Chapter 2018: Three Parts Gather

Moments later, figures suddenly materialized out of thin air in the Jade Snail Galaxy, at the location connected to the Soul Race's ancestral land. These were the reinforcements who had arrived from the Soul Race. Lu Ye led the way, ushering in the arriving Soul Race members, while Xu Yuan and the other Sun-splitting cultivators brought up the rear. Their numbers steadily increased.

After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, no new Soul Race members arrived once Xu Yuan and the others materialized; Xu Yuan had stopped all others who wished to come. Lu Ye roughly calculated their numbers: eleven Sun-splitting cultivators, over a hundred Moon-divining cultivators, and several thousand Star-observing cultivators. Compared to the Soul Race's overall strength, this force was naturally insignificant, but it was more than sufficient for the impending battle against Zi Xuan.

"Where to now?" Xu Yuan asked, coming up to Lu Ye's side.

"Everyone, please follow me," Lu Ye announced, taking the lead. Yiyi rode Amber over and waved at Lu Ye. Lu Ye then flew onto Amber's back, pulled Yiyi into his embrace, and chatted happily with her. Xu Yuan and the other Sun-splitting cultivators, each activating their spiritual power, enveloped the entire Soul Race army, maintaining an unhindered pace.

They arrived at Square Inch Mountain less than half a day later. It was only after Lu Ye's explanation that Xu Yuan and the others realized this unassuming object, which looked like a common meteorite in the starry sky, was actually the renowned Square Inch Mountain. They were utterly astonished. Even Xu Yuan, despite his long lifespan, had never encountered Square Inch Mountain, making this opportunity quite unexpected. A moment of curiosity arose, wondering about Lu Ye's connection to Square Inch Mountain.

The Soul Race army quickly entered Square Inch Mountain. Sensing their arrival, Chen Xuanhai and his two companions rushed to greet them. They were all greatly surprised to see that Lu Ye had indeed summoned such a large number of reinforcements. Furthermore, these reinforcements were none other than the legendary Soul Race!

Both the Pygmies of Square Inch Mountain and the Soul Race were renowned species in the starry sky. The Pygmies were somewhat more accessible, as their three divisions had previously drifted through space, offering some opportunities for contact. However, the Soul Race was different; many powerful cultivators knew of their ancestral land, but its location and how to enter it remained a mystery to all. Seeing even a single Soul Race member was a rare occurrence, let alone an entire army of them. Chen Xuanhai and his companions dared not be negligent and personally hosted Xu Yuan and the other Soul Race cultivators. Their meeting naturally involved much discussion.

Meanwhile, Lu Ye had already made his way to the foot of Immortal Spirit Peak, where a multitude of cultivators had gathered, led by his three Blood Servants. Earlier, Lu Ye had instructed Xiao Jiu to issue orders in his name, summoning all capable fighters from Kyushu. Xiao Jiu's efficiency, naturally, was beyond reproach; in less than a day, all Star-observing cultivators from Kyushu were assembled here, with the exception of a few who were injured or incapacitated and thus remained to guard their realms. Everyone was poised for battle, ready for anything.

They knew only that Kyushu faced a formidable threat, that their survival hung in the balance, and that a major war was imminent. Therefore, everyone who felt capable of participating stepped forward; it was, in essence, an almost complete mobilization. This display of courage and determination filled Lu Ye with satisfaction. With such a spirit prevalent in Kyushu, why should they fear not becoming strong in the future? Lu Ye did not linger long. He instructed them to await further orders and then departed.

Back on Immortal Spirit Peak, the three Sun-splitting cultivators of the Pygmies and their counterparts from the Soul Race were engaged in pleasant conversation. Seeing his return, they all turned their gaze towards him.

"When will the battle begin?" Xu Yuan asked.

"Some preparations are still needed," Lu Ye replied. He then turned to Chen Xuanhai, "Have the southern and western divisions been informed?"

Chen Xuanhai nodded. "They've already been informed. Both divisions are ready. You can tell them the exact number of people required yourself. The formation is prepared; activating it as the Lord of Square Inch Mountain will save us significantly more time and effort."

Su Yuqing stood up and said, "Follow me."

Lu Ye quickly followed suit.

After the two departed, a Soul Race Sun-splitting cultivator slowly came to his senses and asked Chen Xuanhai, "Friend, who did you just say was the Lord of Square Inch Mountain?" The speaker suspected he had misheard. Since ancient times, Square Inch Mountain had always been the Pygmies' domain. When Square Inch Mountain was mentioned, people naturally thought of the Pygmies. How, then, had he just heard something so remarkable?

Chen Xuanhai smiled. "Has Junior Brother Lu not mentioned it to you? A few years ago, he helped our race recover the core of Square Inch Mountain and subsequently refined it. Therefore, he is now the rightful Lord of Square Inch Mountain."

"Such a thing happened?" The Sun-splitting cultivator exclaimed, his face etched with surprise and his heart deeply shaken. Upon reflection, Lu Ye was a successor of the Dao Tree, highly regarded by the will of their Soul Race ancestral land, and now, astonishingly, also the Lord of Square Inch Mountain. Any one of these achievements alone would be enough to elevate an ordinary person to prominence. With all three converging, Xu Yuan found it difficult to imagine the magnitude of Lu Ye's future accomplishments.

It was important to remember that Square Inch Mountain was a true supreme treasure of the starry sky. Although it had split into three divisions, now that its core had been retrieved, the three divisions would inevitably reunite one day. Once that day arrived, it would undoubtedly mean that Lu Ye would wield a supreme treasure capable of both offense and defense. In the entire starry sky, who could possibly contend with him? Only Xu Yuan remained unperturbed, as he had personally witnessed Lu Ye controlling the Square Inch Mountain core by traversing the Soul Race's ancestral land.

