Sage of Humanity

The world is now peaceful!

The insects in the Insect Race Tree World have been exterminated, solving the Tree World's millennia-old problem in one fell swoop. Now, there's only one question before him.

How to get out of here?

The core of the Void Beast can open pathways to other Tree Worlds, yet it cannot send him to Yang Qing's side. Moreover, he doesn't even know where to find Yang Qing.

This matter is best left to the Reincarnation Tree.

His presence in the Tree World was the handiwork of the Reincarnation Tree in secret, and now that the trial is completed to perfection, it should naturally be the Reincarnation Tree that guides him out.

So, after a brief contemplation, Lu Ye spoke, "Let me out!"

There was a hint of trepidation; under normal circumstances, this request shouldn't be a problem. Other prodigies from various races who entered the Tree World likely left the same way, yet he still felt a bit guilty.

This is the Tree World, where the Reincarnation Tree could, if it desired, perceive everything. His little actions just now couldn't possibly escape the Reincarnation Tree's perception.

But not necessarily would it always pay attention to him unless he called out like this.

As soon as the words were spoken, the void ahead trembled slightly, and a portal appeared. Lu Ye realized he wasn't wrong. The Reincarnation Tree indeed wasn't continually watching him. It probably didn't notice his previous actions; otherwise, it wouldn't have opened a portal for him to leave.

Stepping through, he found himself on a massive platform upon reappearing.

The platform was vast, with no end in sight. Its smooth surface was entirely paved with pristine, flawless white jade, which held a mysterious power that Lu Ye could faintly sense.

This white jade... it was spirit jade!

Lu Ye was speechless. It's important to know that it takes the Constellation Realm practitioners of the Nine Provinces one or two months of searching in stellar space to collect at most a hundred pieces of spirit jade, and even those aren't large.

This result comes from the Nine Provinces' nearby stellar space being neglected for countless years. In a stellar space near a large domain where Constellation Realm beings are frequently born, the production of spirit jade is usually low because once they appear, they're collected by those of the Constellation Realm.

But here was a titanic platform entirely paved with spirit jade. How much spirit jade would that consume?

The Reincarnation Tree... is it truly this wealthy?

Without a doubt, this platform stood amidst the void, as when Lu Ye gazed upward, he saw the starry sky filled with celestial bodies and drifting meteorites slowly gliding by in the nearby stellar space, a scene unseen on the Nine Provinces' ground.

The platform was filled with figures of various shapes and sizes, bustling back and forth. Many resembled the human race in physique, while others were non-human, making the scene overwhelming at a glance.

Despite the numbers, the entire platform was devoid of any clamor, exuding a tranquil silence instead.

Those who arrived here had a minimum cultivation of the Divine Sea Realm, and all possessed the ability of audio transmission through mental consciousness. In such settings, who would shout loudly? Regardless of their nature before, everyone here had an awareness of self-restraint and dignity.

"Why did it take so long?" a familiar voice suddenly entered Lu Ye's ears.

Following the voice, Lu Ye saw Yang Qing at once.

The Reincarnation Tree was considerate, transporting him directly to Yang Qing's side when he emerged from the Insect Race Tree World.

"Was the trial difficult?" Yang Qing asked.

Lu Ye shook his head, "Not difficult, just a few twists and turns." If it weren't for his impulsive venture into the Insect Race Tree World, the trial in the Fairy Tree World would have been completed long ago. That Tree World wasn't large, and with the combined efforts of him and Yuk Yaorao, it would have been easy to cleanse the Tree World of the Insect Race after dealing with the insect hives.

Yang Qing nodded. He didn't doubt Lu Ye's ability to pass the trial, but there were always unforeseen circumstances. It wasn't unheard of for people to die in the past Reincarnation Tree World trials.

"Senior, what exactly are we here to vie for?" Lu Ye voiced the question that had lingered in his mind. Yuk Yaorao had mentioned a struggle called the Divine Sea Contention, which from the term seemed to indicate a contest among Divine Sea Realm cultivators, but Lu Ye was clueless about the details.

It wasn't suitable to ask Yuk Yaorao; in the Fairy Tree World, they were natural allies, but they might become rivals soon enough. Relying on someone else to explain critical matters was neither reliable nor trustworthy.

This matter can only be asked from Yang Qing.

Yang Qing answered with a question: "What is the key to advancing from the Divine Sea to the Constellation Realm?"

Lu Ye thought about it and said, "Is it to gain a power that connects oneself with the stellar space?"

"That's right, it is necessary to gain a power that connects oneself with the stellar space. Only then, after a cultivator advances to the Constellation Realm, can they have the ability to physically traverse the stellar space and explore it," Yang Qing nodded, "Generally speaking, large domains can naturally nurture such powers, allowing cultivators within the domain to benefit, much like how the Heaven's Augury Compass previously operated in the Nine Provinces. However, it does so consciously. In large domains where the Will of Heaven and Earth is not clear and strong, doing this is instinctive. It's Heaven's response to the expectations of the cultivators within the domain."

