Chapter 1740: Hundred Yue Shows Weakness

A short hour quickly passed, and the Tri-Essence cultivators finished their rest. Led by the five Moonfall cultivators, they all advanced towards the island's interior.

In an area at the very center of Hundred-Yue Island, thousands of cultivators were gathered, filled with trepidation.

Before today, though they had experienced many battles, none had ever encountered warfare of this scale.

Tri-Essence Island had come with overwhelming force, breaking Hundred-Yue's island protection array, which had stood for eight hundred years. They killed eight hundred Hundred-Yue cultivators, and even several Moonfall cultivators died on the spot.

All of this had transpired in less than half a day.

In that short time, the entire Hundred-Yue Island had been turned upside down.

No one could understand why such a result had come to pass. On the surface, Hundred-Yue Island clearly held a decisive advantage; with an equal number of Moonfall cultivators, they possessed a full two thousand Constellation cultivators. Furthermore, they were the defending party. Under normal circumstances, a defending force with such a foundation and military strength would require an attacking force of more than three times their numbers to achieve significant results.

Yet, Tri-Essence Island, with only a thousand people, had managed to achieve the current outcome, suffering almost no losses themselves in the battle.

The Hundred-Yue cultivators were terrified. Even though over a thousand of them were still gathered here, and the various formations in the central hub were fully operational, they felt little sense of security.

The island's great protection array was broken, and they could retreat to this central hub. But if the central hub fell, where else could they retreat? Vast as the Myriad Manifestation Sea was, there would likely be no place left for them to hide.

Most critically, of their Moonfall cultivators, who were their pillars of strength, only two remained.

Yu Huan and Jiang Jiao naturally had a clear understanding of the mindset of their Constellation cultivators. At this moment, Jiang Jiao was doing his best to boost morale, calling on all cultivators to stand or fall with Hundred-Yue Island. As for how effective this would be, it was a matter of doing their utmost and leaving the rest to fate.

Meanwhile, Yu Huan was constantly contacting someone with a sound transmission talisman, his expression fluctuating uneasily.

He genuinely couldn't understand how Tri-Essence Island dared to attack Hundred-Yue like this, and even more bafflingly, how they succeeded.

Reflecting carefully, the root of it all was that their side had been breached from within! Chu Zhu, who had returned earlier, was undoubtedly an enemy Moonfall cultivator in disguise. Yet, he had failed to spot any clues, which meant that from the very beginning of this battle, Hundred-Yue Island had not held even a shred of initiative.

He absolutely could not abandon Hundred-Yue Island. His home star system had expended immense effort to secure this superior spirit island in the Myriad Manifestation Sea. For eight hundred years, it had brought immeasurable benefits to their star system, enjoying peace and stability. Now, with him in command, it was on the verge of being lost. How could he explain this to the cultivators of his star system?

Therefore, their only option was to hold their ground, hoping that Tri-Essence Island would retreat once they encountered difficulties. Even if it meant paying a certain price, Yu Huan was willing to accept it.

Through divine sense perception, the Tri-Essence cultivators were rapidly approaching, clearly unwilling to give up.

Three hundred miles, two hundred miles, one hundred miles…

As the Tri-Essence cultivators drew nearer, the atmosphere across Hundred-Yue Island grew increasingly somber and tense.

Amidst this tense atmosphere, a radiant aura suddenly swept in from afar, surging into Hundred-Yue Island. It sped directly to a position between the Tri-Essence and Hundred-Yue cultivators, revealing a figure.

In the central hub, Yu Huan saw the person appear and felt a wave of relief. He had finally managed to invite them over. To secure this person's assistance, he had promised many benefits. As for the final outcome, he had no idea, only hoping things would turn out for the best.

With this person's appearance, the Tri-Essence cultivators' advance involuntarily halted.

At the front of their formation, Lu Ye stood on a Tiger Shark warship, looking up at the newcomer. He saw a kind-faced middle-aged man, whose strength was considerable, definitely at the peak of the Moonfall realm.

The man's arrival was inexplicable, and his sudden appearance in the middle of the two sides at such a critical moment was extremely strange. Lu Ye couldn't discern the newcomer's intentions.

He couldn't help but wonder if the newcomer was a reserve Moonfall cultivator from Hundred-Yue Island. If so, for the person to appear so openly in such a position would truly be courting death. At this range, with their five Moonfall cultivators acting together, even if the opponent was a peak Moonfall cultivator, they would certainly not fare well.

He turned to look at Luan Xiao'e, who shook her head, indicating she also had no idea.

While Lu Ye was still pondering, the newcomer, with a slight smile, nodded towards them and announced loudly, "Fellow Daoists from Tri-Essence Island, pardon my intrusion. I am Gu Chuan of Yellow Dragon."

Lu Ye's brows furrowed slightly.

Yellow Dragon—these two words were renowned throughout the entire starry sky.

The Yellow Dragon Realm was one of the top realms in the starry sky, boasting numerous Sunfall cultivators. Its underlying power and heritage were far more profound than even the Myriad Manifestation Star System.

As a top realm, the Yellow Dragon Realm even occupied a top-tier spirit island on the Myriad Manifestation Sea all by itself!

It was rare in the entire Myriad Manifestation Sea for a realm to occupy a spirit island as its main base, let alone a top-tier one like Yellow Dragon Island. Without sufficient power, how could the Yellow Dragon Realm possess such qualifications?

The opponent came from the Yellow Dragon Realm, so they could not be taken lightly.

However, Lu Ye couldn't understand why Gu Chuan of the Yellow Dragon Realm was here. From his stance, he didn't seem to want to interfere in the current conflict.

