is this…?"

Lu Ye desperately wanted to ask what she was looking at, but when he opened his mouth, no sound came out.

This startled him.

It was only then that he realized something incredible: he had no physical body.

He was clearly standing there, able to see everything around him, yet he had no substantial presence.

Had he… died?

As this thought arose, Lu Ye felt a moment of disorientation.

"Divine sense is unique to the Divine Sea Realm," Nian Yuexian's voice came from nearby. "For you, a True Lake Realm cultivator, to nurture a soul body and manifest divine sense, it's natural to experience various discomforts. Your divine sense is currently out of your body, but this isn't an accident. Focus your mind, and your divine sense will return to your body."

Lu Ye turned to look, meeting Nian Yuexian's clear, cool gaze.

She seemed to be able to see him and nodded slightly, saying, "Do as I instruct, and you will be fine."

Lu Ye quickly focused his mind, discarding all distracting thoughts.

The next moment, he sensed something nearby that had an extremely close connection to him. When he turned to look, he saw an astonishing sight.

His own body was lying on a bamboo bed beside him.

Reflecting on what Nian Yuexian had just said, Lu Ye roughly understood what had happened to him.

With a thought, his divine sense returned to his body. All the discomfort he had felt moments before vanished instantly, and he reconnected with his physical self.

He abruptly opened his eyes and sat up from the bed.

"Lu Ye, you're awake!" Yi Yi rushed over, looking at him with concern. "Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

Amber also jumped onto his lap, staring at him with wide, tiger-like eyes.

Lu Ye slowly shook his head. "No, I feel… very good!"

Indeed, he felt exceptionally well. From the inside out, he had never felt better. He lightly clenched his fist. His strength remained unchanged, but a subtle internal transformation had quietly completed itself.

He stood up, cupped his fists towards Nian Yuexian who was not far away, and respectfully asked, "Madam, you just mentioned that I've nurtured a soul body and manifested divine sense?"

Nian Yuexian nodded. "During the recent battle, you suffered a divine sense attack from Wan Zhanggang. Any other True Lake Realm cultivator would likely have died. However, your own soul was strong enough, allowing you to narrowly survive. Even so, your soul was severely wounded, and you fell into a coma. To protect yourself and overcome the hardship, your body nurtured a soul body. Since you have now woken up, it means the nurturing was successful. The situation just now was your divine sense leaving your body; there's no need to be overly alarmed."

Lu Ye couldn't help but be lost in thought. "Soul body, divine sense…"

"So, am I considered True Lake or Divine Sea now?"

"Is there a Divine Sea cultivator as weak as you?" Nian Yuexian replied indifferently.

Lu Ye thought, that's true. Although he had nurtured a soul body and manifested divine sense, his cultivation level still placed him in the True Lake Realm.

However, on the other hand, since he had already manifested divine sense, he could now employ some techniques unique to the Divine Sea Realm, such as the Charm Divine Pattern, which required divine sense to construct and activate.

"You've just manifested divine sense, so it's natural to be unaccustomed to it. You'll get used to it with more practice. Everyone has to go through this stage."

"Yes."

"If you have any questions regarding divine sense, feel free to ask me anytime."

"Alright."

"Here is some general knowledge about the Divine Sea Realm; take a look yourself." Nian Yuexian handed him a jade slip, clearly prepared specifically for him.

Lu Ye took it. "Thank you, Madam."

"Additionally, wear this item. It has some protective effect against divine sense attacks." Nian Yuexian produced another item.

Lu Ye looked up and saw a small golden lock, resembling a traditional longevity lock, presumably worn around the neck.

"I wore this item when I was in the True Lake Realm; it's no longer useful to me, so I'll give it to you," Nian Yuexian said, tossing it to Lu Ye. She added, "If there comes a day when you no longer need it, you can return it to me."

Lu Ye held the golden lock, instinctively sensing that it held significant sentimental value for Nian Yuexian. He initially wanted to refuse but, recalling his recent experience, honestly accepted it.

True Lake Realm cultivators typically had no effective way to counter divine sense attacks from Divine Sea Realm cultivators; they could only rely on the resilience of their own souls. Someone with a powerful soul like Lu Ye could survive Wan Zhanggang's divine sense strike, but for those whose souls weren't strong enough, their survival depended purely on their luck.

However, cultivators from major sects generally would wear such treasures that offered some protection against divine sense attacks.

This would also increase their chances of survival when facing powerful Divine Sea Realm cultivators.

Without hesitation, he immediately put the golden lock around his neck.

"Don't go out for the next few days. First, familiarize yourself with your divine sense." Nian Yuexian instructed before turning and departing.

