Chapter 2016: Preparing for War

Lu Ye had no intention of making Qingli Dao Realm the battlefield, but if the enemy followed his previous route into the Yuluo Star System, Qingli Dao Realm would be the first place they encountered.

This realm is not far from the Chaotic Explosion Zone. Although Zixuan's target was Jiuzhou, if they emerged from the zone and discovered Qingli Dao Realm, even a single Sun-rank cultivator could unleash widespread destruction.

Of course, if they didn't notice it, or noticed but disregarded it, Qingli Dao Realm would naturally be safe from harm.

But no one could guarantee that.

Therefore, the battlefield had to be chosen before Zixuan's army reached Qingli Dao Realm, ideally at the exit of the Chaotic Explosion Zone to intercept them.

Qiu Wu departed with several Moon-rank cultivators from Yuluo Realm, intending to return to their home realm as Lu Ye had instructed, to gather all available fighters.

A moment later, the central battleship changed course, flying towards Qingli Dao Realm.

Lu Ye set off alone, beginning his journey back to Jiuzhou.

This location was very close to the former Peerless Continent and not particularly far from Jiuzhou. At his current Sun-rank speed, he could traverse the distance in just half a day.

He recalled that back in his Constellation-rank days, traveling from Jiuzhou to this very spot would have taken months.

After more than half a day, Lu Ye stood in a vast expanse of stars, his expression a mix of surprise and uncertainty.

He frowned deeply as he gazed forward.

Where was Jiuzhou? Where had such a massive realm gone?

And the Blood Refining Realm?

And Mount Fangcun!

All had vanished without a trace.

Navigating the starry sky was an essential survival skill for every cultivator, and particularly so for him since the Yuluo Star System was his home. He could visualize the number and arrangement of nearby stars with his eyes closed.

However, the spot where Jiuzhou should have been was now completely empty; not only Jiuzhou, but also the Blood Refining Realm and Mount Fangcun were gone.

For a moment, Lu Ye couldn't help but wonder if he had taken a wrong turn.

But upon reflection, that seemed unlikely. Instead, another possibility occurred to him!

He concentrated, pressed his hand to his Battlefield Mark, and sent a message: "Xiao Jiu, stop playing around!"

"Hehe, you found me," Xiao Jiu's voice immediately replied, clearly a little smug.

"I knew it," Lu Ye thought, confirming his suspicion.

In the past, the immense Asura Domain, cloaked by the enigmatic power of the supreme treasure, the Asura Field, had remained hidden for countless millennia. Anyone who entered the Asura Domain and passed its trials would directly appear in the Heavenly Asura Realm.

Only when the Asura Field closed was the true Asura Domain finally revealed.

Now that Xiao Jiu possessed a sub-treasure of the Asura Field, Lu Ye guessed it could manifest similar powers.

Indeed, he hadn't seen Jiuzhou not because he'd taken a wrong turn, but because Xiao Jiu had used the power of the Asura Field to conceal this entire section of the starry sky.

What he saw was an illusion; the true starry sky was perfectly hidden within this deceptive facade, without any flaw.

The might of a sub-treasure was incomparable to a supreme treasure; the Asura Field's enigmatic power could conceal the entire Asura Domain, a colossal space comprising countless star systems.

Xiao Jiu couldn't conceal an entire Yuluo Star System, but cloaking the area around Jiuzhou was well within its capabilities.

"Close your eyes!" Xiao Jiu's voice commanded again.

Helpless, Lu Ye closed his eyes.

"Open your eyes!" Xiao Jiu instructed.

At the same moment, Lu Ye distinctly felt a mysterious power descend upon him from thin air. When he reopened his eyes, the scene before him transformed dramatically: Jiuzhou reappeared in his vision, with the Blood Refining Realm lying beside it.

"Isn't that fun?" Xiao Jiu chirped gleefully. "From now on, no one will enter Jiuzhou without my permission."

If it had gained this ability earlier, Hei Yun would never have found Jiuzhou back then. However, it was regrettable that Hei Yun had already entered Jiuzhou by the time Lu Ye returned with the Asura Field's sub-treasure.

It wasn't too late now; with Jiuzhou shrouded and concealed by the power of the Asura Field's sub-treasure, it would be much harder for significant dangers to arise in the future.

Unfortunately, he couldn't guarantee that Zixuan's army would head directly for Jiuzhou without disturbing Qingli Dao Realm. If that could be ensured, the battlefield could entirely be set in Jiuzhou.

Imagine if that were the case: Zixuan's army would trek along the route provided by Hei Yun, only to find no trace of Jiuzhou. That would indeed be a comical sight.

With the power of the Asura Field's sub-treasure, Xiao Jiu could completely divide the battlefield into distinct spaces. While it likely couldn't sustain Sun-rank level combat, for cultivators below that rank, it could create significant tactical advantages, drastically reducing the risks they faced.

Pushing that thought aside, Lu Ye said, "Xiao Jiu, in my name, summon all combat-ready Constellation-rank cultivators in Jiuzhou!"

"What's wrong?" Xiao Jiu asked, startled.

"There's going to be a fight!"

Lu Ye said it nonchalantly, but Xiao Jiu could still sense that the impending situation was far from ordinary.

After instructing Xiao Jiu to help summon Jiuzhou's Constellation-rank cultivators, Lu Ye did not return to Jiuzhou but instead went directly to Mount Fangcun.

A short while later, four figures gathered on Spirit Peak.

Su Yuqing, Chen Xuanhai, and Wu Qimo, the three Sun-rank cultivators from the Eastern territory, had gathered there. After confirming Lu Ye's advancement to Sun-rank, they all offered their congratulations.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Lu Ye stated his purpose.

