Chapter 2648: Blood Retribution Arrives

Before the city had moved much further, Yuan Xi suddenly sensed something and turned to look in a particular direction.

In that direction, a vast sea of blood surged forward. Its internal aura was complex, dense with life, clearly indicating many cultivators hidden within.

She frowned slightly, puzzled by the sudden appearance of a sea of blood in this area.

Due to the battle between top-tier powerhouses, all nearby Dao Integration cities had evacuated, and even cultivators dared not linger. Thus, the emergence of this sea of blood was highly unexpected.

Moreover, the sea of blood appeared to be heading directly towards the battlefield.

*Is this Xue Jiu's hidden maneuver?* This thought immediately crossed Yuan Xi's mind, but she could vaguely sense that while there were many cultivators within the sea of blood, they were utterly unqualified to intervene in that major battle. If they were to force their way in, the mere aftershocks would likely annihilate them.

Yuan Xi City, under You Die's control, had already slightly adjusted its course, intending to avoid the sea of blood.

However, in the next moment, the sea of blood, which had originally been drifting towards the battlefield, also changed direction.

"It's coming for us!" Yuan Xi suddenly realized.

She was even more bewildered, unsure why their city was being targeted by this sea of blood. Furthermore, with the Shen secret technique's blessing, the city should not have been detectable.

"It's coming for me!" Lu Ye's face darkened. His first thought was Xue Jiu.

When Xue Jiu possessed his body to fight Yun Shiwang, although Lu Ye had relinquished control of his physical form, he could clearly sense the Blood Lord's covetousness for his body.

It was an extremely strong desire.

When he used the power of the Talent Tree to incinerate Xue Jiu's clone in his Soul Sea, the entity had still bellowed that it would find him, no matter where he went.

With such a rare opportunity, Xue Jiu was certainly unwilling to give up on seizing his body.

Since he could use spatial mysteries to bring other top-tier powerhouses here, it was natural that he could also bring a group of cultivators along.

However, these cultivators were not as fast as the top powerhouses, so they arrived late, just as Yuan Xi City was retreating.

But... how did they find Yuan Xi City?

As Lu Ye pondered, the surging sea of blood rapidly coalesced into a colossal head.

It bore a faint resemblance to Xue Jiu!

The blood-red head's eyes fixed on Yuan Xi City's location, and a thunderous voice boomed, "Boy, where do you think you're going to run?"

Lu Ye immediately focused his mind, examining the soul crystal left in his Soul Sea after refining Xue Jiu's clone.

He had a faint feeling that the problem lay with this very soul crystal.

Although the power of the Talent Tree had incinerated all traces of Xue Jiu, this crystal was still inherently his, and Xue Jiu likely had some subtle connection to it.

If Lu Ye had been able to refine it, this situation wouldn't have arisen, but with time so pressing earlier, he had no opportunity to do so.

The colossal head dispersed, and the sea of blood dramatically increased its speed.

At the same moment, Yuan Xi City revealed its presence and fled at lightning speed into the distance. Since it was already exposed, there was no need to hide. You Die instantly activated the city's formation power to its maximum extent.

Yet, it still couldn't shake off the pursuing sea of blood.

Within mere dozens of breaths, the sea of blood enveloped Yuan Xi City. A viscous sensation spread, and the city's speed significantly decreased.

"So many Dao Integration cultivators!" Yuan Xi's expression turned grim. She sensed the presence of at least a hundred Dao Integration cultivators within the sea of blood.

This demonstrated Xue Jiu's determination to seize Lu Ye's body.

The good news was that there was no sign of any enemy Dao Integration cities, meaning no city-lord level powerhouses would appear.

Xue Jiu probably wasn't unwilling to dispatch Dao Integration cities, but their speed was too slow for the current situation. Furthermore, to lure out the Starry Sky Chessboard earlier, he had invested heavily in this battlefield, and might not have any suitable Dao Integration cities left to mobilize.

Moreover, the wormhole he created was not stable enough and likely had a transit limit. After the five most formidable powerhouses from the Inner Realm passed through, the wormhole was surely on the verge of collapse, which is why only about a hundred Dao Integration cultivators could follow.

Still, this number was considerable for Yuan Xi City, and it might not be able to withstand them.

The moment the sea of blood enveloped the city, the siege began. Numerous fierce attacks slammed against Yuan Xi City's protective grand formation, causing ripples to spread across it.

Furthermore, this sea of blood was highly corrosive, capable of eroding the formation's light barrier.

Many cultivators within the city had already arrayed themselves, helping to stabilize the grand formation.

Lu Ye looked up, and through the crimson haze, he saw a figure: Xue Jiu.

He stood there, looking back calmly, his gaze playful yet filled with greed.

This was certainly not Xue Jiu's true body; his true body was engaged in battle with Ba Qiu on another battlefield. This was likely a manifestation akin to a 'Blood Treasure Clone'.

"General, follow me out to slay the enemy." As Yuan Xi spoke, she prepared to charge out of the city. With her current position as a Grandmaster-tier City Lord, none of these Dao Integration cultivators could withstand a single blow from her. However, their sheer numbers made it very dangerous to venture out.

But not charging out was also not an option; such passive defense meant the grand formation wouldn't last long. They had to swiftly reduce the enemy's strength to have any chance of escape.

