Chapter 1705: Burning Away the Filth

The two Jade Snail Moon Yao piloting the starship frantically pushed their cultivation to the limit. Despite their efforts, the starship's speed had reached its maximum.

In desperation, Qiu Wu sent a message forward, ordering the Jade Snail cultivators ahead to obstruct the fiend race's actions at all costs, absolutely not allowing them to complete their preparations undisturbed.

He knew that once the fiend race's preparations were complete and a Sun-Glow cultivator appeared, the Jade Snail realm would have no hope of recovery.

Although the current situation was dire, the Jade Snail realm at least still had the strength to fight.

However, the information he received back plunged Qiu Wu into despair.

Although no Sun-Glow cultivator had appeared on the fiend race's side, there were already over ten Moon Yao present. Moreover, the Frost Domain was saturated with corrupted energy, making it extremely difficult for Jade Snail cultivators to act effectively. Forcing their way through would only risk heavy casualties.

Faced with this situation, the Jade Snail cultivators could only watch helplessly, feeling utterly frustrated.

Another day passed, and the Frost Domain came into view.

Aboard the starship, Lu Ye looked ahead. A vast expanse of gray mist shrouded the starry sky, which should have been the original location of the Frost Domain.

Lu Ye had never seen anything like it. Even from a distance, the gray mist exuded an incredibly defiled aura, as if all the world's impurities had condensed there, provoking an involuntary sense of nausea and revulsion.

The corrupted energy obscured the view, making it impossible to see clearly what was inside, yet many figures could still be vaguely discerned moving actively within.

From the center of the gray mist, Lu Ye also sensed the aura of a wormhole.

Upon their arrival, several Moon Yao who had originally been stationed there from the Jade Snail realm came forward to greet them. Their cultivation levels varied, from early to late Moon Yao, but without exception, all looked ashen and their energy was depleted.

Outwardly, they showed no injuries, but their condition eerily resembled someone who had consumed too many spirit pills, resulting in a buildup of pill toxins that hindered the smooth flow of their internal energy.

Moon Yao cultivators would naturally not make such a basic mistake. Therefore, what was hindering the flow of their spiritual power was certainly not pill toxins, but that peculiar corrupted energy.

Upon meeting, Qiu Wu urgently inquired, "What is the current situation?"

The leading middle-aged man on the other side wiped his face and replied, "They haven't launched an active attack. They've been guarding the wormhole, seemingly setting up something. We've tried to break through repeatedly but failed, losing some of our people in the process. The wormhole is stabilizing. If what you said in your previous message is true, then once the wormhole fully stabilizes, a Sun-Glow cultivator will certainly arrive!"

"How strong are they?" Qiu Wu inquired further.

The middle-aged man replied, "They're not exceptionally strong, but not weak either—just average. In a one-on-one fight, I wouldn't fear them. However, the environment saturated with corrupted energy makes it extremely difficult for us to utilize our full power."

Another pale-faced woman nodded in agreement. "Indeed," she said, "once inside, we not only have to battle the enemy but also constantly channel our spiritual power to resist the erosion of the corrupted energy. One slip, and our spiritual power becomes tainted, which is very difficult to dispel."

Under normal circumstances, even if these Moon Yao had some pill toxins accumulated in their bodies, resolving them would not be difficult. However, the corrupted energy that had invaded their bodies was unlike pill toxins; it was far more stubborn and harder to dispel.

From the current perspective, the fiend race held a numerical advantage in Moon Yao cultivators and also possessed a favorable strategic position. Yet, they clearly understood the art of warfare; even with their advantage, they refrained from launching an offensive. Instead, they stubbornly guarded the wormhole's location, diligently continuing their preparations. Their obvious intent was to wait for a Sun-Glow cultivator to arrive and decide the war in one decisive battle.

"We cannot let them continue!" Qiu Wu shook his head, a resolute glint in his eyes.

Given the circumstances, the Jade Snail realm had no other option but to fight with all its might. The longer this situation dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would become for them.

While the Moon Yao cultivators spoke, Lu Ye observed the original location of the Frost Domain. Through his senses, he confirmed that there were indeed over a dozen Moon Yao presences inside.

On their own side, there were also more than ten people, a slightly smaller number than the enemy when counted purely by quantity.

"Junior Brother Lu, Hall Master Wu, I must ask for your assistance in this battle!" Qiu Wu turned to Lu Ye and Wu Zhuo.

Wu Zhuo immediately replied, "No problem. Since I'm here, I certainly won't stand idly by."

Lu Ye also nodded, saying, "Realm Master, just give the order."

Both he and Wu Zhuo understood the principle of "when the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold." Although this dire situation was near the Jade Snail realm, if Jade Snail were to fall, neither the Nine Provinces nor the Azure Dawn Dao Realm would escape unscathed.

Protecting the Jade Snail realm meant protecting the Nine Provinces and the Azure Dawn Dao Realm.

Qiu Wu was reassured by their responses. While he didn't expect much from Lu Ye, who was only at the early Moon Yao stage, Wu Zhuo was at least a mid-stage cultivator and could play a significant role. Furthermore, Ma Shangsi, the attendant beside Lu Ye, was a peak Moon Yao, which was undoubtedly a huge asset!

Qiu Wu was now only grateful that Lu Ye and Wu Zhuo had remained in the Jade Snail realm. Otherwise, relying solely on the Jade Snail realm's own strength, there might have been no hope.

Many more Jade Snail Constellation cultivators were still en route, but they definitely wouldn't arrive in time.