Meanwhile, Lu Ye had followed Su Yuqing to the pre-prepared formation. Following Su Yuqing's guidance, he sat cross-legged on the array, immersing his consciousness within it. The next moment, he experienced an incredibly strange sensation, as if he had become Square Inch Mountain itself. From two distant directions in the starry sky, two energies of the same origin were drawing closer: one near, one far. Lu Ye immediately understood: these were the southern and western divisions of Square Inch Mountain, converging towards this location, drawn by the core. The closer one was the southern division, and the farther one was the western. As the master of Square Inch Mountain, he could now freely mobilize its power, using it to activate the array and effortlessly connect with the other two divisions.

Before long, he established contact with the other two divisions via the array. After some communication, the number of cultivators coming as reinforcements was determined. The southern and western divisions were very enthusiastic, each preparing a significant force with cultivators ranging from Star-observing to Sun-splitting levels. However, considering that the forces for this major battle were already sufficient, Lu Ye only requested Sun-splitting and Moon-divining cultivators from both divisions to come as support. He deemed Star-observing cultivators unnecessary, as the current numbers at that level were already sufficient; the true determinants of victory or defeat on the battlefield would be the Sun-splitting cultivators from both sides. Furthermore, such large-scale teleportation incurred significant costs, consuming not only Lu Ye's power but, more importantly, Square Inch Mountain's own essence. Bringing fewer Star-observing cultivators would also lessen the strain on Square Inch Mountain's foundation.

A moment later, figures flickered on the array, and Sun-splitting and Moon-divining cultivators from the southern and western divisions began to appear. The three divisions of Square Inch Mountain each had a different number of Sun-splitting cultivators; the Eastern division had the fewest, with only three. The Southern division had four, led by the eldest, Yu Qinglou. The Western division had the most, with six. Zhang Kun, who had once escorted Lu Ye to the Blood Illusion Demon Eye, a wonder of the starry sky, hailed from the Western division. The entire Pygmy race had a total of thirteen Sun-splitting cultivators, which was quite a substantial number, especially considering it was the result after Square Inch Mountain had split. Had it remained unified, the number of Sun-splitting cultivators it could produce would likely have been even greater.

For this call for aid from Lu Ye, all three remaining Sun-splitting cultivators from the Southern division came to the Eastern division, with only Yu Qinglou staying behind to oversee their division. The Western division similarly sent five Sun-splitting cultivators directly. Including the three from the Eastern division, the Pygmies alone contributed eleven Sun-splitting cultivators, matching the number from the Soul Race. In addition, approximately fifty Moon-divining cultivators arrived from each of the two divisions, totaling around one hundred. It was more than enough!

While Zi Xuan's exact military strength for this invasion was unknown, Lu Ye was confident that the forces he had now assembled would be more than enough to overwhelm the enemy, especially given their significant advantage at the Sun-splitting cultivator level.

As before, the Sun-splitting cultivators gathered in the main hall of Immortal Spirit Peak. Counting them, there were a total of twenty-two. Such a large gathering of Sun-splitting cultivators was rare anywhere. The only other time Lu Ye had witnessed so many assembled was recently, when he hosted powerful cultivators from various galaxies on Three Realms Island. However, the circumstances at that time had been different from the present.

"Junior Brother Lu, everyone is here. Shall we discuss the arrangements?" Chen Xuanhai asked, looking at Lu Ye.

Lu Ye stood up and bowed to the assembled group. "On behalf of the three major realms of this galaxy and its billions of living beings, I thank all Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters for your support. With all of you backing us in this battle, Zi Xuan's army will surely come and never return."

Everyone smiled without a word. Yet, it was true that in this world, Lu Ye was likely the only one who could, with a single rallying cry, summon the full support of both the Soul Race and the Pygmies. Two races that would otherwise have had no intersection were gathered here solely because of Lu Ye.

"According to the intelligence I've gathered, Zi Xuan's army will follow a specific route to invade our Jade Snail Galaxy. Kyushu is their ultimate destination, but they will also pass through the Qingli Dao Realm on their way. Therefore, my idea is to intercept them before they reach Qingli Dao Realm, to prevent them from wreaking havoc as they pass through it."

Everyone nodded upon hearing this. This was a very thorough consideration and a necessary precaution. Across the starry sky, while Zi Xuan the Demon Star's reputation wasn't terrible, it wasn't particularly good either. A single Qingli Dao Realm certainly couldn't stand against them.

Lu Ye then addressed the Pygmy Sun-splitting cultivators: "Currently, the armies of Kyushu, the Pygmies, and the Soul Race are all assembled on Square Inch Mountain. If we were to travel there on foot, it would undoubtedly consume a considerable amount of time. Furthermore, thousands of cultivators from my Three Realms are already waiting in the Qingli Dao Realm. Therefore, my proposal is to directly move Square Inch Mountain to that location to rendezvous with them. This would save the armies significant travel time, and with Square Inch Mountain as our base, any injured during the battle could retreat into it for refuge and healing, thereby reducing casualties."

Lu Ye had considered this matter beforehand. The combined forces of the Kyushu humans, Soul Race, and Pygmies currently within Square Inch Mountain totaled nearly ten thousand cultivators. Such a large force could not even be accommodated by the previous central battleship. Transporting them to the Qingli Dao Realm would require considerable time, but if they were to directly move Square Inch Mountain itself, the situation would be entirely different, saving both time and effort.