Chapter 194: The Final Merger

Wind of the Nine Provinces

Wind of the Nine Provinces

On the tenth day since entering the Chess Sea, the number of cultivators gathered on the chess island exceeded one hundred, and the massive chess island stretched as far as the eye could see.

By the fifteenth day, the number had expanded to two hundred.

This explosive growth was primarily due to the fact that each surviving batch of Vast Heaven Alliance cultivators was now quite numerous, ranging from a dozen to thirty or forty.

As their numbers increased, their strength also grew significantly.

However, correspondingly, the battles became more intense. While their numbers were consolidating, the Myriad Devil Ridge faction was also gathering. Small-scale skirmishes between a few individuals, as seen initially, were now completely absent. Now, when a major battle erupted, the sky was filled with streaks of light from spells and spiritual artifacts.

According to the information Lu Ye currently possessed, the merging of chess islands typically lasted for about eighteen to twenty days. During this period, the chess islands scattered across the Chess Sea would gradually converge to form a massive continental landmass.

Once this continental landmass formed, some rare and precious natural treasures, seldom seen in the outside world, would emerge. Their source was likely the uninhabited chess islands.

After its formation, the continental landmass would remain for about ten days, before breaking apart again into countless chess islands. At that point, the Spirit Stream Battlefield defense battle would conclude, and surviving cultivators would be returned to their respective sect strongholds.

Fifteen days had now passed. In a few more days, the merging of the chess islands would come to an end. Once the continental landmass was formed, the confrontation between the cultivators of the two factions would become even more intense. This was because everyone was currently forced to wait passively, but once the chess islands had fully merged, they could launch proactive attacks.

The preparations of the Myriad Devil Ridge would truly come into effect at that moment.

In recent days, news had been exchanged among all parties, and bad news arrived periodically. Some chess islands occupied by Vast Heaven Alliance cultivators had been captured, and their occupants utterly annihilated.

If too many Vast Heaven Alliance cultivators on the periphery suffered casualties, then once the continental landmass was formed, the Myriad Devil Ridge could leverage their numerical superiority to eliminate the Vast Heaven Alliance. Given enough time for a search, they might even be able to wipe out every single Vast Heaven Alliance member.

The situation on the periphery was not optimistic, and the situation in the inner areas was even less so.

At least on the periphery, the two cultivators from the Bloodplain Sect formed a core that maintained stability. However, cultivators in the inner areas did not have such good fortune. When they fought, no one helped them weaken the enemy's strength. No one assisted with healing when they were injured. And excessive expenditure of energy meant they could only rely on consuming spirit pills or meditating to recover.

After a series of brutal battles, even those eighth and ninth-level cultivators who practiced Heaven-grade cultivation techniques suffered considerable casualties.

Two days later, the number of cultivators on the main island increased again, reaching three hundred. A smaller island that had merged earlier brought with it seventy Vast Heaven Alliance members.

Upon learning that this was the chess island where the Bloodplain Sect cultivators resided, all seventy-plus individuals were overjoyed, as if they had found their home base. They even specifically came to familiarize themselves with Lu Ye and Hua Ci.

With a lineup of over three hundred, their faction was unprecedentedly strong. Everyone was eagerly awaiting the final merger of the chess islands, because only then could other Vast Heaven Alliance cultivators who hadn't yet converged actively move towards them, giving them a glimmer of hope.

The awaited day finally arrived.

When their chess island violently shook and suddenly accelerated in one direction, the expressions of all cultivators on the island turned solemn. Everyone realized that the final merger was at hand.

At this very moment, across the entire Chess Sea, the previously countless chess islands had merged into enormous individual islands. These islands were currently being drawn by some force, collectively drifting towards a single direction. Mid-journey, some islands began to merge and attach, forming even larger islands.

Some islands were inhabited, while others were not. The uninhabited small islands were very small, as if they had never undergone merging. However, without exception, these uninhabited small islands contained precious natural treasures, some of which were unique products of the Chess Sea itself.

Elsewhere on the chess island, there was another island. It was not small in size. At its highest point grew a fruit tree. The tree bore nine palm-sized blue flowers, whose fragrance could be smelled in the air even from ten miles away.

Visible spiritual energy from heaven and earth formed a vortex, gathering towards these nine blue flowers. The blue flowers were also rapidly changing, with fruits subtly beginning to grow beneath their calyxes.

It was foreseeable that such a fruit tree would inevitably attract contention from powerful cultivators of both factions. A major battle was destined to erupt here.

The chess islands had not yet fully merged, but Lu Ye's side was already engaged in battle. This was because, on the path of merging, nearby chess islands had attached themselves. Furthermore, two chess islands appeared simultaneously, one on the left and one on the right, perfectly sandwiching Lu Ye and his companions' island.

Each of these two chess islands had about a hundred cultivators gathered. Before Lu Ye and his companions could determine which faction they belonged to, the cultivators from both sides had already charged forth.

Both sides belonged to the Myriad Devil Ridge. They had connected with each other. After communicating, they concluded that the sandwiched island belonged to the Vast Heaven Alliance, and thus showed no restraint.

When their own cultivators saw this favorable development, they instantly became reinvigorated.

Since their numbers had exceeded one hundred, they had always taken the initiative in every major battle.

