Chapter 2245: Ghost Butterfly Enters the Ruins

The method to leave Splendor must have been hidden in the ruins. Lu Ye surely discovered something during his second visit, and he’s entered and exited the ruins many times this past year, probably searching for something specific. Whatever he was looking for, he had undoubtedly found it after all those trips in and out. If so, why hasn't he left yet?

Then, a flash of insight struck You Die. "Brother Ye," she asked, "you need my power to leave, don't you?" She realized that while Lu Ye's strength was considerable, his power of the Hundred Paths wasn't truly formidable. Even if he had found the method to leave Splendor, he likely wouldn't have the strength to execute it alone. He needed to borrow power! Throughout all of Splendor, who else could he trust to lend him power, other than You Die, a Convergence Realm cultivator?

"Clever!" Lu Ye praised.

Suppressing her excitement, You Die pondered for a moment before asking, "What do I need to do?"

"Come with me into the ruins."

"Into the ruins! But... Convergence Realm cultivators can't enter there. How can I get in?"

"If I say you can enter, then you can!"

You Die's heart stirred, but she quickly composed herself. After all, having lived for an unknown number of years, she possessed considerable composure. She then recalled another question: "Brother Ye, do I need to enter with my physical body or my soul?"

"Your soul will suffice!" Lu Ye replied. He had considered this previously. The ruins were left by Nine Infants, and all the restrictions were put in place by it. While You Die could certainly enter with her physical body with Nine Infants' assistance, it would be far more complicated. Entering as a soul, however, would be much simpler. Furthermore, Lu Ye preferred not to deal with her bulky physical form; interacting with her soul was considerably easier. In any case, You Die's soul body was still quite beautiful.

"I need to make arrangements for the war zone here," You Die asked. "Brother Ye, can you wait a few days for me?" If her soul left her body to accompany Lu Ye into the ruins, only an empty shell would remain. The entire great war zone had always relied on her coordination and planning. If she were to stay in the ruins for an extended period, the situation in the war zone might change. She needed to handle these matters in advance.

"Of course," Lu Ye said, showing his thoughtfulness. "Even if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have reminded you. This journey will be very taxing, so I hope you can transfer a batch of Dao Bones to keep as reserves!"

"Agreed!" You Die readily accepted. As long as she could leave Splendor, she would agree to any condition, let alone a mere batch of Dao Bones.

For the next few days, You Die's spiritual fluctuations were ceaseless, while Lu Ye remained steadily within the insect pouch, patiently waiting. Over the past year, his strength had significantly increased. If he continued to improve at this rate, he could likely advance to the Convergence Realm in just a few years. At that point, he could attempt to refine Splendor himself. However, the number of Mayflies was limited. Once all the scattered Mayflies were found, he would no longer have the resources to trade with the Human War Alliance. At that point, relying solely on You Die would drastically reduce the efficiency of his strength improvement. To advance to the Convergence Realm, it would take at least ten to twenty years. He couldn't wait that long.

Furthermore, Nine Infants had stated that for refining Splendor, the higher the cultivation realm, the better. So, even if he reached the Convergence Realm, success wasn't guaranteed; he would still need to continue cultivating and advancing his realm. Given this, he could only rely on You Die's power. During a previous casual conversation with You Die, he had specifically inquired about her cultivation realm, confirming she was at the peak of the Convergence Realm. For her to refine Splendor, the success rate would undoubtedly be much higher. As for what would happen after she refined Splendor, Lu Ye had also made his calculations. He had deduced the subsequent developments with Nine Infants multiple times and was highly confident that You Die's efforts would ultimately benefit him. If this plan succeeded, the gains would be unimaginable.

As expected, You Die transferred a batch of Dao Bones—a full three thousand pieces—all collected by Lu Ye. He had no immediate plans to refine these Dao Bones, intending to keep them in reserve for unforeseen needs. However, regardless of future requirements, once these Dao Bones were in his possession, they wouldn't be leaving his pocket.

With everything prepared, Lu Ye left the insect nest alone and swiftly moved towards the entrance of the ruins. You Die's soul had already entered Lu Ye's Divine Sea, leaving only her physical body behind in the insect nest. You Die was both excited and nervous. Countless cultivators throughout Splendor's history had searched for a way to leave, but none had ever found a clue. She had never imagined she would become a pioneer. All of this was thanks to Lu Ye.

The journey was peaceful and uneventful. Over the past year, Lu Ye had traveled to and from the ruins so many times that he could navigate the route with his eyes closed. Over a day later, Lu Ye stopped at the altar marking the entrance to the ruins. Within his Divine Sea, You Die, who had been calmly waiting, immediately heard his voice: "Xiao Die, I need to temporarily seal the Divine Sea to bring you inside with me!"

You Die had no doubts. "No problem!" she replied.

The method of a Convergence Realm expert's soul entering the ruins by using an Entrance Realm cultivator's physical body had been attempted before, but it had never succeeded. Since Nine Infants had established the restriction that Convergence Realm cultivators could not enter, it was highly unlikely such a loophole would exist. Therefore, regardless of whether they used a physical body or a soul, any Convergence Realm cultivator could not enter. On his previous visit, Lu Ye had made some preliminary arrangements under Nine Infants' guidance. Thus, currently, only he could bring a Convergence Realm soul into these ruins.

