Chapter 2030: War Aftermath

While Qin Yi had been anxiously waiting for most of the day, a Miniature Race Sun-shining cultivator suddenly returned to Square Inch Mountain. He called out to the waiting medical cultivators, informing them that the great battle was over, their side had achieved a great victory, and the Zi Xuan army had been completely annihilated!

Qin Yi simply couldn't believe it.

She knew the formidable power of the Zi Xuan army. It was precisely because of this knowledge that she had rushed to Jade Snail. Such a force, viewed across the starry sky, was simply not something ordinary star systems could contend with. Even if Jade Snail's foundation was strong and it possessed the means to resist Zi Xuan, defeating them would inevitably come at a great cost.

But how long had it been?

Jade Snail had not only won, but achieved a great victory!

In contrast, the Zi Xuan army, which she had considered so powerful it could only be looked up to, was completely annihilated.

"Completely annihilated" undoubtedly meant that from Sun-shining to Constellation cultivators, not a single member of the Zi Xuan army had escaped! What price had Jade Snail paid for such an achievement?

Qin Yi had expected Jade Snail to suffer significant casualties, but looking around now, there were hardly any injured cultivators on Jade Snail's side, let alone any fallen in battle.

On the chaotic battlefield, Zi Xuan demon cultivators' corpses lay everywhere. Some had maintained their human form before dying, while others had reverted to their true forms, all frozen in menacing, terrifying poses.

After the battle, Jade Snail cultivators gathered in small groups, joyfully collecting war spoils. To Qin Yi, they didn't look like they had just fought a war; instead, they resembled a group attending a market fair...

All these bizarre sights left Qin Yi bewildered; she simply felt this world was incredibly strange.

The great battle itself didn't take too long; rather, it was the cleanup of the battlefield that required considerable effort.

It took a full three days for the dust to settle. Everything that needed to be confiscated was, including the several warships that Lu Ye had sliced apart, which cultivators hauled into Square Inch Mountain. Although these warships were damaged, many parts were still usable, especially the Sun-shining-grade one. If suitable talent could be found to repair it, it might even have a chance to return to service.

The Jade Snail Allied Army gathered inside Square Inch Mountain to celebrate their victory, while Lu Ye piloted Square Inch Mountain back along their original route.

Several days later, Square Inch Mountain was re-settled near the Nine Provinces.

After the festivities, Void Prime found Lu Ye and bid him farewell.

The Soul Race's participation this time was primarily at Lu Ye's request; without him, they would not have so rashly involved themselves in the disputes of the starry sky.

Now that the war had settled, the Soul Race had no intention of lingering outside and naturally wished to return to their ancestral land.

Lu Ye warmly urged them to stay, acknowledging that the Soul Race's contribution was indispensable to the smooth success of this battle against Zi Xuan. Under their Soul Attachment ability, every member of the Jade Snail Allied Army, from Constellation to Sun-shining cultivators, saw their power greatly increased, which was why they were able to win so easily.

Otherwise, relying solely on the Mermaid Race's secret arts for enhancement, the Jade Snail Allied Army would at most gain an upper hand, and heavy casualties would be unavoidable.

Void Prime politely declined, explaining that the main reason the Soul Race was reluctant to appear openly outside was their dislike for the external environment. Just as fish need to live in water, their ancestral land was the most suitable place for the Soul Race to survive.

While being outside wasn't as extreme as fish leaving water, there were indeed uncomfortable aspects that were only alleviated when they attached themselves to living beings.

However, unless the relationship was extremely intimate, who would be willing to be constantly possessed by a Soul Race member? If that were the case, no secrets would remain.

"You have now advanced to Sun-shining," Void Prime earnestly advised. "Finish your various affairs soon and make a trip to our ancestral land. The cultivation of soul-suppressing secret arts has unique advantages there."

"Yes!" Lu Ye respectfully agreed.

