Chapter 2790: Go Under the Sea

Under normal circumstances, this matter would be quite difficult to handle. There's no principle in this world where something sold is redeemed just a few days later; it smacks of capriciousness. However, at this critical juncture, the safety of Changyun Island largely depends on Lu Ye, so such a request is not impossible to accommodate. Furthermore, the precious artifacts require refining and nurturing. The three families wouldn't be able to utilize their power in the short term, so keeping them was useless. Therefore, when Lu Ye made this request, Chu Li readily agreed.

While waiting, Lu Ye's heart suddenly stirred, and he flicked his finger. A burst of crimson light exploded before him, forming a blurry, distorted face that then spoke, "Kid, are you on Changyun Island?" The voice was unmistakably that of Xue Jiu. Since they first drifted into this Origin Realm together, Xue Jiu had left Lu Ye with a blood art mark when they parted ways, allowing them to contact each other using it.

Lu Ye had no intention of contacting Xue Jiu; he didn't quite trust the City Lord of Blood Drink City. He hadn't expected Xue Jiu to initiate contact today. "What if I am?" Lu Ye raised an eyebrow, already understanding the situation. As a Blood Clan member with considerable strength, Xue Jiu, upon arriving in this Origin Realm, wouldn't necessarily be in his element, but his situation would certainly be much better than Lu Ye's. As long as he made contact with the Blood Clan in the Origin Realm, he could easily learn about the battles on Changyun Island. "I knew it was you!" Xue Jiu snorted coldly. "You've got quite some guts, kid, but you're in deep trouble now, heh heh."

Lu Ye frowned. "Get to the point!" Xue Jiu said, "Such a potent poison has never appeared in the Origin Realm. You poisoned so many Feathered Clan members in one go—how could they let it go? Even my Blood Clan wouldn't easily spare you. Moreover, no other race in the Origin Realm has ever suffered such a massive loss at the hands of humans. So, right now, the Feathered Clan is gathering a large army, preparing to attack Changyun Island again. If I were you, what you'd do now is hide quickly, the more covertly the better." Lu Ye's heart sank. Even without Xue Jiu's reminder, he had already suspected as much. Xue Jiu's words merely confirmed his thoughts.

After a moment of contemplation, Lu Ye asked, "The Feathered Clan suffered heavy losses this time. How much fighting strength do they still have?" Xue Jiu burst into laughter. "You underestimate the foundations of the various races in the Origin Realm too much. The Dao power here is so abundant; cultivators grow much more easily than in the Inner Realm. Although the Feathered Clan's losses this time were significant, they're not crippling. They will certainly make a comeback. Moreover, Changyun Island is currently a piece of prime real estate; everyone wants a bite. You might not know this, but your human race's twenty major islands on the Cage Sea have long been secretly divided among the various races. If the Feathered Clan can't take Changyun Island, other races' armies will naturally come to attack. I'm not sure about the situation with other races, but at the very least, the Blood Clan is quite tempted."

Lu Ye remained silent; this situation was truly dire. "Lord Xue, for such a kind reminder, I ought to express my gratitude." Xue Jiu snorted, "Regardless, we both came from the Inner Realm; you could say our fates are intertwined. I just don't want you to die so soon. My words are done; you're on your own!" As he finished speaking, the distorted crimson face began to dissipate.

"Wait!" Lu Ye quickly called out. "Don't expect me to help you much. In this battle for Changyun Island, the Blood Clan will only provide assistance, and I'm new here, so I don't have much authority!" Lu Ye's expression was odd. "I wasn't asking for your help, Lord Xue. I merely have a question." "Speak!" Xue Jiu replied. "Lord Xue, have you found out how to leave this Origin Realm?"

Xue Jiu was silent for a moment before saying, "I'm trying to find out, but I don't have any leads yet. Perhaps only the Half-Sages know how to leave the Origin Realm. Your human race has a Half-Sage who remains hidden from the world; I suggest you try to find his whereabouts. You might get an answer faster than I can." A moment later, Lu Ye stood still, a contemplative look on his face.

He didn't believe Xue Jiu would be so kind as to warn him simply because their fates were intertwined. This Lord Xue was no benevolent figure; how could he feel pity just because they both came from the Inner Realm? The greatest possibility was that Xue Jiu had his eyes on the supreme treasures Lu Ye possessed. At the very least, Xue Jiu knew that Lu Ye had refined the Starry Sky Chessboard. If Lu Ye were to die on Changyun Island, all those benefits would be lost to Xue Jiu, which is why he didn't want anything to happen to Lu Ye.

"Brother Lu!" Chu Li's voice suddenly called out. Lu Ye came back to his senses and looked over, seeing Chu Li, who had left a short while ago, already returned with the three precious artifacts he had sold earlier. "Mission accomplished!" Chu Li handed the three precious artifacts back. Lu Ye took them, thanked him, and then added, "Brother Chu, I'm afraid Changyun Island is no longer safe to stay on." "What do you mean?" Chu Li asked, puzzled.

