Chapter 2173: Charge

It was no easy task to find a weak point in the enemy's heavy encirclement. If they stayed too far, they couldn't see clearly; if they got too close, they risked exposure and even death.

Yan Hong consulted Lu Ye, and just as he was about to dispatch a few ghost cultivators to investigate, someone rushed over.

"Brother Yan, there's still a remnant force from our War Alliance nearby!"

"How do you know?" Yan Hong quickly asked.

The person replied, "A friend of mine is with them; they just contacted me."

Yan Hong immediately understood. "Have them come and join us," he said. In such a situation, more people naturally meant a greater chance of breaking through.

The person, having received the order, quickly relayed the message.

In less than an hour, a remnant force indeed arrived. This group consisted of fewer than two hundred individuals, many of whom were wounded, and their morale was low.

It was clear they had recently endured a major battle and likely suffered significant casualties.

When they met, the leading cultivator clearly recognized Yan Hong. After his account, everyone learned of their previous ordeal.

This person's original plan was the same as Yan Hong's: gather scattered cultivators along the way and look for a weakly defended spot to fight their way back to Bluewater Warstar. However, they failed, because what they perceived as a weakly defended area was, in fact, an intentional trap set by the enemy. They were merely waiting for them to walk into the snare, allowing them to be encircled from all sides. After the battle, they suffered considerable casualties and were forced to retreat in disarray.

Hearing this, Yan Hong frowned deeply. "With the Motherworm directing the army, it's truly hard to find a weakness. It seems I underestimated the situation."

"Brother Yan, what should we do now?"

In the current situation, a forced breakthrough was unsafe; they might easily fall into another trap. However, remaining outside Bluewater Warstar was also not an option. The enemy merely needed to dispatch enough forces to encircle them, and their side would surely be unable to resist. Unless they moved far away from Bluewater Warstar and left the combat zone entirely. But doing so would be seen as cowardice and a defiance of the Garrison Order. Even if they survived this war, they would face severe consequences later. Being isolated outside, they were truly caught in a dilemma.

"Let me think," Yan Hong said, gazing in the direction of Bluewater Warstar, a pensive expression on his face.

At this moment, Lu Ye had approached three figures. Under their bewildered gazes, he said, "When the fighting starts later, remember to stick with me."

The man leading the group paused, then reacted. "Brother Lu?"

These three were none other than Kang Xing, Jiang Yu-ning, and Zhao Tuo.

Lu Ye hadn't expected them to come to this war zone like himself, nor had he anticipated such an unexpected reunion here. It truly was fate.

However, the three of them were not in good condition at the moment. While there were no obvious external injuries, they were clearly exhausted, and their faces were somewhat pale.

If he hadn't encountered them, it would have been one thing. But since he had, he naturally had to help within his means. These three were arguably the only people he had befriended in the Splendid Realm.

"It's me," Lu Ye nodded.

Kang Xing hadn't recognized Lu Ye immediately because Lu Ye had changed his appearance.

"It really is Brother Lu!" Kang Xing exclaimed with delight. Beside him, Jiang Yu-ning and Zhao Tuo exchanged glances, both seeing the joy in each other's eyes.

The reason the three of them came to this war zone was the same as Lu Ye's: this was neither the most intense combat zone nor a relatively safe rear area. Such a zone was undoubtedly best suited for their training and growth.

Unfortunately, shortly after their arrival, they encountered a large-scale enemy attack on the star.

None of the three were particularly strong, and if not for sheer luck in the previous battle, they truly would have died.

Encountering Lu Ye here was truly a pleasant surprise. After all, a Ninth-Path cultivator like Lu Ye was far stronger than them, and following him offered a greater sense of security.

Outside Bluewater Warstar, battlefields were everywhere. The War Alliance and the enemy forces were engaged in fierce and intense combat.

In an interim palace, Zi Ying stood before the hall, gazing into the depths. From that direction, a sharp gaze met hers—it was Fei Lian.

This was not the first time the two Integration Realm garrisons had clashed in this war zone; they knew each other's strength and character very well.

What Zi Ying couldn't understand was why Fei Lian was attacking the star this time. From the enemy's perspective, this was a move with little certainty of success; failure to capture the star would inevitably lead to heavy casualties.

Zi Ying's first suspicion was that another Integration Realm cultivator had infiltrated the war zone, waiting to launch a sudden sneak attack when Fei Lian engaged her.

She had no problem dealing with Fei Lian, but if another Integration Realm cultivator of similar strength joined, she would certainly be outmatched. If she were routed or slain, this war zone would be completely lost.

However, according to the intelligence she had gathered from various sources, there was no sign of the enemy deploying a second Integration Realm cultivator, which meant her initial assumption was incorrect.

So what was Fei Lian's true motive for this action?

She couldn't figure it out immediately, but Zi Ying was certain that Fei Lian had a deeper agenda.

"My Lady!" A scout hurried in, bowing with clasped fists.

"Speak!"

"Yan Hong has sent word. He has gathered six hundred alliance guards around him, but they are blocked by enemy forces and cannot return."

