Chapter 1998: Vast Sea of Changes

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Lu Ye jumped into the sea to escape. Yuance, astonished, could only turn his head to look at Ma Bin.

What he saw, however, made him even more frustrated. Facing the siege of the four Sun Glimmers from Myriad Manifestations Sea, Ma Bin fled into the distance without a backward glance.

Ma Bin was in extremely poor condition; how could he possibly fight in such a state? Moreover, he had just received a private message from Lu Ye, so when Yuance and the others made their move, he immediately fled afar as Lu Ye had instructed.

"Chase!" Yuance exclaimed angrily, immediately pursuing Ma Bin in the direction he had fled.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; if they missed it today, it would be difficult to kill Ma Bin later. Lu Ye from Three Realms Island had jumped into the sea to escape, making him impossible to pursue. Surely Ma Bin didn't possess the same ability and courage.

Instantly, the six Sun Glimmers split into two groups, chasing closely behind Ma Bin and quickly disappearing into the distance.

On the reef island, Mang Dang, who had witnessed the entire conflict from beginning to end, looked worriedly at Hua Ci beside him and asked, "Fellow Daoist, aren't you worried?"

He didn't know the exact relationship between Lu Ye and Hua Ci, nor had he ever seen Hua Ci before. However, since Lu Ye had arrived with her and they appeared intimate, their relationship was clearly extraordinary. Yet, even with Lu Ye forced to jump into the sea, Hua Ci showed no sign of worry on her face, which Mang Dang found hard to comprehend.

This was the Myriad Manifestations Sea; even if Lu Ye had advanced to Sun Glimmer, what good outcome could there be for him if he fell into it? Hua Ci merely smiled and shook her head, appearing profound and unfathomable. Mang Dang scratched his head, his face filled with worry.

Lu Ye had saved his life, so if it were within his power, he certainly wouldn't stand by idly. It was similar to how, years ago, when the development of Three Realms Island was hindered, he had overcome strong opposition to establish a branch of the Five-Color Chamber of Commerce there. However, today's battle was beyond his ability to intervene, so despite his worry and anxiety, he was helpless.

He only knew one thing: from this day forward, the Myriad Manifestations Sea was likely to fall into complete chaos. The Myriad Manifestations Star System had suffered significant losses among its Sun Glimmers, and the various spirit islands had also incurred immense damage. The forces behind these islands would certainly not let the matter rest; they would all come to Myriad Manifestations Sea demanding answers.

The Myriad Manifestations Star System, having just undergone such a major upheaval, would absolutely be unable to withstand that kind of pressure. At that time, this vast Myriad Manifestations Sea would likely devolve into a state of warring factions. Even the Five-Color Domain, his home region, would have to dispatch Sun Glimmers to oversee the situation.

For many years, the various rules established by the Myriad Manifestations Star System, though sometimes inconvenient, were precisely what allowed this place to become a hub where numerous star systems converged, flourishing for countless years. But if these rules were to disappear one day, this vast Myriad Manifestations Sea would likely no longer have room for smaller forces to survive; it would surely be completely divided among the top powers. This was certainly not a sustainable path...

Just as Mang Dang was thinking this, he suddenly looked up into the distance and immediately saw a streak of light rapidly approaching. "Why are they back?" Mang Dang exclaimed in astonishment. Many others were as perplexed as he was, because Ma Bin, who had fled earlier, had actually flown back, with the six murderous Sun Glimmers from the Myriad Manifestations Star System following closely behind.

Even with Mang Dang's eyesight, he could tell that Ma Bin was not in a good state, as his Sun Glimmer aura was fluctuating wildly, a clear sign of severe injury. It was probably due to his own poor condition that Ma Bin found it difficult to shake off the pursuit of these six Sun Glimmers. If the situation continued to develop like this, Ma Bin was surely doomed!

Soon, the figures of the Sun Glimmers swept past Myriad Manifestations Island. As if in a cycle, Ma Bin continued to flee forward. Yuance, leading the other Sun Glimmers, pursued relentlessly, like maggots clinging to bone.

"Splash!" A sound rang out as a figure leaped from beneath the Myriad Manifestations Sea, shouting fiercely, "Yuance, prepare to die!"

"Brother Lu!" Mang Dang immediately spotted Lu Ye's figure and his eyes widened. He wanted to see if Lu Ye had been corroded by the Myriad Manifestations Sea water, but upon observation, there was no sign of corrosion on Lu Ye whatsoever. His spiritual power surged like a tide, and he seemed to be in even better condition than before.

As Lu Ye's fierce shout echoed, a familiar golden light also shot out. Yuance, who had been relentlessly pursuing Ma Bin, instinctively turned his head upon hearing Lu Ye's shout, and his expression instantly changed, "Not good!"

His reaction was incredibly fast; he immediately conjured a magic treasure to protect his body and simultaneously moved, swaying erratically. But he soon experienced what the Sun Glimmers previously targeted by Lu Ye had felt. As the golden light flashed and struck, no matter how he dodged or evaded, he had a feeling it was utterly impossible to avoid.

When the golden light enveloped him, Yuance's fiercely propelled spiritual power instantly solidified, and even the light from the magic treasure protecting his body was covered by the golden light, losing its spiritual essence. Lu Ye raised his blade and charged towards him, full of menacing power.

Mu Qing and the others' expressions changed dramatically. Beside him, Yan Guyi reached out and caught Yuance, who was imprisoned by the golden light, saving him from falling into the Myriad Manifestations Sea. Deeply alarmed, he no longer had any desire to continue pursuing Ma Bin. Seeing Lu Ye's aggressive stance and feeling immense apprehension, he immediately shouted, "Quick, leave!"

