Chapter 1594: Nine Provinces Display Might

While warships are highly effective for sieges and capturing strongholds, they are less suitable for the current direct confrontation. Warship attacks are currently controlled by Star Constellation Realm cultivators, and their long wind-up and cool-down periods are unavoidable drawbacks. Consequently, even with their power, the insectoids would likely close in before the warships could fire more than a few volleys.

In such a confrontation, the strength of the cultivators themselves is paramount.

Nevertheless, the warships continued to eliminate as many insectoids as possible before the swarm drew too close.

Lu Ye furrowed his brows slightly, sensing that something was amiss. In the current situation, the insectoids should ideally concentrate all their forces to break through the formation. If they could create a breach in the Quad-System Alliance's warship encirclement, they would gain the initiative, regardless of whether they chose to continue fighting or flee.

Yet, the insectoids surging from the hive were scattering in all directions, dispersing widely across various fronts.

As a result, the insectoid forces could not concentrate their power, and with their numbers spread thin, the warships on each front faced manageable pressure.

Such a strategy would inevitably lead to heavy casualties for the insectoids.

Lu Ye struggled to comprehend why the insectoids were adopting this strategy. He knew that insectoids born from such hives were unlike those he had previously encountered in Kyushu; many possessed advanced sentience, and with the hive serving as a central hub, all insectoids could be easily commanded to act in perfect coordination.

A large insectoid swarm also approached Lu Ye's warship. Though many had been annihilated on their way, a substantial portion still remained.

The distance between them rapidly diminished until, at a critical moment, the prepared cultivators, spearheaded by the Moon-Illuminating Realm masters, bravely surged from their warships to confront the insectoid swarm.

Luan Xiao'e flew at the vanguard, flanked by several Moon-Illuminating Realm masters from the Quad-System Alliance. Their divine senses spread out, swiftly locating Moon-Illuminating Realm insectoids within the swarm. Each master locked onto their target and launched a rapid assault.

While this form of combat appeared chaotic, it adhered to a precise strategy: a direct confrontation of equal ranks, or "soldier against soldier, general against general."

Moon-Illuminating Realm cultivators would endeavor to engage opponents of their own rank, aiming at the very least to tie down the enemy, regardless of whether they could ultimately defeat them.

Relatively speaking, cultivators were significantly outnumbered by the insectoids, perhaps by dozens or even hundreds of times. However, the insectoids' quality was vastly inferior; while cultivators were at least at the Star Constellation Realm, many insectoids were not. Therefore, this direct engagement was, theoretically, not overly strenuous for the cultivators.

Lu Ye advanced alone, with several members of Team Ding Jiu not far to his left. They had fought together since the True Lake Realm, and during their entire Divine Sea Realm period, they had primarily focused on slaying corpse creatures in the Peerless Continent. Years of collaboration had forged an unparalleled synergy between them, so naturally, they stayed grouped together in this battle.

Leading the charge was the towering and formidable Ju Jia, whose vibrant life force made him seem almost beyond the Star Constellation Realm. Lin Yinxiu and Yiyi, mounted on Amber, flanked him slightly to his rear.

Further behind were Third Senior Brother Xiao Xinghe and Fourth Senior Brother Li Baxian. Feng Yuechan was positioned safely in the very center of their formation.

Noticing Lu Ye's gaze, the others turned to look. Li Baxian grinned and declared, "Little Junior Brother, allow us to demonstrate what your senior brothers are capable of!"

Lu Ye nodded, "Then I shall certainly look forward to it." He realized it had been a long time since he had witnessed Team Ding Jiu in action and wondered about their current strength.

To the right, the Sect Master, Nian Yuexian, and Senior Brother Feng Wujiang and his wife formed another five-person team.

The Kyushu cultivators were not limited to just these two teams. All three hundred Star Constellation Realm cultivators, upon exiting their respective warships, almost simultaneously dispersed into smaller teams, each consisting of four or five members, or occasionally six or seven.

This sight not only astonished the cultivators from Qingli Dao Realm and Jade Snail but also drew frequent curious glances from the Quad-System Alliance cultivators. Despite all Kyushu cultivators being in the early Star Constellation Realm, each team moved with remarkable discipline and displayed an intriguing, well-coordinated strategy.

In contrast, while their own forces also formed teams, they seemed to lack the same unique sense of cohesion observed among the Kyushu cultivators.

The Moon-Illuminating Realm cultivators at the vanguard had already engaged their insectoid counterparts, and intense fluctuations of magical energy erupted across numerous points of conflict.

Moments later, the Star Constellation Realm cultivators also began their assault. A barrage of magical techniques swept towards the insectoid swarm from all directions. While these attacks inflicted some casualties, they were ultimately unable to halt the swarm's relentless advance.

Enduring the persistent onslaught of spells, the insectoid swarm pushed forward until it was upon them.

The full-scale battle erupted.

Suddenly, extraordinary phenomena emerged across the battlefield. These were manifestations of battle formations, most notably the Black Tortoise Battle Formation. Enormous Black Tortoises, formed from concentrated spiritual energy, appeared proudly on the battlefield, astounding both warring factions.

While the Star Constellation Realm cultivators from the Quad-System Alliance were naturally unclear about the situation, those from Qingli Dao Realm and Jade Snail recognized it immediately: all these battle formations were being cast by cultivators from the Nine Heavens Realm.

A wave of astonishment swept through them: Could the Nine Heavens Realm cultivators truly possess such an extraordinary level of synergy?

