Chapter 2268: Infiltration

A short while later, inside the insect nest, all the powerful cultivators had gathered.

Their division was clear.

Chen Gushan, Yan Zhixing, and He Linglong stood side by side, their expressions cold.

You Die smiled faintly, holding Lu Ye's arm and standing beside him. Outwardly she seemed calm, but her heart was pounding.

For countless millennia, a relentless war of mutual slaughter has raged between humans and insects in Splendor, forging deep-seated blood feuds. Were it not for Lu Ye today, they would never have met without immediately engaging in combat.

Yet, even with Lu Ye present, You Die wasn't sure these three wouldn't harbor ill intentions towards her.

If a fight broke out, facing three opponents, she would be no match, and this place would be her grave.

Not to mention Zi Ying standing nearby...

Ya Yi and Ku Zhi stood behind their Empress, trying to straighten their backs, but they still trembled, their faces pale.

Their cultivation was only at the fifth or sixth level of the Dao Realm, making them quite insignificant before this group of Pinnacle Dao Realm experts.

“Empress You Die, I’ve long heard of your name.” During the standoff, Yan Zhixing snorted coldly, “You should thank Lu Ye. If not for his intercession, you’d be dead now!”

On the way here, Lu Ye had briefly explained his inseparable connection with You Die to them. They were all astonished by the life-chain Dao pattern and admired Lu Ye's ability to pull back from the brink of death in that desperate situation.

Thus, everyone understood that You Die could not be killed; if she died, Lu Ye would perish with her.

But a bit of deterrence was essential.

With their superior numbers, they weren't worried about You Die causing trouble.

As he spoke, Yan Zhixing picked up his wine gourd, apparently intending to take a sip, but then suddenly remembered his earlier promise to quit drinking, and reluctantly put it back down.

Though he loved wine dearly, he was also a man of his word, and naturally, he would adhere to what he had publicly declared.

“Everyone, now that we’re all here, let’s discuss how to deal with Boundless City,” Lu Ye said.

Among those present, there were five Pinnacle Dao Realm experts alone. Ya Yi and Ku Zhi were at the fifth or sixth level, and Lu Ye himself possessed over two hundred Dao powers, making him comparable to an eighth-level Dao Realm cultivator.

Their numbers weren't large, but such a force should be more than enough to deal with Boundless City, even if You Die’s intelligence wasn't exhaustive.

They needed to quickly resolve the trouble at Boundless City and then separate You Die from the others; otherwise, no one would feel comfortable staying together.

“First, tell us about Boundless City’s intelligence,” Chen Gushan said.

Lu Ye glanced at You Die, who understood. She parted her lips and slowly recounted the information she had gathered.

After listening, everyone had a clear understanding of the situation.

Yan Zhixing said, “If Boundless City only possesses this much strength, then there’s no need for much trouble; we can simply attack directly. I imagine they won’t be able to resist.”

He Linglong shook her head, “That’s not appropriate. Boundless City itself is a Dao soldier. A direct assault would be time-consuming and energy-intensive, and if they have hidden forces, there could be unforeseen complications.”

“Can we lure them out?” Chen Gushan asked. “According to Lu Ye’s previous conjecture, Boundless City should have some interest in Splendor; otherwise, they wouldn’t have sent people to investigate its situation. If we use this as bait to draw them out, it would be easier to deal with them.”

“That ghost cultivator had previously exchanged blows with me, but he is extremely cautious. He quickly retreated after just a few moves. Moreover, Boundless City hasn’t sent anyone to Splendor during this period, so luring them out won’t be easy.”

“Then let’s just attack directly. They are in the open, and we are concealed—that’s an advantage. They probably won’t expect us to have such ample manpower. All we need to do is have someone provoke them from outside, and Boundless City certainly won’t ignore it. If they dare to rush out... heheh.”

“But they’re not fools. If we make it too obvious, they’ll surely see through it. And even if successful, killing a few ordinary Dao Realm cultivators is useless. The ones we need to kill are that ghost cultivator and Boundless City’s Lord!”

The group of Dao Realm cultivators discussed animatedly, each offering their opinions, and the atmosphere was lively.

Chen Gushan suddenly looked at Lu Ye, who had been silent, “Little friend Lu, do you have any ideas?”

Lu Ye returned to his senses and said, “Boundless City is a Dao soldier, and it’s controlled by a Pinnacle Dao Realm expert, so its defenses must be extraordinary. Even if we can lure out and eliminate some enemies, if we can’t breach Boundless City’s defenses, we still won’t solve the problem fundamentally. So, I’ve been thinking, can we exert force from within?”

“From within?” Everyone was startled.

Lu Ye turned to look at the little cat demon who had been unconscious nearby. “She is a beast cultivator from Boundless City, and Boundless City has a habit of rearing humans. If I pretend to be captured by her, I might be able to enter Boundless City smoothly. Then, while you seniors exert force from outside, I can act opportunistically and provide some assistance from within.”

“No!” Before anyone else could speak, You Die firmly interjected, “Although the method is good, if you are exposed, you will surely die.”

“That’s why I won’t be going alone,” Lu Ye said, looking at her.

You Die blinked, “You want me to go with you?”

Lu Ye nodded, “Your soul body can hide in my Divine Sea, and we can enter Boundless City together.”

