Chapter 2265: Chen Gushan

According to the intelligence gathered by You Die, Boundless City maintains an entire realm to cultivate humans. Over countless years, an untold number of human cultivators have reached the Dao realm. By having these humans cultivate to 'nourish bones,' Boundless City fully satisfies the cultivation needs of its beast cultivators.

No wonder You Die mentioned that he and Zi Ying found Boundless City's practices intolerable.

If they hadn't encountered such a situation, it might have been different, but having seen it, they couldn't possibly turn a blind eye.

Lu Ye suddenly recalled something else.

When he left the Azure Palace, Uncle Duan had subtly warned him that the human race's situation in the Star Abyss was not favorable.

At the time, he hadn't understood, but now it seemed Uncle Duan must have known about the 'bone nourishment' practice, though he hadn't explicitly mentioned it.

But then...

"Why humans?" Lu Ye frowned. "In Boundless City's starfield, there should have been other races besides beasts and humans. Why did humans alone suffer this calamity?"

You Die considered for a moment, then replied, "According to the intelligence I've gathered, that specific cultivation method can only be successfully practiced by your human race. Even if other races attempt it, the effect is minimal, making them unsuitable as 'bone receptacles' for nourishment."

Lu Ye and Zi Ying exchanged glances, an unsettling feeling arising within them that the human race was being targeted. If the broader environment of the entire Star Abyss was indeed like this, then humanity's situation would be dire. Any malevolent race encountering humans would inevitably develop covetous intentions, much like when Lu Ye previously encountered those two passing Dao Fusion cultivators.

If he hadn't been strong enough at the time, he would certainly have been captured.

Lu Ye and Zi Ying felt a heavy apprehension. You Die, observing their mood, said, "I advise you not to provoke Boundless City. With our current strength, we are no match for them."

"How would we know without trying?" Zi Ying retorted, giving her a cold look.

You Die calmly stated, "Boundless City itself is a Dao weapon, similar to Banlan. While our individual strengths are considerable, if we were to truly engage them, it's uncertain if we could even breach their defenses. And even if we did, we would be constrained at every turn. They possess two peak Dao Fusion cultivators whom we might be able to hold off, but what about their other Dao Fusion experts?"

"I can try," Lu Ye said in a deep voice.

You Die turned to him, slowly shaking her head. "Brother Ye, I know you're powerful, but as the saying goes, two fists are no match for four hands. No one can guarantee there aren't Dao Fusion cultivators of the eighth or even ninth stage among our enemies. Even one such opponent would be a struggle for you to contend with."

You Die's words were blunt, but undeniably realistic.

While Lu Ye's strength had significantly improved, he typically wielded only two hundred strands of Dao power. Dao Fusion cultivators of the eighth or ninth stage possessed their own Dao weapons, making even a single encounter with them quite challenging.

Even with his Talent Tree clone, he could only manage two such opponents.

Of course, if Boundless City lacked a sufficient number of eighth or ninth stage cultivators, the situation would be much simpler.

Unfortunately, the cat demon was too weak and didn't possess enough information about Boundless City.

Lu Ye suddenly looked up at Zi Ying. "Can we bring some reinforcements out of Banlan?"

Boundless City's foundation was indeed formidable, but compared to Banlan, it paled in comparison.

None of the three major factions within Banlan could be compared to Boundless City in terms of sheer scale. If they could bring some personnel from Banlan to assist, the task would become significantly easier.

However, selecting reinforcements wasn't straightforward; they needed to be absolutely trustworthy. This matter could only be discussed with Zi Ying, as You Die certainly wouldn't have suitable options, and even if she suggested someone, Lu Ye wouldn't consider them.

Zi Ying pondered for a moment. "I only have one candidate in mind, and you've met him before."

"The old gentleman guarding the relic entrance?" Lu Ye immediately recalled. He had a brief exchange with the man, who had claimed to have taught Zi Ying for some time, making their relationship effectively that of master and disciple.

"Yes," Zi Ying nodded. "Elder Chen is also a peak Dao Fusion cultivator. However, he is very old; while it's acceptable if he doesn't typically engage in combat, fighting would inevitably diminish his lifespan."

There were several other Dao Fusion cultivators like Elder Chen in Banlan who had not personally engaged in combat for many years. With their lifespans already limited, fighting would only hasten their demise.

Lu Ye was secretly surprised; he hadn't realized at the time that the old gentleman was a peak Dao Fusion cultivator. It was difficult to imagine such a powerful individual merely guarding a relic entrance.

Fortunately, the old man hadn't engaged him in combat then, or it would have been quite troublesome.

"Then, Sister Ying, do you think Elder Chen would be willing to come out?"

Zi Ying smiled. "He would certainly be willing. Not only is this for the human race, but if he leaves Banlan, he stands a chance of ascending to the Dao Unification realm. Once successful, he would no longer be constrained by his lifespan. For someone his age, such an opportunity is exceptionally rare, perhaps once in ten thousand years."

She had previously intended to discuss this with Lu Ye when the time was right, hoping to bring Elder Chen out of Banlan. This presented a perfect opportunity to propose it, effectively killing two birds with one stone.

"Moreover... Elder Chen knows many more people, so there might be other trustworthy candidates as well!"

Lu Ye's eyes lit up. Indeed, Elder Chen was exceptionally old and held a very high seniority; those he knew would undoubtedly possess considerable strength.