There was no other way. With their increased numbers, enemies could no longer rashly attack. Even the most skilled actors couldn't lure the enemy deep into their territory. The enemy only needed to send a few individuals to scout their position to realize something was amiss.

When they took the initiative to attack, even with Hua Ci providing support, some casualties were always unavoidable. The cultivators of Myriad Devil Ridge were not soft persimmons to be easily manipulated. Like those of the Vast Heaven Alliance, they were seasoned veterans of countless battles and never feared death.

For many days, no one had dared to attack them proactively, rendering many of the arrangements Hua Ci had made in advance useless.

Therefore, even when being attacked from both sides at this moment, everyone remained completely calm, and even a little excited. Their expressions were eager, and their spiritual energy was secretly circulating.

It was a situation of too many people competing for limited gains. This was the time to compete with eyesight and hand speed. Slaying an enemy Garrison Master not only earned merit, but also allowed one to seize the blessings of their Heavenly Mystery Pillar. However, killing a Deputy Master only yielded merit, a significant difference.

The Myriad Devil Ridge cultivators on both sides cooperated very well and had strong momentum. In contrast, their own formation appeared disorganized, with individuals standing in scattered groups and no particular battle formation, seemingly a rabble.

As usual, streaks of light from spells and spiritual artifacts began to clash. Upon engaging, the Myriad Devil Ridge cultivators on both sides realized something was wrong.

There were simply too many Vast Heaven Alliance members on this side!

Even combined, their numbers were fewer than their opponents'. But the battle had already begun; there was no room for retreat now, so they could only grit their teeth and persevere.

Fortunately, they quickly discovered that the Vast Heaven Alliance side lacked unified command and coordination. Thus, despite their numerical advantage, they did not gain the upper hand on the battlefield.

This reassured the Myriad Devil Ridge faction, and their attacks became even more vigorous.

What they didn't know was that the vast majority of the three hundred Vast Heaven Alliance cultivators were focusing their attention on a gentle-mannered woman, which was why they appeared to have little combat power.

This woman was Hua Ci!

The number of people responsible for protecting Hua Ci had increased to five: a Body Cultivator, a Weapon Cultivator, a Spell Cultivator, a Ghost Cultivator, and an Artificer – Lu Yushan's junior sister.

As Hua Ci raised her delicate hand, her incantations shifted, and a jade-green aura violently swept forth.

The more than three hundred Vast Heaven Alliance members reacted as if they had received a command, and their offensive instantly intensified!

Amidst cries of alarm from both the left and right, a large swathe of spiritual artifact streaks in the sky was shattered! Their own spiritual artifact streaks then surged into the enemy ranks, causing blood to spurt from the Body Cultivators and Weapon Cultivators blocking the front, with over a dozen dying on the spot.

“Thunder Dragon's Roar!” the slender Lu Yushan shouted with full momentum. A powerful beam of light burst from the spiritual artifact in his hand, slamming into the enemy crowd. It was unclear how many he killed, but his expression suddenly became very pleased.

“Kill!” Gao Tai roared, once again charging out first. The large shield artifact in his hand erected a barrier, as he bravely withstood the enemy cultivators' attacks and galloped forward.

Behind him, Weapon Cultivators surged forward like jackals, their momentum terrifying, their eyes almost glowing with red light.

Lu Ye followed closely behind him, never straying a step.

A moment later, Gao Tai collided with an opposing Body Cultivator. Like two massive boulders colliding, his shield artifact emitted a booming sound, and spiritual light shimmered around them.

Both retreated a few steps. This clash was clearly an even match.

But Gao Tai was smiling, because even as he retreated, the Weapon Cultivators charging behind him had already fanned out to the left and right.

The burly opposing Body Cultivator's expression turned to one of terror. Although he frantically channeled his spiritual energy and the power of his spiritual artifact, when the Weapon Cultivators swept past him, several streaks of blood still spurted from his body, and he then collapsed to his knees on the ground.

On the Myriad Devil Ridge side, the Body Cultivators standing at the very front all met similar fates.

The defensive system of the front-line Body Cultivators had been breached. What remained was a slaughter.

Just as Lu Ye charged in front of a panicked Spell Cultivator, a streak of light from a spiritual artifact struck from the side, piercing a large hole in the Spell Cultivator's head!

Lu Ye immediately withdrew the long blade he had swung.

This was a common occurrence. In these recent major battles, although they fought with great fervor, the actual gains were not many. Now that their side had so many people, someone would always gain nothing in every battle.

He immediately set his sights on the next target: a Weapon Cultivator fleeing towards the rear. He raised his hand and cast a Fire Phoenix spell, causing the person to stumble, their back scorched. He then pounced, his blade rising and falling.

Watching two red lights drift onto the back of his hand, Lu Ye finally let out a long breath. In the current situation, it was truly not easy to claim a kill.

With their forces collapsing like a mountain, the Myriad Devil Ridge faction fled, leaving countless corpses along their path. The remaining dozen-plus individuals were chased to the seaside; seeing no escape, they all jumped into the sea.

Numerous inexplicable shadows surged up from beneath the seawater, engulfing these individuals.

“No!” a Vast Heaven Alliance cultivator stretched out his hand, and knelt on the ground with a thud, his eyes red and his face filled with sorrow.

Anyone unaware of the context would surely think that the few who jumped into the sea were his relatives.

“Why... why would you rather commit suicide than let me kill you?”

Damn it, another battle where I got nothing!

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