You Die frowned. Honestly, she wasn’t willing to take such a risk.

Having finally emerged from Splendor, she didn’t necessarily have to stay in this troublesome place. She could easily leave far away and find a peaceful spot to advance to the Dao Unification Realm.

As long as she succeeded, all her patience and waiting would be worthwhile.

However, she also knew that Lu Ye wouldn’t agree to that. If he were willing, he wouldn’t be thinking of Boundless City at all.

“It’s very dangerous.” Zi Ying knitted her brows, clearly also disagreeing with Lu Ye’s risky plan.

“It sounds dangerous, but it’s actually feasible,” Lu Ye explained. “Even if we are exposed, with You Die and I working together, we might still have the power to fight. Plus, with all of you outside providing support, we can divert Boundless City’s attention. Escaping then shouldn’t be a big problem.”

The others fell into contemplation.

If Boundless City’s true strength was indeed as You Die had investigated, then Lu Ye’s idea was certainly worth a try. In any case, it was more effective than a direct assault.

“Little friend Lu,” Yan Zhixing asked, “considering the worst-case scenario, even with us providing support from outside, what are the chances of you and Empress You Die escaping?”

Lu Ye thought for a moment and replied, “As long as you all can tear open Boundless City’s defenses for an instant, then there will definitely be no problem!”

He planned to leave a Precious Blood clone here.

Then, even if he and You Die were inside Boundless City, the moment the defenses were torn open, they could directly teleport back to the Precious Blood clone’s location.

With four Pinnacle Dao Realm experts working together, Boundless City’s defenses might truly not be able to withstand such a lineup.

“Good lad,” Yan Zhixing praised. “Since you’re so confident, why not give it a try? Don’t worry, if you’re truly exposed, I’ll risk my life to pull you out!”

Lu Ye chuckled, “Then I’ll be counting on you, senior.”

With the plan decided, they each began to act.

Lu Ye left a Precious Blood clone inside the insect nest. You Die’s soul body hid within Lu Ye’s Divine Sea, and the previously unconscious little cat demon finally slowly regained consciousness.

A short while later, the little cat demon, carrying a disguised Lu Ye, flew off into the distance.

They didn’t return directly to Boundless City but took a long detour.

In the distance behind them, He Linglong activated a secret art to conceal her and Zi Ying’s figures, following from afar as a precaution against any unforeseen circumstances.

Yan Zhixing and Chen Gushan remained in the insect nest, ready to move at any time.

As for Ya Yi and Ku Zhi, You Die’s direct subordinates… they would not participate in this battle. Someone needed to guard You Die’s physical body to prevent any mishaps.

The little cat demon took a very long detour, and only after a full day did she change direction and fly towards Boundless City.

She had been affected by You Die’s soul secret art, and now her body and mind were controlled, so there was naturally no concern about her loyalty.

Boundless City’s beast cultivators often traveled outside, and occasionally captured humans to bring back as their bone vessels. Thus, the little cat demon bringing Lu Ye back to Boundless City was not uncommon.

Another day later, Boundless City appeared in the distance.

Lu Ye, feigning dejection, looked up and saw a magnificent city standing in the depths of the void. It was ancient and mottled, resembling an ancient fierce beast crouching.

Boundless City was originally a power from a certain cosmic star domain. After that domain shattered, the city remained completely intact, allowing cultivators within the domain to use it as a foundation to grow and gradually integrate into the Star Abyss, passing down their legacy through generations until today.

Although the entire city was enormous, it was eerily silent, with no signs of living beings. In such a void, it appeared exceptionally strange.

Outside the colossal city, a layer of hazy light enveloped it. This was clearly Boundless City’s defense; it seemed unremarkable but was certainly not easy to breach.

The little cat demon, holding Lu Ye, flew directly towards the massive city. As they drew near, she took out a piece of jade bone and channeled Dao power into it.

The jade bone immediately produced a mysterious resonance with the hazy aura outside the colossal city.

Immediately after, Lu Ye sensed what seemed to be a scrutinizing gaze arriving through the void, falling upon the little cat demon and himself.

Moments later, Boundless City’s defenses opened a gap, and the little cat demon carried Lu Ye into the city.

Lu Ye quietly sighed in relief.

Before this, he had constantly worried that You Die, hidden in his Divine Sea, might reveal something amiss, as no one knew if Boundless City’s monitoring arrays would detect her presence.

But now that they had entered safely, it seemed there were no issues.

Upon entering the city, the scene immediately changed.

Unlike the desolate appearance from the outside, Boundless City was surprisingly bustling with activity.

Figures darted back and forth across the city's sky, while below, streets crisscrossed, lined with a dazzling array of shops, and the streets themselves were packed with people.

Lu Ye's gaze swept across the area, revealing that most of the beings here were the so-called Beast Race. These Beast Race members were easily identifiable; though humanoid, they generally retained some bestial characteristics.

Roughly estimating, these Beast Race members accounted for about seventy percent of the population, with the remaining thirty percent belonging to other races.

There were signs of the Human Race present.

However, compared to other races, the plight of these humans was undoubtedly dire. Every single one was raggedly dressed and emaciated. Some performed the most arduous labor, while others were even displayed like commodities at sales points, for other races to pick and choose from.