Chapter 891: True Lake Realm Cultivation Methods

Good books.

Not rushing to leave the Heavenly Secret Treasury, Lu Ye bought some fresh meat before connecting with the Battle Merit Pavilion once more. There was something he needed to buy as a backup. As he approached, the two dragon figures etched onto the ancient gate instantly stirred to life. The silver dragon on the right, brimming with anticipation, asked, "Kid, what delicious treats did you bring this time?"

Although the golden dragon on the left remained silent, its prominently raised head clearly conveyed its impatience. Endless years of monotonous waiting were tolerable, but once they had a taste of something good, their mindset inevitably shifted. They could endure endless desolation and darkness, provided they had never experienced light.

Lu Ye smiled faintly, took out the prepared meat, and fed it to both dragons. The silver dragon was as boisterous as ever, exclaiming, "So satisfying! Delicious!" as it ate. The golden dragon's temperament was undoubtedly far more reserved than the silver dragon's, yet its rapid devouring of the food was no less eager. After just a few bites, the food was gone. The silver dragon then looked at Lu Ye with an expectant gaze, clearly wanting more.

How could Lu Ye possibly have more of that meat? Even buying it from the Heavenly Secret Treasury had been costly, setting him back nearly twenty thousand merit points for the flesh and blood of monster marshal-level beasts. While he wasn't short on merit points, he couldn't simply buy an excessive amount at once.

The silver dragon stared at Lu Ye for a moment. Instead of more food, it seemed to discover something peculiar, letting out a surprised sound. Immediately, its long body extended from the gate, circling Lu Ye once. Its massive head hovered before him, its vertical pupils reflecting his image, before it suddenly burst into laughter: "Brother, look! This kid has divine sense!"

The golden dragon's pupils subtly contracted. It carefully observed Lu Ye, then revealed a look of surprise, saying, "Indeed."

Lu Ye was utterly astonished. How could they perceive this? What exactly were these two golden and silver dragons? His presence here should only be a projection of his mind, not a physical form, as his true body remained in the Heavenly Secret Hall. Logically, the two dragons shouldn't have been able to discern anything, because even if Lu Ye stood before a grand cultivator of the Divine Sea realm, they wouldn't detect his divine sense unless he actively manifested it. Yet, he was merely a mental projection here, and still, the two dragons had managed to glimpse some of his secrets. This was rather unfathomable.

"Kid, you're only in the True Lake realm. How could you nurture a soul body and manifest divine sense?" The golden dragon appeared puzzled. In their ancient lives, they had never witnessed anything so extraordinary, and their curiosity was undeniably piqued.

"Some luck, some coincidences," Lu Ye replied. He didn't intend to explain too much to them, primarily because it was unnecessary. Although he didn't know why the two dragons were guarding the Battle Merit Pavilion's gate, after several interactions, he could tell that this wasn't their true will. They seemed to have been integrated into the gate by some unknown means, trapping them there. Given this, it didn't matter if they perceived something.

"May I enter now, sirs?" Lu Ye asked.

The golden dragon stared deeply at Lu Ye for a moment before letting out a sinister chuckle. "A peculiar young man," it murmured.

As its voice faded, it retracted its body along with the silver dragon. On the gate, the two dragons' forms twisted and coiled, transforming into a concentric circle. A creaking sound echoed, and the Battle Merit Pavilion's gate swung open.

Lu Ye walked straight inside, familiar with the way, and stopped before a stone platform. He spent eighteen thousand merit points to purchase a Myriad Devil Ridge battlefield mark. A faint warmth spread across the back of his hand as a red light flashed. The battlefield mark purchased from the Battle Merit Pavilion wasn't permanent; it was a one-time item, something Lu Ye had known since he first bought it. Furthermore, its duration was brief, lasting only an hour. In other words, this Myriad Devil Ridge battlefield mark, hidden on the back of his hand, would only last for one hour once activated, automatically dissipating afterward.

Therefore, Lu Ye's decision to accompany Ying Wuji to Lone City Wall that day was actually quite perilous, as anyone attempting to verify their identities at that time would certainly have exposed Lu Ye. However, he had been confident that Lone City would likely not do so, which allowed him to act with such boldness. After all, his presence with Ying Wuji naturally gave the Myriad Devil Ridge side a preconceived impression. Besides, with the Fire Spirit Clan army about to lay siege to the city at that time, who would have been in the mood to verify his identity?

The previous Myriad Devil Ridge battlefield mark had long since dissipated, so it was only natural to purchase another as a backup. After this incident, Lu Ye increasingly felt that such a mark was a valuable asset, often useful for creating confusion and misleading enemies. For instance, without the Myriad Devil Ridge battlefield mark this time, the most likely outcome would have been a direct conflict with Ying Wuji and his companions, leading to widespread bloodshed.

He checked his remaining battle merits: eighty-eight thousand four hundred and ten points. Compared to his last check, his merits had increased rather than decreased. Lu Ye considered this, realizing it was likely due to the merit points gained from killing Fire Spirit Clan members, combined with the distribution of his monthly stipend as a Patrol Captain. He had previously thought that holding multiple positions was unnecessary, but now it seemed quite useful. He held two positions: one as a Garrison Guard and another as a Patrol Captain. This meant he received two monthly stipends, each worth twenty thousand battle merits. This implied that even if he did nothing more than patrol once a day at Blazing Flame Mountain Pass, he could easily acquire forty thousand battle merits each month—a rare opportunity indeed. No wonder so many cultivators flocked to the front lines where the two major factions clashed, eagerly joining the Provincial Guard.

