Chapter 2776: Guarding the Island

“What do you think he’s doing?”

At a section of Changyun Island’s defense line, Chu Li looked at one of his subordinate cultivators, a puzzled expression on his face.

The cultivator replied, “Since Inspector Lu left, he’s been constantly provoking the enemies in the Blood River.”

“Provoking?” Chu Li was even more bewildered.

“Yes, he’s been patrolling along the island’s edge, sending blade energy into the Blood River without a moment’s pause.”

Chu Li was momentarily stunned, unable to figure out what Lu Ye was doing. Although Lu Ye was powerful, what good would it do to send blade energy into the Blood River when enemies were hidden within? It might be called provocation, but it likely had little effect and only wasted his spiritual power.

“Are there any enemy casualties?” Chu Li asked again.

“No, his blade energy doesn’t seem to cause much damage; he doesn’t appear to be using much spiritual power.”

“Strange…” Chu Li muttered. “Never mind him for now. When he returns, I’ll ask him in detail.”

Honestly, he genuinely couldn't understand Lu Ye’s intentions. Earlier, Lu Ye had been willing to sell three attribute treasures at a loss, leading Chu Li to believe he was raising Dao Fish for a major battle. But now, it seemed the fellow was simply squandering his spiritual power, engaging in thankless efforts. Even if each strike didn't use much spiritual power, doing it repeatedly would still result in a huge drain on his own reserves.

Chu Li certainly didn’t think Lu Ye had gone mad. Although their interaction had been brief, Lu Ye didn’t strike him as foolish, so he must have a purpose for doing this. As for his exact goal, perhaps only he knew.

At this moment, Lu Ye had almost completed a full circuit around the island. He had sent out tens of thousands of blade strikes. Although each consumed very little spiritual power, his overall spiritual power consumption, as indicated by the Talent Tree, had reached nearly four million. A small portion of this was used for carving Dao marks within his inner world, and an even smaller part for activating the blade energy. The majority of the consumption was occurring in another way, and it was ongoing.

Just as Lu Ye was about to redouble his efforts and try to complete another circuit around the island, the inspector’s token at his waist suddenly vibrated. He quickly picked it up to check and found it was a message from Chu Li.

Lu Ye didn’t hesitate. He flashed towards Chu Li’s defense line. Although his plan had deviated slightly and he hadn't managed to complete a full circuit around the island, there were no major issues left. This time, he had made immense efforts without anyone knowing. If it still didn’t succeed, it would be too great a loss.

A moment later, Lu Ye returned.

Chu Li’s expression was grim. “The enemy is about to attack.”

Xia He stood beside Chu Li, her face solemn. In addition to her, more than a dozen cultivators had gathered there, emanating killing intent, their auras calm and composed, clearly indicating profound cultivation. Elsewhere, within nearby formations, many cultivators stood ready for battle.

Lu Ye looked around and asked, “Brother Chu, do we need to enter the formations to assist in defense?”

Chu Li nodded. “Exactly. Your cultivations are all impressive, so I need each of you to oversee a formation and cooperate with me, the commander, in counterattacking and intercepting the enemy.”

Someone clasped their fists and said, “Commander, just give the order!”

The rest of the group chorused, “We obey the commander’s orders!”

“Good,” Chu Li nodded. “We can’t worry about other defense lines; others will handle those. Our task is to firmly guard our own section and absolutely prevent the enemy from breaking through.”

With that, he began to assign tasks. As he gave his orders, figures darted away from his side, each taking their assigned position. Finally, only Lu Ye remained.

Chu Li looked at him. “Can you still hold up?” He was clearly somewhat concerned about the drain on Lu Ye from his previous actions.

“No problem, I’ve been recovering all along,” Lu Ye replied. He currently had several million spiritual power reserves on the Talent Tree, and enough Dao Fish on hand to replenish it at any time, so Chu Li’s concern was unnecessary for him. However, it wasn't easy to explain too much.

“Alright then.” Chu Li nodded, then turned and pointed in a direction. “That formation over there is yours. It’s one of the most powerful formations here, and its core treasure perfectly aligns with your power attributes. Make good use of it.”

Lu Ye clasped his fists. “I won’t let Brother Chu down!”

He turned and darted towards it.

He quickly arrived within the formation. More than thirty cultivators were already waiting there, including both Harmony Realm and Integration Realm cultivators. The Integration Realm cultivators were more numerous, making up about sixty percent. These individuals were all there to assist Lu Ye, serving as auxiliary members for the formation. In battles of this scale, the role of Integration Realm cultivators on the front lines was actually quite limited; they could easily be killed if they encountered powerful enemies. However, by joining formations to assist in defense like this, they could fully utilize their abilities.

Seeing Lu Ye arrive, everyone’s gaze turned to him. Lu Ye didn’t know them and had no time for pleasantries. He simply gave a slight nod and positioned himself before the core of the formation.

The treasure placed at the core of this formation looked, at first glance, like a powerful crossbow, but it was incredibly huge. Such a treasure was clearly not meant for cultivators to use in personal combat, as its immense size made it inconvenient to carry. These types of treasures were specifically crafted for setting up formations.