It was common knowledge that forming battle formations in such a chaotic conflict was incredibly difficult, demanding years of familiarity and a profound synergy, where their spiritual energies were interconnected and flowed seamlessly as one.

Star Constellation Realm cultivators typically had their own responsibilities, making it impossible for them to consistently train battle formations together, unless specific sects had particular requirements for such practices.

Cultivators in Qingli Dao Realm and Jade Snail could also form battle formations, but these were invariably composed of their closest fellow disciples or even family members.

Yet, observing the Nine Heavens Realm cultivators, it seemed no one was left out. In teams of several, they effortlessly formed diverse battle formations, exhibiting not the slightest hesitation in their coordination.

The cultivators from Kyushu, aware of their comparatively lower strength, primarily chose defensive battle formations. This explained the numerous Black Tortoise figures appearing on the battlefield; even other formations, if not manifesting as Black Tortoises, mostly specialized in defense.

Under the formidable impact of these battle formations, a great many insectoids were annihilated.

Lu Ye moved incessantly, launching various imperial artifacts in multiple directions to assist his rapid movement technique.

Guided by his divine sense, he specifically targeted insectoids at the late Star Constellation Realm level. As the Panshian Blade glinted, even the insectoids' hardened carapaces could scarcely withstand its razor-sharp strikes.

The former Panshian Blade, even with the Divine Edge spirit pattern, would not have achieved such an effect. However, the Panshian Blade, now transformed by Liao, already possessed extreme sharpness. With the added Divine Edge, it became virtually unstoppable against any opponent within the Star Constellation Realm.

He harbored no concerns about potential casualties among his cultivators in this battle. Conflicts invariably entailed losses, whether here, in the Myriad Manifestation Sea, or elsewhere. However, the benefits that such a confrontation could provide to their cultivators, far outweighed the potential risks, presenting an invaluable opportunity.

On the battlefield, veterans are forged through cumulative experience. Participating in a battle of this magnitude would be sufficient to temper their cultivators into seasoned veterans, providing them with invaluable experience in handling and responding to similar conflicts in the future.

Moreover, at this stage of the conflict, the probability of significant casualties appeared low.

Soon, cultivators from Qingli Dao Realm and Jade Snail noticed another remarkable aspect: in addition to their universal ability to form battle formations, the Nine Heavens Realm cultivators' fighting style was even more astonishing. Previously, Qingli Dao Realm and Jade Snail cultivators had always considered themselves superior, given that all Nine Heavens Realm cultivators were only at the early Star Constellation Realm.

Yet, observing them now, the Nine Heavens Realm cultivators displayed an incredibly fierce and sharp combat style. They fearlessly charged into battle, even against stronger insectoids, engaging in relentless clashes.

This bizarre spectacle made it appear as if the Qingli Dao Realm and Jade Snail cultivators were the ones in the early Star Constellation Realm, while those from the Nine Heavens Realm were all in the late Star Constellation Realm.

The cultivators from both realms were utterly bewildered, unable to fathom what the Nine Heavens Realm cultivators had endured on their path of growth, and how they had become so fiercely aggressive in combat, as if fear of death was entirely absent.

While the insectoids were ferocious in their own right, against the Nine Heavens Realm cultivators, they seemed like cats facing tigers. This suppression of morale meant that even if the insectoids were slightly stronger, they quickly found themselves at a disadvantage in combat.

Lu Ye continued his rapid movements. By utilizing the various imperial artifacts he had deployed in advance, the energy expenditure of his movement technique was significantly reduced. Without this aid, he would not have dared to maintain such sustained agility in a battle of this intensity.

His figure suddenly shifted to a specific point on the battlefield, appearing at a remarkably opportune moment. A late Star Constellation Realm insectoid had its back to him. Lu Ye's blade flashed, directly severing the insectoid's head.

"Little Junior Brother, that's unfair!" Li Baxian complained with dissatisfaction. They had been engaged in a fierce battle with this insectoid, and their own junior brother had unexpectedly stolen their kill.

Lu Ye cast a glance at their battle formation, a hint of surprise crossing his face.

While numerous Kyushu cultivators on the battlefield had formed Black Tortoise Battle Formations, manifesting at least thirty to forty Black Tortoise apparitions, Team Ding Jiu's Black Tortoise stood out distinctly.

While other Black Tortoise manifestations were mere ethereal projections, Team Ding Jiu's Black Tortoise was noticeably more substantial, and peculiar patterns adorned its carapace.

These unusual patterns flickered erratically, as if breathing. Lu Ye even perceived a peculiar and intimate connection between these strange markings and Ju Jia, who was part of the battle formation.

He instantly understood: the anomaly of Team Ding Jiu's battle formation undoubtedly stemmed from Ju Jia. He recalled that the demonic core Ju Jia had consumed was seemingly connected to the Black Tortoise.

It was precisely because Team Ding Jiu's Black Tortoise Battle Formation was so much more powerful that they, despite being early Star Constellation Realm cultivators, could contend with a late Star Constellation Realm insectoid. Other battle formations lacked this capability, at best only able to engage mid-Star Constellation Realm insectoids.

Disregarding Li Baxian's protests, Lu Ye swiftly moved away.

Li Baxian huffed in frustration for a moment but, resigned, sought out another opponent.

While the battle was not entirely one-sided, the allied cultivator forces had clearly gained a decisive advantage. If the fighting continued in this manner, it would not be long before all insectoids surging from the hive were completely annihilated.