Yuance's conjecture was wrong; Lu Ye could still wield the power of that golden light. It was unclear why he hadn't used it earlier, but instead, he had caught them completely off guard at this moment! And the reason Ma Bin circled back with them was clearly a pre-arranged plan with Lu Ye. The Myriad Manifestations Star System now only had these six Sun Glimmers. With Yuance, their strongest, incapacitated, if Lu Ye were to unleash the golden light a few more times, wouldn't he wipe them all out?

The others also panicked. As Yan Guyi's words fell, they each fled in different directions and quickly disappeared. Lu Ye pursued for a while with his blade, but could only watch as Yan Guyi, carrying Yuance, gradually receded into the distance.

There was nothing he could do. Having just advanced to Sun Glimmer, his cultivation was not yet stable, and he was slower than Yan Guyi. Of course, if he were to use the Blood Escape technique, he might have a chance to catch up. However, in that brief period, the Myriad Manifestations Sea water consumed by the Pixiu was barely enough to accumulate the power for one golden light strike; it was impossible to unleash a second. Thus, even if he caught up, it would be meaningless. His aggressive pursuit was mostly for show.

A moment later, Lu Ye stopped and slowly sheathed his Mountain Crushing Blade.

The grand battle of the Sun Glimmers finally concluded. The several shifts in momentum during the conflict truly left the distant onlookers mesmerized. In this single day, over twenty Sun Glimmer cultivators appeared across the Myriad Manifestations Sea, an occurrence unseen for many years. Yet, at this moment, only Lu Ye remained standing.

Countless eyes looked on from all directions, and any cultivator with a bit of foresight clearly understood one thing: From today onwards, the Myriad Manifestations Sea had changed forever! The cultivators from the Anatta Palace had been forced to retreat, and the Sun Glimmers of the Myriad Manifestations Star System had fled in disarray. This vast Myriad Manifestations Sea would truly belong to the Lu clan from now on!

This was undoubtedly a historic moment. Although they hadn't participated personally, witnessing it firsthand thrilled many cultivators. Messages were quickly relayed in all directions by various cultivators.

On Myriad Manifestations Island, Lu Ye slowly descended, looking at the small mountain of storage rings piled on the ground. These had been left behind by the Anatta Palace cultivators before they departed, and no one dared to touch them until now. Ma Bin returned, landing not far from Lu Ye and giving him a slight nod. He appeared unharmed, but Lu Ye detected a faint scent of blood on him, a sign that Ma Bin couldn't suppress his vital energy, indicating he was clearly not in good condition.

Two more figures flew over: Luan Xiao'e and Yan Miao, who had been guarding Four Directions Island. Lu Ye had messaged them earlier to come, but even for Sun Glimmers, it still took some time to arrive. The four Sun Glimmers of Three Realms Island were now gathered together.

Lu Ye looked around, clearly sensing countless eyes from all directions watching their movements at that moment. For him, today's conflict had ended, but for Myriad Manifestations Sea and the cultivators within it, some things were just beginning.

With a plan in mind, he leaped into the air, his thoughts a whirlwind. He recalled how, in the past, he was pursued by Old Tang and inadvertently ended up in Myriad Manifestations Sea via a wormhole. Upon first seeing its grandeur and prosperity, both he and Old Tang were like bumpkins who had never seen the world.

In a foreign land, the two, who held minor grievances against each other, set aside their prejudices and huddled together for warmth. During that time, he endured various hardships to survive, while Old Tang wandered aimlessly... It wasn't until he later obtained the Minor Star Mansion and established Unrivaled Island that he finally gained a foothold in Myriad Manifestations Sea.

Guided by the Reincarnation Tree, he tirelessly returned to the Jade Snail Star System, bringing cultivators from his homeland to Myriad Manifestations Sea to pursue their dreams. However, upon arriving with great anticipation, he found Unrivaled Island had changed hands, and even Old Tang, who had stayed behind, was almost beaten to death. Inferior in strength, he could only endure the losses.

He then turned to build Three Realms Island, battling Baiyue and defeating Zixuan, establishing his reputation as the foremost cultivator below the Sun Glimmer realm. With a long blade, he carved a bloody path, and the cultivators of Three Realms finally gained a stable environment for cultivation. Without incident, Lu Ye would have had to leave Three Realms Island after advancing to Sun Glimmer. Without the protection of his prestige, it would have been truly impossible to predict the future of Three Realms Island.

But no one expected Yuan Du to act that way. It was an absolute joke that the very people who made the rules no longer abided by them. Even at that time, Lu Ye didn't have many thoughts. He had originally intended to use the opportunity to retire gracefully and move Three Realms Island below the sea. However, by a strange turn of events, Ma Bin, who couldn't bear to see him suffer, suddenly intervened, followed by Ya Ya, and then Hua Ci...

Unwilling to remain idle or just watch, he broke taboos, activated the power of his Talent Tree, refined his Dharma Source, and swiftly advanced to Sun Glimmer to join the battle. Reaching this point, step by step... was due to a confluence of circumstances, a matter of helplessness, and also forced by the situation.

But at this very moment, Lu Ye found that the outcome seemed rather good! Since others could freely break the rules they set, then he would set the rules for this Myriad Manifestations Sea! Any who dared to defy them would be killed without mercy!

"From today onwards, all spirit islands, large and small, in Myriad Manifestations Sea shall fall under the jurisdiction of my Three Realms Island. Those unwilling to comply have two months to withdraw from Myriad Manifestations Sea!"