Yi Yi also held a position, though her role as a 'Seated Attendant' was quite unique; it came with no military rank, so he had no idea what her monthly stipend was.

With over eighty thousand battle merits, he could exchange for several golden spirit talismans. Lu Ye hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided not to. He needed to accumulate more battle merits to purchase a specific treasure. His recent significant loss at the hands of Wanzhang Gang had made him acutely aware of the vast difference between himself and those in the Divine Sea realm. In the future, he would inevitably interact with other Divine Sea realm cultivators. Although he now possessed his own Divine Pool and had cultivated divine sense, his Divine Pool had formed through sheer coincidence and unconventional methods, meaning there was still a considerable gap between him and orthodox Divine Sea realm cultivators. The most pressing matter for him now was how to protect his soul when facing grand cultivators of the Divine Sea realm.

Nian Yuexian had given him a golden lock, said to offer some resistance against divine sense attacks. However, its true effectiveness was uncertain; he hadn't tested it and was unsure of its power. He couldn't entrust his life to this golden lock alone.

Aside from other things, the Battle Merit Pavilion was brimming with a vast array of treasures. Among them were naturally treasures specifically designed to protect the soul, which held a special designation: Soul Artifacts! Lu Ye had indeed found a Soul Artifact he desired, but it was expensive, and he couldn't afford it yet.

Without lingering long in the Battle Merit Pavilion, Lu Ye soon departed, watched by the two dragons. Leaving the Heavenly Secret Hall, Lu Ye returned to his bamboo building, where Yi Yi and Amber were already waiting.

"Time to cultivate!" Lu Ye announced. The spirit and the tiger immediately came to his side and sat down obediently.

Cultivation in the True Lake realm differed from that in the Spirit Stream and Cloud River realms. Pang Huanyin had once wondered about something: after arriving in Kyushu, although she could sense its vastness, abundant resources, and profound heritage, the indigenous spiritual energy of Kyushu didn't seem particularly rich. While it was certainly much better than the shattered Wushuang Continent, it was still insufficient to give rise to powerful cultivators like those in the Divine Sea realm. In fact, relying solely on Kyushu's native spiritual energy would make it incredibly difficult for cultivators to even break through to the True Lake realm. Yet, in reality, cultivators in the True Lake realm were abundant in Kyushu, and the number of Divine Sea realm cultivators was by no means small.

The root of all this lay in the unique cultivation methods employed by Kyushu's cultivators. When cultivators were in the Spirit Stream realm, they had access to the vast environment of the Spirit Stream Battlefield. Various sects and families, both large and small, possessed their own garrisons, where Heavenly Secret Pillars bolstered the spiritual energy, making it ample for Spirit Stream realm cultivation. In the Cloud River Battlefield, various spirit talismans and spiritual lands similarly allowed cultivators to grow rapidly. Upon reaching the True Lake realm, spirit talismans could still be utilized, and cultivators found it easier to acquire them than in the Cloud River realm. However, cultivators couldn't solely rely on spirit talismans for their progress, as these items ultimately required battle merits to acquire. Therefore, cultivators in the True Lake realm also possessed their own unique cultivation methods.

Before departing from the Jadeblood Sect, Shui Yuan had already explained these matters to Lu Ye. This cultivation method consumed neither spirit talismans nor battle merits, but rather... merit points!

Inside the bamboo building, Lu Ye recalled Shui Yuan's past teachings. He raised his hand and touched the battlefield mark, his mind stirring slightly as he connected with the Heavenly Secret. The next instant, a message burst forth in his mind. As the battlefield mark on the back of his hand warmed faintly, a swirling vortex abruptly appeared before him. As soon as the vortex took form, an incredibly dense spiritual energy surged forth. This energy seemed to possess a life of its own, spreading throughout the room, enveloping Lu Ye, Yi Yi, and Amber, before ceasing its outward expansion.

Lu Ye had already constructed numerous small spirit-gathering funnels on his body. Guided by these funnels, the spiritual energy flowed into his body, bolstering his internal foundation.

Yi Yi commented, "Lu Ye, this cultivation method feels somewhat similar to using spirit talismans."

It was indeed somewhat similar. When cultivating with spirit talismans, a vortex would appear upon crushing the talisman, from which pure spiritual energy would gush forth, much like what was happening now. The origin of this spiritual energy was unknown, but it was clear that the Heavenly Secret was at play. Comparatively, the spiritual energy drawn by spirit talismans was far purer, allowing cultivators to absorb it almost directly without refinement and convert it into their own spiritual power. Thus, cultivating with spirit talismans was the fastest method for cultivators to advance their cultivation. However, the spiritual energy drawn now, while sufficiently dense, still required refinement by the cultivator, making the cultivation efficiency lower than when using spirit talismans.

Cultivating with spirit talismans consumed the talismans themselves. This current method of cultivation, however, consumed merit points. Under Lu Ye's gaze, his merit points were slowly but steadily diminishing, which was also the reason he had felt a slight warmth on the back of his hand moments earlier.