Chapter 2169: You Have No Right to Be So Arrogant

Lu Ye was hidden inside a desolate, dark red star, which appeared like that from a distance.

Just less than a few hundred miles from his hiding place, three figures lay dormant: one Insectoid and two Blood Race members.

The three figures remained motionless and completely devoid of aura, clearly employing highly advanced stealth techniques.

Just then, an unusual sound suddenly came from nearby. All three were startled. When they turned their heads, their expressions changed drastically because their surveillance target, who should have been hundreds of miles away, had somehow appeared close by.

“Run!” the Insectoid exclaimed, immediately fleeing forward. Having received orders from the Insect Queen, he knew the human’s strength was far beyond his ability to contend with.

The other two Blood Race members also used their blood escape techniques, fleeing to the left and right, respectively.

However, as the blade flashed, the two Blood Race members instantly collapsed to the ground, bleeding. The Insectoid who had fled first also froze.

A long blade was suddenly placed against his neck, sending a chill through him.

“Are you watching me?” Lu Ye asked with a frown.

For the past few days, he had a strange feeling that no matter where he went, members of both the Insectoid and Blood Races seemed to be secretly spying on him.

That's why he specifically came here, leaving a Blood Avatar as bait at his hiding spot while his true self secretly searched the surroundings.

His search indeed yielded a discovery.

But he couldn't quite understand why he was being monitored.

He had only been on the battlefield for just over a month and had been very careful not to expose too much of his strength when fighting the Insectoids. He shouldn't have attracted the Insect Queen's attention.

His only burst of power was a few days ago when he killed a Blood Race member who possessed a Dao artifact, but there were no Insectoids nearby during that incident.

Hearing his question, the Insectoid closed its eyes and remained silent.

Lu Ye sighed. He knew he couldn't get any useful information from the Insectoid. If possible, he would have preferred to spare one of the Blood Race members, but the Blood Race excelled at blood escape techniques, making them difficult to pursue once they fully utilized their abilities.

As he considered trying one more time, the Insectoid suddenly let out a low growl and turned to attack.

Left with no choice, Lu Ye had to strike fatally, slaying the Insectoid.

After collecting the Dao bone, Lu Ye swiftly left the desolate star, heading off into the distance.

On Bluewater Battle Star, within the Garrison Manor, a tall and imposing figure stood, listening to the report from a subordinate cultivator, his brows deeply furrowed: “Are you saying that the Insectoid and Blood Races have been extensively mobilizing their forces recently?”

A cultivator below, bowing with clasped hands, replied, “Yes, according to intelligence gathered from various sources, many cultivators from both the Insectoid and Blood Races are converging on a single location.”

In the vast, colorful starry sky, communication was quite convenient, and both sides, friend and foe, highly valued intelligence gathering. Any unusual movements were quickly detected by their respective parties.

Due to the unique nature of the Insect Queen among the Insectoids, intelligence transmission and reconnaissance had always been more convenient for the Insectoid and Blood Races.

“Which location? Show me,” Zi Ying said. As the Garrison Commander of Bluewater Battle Star, Zi Ying had always been dedicated to her duty and naturally wouldn't overlook this piece of intelligence. She had a vague feeling that such enemy troop movements boded ill.

The cultivator, who belonged to the Reconnaissance Battalion and specialized in gathering intelligence to report to Zi Ying, retrieved his star map upon hearing her request. As he infused it with spiritual power, an ethereal projection, a starry map, instantly appeared before them.

He made a slight adjustment, displaying the combat zone near Bluewater Battle Star, then pointed to a specific location: “It’s right here!”

Zi Ying’s keen gaze followed. Once she saw it clearly, the corresponding location in the starry sky immediately appeared in her mind: “This is a desolate star!”

As the Garrison Commander of this battle zone for several centuries, Zi Ying knew the terrain distribution of the entire area like the back of her hand.

“Yes!”

Zi Ying frowned. “A desolate star with no value. Why are those two races putting so much effort into surrounding it?” After a moment’s thought, she asked, “Has there been anything unusual about this desolate star in recent years?”

The scout replied, “No, nothing unusual.”

Zi Ying mused, “The desolate star itself has no value, so there must be a reason for their actions. Do we still have anyone near that desolate star?”

“We did, but with the Insectoid and Blood Races surrounding it like that, no one dared to linger. Everyone has withdrawn.”

Zi Ying pondered in silence. Without their own personnel remaining there, intelligence gathering would be impossible.

If possible, she would naturally want to go herself, but as the Garrison Commander of Bluewater Battle Star, she couldn’t leave her post.

Insectoid scouts were omnipresent. If news of her departure leaked, the opposing Dao Fusion cultivators wouldn’t miss the opportunity. If Bluewater Battle Star fell, the entire battle zone would fall into enemy hands.

“Find a way to gather intelligence on that area. Report any findings immediately.”

“Yes, sir!” The scout acknowledged and withdrew.

“A desolate star has no value... Is it because of someone?” Zi Ying murmured, gazing into the depths of the void. But who could possibly warrant such a massive mobilization from both the Insectoid and Blood Races?

Even though she had dealt with these two races for many years, she couldn’t understand it at the moment.

