Chapter 1168: Turnaround

The Wind Rises in Kyushu

Lu Yiye – the Old Sect Master of Danxin Sect had heard this name so often lately his ears were practically calloused. He was said to be the most outstanding young person of this generation, credited with immense contributions to the counterattack against the Insectoid Great Secret Realm. He single-handedly initiated the expedition to the Blood Refinement Realm and personally brought back much intelligence on the Blood Clan from there. What he brought, even more significantly, was hope for many Divine Sea Realm peak cultivators to advance to a higher stage. It was through him that cultivators learned about the connection between the limits of cultivation realms and the world's underlying essence. Otherwise, the Old Sect Master feared he would still be futilely engaging in his life-and-death seclusion.

Yet, despite all the talk, the Old Sect Master of Danxin Sect had never actually met Lu Yiye. Instead, the other two Divine Sea Realm cultivators allied with him, one from Huangyu Sect and the other from Fentian Dao, had a brief encounter with Lu Yiye at the initial celebration banquet. They never expected that the reinforcements would be this young man. However, it was rumored that his cultivation was only at the fifth stage of the Divine Sea Realm. Even if he could defeat enemies above his level, what significant role could he play in such a dire situation?

Just as these thoughts crossed the Old Sect Master's mind, a startled cry suddenly echoed: "Sacred Seed!"

It was the Blood Clan Sacred Seed's startled cry. This cry shocked the Old Sect Master; one Sacred Seed alone had already left three Ninth Stage cultivators in such a wretched state. If another appeared, there would be no point in fighting; everyone might as well prepare for their demise. But he quickly realized something was amiss, for the Blood Clan Sacred Seed's voice was laced with a hint of shock and panic. Immediately afterward, the Blood Clan Sacred Seed let out another shout, a mix of shock and anger: "Impossible!" It was as if it had witnessed something utterly incomprehensible.

Then, the Old Sect Master felt the immense pressure emanating from the surrounding Blood River significantly wane, and the suffocating sensation he felt greatly diminished. He didn't know what method Lu Yiye had used to make the Blood Clan Sacred Seed, which had rendered three Ninth Stage cultivators helpless, so panicked. However, his many years of cultivation and combat experience told him that the tide of this battle was about to turn.

Within the Blood River, Lu Yiye had already activated his Blood Art, unfurling his magnificent Blood River and forcefully merging it with the surrounding Blood River. Having already dealt with Sacred Seeds twice, Lu Yiye was well-versed in the most effective methods for eliminating them. When facing a Sacred Seed, the first step is to suppress its sacred essence, thereby limiting the full display of its power. Second, one must merge with its Blood River, denying the opponent any space to escape. If these two conditions are met, and if the opponent's sacred essence is inferior to one's own, they become a lamb to the slaughter.

After two instances of devouring and refining, Lu Yiye's sacred essence was now incredibly potent. While he wouldn't claim to be at the absolute pinnacle, very few Sacred Seeds could surpass him in terms of sacred essence. This Jade Kylin Sacred Venerable was not among them. The opponent's sacred essence was comparable to that of the female Sacred Seed Lu Yiye had slain in conjunction with Jian Guhong and others, and it was stronger than that of Mo Hai Sacred Venerable. Such a level of sacred essence was not considered weak among all Sacred Seeds, but compared to Lu Yiye's current power, it was still somewhat inadequate.

The suppression of sacred essence instantly and significantly weakened Jade Kylin Sacred Venerable, causing its Blood River to become turbulent. Seizing this opportunity, Lu Yiye's Blood River rapidly encroached. By the time Jade Kylin Sacred Venerable reacted and attempted to resist, it was too late; about half the volume of their respective Blood Rivers had already merged, with the remaining half intertwined. Within the magnificent Blood River, an undercurrent enveloped one individual and directly transported him out. It was precisely the heavily injured Ninth Stage cultivator from Huangyu Sect. He hadn't even fully processed what had happened, only that he had been extracted from the battlefield. Realizing this was likely Lu Yiye's doing, he simultaneously marveled at the formidable and miraculous methods of the younger generation while rapidly fleeing away from the battle. In his current condition, he was no longer fit for combat and needed to stabilize his injuries as quickly as possible. Otherwise, even if the foundation of Kyushu were to greatly increase in the future, he might not be able to glimpse the path to higher realms, and then he would truly have nowhere to turn.

Within the Blood River, one entered and one was sent out, thereby maintaining a three-on-one situation. However, the dynamics of the battle had completely shifted. Both the Old Sect Master of Danxin Sect and the Ninth Stage cultivator from Fentian Dao clearly sensed the Blood Clan Sacred Seed's aura plummeting, as if an invisible force were suppressing its full power. They didn't understand what kind of power this was, as they couldn't perceive it at all. Nevertheless, as seasoned combatants, they immediately charged towards Jade Kylin Sacred Venerable.

Previously, within this Blood River, it had been incredibly difficult for them to pinpoint the enemy's exact location; even if they occasionally managed it, the opponent would swiftly change positions, rendering their efforts futile. But now, within the Blood River's undercurrent, a distinct force was guiding them, indicating the enemy's position. They didn't need to search; they simply had to follow this guiding power and unleash their most devastating attacks.

As the two launched their attacks, Lu Yiye was not idle. Activating his sword gourd, a river of sword qi erupted, fiercely assailing Jade Kylin Sacred Venerable. In an instant, the air was filled with crisp, resonant sword hums. Jade Kylin Sacred Venerable was on the verge of madness. With its power greatly suppressed, it would have been in grave danger even without Lu Yiye's direct intervention. Coupled with Lu Yiye's unparalleled sword qi, it was covered in wounds and bleeding profusely in mere moments.