Every Sun-shining cultivator possessed their own soul-suppressing secret art. This was because reaching this realm involved cultivating as a deity, and the soul-suppressing secret art was the paramount focus of cultivation at this stage.

This secret art was crucial for Sun-shining cultivators; they would not easily use it, but once activated, it signified a life-or-death struggle.

Before his death, Bi Chen had used his soul-suppressing secret art, foolishly attempting to drag Lu Ye down with him, but he was thwarted by Void Prime. Don't let Void Prime's seemingly effortless interception at the time mislead you; it was because he was from the Soul Race, whose cultivation in divine souls was unparalleled by any other race.

In fact, had Void Prime not intervened, once that soul-suppressing secret art was unleashed, even Chen Xuanhai would not have been able to completely block it, and if it had affected Lu Ye, the consequences would have been dire.

Even if Void Prime hadn't mentioned it, Lu Ye was already prepared for this matter.

There was no place in this world more suitable for cultivating soul-suppressing secret arts than the Soul Race's ancestral land.

"Yi Yi and the Sacred Beast will be staying behind; please look after them," Void Prime added.

It was a rare opportunity to spend time with Lu Ye, so Yi Yi naturally didn't want to miss it. Therefore, she temporarily had no plans to return to the ancestral land, choosing instead to stay with Amber.

"Elder, rest assured!" Lu Ye nodded. To him, Yi Yi and Amber were family, and he certainly wouldn't let anything happen to them. Moreover, within Square Inch Mountain, nothing could possibly threaten them.

The Soul Race departed under Void Prime's leadership, with Lu Ye seeing them off.

A moment later, the Sun-shining cultivators from the Southern and Western regions of Square Inch Mountain also came to bid farewell.

They had come to support Lu Ye this time, leaving only one Sun-shining cultivator behind at each of their respective Square Inch Mountains, and many Moon-shining cultivators had also been dispatched. Now that the war was over, they naturally needed to rush back to prevent any issues for their two Square Inch Mountain factions during their journey.

They were all their own people, and their relationship was actually more intimate than with the Soul Race, so Lu Ye naturally didn't need to be too formal with them.

In front of the magic array, the Miniature Race Sun-shining cultivators gathered. Lu Ye spoke, "I had intended to bring this up in a couple of days, but since our senior brothers and sisters from the South and West are leaving now, it's a good time to discuss it first."

From the Southern region, Wu Ji, as the leader, heard this and looked at Lu Ye, asking, "What matter are you referring to, Junior Brother Lu?"

Lu Ye said, "Senior brothers and sisters, you should already know about the Myriad Manifestation Sea. Currently, our Three Realms Island controls it, and we've reached agreements with various star systems, so there generally shouldn't be any more problems. In the previous battle, three top-tier spirit islands fell into the hands of our Three Realms Island. Regarding Myriad Manifestation Island, I've entrusted it to a Sun-shining cultivator from the Myriad Manifestation Star System to manage, rebuilding the Myriad Manifestation Chamber of Commerce and sharing the profits. That leaves Zi Xuan Island and Winged Sky Island. Both of these are top-tier spirit islands. My suggestion is, would the Miniature Race like to claim one spot, or even both?"

All the Sun-shining cultivators raised their eyebrows upon hearing this.

Top-tier spirit islands! Every single one in the Myriad Manifestation Sea was a treasure land. Traditionally, only a select few of the most powerful factions could occupy them. Furthermore, they were like 'one radish, one pit,' meaning their number had not significantly changed since ancient times.

Even when the Myriad Manifestation Star System managed the Myriad Manifestation Sea, they only occupied Myriad Manifestation Island. If top-tier spirit islands weren't so valuable, Heavenly Flame Realm wouldn't have set their sights on Peerless Island back then, only to end up gaining little benefit and causing a great deal of trouble for themselves.

Now, with Three Realms Island as the dominant power, it had suddenly gained control of three islands, bringing the total to four including Three Realms Island itself!

How many top-tier spirit islands were there in the entire Myriad Manifestation Sea? To exclusively occupy four was truly extravagant.