Lu Ye stood before the crossbow, gave it a quick once-over, then raised his hands and gripped the two recessed grooves on its sides. With a slight turn, the crossbow immediately began to adjust its direction. He slightly activated his spiritual power, injecting it into the crossbow. A faint glow immediately appeared on the crossbow, and as he continuously poured in more spiritual power, the light grew brighter and brighter, subtly showing signs of transforming into a massive arrow. Lu Ye couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

Although he hadn't fully unleashed the treasure’s power, even with this slight test, he realized that activating its full might would require an enormous amount of spiritual power, far more than a single cultivator could sustain. This was why the assistance of a formation was necessary. Only then could the power of the thirty-plus cultivators within this formation be gathered and unified to unleash the might of the formation’s core.

Lu Ye looked back and saw that the thirty-plus cultivators in his formation had all taken their seats, their expressions solemn. Each person had Dao Fish ready nearby, clearly for replenishing their spiritual power at any moment. Lu Ye then turned his head to look around and saw that all the cultivators in the nearby formations were ready, sharpened and eager for battle.

The entire Changyun Island had entered a state of readiness in a short time. Around the edge of the spiritual island, silence reigned, a calm before the storm. It wasn't a long wait, but it felt incredibly agonizing.

“They’re here!” A low cry rang out, and the Blood River began to churn and spread.

Originally, the Blood River merely encircled Changyun Island at a distance of several dozen zhang, like a crimson ribbon around the island. But now, the Blood River began to boil and encroach upon Changyun Island. Not only that, but the crimson color also began to spread upwards, threatening to envelop the entire Changyun Island. Within the crimson mist, shadowy figures appeared and disappeared, like specters.

After just a short incense stick’s time, the light vanished, and the entire Changyun Island was shrouded in crimson. If not for the protective grand formation, the crimson mist would undoubtedly have permeated the island. Wails and howls emanated from within the crimson, causing dread and unease. Furthermore, an eerie song drifted in from all directions, unsettling the listeners and causing their hearts to pound.

“Song of the Sea Demons! Everyone, guard your minds,” Chu Li commanded with a low shout.

Changyun Island’s grand formation was sturdy, and it wouldn't be easy for the enemy to breach it. However, while the protective barrier could withstand fierce attacks, it couldn't block the intrusion of the Sea Demon’s Song. Lu Ye carefully perceived it, feeling as though the strange song contained a mystical power. Listening to it seemed to stir his emotions, causing him an inexplicable irritation. However, this feeling vanished without a trace the moment he slightly activated his power to resist it.

While he could do this, it wasn't as easy for the Integration Realm cultivators within the grand formation to resist. When Lu Ye turned his head to look, he saw that many Integration Realm cultivators wore expressions of extreme struggle. Even a few weaker Harmony Realm cultivators frowned.

The Sea Demon’s Song continued incessantly, showing no signs of stopping. And the enemy’s offensive began amidst such singing.

Lu Ye soon noticed powerful bursts of energy erupting from various parts of Changyun Island, clearly indicating that the defense lines were fiercely engaging the enemy.

“Kill!” As Chu Li’s sharp cry rang out, the battle at this defense line finally began.

The grand formation’s barrier in front began to fluctuate, clearly indicating that enemies had used the crimson shroud to approach the formation and launch an attack. Such a situation, of course, could not be ignored. They could only retaliate with an even fiercer offensive.

Following Chu Li’s command, the formations within the array group began to hum and operate. The same applied to Lu Ye’s side. As he activated his power and channeled it into the crossbow he held, he clearly sensed more power being transferred from various parts of the formation. He immediately calmed himself and focused, beginning to control these powers.

Although it was his first time wielding such a treasure, he knew the general idea even if he hadn’t personally experienced it. Back when he attacked the Harmony Cities in the Inner Realm, similar formation layouts were present within those cities. So, Lu Ye still understood the basic principles. This was also why Chu Li arranged for a dozen of them to oversee the core of the formations: only cultivators with sufficiently strong personal power were qualified to control and harmonize the power transmitted by others throughout the entire formation. If an Integration Realm cultivator were to stand in Lu Ye’s current position, they simply couldn’t do it. Even if others in the formation transferred their power, they wouldn’t have the ability to control it, and thus wouldn’t be able to unleash the power of the formation’s core.

And with his efforts, the fiery glow on the crossbow grew brighter and brighter, quickly transforming into a massive red arrow. Lu Ye’s divine sense permeated the boundless crimson, searching for traces of the enemy. Only when the power of the formation’s core was activated to its extreme did he slightly adjust its direction. The giant arrow shot out instantly, transforming into a streak of fire, like a fire dragon emerging from its lair, boldly smashing into the sea of blood.

The power of this strike was incredibly ferocious. According to Lu Ye’s estimation, it had an explosive power of roughly six thousand units. Although his own strength was no less than such an explosion, and even exceeded it, using the formation would significantly reduce his own consumption.