Chen Xuanhai understood. "The ten Zixuan Demon Venerables are attacking. Are you planning to summon the Sun-rank cultivators from the Southern and Western territories for assistance?"

"Exactly!" Lu Ye nodded. "Including myself, there are only three Sun-rank cultivators on Three Realms Island, and we are all newly ascended. We might be insufficient to face the Zixuan Demon Venerables, so I must ask for substantial assistance from my fellow disciples of Mount Fangcun."

Chen Xuanhai smiled. "That's no problem. Now that you are the master of Mount Fangcun, your word is law. Our Eastern territory will offer its full support, and the Southern and Western territories will not refuse either."

"Then I'll leave this matter in your capable hands, Senior Brother Chen."

"Leave it to me!" Chen Xuanhai nodded.

In the past, the Pixies rarely participated in conflicts between other races. They generally avoided forming enmities, their only true adversary being the Blood Race.

But the situation was different now. Lu Ye had refined Mount Fangcun's core, becoming its master, and their fates were intertwined; they would either prosper or suffer together.

Furthermore, Lu Ye was the inheritor of the Dao Tree, with boundless potential. Having advanced to Sun-rank in such a short time, he was undoubtedly worth following.

He and Su Yuqing were also Dao Companions!

In essence, Lu Ye's concerns were Mount Fangcun's concerns.

Thus, when Lu Ye made his request, Chen Xuanhai agreed without the slightest hesitation.

"Thank you very much, Senior Brother Chen," Lu Ye said, then remembered something else. "By the way, that Zixuan's Hei Yun—didn't we kill him before? He later reappeared in the Myriad Forms Sea, and his strength was even greater than before. Do any of you know what happened?"

"It's the Outer-Body Incarnation technique!" Su Yuqing slowly explained. "However, it wasn't an ordinary outer-body incarnation; it must have been a Dharma Body. What we killed before was merely a Dharma Body. The one you encountered in the Myriad Forms Sea should have been his true self, which explains his increased strength."

"The Outer-Body Incarnation technique..." Lu Ye felt as if he had encountered this information somewhere before, but couldn't quite place it.

Noticing his confusion, Su Yuqing hesitated before explaining, "On the path of cultivation, Sun-rank cultivators are supreme. Once one reaches the peak of Sun-rank, further progress becomes impossible. However, the pursuit of breakthroughs is an innate instinct for cultivators. So, when the opportune moment hasn't arrived, some Sun-rank cultivators resort to special methods to prepare themselves. A Dharma Body is one such method. For Hei Yun to be able to condense a Dharma Body, he must undoubtedly be a peak Sun-rank cultivator himself!"

As she spoke, Lu Ye suddenly recalled where he had encountered records of the Outer-Body Incarnation technique.

It was in the Heavenly Asura clan's Sea River Pavilion; a tattered jade slip there contained similar records, detailing how the method couldn't fundamentally resolve issues until the right time arrived, and discussing outer-body incarnations.

"Besides that, is there also something called the Inner Core method?" Lu Ye inquired.

This was information recorded in the jade slip.

"Yes," Su Yuqing nodded, a faint blush suddenly appearing on her cheeks. "I use the Inner Core method myself."

Lu Ye blinked, suddenly recalling that years ago, Su Yuqing had given him something resembling an Inner Core to nurture, which was meant to qualify him for the Pixie Black Abyss Martial Arts. However, the Inner Core had been absorbed and refined by his Talent Tree, leading to a substantial short-term increase in his strength.

Su Yuqing, realizing what had happened, had tried to reclaim her Inner Core, leading to their intimate encounter!

The clang of a sword interrupted Lu Ye's thoughts. He turned to see Chen Xuanhai activating his Talisman Sword. "My method is this!" Chen Xuanhai declared. "Junior Brother Lu, your aptitude is extraordinary; you'll reach this stage sooner or later. But regardless of the method, they all serve to store the cultivation one has achieved but can no longer increase."

Lu Ye immediately understood. Whether it was a Dharma Body, an Inner Core, or Chen Xuanhai's Talisman Sword, these were all last resorts for Sun-rank cultivators who had reached their peak and could no longer advance their cultivation. They served as reserves of the cultivators' own power.

With that thought, he turned to Wu Qimo, curious about Senior Brother Wu's method.

Wu Qimo's face darkened. "I haven't reached that point yet. I'll tell you when I do!"

Lu Ye understood. It appeared that in terms of cultivation, both Su Yuqing and Chen Xuanhai had reached their limits, making them considerably stronger than Wu Qimo.

He didn't inquire further. He had long understood that some things only become clear once one reaches a certain level of cultivation.

"Senior Brother Chen, I'll leave the matters of the Southern and Western territories to you. I also need to make a trip and will return within a day." Lu Ye stood up.

"Do you want me to accompany you?" Su Yuqing asked.

"No need, I'm just going to find reinforcements," Lu Ye said, waving his hand as he shot into the sky.

"Find reinforcements?" Chen Xuanhai looked puzzled. What formidable reinforcements could possibly be found in this star system? Since Lu Ye intended to return within a day, he certainly wouldn't be traveling far.

Furthermore, finding reinforcements capable of making a difference against Zixuan's army would be a challenging task.

According to the intelligence Lu Ye had gathered, Zixuan was sending ten Demon Venerables, and the size of their main army was unknown. Mount Fangcun, however, could handle these ten Demon Venerables.

With this arrangement, the three Sun-rank cultivators from Three Realms Island could fight without restraint. Victory in this battle was already half assured; if Lu Ye could find more qualified reinforcements, Zixuan's defeat this time would be absolute.

"It seems our Junior Brother Lu still has a trump card," Wu Qimo mused, stroking his chin. The secrecy certainly piqued his curiosity.