Chapter 1807: Return Journey

Cultivators in the core world, with the exception of those specifically dispatched by the Little Folk, like Yang Ling and Hu Dequan, mostly ended up there by accident. They had previously come to temper themselves within the wonder. Each had their own origins, and now that they had escaped the confines, they naturally wouldn't remain.

The many cultivators one by one expressed their gratitude to Lu Ye, exchanged sound transmission marks, and bid each other farewell. Regardless, they had all endured a battle of life and death together, which forged no ordinary bond. Moreover, given the previous circumstances, their steadfast commitment to the Red Talisman Association and refusal to defect to Holy Blood Peak truly demonstrated their character and integrity. It's safe to say that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, these surviving cultivators would achieve considerable success in the future.

Soon, most of the surviving cultivators from the Red Talisman Association departed.

Lu Ye looked at Yang Ling and Hu Dequan, who had remained, and asked, "What are your plans, gentlemen?"

Yang Ling scratched his head. "No plans, and nowhere to go." Having interacted for a considerable time, Lu Ye knew a bit about Yang Ling's background. He had been adopted by the Little Folk since childhood and grew up in Mount Fangcun. Thus, while others could return home, he truly had nowhere to go.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, now that the core world's seal has been broken, if the core is taken out of this wonder, without the isolating power of the wonder, will the three sections of Mount Fangcun merge?" Yang Ling asked.

"Indeed, that's my next move." It was also a task assigned by the Little Folk.

"Alright then, I'll stay in the core world and wait for Mount Fangcun to merge." He was from Southern Mount Fangcun, and for him, the south was his home. Staying here meant he could await a reunion with his family, so he naturally didn't want to expend extra effort.

"What about you, Old Hu? Do you want to go back and see your homeland?" Yang Ling turned to Hu Dequan.

Hu Dequan pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Nothing worth seeing. I'll keep you company." Hu Dequan's situation was different from Yang Ling's; he wasn't adopted by the Little Folk from childhood but rather recruited. However, the Little Folk were selective when recruiting outside cultivators. They generally avoided recruiting those with powerful backgrounds, as they were difficult to control. Instead, they recruited individuals with good potential but modest origins. Hu Dequan's home realm was merely a large realm, and he had no strong foundation there. Even if he returned, after so many years, things would likely have changed beyond recognition.

"Hahaha." Yang Ling laughed heartily, patting his shoulder. "Alright then, let's see which of us brothers reaches Sun-Glow first!"

Hearing this, Lu Ye immediately reminded them, "Gentlemen, do not attempt to refine any resources within the core realm, especially that spirit jade ore vein." While the will of the Blood Treasure clone had been completely obliterated, traces of the Blood Treasure's power remained within the origin. All resources in the realm, including the spirit jade ore vein, contained remnants of its sacred essence. The Xiangyin sisters could cultivate there using the spirit jade ore vein without issue because they were first-generation Blood Clan members. However, Yang Ling and Hu Dequan could not, unless they wished to be tainted by the sacred essence. This was clearly not what they desired, as they had persevered for so many years; they couldn't compromise their principles after achieving victory.

As he spoke, Lu Ye handed over a storage ring. "It's not much, but make do with it for now. Once I've settled everything, resources won't be an issue." He had initially carried a good amount of spirit jade and spirit crystals, but those were meant for himself. Upon arriving in the core world, he had given a batch of resources to the Red Talisman Association, and later, when he allied with them, he shared even more. Currently, the resources he had left were indeed not much. However, his talent tree fuel was also depleted, so he had no immediate plans for cultivation.

Yang Ling readily accepted. "We're all brothers, so no need for formalities."

Hu Dequan nudged him, whispering, "He's not a brother..." He hadn't forgotten that Lu Ye's Dao companion was Su Yuqing. By seniority, Lu Ye was their martial uncle.

The two returned to the core world.

Lu Ye gazed at the thirty-meter-long rockery before him, then leaped onto it. With a thought, the core shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring. As it traveled, floating meteorite landmasses shattered upon impact. Lu Ye had no intention of changing direction, simply piloting the core beneath him as if it were a starship. This method of control was incredibly effortless. When piloting a starship, one would at least need to activate their own magical power, but with the core, it wasn't necessary at all. After refining the origin, Lu Ye felt as though the core had become a part of his own body. Although not fully refined, there was still some separation, but it didn't significantly hinder him. As for whether such impacts would damage the core... there was no need to worry. After all, it was part of a cosmic treasure and wouldn't be easily damaged.

Having no concerns and being in a hurry, Lu Ye naturally pushed the core's speed to the maximum he could control. This wasn't its absolute top speed, but rather the limit at which Lu Ye could adjust its direction if anything needed to be avoided ahead. It wasn't that he feared damaging the core; the journey ahead was long. If, due to excessive speed beyond his control, he were to collide with a realm and cause widespread devastation, the sin would be immense.

