Chapter 2279: Battle Aftermath

Qin Yi had been anxiously waiting for most of the day, her heart pounding. Then, a small human Daylight Realm cultivator returned to Fangcun Mountain, calling out to the medical cultivators who were waiting. He informed them that the great battle was over, their side had achieved a resounding victory, and the entire Purple Mist Army had been annihilated!

Qin Yi could hardly believe it.

She was well aware of the Purple Mist Army's immense power. It was precisely because she knew their strength that she had rushed to Yuluo. Such a force, when viewed across the starry sky, was something no ordinary galaxy could contend with. Even if Yuluo possessed considerable strength and the capital to resist the Purple Mist, achieving victory would surely come at a tremendous cost.

But how long had it been?

Yuluo had actually won, and it was a crushing victory! Meanwhile, the Purple Mist Army, which she had considered so powerful it could only be looked up to, had been utterly annihilated.

Utterly annihilated—this undoubtedly meant that from the Daylight Realm to the Star Dweller Realm, not a single member of the Purple Mist Army had escaped! What price must Yuluo have paid for such a victory?

Qin Yi had expected Yuluo to suffer tremendous casualties, but looking around now, there were hardly any injured cultivators on Yuluo's side, let alone those who had died in battle.

On the chaotic battlefield, corpses of Purple Mist demon cultivators lay everywhere. Some had maintained their human forms in their dying moments, while others had reverted to their true monstrous bodies, looking terrifying with their bared fangs and claws.

After the battle, Yuluo cultivators gathered in groups of three or five, joyfully collecting spoils of war. To Qin Yi, they didn't seem like they had just fought a battle; rather, they looked like a crowd at a market.

All these bizarre sights left Qin Yi dizzy and disoriented. She felt as if the world had become utterly foreign.

The great battle itself didn't take much time, but cleaning up the battlefield took considerable effort.

It was a full three days before the dust settled. Everything that should be collected was, including the several warships that Lu Ye had damaged. These ships were dragged into Fangcun Mountain by the cultivators. Although broken, they still contained many usable parts, especially the Daylight Realm-grade vessel. If suitable talent could be found to repair it, there was a chance it could be put to use again.

The Yuluo allied forces gathered inside Fangcun Mountain to celebrate their victory, while Lu Ye piloted Fangcun Mountain, returning the way they had come.

A few days later, near Kyushu, Fangcun Mountain settled down again.

After the celebrations, Xu Yuan found Lu Ye and bid him farewell.

The Soul Clan's venture out of their ancestral land this time was primarily at Lu Ye's request. Had it not been for him, the Soul Clan would not have rashly participated in conflicts in the starry sky. Now that the war was over, they had no intention of staying out for long and naturally wished to return to their ancestral land.

Lu Ye earnestly urged them to stay. The Soul Clan had played an indispensable role in the smooth progress of the battle against the Purple Mist this time. Under the influence of soul possession, the Yuluo allied forces, from the Star Dweller Realm to the Daylight Realm, had all seen their strength greatly increased, which allowed them to win so easily. Otherwise, relying solely on the mermaid tribe's secret arts for enhancement, the Yuluo allied forces would at most have gained the upper hand, and significant casualties would have been unavoidable.

Xu Yuan gently refused. The main reason the Soul Clan was generally reluctant to show themselves publicly outside was their dislike for the outside environment. Just as fish need to live in water, their ancestral land was the most suitable place for the Soul Clan to survive. Although being outside wasn't as extreme as fish leaving water, there was indeed a sense of discomfort that was only alleviated when they possessed a living being.

But unless the relationship was extremely intimate, who would want to be constantly possessed by a Soul Clan member? If that were the case, there would be no secrets left.

"You have now advanced to the Daylight Realm. Finish your affairs quickly and make a trip to the ancestral land. The cultivation of the Soul-Suppressing Secret Art has unique advantages there," Xu Yuan sincerely advised.

