Chapter 1225: Taking Money to Save Life

Wind Rises in Kyushu

The Blood River Art, a culmination of the Blood Tribe's secret techniques, integrates both offense and defense, with its power directly linked to its scale. However, a larger spread of the Blood River does not necessarily mean greater effectiveness. On the contrary, the wider it extends, the more difficult it becomes to control, thereby reducing its power.

Lu Ye had no choice this time; to maneuver freely within the insect hive, he had to fill it with his Blood Sea. For him, the widespread Blood Sea was merely an auxiliary means of killing enemies, not the decisive factor for victory. Nevertheless, the Blood Sea's power should not be underestimated. This was evident from the reactions of the slain Insect Guards; despite their considerable strength, they were still ensnared by the Blood Sea's influence.

However, this suddenly intruding Insect expert seemed utterly unaffected. Through the Blood Sea's feedback, Lu Ye clearly sensed a mysterious power encircling the expert, a power that prevented the Blood Sea from imposing any form of restraint. His movements within the Blood Sea were as unhindered as a fish in water. Indeed, these prodigies from various major realms are not to be underestimated. Such a feat alone is beyond the capabilities of Kyushu's Divine Sea Realm cultivators. Of course, it's possible this is a unique ability specific to the Insect Tribe.

As he pursued and observed the Insect prodigy, the opponent suddenly puckered his mouth and emitted a piercing whistle that instantly spread in all directions. The next moment, the Insect Guards, who had been adrift and disoriented in the Blood Sea, seemed to receive a command and collectively charged toward his position. Lu Ye's figure suddenly accelerated.

Earlier, judging by the speed at which this opponent dispatched Insect Guards, Lu Ye knew he was exceptionally strong. Yet, only in direct combat did he realize he had severely underestimated his adversary. The two figures instantly became entangled in combat, producing a continuous clanging sound. Intense flashes of light erupted within the bloody ocean. What also made Lu Ye wary and uneasy was that while battling him, the opponent was simultaneously slaying the Insect Guards who had gathered in response to his own whistle. Lu Ye's ability to move freely within the Blood Sea didn't mean he could single-handedly fight so many enemies. He relied on defeating them one by one. Though the Insect Guards possessed strength, they lacked intelligence. Once ensnared by the Blood Sea, they would only act on instinct, incapable of forming a coordinated force. Even if a few accidentally converged, Lu Ye would swiftly prioritize eliminating them.

Yan Ya sensed the moment Lu Ye accelerated; a chill swept up his spine, making him tense up. He quickly cried out, "Friend, halt!"

Lu Ye ignored him. In just three breaths, he appeared behind Yan Ya, his Mountain-Shattering Blade sweeping up a wave of blade light and slashing down. Yan Ya roared in anger, turning to block. Two short staffs, each about half a zhang long, appeared from his hands. Their material was unknown, but they looked massive and powerful. That blade only left a moderate wound on the opponent's chest; it wasn't too severe and didn't damage anything vital. Lu Ye discovered that the strength of this Insect Tribe member's body surpassed even the bone-like exoskeletons of the Insect Guards. Even with the green blessings from the small fairy, the Insect Guards' exoskeletons were only slightly softened for him, still requiring two strikes to break. Yet, this Insect's body was considerably tougher than those exoskeletons.

Yan Ya gritted his teeth, fully activating his power to protect himself. Immediately, a sharp pain shot through his body, followed by the excruciating agony of his spirit being torn, causing him to cry out involuntarily. The Soul-Severing Blade's power remained incredibly sharp; anyone caught unprepared by a single strike would fare terribly.

The Blood Sea's enveloping obstruction and the fierce battle left him no energy to investigate his opponent's true situation. He also had no idea that the one battling him was not a Blood Tribe member, but a human. Naturally, he was unaware that this human also had a small fairy, capable of casting blessings, sitting on his shoulder. Lu Ye's heart stirred. Was he... being mistaken for a Blood Tribe member? A realization dawned on Lu Ye. With his Blood River Art fully deployed, anyone who encountered it would likely form a misunderstanding.

Just as he was about to raise his blade again, Yan Ya spoke: "The Blood Tribe and our Insect Tribe are the most steadfast allies in the starry sky, friend. Your actions here are likely due to some misunderstanding." Lu Ye remained silent. While Lu Ye pondered, Yan Ya's heart was in turmoil.

"Friend, halt! I am Yan Ya from the Insect Emperor Realm. May I ask which Blood Realm you are from?" Yan Ya quickly spoke, fearing he would lose his chance if he spoke too late. Lu Ye had never heard of the Insect Emperor Realm, but he roughly guessed it was a powerful realm occupied by the Insect Tribe. The Insect Emperor Realm was renowned in this part of the starry sky; anyone with even a little knowledge, especially those of the Blood Tribe, should have heard of it. This suggests that the realm from which this Insect originated is likely connected to the same power behind the Insect Tree Realm here. A realm capable of such elaborate planning within the Tree Realm must undoubtedly be a top-tier realm. How could a Divine Sea Realm prodigy from such a realm not be powerful?