Outside that desolate star, not long after Lu Ye rushed out, he saw a vast, surging sea of blood. Within the blood sea, a mix of fluctuating auras indicated that many cultivators were hidden there.

Previously, upon encountering such a “good thing,” Lu Ye would have gladly rushed forward, knowing these were all spoils of war that could be refined into significant Dao power.

But at this moment, he inexplicably felt a sense of danger. He was being monitored for no apparent reason, and now a sea of blood lay across his path, clearly forming a blockade.

He immediately suspected that his earlier burst of power, when he killed that Blood Race member, must have been exposed! Otherwise, how could he, a mere Origin Dao cultivator, attract so many enemies?

What a mess...

But recalling that confrontation, there had been no one else nearby. Why had he been exposed?

Instead of proceeding forward, Lu Ye immediately changed direction, darting to the side.

However, he soon discovered that this direction was also blocked by a sprawling sea of blood.

Looking in other directions, he indeed saw faint traces of numerous figures lurking about.

He was surrounded...

In that case, he would just have to fight his way out. He didn't fear ordinary Origin Dao cultivators; as long as he wasn't simultaneously attacked by too many of them, he wouldn't be in great danger.

What he worried about was whether the Insectoid and Blood Races would deploy Dao Fusion cultivators.

Reasonably speaking, if the Insectoid and Blood Races were making such a huge fuss, they surely wouldn't hesitate to send a Dao Fusion cultivator to deal with him.

It seemed his display of power had indeed drawn significant attention.

Just as he prepared to attack, he suddenly felt a divine sense strike from afar, locking onto him.

Lu Ye immediately turned his head and saw a burly figure rapidly charging towards him from that direction.

It was an Insectoid, whose sinister eyes coldly stared at him with a scornful, superior expression.

Lu Ye’s heart skipped a beat. Was a true Dao Fusion cultivator coming for him?

But if the enemy really deployed a Dao Fusion cultivator, his side shouldn't be without a countermeasure.

Was this guy really a Dao Fusion cultivator?

Without an actual fight, Lu Ye couldn’t tell. He decided to be cautious, immediately fleeing downwards and landing on the desolate star.

Clashes in space drew too much attention and were inconvenient.

Furthermore, if he wanted to test the opponent, his true self definitely couldn’t engage. He would have to use his Talent Tree clone, which was only possible by descending into the desolate star and utilizing its cover.

“Trying to run?” the Insectoid sneered. As the top Origin Dao cultivator on the Insectoid side, he usually wouldn’t act lightly, preferring to cultivate in seclusion within the insect nest. As for the Dao bones needed for cultivation, he naturally didn’t have to hunt for them himself; the Insect Queen would assign them.

He had come specifically for Lu Ye because the Insect Queen had ordered that this human be killed at all costs. The opponent seemed to possess an extraordinary Dao artifact, and such a person could not be allowed to remain active on the battlefield.

He wasn't concerned by the Dao artifact's power alone, as his own Dao artifact was among the finest in the entire Splendor Starfield.

Chasing Lu Ye, the Insectoid charged into the desolate star like thunder, crashing down with a tremendous roar that created a massive crater in the ground. The residual shockwaves swept outwards, catching the fleeing Lu Ye off guard. He was instantly sent tumbling several times, landing covered in dust and dirt.

Just as he regained his footing, the Insectoid was already upon him, unleashing a powerful punch.

Seeing this, Lu Ye’s expression changed, and he could only hastily raise his forearms to block.

Under the force of the punch, Lu Ye uncontrollably slid backward, his feet leaving deep gouges in the ground. The Insectoid, however, wore a look of astonishment. With that last attack, he had unexpectedly failed to significantly harm the human...

His eyes were wide with disbelief because in the few times he had exerted his full strength in recent years, no enemy had ever been able to withstand a single blow.

Yet, this human had blocked it!

“Not a Dao Fusion cultivator after all...” Lu Ye stopped, curiously scrutinizing the Insectoid nearby. With a push of his feet, the ground cracked, and he lunged forward, appearing before the Insectoid. He threw a punch of his own, roaring, “Then what makes you so arrogant?”

The Insectoid had charged in so aggressively that Lu Ye thought a Dao Fusion cultivator had come to kill him, scaring him into quickly conjuring his Talent Tree clone amidst the chaos to test the opponent.

However, after their brief exchange, Lu Ye realized he had been mistaken.

But it had to be said, this Insectoid's strength was unusually formidable. From that brief contact, it seemed the Dao power he could wield was close to twenty, if not twenty itself.

He possessed a Dao artifact! And one of very high quality!

This thought flashed through Lu Ye’s mind as his gaze swept over the Insectoid, yet he found no trace of a Dao artifact.

Ever since he entered this Splendor Starfield, peculiar things seemed to be happening more and more often.

As Lu Ye’s punch landed, the Insectoid was sent flying backward, his face filled with shock. He had never imagined that he would one day be sent flying by an Origin Dao cultivator.

Lu Ye could perceive his cultivation level, so how could he not perceive Lu Ye’s?

This was precisely why he found it hard to comprehend. The Dao artifact he possessed was already the best, enhancing his power by a full ten Dao. In other words, with his Dao artifact, he could unleash nineteen Dao of power.

Yet, the power this human had just displayed absolutely exceeded twenty Dao!