Chapter 2257: All as You Wish

Lu Ye left immediately, without a moment's hesitation, leaving You Die seething with rage.

She suddenly realized she had completely lost control over Lu Ye. Previously, she could suppress him with her cultivation and strength, but ever since Lu Ye refined the Variegated Core, those advantages had become useless.

In simple terms, he had become independent and powerful, leaving her feeling both frustrated and helpless.

Her hatred for Jiu Ying intensified. If it weren't for the arrangements Jiu Ying left behind, how could she have possibly missed out on the Variegated Core?

And if she had been able to control the core at that time, who in the entire Variegated would have dared to defy her? That detestable Lu Ye, she could have manipulated him however she pleased.

While she was stewing in her anger, Lu Ye had already appeared in a bustling and chaotic battlefield.

His main body and clone joined forces, embarking on a killing spree that yielded significant gains.

In the period that followed, he appeared unpredictably in several battlefields, repeatedly unleashing his formidable power and making the Bug and Blood races suffer immensely.

Each time he participated in a battle, he was able to change the tide of the conflict, drastically reducing losses for the Human Race Battle Alliance.

Thanks to his efforts, morale among the human forces in various war zones throughout the Variegated was now soaring, while the Bug and Blood races found themselves increasingly restricted.

Observing Lu Ye's actions over the past few days, he consistently appeared abruptly after conflicts erupted, then unleashed a devastating onslaught that was impossible to guard against. This made enemies in every war zone hesitant to initiate battles, fearing Lu Ye might suddenly emerge.

After a period, the Bug and Blood races' strategy in various war zones surprisingly shifted to primarily defensive postures, never easily launching proactive attacks. To avoid unnecessary losses, they even abandoned the layouts of some war zones and withdrew many troops elsewhere.

Across the entire Variegated, no single individual had ever caused such apprehension in a major faction.

His strength was not unbeatable; if his movements could be tracked, countless powerful individuals could suppress him. The problem was that no one knew when or where he would appear.

The Bug and Blood races even set up special ambushes for this purpose, dispersing numerous Integration Realm experts across various war zones, waiting for an opportunity to specifically target Lu Ye as soon as he appeared.

One of them did manage to ambush Lu Ye once, but it proved utterly useless; if he couldn't be killed, Lu Ye would simply escape.

All of this caused the Bug and Blood races to hate Lu Ye even more intensely.

In contrast, the Human Race Battle Alliance was also extremely interested in Lu Ye, even contacting him through Yan Xiaowu, asking him to visit their main star because the Four Great Clans had matters to discuss with him.

The powerful figures on the main star were not foolish. It was rare for such a prodigy to emerge within the human race, so naturally, they wanted to win him over. As for past suspicions regarding Lu Ye's alignment, no one brought them up anymore.

During this period, many cultivators from the Bug and Blood races had died by Lu Ye's hand, including over a dozen Integration Realm experts. No one would question Lu Ye's alignment anymore.

Lu Ye paid no heed to these attempts to win him over and had no intention of visiting the main star in the short term.

He simply remained active on various battlefields, accumulating his Dao power, and occasionally communicating with Zi Ying to check on her situation.

Zi Ying was his chosen partner, and now that they referred to each other as siblings, she was undoubtedly a more trustworthy individual compared to You Die.

As long as Zi Ying could leave the Variegated and advance to the Integration Realm, he would have a reliable backer within the Variegated, which would make everything much more convenient for him.

His goal, from beginning to end, had always been singular: to rapidly enhance his strength by utilizing the Dao bone reserves of the Bug and Blood races within the Variegated!

Currently, he was only at the Dao Entry stage; his cultivation journey in the Star Abyss had only just begun, with Integration and Dao Integration stages still ahead.

For him, there was no better place in the world to acquire Dao bones than the Variegated.

However, to achieve this, You Die was also a crucial component, as her identity as the Queen Bug could provide significant assistance.

Two months passed in a flash, and finally, good news arrived from Zi Ying.

Thanks to her persistent efforts, the Battle Alliance finally agreed to dispatch an Integration Realm cultivator to take over her garrison position. Although this individual was slightly inferior to her in terms of strength and cultivation, there would be no significant issues in holding the stronghold.

Especially given that the Bug and Blood races' current military deployment was primarily defensive, and the Yellow Springs Great War Zone had previously secured a comprehensive victory, the newly arrived Integration Realm cultivator would cause no problems as long as they avoided reckless actions in pursuit of merit.

Lu Ye sent a message to Zi Ying, providing her with a location and instructing her to depart once she was ready.

Meanwhile, he returned to the depths of the Bug Nest on Silver Shuo Battle Star.

The moment he appeared, You Die's pitiful voice rang out, "Brother Ye, you're finally back..."

She sounded as if she were a young wife who had long suffered while waiting for her husband's return.

For two months, Lu Ye had not contacted her, leaving You Die consumed by anxiety. However, with no way to reach him, all she could do was wait patiently.

Finally, the clouds parted, and clarity emerged.

"So, what have you decided?" Lu Ye asked.

