Chapter 1019: Joining Forces to Attack

In Qianliu Blessed Land, all Blood Race members had departed for war, leaving Lu Ye as the sole guardian, accompanied only by the pregnant human women who had been sent from various manors.

These women could not be easily relocated. They had to remain under care until they gave birth to the blood fetuses, after which they could be sent to nearby villages.

A month had passed since Lu Ye's arrival at Qianliu Blessed Land. On his second day there, Dao Shisan arrived with a group from Bright Moon Manor to rendezvous with him, significantly bolstering the Blessed Land's strength. Though the Blood Race members Dao Shisan brought were not at the True Lake Realm, they were all skilled elites from various manors, possessing considerable power.

After several days, with sufficient forces assembled, they launched an attack on Beimin Blessed Land. Although Lu Ye did not personally oversee the battle at Beimin Blessed Land, the conflict proceeded vigorously. Despite significant losses of True Lake Realm Blood Race members, Qianliu Blessed Land's reserves grew considerably overnight, even integrating several True Lake Realm Blood Race members who were more powerful than Yu Lingfeng.

According to Blood Race customs, Yu Lingfeng would typically be unable to retain his position as Blessed Lord under such circumstances. However, with Dao Shisan's formidable presence, even Blood Race members more powerful than Yu Lingfeng dared not challenge his authority. This situation greatly fueled their envy, as they wondered where Yu Lingfeng had managed to acquire such a powerful blood slave.

Following the conquest of Beimin Blessed Land, approximately ten days were spent on reorganization. Afterward, Qianliu Blessed Land’s forces embarked on another campaign, targeting a different blessed land.

Lu Ye remained behind, partly to care for the human women, partly to cultivate his power, and largely to contemplate a path forward. At present, his success in the Blood炼 Realm, relying on the Soul Manipulation Divine Mark, stemmed from his targets being relatively weak, allowing him to easily control them. However, should he encounter Blood Race members at the Divine Sea Realm, his soul manipulation might prove ineffective. Moreover, his individual power was limited; he could not fundamentally alter the Blood炼 Realm's overarching dynamics.

While humanity might manage a semblance of peace within Qianliu Blessed Land's jurisdiction, how many similar territories existed across the entire Blood炼 Realm? Without the ability to shift the Blood炼 Realm's broader trajectory, saving the humans of this realm would be impossible. Lu Ye constantly pondered the reason Kyushu Heavenly Secret had sent him to this realm. While he had few definitive clues, he was certain it was inextricably linked to the humans of this world. Thus, his immediate priority was to elevate his cultivation, ideally reaching the Divine Sea Realm. This would allow him to control some Divine Sea Realm Blood Race members, thereby enabling him to protect more humans.

For Lu Ye, cultivation was quite straightforward. Indeed, were it not for the consumption of Talent Tree fuel, the Blood River would be the ideal place for cultivation. However, due to the excessively rapid consumption of Talent Tree fuel within the Blood River, Lu Ye was forced to abandon that particular method of cultivation. Fortunately, he had a substantial supply of spirit stones and spirit pills in his spatial ring. Moreover, Yu Lingfeng had recently returned from battle, bringing back a considerable number of blood crystals for him. For the time being, there was no shortage of cultivation resources. While the efficiency of this cultivation method could not compare to using spirit talismans in Kyushu, it eliminated concerns about rapid advancement destabilizing his foundation.

Lu Ye estimated that once his current reserves of spirit stones and pills were depleted, his cultivation would advance to the True Lake Eighth Layer. As for subsequent cultivation, he would have to proceed one step at a time; at worst, he could always slay Blood Race members and cultivate using their blood crystals. He could even enter the Blood River for cultivation, as long as he carefully managed the Talent Tree fuel consumption, it would pose no significant issues.

The shriek of a woman echoed from nearby, coming from the very direction where the human women were gathered. Lu Ye frowned slightly, extended his divine sense, and silently observed for a moment. Upon confirming the woman was not in mortal peril, he chose not to intervene.

A young girl, looking apprehensive, approached Lu Ye. She placed a blood fetus before him, cast a fearful glance in his direction, and then quickly hurried away. This young girl was one of the helpers Lu Ye had selected from among the human women. It must be noted that in the Blood炼 Realm, humanity had endured oppression and enslavement for so long that they no longer knew how to reclaim their dignity or fight for themselves. Even with Lu Ye's backing, these human women lived in constant trepidation. The young girl was among the few courageous women, which was why Lu Ye had chosen her to assist with births. Yet, even in this role, she rarely dared to communicate with him when delivering the blood fetuses. In the young girl's mind, Lu Ye was a Blood Slave, thus belonging to the Blood Race. The Blood Race was perceived as sacred and inviolable; she wouldn't dare harm even an unhatched blood fetus in the slightest, bringing every one of them to Lu Ye for disposal.

This made Lu Ye somewhat nostalgic for Lan Qiyue. When Lan Qiyue was at Bright Moon Manor previously, he never had to involve himself in these feminine affairs. She alone could manage the pregnant women, assist with births, and dispose of the blood fetuses. Gazing at the blood fetus before him, still smeared with blood, Lu Ye expressionlessly raised his hand. He channeled his spiritual power, and as flames surged, the blood fetus instantly disintegrated into ash.

