Chapter 2896: Time Tower Enters the Small World

As Lu Ye finished speaking, a golden light shimmered before him, revealing the Tower Spirit.

A voice echoed, "Before you leave, I'd like to ask for your help."

"What is it?" Lu Ye was surprised. He wondered what the Tower of Time, which seemed largely unaffected by erosion, could possibly need his help with.

The Tower Spirit replied, "My mission is complete, so I need your assistance to escape from the River of Time."

Its mission had been to maintain the Ancestral Abyss Seal, which was designed to imprison generations of mad dragons. Now that Lu Ye had gathered those powerful dragons into his inner world, the Ancestral Abyss Seal served no further purpose. Thus, there was no longer any reason for the Tower of Time to remain within the River of Time.

Lu Ye was surprised. "You mean you're trapped within the River of Time?"

The Tower Spirit explained, "My master placed me here ages ago. Over such a vast expanse of time, the continuous flow of temporal energy has caused me to merge almost completely with the River of Time, making it impossible for me to leave on my own."

"What do I need to do?" Lu Ye asked.

The Tower Spirit replied, "I don't know the exact method, but I am certain you have a way. Only you can help me break free."

Lu Ye felt a headache coming on. If the Tower Spirit could offer a concrete solution, he wouldn't hesitate to help if he had the means. However, the spirit itself had no clear answer.

How was Lu Ye to proceed?

"Is this a hint your master left you long ago?" Lu Ye asked.

The Tower Spirit offered no reply.

Lu Ye already had an idea. Given the Tower Spirit's certainty, it had to be a directive left by the Dragon and Phoenix ancestors.

But what exactly did he need to do to remove the Tower of Time from the River of Time?

After a moment of thought, Lu Ye suddenly had an idea: "I'll get out of here first!"

Regardless of whether his idea would work, the first step was to leave the River of Time.

A short while later, Lu Ye abruptly appeared within the River of Time. Floating above its placid waters, he gazed at the small tower before him, reached out, and easily took hold of it.

The Tower Spirit, however, said, "That's no use. You can leave the River of Time on your own, but I cannot depart from here freely."

"I know," Lu Ye replied with a faint smile. "I didn't intend to take you out this way."

As he spoke, he focused his thoughts, intending to draw the Tower of Time into his inner world.

He reasoned that after countless ages, the Tower of Time had almost become one with the River of Time. Therefore, by drawing it into his inner world, he could isolate it and effectively remove it.

However, the moment Lu Ye attempted this, he suddenly realized he had oversimplified the matter. His effort failed to bring the Tower of Time into his inner world.

Though he held what appeared to be a small, unassuming tower, attempting to absorb it met with unimaginable resistance.

It was as though Lu Ye wasn't trying to draw in the small tower, but rather an immeasurably vast entity—a grandeur his inner world simply could not encompass!

It was the River of Time itself!

Given that the Tower of Time had nearly fused with the River of Time, attempting to absorb the tower meant attempting to absorb the entire River of Time. How could any mortal power accomplish such a feat?

Understanding the root of the problem, Lu Ye immediately altered his strategy.

If that was the case, could he somehow sever the connection between the Tower of Time and the River of Time? Not permanently, just for a fleeting moment—long enough to draw this supreme treasure into his inner world!

Perhaps the Talent Tree could accomplish this!

He was, after all, currently activating the power of the Talent Tree to shield himself from the temporal energy's flow.

Acting on the impulse, he continued to activate the Talent Tree's power, slowly enveloping the small tower he held.

The Tower Spirit's surprised voice rang out: "I feel my connection to the River of Time weakening! You truly do have a way!"

No sooner had it spoken than the Tower of Time suddenly vanished.

Simultaneously, within his inner world, a small tower abruptly appeared, suspended high in the air.

A projection of Lu Ye's divine sense materialized, gazing at the small tower. "It should work now," he stated.

With the supreme treasure now within his inner world, he only needed to exit the River of Time to take it with him.

But then...

"How do I get out of here?" Lu Ye asked.

"Use my power!" The small tower spun excitedly, and the Tower Spirit's voice became noticeably lighter.

Lu Ye immediately channeled his Dao power into the small tower.

The next moment, his true body, standing on the River of Time, felt a sudden inspiration. With a casual flick of his finger, the placid river waters immediately surged, rapidly forming a whirlpool.

Lu Ye instantly plunged into it, feeling himself continuously sinking.

It might have been a long time, or perhaps only an instant, but when Lu Ye regained his bearings, he found himself in the Star Abyss.

He looked around, noting that this was not Dragon Pool, and he had no idea where he was. It appeared that while the Tower of Time could extract him from the River of Time, having severed its connection, it couldn't return him to Dragon Pool.

This wasn't a major issue, however. He simply needed to use the Unity Realm as a transit point to reach either Dragon Pool or Phoenix Nest.

He didn't depart immediately. Instead, he maintained his divine sense projection and asked the Tower of Time, "Now that you've left the River of Time, where would you like to go?"

The Tower Spirit was silent for a moment. "I don't know," it replied. "May I remain here for now?"

