Chapter 1116: More Poisonous

Lu Ye possessed more than just the token given by Yue Ji; he had dozens of others. These senior figures hailed from various parts of Kyushu, predominantly from high-ranking sects. Even if only a few individuals were dispatched from each, the collective power they could muster would be immense.

Forming a united Kyushu army to campaign against the Blood Refinement World and eradicate injustice and darkness seemed like a worthwhile endeavor.

However, this was merely a nascent idea, and its implementation would be far from easy, requiring extensive long-term planning.

Time flowed by gently as Lu Ye chatted with Yu Shen.

Then, an order was issued: the counter-offensive had begun! The Kyushu cultivators' army had fully deployed along the periphery of the Great Insect Secret Realm, leaving virtually no gaps. As the command echoed, everyone surged forward, eliminating the insectoids they encountered.

True Lake Realm cultivators had a singular mission: push straight ahead, clearing all obstacles in their path.

However, the Divine Sea Realm grand cultivators had a more intricate task. As they advanced, they also needed to patrol specific areas, eliminating foes that True Lake Realm cultivators struggled against, thereby minimizing casualties.

This method of advance proved somewhat cumbersome in the initial stages. The front line was excessively long, and forces were dispersed. If a True Lake Realm cultivator team encountered a particularly strong insect, they would struggle to cope, and without prompt Divine Sea Realm support, casualties could arise.

Nevertheless, this systematic, carpet-style advance offered a significant advantage: it could deliver a devastating blow to the insectoids within the Great Insect Secret Realm, leaving few survivors and reducing the pressure on the cultivators guarding the main portal.

Furthermore, as time progressed, the front line would rapidly contract, concentrating forces until, finally, the Kyushu army converged at the heart of the Great Insect Secret Realm!

That would mark the final, decisive battle!

Lu Ye transformed into a streak of light, darting across the sky, occasionally striking down any insectoids he encountered, moving without hindrance.

At present, there were not many insectoids on the periphery of the Great Insect Secret Realm, nor were there many powerful ones, making the advance relatively unhindered.

Even True Lake Realm cultivators, organized into small teams of several individuals, could manage. By utilizing linked spirit arrays to form battle formations, they could handle most Divine Sea Realm insectoids they occasionally encountered, provided the insects were not overly powerful.

It was well into the day when Lu Ye suddenly heard a desperate, prolonged cry for help from his flank.

He immediately altered his course, rushing towards the sound's origin, while simultaneously responding with a long cry of his own.

After a short flight, he spotted several figures hurrying towards him in disarray.

These cultivators, whose faction was unknown, had formed a formation with the aid of a spirit array, but their inherent strength was lacking. They were currently being chased by a Divine Sea Realm insectoid. Despite being outmatched, they still possessed some power to resist through the formation's might. Upon hearing Lu Ye's cry, they hastened to rendezvous with him.

As their figures brushed past, Lu Ye lunged directly at the Divine Sea Realm insectoid. Before he even reached it, several saber slashes had already been unleashed. Dull thuds resonated as the attacks struck, causing the insectoid's body to shake violently and halting its advance.

The True Lake Realm cultivators, showing considerable courage, immediately turned back after witnessing Lu Ye's intervention, intending to assist.

However, there was no opportunity for them to act. A fierce flash of saber light was all they saw before the Divine Sea Realm insectoid, which had nearly driven them to despair, was sliced cleanly in two, its ichor splattering across the air.

Lu Ye did not linger. Another cry for help echoed from the distance, compelling him to hasten there and provide support, minimizing the cultivator army's losses as much as possible.

The group stood momentarily stunned. A True Lake Realm cultivator at the fifth level in the team murmured, "That lord is only at the fourth level of the Divine Sea Realm, isn't he? How could his saber technique be so formidable?"

The insectoid that had pursued them was by no means weak; an ordinary Divine Sea Realm cultivator at the fourth level would never have dispatched it so swiftly and cleanly—a prolonged struggle would typically be involved. This was precisely why they had immediately sought to join the fight after support arrived.

"Fourth level of Divine Sea Realm, uses a saber, and so young... it can only be him!" the leading eighth-level True Lake Realm cultivator mused.

The others instantly understood.

His name cast a long shadow. Lu Ye was no longer a minor figure who merely stirred ripples at the Spirit Stream and Cloud River Realm levels. The insect plague had spread his formidable reputation throughout Kyushu, elevating him to a stature that most cultivators across the land looked up to.

While a fourth-level Divine Sea Realm cultivation was not extraordinary in itself, a cultivator of that level so young was a rarity. Moreover, his contributions were immense, ranging from the linked spirit array, to his solitary exploration of the Great Insect Secret Realm, and even his provision of a unique method for refining insect ichor.

It could be said that his individual efforts directly led to this joint operation by the Kyushu cultivator army, and he single-handedly boosted the army's overall strength by an impressive thirty percent.

Throughout history, who else could have accomplished such a feat? For these two achievements alone, all of Kyushu owed him a profound debt of gratitude.

As the front line pressed further inward, a continuous chorus of desperate cries for aid erupted from True Lake Realm teams. Lu Ye raced across various sections of the front, sometimes eliminating enemies alone, at other times joining forces with Divine Sea Realm cultivators who arrived as reinforcements. He was virtually unstoppable.

