Chapter 2166: Blue Water War Star

After leaving the War Merit Hall, Kang Xing hosted Lu Ye, taking him to a restaurant and ordering a table of food.

Cultivators at the Dao Enlightenment level no longer needed sustenance, but Lu Ye couldn't refuse Kang Xing's kind invitation.

At the table, the three frequently raised their cups, thanking Lu Ye for saving their lives earlier. Lu Ye accepted every toast, and the atmosphere was harmonious as cups clinked back and forth.

Although Kang Xing and his two companions weren't particularly strong, their character was excellent, as shown by their risky rescue of the Talent Tree clone.

Lu Ye had saved their lives, and in a way, they had also saved the clone's life. At that time, before his main body arrived, the clone was in a state akin to a living dead, and any Blood Tribe member could have easily destroyed it.

The banquet ended, and the four parted ways, agreeing to meet again someday.

Kang Xing and his companions planned to stay for a few more days to recuperate before entering the battlefield, but Lu Ye was eager to go.

His main goal in entering the Star Abyss was to rapidly grow stronger. He had been searching for enemies to kill, but the efficiency had been low. His accidental arrival in Splendor, however, presented a perfect opportunity.

Aside from being temporarily trapped and unable to leave, this place was exactly what he had dreamed of. Three factions were vying for power, the battlefield was chaotic, and he was fighting only the Insect and Blood Tribes.

Additionally, Lu Ye was very interested in the Dao Artifacts. While his current strength of twenty-one Dao lines, even with a Dao Artifact, might not see a huge improvement, these items were invaluable treasures for other Dao Enlightenment cultivators. If he could acquire one, study it thoroughly, and then have it refined back in the Starry Sky, it could significantly boost the overall strength of Starry Sky cultivators.

But to exchange for a Dao Artifact, one needed to be at least a Silver Guard. His immediate priority was to accumulate war merits.

Stepping out of the restaurant, Lu Ye activated his spiritual power to dispel the alcohol, then raised his hand and took out a crystal ball-like object.

This was a map of the Splendor Starry Sky, which he had exchanged for with his limited war merits, guided by Kang Xing earlier. Such a star map was essential for every cultivator entering the battlefield, as it allowed them to know where to go.

Immersing his divine sense into it, he immediately saw a greatly miniaturized starry sky. Every star, every insect path, and even major and minor starry sky wonders were reflected in this map. Overall, the star map displayed three colors: red, yellow, and blue. The red area represented the territory occupied by the Human Battle Alliance, yellow by the Giant Race, and blue by the Insect and Blood Tribes.

The bases of the three forces each occupied a corner of the starry sky, while the vast central area was the battlefield. In this enormous battlefield, covering almost half the starry sky, various colored light spots were scattered, representing the areas occupied by the three forces, which could also be called 'battle stars.' Each of these battle stars had a Dao Fusion cultivator stationed there, like nails driven into the battlefield.

Cultivators from the three forces operated radiating out from these battle stars. Allied cultivators in danger could retreat to a battle star for refuge or call for assistance. Therefore, these battle stars held significant strategic value for any force. The fall of a battle star meant the loss of that entire region.

With just a glance, Lu Ye sensed the strength of the Insect and Blood Tribes. No wonder the Human Battle Alliance had to ally with the Giant Race, because the three-color distribution on the star map clearly showed that the blue areas were the most numerous, followed by red, and then yellow, which was the smallest. Yet, even red and yellow combined could barely contend with blue.

Lu Ye consulted the star map and quickly decided on a location: Blue Water Battle Star!

He needed a place where he could kill enemies, which meant there had to be enemies to kill. Many battle stars were positioned far back, meaning fewer opportunities for conflict. But he couldn't choose one too far forward either, as those were the most intense combat zones, usually guarded by extremely powerful cultivators, and an accidental encounter could be fatal. He needed a place that ensured a certain intensity of conflict without being too dangerous.

Blue Water Battle Star perfectly met his requirements. Its position was neither too far forward nor too far back. There was an Insect and Blood Tribe battle star nearby, ensuring there would be enemies to kill. Furthermore, according to the map, there was a Giant Tribe battle star on its flank, offering support. This way, if a major battle erupted, the two battle stars could provide mutual assistance.

After carefully observing for a moment to determine his route to Blue Water Battle Star, Lu Ye put away the star map and soared into the sky.

Half a day later, he arrived at an insect path. There were cultivators guarding it. Lu Ye presented his waist token, and after a check, he was allowed to pass. After a transfer through another insect path, he continued for several more days before finally reaching his destination.

He didn't need to enter Blue Water Battle Star itself; it was a stronghold for the Human Battle Alliance in this battlefield, with a Dao Fusion cultivator stationed there. There wouldn't be any fighting inside; to kill enemies, he had to be outside.

