Chapter 323: Youre Not Dead?

Of course, there was another reason to target Qingfeng Gate first: this Ten Thousand Demon Ridge faction was a sixth-rank, while Scarlet Blood Valley and Lightning Ray Sect were fifth-rank. As Lu Ye's first battle after his feigned death and reappearance, it was better to pick an easier target, even if this "soft persimmon" might not be all that soft.

The large ship sailed onward. As it passed the Tianyan Sect's mining vein, hundreds of streaks of light flew down from the ship, plunging into the mine shafts. They returned shortly, many cultivators bearing bloodstains, remnants from dispatching Ten Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators who were exploiting resources in Tianyan Sect's own mine. After the Tianyan Sect's stronghold was captured, the sect had been sealed off for two months with no activity. Naturally, nearby Ten Thousand Demon Ridge forces didn't want to miss the opportunity to plunder resources, so they sent some cultivators here. Now, however, they had met with disaster.

As Tianyan Sect cultivators continuously approached the Qingfeng Gate stronghold, news began to spread. Such large-scale movements couldn't be concealed. Cultivators always managed to gather intelligence on their enemies through various channels. As opposing factions, it was common practice for each to embed ghost cultivators within the other's territory to monitor activities.

The Qingfeng Gate stronghold was instantly on high alert. The garrison commander and deputy commander urgently recalled cultivators who were out, and simultaneously sent messages to Scarlet Blood Valley and Lightning Ray Sect requesting aid. If only Tianyan Sect had come to attack, Qingfeng Gate wouldn't have been afraid. However, with not only Tianyan Sect but also a significant number of people from Canglan Mountain arriving, Qingfeng Gate felt some pressure. The combined forces from both sects were less than a thousand, but still eight or nine hundred, enough for Qingfeng Gate to take seriously.

Honestly, Qingfeng Gate's side was somewhat puzzled about Tianyan Sect's intentions. Because if they couldn't breach the stronghold quickly, Qingfeng Gate could then sandwich them between their own forces and the reinforcements. At that point, Tianyan Sect and Canglan Mountain would surely face dire consequences. Just as Qingfeng Gate was feeling suspicious, a large ship artifact appeared about ten li away from the stronghold, hovering quietly in mid-air instead of advancing further.

Judging by the emblem on the large ship, the arrivals were from Canglan Mountain. As neighbors, Canglan Mountain arrived faster. After waiting for less than half an hour, another large ship arrived through the air; the Tianyan Sect people had come.

The two large ships sailed side-by-side, pressing towards the Qingfeng Gate stronghold. A figure flew out from Canglan Mountain's ship and landed on Tianyan Sect's ship. On the deck, Lu Ye looked at the newcomer: a stately man with a calm demeanor, none other than Song Yin, Canglan Mountain's garrison commander. Zhao Li introduced the two, and Lu Ye and Song Yin exchanged greetings.

Song Yin went straight to the point: "Brother Yi Ye, Brother Zhao has told me a few things about you, but I still want to ask, how confident are you in breaking the formation? How long will it take to break it?" As Zhao Li had said earlier, Song Yin was a very steady person. Even though Zhao Li had repeatedly vouched for Lu Ye, Song Yin still wanted to get a clear answer when he met Lu Ye in person. This matter concerned the lives of his sect's cultivators, and even as a garrison commander, he dared not take too many risks.

His agreement to cooperate with Zhao Li this time was partly because of his good personal relationship with Zhao Li and his trust in Zhao Li's character. Secondly, Zhao Li had assured him that Lu Ye could break Qingfeng Gate's defensive formation. Zhao Li gave a wry smile: "Brother Song, Brother Yi Ye is someone who can trigger resonance thirty-three times consecutively in the Hundred Formation Pagoda. He has also previously led people to capture several Ten Thousand Demon Ridge strongholds. Now that his formation mastery has greatly increased, breaking the formation won't be an issue."

Song Yin merely looked at Lu Ye and calmly stated: "I don't understand formations. All I know is that Qingfeng Gate has already sought outside help. Scarlet Blood Valley and Lightning Ray Sect have each dispatched three or four hundred cultivators, and they are on their way as reinforcements. If we delay here for too long, once the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge reinforcements arrive, our situation will become dire. For us to succeed, we must break the formation quickly, capture the Qingfeng Gate stronghold, and disrupt the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge's plans." Although he didn't ask further, he clearly wanted a direct answer from Lu Ye.

"If the formation isn't broken within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Canglan Mountain's people can withdraw." Zhao Li's expression was astonished, and Song Yin frowned. Even if Song Yin claimed not to understand formations or what thirty-three consecutive resonances in the Hundred Formation Pagoda meant, for a ninth-level Spirit Creek Realm cultivator to claim he could break a stronghold's defensive formation within such a short time seemed overly arrogant. For a moment, Song Yin couldn't help but want to immediately withdraw his own cultivators.

Before coming here, he had heard some rumors about Lu Yi Ye of the Crimson Blood Sect, including events from the Battle of Golden Light Peak. Originally, he had quite admired Lu Ye, but now it seemed the rumors might be unreliable; this young man appeared overly conceited. After a brief contemplation, Song Yin said: "Then I shall await with anticipation." An incense stick's time wasn't long; waiting a bit wouldn't hurt.

