Chapter 219: Brushing Merits

Time passed, and hundreds of cultivators from the Bloodplain Sect continuously advanced inwards from all directions, just as they had previously dealt with the insectoids in the Insect Valley.

Lu Ye moved along the edge of the battlefield, occasionally intervening to kill seventh-tier insectoids, thus preventing potential casualties among his own side.

Half a day later, the insectoids within the insect nest were almost completely cleared out. Although sacs continued to burst and new insectoids hatched from the fleshy walls around the nest, these creatures often departed from this beautiful world the moment they hatched, before even having a chance to observe their surroundings.

Lu Ye was currently examining a massive fleshy sac in the very center of the insect nest. The sac was roughly a person's height, with what looked like veins subtly extending from it in all directions, connecting to various corners of the nest's fleshy walls.

The fleshy sac itself was not the main concern; the focus was on the three eighth-tier insectoids guarding it.

These three insectoids were noticeably different from the eighth-tier ones Lu Ye had killed before. Their serrated claws were sharper, their dark carapaces thicker, and their bodies were clearly larger than those of ordinary eighth-tier insectoids.

They had not yet reached the level of ninth-tier insectoids, but they were undoubtedly more powerful than ordinary eighth-tier ones.

This was the information Li Baxian had revealed: these special insectoids were a type of guardian.

Other insectoids, once hatched, would instinctively leave the nest, exploring outwards while devouring all the life force and energy they encountered.

But these guardians would not. From the moment they were born, they guarded the nest, staying beside the fleshy sac, never leaving its side.

Even when Lu Ye had raised a sun earlier, and even when the Bloodplain Sect fought the insectoids to the point of utter chaos, they paid little attention.

Because their mission from birth was to guard the person-height fleshy sac, they would remain indifferent, even if all other insectoids perished, as long as one did not approach within a certain range of the sac.

To deal with such powerful insectoids, the best method was naturally to swarm them and attack together!

At this moment, twenty zhang away from the fleshy sac, many selected cultivators formed a circle. These cultivators either possessed magical techniques themselves or had spirit talismans they could use.

The number of people was not large, only about a hundred.

All of them were secretly channeling their spiritual power.

Lu Ye gripped his hiltless short blade. With a subtle thought, the blade hummed, transforming into a red streak of light, and shot towards one of the insectoid guardians. At the same time, Chen Yu also activated his own artifact-controlling power from another direction.

Furthermore, the power of over a hundred magical techniques and spirit talismans surged all at once towards the three guardians.

Rumbling sounds echoed out, and the spiritual energy fluctuations became extremely chaotic in that instant.

Accompanied by the unique hissing sounds of the insectoids, emerald green blood splattered, and the three provoked guardians immediately charged out.

They indeed would not stray too far from the fleshy sac, but if attacked, they would certainly retaliate. This was why Lu Ye had specifically warned everyone during the previous battle not to strike these three, as it would cause significant trouble.

The red streaks of light darted back and forth, and the insectoid guardian charging towards Lu Ye immediately sustained one penetrating wound after another. It fell to the ground after only a few steps, enveloped by the power of numerous magical techniques and spirit talismans. It tried to get up, but its carapace shattered, revealing the emerald green flesh beneath.

The other two insectoid guardians suffered similar fates. Even though their strength far surpassed that of the Bloodplain Sect cultivators, the combined assault of a hundred people was more than they could withstand.

Two of the insectoid guardians collapsed to the ground after only running a few zhang, unable to rise again.

Only one managed to charge forward towards the crowd, but it was stopped by several body cultivators led by He Xiyin, who then subjected it to a flurry of attacks.

In the chaos of the fight, it was unclear who had delivered the final blow to this insectoid guardian.

With the correct method of engagement, the process of killing these three insectoid guardians became very simple. This was also experience that cultivators of the Nine Provinces had previously gained at the cost of their lives.

Cheers erupted from all directions, and everyone was filled with joy.

Although the Bloodplain Sect lost over a dozen people in this insect tide, achieving such results in their first encounter was still a cause for delight.

When they had first heard about the insect tide, many low-cultivation cultivators had felt uneasy, as many people died in every insect tide. But now, it seemed not so bad.

Which of those who survived wasn't amply rewarded?

The insect tide had not yet completely ended because the insect nest had not yet withered. Only when the nest fully withered would this insect tide truly conclude; before it completely withered, the nest would continue to hatch new insectoids.

Lu Ye stepped forward, approaching the central fleshy sac. This was the core of the entire insect nest.

With a slight cut of his Mountain Breaker Blade, he sliced open the fleshy sac. A pungent, fishy odor immediately assailed him, accompanied by an astonishing life force.

He extended a hand, reaching into the fleshy sac, and fumbled around inside.

Squishy sounds immediately made a few female cultivators with weaker stomachs turn pale, covering their mouths and hurrying away.

Soon, Lu Ye withdrew his hand, holding a fist-sized fleshy core. This core was irregularly shaped, bumpy and unappealing on the surface, yet it pulsed continuously in Lu Ye's palm as if alive.