Moreover, there were rules in the Myriad Manifestation Sea: this battlefield belonged to Tri-Essence Island and Hundred-Yue Island. Even if Gu Chuan was from the Yellow Dragon Realm, rashly intervening would break the rules. At that point, Tri-Essence Island would only need to request arbitration, and the Sunfall cultivators of the Myriad Manifestation Sea would appear to deal with Gu Chuan.

As if discerning Lu Ye's doubts, Gu Chuan continued, "First, let me clarify: I am not here to participate in this conflict, fellow Daoists from Tri-Essence Island, please do not misunderstand." As he spoke, he looked towards Tri-Essence Island, his gaze sweeping over the five Moonfall cultivators. "May I ask who is in charge of your side?"

Luan Xiao'e and the others' gazes collectively shifted to Lu Ye.

Gu Chuan showed a surprised expression. According to the information he had received, the chief island master of Tri-Essence Island was a woman named Luan Xiao'e. He didn't know Luan Xiao'e personally, and there were two women among the five Moonfall cultivators present, so he wasn't sure which one she was.

Who would have thought that Tri-Essence Island's person in charge was actually a young man in the early Moonfall realm?

The surprise in his eyes flickered and vanished. Gu Chuan politely asked, "May I know your name, fellow Daoist?"

Since the man was polite, Lu Ye did not wish to be rude in return. He replied, "Lu Ye, from Tri-Essence Island!"

"Fellow Daoist Lu!" Gu Chuan nodded. "It is like this: I have come at someone's request, intending to act as a mediator. Might I have a word with you?"

"Mediator..." Lu Ye's eyes flickered, and he immediately understood that Gu Chuan had been invited by Hundred-Yue Island. Otherwise, he would never have so abruptly entered the battlefield. With this realization, Lu Ye calmly asked, "May I ask, Fellow Daoist Gu, from what position are you acting as this mediator?"

Gu Chuan smiled faintly, "Naturally, from the perspective of an outsider!"

Lu Ye understood, and he didn't believe the man would deceive him. He nodded and said, "Since you are speaking from an outsider's perspective, then by all means, speak freely!"

The implied meaning was: if you were speaking from Hundred-Yue Island's perspective, then there was no need for further discussion.

Gu Chuan evidently understood the implication in Lu Ye's words. He began, "In that case, I will be direct, Fellow Daoist Lu. Hundred-Yue Island is willing to pay a price to cover the expenses of your island's expedition, and furthermore, they wish to foster good relations with Tri-Essence Island in the future. Therefore, they request that you withdraw your forces!"

Although Gu Chuan's voice was not loud, the Moonfall cultivators on the periphery, who were constantly monitoring the situation on the island, heard him clearly.

They couldn't help but sigh. Hundred-Yue clearly lacked the confidence to defend the central hub, which was why they were forced to invite Gu Chuan as a mediator. Yu Huan had operated in the Myriad Manifestation Sea for many years and had extensive connections, so his acquaintance with Gu Chuan was not surprising.

This was Hundred-Yue Island showing weakness.

Yu Huan would not have made such a decision unless he was absolutely forced to. Regardless, in the previous battle, Hundred-Yue Island had lost eight hundred Constellation cultivators and several Moonfall cultivators. Such losses were undoubtedly immense. If there had been even the slightest possibility, Hundred-Yue Island would not have compromised.

However, Tri-Essence Island's relentless posture made Yu Huan feel uncertain. Furthermore, even if they repelled Tri-Essence Island this time, Hundred-Yue would undoubtedly suffer severe depletion.

Who could guarantee that no other forces would covet Hundred-Yue Island? In a conflict between two sides, a third party would often reap the benefits.

Yu Huan's show of weakness was a last resort, and also the only way to preserve Hundred-Yue Island's current strength.

As long as Tri-Essence Island withdrew its forces, the Hundred-Yue cultivators could remain in the central hub. After some time, when the Hundred-Yue Star System dispatched personnel to replenish their strength here, they would be able to rise again!

As for fostering good relations with Tri-Essence Island… even a fool wouldn't believe such words; they were merely a formality. With so many Hundred-Yue cultivators killed by Tri-Essence Island, how could they possibly form good relations?

Yu Huan found it inconvenient to speak directly with Lu Ye about these matters, which was why he invited an outsider to mediate.

In fact, such incidents were not uncommon in the Myriad Manifestation Sea; it was simply Lu Ye's first encounter. Generally, those invited to act as mediators were individuals of distinguished background and formidable strength.

Gu Chuan undoubtedly possessed such qualifications.

"Price?" Lu Ye's gaze flickered. "What price is Hundred-Yue Island willing to pay?"

Gu Chuan smiled faintly, "Naturally, a price that will satisfy you, fellow Daoist." As he spoke, his divine sense surged, transmitting a message to Lu Ye, clearly stating an offer.

Lu Ye raised an eyebrow. He had to admit, the price Gu Chuan offered on behalf of Hundred-Yue Island was very generous. Of course, this wasn't Gu Chuan's own decision; Yu Huan must have instructed him beforehand.

But Lu Ye was not swayed by it.

Today's battle had forged an unresolvable enmity between Tri-Essence Island and Hundred-Yue Island. Given this, the only path was to utterly eliminate them. Otherwise, if Hundred-Yue Island were given a chance to recover, today's battle would have been fought in vain.

Therefore, Lu Ye's gaze passed over Gu Chuan, and he spoke calmly, "If you wish for Tri-Essence Island to withdraw, that can be arranged! Dismantle the grand formation here, and I will kill those two Moonfall cultivators; then we will naturally withdraw!"