"Slow down? No way!" He had no habit of wasting words with enemies. This was the moment to strike while the opponent was vulnerable and finish him off—why would he dither and give him time to recover?

The long blade continued to dance, and with each descending slash, Yan Ya's screams echoed. "If he had known this, why had he turned back to observe? He had only brought disaster upon himself for nothing." Yan Ya's mouth was filled with bitterness. He had never expected that he, who had only come to perform a retrieval mission, would fall into such a life-or-death crisis!

The opponent's blade strikes were incredibly violent; with each slash, he felt he was not blocking a blade but a crushing mountain. Yet, the speed was incomparably swift, almost creating blade afterimages, and the attack angles were extremely tricky. After only a few breaths of combat, Yan Ya broke out in a cold sweat. If it weren't for his own exceptional foundation, he would have been defeated in just a few breaths! Within this Blood Sea, no schemes or tricks could be employed; he could only adopt a submissive posture. For beings like them, announcing their home realm in such a confrontation was already a display of desperation. But within the Blood Sea, where could he possibly run?

During the fierce battle, Yan Ya's pressure grew increasingly immense. In just under ten breaths, his movements slowed, and he watched helplessly as a sharp blade light slashed toward him. He couldn't block it, and he couldn't dodge it!

"I know what you want, friend. I won't hide it from you; this time, there are a total of eight gains. How about I give you one share to take back as proof, and you spare my life?" Yan Ya secretly cursed the Blood Tribe for their insatiable greed, but he could only say with a pained heart: "I can give you two shares at most! I still need to take one back for my report. And friend, you needn't worry about me tattling to my elders in the realm afterward, because if this matter is exposed, I'll be the first one to suffer!"

If these were the only concerns, it would have been manageable. But what truly startled him was that, in close-quarters combat, he sensed the opponent possessed only a Divine Sea Fourth Realm cultivation! One level lower than his own cultivation! In confrontations of the same cultivation level, it's understandable if someone is stronger. The vast starry sky births countless talents, and no one dares claim to be unrivaled in their own realm; there are always higher peaks and more capable individuals. However, to be defeated by an opponent with weaker cultivation—that would be utterly unacceptable. He, an outstanding Divine Sea Realm Insect of his generation from the Insect Emperor Realm, was actually being suppressed by an opponent of a lower cultivation level. No one would believe it if word got out. Lu Ye was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected this Insect Tribe member to also be a weapon cultivator, and quite strong at that! Even the two short staffs in his hands were top-tier spirit treasures. In the starry sky, even Star Constellation Realm cultivators would covet such items. "The Blood Tribe, when did they start wielding blades? Didn't those guys always rely solely on their blood arts and claws?" However, for Lu Ye, in combat, he only needed to land one successful strike. The rest would be simple, as the Soul-Severing Blade's impact would instantly plunge the enemy into excruciating pain.

After more than a dozen strikes, Lu Ye sliced his entire body in half. During this time, Lu Ye even dispatched several Insect Guards who had gathered around! But something wasn't quite right; the opponent wasn't dead! He killed one with almost every two strikes; this rapid, 'clearing the mess' style of blademanship sent chills down one's spine. Even he couldn't kill Insect Guards with such efficiency. Although these Insect Guards were lower-level Insects, their strength was undeniable; they were not individuals to be easily dispatched. Lu Ye glanced at the severed body he had cut in half, only to discover it was merely an empty shell. The real enemy had already retreated to the side, his face pale, eyes wide with fear and trepidation. "How was that possible?" That fellow... he actually pulled off a 'cicada sloughing off its shell' trick! What a peculiar ability! But then again, given his Insect Tribe origins, it's perhaps not so strange for him to possess some unique talents.

Though he had narrowly escaped, the Insect's aura was noticeably weaker. In any other combat scenario, he would surely have fled as far as possible by now and definitely wouldn't still be standing here. "What is he talking about?" Lu Ye vaguely understood. He knew nothing of any gains the opponent might have, but this Insect seemed to have clearly misunderstood something. This was now a classic 'buying one's life with treasure' scenario! However, the sudden intrusion of this high-level Insect, possessing the ability to gather lower-level Insects, was something he could not tolerate. If the fight continued like this, Lu Ye would eventually kill all the Insects here without paying any price himself. He didn't know where the opponent had come from, nor what he was doing there, but since he had intruded, it was a matter of life and death. There was also one more thing that puzzled him...