In truth, if he didn't overthink it, bringing people out of Banlan would be incredibly easy for Lu Ye; he merely needed to make a call, and followers would surely flock to him.

However, doing so would only weaken the foundation of the Human Race War Alliance. Every peak Dao Fusion cultivator was a rare and invaluable combatant. Someone like Elder Chen, who had long ceased to engage in warfare, leaving Banlan would not significantly impact their overall strength.

However, if a Chief Guardian like Huang Quan were to leave Banlan, the human race would lose a vital commander, which would be detrimental to their war efforts.

Furthermore, human hearts are unpredictable. No one could guarantee what those individuals might think after leaving Banlan, or if they would seek to usurp Lu Ye's position.

Lu Ye had discussed these very concerns with Zi Ying previously, so he would naturally proceed with caution.

"Then I'll go back and contact Elder Chen," Lu Ye stated.

"I'll go personally," Zi Ying said, shaking her head.

"That's fine."

Without further delay, they immediately decided to set off.

Before their departure, Lu Ye cautioned You Die, "That ghost cultivator escaped back to Boundless City, and they seem to have some interest in Banlan. Be careful."

"Understood, Brother Ye. Go swiftly and return soon," You Die replied obediently.

The bug nest You Die had chosen was not far from Banlan. Moments later, Lu Ye and Zi Ying arrived before it.

"Sister Ying, I'll take you inside!" Lu Ye said, extending a hand to Zi Ying.

Zi Ying blinked, then raised her hand and took his.

Lu Ye promptly led her, plunging directly into Banlan.

When they reappeared, they were already within human territory.

Turning to look around, Zi Ying was greatly astonished. "This is... Bluestream War Star?"

She had been stationed here in the past and was intimately familiar with the area. She understood that without Lu Ye guiding her, she couldn't have appeared precisely at this location upon entering from outside.

"I'll contact Elder Chen first," Zi Ying said, taking out her waist token and sending a message.

A moment later, she looked up at Lu Ye. "Find somewhere to wait for a while; I'll contact you when I have news."

"Alright," Lu Ye replied, having no objections.

Zi Ying departed swiftly. With nothing to do, Lu Ye surveyed his surroundings.

His gaze soon fell upon a great sun.

He hadn't replenished the Talent Tree's fuel in a long time. Though he still had enough for now, there was no harm in taking this opportunity to refuel.

The space around him rippled and churned, and moments later, Lu Ye's figure abruptly vanished from his spot.

While he entered the great sun to replenish the Talent Tree's fuel, Zi Ying had already arrived on a small, emerald green planet.

This small planet was one of the main star's companion planets, with a rather pleasant, predominantly quiet environment.

Elder Chen's previous duty had been to guard a relic entrance. However, after the relic's secrets were presumably deciphered by Lu Ye, and the relic itself became inaccessible, Elder Chen's mission came to an end.

For an old veteran like him, who had dedicated his entire life to the human race, the War Alliance would not readily permit him to participate in battles in his twilight years, unless an exceptionally urgent situation arose.

With his duty concluded, he had secluded himself here, spending his days leisurely drinking tea and fishing, calmly awaiting the natural end of his lifespan.

"Elder Chen!" A familiar voice called out. Elder Chen, who was fishing by the lake, turned his head and saw Zi Ying standing beside him.

Elder Chen, whose full name was Chen Gushan, was not from a noble cultivation family. Like Zi Ying, he had risen through the ranks from humble beginnings. This was why he had taken exceptional care of Zi Ying back then, even personally instructing her for a period.

However, he had never permitted Zi Ying to address him as 'Master.'

"It's good you're still alive; this old man almost thought he'd have to bury someone younger," Chen Gushan said, scrutinizing Zi Ying. He only relaxed when he saw that she was unharmed and intact.

"Hmm?" Zi Ying looked puzzled.

Chen Gushan chuckled. "You probably don't know this, do you? A while ago, rumors were circulating on the main star that you had perished for some unknown reason."

Zi Ying frowned. "Who spread that news?"

It was quite baffling.

"That young fellow Huang Quan spread it. When he tried to contact you, his messages couldn't get through, so he assumed something terrible had happened," Chen Gushan explained. "But come to think of it, I tried to reach you too and couldn't. Where have you been lately?"

Only then did Zi Ying realize how the misunderstanding had arisen.

It made sense. She had traveled outside of Banlan, so it was hardly surprising that Huang Quan couldn't reach her, leading to such a misunderstanding.

"Elder Chen..." Zi Ying looked at him quietly. "For a while, I wasn't inside Banlan."

Chen Gushan's aged, withered hand, holding the fishing rod, trembled slightly, and his eyelids gave a faint twitch. He stared intently at her. "What nonsense are you talking about, girl? If you weren't in Banlan, where else could you possibly have been?"

"I left Banlan," Zi Ying stated, her words designed to shock.

Chen Gushan was stunned. "But... aren't you here now?"

"I came back!"

"Girl," Chen Gushan said, his eye still twitching, "you're too old to be playing such tricks on an old man like me."

Unbeknownst to most, Zi Ying had been quite spirited and mischievous in her youth, and Chen Gushan had fallen for her pranks countless times.

It was only as she aged and her cultivation deepened that her temperament became calm and reserved.