Qiu Wu did not hesitate and immediately began deploying his forces.

There wasn't much to deploy, as the strengths of both sides were clear. All he needed to do now was quickly deal with the enemy's Moon Yao cultivators, then find a way to destroy their preparations and prevent an enemy Sun-Glow from arriving.

As Ma Shangsi had previously stated, to ensure the Jade Snail realm's safety in this battle, they had to eliminate the fiend race currently present and force them to retreat. Ideally, they would make them close the wormhole themselves. Otherwise, with a wormhole remaining here, it would be like having a tiger lurking beneath one's bed, and the future of this star system would never be secure.

The number of Moon Yao cultivators was roughly similar on both sides, so they would be targeted individually. Under Qiu Wu's arrangements, each of the enemy's Moon Yao had a designated opponent.

However, while the Moon Yao numbers were similar, the enemy actually had more overall, meaning their side would be fighting outnumbered. The situation for this battle was not optimistic, but given that it had come to this, they could only steel themselves and proceed.

No one harbored an optimistic outlook regarding the outcome of this battle.

Lu Ye looked at the middle-aged man who had spoken earlier and suddenly asked, "Senior Brother, if I may ask, how much of your full strength can you currently exert?"

The middle-aged man sighed. "Eighty or ninety percent," he replied.

Lu Ye nodded. "Senior Brother, please don't move. I'll try to see if I can dispel that corrupted energy."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and patted the man's shoulder.

The middle-aged man was startled. "Junior Brother Lu, do you also practice healing arts?"

These corrupted energies were not impossible to dispel or purify, merely very troublesome. Furthermore, those capable of such feats were typically healing cultivators.

Lu Ye's appearance clearly suggested he was a combat cultivator, so the middle-aged man couldn't help but feel a little confused.

"Something like that," Lu Ye replied, offering no further explanation. As he spoke, he activated his spiritual power and simultaneously the power of his Talent Tree. His spiritual energy began to circulate through the middle-aged man's body.

The next moment, the middle-aged man's expression froze, replaced by one of disbelief. He felt that as Lu Ye's spiritual power circulated, the corrupted energy within his body was rapidly dissolving, like snowflakes exposed to the scorching sun.

He knew how stubborn this corrupted energy was; with his own abilities, he could dispel it completely after half a year of secluded cultivation. However, the method Lu Ye employed had an astonishingly immediate and curative effect.

It was truly astounding!

Lu Ye was not surprised by the middle-aged man's reaction.

If the Talent Tree could incinerate the curse poison deeply rooted in the mermaid race's bloodline, then no matter how stubborn this corrupted energy was, it couldn't be more formidable than the mermaids' curse poison.

Under the incineration of the Talent Tree, how could it possibly persist?

Back when Lu Ye helped the mermaid race incinerate the curse poison, he had to be very cautious because the curse poison was inherited through their bloodline. To completely incinerate it required immense effort and caused significant damage to the mermaids' physical bodies.

However, now it was far less troublesome. While the spiritual power flowing through the middle-aged man's body caused some minor physical damage, with his Moon Yao foundation, he could recover in an instant, at most feeling a slight burning sensation.

Compared to incinerating the corrupted energy, what was a bit of pain?

In just a brief moment, Lu Ye withdrew his hand. The middle-aged man stared blankly at Lu Ye, speechless for a moment. After a long pause, he finally managed to say, "Junior Brother, your method... it's simply miraculous!"

Qiu Wu's eyes lit up. "The corrupted energy is gone?"

"Resolved!" The middle-aged man nodded, briefly checking his internal condition. "Not a trace remains!"

Hearing this, the other Moon Yao cultivators whose bodies had been corroded by the corrupted energy also looked at Lu Ye with bright eyes. With a great battle imminent, even a slight increase in usable strength could be the decisive factor between life and death.

"Junior Brother Lu, please lend us your aid as well. We'd be greatly grateful!" someone immediately said.

Since Lu Ye had already taken action, he naturally wouldn't help only one person. He proceeded to help them one by one, incinerating the corrupted energy.

Freed from the burden of the corrupted energy, the Moon Yao cultivators felt a lightness throughout their bodies, as if a heavy weight had been lifted.

Qiu Wu pondered for a moment, then said, "Junior Brother Lu, it's better if you don't participate in this battle."

Being able to resolve the corrupted energy so easily, Lu Ye's intrinsic value far exceeded his participation in the battle. Moreover, as he was only at the early Moon Yao stage, engaging in such a conflict would undoubtedly be more dangerous for him than for others.

Qiu Wu was afraid that some misfortune might befall him.

Lu Ye replied, "It's fine. We already have fewer people than the enemy. If I don't participate, the pressure on the others will be greater. I'll just be careful."

Qiu Wu considered Lu Ye's words and agreed. He then instructed, "Be extremely careful. If anything goes wrong, immediately flee the battlefield. Your life comes first."

Lu Ye nodded.

"Let's move!" Qiu Wu said softly, looking at the area enveloped by gray mist.

The next moment, as commands were relayed, the Jade Snail's Constellation cultivators moved into action, including two warships!

The Jade Snail Constellation cultivators were now divided into two groups. One group had been here for a while, having fought several battles alongside the Moon Yao against the invading enemy. The other group was still en route and might take another ten to fifteen days to reach the battlefield.

These two warships had also been deployed here by Jade Snail cultivators previously to guard the area.

Now, this great battle commenced with the roar of the two warships.