He resumed his cultivation. Spirit stones were piled around him, and the roots of his Talent Tree delved into them, rapidly drawing energy for his own use. He also consistently consumed spirit pills. Occasionally, he would also chew on a blood crystal, which crunched loudly.

The following day, the Blood Race forces from Qianliu Blessed Land returned under Yu Lingfeng's command. Lu Ye didn't inquire about the battle's outcome. To him, the conflicts between Blood Race factions were merely a senseless struggle where he cared little for their casualties. His sole concern was safeguarding Qianliu Blessed Land and, at the very least, ensuring a stable living environment for the human women assembled there. Nevertheless, judging by the quantity of blood crystals Dao Shisan brought back, it was clear that many Blood Race members had perished in the recent conflict.

A moment later, Yu Lingfeng bowed respectfully and said, "My Lord." Lu Ye didn't even open his eyes. Yu Lingfeng was unfazed; having interacted with Lu Ye countless times, he had long grown accustomed to his demeanor. He then proceeded to report on the battle's developments. Although their own forces suffered considerable losses, they gained many more surrendered enemy Blood Race members. Therefore, this battle significantly strengthened Qianliu Blessed Land's foundation, rather than weakening it.

After concluding his report, Yu Lingfeng remained, appearing somewhat hesitant. "Is there anything else?" Lu Ye asked. Yu Lingfeng finally spoke: "My Lord, many True Lake Realm Blood Race members, whose cultivation surpasses mine, have gathered here in the Blessed Land. The newcomers, in particular, show me little respect and covet my position as Blessed Lord. I intend to make an example of someone..." Lu Ye immediately understood his intention. Yu Lingfeng, on his own, certainly lacked the power to execute this, so he sought assistance.

Lu Ye turned to Dao Shisan, who sat beside him, chewing a blood crystal and radiating a bloody glow, and instructed, "From now on, if he tells you to kill a Blood Race member, you will kill them!"

"Understood," Dao Shisan replied sullenly.

Yu Lingfeng was ecstatic. "Thank you, My Lord!" he exclaimed. To outsiders, Dao Shisan was his blood slave. However, only Yu Lingfeng truly knew the reality: Dao Shisan was not under his control. Yet, by solidifying the Blood Race's perception of the situation, no one would dare to be insolent in his presence hereafter.

"If my Lord has no further commands, I shall take my leave."

The subsequent days passed without incident. Many new Blood Race members had arrived at Qianliu Blessed Land, necessitating a period of integration in preparation for future campaigns. Such conquests proved lucrative for the victorious side, as they shared in the blood crystals collected from fallen Blood Race members. Undeniably, blood crystals offered a more significant and superior boost to the Blood Race than merely consuming their fresh blood.

One day, while Lu Ye was cultivating, Yu Lingfeng rushed over in a panic. "My Lord, we have a problem," he exclaimed. Lu Ye slowly opened his eyes and gazed at him. "What is it?" he asked. Yu Lingfeng replied, "News has arrived: White Cloud Blessed Land, Heavenly Tower Blessed Land, and Clear Autumn Blessed Land have allied to attack our Qianliu Blessed Land. Their combined forces are already on their way and will arrive by tomorrow at the latest."

Lu Ye's brows furrowed slightly. While this development was anticipated, the reaction of these blessed lands proved quicker than he had expected. Over the past month, Qianliu Blessed Land had aggressively seized two adjacent blessed lands. Such major actions could not have gone unnoticed by other nearby blessed lands. Once they received the news, a response was inevitable. A proactive assault was undoubtedly the most effective countermeasure, and the immediate formation of a three-way alliance demonstrated the decisiveness of these blessed lands.

While Qianliu Blessed Land was now considered militarily formidable, it could not, by itself, withstand the combined assault of three blessed lands. Lu Ye and Dao Shisan could, of course, offer their assistance; with them both present, defending Qianliu Blessed Land would pose no issue. The sole concern was that once conflict erupted, the fate of the human women within the Blessed Land would become precarious. In the chaos of battle, who would spare a thought for human lives? Thus, Lu Ye had to guarantee the safety of those human women.

"Understood. Go make the necessary arrangements yourself. Dao Shisan will accompany you. Anyone who dares to sow discord among the troops will be executed without mercy."

"Yes, My Lord," Yu Lingfeng replied, his mind somewhat eased. He then departed with Dao Shisan.

Lu Ye also stood up and headed to the area where the human women were housed. He dedicated himself to setting up protective formations there, understanding that only then could their safety be ensured to the fullest extent possible. Furthermore, he had something he wished to test, and this impending major battle presented the perfect opportunity to gauge its power. For Lu Ye, the combined assault of the three blessed lands was inconsequential. Even if Yu Lingfeng and all the other Blood Race members perished, as long as Qianliu Blessed Land endured, he could simply install another puppet ruler. Ultimately, his only concern was that the Blood Race's conflict did not involve the human women.

In merely an hour, Lu Ye completed the setup of a grand protective formation. Without resting, he moved throughout the Blessed Land, strategically placing various formation plates he had refined over the preceding period. He toiled until well past midnight, only then completing all the arrangements. At this moment, the entirety of Qianliu Blessed Land was abuzz with preparations for war. Numerous Blood Race members gathered, secretly bracing themselves for the imminent major conflict.