Chapter 1144: Arrangement

Wuchang and the others, though each had attained profound cultivation and reached the pinnacle of the Divine Sea Realm, would not casually leave the Crimson Blood Holy Land unless absolutely necessary. The last time the Blood Clan army besieged the Holy Land, its final defense line was breached, creating a vulnerability. If it happened again, the Holy Land might not be defensible.

Before leaving, Lu Ye had indeed said he would return, bringing a group of helpers. But who could say for sure? What if Lu Ye couldn't return? What if he didn't bring enough helpers? So, they were also doing their best. They dispersed to attack, stirring up trouble everywhere, trying to kill Blood Clan members while slowing down the Blood Clan army's assembly.

Now, Lu Ye had returned, bringing back such momentous news. How could Wuchang not be excited? With the entire Nine Provinces cultivation world as their backing, how could humanity fear a mere Blood Clan? He truly hadn't expected such a dramatic turn of events; this fact was simply beyond imagination.

"Do the others know?" Wuchang asked.

Lu Ye shook his head. "I only encountered you after leaving the Holy Land. I haven't met anyone else yet."

Wuchang said, "We must tell them this good news as soon as possible. I'll handle that. What's your mission, then?"

Lu Ye took out a Heavenly Secret Pillar. "I need to place these throughout the Blood Refining World, and I was just about to ask for your help."

Wuchang understood instantly. "How many are there?"

Lu Ye took out all the Heavenly Secret Pillars.

Wuchang grinned. "This is a grand scheme! If all these are set up, there won't be any safe place left in the Blood Refining World. Give me half; I was just about to go find those old-timers anyway. We can handle both matters at once."

Lu Ye readily agreed, immediately handing half of the Heavenly Secret Pillars to Wuchang.

"Why did you issue the summons, senior?" Only then did Lu Ye have a chance to ask Wuchang's purpose. Since he wasn't injured and didn't need assistance, there must have been another reason.

"To kill a Holy Seed," Wuchang's expression suddenly turned fierce.

Lu Ye raised an eyebrow, secretly marveling at the senior ghost cultivator's ambitious appetite. However, to kill a Holy Seed, he couldn't do it alone. Each Holy Seed possessed strength comparable to these venerable seniors. No one could kill a Holy Seed in a one-on-one fight, so gathering help was naturally necessary. Unexpectedly, instead of summoning others, he had summoned Lu Ye, which was a fortunate coincidence.

"If we're to kill a Holy Seed, Senior, just the two of us might not be enough," Lu Ye voiced his doubts. Although Wuchang was very strong, and Lu Ye's own strength was not weak, Holy Seeds were not beings that could be easily killed. It was the same principle: in battle, defeating an opponent and killing them were entirely different matters. Relatively speaking, killing was much more difficult than merely defeating. Especially with the Blood Clan's Blood Escape Technique, which was incredibly profound. Even if their side had a clear advantage, once a targeted Holy Seed sensed danger, it would undoubtedly escape quickly. Who could possibly catch them then?

"Of course, it's not just the two of us. There are others nearby, though I don't know how many will come. Let's wait a bit longer. But Lu Ye, this is a bit dangerous; you'd better not participate."

Although he had already noticed Lu Ye's cultivation had reached the fifth level of the Divine Sea Realm when Lu Ye arrived, a fifth-level cultivation was indeed a bit low for this level of combat. Wuchang was also worried about Lu Ye suffering any mishaps, which was why he advised him so.

Lu Ye smiled faintly. "Senior, you underestimate me. While I can't guarantee anything else, if a fight breaks out, I can certainly avoid holding you seniors back. You can focus on the main attack, and I'll provide support from the side, assisting where needed."

Although time had been pressing before, now that half of the Heavenly Secret Pillars had been given to Wuchang, they had much more time. The senior cultivators intended to eliminate a Holy Seed. How could Lu Ye miss such an opportunity? Holy Seeds were considered the strongest combatants in this world. While their numbers weren't vast, given the expansive realm, there wouldn't be too few of them. When the two races eventually clashed, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have some prior experience with the Holy Seeds' strength.

Seeing his persistence, Wuchang found it hard to say more. The two then waited in silence, Lu Chang silently standing aside from beginning to end.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Lu Ye sensed an aura rapidly approaching. A short while later, a figure entered the cave. The figure was tall and straight as a sword. Although his aura was restrained, he still exuded a sharp presence. It was Jian Gufeng.

Upon seeing Lu Ye, Jian Gufeng reacted with the same surprise as Wuchang. Before Lu Ye could explain anything, Wuchang eagerly volunteered to share all the information.

As they were talking, another person arrived in response to the summons. It was an old senior named Wei Fufeng. Thus, there was another round of surprise, and Wuchang repeated his new account.

"Excellent, excellent, excellent," Wei Fufeng said, stroking his beard, his old heart greatly comforted. "I was worried about the Blood Clan's next grand siege, but who would have thought the situation would take such a dramatic turn, with a glimmer of hope appearing? It's destined for my Nine Provinces to flourish and humanity to prosper."

Jian Gufeng also nodded. "In that case, all our previous worries are no longer an issue. So, Wuchang, you summoned us for this matter?"