The Miniature Race Sun-shining cultivators exchanged glances, all seeing the stirred interest in each other's eyes.

They were not unaware of the advantages of the Myriad Manifestation Sea. Previously, with the Miniature Race split into three factions, difficult to unite, and constantly wandering, they had no opportunity to get involved in the Myriad Manifestation Sea.

Things were different now. Lu Ye had retrieved the core of Square Inch Mountain; the Eastern region had already merged with the core, and the Southern region would join soon. Once the Western region merged, Square Inch Mountain would be complete.

They would finally no longer need to wander aimlessly.

With Three Realms Island controlling the Myriad Manifestation Sea and having surplus top-tier spirit islands on hand, it could be said that the Miniature Race was perfectly positioned to benefit.

Occupying a top-tier spirit island in the Myriad Manifestation Sea would be greatly beneficial for the development of the Miniature Race's Sun-shining cultivators. Their spirit talismans had always been in high demand, and simply doing this business would ensure the Miniature Race had no worries about resources in the future.

As Miniature Race Sun-shining cultivators, they naturally had to consider their race's future.

"This... is feasible, I have no objections," Wu Ji immediately nodded.

From the Western region, Zhang Kun also nodded and said, "I have no objections either. What about you, Brother Chen?" He looked at Chen Xuanhai.

Chen Xuanhai said, "That's good too. Our race can occupy a top-tier spirit island in the Myriad Manifestation Sea; then we'll have a foothold there. Zi Xuan has suffered such a huge loss this time; they certainly won't let it go. They might not dare to come to Jade Snail again, but it's possible they'll go to the Myriad Manifestation Sea to cause trouble. At that time, we can dispatch a Sun-shining cultivator to be stationed there, just in case."

Lu Ye blinked. The Square Inch Mountain cultivators were currently unaware of the Three Treasures Ruyi Coins. If they knew, they would certainly understand that compared to Jade Snail, the Myriad Manifestation Sea was the place Zi Xuan would be even more hesitant to approach; for Zi Xuan, that place was truly a dragon's pool and tiger's den.

"Then it's settled. We'll reserve either Zi Xuan or Winged Sky Island for you."

"Zi Xuan it is," Chen Xuanhai decided.

This time, most of the Zi Xuan Demon Venerables had died at the hands of the Miniature Race's Sun-shining cultivators. Since an enmity had already been established, there was no fear in occupying the original Zi Xuan Island.

Lu Ye, of course, had no objections.

A moment later, utilizing his authority as master of Square Inch Mountain, he activated the magic array and sent off the Miniature Race cultivators from the Southern and Western regions.

"The Southern region will merge soon," Wu Qimo suddenly said, "and then Square Inch Mountain's foundation will become much stronger. I truly look forward to it."

Lu Ye also felt some anticipation, because it wasn't just the Southern region coming; the Blood Absolute Realm was arriving with them!

This realm was essentially formed from one of the Blood Ancestor's arms. When it merged with the Blood Forging Realm, it was unknown what changes might occur.

"Junior Brother Lu," Chen Xuanhai said, "regarding those Zi Xuan Demon Venerables we encountered this time, the eight Lesser Demon Venerables are probably dead. But for those two Greater Demon Venerables, you should be careful in the future."

Lu Ye was startled. "Senior Brother, do you mean... they weren't their true forms this time?"

Chen Xuanhai shook his head. "It's uncertain. A Dharma Body is different from a regular clone, so even I find it difficult to discern if those were their true forms. Furthermore, even if Bi Chen and Mo Xuan came in their true forms, they certainly have Dharma Bodies still alive. They suffered significant losses in this battle, but Jade Snail's true strength has also been somewhat exposed."

Lu Ye smiled. "That's fine. If we can make Zi Xuan suffer a loss once, we can do it again. This battle has crippled them; they likely won't dare to return anytime soon."

"As long as you're aware," Chen Xuanhai nodded.