From the very genesis of the universe, it had been situated within the River of Time. After eons of existence and now finally freed, it truly had no idea where to go.

As a supreme treasure, it lacked the desires and distractions of corporeal beings; its thought process was quite simple.

Lu Ye, having attained a dragon body from the ancestral true dragon, carried his master's aura. Therefore, to the Tower Spirit, no place in the world was more fitting than remaining with Lu Ye.

"Of course," Lu Ye replied, unable to suppress his secret delight, though he showed no outward sign. "Stay as long as you wish!"

Lu Ye had asked precisely because he intended to keep the Tower of Time. Even if it wished to leave, he would have found a way to persuade it with both logic and emotion.

Although this supreme treasure possessed no offensive or defensive capabilities, its mere connection to temporal energy made it exceptionally valuable, to say nothing of its origin from the Dragon and Phoenix ancestors.

"In the future, will I be able to send people into the tower for cultivation?" Lu Ye asked.

If possible, he wished to immediately send the rescued dragons of past generations into the tower. The vastly different time flow within the Tower of Time compared to the outside would allow these powerful dragons to rapidly break through their limitations and advance to Half-Saint.

However, with many dragons currently in secluded cultivation, it wouldn't be wise to disturb them rashly and risk unforeseen complications.

"Yes, it is possible," the Tower Spirit replied, "but if you wish to use my power to accelerate the flow of time, you will need to expend your own energy."

"What do you mean?" Lu Ye frowned, a sudden sense of unease washing over him.

The Tower Spirit explained, "I have severed my connection with the River of Time. Therefore, without an external force to activate me, I cannot fully exert my powers. If you wish to replicate my former abilities, a cost is naturally involved."

Lu Ye understood at once.

The Tower of Time's previous mystical powers stemmed entirely from its presence within the River of Time, which enabled it to harness the river's temporal energy to manipulate the flow of time inside the tower.

But now that it was no longer connected to the River of Time, that was no longer possible.

It was akin to the Tusk Blade: without Lu Ye's Dao power to wield it, it could only exert its full potential in specific environments. Otherwise, it would be like a skilled chef with no ingredients.

"Furthermore," the Tower Spirit added, "now that I am within your inner world, my power isn't necessarily confined to the tower's interior."

"May I try?" Lu Ye inquired.

The Tower Spirit readily assented.

Lu Ye immediately channeled his Dao power into the Tower of Time. The very next moment, a mysterious aura emanated from within the tower, an invisible force radiating throughout his entire inner world. This caused a remarkable reaction: it was as if, in that instant, the time flow within his inner world dramatically accelerated, with a single day passing internally for every few dozen breaths of external time.

Lu Ye's eyebrows rose. This meant that to help the dragons swiftly break their limitations, he wouldn't need to send them into the tower. He could simply activate the Tower of Time's power this way to assist them subtly.

He had truly struck gold!

When Lu Ye entered the Tower of Time, his initial intention was merely to cultivate and to rescue the imprisoned dragon powerhouses. He never imagined that before leaving, he would also bring out the Tower of Time itself, a supreme treasure.

Now that this treasure was willing to remain in his inner world, it was an outcome beyond his wildest dreams.

The only drawback was the significant cost of activating the supreme treasure's power. To harness the full might of the Tower of Time, it would need to be sustained for a considerable duration, which would undoubtedly place an enormous burden on his Dao power reserves.

This was unlike Lu Ye activating other supreme treasures, where battles or other tasks could be resolved quickly. The Tower of Time was different; once activated, it required prolonged maintenance. Even sustaining its power for just a day or two would consume an immense amount of Dao power.

Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, the Tower of Time's power could not be easily deployed, as Lu Ye feared he couldn't sustain the cost.

The rewards from this endeavor were immense, leaving Lu Ye thoroughly satisfied.

After a brief casual chat with the Tower Spirit, Lu Ye used the Unity Pearl within his inner world to enter the Unity Realm.

Inside the Initial Hall, Lu Ye's brows were tightly furrowed.

Compared to his previous visit, the Star Abyss's aura within the Unity Realm had become far denser. It was as if an invisible breach had appeared in this sanctuary, allowing the pervasive Star Abyss energy to surge in unchecked.

By now, the concentration of Star Abyss energy here was nearly comparable to that within the Star Abyss itself.

Under these circumstances, the Unity Realm was naturally profoundly affected. Beyond other concerns, even the many powerful cultivators who had long resided here in seclusion had vanished entirely.

Qin Feng was likely still in secluded cultivation in Kunli City, so Lu Ye did not linger. He returned directly to the Phoenix Nest.

The moment he appeared, the Primordial Parasol Tree manifested, its expression solemn. "Lu Ye, you're back!" it said.

"What happened?" Lu Ye asked, slightly startled. Just from the Primordial Parasol Tree's expression, he knew that nothing good had likely transpired during his absence.

"Follow me!" The Primordial Parasol Tree gestured, and the surrounding scenery rapidly shifted.

Lu Ye had initially reappeared in one tree hollow, but now found himself abruptly transported to another. Instantly, a strong scent of blood assailed his nostrils.