It roared in defiant anger: "How can a mere human possess sacred essence? How dare a mere human harm my sacred body!" Though it desperately activated its Blood Art to resist, it was futile. In the Blood Clan's inherent perception, humans were mere domesticated animals, low in status. For a revered Sacred Seed to be beaten by a human, with its life constantly in peril, was utterly intolerable. It was akin to a high-ranking cultivator in the Kyushu world being beaten by a dog... In the Blood Refinement Realm, the situation was even more severe. However, one thing perplexed it: where had these human cultivators come from? Although its dominion also contained human cultivators, their cultivation levels were utterly insignificant. These suddenly appearing humans, however, were clearly different; each had achieved considerable cultivation, and there were quite a few Divine Sea Realm cultivators among them.

Such thoughts were meaningless now. It realized that if it didn't find a way to escape soon, it would truly die here. But with the battle reaching this point, escaping would not be so easy. It had previously used its Blood River Art to trap the Old Sect Master of Danxin Sect and the two others, preventing three Ninth Stage cultivators from escaping. Now, however, it found itself trapped by Lu Yiye. It could only be said that fortunes turn, and what goes around comes around. Unless it could break through Lu Yiye's Blood River, it would have no room to escape. But if its sacred essence was inferior to Lu Yiye's, it couldn't break through Lu Yiye's Blood River. It was a deadlock. Thus, it knew it was likely doomed. Its heart turned cold, and it activated its Blood Art even more furiously, intending to drag someone down with it even if it died.

Both the Old Sect Master of Danxin Sect and the Ninth Stage cultivator from Fentian Dao were battle-hardened cultivators. At this very moment, their figures darted back and forth around Jade Kylin Sacred Venerable, continuously unleashing the power of their spirit treasures and inflicting wound after wound upon it. Before Lu Yiye's appearance, they had fought with extreme frustration, constrained at every turn. Now, finally able to fight without restraint, they naturally showed no mercy.

Amidst the fierce battle, Lu Yiye's voice echoed in their ears: "Be careful of his Blood Explosion!" In such a large-scale battle, Jade Kylin Sacred Venerable had the opportunity to self-destruct. This was unlike Lu Yiye's previous engagement with Mo Hai Sacred Venerable, which had been a drawn-out affair, like cutting flesh with a dull knife. In that battle, Lu Yiye had relied entirely on the unique properties of his Soul-Slaying Blade to shatter the opponent's divine soul, preventing Mo Hai Sacred Venerable from even initiating a Blood Explosion Art. The Blood Art Jade Kylin Sacred Venerable was currently activating was not primarily for causing damage but rather for binding. Its intention was clear: as soon as it could restrain any one of them, it would immediately unleash a Blood Explosion Art, aiming for mutual destruction. Without Lu Yiye's warning, the Old Sect Master and his companion might have genuinely suffered a misfortune. But with the timely reminder, Jade Kylin Sacred Venerable's plan was destined to fail.

During the intense battle, Jade Kylin Sacred Venerable's injuries grew increasingly severe; one of its arms was even severed, and its wounds gaped open, revealing glimpses of its internal organs. It had continuously attempted to bind an enemy but had failed to succeed. Finally, it let out a sigh, and its aura suddenly became dangerously unstable.

"Retreat!" the Old Sect Master shouted, seeing the unfavorable turn of events and realizing the opponent might genuinely be about to self-destruct. He rapidly retreated backward. The Fentian Dao expert also retreated without hesitation. Almost the instant both cultivators exited the Blood River, one after the other, and re-emerged into the open air, a tremendous roar erupted from within the Blood River. Immediately following, intensely violent energy fluctuations surged forth, and the already massive Blood River visibly swelled outwards by a significant margin.

Feeling the raw, violent power, both Divine Sea Realm cultivators were left shaken. Such terrifying destructive force, had they been any closer, would surely have dragged them down to their demise as well. The expanded Blood River suddenly collapsed inward and contracted. In the blink of an eye, the massive Blood River spanning half the sky vanished, and the figure of a young man appeared in their sight. It was clearly Lu Yiye. He had a large gourd hanging from his waist, looking refined and handsome. He lacked the typical impulsiveness and bluntness of a soldier cultivator, instead possessing some of the unrestrained and free-spirited demeanor of a sword cultivator.

The Old Sect Master and the Fentian Dao expert saluted him with cupped hands, and Lu Yiye returned the gesture. They exchanged few words, as this was no time for idle chatter. The joint battle of the three major sects against the Jade Kylin Sacred Land was far from over. Each chose a direction and charged into the battlefield.

Lu Yiye maintained a layer of blood mist around his body, a state where his Blood Art was poised but not yet fully unleashed. He didn't deliberately seek out enemies, instead drifting across the vast battlefield like a ghost. Yet, wherever he passed, Blood Clan members toppled like straw in the wind. At every location he passed through, the human cultivators engaged in battle with the Blood Clan were astonished to discover that their opponents' strength suddenly plummeted for some unknown reason. On such a life-and-death battlefield, a mysterious weakening of one side's strength is undoubtedly fatal. The human side already held an advantage, and with Lu Yiye stirring the chaos, the Blood Clan suffered even more devastating casualties. Some Blood Clan members, seeing the dire situation, attempted to flee, but most were intercepted and slain by the human forces. Only a small fraction managed to escape. Facing this situation, Lu Yiye actually didn't have a perfect solution. He couldn't intercept every single escaping Blood Clan member; he could only focus on eliminating those with higher cultivation.