Chapter 1296: Single-handedly Exterminating the Star Beast

**Winds Stir the Nine Provinces**

After his cultivation advanced to the Constellation Realm, the range of spatial spirit patterns he could use for teleportation also saw a significant improvement. Lu Ye recalled that when he was in the Divine Sea Realm, his teleportation range was limited to about three thousand li. Beyond that, it wasn't possible. But now, it could reach nearly ten thousand li, an almost threefold increase. This was merely shortly after he had advanced to the Constellation Realm. What would it be like when he reached the Moon Refinement or Sun Splendor realms later on?

Without time for much contemplation, Lu Ye immediately condensed his sword cultivator clone, swiftly put on a set of prepared clothes, and grabbed his sword gourd before heading in one direction. Originally, the sword cultivator clone wore the Red Dragon Battle Armor, a precious garment. However, it had been damaged in the Primordial Realm, and Lu Ye couldn't be bothered to repair it. Given his rapid increase in strength, the Red Dragon Battle Armor, which once offered decent protection, was no longer of much use.

As his main body departed, the clone also set off in another direction—the direction of the asteroid belt.

The few Moon Refinement Realm lantern fish rampaged for a while where Lu Ye had vanished, but they couldn't find any trace of him. While they were still confused, intense spiritual energy fluctuations erupted from a distance behind them, indicating a fierce battle was underway. The Moon Refinement Realm lantern fish immediately sensed trouble and swiftly returned the way they came. They hadn't flown far before witnessing a scene that made their eyes bulge with fury. The human cultivator they were searching for had, at some unknown point, gotten behind them and was now massacring!

Quite a number of lantern fish had pursued him from the asteroid belt, but due to differences in strength, those with insufficient power were left behind after a while. The weaker they were, the further they lagged. Lu Ye genuinely didn't want to provoke those Moon Refinement Realm lantern fish. There was a limit to fighting beyond one's cultivation level, and as a newly advanced Constellation Realm soldier cultivator, Lu Ye wasn't arrogant enough to believe he could annihilate several Moon Refinement Realm star beasts. But if he couldn't defeat Moon Refinement Realm beasts, he could certainly kill the Constellation Realm star beasts!

These creatures wandered the starry sky with asteroids, using the two lanterns on their heads to disguise themselves as spiritual jade. They had undoubtedly harmed countless cultivators and were clearly not benevolent beings. If Lu Ye hadn't reacted promptly this time, he would have at least lost an arm. However, it could be said that this was their way of survival, and Lu Ye didn't want to comment on it. His inability to see through the lantern fish's disguise was due to his own insufficient eyesight.

But for so many lantern fish to chase him relentlessly was excessive, and this ignited Lu Ye's killing intent! It had been almost a year since his return from the Primordial Realm, and apart from slaying some Corpse Tribe members on the Peerless Continent, Lu Ye had not drawn his weapon since. For a soldier cultivator, such days were undoubtedly a bit monotonous. Furthermore, having advanced to the Constellation Realm, Lu Ye hadn't had a proper chance to thoroughly examine his own strength. He couldn't very well seek out the Constellation Realm cultivators of the Nine Provinces for sparring; even if he did, it wouldn't reveal much.

Such a group of star beasts was undoubtedly an excellent target. He began his massacre! Where his long saber pointed, none could withstand its edge.

Although both were in the Constellation Realm, cultivators' methods were undoubtedly far more diverse than those of star beasts. These lantern fish's attack methods were too limited, primarily relying on purple thread attacks from the two fleshy sacs on their heads. They lacked adaptability, making their moves predictable and easy to avoid. Beyond that, they resorted to close-range lunging bites. Their fangs and large mouths looked intimidating, but they were useless if they couldn't land a bite. While they could also unleash some remarkable abilities, such as powerful suction from their mouths, for Lu Ye, as long as he was cautious, it wasn't difficult to break free.

As his seemingly small figure darted and weaved, his saber flashed, sending blood splattering with each strike. The Divine Edge spirit pattern once again displayed its might. These star beasts were undoubtedly thick-skinned and tough. Even a newly advanced Constellation Realm cultivator like Lu Ye would struggle to break through their physical defenses with all their might. However, before the Mountain-Shattering Saber imbued with the Divine Edge spirit pattern, their toughness seemed rather inadequate. While it wasn't enough to slay them with a single strike, each blow landed deep, cutting to the bone. Furthermore, with the Soul-Slaying Saber's characteristic, once injured, the star beasts' performance deteriorated significantly, often leading to them being relentlessly hacked to death by Lu Ye's successive blows.

However, Lu Ye soon noticed a problem: the Soul-Slaying Saber's threat seemed to have diminished considerably against Constellation Realm opponents. Previously, in the Divine Sea Realm, any enemy he wounded with his saber would suffer a huge impact on their soul, leading to soul pain, mental instability, and a significant drop in overall strength. But observing these star beasts' reactions now, while there was still an effect, it wasn't as exaggerated as it had been against Divine Sea Realm opponents. Lu Ye understood. It wasn't that the Soul-Slaying Saber's power had changed; the saber was still the same. Rather, as the enemies grew stronger, they became more resilient to the impact brought by the Soul-Slaying Saber. Perhaps one day, against even stronger foes, the Soul-Slaying Saber might become completely ineffective.