Lu Ye said, "The Feathered Clan was defeated and retreated; they certainly won't let it go. I suspect they're already mobilizing troops, intent on making a comeback." Chu Li snorted coldly. "Then we'll fight them again! Although the island's defenses are incomplete now, with the poisonous zombie army, our overall strength is much greater than before. It won't be easy for the Feathered Clan to take this island." Lu Ye shook his head. "If it were just the Feathered Clan, we might stand a chance. But I fear it's not just them. Furthermore, the situation on all the major islands across the Cage Sea is looking grim..."

He couldn't reveal the information he'd gotten from Xue Jiu, so he could only briefly explain what he and Si Sheng-ya had seen outside. Chu Li's expression grew solemn as he listened. "So, you're saying these foreign races intend to wipe out our human race this time?" "I don't know the exact situation, but from what I've seen, the intensity of this hunt far exceeds anything before!"

Chu Li couldn't help but look distraught. "But if we can't stay on Changyun Island, where can we retreat to?" There was no place to establish themselves on the Cage Sea itself, let alone beyond it. The entire Origin Realm revolved around the Cage Sea, and everything outside it was foreign territory. No matter which direction they fled, they would simply fall into the foreign races' trap. Lu Ye also wore a worried expression. If it were just him alone, it would be easy to hide. But Changyun Island housed millions of humans—where could such a large target possibly hide?

"Go underwater!" A voice suddenly broke the silence. Chu Li started, his Dao power surging around him. "Who's there!" Soon, however, a look of astonishment crossed his face as he gazed at the black-haired, white-browed figure who had suddenly appeared beside them. After a brief hesitation, his face filled with immense excitement, and he clasped his hands in a respectful bow, "You are... Chu Li of Changyun Island, I greet the Venerated Sage!" The human race's only Half-Sage—he had only ever heard of him but never seen him, and he hadn't expected to have the fortune of meeting him today.

Si Sheng-ya nodded slightly, raising a hand. "No need for formalities!" Lu Ye looked at Si Sheng-ya thoughtfully. "Venerated Sage, did you already have a plan?" Si Sheng-ya gave a bitter smile. "It's not so much a pre-arranged plan as just having made some worst-case scenario preparations. However, with so many clan members on this island needing to be moved, a large-scale spatial array will need to be set up, and we might not have enough time."

Chu Li quickly said, "I will take charge of arranging this. There are several array masters on the island who have experience setting up spatial arrays." The spatial array they had previously used was secretly set up by those same array masters under Chang Yun's orders. "I can help," Lu Ye offered. Si Sheng-ya looked at him in surprise, clearly not expecting a mere soldier-cultivator to possess such an ability.

"Venerated Sage, there's no time to lose. I need you to take me somewhere." "Alright!" Si Sheng-ya nodded, enveloped Lu Ye with his power, and vanished in a flash. Moments later, two figures darted across the Cage Sea at incredible speed. Lu Ye spoke, "Venerated Sage, is this hunt by the foreign races intended to wipe out humanity?" Si Sheng-ya shook his head. "The situation isn't that dire. I observed several major islands; the foreign races only captured clan members with a certain level of cultivation, disregarding the rest. So, they aren't trying to exterminate our race. However, compared to before, the intensity of this hunt is indeed much greater. In the past, foreign races would only capture cultivators above the Dao Attainment realm, as those with too low a cultivation weren't of much use even if sacrificed, and they would leave room for our race to grow."

"Why is there such a change this time?" Lu Ye wondered. Si Sheng-ya said, "That's also what puzzles me. Judging by the current situation, after this hunt, the foreign races won't be able to conduct another for at least five hundred years." All humans with any level of cultivation were captured, meaning there wouldn't be good sacrificial materials for five hundred years. If this hunt were likened to harvesting leeks, then humanity had been cut quite severely this time. Even if some lucky individuals managed to escape this calamity, their numbers wouldn't be significant. The foreign races had maintained an unspoken agreement for many years, but now, for some reason, they had chosen to break it. The crucial point was that their actions left Si Sheng-ya helpless. If the foreign races truly intended to exterminate humanity, Si Sheng-ya would certainly fight to the death. But they had deliberately left a "spark of continuation" for the human race. This was tantamount to them perfectly hitting Si Sheng-ya's psychological limit, leaving the human Half-Sage furious, stifled, and helpless.

Lu Ye frowned, wondering if he should ask Xue Jiu about the situation. Xue Jiu probably knew more. However, with Si Sheng-ya nearby, it wouldn't be appropriate, lest he be misunderstood. And even if Xue Jiu knew something, he might not be willing to tell him. He sped along with Si Sheng-ya until, at a certain point, the human Half-Sage suddenly changed direction, plunging towards the vast sea, with Lu Ye following closely. They descended deep into the ocean, diving further and further. After an unknown distance, Lu Ye suddenly felt his body lighten, and a hazy light bloomed in his vision. He looked around to find himself in a vast space.

Si Sheng-ya said, "This is a hidden place I found years ago and spent many years setting up arrays within. Consider it a refuge prepared for our clan members. I never imagined there would truly be a day it would be needed." Lu Ye's divine sense swept through, and he nodded slightly. "It should be enough to accommodate the clan members from Changyun Island." Given the current situation, the humans of Changyun Island had nowhere else to go. Only underwater could they find refuge, as it was sufficiently hidden. Furthermore, the Sea Race had no Half-Sages, making it safer than other locations.