Chapter 1349: Turnaround

The old sect master of the Danxin Sect had heard the name Lu Yiye so many times recently that his ears were practically calloused. He was rumored to be the most outstanding young talent of this generation. His contributions to the counterattack against the Bug Race Grand Secret Realm were immense, and he single-handedly orchestrated the expedition to the Blood Refinement Realm, personally bringing back a wealth of information about the Blood Race.

Furthermore, what he brought offered hope for many peak Divine Sea Realm cultivators to advance to a higher realm.

It was through his insights that cultivators finally understood the connection between the limits of cultivation realms and the world's underlying essence. Without him, the old sect master would likely still be in a futile life-and-death seclusion.

Yet, for all the talk, the old sect master of the Danxin Sect had never actually met Lu Yiye.

Instead, the two other Divine Sea Realm cultivators who had allied with him, one from the Imperial Feather Sect and the other from the Burning Heaven Dao, had met Lu Yiye once at the original celebration banquet.

It was entirely unexpected that this young man would be the one to arrive as reinforcements.

However, it was rumored that his cultivation was only at the fifth layer of the Divine Sea Realm. Even if he could defeat enemies beyond his level, what significant role could he possibly play in a situation like this?

Just as the old sect master was pondering this, a startled cry suddenly echoed: "Holy Seed!"

It was the Blood Race Holy Seed's cry of alarm, and it made the old sect master jump. One Holy Seed had already left the three ninth-layer cultivators in such disarray; if another appeared, there would be no need to fight at all—they might as well just prepare for death.

But he quickly realized something was amiss, as the Blood Race Holy Seed's voice carried a distinct note of shock and panic.

Immediately afterward, the Blood Race Holy Seed let out another roar, a mix of astonishment and fury: "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 reduce, and his oppressive feeling of suffocation greatly lessened.

He didn't know what methods Lu Yiye had employed to so profoundly alarm the Blood Race Holy Seed, which had rendered even three ninth-layer cultivators powerless. However, his many years of cultivation and combat experience told him that the turning point of this battle had arrived.

Within the Blood River, Lu Yiye had already activated his blood art. A magnificent Blood River unfurled, forcefully merging with the surrounding Blood River.

Having already had two encounters with Holy Seeds, Lu Yiye was well-versed in the most effective ways to eliminate them.

When facing a Holy Seed, the primary objective is to suppress its inherent holiness, thereby limiting its power. The second step is to merge with its Blood River, leaving it no space to escape. As long as these two conditions are met, and if the opponent's holiness is inferior to one's own, they are as good as lambs awaiting slaughter.

After two instances of devouring and refining, Lu Yiye's inherent holiness was now incredibly strong. While he couldn't claim the absolute peak, very few Holy Seeds possessed holiness that surpassed his.

The Jade Kylin Holy Venerable was certainly not among them.

The Jade Kylin Holy Venerable's holiness was on par with that of the female Holy Seed Lu Yiye had previously slain with Jian Guhong and others, though it was stronger than that of the Mo Hai Holy Venerable.

While this level of holiness was not weak among all Holy Seeds, it was still considerably inferior when compared to Lu Yiye's current power.

The suppression of holiness instantly caused a significant drop in the Jade Kylin Holy Venerable's power, throwing its Blood River into turmoil. Seizing this opportune moment, Lu Yiye's Blood River rapidly encroached. By the time the Jade Kylin Holy Venerable reacted and attempted to intervene, it was already too late; approximately half of their respective Blood Rivers had merged, with the remaining half intertwined in a struggle.

Within the magnificent Blood River, a hidden current enveloped one individual and propelled him directly out. It was none other than the heavily wounded ninth-layer cultivator from the Imperial Feather Sect. He hadn't even had time to fully comprehend what had happened, yet he found himself removed from the battlefield. Realizing this was likely Lu Yiye's doing, he marveled at the young man's formidable and wondrous methods while swiftly retreating far from the chaotic battle.

In his current state, he was no longer fit for combat. He urgently needed to stabilize his injuries, otherwise, even if the Nine Provinces' foundation were to grow significantly in the future, he might never glimpse the path to a higher realm. If that truly happened, he would have nothing but regret.

Inside the Blood River, one came in and one was sent out, maintaining the three-against-one dynamic.

However, the overall situation had completely shifted.