"I'll do as you say, whatever you wish, as long as you can take me out," You Die replied with genuine sincerity, clearly afraid Lu Ye would leave again if they disagreed.

"You need to understand this clearly: my taking you out isn't for you to live a carefree life. Perhaps you can advance to the Dao Integration stage because of this, but afterward, I will still need your help. So, even if you do advance, you will still have to return!"

"Of course, I will certainly help you."

Let her be a traitor; as long as she could advance to the Dao Integration stage, why should she care about the lives of others?

Especially with Lu Ye's recent relentless activity, many powerful individuals from the Bug and Blood races had become increasingly critical of her, as everyone knew that Lu Ye had once been captured by her and imprisoned in the Bug Nest.

But no one knew why Lu Ye was able to escape, or how he had now acquired such astonishing abilities.

If You Die had killed Lu Ye back then, none of this current trouble would exist.

Faced with these criticisms from all sides, You Die could neither argue nor offer explanations. She had long been seething with frustration.

If they were unkind, then she wouldn't be blamed for being unjust; You Die comforted herself with this thought.

"Good, then let's make an oath."

While Lu Ye could trust Zi Ying, You Die was a different matter. Even with the Life Chain connecting them, Lu Ye had to guard against her betraying him once she had what she wanted.

It would be counterproductive if he helped her advance to Dao Integration only for her to turn around and suppress him.

You Die's willingness to betray the Bug and Blood races showed that she was, ultimately, a self-serving individual.

"Brother Ye, you're making Xiao Die very sad with this," You Die said, her voice full of grievance.

"Enough talk," Lu Ye interrupted her.

You Die sighed, "Then how do you want me to swear the oath?"

"Swear in the name of the Star Abyss Will that in the future, when I have a need, you shall fulfill it, provided it does not compromise your own interests or safety!"

You Die pondered for a moment and realized that an oath sworn in this manner was not unacceptable. Lu Ye had clearly thought it through and was not intentionally trying to make things difficult for her.

"Then, Brother Ye, should you also swear an oath?" You Die asked timidly.

Lu Ye smiled. "Alright, tell me what you have in mind."

The last time Jiu Ying made him swear an oath, he ended up dead without a trace.

"I want to advance to the Dao Integration stage, but before that, I need your flame to temper my soul. This should greatly aid my advancement. Also, even if I reach Dao Integration, I am willing to help you, but there must be a time limit—say, two hundred or three hundred years? When that period expires, I want Brother Ye to release our Life Chain!"

Lu Ye's smile was unreadable.

So, he wasn't the only one who wished to break the Life Chain.

It made sense. From You Die's perspective, her strength was ultimately much greater than Lu Ye's, so why would she want to remain perpetually bound to him?

As for the time limit... forget two or three hundred years; even a mere hundred years, Lu Ye was confident he could surpass You Die.

"Agreed!" he readily accepted.

Immediately, they swore an oath in the name of the Star Abyss Will.

Although they had been connected by the Life Chain before, and Lu Ye and You Die had gotten along reasonably well, they had always harbored reservations about each other. Now, under the terms of the oath, their mutual guardedness was significantly lessened.

"Can we go out now?" You Die asked.

"Anytime," Lu Ye nodded.

"Then I'd like to go out and see." As You Die spoke, her soul body left her physical form and directly entered Lu Ye's Spiritual Sea.

Lu Ye was astonished. "You're going out like this? If your physical body remains here, can you still advance to the Dao Integration stage?"

Within the Spiritual Sea, You Die gave a charming smile. "Of course not. Although I haven't reached the threshold of Dao Integration for many years, a physical body is essential for advancement. I'm just going out to observe. Next time, when I'm fully prepared, Brother Ye can bring my physical body out with us."

You Die was clearly still not entirely at ease. Traveling only as a soul body meant she could hide within Lu Ye's Spiritual Sea, which was undoubtedly safer.

Lu Ye understood her reasoning perfectly and did not expose her.

Moreover, even though You Die had been immersed at the peak of the Integration Realm for many years, advancing to Dao Integration was likely not an easy feat. Her caution was, ultimately, well-placed.

"Do you remember when I returned severely wounded last time?" Lu Ye asked.

"Of course, I remember," You Die replied, then realized, "Brother Ye, are you worried that the one who ambushed you is still waiting outside for you?"

Lu Ye nodded. "Thinking about it now, the person who ambushed me must have been with those I killed earlier. Someone likely sent him a message just before dying, prompting him to rush over from nearby."

"What was his approximate cultivation level?"

"Very strong. I suspect he was at the peak of the Integration Realm!" Lu Ye's expression was grim.

"Then you must be very careful," You Die said, her tone growing solemn. "Once we're outside, I will immediately scan our surroundings. If there's anything unusual, I'll hold him off, and you, Brother Ye, should return to the Variegated."

"That won't be necessary. This time, besides you, there's another person joining us."

The reason Lu Ye contacted You Die at this specific time was to guard against the individual who had ambushed him. If that person was still outside the Variegated, relying solely on You Die or Zi Ying might be difficult. However, if the two of them joined forces, even if the opponent truly was at the peak of the Integration Realm, they would certainly not be a match.