Chapter 218: Flying Means Being Willful

If the bug corpses aren't collected, the bug nest can continuously devour the life force and energy of dead bugs, then hatch even more. This information came from Li Baxian. Before the battle, Lu Ye had specifically warned everyone to meticulously collect the bug corpses. To that end, every cultivator rearranged their storage bags, ensuring each team had several empty ones available.

The bugs within the nest were generally strong; Levels Three and Four were ubiquitous, Levels Five and Six were common, and while Level Seven bugs weren't abundant, they were present. For the time being, the Crimson Blood Sect could barely manage the situation. Lu Ye continuously unleashed Fire Dragon Arts, activating this spell with almost no regard for the spiritual energy cost. Only by doing so could he quickly slay the bugs, and the faster the enemies fell, the better the overall situation would become.

With him holding the front line, the situation here quickly stabilized. However, no one pushed forward rashly, as they didn't know how many dangers lurked in the darkness ahead. However, a Level Seven cultivator vigorously expending spiritual energy, combined with the powerful bursts of light from the Fire Dragon Arts, presented another problem.

Less than thirty breaths after the battle began, Lu Ye sensed powerful presences rapidly approaching from the darkness ahead: Level Eight bugs. More than one was coming; based on the commotion, the initial estimate was at least three. The number wasn't large. With Lu Ye's current cultivation and strength, he had a complete chance to instantly kill one, and he could then work with the dozens of cultivators present to collectively eliminate the remaining two.

However, just as he was formulating this plan, Kong Niu's urgent shout of "Danger!" echoed from not far away. This was a pre-arranged signal: if any position came under too much pressure, they were to immediately alert, and Lu Ye would rush over to assist. He had deliberately assigned Kong Niu to guard an entrance near his own position, precisely because Kong Niu was only at Level Five. He reasoned that even with ample personnel, Kong Niu might struggle to fend off Level Seven bugs. This arrangement indeed proved prescient.

Lu Ye didn't have time to confront the Level Eight bugs about to burst forth from the darkness. Wings unfurled from his back, he soared into the air. Simultaneously, he held his blade in one hand and the sheath of the Panshan Blade in the other; a dazzling light emanated from the sheath, as if a sun were rising! The intense light illuminated every minute detail of the bug nest. Lu Ye seized the opportunity to scan, and his scalp instantly tingled. Previously, the darkness had made it impossible to discern the nest's interior, but now, with the radiance of the Sunlight Spirit Rune, the entire layout of the bug nest was laid bare before his eyes.

The sheer number of bugs amassed within the entire nest surpassed his wildest imagination. Furthermore, the surrounding walls of the bug nest were also covered with bugs of various forms, all crawling towards the cultivators' gathering point, drawn by the spiritual energy fluctuations.

"Everyone, watch your heads!" he shouted, while simultaneously keeping an eye on the Level Eight bugs. If those Level Eight bugs didn't follow him, it would spell trouble. Even with Hua Ci stationed there, she wouldn't be able to withstand the onslaught of those Level Eight bugs. Fortunately, bugs lacked reason and merely acted on instinct. He was grateful to Fourth Senior Brother, who had provided many useful pieces of information.

Lu Ye, carrying what appeared to be a sun, undoubtedly became the target of those Level Eight bugs. They scuttled rapidly across the ground, and many bugs in their path, unable to evade, were sliced into pieces by their sharp claw-like limbs. Not only that, but several more Level Eight bugs were drawn from the very center of the nest.

A total of six Level Eight bugs! Such a formidable lineup would be virtually impossible for peripheral sects to overcome without committing their full strength, as Level Seven cultivators were rarely seen even in their strongholds, let alone Level Eight. Generally speaking, only the garrison commander or vice-commander of a stronghold would possess Level Seven cultivation.

Soaring through the air, Lu Ye unleashed a Fire Dragon Art downwards. The fire dragon, its scales faintly visible, slammed into the bug swarm, instantly causing widespread casualties. With two Fire Dragon Arts unleashed, the pressure on Kong Niu's side significantly eased.

"Fifth Senior Brother!" another shout echoed. Lu Ye quickly rushed in that direction.

The standard procedure for peripheral sects when facing a bug tide was to locate the bug nest, seal its entrances, continuously slay bugs, and then win once the nest's stored life force and energy were exhausted. While this approach was slower, it was undeniably safer. Even if unforeseen circumstances arose, they could be mitigated in time.

Lu Ye, however, chose a different path. The Crimson Blood Sect was taking the offensive, allowing its cultivators to establish a battlefield directly inside the bug nest. This was high-risk, but also highly efficient. The reason he chose this was his formidable mobility, enabling him to provide support anywhere at any moment. One could say that his ability to fly afforded him this luxury. This was something ordinary Level Seven cultivators could not emulate.

For a while, Lu Ye, holding the 'sun' high, continuously unleashed Fire Dragon Arts, leading the six Level Eight bugs as he darted through the bug nest, providing support wherever needed. The situation gradually stabilized. Furthermore, as the six Level Eight bugs pursued Lu Ye, they inadvertently inflicted significant friendly fire upon their own kind. Although these particular bug corpses couldn't be collected, it nonetheless eased the pressure on the Crimson Blood Sect's side.

Once the situation stabilized, Lu Ye shifted his attention to the Level Eight bugs that were relentlessly pursuing him. These large creatures absolutely had to be dealt with swiftly, otherwise they would pose a persistent threat. While flying, Lu Ye summoned his hiltless short blade. A fiery red stream of light began to dart, targeting one of the Level Eight bugs, piercing its body and drawing out gushes of emerald green blood.