Along the way, he encountered several groups of cultivators rushing somewhere, but as long as they weren't Insect or Blood Tribe members, they generally coexisted peacefully. There were almost no solitary cultivators like Lu Ye.

Even Dao Enlightenment cultivators typically needed to travel in groups in this chaotic battlefield. One team did try to invite him to join, but Lu Ye declined. If he were a typical Ninth-level Dao Enlightenment cultivator, he would certainly act with others, but he was not.

Lu Ye had thought there would be constant fighting everywhere, but upon arrival, he found the situation different from what he imagined. Perhaps due to years of conflict, both sides here were very cautious, rarely revealing their whereabouts.

It wasn't until half a day later that Lu Ye finally felt the aftershocks of a conflict. Without hesitation, he immediately sped towards the location.

He quickly arrived. Looking up, he saw a sea of blood stretching across the area, from which intense sounds of conflict emanated. Such a display of a blood sea definitely indicated a Blood Tribe member, and such a huge commotion would surely attract nearby cultivators.

If allies came, it would be fine, but if enemies arrived, the situation would be bad. Lu Ye was about to charge in. Regardless, he would first help his allies kill the enemy, even if he didn't know the cultivators trapped in the sea of blood, or whether they were strong or weak.

Just as he was about to act, another group of cultivators appeared nearby. Lu Ye sized them up and nodded slightly, as the several individuals in that group were all human. "Fellow Daoist," the leader of that human group called out, "don't be in a hurry. Join us, and we'll surely achieve success in one fell swoop!" Saying this, he led several people towards Lu Ye.

Lu Ye paused, blinking, and said, "Alright." The leader approached with a beaming smile, while his companions suddenly fanned out behind him, forming an encirclement.

"You all..." Lu Ye feigned a startled expression. "Attack!" the leader roared. At the same time, a flash of blood light passed, and his speed sharply increased. Meanwhile, his companions also moved to Lu Ye's side, attacking from all four directions. As an invisible ripple swept over, every single one of the attackers froze. It was as if they had been struck by a massive hammer, their strength dissipating completely.

A blade glinted like a crescent moon, and several heads flew off. Lu Ye's panicked expression had long vanished, replaced by a cold indifference. He then finished his incomplete sentence: "...are truly inviting death!"

When he was drinking and chatting with Kang Xing and the others, those three had taught Lu Ye a lot about surviving on the battlefield. One piece of advice was that the Blood Tribe was extremely skilled at disguises, so even if you encountered humans on the battlefield, don't easily trust them unless you knew them well, because they might be Blood Tribe members in disguise. Countless human cultivators had suffered greatly because of this; it was an experience bought with countless lives and blood. When Lu Ye first saw this group, he didn't think much of it, but their actions were too peculiar. So, he just slightly activated his Saintly nature, and immediately discerned the true forms of these Blood Tribe members. For other human cultivators, distinguishing Blood Tribe disguises was not easy, but for Lu Ye, it was very simple. Anyone suppressed by his Saintly nature was definitely a Blood Tribe member!

These Blood Tribe members were already weaker than him, and suppressed by his Saintly nature, they were instantly as good as slaughtered pigs and dogs.

"No wonder!" Lu Ye turned his head to look at the blood sea, a look of understanding on his face, and flashed towards it. He had thought the commotion here was a bit too loud. It turned out the Blood Tribe was luring nearby human cultivators. The group he just killed was definitely in league with the Blood Tribe members in the blood sea. They were ambushing here to surprise enemies who came to investigate or rescue.

It had to be said, this strategy was simple yet effective. It was just a pity that he was the one who encountered it...

Charging into the sea of blood, Lu Ye also spread his own blood sea. The Blood Tribe members inside immediately sensed it and called out, "Which kin has come to assist?" Lu Ye followed the voice and moved closer, replying, "It's me!"

The Blood Tribe member was still somewhat confused: "Who are you?" The voice sounded unfamiliar, and he couldn't recall. But there was no need to think anymore. When Lu Ye got close, he realized this was a human. The next moment, this Blood Tribe member was cut in half at the waist. As the blood sea collapsed, the figures hidden within were revealed.

Lu Ye looked closely and immediately burst into exasperated laughter. These were actually Insect Tribe members!

There were no cultivators of other races in the blood sea at all. In other words, he had thought it was the Human Battle Alliance or the Giant Race fighting against the Blood Tribe, but it was actually a joint act by the Insect and Blood Tribes. The intense commotion earlier was created by these Insect Tribe members.

When the blood sea dispersed, they were still pretending to fight fiercely. When they suddenly saw Lu Ye staring at them, they were all stunned.