A pure and potent life force emanated from this fleshy core.

"So it really exists."

He murmured softly. Most of the life force and energy devoured by the insectoids that ventured out from the nest accumulated back at the nest, serving as the source for hatching more insectoids. The specific storage location was this fleshy sac before him, which was why it was the core of the nest and had specialized guardians.

The fleshy core in Lu Ye's hand was a convergence of life force and energy; the cultivation world of the Nine Provinces called it a "Life Core." Cultivators could not use this item; even though it was a combination of immense life force and pure energy, it was only suitable for the reproduction of insectoids.

There was more than one Life Core in the fleshy sac; when Lu Ye reached in just now, he felt several. The exact number would only be known by completely breaking open the fleshy sac.

As long as the fleshy sac was broken open and all Life Cores removed, this insect nest, deprived of life force and energy, would wither in a short time, and the insect tide would completely end.

However, Lu Ye did not plan to do that. The cultivators of the Bloodplain Sect currently had too few ways to earn merit points. With seven hundred cultivators gathered and everything within the insect nest under control, an insectoid was killed as soon as it hatched. This was clearly a good place to accumulate merit points.

So, after merely observing the Life Core, Lu Ye put it back.

The opening he had made in the fleshy sac surprisingly recovered completely in a very short time, showing the insect nest's powerful regeneration capability.

The rest was simple: the seven hundred cultivators of the Bloodplain Sect simply needed to stay here, continuously slaying newly hatched insectoids until the insect nest exhausted all its Life Cores.

He had nothing more to do. Various small teams were spread throughout the insect nest, monitoring the individual fleshy sacs before them; an insectoid died as soon as it emerged...

Lu Ye walked over to Hua Ci and observed her. Seeing that she was much better, he finally felt relieved.

However, recalling her delicate appearance from earlier made him want to smile.

After all, she was a woman, and still had a fragile side.

"Lu Ye! Lu Ye!" Yi Yi suddenly ran over excitedly.

"Hm?"

"There's an opening over there. I don't know where it leads."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just an opening. You'll know if you come see." Yi Yi grabbed Lu Ye and ran in that direction.

Currently, everyone was waiting for insectoids to hatch and then killing them. Yi Yi, with nothing to do, wandered around and discovered an unexplored opening.

Soon, Lu Ye was led by Yi Yi to the opening. He thought back carefully, realizing that this opening was not one of the nine passages explored by the Bloodplain Sect. The opening was dark, and he had no idea where it led.

Lu Ye observed for a moment, then suddenly squatted down and wiped the ground, discovering some undried slime on the surface.

Newly hatched insectoids had this type of slime on their bodies.

In other words, some insectoids had left through this opening not too long ago, at most a day prior.

Lu Ye suddenly recalled a situation Li Baxian had mentioned... His heart stirred, and he vaguely understood.

"Should we go in and look?" Yi Yi asked.

"I'll go see."

"I'll go with you," Yi Yi quickly said.

"Alright."

"Bring Amber too."

"Okay."

Yi Yi cheered gleefully and ran off to find Amber.

Lu Ye called Chen Yu over, instructing him to watch over the area carefully and to send a message immediately if anything unexpected happened.

Soon, Lu Ye rode Amber deep into the opening, continuing straight ahead.

On the tiger's back, Lu Ye held his Mountain Breaker Blade aloft. The Sun-Illuminating spirit pattern on its scabbard continuously emanated light, illuminating the surroundings. Yi Yi sat in front of him, and Amber galloped forward.

It was as if they had returned to the past: one person, one spirit, one tiger, journeying together, carefree. Yi Yi especially loved this feeling and even hummed a tune along the way.

Lu Ye rested his chin on her head, and some strands of hair floated in the breeze, tickling his face.

"Your head is so heavy!" Yi Yi protested.

Lu Ye pressed down a little harder.

Yi Yi cried out in exasperation, "I'll tell Sister Hua Ci later and have her deal with you!"

"Hua Ci...heh!" Lu Ye scoffed. In the past, he really had no way to deal with women, but now, he still had the mechanical construct he got from Lu Yushan in his storage bag — furry, eight-legged — just ask if you're scared or not!

"Lu Ye, you've gotten bolder; you're not even afraid of Sister Hua Ci anymore."

"Have you forgotten your surname? Hm?" Lu Ye raised his right hand, clenched his fist, and lightly pressed it against Yi Yi's forehead, twisting it.

"My surname is Lu..." Yi Yi hugged her head with both hands. "My name is Lu Yi Yi... wuwuwuwu..."

Bickering and teasing, they continued forward.

An hour later, a commotion and spiritual energy fluctuations suddenly came from ahead.

Lu Ye and Yi Yi both became silent. The Sun-Illuminating spirit pattern faded, and even Amber, who had been galloping, suddenly became quiet and still.

Patting Amber to make it stop, Lu Ye and Yi Yi dismounted and stealthily advanced. Soon, constantly flickering lights came into view.