A distance of ten thousand li wasn't too far in the starry sky, but by the time the Moon Refinement Realm star beasts arrived at the battlefield, Lu Ye had already slain over a dozen Constellation Realm star beasts. Sensing these several menacing auras approaching, Lu Ye immediately retreated, then vanished from sight. The Moon Refinement Realm star beasts furiously rushed to assist, purposefully fanning out to surround Lu Ye with the intention of capturing him in one fell swoop. However, upon arriving, the same ghostly scene as before reappeared. That detestable human cultivator had vanished again!

Looking around, the battlefield was a mess, strewn with severed limbs and remnants of star beasts. The surviving star beasts were all wounded, a truly desolate sight. Their species was powerful. Although they didn't have Sun Splendor Realm star beasts overseeing them, they possessed several Moon Refinement Realm beasts, nearly thirty Constellation Realm beasts, and roughly a hundred more below the Constellation Realm. Such a force was quite formidable even across the starry sky. Yet, after one battle, half of their Constellation Realm kin were dead! This left the Moon Refinement Realm star beasts heartbroken, almost to the point of bleeding.

Soon, however, one of the Moon Refinement Realm star beasts let out a roar. While pure sound couldn't travel in space, spiritual sense communication was unimpeded. Thus, this roar clearly reached the ears of all the star beasts. The next instant, the numerous surviving star beasts, without even a moment to assess the battlefield, hastily flew towards the asteroid belt. They, too, realized something was wrong. The human cultivator had suddenly vanished before, only to reappear here and slaughter half their Constellation Realm kin. Where would he go after this second disappearance?

Their fears soon materialized. Midway, both the Moon Refinement and Constellation Realm beasts felt intense spiritual energy fluctuations coming from ahead, along with rapid dissipations of life force! Previously, only star beasts above the Constellation Realm had pursued Lu Ye. Those below the Constellation Realm had remained dormant within the asteroid belt. Star beasts differed from cultivators of most other races; they were active in the starry sky from birth. Their physical bodies were naturally resistant to the erosion of stellar energy. Conversely, the environments within realm boundaries were largely unsuitable for them. Therefore, generally speaking, there was no risk of star beasts invading any realm, regardless of its size or level. Star beasts wouldn't rashly venture into a specific realm; they were born in the starry sky and would die in the starry sky. The infinitely vast starry sky was their true domain.

When Lu Ye had previously escaped, he noticed many weaker star beasts remaining in the asteroid belt. Now, with the sword cultivator clone providing cover, he returned to the asteroid belt, naturally with no intention of being merciful. His main body and clone darted left and right, saber light and sword energy raging, like two flood dragons roaming the seas. Wherever they passed, blood rained down. Lu Ye, with his main body and clone, forcibly scoured the ten-thousand-li-long asteroid belt from end to end, shattering countless asteroids before soaring away.

By the time the star beast contingent returned, there was no sign of Lu Ye. Even if they wanted to pursue, they wouldn't know where to go. The surviving star beasts emerged from various shattered asteroids, gathering around the Moon Refinement Realm beasts. Seeing the number of their living kin, the Moon Refinement Realm beasts all glared furiously, their powerful spiritual senses intertwining in all directions, conveying anger and grief. They had encountered cultivators of many races before, even those in the Moon Refinement Realm. However, compared to their vast nomadic group, a lone Moon Refinement Realm cultivator would not dare provoke them. As for the Constellation Realm cultivators drawn by their traps, most had become their prey. They had never imagined encountering such a bizarre Constellation Realm cultivator today. Alone, he had caused their entire clan to bleed profusely, with half of their Constellation Realm kin dead and over seventy percent of those below the Constellation Realm annihilated! In the end, they didn't even know where to seek vengeance.

This was also the destiny of those who wandered the starry sky. The Moon Refinement Realm star beasts knew they couldn't separate now; otherwise, if they left, that human cultivator might reappear from somewhere. Unable to seek revenge and unable to disperse, they were left with few options. After half a day, the asteroid belt grew quiet. The star beasts retreated into dormancy, and as the asteroid belt drifted, they rapidly moved away from this area of space.

Tens of thousands of li away, Lu Ye's main body waited for a moment. Seeing no signs of pursuit, he knew those star beasts hadn't followed. He figured his previous strategy had worked. During his massacre in the asteroid belt, he hadn't exterminated them all, but had deliberately left a portion of the star beasts alive. It was unwise to kill them all. If those Moon Refinement Realm star beasts had no constraints, they would likely pursue him relentlessly. While he wasn't afraid of being pursued alone, this location was only about three months' journey from the Nine Provinces. Although the chances of star beasts finding the Nine Provinces were slim, it was always better to be safe than sorry. Caution was advised.