"Of course not. I didn't know Lu Ye had returned before. He happened to be nearby and also responded to the summons."

"Then what was it for?"

Wuchang chuckled mischievously. "I want to kill a Holy Seed. I need help."

Wei Fufeng calmly glanced at Wuchang. "You've attempted to assassinate Holy Seeds many times over the years, but never succeeded. So where does this confidence come from now? Holy Seeds generally reside within their Holy Lands, which are filled with experts. If you're exposed, even with my and fellow Daoist Jian's support, you might not be able to escape."

Wuchang pouted. "Do you think I'm foolish enough to act inside their Holy Land? Naturally, it'll be in the wilderness."

A gleam flashed in Jian Gufeng's eyes. "Tell us in detail."

"Follow me," Wuchang beckoned, flying out first. There was no need to wait any longer. Since no one else had arrived by now, it was unlikely anyone else would. The jade slips' sensing range was also limited. The others exchanged glances and followed closely behind.

As they flew forward, Wuchang transmitted a message via divine sense: "Yesterday, I accidentally stumbled upon a Holy Seed's whereabouts. I originally intended to follow him to see if I could find an opportunity to ambush him. But that fellow actually entered a blood pool, seemingly for cultivation. I immediately thought it was an opportunity, which is why I summoned you." Jian Gufeng and Wei Fufeng immediately understood Wuchang's plan upon hearing this.

This was clearly a plan to "wait by the stump for a rabbit" (a Chinese idiom meaning to wait idly for opportunities). It was indeed a good opportunity. For many years, the senior cultivators of the Nine Provinces had clashed with Holy Seeds numerous times, but truthfully, they had achieved no kills. To date, the only one to directly slay a Holy Seed was Feng Wujiang. If they could successfully kill a Holy Seed this time, the rewards would be significant. Eliminating one Holy Seed before the two races clashed might reduce many losses for humanity.

However, killing a Holy Seed was not so simple. Ordinarily, Holy Seeds stayed within their own Holy Lands and would not easily leave. Even a Ghost Cultivator like Wuchang would not dare trespass into such a dangerous stronghold. When Holy Seeds left their Holy Lands, it was also difficult to track their movements, because by the time the senior cultivators discovered them, the Holy Seeds would also discover them. Only a Ghost Cultivator like Wuchang had the chance to stumble upon a Holy Seed's trail without being detected, which led to today's operation.

The blood pool the Holy Seed entered was not far from their gathering point, less than three hundred li in total. Soon, the group arrived about ten li from the blood pool. They all suppressed their auras and quietly observed. Indeed, they saw a blood pool there, with blood surging within it.

"Not much time has passed, so the Holy Seed must still be in the blood pool. His perception of the outside world is extremely vague right now, so even if we stand guard there, he won't detect us. My plan is to first set up formations to trap him, and when he emerges, we'll work together to kill him."

Ghost Cultivators generally excelled in the art of formations. Especially a top Ghost Cultivator like Wuchang, whose mastery in formations was undoubtedly profound. Using formations to kill enemies was a natural approach for him.

"But there's a problem now," Wuchang turned to Wei Fufeng. "If the Holy Seed senses something is wrong, he's very likely to retreat back into the blood pool, and then we'll have no way to deal with him. Old Wei, do you have a solution?"

He himself was powerless in this regard, and there was no need to ask Jian Gufeng. As a Sword Cultivator, he never relied on external forces; this was a consistent tradition among Sword Cultivators. Therefore, if anyone could solve this problem, it would definitely be Wei Fufeng. If even Wei Fufeng couldn't solve it, they would have to try their best to suppress the Holy Seed and prevent him from escaping into the blood pool. Otherwise, once he entered the blood pool, all their efforts would be in vain.

Wei Fufeng smiled faintly. "Coincidentally, I happen to have a treasure that can be used here."

Wuchang grinned. "I knew you old-timer had many tricks up your sleeve. That settles it then. I'll go set up the formations first. You all stay out of sight."

"I'll help," Lu Ye volunteered. Opportunities to witness the formation mastery of a top Ghost Cultivator up close were rare.

Wuchang was a bit surprised. "You also understand formations?"

"Just a little," Lu Ye replied.

The two simultaneously blurred and flew towards the blood pool. Soon, Wuchang realized that Lu Ye's mastery of formations was far beyond "just a little"; it was quite profound. Although there was still some gap compared to him, given their age difference, Wuchang couldn't quite understand how Lu Ye, so young, had found the time to delve into formations. After all, this required years of accumulation and refinement; it wasn't simply determined by talent. Moreover, Lu Ye's cultivation far surpassed that of his peers, which was truly incredible.

With Lu Ye's assistance, grand formations were swiftly set up. There was no need to worry about being exposed, as the Holy Seed was currently unknown how deep within the blood pool and simply couldn't perceive the outside situation. Through this process, Lu Ye gained much insight. His mastery in formations mostly came from the Hundred Formations Pagoda's endowment. However, the Pagoda was inanimate, while Wuchang was a living being. Many ingenious ideas and formation-laying techniques couldn't be imparted by the Pagoda, but Lu Ye could learn them from Wuchang.