The Divine Sea sealed completely, like a cage. You Die could no longer perceive the outside world, but she remained calm, trusting that Lu Ye would do her no harm. Lu Ye certainly wouldn't harm her, however... He took out his waist token and sent a message.

In a stronghold within the Yellow Springs War Zone, Yan Xiaowu stood behind a spirited woman, holding his waist token, seemingly awaiting something. That woman was Zi Ying.

"No news yet?" Zi Ying suddenly asked.

Yan Xiaowu shook his head. "My lady, not yet."

Zi Ying remained silent. Yan Xiaowu had arrived unexpectedly a few days prior, directly requesting an audience. Though they were strangers, Zi Ying found it difficult to refuse someone from the Yan family. After listening to Yan Xiaowu's words, Zi Ying's eyes brightened considerably. Yan Xiaowu was there to deliver a message for Lu Ye. As Lu Ye could only contact him, he had entrusted Yan Xiaowu with the trip to the Yellow Springs War Zone. Following Lu Ye's instructions, he relayed much information to Zi Ying, primarily predictions concerning the battlefield. The recent changes on the battlefield had undoubtedly confirmed the accuracy of these predictions. For the past few days, the defense lines of the Insect and Blood races' strongholds had been contracting. While such a phenomenon wasn't unprecedented, this time it was distinctly unusual, making Zi Ying very curious how Lu Ye had managed it. What made Zi Ying even more eager was Lu Ye's claim that he had a way to cut off the Insect Mother's perception of the battlefield!

If this were possible, it would be a major opportunity for humanity. Both the Entrance and Convergence Realm cultivators of the Insect and Blood races were accustomed to obeying the Insect Mother's directives on the battlefield, which was their greatest advantage. If the Insect Mother's perception were severed, this crucial advantage would vanish, inevitably leading to panic and vulnerabilities. The War Alliance's task would be to exploit these vulnerabilities and amplify them. Ever since Li Qi's betrayal, the war in the entire Yellow Springs War Zone had been plagued by setbacks. This was undoubtedly an opportunity to turn the tide.

"My lady, a message has arrived!" While Zi Ying was deep in thought, Yan Xiaowu suddenly exclaimed with excitement.

Zi Ying immediately turned her head, her eyes gleaming brightly. Yan Xiaowu sent another message, then after a brief pause, shook his head. "I can't reach him anymore," he reported. Based on Lu Ye's previous instructions, he understood that both Lu Ye and the Insect Mother were now cut off.

"Understood!" Zi Ying nodded, then took out her garrison token and sent out a message. Although she was powerful, within this vast war zone, she was merely the garrison commander of a single stronghold, able to command only the cultivators within that specific location. To mobilize the forces of the entire war zone, she would have to persuade Yellow Springs. She had already contacted Yellow Springs earlier, and the recent contraction of the enemy's defense lines had been confirmed. She knew this was the opportune moment to launch a counterattack.

After a considerable pause, Yellow Springs sent a message: "This matter is of great importance; there can be no mistakes. How confident are you?"

"I trust him!"

"But Lu Ye was captured long ago and even attempted to infiltrate Shaochong War Star. His intentions are hard to gauge. What he says might not be true; could this be a ploy by the Insect and Blood races?"

"Senior Brother Huang, if this is a trap, we only need to proceed cautiously. But what if it isn't? We'd be missing a monumental opportunity!"

Yellow Springs was finally persuaded. Because Zi Ying was right: even if it were a trap, it wouldn't be easy for the Insect and Blood races to defeat the War Alliance cultivators. In a war of such scale, the true determinant was the relative strength of the opposing forces. But if it wasn't a trap, it was indeed a golden opportunity that, regardless, had to be seized.

Just half a cup of tea after Lu Ye stepped into the ruins, countless War Alliance guards across the Yellow Springs Great War Zone, led by their respective garrison commanders, formed their battle arrays and launched an assault on the enemy. The battle erupted with immense fervor and ferocity.

Inside the ruins, Lu Ye unsealed his Divine Sea and quietly said, "It's done." You Die's soul immediately emerged, materializing before him. It was incredibly solid, appearing like her true body; even with Lu Ye's current perception, he could not discern any flaws.

"So this is the ruins!" You Die exclaimed, looking around with wide-eyed curiosity, like a young girl unfamiliar with the world. Although she had long heard about the various aspects of the ruins from numerous Entrance Realm cultivators of the Insect and Blood races, she had never personally entered them. "It doesn't seem like much, does it?" she pouted.

"Let's go," Lu Ye said, stepping forward to lead the way. The ruins indeed lacked complex arrangements; they were simply a series of passages. Before Nine Infants awakened, these passages contained numerous trials, but with its awakening, those trials had vanished. According to Nine Infants' plans, the day it awoke was the day it would seize a physical body, allowing it to enter its own medicinal garden to recover its strength, thus rendering the trials unnecessary.

"Wait for me," You Die said, cheerfully running over and intimately linking arms with Lu Ye, leaning half her body against him.