"Yes!" Lu Ye respectfully assented.

Every Daylight Realm cultivator has their own Soul-Suppressing Secret Art, because at this realm, it is the cultivation of the divine. The Soul-Suppressing Secret Art is the most crucial aspect of cultivation at this stage. This secret art is vital to Daylight Realm cultivators and is rarely used, but when it is, it signifies a life-or-death struggle.

Before his death, Bichen had used his Soul-Suppressing Secret Art, deluding himself that he could drag Lu Ye down with him, but he was stopped by Xu Yuan. Though Xu Yuan's interception seemed effortless at the time, that was because he was a Soul Clan member, whose cultivation in divine souls is unparalleled by any other race. In fact, had Xu Yuan not intervened, even Chen Xuanhai would not have been able to fully block that Soul-Suppressing Secret Art, and if it had affected Lu Ye, the consequences would have been dire.

Even if Xu Yuan hadn't mentioned it, Lu Ye had already been prepared for this. There was no other place in the world more suitable for cultivating the Soul-Suppressing Secret Art than the Soul Clan's ancestral land.

"Yi Yi and the Sacred Beast will be staying; please look after them," Xu Yuan added. It was a rare opportunity to spend time with Lu Ye, and Yi Yi naturally didn't want to miss it, so she had no plans to return to the ancestral land for now. She remained behind with Amber.

"Elder, rest assured!" Lu Ye nodded. To him, Yi Yi and Amber were like family, his kin. He would naturally ensure no harm came to them. Moreover, within Fangcun Mountain, nothing could threaten them.

Led by Xu Yuan, the Soul Clan departed, and Lu Ye saw them off.

A moment later, the Daylight Realm cultivators from Fangcun Mountain's Southern and Western sectors also came to bid farewell. This time, they had come to support Lu Ye, with only one Daylight Realm cultivator left to guard their respective Fangcun Mountains, and many Moonrise Realm cultivators had also been drawn here. Now that the war was over, they naturally had to rush back to prevent anything from happening to their Fangcun Mountains on the way.

They were all from the same family, and their relationship was even closer than with the Soul Clan, so Lu Ye didn't need to engage in too many formalities with them.

Before the formation, the small human Daylight Realm cultivators gathered. Lu Ye spoke, "I was planning to bring this up in a couple of days, but since the senior brothers and sisters from the Southern and Western sectors are leaving now, it's a good time to discuss it."

From the Southern sector, Wu Ji, who was leading them, looked at Lu Ye upon hearing this. "What is it, Junior Brother Lu?"

Lu Ye explained, "Everyone should know about the Myriad Manifestations Sea. The current situation is that our Three Realms Island controls the Myriad Manifestations Sea, and we've reached agreements with various galaxies. There generally won't be any more issues. In the previous battle, we gained control of three top-tier spirit islands. For Myriad Manifestations Island, I've handed its management over to a Daylight Realm cultivator from the Myriad Manifestations Galaxy, to rebuild the Myriad Manifestations Commerce Guild and share the profits. That leaves Purple Mist Island and Winged Heaven Island, both of which are top-tier spirit islands. My idea is, would the small humans like to take one of these, or even both?"

Upon hearing this, all the Daylight Realm cultivators raised their eyebrows. Top-tier spirit islands! Each one in the Myriad Manifestations Sea was a treasure, traditionally occupied only by the most powerful factions. They were limited in number, and their count hadn't changed much since ancient times. Even when the Myriad Manifestations Galaxy used to manage the Myriad Manifestations Sea, they only occupied Myriad Manifestations Island. If top-tier spirit islands weren't so precious, the Skyflame Realm wouldn't have set its sights on Peerless Island back then, only to gain little benefit and instead get into a lot of trouble.

Now, Three Realms Island was supreme, and it had suddenly gained control of three more islands, making it four including Three Realms Island! How many top-tier spirit islands were there in the entire Myriad Manifestations Sea? Monopolizing four was truly extraordinary.