Lu Ye couldn't shake the feeling that she was acting a little strange.

In their previous interactions, this Pass Lord of his had put him through various trials, giving him all sorts of unusual tasks. Her personality also seemed somewhat cold, and she disliked too much interaction with outsiders. However, overall, she wasn't too difficult to get along with.

After this incident, Lu Ye thought their relationship might improve slightly, but now it seemed his Pass Lord's aloof demeanor had become even more pronounced.

Even though she gave him various instructions and gifts, he couldn't be mistaken about that feeling.

"Second Senior Sister was here, wasn't she?" Lu Ye suddenly sniffed lightly and asked.

Yi Yi was surprised. "How did you know? When Shui Yuan came, you were unconscious." And when she left, Lu Ye still hadn't woken up, so there was no reason he should know about it.

"She left Second Senior Sister's scent," Lu Ye answered casually.

Everyone's scent was different, and Shui Yuan's scent always gave off a very warm feeling.

Yi Yi couldn't help but glare at Lu Ye and said, "Sister Xian had already sent a message to Second Senior Sister when she brought you back. So, on the night we returned, Second Senior Sister rushed here. She treated your injuries and discovered the reason for your coma. However, Second Senior Sister has already returned to the main sect."

Lu Ye sighed. "She left without even waiting for me to wake up."

As he spoke, he examined the jade slip Nian Yuexian had given him.

The jade slip contained information about the Divine Sea Realm, including important considerations for cultivators newly entering it, and detailed explanations of soul bodies and divine sense.

In just a moment, Lu Ye finished examining it.

He closed his eyes and, following the method described in the jade slip, immersed his mind.

The next instant, a miraculous change suddenly occurred within him.

Lu Ye quickly observed, realizing he was no longer in the bamboo building but had entered a peculiar world.

This must be the depths of his own soul.

At this moment, he was in the state of a soul body. Every person's soul body was a reflection of themselves; whatever their original appearance, their soul body would look the same.

A soul body was formless and intangible, seeming both illusory and real; it could coalesce into a soul body and disperse into divine sense.

Only when a cultivator took that step, like Lu Ye had, nurturing their own soul body and manifesting divine sense, could they enter the Divine Sea Realm.

This was a major threshold, and countless True Lake Realm cultivators throughout history had fallen before it.

However, for Lu Ye, this threshold had already been breached. In other words, he would face no obstacles in his future advancement to the Divine Sea Realm; it would happen naturally as his cultivation level reached the required stage.

This was undoubtedly good news. Experiencing what he needed to experience beforehand would ultimately offer some advantages.

Looking ahead again, he saw shimmering, rippling water.

Lu Ye's expression turned strange.

The name "Divine Sea Realm" originated from the concept of divine sense forming a sea.

Yet, the shimmering water before him hardly resembled a sea; it was not even as grand as a lake.

At most, it was a small pond. A Divine Pond.

However, considering that he had nurtured a soul body while still in the True Lake Realm, breaking ancient constraints, it seemed excusable that his "Divine Sea" was somewhat smaller.

He couldn't force it.

As long as he continued to cultivate steadily, step by step, one day his Divine Pond would transform into a Divine Sea.

With a thought, his soul left his body, and his divine sense spread outwards.

When he had just woken up, he had instinctively activated his divine sense, but at that time, he hadn't understood the situation, so his perception wasn't profound.

Only now, by consciously activating it, did he truly feel its effects.

As his divine sense spread, everything in the surroundings entered his mind, providing a more detailed and comprehensive view than what his physical eyes could perceive.

Before possessing divine sense, Lu Ye primarily relied on his innate senses to perceive his surroundings, but mere perception was extremely vague.

It was like someone standing behind him.

Based on perception alone, Lu Ye would know there was a person behind him, but he wouldn't know if they were male or female, or what they looked like.

However, with perception supported by divine sense, he could clearly discern the person's face, and even the clothes they were wearing would not escape his scrutiny.

Perception enhanced by divine sense had undoubtedly undergone a qualitative breakthrough.

Furthermore, when his divine sense had left his body earlier, Yi Yi had clearly noticed something amiss. This was due to his unfamiliarity with controlling his divine sense, causing his aura to leak. If he became proficient and could perfectly control it, such a method could be used to probe secrets.

He just wondered how far he could perceive…

Thinking this, Lu Ye activated his divine sense, extending it outwards, and instantly it left the bamboo building.

It didn't travel far before he saw Nian Yuexian's figure.

She was guarding nearby, sitting on the branch of a large tree, holding the fine wine Lu Ye had previously bought for her from the nearby pass, drinking alone under the moonlight.

Her figure appeared desolate and solitary.