Chapter 2172: Banquet of Hong

Alliance Guard ranks have four levels: Iron, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Among human cultivators at the Intiation realm, Silver Guards might be numerous, but Gold Guards are definitely few.

So, the sudden appearance of a Gold Guard here was quite eye-catching.

Lu Ye was also seeing a Gold Guard for the first time. He carefully observed the man named Yan Hong, finding him to have a rough demeanor but exceptionally bright eyes. He immediately understood that Yan Hong must possess extraordinary qualities to be a Gold Guard.

"If there are no other Gold Guards, please follow my command," Yan Hong calmly scanned the crowd. He hadn't originally intended to take charge, but with the team now divided and arguing incessantly, it would be detrimental to their future. He reluctantly had to step forward.

Everyone present clasped their fists and responded, "We are willing to obey Brother Yan's command!"

Although there's no rule stating that Gold Guards can command other Alliance Guards, among cultivators, strength ultimately dictates respect. Since Yan Hong was a Gold Guard, he was the strongest here.

Yan Hong was pleased with everyone's reaction. He put away his waist token, pondered for a moment, and then spoke, "My intention is to charge forward and eliminate that enemy force. Rest assured, since their numbers are similar to ours, I am confident in defeating them."

A single sentence demonstrated his strong confidence in his own power.

"However..." He changed his tone. "With the Insect Race's stone worms everywhere, it's highly probable that our assembly has already been detected by the Broodmother. If that's the case, the enemy force ahead has probably already learned of our movements."

Hearing him say this, everyone's expressions became solemn. One of the people who had been arguing earlier asked, "Brother Yan, then why aren't they coming to intercept us?"

Yan Hong said coldly, "This is obviously a trap! If I'm not mistaken, they are waiting for us to take the bait. For years, you've fought against the Insect and Blood Races. What do you fear the most?"

Someone frowned and said, "The Blood Sea!"

In truth, a direct confrontation isn't particularly difficult; it merely comes down to who is stronger and whose methods are more ruthless. But the Blood Sea of the Blood Race is truly a headache. Once trapped within it, one's full strength is difficult to exert.

"Precisely, the Blood Sea!" Yan Hong nodded. "So, I estimate that there are Blood Race members hidden nearby, waiting for us to engage with that Insect force before they rush out to assist with the Blood Sea!"

In the crowd, Lu Ye listened quietly. He couldn't help but regard Yan Hong with higher esteem. Although this man appeared rough, his thoughts were extremely meticulous. Indeed, those who could become Gold Guards were truly capable.

"So, should we still charge forward?" Someone hesitated.

"Of course," Yan Hong replied. "The Garrison Order has been issued. We are quite far from Blueswater, and even if we rushed back without stopping, it would probably be too late. By then, the enemy would have blockaded Blueswater, and we wouldn't be able to get in at all. They would only need to divert a portion of their forces to intercept us, making us an isolated force, caught between a rock and a hard place. Therefore, we must not only eliminate this wave of enemies but also find a way to contact nearby tribesmen, gathering strength little by little. Only then will we have a chance to break through the enemy's blockade."

A seasoned and steady individual nodded, "Fellow Daoist Yan makes a valid point."

"Brother Yan, please give the order!"

After his explanation, everyone witnessed Yan Hong's meticulous thinking and were all greatly impressed.

"How many of you are Ninth-Stage cultivators?" Yan Hong looked at everyone and said, "Please step forward!"

From the crowd, several people stepped out, and Lu Ye also stepped forward.

Yan Hong beckoned, and several people gathered around him. As Yan Hong's divine sense surged, Lu Ye and the others nodded in understanding.

"The success and survival of our mission now rest with you!" Yan Hong clasped his hands, and Lu Ye and the others returned the gesture.

A moment later, everyone marched rapidly, showing no intention of concealment. Dozens of cultivators at the Intiation realm, led by Yan Hong, charged aggressively towards the Insect force ahead.

The number of Insect Race members was indeed similar to their own. If they had been suddenly attacked, they would certainly have panicked. But in reality, when the Insect Race detected enemies behind them, they calmly dispersed their formation.

This situation made it even clearer to everyone that Yan Hong's earlier judgment was correct; this group of Insects was indeed a trap, luring them in.

The Insect Race had long known about their group's presence through the Broodmother's special abilities.

Yan Hong led the charge, wielding a long spear. He boldly charged into the enemy ranks, slaying an Insect Race member with a single thrust. Seeing his prowess, the morale of those who followed him instantly soared!

Gold Guards certainly possess Dao Artifacts, and that long spear was Yan Hong's. Although its power amplification was unknown, it was undoubtedly formidable.

The great battle commenced. Hundreds of figures intertwined, and residual energy swept everywhere.

Just as both sides were locked in fierce combat, not far away, a sneaky figure suddenly darted out, rushing directly towards the battlefield.

By its appearance, it was clearly a Blood Race member.

The situation was exactly as Yan Hong had predicted: there were indeed hidden Blood Race members nearby, waiting for the battle to begin before unleashing the Blood Sea.

However, as this Blood Race member charged out, another figure darted from nearby, directly intercepting the Blood Race member. It was none other than one of the Ninth-Stage cultivators from earlier.

The two figures clashed on the side. For a moment, they were evenly matched, indicating that the Blood Race member also possessed Ninth-Stage power.

A second Blood Race member charged out from another direction, followed by a third...

However, like their comrade, these two Blood Race members were intercepted the moment they appeared, completely unable to support the struggling Insect Race members.