Both the old sect master of the Danxin Sect and the ninth-layer cultivator from the Burning Heaven Dao clearly perceived the Blood Race Holy Seed's aura weakening, as if an invisible force was suppressing its power.

They had no idea what kind of power this was, as they couldn't feel it directly. Yet, as seasoned combatants, they immediately launched themselves towards the Jade Kylin Holy Venerable.

Previously, within this Blood River, accurately locating the enemy was incredibly difficult. Even if they occasionally pinpointed its position, the opponent would quickly shift, rendering their efforts futile.

But at this very moment, within the Blood River's undercurrents, a distinct force was guiding them, pinpointing the enemy's location. They no longer needed to search; they simply had to follow this guiding power and unleash their most potent attacks.

As the two launched their attacks, Lu Yiye was not idle. Activating his sword gourd, a river of sword qi surged forward, fiercely striking the Jade Kylin Holy Venerable. In an instant, the air was filled with crisp, resonant sword hums.

The Jade Kylin Holy Venerable was on the verge of madness. With its power severely suppressed, even without Lu Yiye's direct intervention, its chances of survival were already slim. Coupled with Lu Yiye's unparalleled sword qi, it was covered in wounds and bleeding profusely within mere moments.

It roared furiously and unwillingly, "How can a mere human possess holiness? How dare a mere human desecrate my holy body?!"

Despite desperately activating its blood art to resist, it was futile.

In the Blood Race's ingrained beliefs, humans were merely livestock, akin to pigs and dogs, holding a lowly status. To think that a revered Holy Seed was now being battered by a human, its life in peril, was utterly intolerable.

It was akin to a high-ranking cultivator in the Nine Provinces being beaten by a mere dog—though in the Blood Refinement Realm, the gravity of the situation was even greater.

However, one thing truly puzzled it: where had these humans suddenly appeared from?

While there were human cultivators within its territory, their cultivation levels were utterly insignificant. These newly appearing humans, however, were distinctly different; each had achieved considerable cultivation, and there was a notable number of Divine Sea 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 perish here.

But at this stage of the battle, escaping would be far from easy.

It had previously used its Blood River Art to trap the old sect master of the Danxin Sect and his two companions, preventing the three ninth-layer cultivators from breaking free. Now, however, it was Lu Yiye who had it ensnared. Indeed, the tables had turned, and karma had come full circle.

Unless it could break through Lu Yiye's Blood River, it had no space for escape whatsoever.

But since its holiness was inferior to Lu Yiye's, it was incapable of breaking his Blood River. This was a fatal deadlock.

Realizing it was likely doomed, its heart grew cold, and it furiously activated its blood art, determined to drag someone down with it, even in death. The old sect master of the Danxin Sect and the ninth-layer cultivator from the Burning Heaven Dao were both soldier cultivators. At this moment, their figures darted back and forth around the Jade Kylin Holy Venerable, continuously unleashing the power of their spirit treasures, inflicting wound after wound upon it.

Before Lu Yiye appeared, their battle had been incredibly frustrating, with them being restrained at every turn. Now, finally able to unleash their full power, they showed no mercy whatsoever.

Amidst the intense fighting, Lu Yiye's voice reached their ears: "Both of you, be careful of his Blood Burst!"

In a battle of this magnitude, the Jade Kylin Holy Venerable had the chance to self-detonate. This was unlike Lu Yiye's previous confrontation with the Mo Hai Holy Venerable, which had been a slow, agonizing grind. In that fight, Lu Yiye, relying entirely on the unique properties of his Soul-Slayer Blade, had shattered the opponent's divine soul, rendering the Mo Hai Holy Venerable incapable of even initiating a Blood Burst art.

The blood art the Jade Kylin Holy Venerable was currently employing was not primarily focused on lethal damage but rather on restraint. Its intention was clear: as soon as it could ensnare any one of them, it would immediately activate the Blood Burst art, aiming for a mutual destruction.

Without Lu Yiye's timely warning, the old sect master and his companion might indeed have met a grim fate. However, with the warning received, the Jade Kylin Holy Venerable's plan was destined to fail.

During the fierce engagement, the Jade Kylin Holy Venerable's injuries grew increasingly severe. One of its arms was even severed, and its wounds gaped open, exposing glimpses of its internal organs.

