Chapter 1140: Good News and Bad News

In the Council Hall of Holy Island, everyone sat in their places. Compared to Lu Ye's last visit, the number of elders present was noticeably fewer.

Based on his previous observation, including the Senior Disciple Brother, there were over seventy top-tier Divine Sea Realm cultivators on Holy Island, but now there were only a dozen or so. Lu Ye's most familiar faces—Moon Maiden, Sword Solitary Swan, Meng Jie, and Wuchang—were all absent. They were clearly not on Holy Island; otherwise, they would have shown up. These top-tier elders, not being on the island, had evidently gone out to stir up trouble. Despite their age, none of them were truly content to stay put.

When they were in the Nine Provinces, in pursuit of higher cultivation realms, they could patiently enter life-and-death seclusion to comprehend the mysteries beyond the Divine Sea. But now that they were in the Blood Refining World, who would still sit in life-and-death seclusion? If the power of Holy Island wasn't relatively weak compared to the entire Blood Refining World, they would have long since led an army out. Leading an expedition was currently impossible, but going out in small groups of three to five to cause trouble was still feasible. When individuals like them took such action, the trouble they caused for the Blood Tribe was not something to be easily ignored.

Feng Wujiang was recounting to Lu Ye the changes that had occurred in the Blood Refining World over the past two years since his departure.

Nearly two years ago, the Blood Tribe's armies from all four directions came to besiege them. Although Jade Blood Holy Land repelled them, their final defensive barrier was breached, creating a gap. Originally, Jade Blood Holy Land could still rely on its last complete defensive line to withstand the Blood Tribe's siege, but once a gap appeared in the defenses, the situation changed. The next time, the Blood Tribe would inevitably deploy heavy forces and focus their efforts on this breach. Honestly, Jade Blood Holy Land had no confidence in holding out, especially since the Holy Land suffered significant losses in the last major battle, with not a single Divine Sea Realm Blood Tribe Dao Soldier surviving. It could be said that compared to last time, the Holy Land's defensive strength had diminished, and with the major breach, the future was worrying.

The Blood Tribe, clearly aware of this, had been actively preparing for their next siege since their last retreat. Now, nearly two years later, their preparations were nearing completion. In as little as six months, or as long as a year, the Blood Tribe would once again besiege Jade Blood Holy Land. That battle would determine the Holy Land's survival!

Facing this situation, the Holy Land, however, had no particularly good countermeasures. After all, this was the Blood Refining World, the Blood Tribe's domain. Human cultivators were difficult to nurture, and Blood Tribe Dao Soldiers were not readily available. The Holy Land could be said to be passive on all fronts. They could only do three things.

The first was to dispatch the elders to stir up trouble in all directions, to eliminate as many Blood Tribe powerhouses as possible and delay the Blood Tribe's army mobilization. This was also why only a dozen or so top-tier Divine Sea Realm cultivators remained on Holy Island; the others had indeed all gone out. No one knew how effective this approach would be, nor could they contact the elders to ascertain if they were alive or dead outside. Communication stones had distance limitations, unlike the convenient and fast battlefield marks in the Nine Provinces.

The second was to fully strengthen Holy Island's defensive power. This had already been proven during the recent Heavenly Punishment. If Holy Island's defenses were as they were over two years ago, they might not have withstood three strikes of Heavenly Punishment, but now they could, indicating their protective power had been enhanced. However, passive defense was never as good as active offense. When the Holy Land truly needed its protective formation to ensure survival, even the strongest defenses could eventually be broken.

The third was to wait. To wait for Lu Ye's return! To wait for him to bring back enough helpers from the Nine Provinces to help Jade Blood Holy Land overcome this crisis. Now Lu Ye had returned, but no helpers were yet visible. Naturally, no one believed no helpers were coming; since Lu Ye could return, others surely would too. The exact number would depend on Lu Ye's capabilities. Everyone was very much looking forward to it.

After Feng Wujiang's brief recounting, Lu Ye understood the recent situation. He pondered for a moment, then spoke: "I have two pieces of news, one good, one bad. Which would the elders like to hear first?"

The white-haired Granny Jiu chuckled softly: "This old woman is getting on in years and can't handle too much excitement. Let's hear the good news first." The entire group nodded in agreement.

Lu Ye said: "The good news is that the number of helpers arriving this time will be quite significant."

An elder named Zong Zhen couldn't help but stroke his beard: "How significant are we talking?"

Lu Ye stated solemnly: "From all across the Nine Provinces, from the Divine Sea Realm down to the Cloud River Realm, while not everyone will come, about seventy to eighty percent should be able to make it!" It's certainly impossible for everyone to come; some must remain behind to guard against contingencies. As for which individuals from various sects, families, and provincial garrisons will stay or participate in the expedition, that will depend on the specific decisions made in the Nine Provinces. As for the Spirit Stream Realm... battles at this level are not very friendly to them. Apart from other reasons, their mobility is a problem. So, according to the information Lu Ye received, cultivators at the Spirit Stream Realm will not participate in this expedition. It's better for them to stay and cultivate well in the Spirit Stream Battlefield. Once they reach the Cloud River Realm, mobility isn't a major issue; at the very least, they can fly through the air.