In just a few days, he exited the wonder's covered area. Lu Ye had already used the power of the origin to place a seal on the core. This ensured that even if he left the wonder with the core, the three sections of Mount Fangcun would not immediately merge. He planned to remove this seal only after returning to Kyushu.

After leaving the wonder, Lu Ye immersed his mind, using the Seven-Colored Divine Lotus to search for a passage leading to the Soul Clan ancestral land. Using the Soul Clan ancestral land as a transit point to return to Jade Snail was his only option. Otherwise, flying alone would take unknown years, and moreover, Lu Ye didn't even know the location of Jade Snail.

After a thorough search, there was no success. This meant there were no passages to the Soul Clan ancestral land nearby. Lu Ye wasn't in a hurry; he simply flew onward, checking occasionally. There were many passages connecting the Soul Clan ancestral land to the outside world, so as long as he flew far enough, he would surely sense the location of one. If that failed, he could always retrace his steps back to the Myriad Phenomena Sea.

Such travel was incredibly monotonous. Lu Ye had to remain constantly vigilant and couldn't even dedicate himself to cultivation. Fortunately, half a month later, when he once again immersed his mind, he finally sensed a faint, ethereal connection through the Seven-Colored Divine Lotus. As expected, there was undoubtedly a passage leading to the Soul Clan ancestral land in that direction. Lu Ye immediately piloted the core, changing direction and flying toward that location.

Time passed, and the connection gradually became clearer, but the distance was still immense.

Several days later, Lu Ye, seated atop the core, suddenly looked into the distance. With the Insight Spirit Rune active, the scene that met his eyes made him frown. Ahead in the void lay a realm, but at this moment, it was under invasion by an external enemy. The invading force was none other than a massive insectoid hive! This insectoid hive floated not far outside the realm. Although the hive was much smaller in comparison, the battle in the void battlefield was incredibly fierce. Lu Ye clearly saw countless cultivators forming defensive lines outside the realm, resisting the invading insectoids. Around the battlefield, innumerable scattered corpses and fragments floated. This was undoubtedly a struggle between realms, an invasion war. Back then, the Four Directions Star System had faced a similar invasion. If Lu Ye hadn't brought in the Dancer, it would likely have been conquered by the Insect and Blood races. In the starry sky, while not exceptionally numerous, there were quite a few such massive insectoid hives drifting about, seeking invasion targets. Each of these enormous hives was equivalent to a wandering realm. Before finding a target for invasion, the insectoids would recuperate. Once a suitable target was found, they would swarm out. Generally, in realms conquered by such hives, all life would be annihilated. The insectoids would remain in that realm for some years until its resources were completely exploited, by which time the invaded realm would be left desolate and utterly lifeless. Many dead stars in the cosmos originated this way.

Lu Ye didn't know which star system this was, nor which realm was being invaded, but since he had encountered it, he had no intention of standing idly by. It would be one thing if he couldn't intervene, but crucially, at this moment, he had the ability to. Moreover, exterminating insectoids was undoubtedly the right thing to do. He immediately changed direction, piloting the core straight towards the massive insectoid hive, preparing to collide.

Initially, neither of the warring factions in the void noticed anything; the battle was too intense to allow for distractions. However, as Lu Ye continuously approached, his presence was eventually revealed. The first to spot him was a Sun-Glow rank insectoid! Beyond the chaotic battlefield in the void, there was a separate skirmish where Sun-Glow cultivators contended. Two insectoid Sun-Glows were collaborating against one human, whose strength seemed roughly equal to theirs. Facing two opponents, the human Sun-Glow was undoubtedly in a precarious situation. Yet, even so, it wouldn't be easy for the insectoid Sun-Glows to kill him.

Just as Lu Ye piloted the core closer to the battlefield, one of the two insectoid Sun-Glows suddenly broke away, its wings vibrating as it flew directly towards Lu Ye. Before it even got close, a powerful spiritual energy attack surged forth. Lu Ye, seated on the core, didn't utter a sound, simply tilting his head and falling over.

The insectoid Sun-Glow, seeing this, couldn't help but let out a cold snort. "Overestimating yourself!" While it didn't hold Lu Ye in high regard, the core beneath him did pique its interest. With its experience and insight, it could tell at a glance that the core was no ordinary object, though its exact nature remained unknown. Nevertheless, whatever it was, acquiring it first was always the right move. Thinking this, it approached the core and reached out to grab it.

Lu Ye, who had been lying slumped on the core, suddenly opened his eyes and gazed at the insectoid with a calm expression, showing no signs of injury. The insectoid Sun-Glow was startled. Before it could react, a colossal devouring force surged forth, engulfing it. Then, its vision blurred, and the noisy skirmish vanished without a trace. It found itself, inexplicably, in another world. Turning its head, it saw four figures surrounding it. A quick perception scan revealed, to its great astonishment, that all four were at the late Moon-Glow stage!