It had relentlessly tried to ensnare an enemy but had failed repeatedly. Finally, with a sigh, its aura suddenly turned dangerously volatile.

"Retreat!" The old sect master saw the dire turn of events, realizing the opponent was likely about to self-detonate. He roared the command while swiftly retreating backward.

The expert from the Burning Heaven Dao likewise made no pause.

Almost the instant the two cultivators, one after another, retreated from the Blood River and re-emerged into the light, a tremendous explosion suddenly reverberated within the Blood River. Immediately, violently turbulent energy fluctuations surged forth, and the already colossal Blood River visibly expanded outwards, growing significantly in size.

Feeling the explosive might, both Divine Sea Realm cultivators felt a lingering dread. Such terrifying destructive power, had they been close enough, would surely have dragged them to their graves with it.

The expanded Blood River suddenly collapsed and contracted inwards. In the blink of an eye, the Blood River that had spanned half the sky vanished, and the figure of a young man came into view.

It was clearly Lu Yiye. A large gourd hung from his waist, and he exuded an air of refined handsomeness and grace. He lacked the typical recklessness and straightforwardness of a soldier cultivator, possessing instead a touch of the unruliness and elegance characteristic of a sword cultivator.

The old sect master and the expert from the Burning Heaven Dao clasped their hands in a respectful salute, and Lu Yiye returned the gesture.

They exchanged no further words, as this was hardly the time for idle conversation. The joint offensive of the three major sects against the Jade Kylin Holy Land was far from over.

Each chose a direction and charged back into the battlefield.

Lu Yiye maintained a layer of blood mist on his body, a state where his blood art was poised to be unleashed but not yet fully activated. He didn't deliberately seek out enemies to kill; instead, he drifted through the vast battlefield like a phantom. Yet, wherever he passed, the Blood Race fell like stalks of straw caught in a strong wind.

At every location he traversed, the human cultivators engaged in battle with the Blood Race were astonished to find that their opponents had suddenly experienced a significant drop in power, for reasons unknown to them.

On a battlefield of life and death, an inexplicable weakening of one side's power was undoubtedly a fatal blow.

The human forces already held the advantage, and with Lu Yiye disrupting the enemy, the Blood Race suffered even more grievous casualties. Some Blood Race members, realizing the dire situation, attempted to flee, but most were intercepted and slain by the human forces, with only a small fraction managing to escape.

Faced with this situation, Lu Yiye didn't have a perfect solution. He couldn't intercept every fleeing Blood Race member, so he could only focus on eliminating those with higher cultivation levels.

He gulped down fresh air, his chest trembling with each breath.

Confusion, bewilderment, and a myriad of other emotions flooded his mind.

Where was this place?

Then, Shi Yu subconsciously scanned his surroundings, only to grow even more perplexed.

A single dormitory room?

Even if he had been successfully rescued, he should be in a hospital room right now.

And his body... how could it be completely uninjured?

Still bewildered, Shi Yu's gaze quickly swept across the room, finally settling on a mirror placed on the bedside table.

The mirror reflected his current appearance: a handsome young man, approximately seventeen or eighteen years old.

But the problem was, this wasn't him!

His former self had been a distinguished and handsome young man in his twenties, who had been working for quite some time.

Yet now, this face looked no older than that of a high school student.

This transformation left Shi Yu stunned for a long time.

Please don't tell him the surgery was a success...

Both his body and his face had changed; this was clearly not a matter of surgery, but rather some form of immortal art.

He had completely transformed into someone else!

Could it be... that he had transmigrated?

Besides the mirror on the bedside table, whose placement clearly defied good feng shui, Shi Yu also discovered three books nearby.

Shi Yu picked them up, and the titles instantly silenced him.

"Beginner Breeder's Essential Beast Rearing Handbook"

"Postpartum Care for Pet Beasts"

"Guide to Appraising Heterogeneous Beast-Eared Girls"

Shi Yu: ???

The titles of the first two books seemed fairly normal, but what on earth was the last one about?

"Ahem."

Shi Yu's gaze sharpened as he reached out, but his arm quickly stiffened.

Just as he was about to open the third book to see what it contained, his brain suddenly throbbed with a sharp pain, and a flood of memories surged forth like a tide.

Icefield City.

Pet Beast Breeding Base.

Intern Pet Beast Breeder.

Beastmaster?