It must be noted that Level Eight bugs possessed incredibly tenacious vitality; Lu Ye had to attack it with his artifact seven or eight times before he finally managed to slay it. The stream of light flew back, where Lu Ye held it between his fingertips to replenish its spiritual energy before unleashing it once more. Maintaining his wings and the Sunlight Spirit Rune, activating Fire Dragon Arts, and wielding his artifact to slay enemies all incurred immense spiritual energy consumption. In less than half an hour, Lu Ye's spiritual energy was nearly 70% depleted, leaving him with only about 30%. It was important to remember that he was now at Level Seven, with over a hundred spiritual apertures opened, meaning his spiritual energy reserves were far greater than they used to be. Had he been at Level Five at this moment, he would have likely been completely exhausted.

Yet, he remained unperturbed. He retrieved a jade bottle from his storage bag, uncorked it, and drank its contents in a single gulp. The taste was peculiar, like a fruit wine, yet also somewhat bitter. Rest Fruit Wine. He had previously brought back Rest Fruits from the Chess Sea and, following Fourth Senior Brother's instructions, entrusted them to Shui Yuan for processing. Shui Yuan had combined the Rest Fruit flesh with various precious medicinal ingredients to brew this fruit wine. Such processing allowed the full potential of the Rest Fruit flesh to be realized.

Senior Sister Shui Yuan had told Lu Ye when she gave him the Rest Fruit Wine that, given his Level Seven cultivation, one serving of the wine could restore approximately fifty percent of his spiritual energy within thirty breaths. Unlike the potent and immediate recovery effects of directly consuming the Rest Fruit flesh, the wine offered a longer recovery time and a somewhat reduced effect. However, it compensated with a large quantity. The bottle Lu Ye had just consumed constituted one serving, and Shui Yuan had given both him and Hua Ci over thirty such servings each. Without the foundation provided by the Rest Fruit Wine, Lu Ye would never have been able to expend his spiritual energy so recklessly. Depleting his spiritual energy completely in a short time would have been suicidal.

As the Rest Fruit Wine entered his stomach, a warmth immediately spread, followed by a surge of spiritual energy that, guided by the circulation of his minor heavenly cycle, filled his spiritual apertures. Thirty breaths later, Lu Ye, who had been left with only thirty percent of his spiritual energy, was once again brimming with vigor. He continually provided support to all sides, taking moments to slay the Level Eight bugs that relentlessly pursued him.

Half an hour later, the bug offensive noticeably weakened. Even though the bug nest continued to hatch new bugs, it couldn't keep pace with the cultivators' killing speed. The front lines at each of the entrances completely stabilized. Of the Level Eight bugs that had been following Lu Ye, only two remained, one of which was being tormented almost to death by the artifact's stream of light. As this particular Level Eight bug finally fell, only one remained in pursuit of Lu Ye.

The 'sun' that had illuminated all directions extinguished, and Lu Ye descended, landing in front of the entrance where Kong Niu was positioned. No sooner had he touched down than the lone remaining Level Eight bug charged forward. Lu Ye drew his blade, enhanced by a Sharpness Spirit Rune. The Panshan Blade sliced through the bug's long leg from the side. Emerald green blood splattered, and the bug shrieked. The man-sized bug collapsed onto the ground; the black carapace on its long leg had failed to withstand the sharp blade. Almost as it fell, Lu Ye swiftly mounted it, his long blade piercing its back and emerging through its body. The bug struggled violently, spraying green blood everywhere. Red light surged on the Panshan Blade, tearing a massive wound on its back and splitting it in two.

"Kill!" Kong Niu suddenly roared. Immediately afterward, shouts of battle echoed from various parts of the bug nest, responding in a continuous wave.

An hour later, cultivators at all nine entrances simultaneously pushed inward, systematically compressing the remaining bugs' range of activity. Lu Ye wiped the blood clean from the Panshan Blade, sheathed it, and let out a soft sigh. The overall situation was settled! He no longer needed to take further action. There weren't many avenues for the sect's cultivators to earn merit, so Lu Ye naturally saw no need to contend with them for it.

"Sister Hua Ci, snap out of it!" Ruan Lingyu's voice suddenly came from beside him. Lu Ye walked over. Under the illumination of nearby torches, he saw Hua Ci kneeling on the ground, her long legs pressed together, calves splayed outwards, and her eyes vacant. Ruan Lingyu was in front of her, gently shaking her shoulders.

"Are you hurt?" Lu Ye asked, concerned.

Ruan Lingyu shook her head, her eyes misty with tears. When the situation was tense earlier, Hua Ci had appeared normal, leading her junior brothers and sisters in battle. Now that the overall situation was decided, the tension she had held within her finally released, and she simply broke down.

Only after confirming that Hua Ci wasn't injured did Lu Ye feel relieved. He squatted in front of her and patted her shoulder. "You'll get used to it eventually," he said. "Bug tides won't just happen once."

Hua Ci's gaze shifted, fixing intently on him, her eyes overflowing with despair...

"Stay with her. If anything happens, call me immediately," Lu Ye instructed Ruan Lingyu, then turned to survey the area behind him. Although the general situation was now under control, they couldn't afford to let their guard down until the bug nest was completely annihilated. If a few people were to suddenly die at this point, it would be a truly unjust loss. Moreover, if Fourth Senior Brother's intelligence was correct, there were at least two or three more formidable creatures still lurking within the bug nest! While they might only be Level Eight bugs, they were considerably more powerful than typical ones of that level.