At his words, the hall became so silent that a pin drop could be heard. Zong Zhen's hand twitched, snapping a few strands of his own beard. After a long while, someone finally frowned and said: "That doesn't make sense. The two great realms are separated by who knows how vast a distance. Even if teleportation is possible via the Pillar of Heavenly Secrets, it shouldn't be able to bring over too many people; the consumption would be too immense. Lad, are you mistaken somewhere?" This was everyone's doubt. They had originally thought that if Lu Ye could bring a few hundred or a thousand Divine Sea Realm cultivators this time, it would be enough to solve their immediate crisis. But if it was truly as Lu Ye said, then it wouldn't just be hundreds or thousands of Divine Sea Realm cultivators; there might be tens of thousands. Not only Divine Sea Realm, but also True Lake and Cloud River cultivators... the numbers of cultivators at these two levels would only be greater. At that point, let alone protecting Jade Blood Holy Land, they could completely launch a major counter-offensive by humanity against the Blood Tribe. However, considering the consumption during teleportation, everyone felt this was somewhat unrealistic.

"Elders, you may not be aware, but in fact, over these years, the Blood Refining World has continuously been approaching the Nine Provinces. Currently, from the starry sky above, cultivators in the Nine Provinces can clearly see the Blood Refining World. So, although the distance between the two realms is not yet truly short, it's no longer far, and this distance is still continuously decreasing. Therefore, the teleportation cost due to distance should not be an issue."

"Such a thing?" Everyone was astonished. Although they could also gaze at the starry sky from within the Blood Refining World, without a special sensing method, they couldn't detect the Nine Provinces' existence. With so many stars in the sky, who knew which one was the Nine Provinces? Lu Ye, too, could clearly perceive the Blood Refining World's existence only because he had once refined a drop of Holy Blood. Feng Wujiang nodded: "Indeed, the celestial phenomena in the Blood Refining World's sky have always been changing. We once speculated that it was continuously in motion, but we never imagined it was moving towards the Nine Provinces."

Another elder, named Wu Junting, burst into laughter: "Such good fortune! The Blood Tribe is in for a bad time now!"

The shortest time any of them had been in the Blood Refining World was several decades, the longest nearly two centuries. Before Feng Wujiang founded Jade Blood Holy Land, they were all operating independently. Even with their individual strength, they lived lives of constant hiding, cautious not to easily expose their whereabouts. After Feng Wujiang arrived in the Blood Refining World, established Jade Blood Holy Land, and integrated everyone's power, they finally had a sanctuary, but their lives were still incredibly stifling. Every few years, they faced a large-scale siege from the Blood Tribe. In the Nine Provinces, each of them was a figure who could command wind and rain, always the ones dishing out blows, never constantly taking them. They had also considered launching a counter-offensive, but their overall strength did not permit it, leading to sighs of helplessness.

Now, with the two great realms continuously approaching, teleportation would no longer be an issue. At that time, seventy to eighty percent of the Nine Provinces' cultivators above the Cloud River Realm would enter the Blood Refining World. With so much assistance, they finally wouldn't have to remain confined to one place and could properly vent the frustration and pent-up emotions accumulated over the years. For a moment, everyone's spirits soared. They were perfectly clear about the Nine Provinces cultivation world's foundation. When the Nine Provinces' grand army arrived for the expedition, dealing with the Blood Tribe would be as easy as flicking a finger! Fortunately, they were all individuals of stable temperament; despite their excitement and anticipation, they remained relatively restrained.

"And the bad news?" Feng Wujiang asked, not having forgotten Lu Ye's earlier statement.

Lu Ye's expression grew serious: "The Blood Refining World's will of heaven and earth! As you all just witnessed, the moment I arrived, I was targeted by the Blood Refining World's will, with Heavenly Punishment descending. What about others? When Heavenly Punishment strikes en masse, however many cultivators come from the Nine Provinces, that's likely how many will die!"

The elders' excited enthusiasm was immediately doused as if by a bucket of cold water, extinguished completely in an instant. Indeed, the Blood Refining World's will of heaven and earth was clear and potent. The moment Lu Ye, an intruder, appeared, he was targeted. Had he not possessed special means to resolve it, the Heavenly Punishment would surely not have ceased. But while Lu Ye had this ability, others did not. Who could withstand the power of Heavenly Punishment? At that time, it was truly likely that however many people came, that's how many would die.

Amidst the heavy silence, someone spoke: "Perhaps if more people come, the Blood Refining World's will might target them less intensely. Moreover, Heavenly Punishment cannot appear out of thin air; it always entails consumption, and it cannot be endless."

"Perhaps so, but we cannot rely on that as hope. No one has experienced such a situation before. If we misjudge, the loss will be borne by the cultivators of the Nine Provinces. We are asking them to come help, not to die."

"If the Nine Provinces cannot provide assistance, the Holy Land absolutely cannot be preserved. If it truly comes to that final step, we can only return to the Nine Provinces via the Pillar of Heavenly Secrets."

"We can retreat, but not all the humans in the Holy Land can be evacuated. At that time, there will inevitably be widespread devastation."

Amidst their back-and-forth remarks, the elders debated fiercely.