At one point, passing over an area, his gaze swept downwards. A smile touched his lips, and he plunged straight down.

Here, a True Lake Realm team was engaged in combat with a Divine Sea Realm insectoid. The insectoid was formidable; its aura was at the fifth level of the Divine Sea Realm, surpassing even Lu Ye's own.

Any other True Lake Realm team encountering such an insectoid would likely have called for aid, but this particular team clearly had no such intention. They were fighting independently and were nearing success.

By the time Lu Ye descended, the Divine Sea Realm insectoid's dorsal carapace was nearly shattered, and its body was covered in wounds.

The team was well-rounded in its composition: a burly body cultivator stood at the forefront, exuding powerful vitality, refusing to give an inch, and drawing most of the insectoid's attention.

Weapon cultivators moved like the wind, striking and retreating around the insectoid.

Sword cultivators wielded flying swords, unleashing sharp and deadly sword lights. Spell cultivators, too, cast a series of intricate techniques.

And phantom cultivators, their figures elusive, would strike once before instantly retreating, never lingering or seeking excessive credit.

Moreover, a gentle woman stood atop a spider demon beast, forming hand seals with her slender fingers to activate profound secret arts. The enormous, grotesque spider demon beast beneath her ceaselessly spewed silk, weaving webs to restrict the insectoid's movements.

Lu Ye landed on the back of this grotesque spider. Perhaps due to her complete focus on the insectoid, the gentle woman remained entirely unaware of his presence.

It wasn't until a hand brazenly rested on her waist that the woman gasped in surprise. Her spiritual power surged, and a plume of black mist instantly billowed forth, engulfing both her and Lu Ye.

Lu Ye's eyebrow twitched. In that very instant, a magnificent pillar of smoke conspicuously ascended from his Talent Tree...

This woman... she's become even more venomous.

A strong gust of wind hit them. The woman had already spun around, swinging her palm at him. Her delicate jade hand unexpectedly held terrifying power.

Yet, Lu Ye effortlessly caught her wrist and, winking, teased, "Such enthusiasm?"

The anger on the woman's face slowly subsided, replaced by a wistful expression. "Why didn't it poison you to death?"

Lu Ye couldn't help but sigh. "The fangs of a viper, the sting of a wasp's tail—neither is truly venomous compared to a woman's heart! Luckily, I'm immune to all poisons, or you truly might have poisoned me to death."

"Serves you right!" Hua Ci glared at him. "Who told you to sneak up on me?" She then looked at Amber. "Yiyi, you too! He's a menace, why didn't you warn me?"

Yiyi phased out of Amber's body, suppressing a smile. "I forgot," she said.

Hua Ci shook her head helplessly, then turned back, continuing to activate her secret arts and join forces with the others to confront the enemy.

Everyone had by now noticed Lu Ye's arrival, but their entanglement with the insectoid prevented them from being overly distracted for the moment.

Lu Ye called out, "Need any assistance?"

Li Baxian laughed heartily. "Little Junior Brother, just stand there and watch!"

Lu Ye had only asked casually, with no intention of intervening, as the battle was already nearing its end.

The six members of Team Ding Jiu now possessed formidable strength and worked together flawlessly. While an ordinary True Lake Realm team might have found such an insectoid difficult to handle, Team Ding Jiu was more than capable.

Lu Ye observed numerous colorful mushrooms growing on the Divine Sea Realm insectoid's body. These were rapidly expanding, and as they grew, the insectoid's aura progressively weakened.

This was clearly Hua Ci's handiwork.

Lu Ye couldn't help but feel curious. "Last time I saw you, you summoned a large toad. How has it become a spider this time? When did you switch to the Beast Taming lineage?"

"It's not beast taming," Hua Ci replied, continuing to activate her secret arts. "These are my Five Poison Emissaries, and they grow in strength along with me."

"Five Poison Emissaries?" Lu Ye raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean there are three others?"

"Do you want to see them?" Hua Ci asked. Lu Ye promptly refused, "No, thank you!"

It was one thing for a gentle, refined woman to cultivate potent poisons, but now she had Five Poison Emissaries, each grotesque and hideous. The inheritance Hua Ci had received back in the Spirit Stream battlefield was truly bizarre.

Yet, it was undeniable that this inheritance was remarkable. To this day, Lu Ye had never encountered anything so peculiar.

Moreover, her ability to cultivate mushrooms could subtly weaken enemies, gradually transforming a favorable battle situation into a decisive killing blow.

The smooth progress of Team Ding Jiu's battle was partly attributable to individual prowess and seamless teamwork, but Hua Ci's contribution was undeniably substantial.

A moment later, the Divine Sea Realm insectoid's aura grew even weaker, and it clearly exhibited signs of poisoning. Team Ding Jiu's members found it increasingly effortless to engage.

Another cry for help echoed from the distance, and Lu Ye turned to look.

Hua Ci understood. "Go, but be careful. Don't overexert yourself."

Only then did Lu Ye withdraw the hand that had been resting on her waist. Once Yiyi had returned to Amber's body, he leaped into the air and shot straight towards the source of the cry.

A hurried encounter, a brief reunion—such was often the way on the path of cultivation. There were many partings, especially when individual strengths diverged significantly, making it difficult for people to continue working together.