The small human Daylight Realm cultivators exchanged glances, seeing the stirring of desire in each other's eyes. They weren't unaware of the convenience offered by the Myriad Manifestations Sea. Previously, the three parts of the small human race were fragmented, difficult to integrate, and constantly wandering, so they had no opportunity to get involved with the Myriad Manifestations Sea.

Now, things were different. Lu Ye had found the core of Fangcun Mountain. The eastern sector had already integrated with the core, and the southern sector would join soon. Once the western sector integrated, Fangcun Mountain would be complete. They would finally no longer have to wander aimlessly. With Three Realms Island controlling the Myriad Manifestations Sea and having surplus top-tier spirit islands, the small human race was at a distinct advantage. Occupying a top-tier spirit island in the Myriad Manifestations Sea would bring immense benefits to the development of the small human Daylight Realm cultivators. Their spirit talismans had always been in high demand, and merely doing this business would ensure the small human race wouldn't have to worry about resources in the future. As small human Daylight Realm cultivators, they naturally had to consider the future of their race more deeply.

"This... is feasible. I have no objections," Wu Ji immediately nodded.

From the Western sector, Zhang Kun also nodded, "I have no objections either. What about Brother Chen?" He looked at Chen Xuanhai.

Chen Xuanhai said, "That's good. If our race occupies a top-tier spirit island in the Myriad Manifestations Sea, we'll have a place to settle there. The Purple Mist suffered such a huge loss this time; they certainly won't let it go. They might not dare to come to Yuluo again, but they might well go to the Myriad Manifestations Sea to cause trouble. At that time, we can send a Daylight Realm cultivator to guard it, just in case."

Lu Ye blinked. The Fangcun Mountain cultivators were temporarily unaware of the Three Treasures Ruyi Coin. If they knew, they would understand that, compared to Yuluo, the Myriad Manifestations Sea was the place the Purple Mist would fear going to even more. That place was truly a dragon's pond and a tiger's den for them.

"It's settled then. I'll reserve either Purple Mist Island or Winged Heaven Island for you."

"Purple Mist Island," Chen Xuanhai made the final decision. This time, most of the Purple Mist Demon Venerables had died at the hands of the small human Daylight Realm cultivators. Since they had already formed an enmity, they weren't afraid of occupying the original Purple Mist Island.

Lu Ye, of course, had no objections.

A moment later, using his authority as master of Fangcun Mountain, he activated the formation and saw off the small human cultivators from the Southern and Western sectors.

"The Southern sector will be integrating soon. When that happens, Fangcun Mountain's foundation will become much stronger. I truly look forward to it," Wu Qimo suddenly remarked.

Lu Ye also felt a sense of anticipation, because it wasn't just the Southern sector coming, but also the Blood Ultimate Realm, which was coming with it! That realm was said to be formed from one of the Blood Ancestor's arms. He wondered if any changes would occur when it converged with the Blood Refining Realm.

"Junior Brother Lu," Chen Xuanhai said, "of the Purple Mist Demon Venerables you encountered this time, the eight minor demon venerables are probably dead, but as for the two great demon venerables, you must be careful in the future."

Lu Ye was startled. "Senior Brother, do you mean... they weren't their true bodies?"

Chen Xuanhai shook his head. "I'm not sure. A Dharma Body is different from an ordinary clone, so even I find it hard to tell if they were their true selves. Moreover, even if Bichen and Mo Xuan came in their true forms, they must still have Dharma Bodies alive. They suffered significant losses in this battle, but Yuluo's true strength has also been somewhat exposed."

Lu Ye smiled. "That's fine. If we can make the Purple Mist suffer a loss once, we can do it again. This battle has crippled and severely weakened them; they probably won't dare to come again for a while."

"As long as you know what you're doing," Chen Xuanhai nodded.