In the dimly lit environment after the torch had burned out, one would expect to feel a sense of oppression and fear. However, Lu Ye felt an unusual power in the darkness. His vision became extraordinarily sharp, and even in the complete darkness of the mine tunnel, he could still clearly make out the contours of his surroundings. The body of Manager Yang, the cold gleam of the sword, and even the smallest pebbles were all visible. Clearly, his vision had been greatly enhanced after unlocking his spirit aperture.

"Haha... Hahaha..." Lu Ye couldn't help but laugh out loud. His laughter echoed through every corner of the mine tunnel. Joy and excitement surged within him, making him temporarily forget the pain. However, as his laughter spread, the intense pain returned, forcing him to stop and suppress his happiness.

At this moment, Lu Ye was no longer simply happy about unlocking his spirit aperture. He began to reflect on the strange circumstances that had just occurred. He was certain that his sudden breakthrough was closely related to the Shadow Tree and the orange-yellow flame inside the dark red ore.

The ore itself wasn’t the most important thing. The true trigger of the change had been that orange-yellow flame. When the roots of the Shadow Tree devoured the flame, he succeeded in unlocking his spirit aperture. Lu Ye’s heart was filled with shock and excitement, and he also realized that his earlier guess had been correct—the Shadow Tree could indeed provide him with some mysterious help.

After sorting out his thoughts, he decided to focus again and attempt to observe the changes in the Shadow Tree. Since the flame had been consumed by the tree, there should be some reaction in the tree itself, which might provide new clues.

Focusing his mind, Lu Ye concentrated his attention once more. This time, he successfully saw the Shadow Tree again. Although the image was still hazy, he noticed that beneath the tree crown, what had previously been an empty space was now occupied by a leaf, and beneath it, a blazing flame was burning. The shape and color of this flame were slightly different from the previous one, as though it had gathered some mysterious power.

He steadied his breath and focused intently on the burning leaf, faintly seeing a highly complex pattern imprinted on it. In that moment, Lu Ye's heartbeat quickened, and he tried to discern the pattern, hoping to gain more information from it.

But an unexpected change occurred. The small leaf in front of him suddenly enlarged, nearly blocking his entire field of vision. At the same time, an overwhelming and inexplicable flow of information surged into his mind, like an unstoppable torrent, pressing on him to the point of suffocation. Lu Ye felt a sharp pain in his head, as if a massive hammer was striking his skull. His vision went black, and he collapsed unconscious.

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When Lu Ye awoke again, he felt groggy, his head aching as if struck by a thunderbolt. He shook his head with difficulty, trying to clear his mind. Struggling to support his body, he leaned back against the rock wall and sat down.

Recalling what had just happened, Lu Ye was stunned to discover that his mind now contained many new memories. These memories seemed as if they had always been a part of him, never absent, even more vivid than his original memories. Every fragment of these memories felt intimately connected to him, as though he had never been without this knowledge.

He carefully examined these newly emerged memories and gradually realized that everything stemmed from the Shadow Tree. After the orange-yellow flame was devoured by the tree, a burning leaf had grown on it, and the complex pattern on the leaf contained powerful energy. When Lu Ye attempted to focus on the pattern, the energy it carried forcibly entered his mind.

He realized that the pattern was a spirit rune called "Sharp". This spirit rune contained unique power, closely related to cultivation and combat. Lu Ye wasn’t unfamiliar with spirit runes. He had heard of rune masters, people who specialized in studying these runes, but such people were rare because learning spirit runes was not easy. Now, however, he didn’t need to study them because the knowledge of the Sharp Rune had already deeply rooted itself in his mind, becoming a part of him.

"Sharp Spirit Rune..." Lu Ye murmured, his heart filled with shock and excitement. The power of this rune was extremely sharp, able to give cultivators a significant advantage in battle. As its name suggested, the Sharp Rune had immense lethality, enhancing the sharpness of attacks and making any defense appear fragile.

Although he had just experienced excruciating pain, the gains were enormous for Lu Ye. He realized that this mysterious Shadow Tree had granted him such a precious power.

"I, actually obtained the Sharp Spirit Rune." Lu Ye’s heart trembled, his emotions a mix of excitement and joy. He nearly laughed again, unable to contain his feelings.

However, he knew clearly that while this mysterious power was powerful, it was also extremely dangerous. It had been triggered by the special mechanism of the Shadow Tree, and how this power would affect him was still uncertain. Lu Ye didn’t dare act recklessly. He decided to calm down first and try to control this newly acquired power, ensuring that his misuse of it wouldn’t lead to irreversible consequences.

"Sharp Spirit Rune... I will master you and make you a part of my strength." Lu Ye murmured to himself, his gaze firm. In his heart, he had already made up his mind. No matter what challenges lay ahead, he would no longer be the helpless mine slave, but a powerful cultivator with extraordinary strength.