Lu Ye concealed his figure, reined in his aura, and hid in the shadows. After observing for a few moments, he then darted towards the main battle.

No Blood Race members appeared on his side, so there was naturally no need for him to intercept them. Given the current situation, all the Blood Race members lying in ambush should have revealed themselves, so he no longer needed to hide; he could simply join Yan Hong and the others in killing the enemy.

This was also Yan Hong's previous instruction. At the moment, only Yan Hong, a Ninth-Stage cultivator, was holding the fort in the battle. While he was incredibly brave and unmatched with his Dao Artifact, others weren't as formidable as him. If Lu Ye and the others provided support sooner, their side could incur fewer casualties.

Just as Lu Ye arrived at the edge of the battlefield, he suddenly heard Yan Hong roar, "Everyone be careful, there's another Blood Race member hidden!"

The hidden location was not far away; it was right within this group of Insect Race members. Even Yan Hong hadn't anticipated this. By the time he discovered the Blood Race member's trace, it was already too late to give a warning.

As his words fell, a flash of blood-red light suddenly bloomed somewhere. Immediately after, the Blood Sea unfurled, sweeping in all directions. The hundreds of figures locked in fierce combat were directly enveloped by the Blood Sea and vanished from sight.

"Break the Blood Sea!" Yan Hong's furious roar echoed once more.

The Blood Sea was not invincible; it was, after all, a blood art with its limits of endurance. As long as the cultivators within the Blood Sea created enough commotion and impact, they could break through it.

This was also the only method the Human Battle Alliance and the Giant Race used to counter the Blood Sea.

Trapped within the Blood Sea, it was impossible to distinguish enemies for a moment. But at this moment, all cultivators exerted their full strength, unleashing their attacks into the Blood Sea.

The seemingly impenetrable Blood Sea suddenly shattered!

Yan Hong's eyebrows raised. He had never imagined it would be so easy this time. By his estimation, with the strength of their group, it would take at least three breaths, and three breaths would have been enough for the Insect Race, guided by the Blood Race member, to inflict significant casualties on their side. Without time to think further, he raised his hand and thrust his spear, impaling an enemy attempting to ambush him.

From another direction, Lu Ye casually discarded the dead Blood Race member. Under the incredulous gaze of a nearby Insect Race member, he punched, creating a hole in its chest.

This Insect Race member died without understanding how this human had so easily located the Blood Race member and even killed that Blood Race member in an instant. This caused their ambush plan to fail just as it began.

Without the Blood Sea, the remaining Insect Race members, though fighting like cornered beasts, continued to suffer constant casualties.

Primarily, Yan Hong was too ferocious. Where his spear passed, no Insect Race member could withstand him. Even Lu Ye, who was also continuously slaying enemies, had his prowess overshadowed by Yan Hong's sheer bravery.

Lu Ye took a moment from his fighting to observe. He vaguely estimated that Yan Hong's strength was likely similar to the Blood Claw Blood Race member he had killed earlier, both around the fourteenth or fifteenth stage.

Such strength, when placed among a group of ordinary cultivators at the Intiation realm, was indeed like a tiger entering a flock of sheep.

An incense stick's time later, the battle subsided. Dozens of Insect Race members, used as bait, along with those few Blood Race members, were all cleanly slain.

Their side, however, had only lost five people, and the injured were not many.

Such battle losses were truly astonishing, and the group of cultivators grew even more impressed with Yan Hong.

After cleaning the battlefield and collecting Dao Bones, Yan Hong took only ten percent, letting everyone else share the rest.

"Follow me, we shouldn't linger here!" With Yan Hong's command, he led everyone in one direction.

As he had said before, they did not return directly to Blueswater Battle Star but instead moved stealthily from the side, continuously gathering nearby human cultivators along the way.

During this time, they encountered several battles. They suffered some losses but gained more in return.

The group gradually grew, from dozens to over a hundred. Until three days later, the group had swelled to over four hundred people.

A group of four hundred was already quite substantial. At this point, they were less than half a day's journey from Blueswater Battle Star.

"What's your name?"

While moving forward, Yan Hong suddenly looked at Lu Ye.

After several days of cooperation, no matter how much Lu Ye tried to conceal his abilities, Yan Hong eventually noticed some clues. Lu Ye, as a Ninth-Stage cultivator, was clearly different from ordinary Ninth-Stage cultivators; he was more composed in combat and killed more enemies.

Lu Ye thought for a moment and then gave his real name.

He hadn't told the truth to the Giant Race member earlier primarily because they weren't of the same race. Yan Hong, however, was quite capable and had good character.

Lu Ye also had a faint feeling that Yan Hong seemed to be from an important background, making it difficult to conceal his identity.

"Brother Lu, after several days of fighting, morale is high, but this final half-day journey won't be easy," Yan Hong said slowly.

Lu Ye naturally understood this. The Insect and Blood Races had suddenly mobilized their entire armies to attack the star, so Blueswater Battle Star must now be surrounded by enemies.

Getting back would not be easy.

"Brother Yan, what are your thoughts?" Lu Ye asked.

Yan Hong slowly shook his head. "We'll take it one step at a time. Perhaps when the time comes, we'll have to find a weak point and break through." He patted Lu Ye's shoulder, "Brother Lu, the lives of these four hundred-plus people are in our hands. I'll need your considerable assistance then."

Lu Ye nodded, "Rest assured, Brother Yan."