This was the first time Lu Ye had heard such a statement, and he couldn't help but feel that Yang Qing, who had lived for countless millennia as a Dragon Race member, indeed had vast knowledge and experience.

"Besides large domains that can nurture such power, there is a place in the Reincarnation Tree World that can also nurture such power. Moreover, compared to all the domains in this stellar space, the power it nurtures is stronger and more refined, offering greater benefits for the cultivator's future! It's like the growth of mortals; a child raised on coarse grains and pickled vegetables cannot compare physically to one raised on a diet of abundant seafood and meat. Of course, the gap isn't that exaggerated, but the power nurtured here by the Reincarnation Tree does benefit cultivators more. Generally speaking, cultivators who can gain the power nurtured by the Reincarnation Tree will have future achievements no less than those of the Moon Jade Realm. That is why so many people come rushing over."

Lu Ye's eyes brightened upon hearing this. He had always wondered what Yang Qing had brought him to compete for, and now he knew it was for the critical power needed for a cultivator to advance to the Constellation Realm!

Indeed, this power was worth fighting for, especially given his current stage of cultivation.

But he soon realized a problem: "Senior, I'm only in the Divine Sea Level 8 Realm. Even if I fight for it, I wouldn't be able to advance to the Constellation Realm anytime soon."

Even with his fast cultivation speed, advancing to Level 9 would take some time. It isn't about efficiency but about requiring significant accumulation to avoid unstable foundations. Even after advancing to Level 9, further accumulation would still be necessary!

Yang Qing glanced at him, "You don't have to worry about that. The power will be deeply hidden within your blood and flesh, and it will only be activated when you need it. Even those in the Divine Sea Level 9 Realm don't advance to the Constellation Realm immediately upon obtaining this power; they all need to return to their domains to advance."

Then it's not a problem.

Lu Ye looked up at the massive platform and exclaimed, "How many people are participating in this event? How many final spots are there going to be?"

This is a critical question that will determine how Lu Ye should exert his efforts in the upcoming Divine Sea competition.

The platform gathered a multitude of cultivators, at least tens of thousands of them. Excluding those above the Divine Sea Realm, even just the Divine Sea Realm cultivators numbered in the tens of thousands.

Since this is a Divine Sea competition, those above the Divine Sea Realm definitely aren't participating, which reduces the number by half. Yet even at half, it is still a massive number.

"Every large domain has one spot for participation. The top domains have two or three. I don't know exactly how many will participate, but I imagine there will be two or three thousand. As for the final number of spots..." Yang Qing's lips curled into a meaningful smile, "One hundred!"

The Divine Sea Realm cultivators who came here aren't all participating in the Divine Sea competition. Due to spot restrictions, most came with their elders to gain experience. The grand event around the Reincarnation Tree occurs once every century; missing it means waiting another hundred years.

Lu Ye's expression became solemn. Drawing a hundred from two to three thousand is no ordinary competition.

Moreover, this kind of participation and competition naturally favors top domains with extensive connections, as they have more spots and broader networks to easily form collective forces.

This is unfriendly to domains that don't interact much with others, as they can't even find temporary allies in such an environment.

Lu Ye, in particular, has no advantage!

The Nine Provinces just recently integrated into the stellar space with no close allies. Moreover, the term "Nine Provinces" isn't something to be casually exposed.

If he were to call out "Lu Ye of Nine Heavens," who would pay attention to him? Not to mention, he's only at Level 8! Among all the participating cultivators, he could be considered one-of-a-kind, like the only poppy among scorpions!

The Divine Sea Realm individuals qualified to participate in this grand event are all the most elite of their generation within their domains. Yuk Yaorao was like this, Loathsome Aphid, whom he killed, was like this, and so are the others.

In such an environment, even Lu Ye could feel a bit of pressure.

But he quickly realized another issue: "Senior, this kind of competitive method, doesn't it mean one could hide from start to finish? If someone finds a safe place, or has an Innate Divine Ability for Concealment, wouldn't they gain an advantage?"

Yang Qing chuckled, "Cultivators cultivate by competing against others and against heaven. If they don't even have the spirit to compete, what does it matter if they're in the top hundred? They're destined to achieve little in the future. Take you, for example. If you had such an Innate Divine Ability, would you be willing to hide all the time?"

Lu Ye thought carefully and shook his head, "I wouldn't."

This grand event is undoubtedly a great opportunity for the talents from various major domains to interact and clash with each other. Every prodigy would want to know their standing in this group, to see if there is anyone stronger, and no one who leads an era within a large domain would do something unsavory that would dishonor the prestige of their home domain, to avoid shaming their elders.