"Please wait a moment, Senior!" Lu Ye quickly interjected.

Yuan Xi was about to ask why, when she suddenly noticed a blood-red line extending from Lu Ye's feet, merging into the sea of blood outside. Her heart immediately understood what Lu Ye was doing.

The moment the sea of blood enveloped their city, Lu Ye had also quietly activated his blood arts, spreading his own sea of blood to merge with the enemy's.

This way, he too could gain the many advantages the enemy possessed within the sea of blood. He wouldn't have his senses or vision obscured, preventing the enemy from exploiting their territorial advantage. This wouldn't take him much time.

While preparations for the battle were underway.

Not far from Yuan Xi City, two hidden figures were observing.

They were a man and a woman; the man was handsome and refined, while the woman was enchanting and charming.

Judging by their positions, the woman was clearly the dominant one, with the man standing two steps behind her.

If Yuan Xi were present, she would undoubtedly recognize them at a glance as Ni Chilian and Chang Ming, whom she had met not long ago.

After Ni Chilian met Yuan Xi that day, she was not in a hurry to leave the snowy plains. Before long, a major battle erupted in Thin Bamboo City, and the Starry Sky Chessboard appeared, causing news to spread like wildfire.

Ni Chilian naturally learned of this quickly and rushed here with Chang Ming.

However, they arrived a little late. By the time they reached the location, the Starry Sky Chessboard had already vanished, Ba Qiu had arrived, and the Heavenly Jade Sword was shattered. The aura of several top powerhouses from the Inner Realm clashed, and a major battle was on the verge of erupting.

This, however, gave her an opportunity to conceal herself; otherwise, Feng Lord, if no one else, would certainly have detected her presence.

She had no interest in the struggle among the Inner Realm powerhouses; who won, who lost, who lived, or who died had nothing to do with her. Her focus was on Yuan Xi City.

She had detected Xue Jiu's hidden maneuver earlier than anyone else. Now, with the sea of blood surrounding Yuan Xi City, she showed no sign of intervening, merely observing with a cold gaze.

Chang Ming stood quietly behind her, not uttering a word. As Ni Chilian's most important confidant, he naturally knew his master's intentions.

This was clearly meant to make Yuan Xi suffer a bit, preferably by letting Yuan Xi City be breached. That way, Yuan Xi would lose her desire for anything else. Then, when Ni Chilian reappeared, she could turn the tide and bring Yuan Xi back with her.

After a slight pause, Chang Ming couldn't help but ask, "Madam, I see the Lady intends to go out and fight the enemy. It might be dangerous. Should I go and assist?"

Ni Chilian shook her head. "No need. If you show yourself, she'll surely know. Besides, with me here, who can harm her?"

Her tone was incredibly gentle, like a spring breeze to the ear, yet her words conveyed immense confidence.

Chang Ming realized she was right. Xue Jiu was only present as a clone, unable to exert much power, and his true self was fully engaged with Ba Qiu. As for the other Dao Integration cultivators, while numerous, they were truly of no concern to Ni Chilian.

No sooner had the words left her mouth than Ni Chilian frowned, a hint of annoyance surfacing on her delicate face.

This was because, within her sight, Lu Ye had actually raised his hand and gripped Yuan Xi's shoulder.

This action displeased her greatly.

Chang Ming, standing behind her, remained composed. "This human soldier seems to possess some remarkable abilities. The last time I carried out your orders, he assisted the Lady in slaying enemies in this very manner."

Ni Chilian spun her head around, her peach-blossom eyes glaring at Chang Ming, as if asking, *Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?*

However, her glare lacked any real menace, making her appear all the more enchanting instead.

Chang Ming found it delightful.

"Kill!" A cold shout drew Ni Chilian's attention back. She looked up to see Yuan Xi and Lu Ye charging out of the city together. Yuan Xi had summoned her Dao soldiers, immediately manifesting her second form, enveloped in white armor and looking valiant.

Her first target was Xue Jiu's clone, but by the time she charged over, the clone had already disappeared into the depths of the sea of blood.

From all sides, a dozen or so figures launched a concerted attack. Each was a Dao Integration cultivator, and in that instant, the spiritual energy within the sea of blood became incredibly chaotic.

Although these dozen-plus Dao Integration cultivators had never practiced any grand formation, their timing was perfectly coordinated. Even if Yuan Xi could handle some of them, she couldn't block them all.

Ni Chilian raised an eyebrow. Far from being worried, she was somewhat pleased.

She yearned for Yuan Xi to be defeated quickly so that she could personally intervene and make Yuan Xi understand how perilous and cruel the outside world was. In this vast world, only Scarlet Refinery City was the best and most secure place.

However, in the next moment, she frowned. This was because the dozen-plus Dao Integration cultivators, who had been coordinating so well, suddenly had their formation disrupted.

It was the Blood Clan Dao Integration cultivators whose formation scattered.

This time, Xue Jiu came for Lu Ye, and he didn't have many subordinates he could mobilize. Therefore, they were all from the Blood Clan and the Insectoid Clan, with roughly equal numbers.

Ni Chilian couldn't immediately grasp why all the Blood Clan Dao Integration cultivators seemed to have been struck by lightning, suddenly becoming weak-kneed, their surging spiritual energy greatly subdued.