"Yan Hong?" Zi Ying frowned. "The young man from the Yan family? When did he arrive in this war zone? Why wasn't I informed?"

The scout shook his head. "This subordinate does not know either."

Zi Ying's frown deepened.

The major top human noble families of the War Alliance were the oldest and strongest forces within the Splendid Realm, serving as key pillars of the Alliance.

However, noble families shared a common flaw: there were always some arrogant young masters who, relying on their family background, acted recklessly and drew resentment.

Zi Ying herself had been humiliated and troubled by a young noble scion during her upbringing, so she had always held a poor impression of those from prominent families.

If it were any other junior from a noble family in this situation, Zi Ying would certainly have ignored it. She had issued the Garrison Order, meaning all cultivators in the war zone were required to return as best they could; how they did so was their own responsibility.

But as for Yan Hong...

Zi Ying couldn't afford to ignore him. While it was true that many noble families had their share of unruly members, they also produced many individuals of great potential, and Yan Hong was one of them—a truly exceptional talent.

Not to mention, Yan Hong also had six hundred alliance guards gathered with him.

After a brief deliberation, Zi Ying said, "Tell Yan Hong that I will create an opportunity for him here. He must seize the moment; there will only be one chance, and he mustn't miss it!"

"Yes, My Lady!" the scout affirmed.

Half a day's journey from Bluewater Warstar, the six hundred alliance guards gathered around Yan Hong to rest.

Suddenly, they heard Yan Hong raise his arm and shout, "Follow me, everyone!"

Everyone quickly rose. Someone asked, "Brother Yan, do you have a good plan now?"

Yan Hong replied, "Do not ask. I will surely lead you back to Bluewater!"

The questioner's expression became firm; with Yan Hong's assurance, they felt much more at ease.

The six hundred alliance guards advanced rapidly. Two hours later, Bluewater Warstar was visible in the distance.

This was Lu Ye's first time seeing Bluewater Warstar. Looking up, he saw the entire planet was a vibrant blue. Outside the star, countless lights flickered and burst, clearly indicating intense combat between allied and enemy cultivators.

Six hundred alliance guards was a considerable number; approaching directly like this was unrealistic. Even with secret techniques to conceal themselves, there was still a high chance of being discovered.

Fortunately, there was a massive floating landmass nearby.

Yan Hong gave the order, and everyone worked to break the floating landmass into smaller meteorites. The six hundred individuals then hid on these meteorites, feigning a meteor shower drifting towards Bluewater.

However, this disguise was not entirely perfect and would likely be detected by the enemy soon.

Amidst the anxious and nervous atmosphere of the cultivators, the meteor shower continued to approach Bluewater.

Simultaneously, at a nearby location in this direction, a large number of War Alliance cultivators suddenly shifted from defense to offense. Moreover, even more cultivators, obeying orders, rushed to this area.

In an instant, the Blood and Insect tribes' deployment in this direction became precarious.

The Motherworm was forced to reassign forces from nearby to assist.

This wasn't all; a similar situation arose in another direction, prompting the Motherworm to reassign forces a second time.

Within a short period, the number of enemy forces in the path of the six hundred alliance guards significantly decreased.

By this point, everyone was very close to Bluewater, even closer to the defense line of the Blood and Insect tribes' army!

Such a meteor shower eventually attracted the attention of some enemies, and a team of more than ten was immediately dispatched to investigate.

From the foremost meteorite, Yan Hong suddenly charged out, raising his spear and roaring, "Follow me and break through! Do not hesitate!"

"Break through!"

Shouts rang out as the meteorites shattered, and the six hundred alliance guards revealed themselves, charging forward under Yan Hong's leadership.

The Motherworm instantly perceived the situation here and understood the anomalies from Bluewater Warstar's two directions. It was clear that these were diversions meant to split its forces, allowing this isolated group to fight its way back to Bluewater.

It immediately realized there must be a significant figure within this isolated force; otherwise, Bluewater wouldn't have gone to such lengths.

It was about to mobilize its remaining forces to counter-encircle them.

While the defense line here had indeed become weaker, it was not entirely vacant. For a mere six hundred alliance guards to force their way through like this was still very difficult.

However, before the Motherworm could react, a pre-arranged thousand-person squad soared from Bluewater Warstar, heading directly towards Yan Hong and his group.

This was clearly the reinforcements Zi Ying had arranged here. She knew that even if the defense line was weakened, there was little hope for six hundred people to fight their way back without support.

In an instant, the Blood and Insect tribes at this weakened point were caught in a pincer attack. Even though the Motherworm quickly tried to rectify the situation, it seemed to be too late.

Behind Yan Hong, the many cultivators clearly saw the reinforcements emerging from Bluewater, and they were all overjoyed, unleashing their Dao power with even greater fervor.

Yan Hong charged at the forefront, exuding an unstoppable aura. He single-handedly carved a hole in the enemy formation; wherever his long spear swept, blood rained down.

Lu Ye and a few other Ninth-Path cultivators acted as flankers beside Yan Hong, likewise slaying countless enemies.