He flew back to his own large ship artifact. Zhao Li became worried: "Brother Yi Ye, an incense stick's time... can you really break the formation?" Zhao Li knew how Lu Ye had led cultivators from Divine Concealment Palace and Soaring Cloud Hall to breach the strongholds of Windflower Courtyard and Sunlit Mountain; it was a clever trick, not a true breaking of the formation, and such methods could easily be countered. Even if Lu Ye's formation mastery had improved after passing through the Hundred Formation Pagoda, breaking a formation in the time it takes an incense stick to burn was too exaggerated. Precisely because he was also a formation cultivator, he understood the difficulty of the task.

"Yes!" Lu Ye's reply was resolute.

They covered ten li in mere moments. The two large ships descended, and cultivators from both sects emerged. Separated by the glowing barrier of the grand formation, Tianyan Sect cultivators and Qingfeng Gate members glared at each other, their eyes blazing with fury. Two months prior, many of them had faced each other in the same way, only now their positions were reversed. Despite being besieged, Qingfeng Gate cultivators didn't appear nervous, as everyone knew that relying solely on Tianyan Sect and Qingfeng Gate's current numbers to breach the grand formation quickly was unrealistic. Their own reinforcements were already on the way and would arrive shortly, at which point the offensive and defensive roles would be reversed.

It wasn't until Lu Ye stepped forward. In the crowd, Qingfeng Gate's garrison commander scrutinized Lu Ye for a moment, even rubbing his eyes, before his face filled with shock: "You're not dead?" He had clearly recognized Lu Ye.

He hadn't met Lu Ye in person but had seen his image. Due to the breaches of Windflower Courtyard and Sunlit Mountain strongholds, Ten Thousand Demon Ridge had listed Lu Ye as a key surveillance target, and information and images of him were widely circulated and watched. Two months prior, the Crimson Blood Sect's Seal Bearer had caused a great stir at the Tianyan Sect stronghold, fighting five opponents single-handedly, leading to a fierce battle that even injured Tianyan Sect's Grand Elder. That wasn't all; the Seal Bearer had also entered the Spirit Creek battlefield a second time with a True Lake Realm cultivation, slaying dozens of Ten Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators before retreating under the punishment of the Soul-Annihilating Divine Thunder.

The Crimson Blood Sect's Sect Master personally went to Leizhou, and although he didn't achieve much, he still put the Divine Sea Realm grand cultivators there on edge for a while. Even Li Baxian, ranked third on the Spirit Creek List, had stirred up a bloody storm in the core region because of this. All of this was because Lu Ye had been poisoned by a Ten Thousand Demon Ridge covert agent at the Tianyan Sect stronghold, a piece of news that had been verified by both the Haotian Alliance and Ten Thousand Demon Ridge.

The Ten Thousand Demon Ridge side had rejoiced for quite some time over this, believing their greatest menace was gone and they no longer had to worry about their strongholds' grand formations being breached. But now, the person who should have died was alive and well! Appearing right before his eyes! This was utterly absurd. Qingfeng Gate's garrison commander found it difficult to accept reality for a moment, but he quickly understood what had happened. His emotions were incredibly complex, and he inwardly cursed those from the Crimson Blood Sect for their unscrupulous behavior, noting how convincing their act had been. If not for the Crimson Blood Sect members' extreme reactions, Ten Thousand Demon Ridge wouldn't have been able to definitively conclude that Lu Ye was dead.

"What kind of demonic sect was this?" he fumed. "From the Sect Master and Seal Bearer down to the disciples, they had conspired to put on a grand show, deceiving all of Kyushu. How could they be so insidious and cunning!" Even as he was inwardly cursing in shock, cultivators from both sects began to arrange their formations. Under Lu Ye's guidance, weapon cultivators positioned themselves in a specific section of the defensive grand formation, followed by ghost cultivators, then spell cultivators, with the mere dozen or so medical cultivators standing at a distance, ready to provide aid at any moment.

Seeing this, Qingfeng Gate's garrison commander's heart skipped a beat. The enemy's formation was clearly set for a direct assault on the grand formation. With the precedents of Windflower Courtyard and Sunlit Mountain, how could he not be nervous? However, he quickly reassured himself. The breaches of Windflower Courtyard and Sunlit Mountain's formations, he reasoned, were due to Lu Yi Ye employing some clever tricks, not a true breaking of the formation, and such methods could easily be countered. Even if Lu Ye's formation mastery had improved after passing through the Hundred Formation Pagoda, attempting to break a formation in the time it takes an incense stick to burn was simply too audacious. Precisely because he was also a formation cultivator, he understood the immense difficulty of such a feat.

Just as he was thinking this, Lu Ye stepped forward. He looked up at the defensive grand formation before him, spiritual light flowing in his eyes, enhanced by the Insight Spirit Pattern. While completing the trials in the Hundred Formation Pagoda, Lu Ye had only used the Insight Spirit Pattern to verify his deductions and thus improve his mastery. Now, breaking someone else's grand formation, there was naturally no need to hold back his capabilities. The Insight Spirit Pattern had been activated immediately.

Moments later, Lu Ye raised his hand and sent out a stream of spiritual power, striking a certain spot on the formation's light barrier. The next instant, a Tianyan Sect disciple flew out and stood at that precise location, holding a dark black formation flag, which was precisely the reward Lu Ye had received from the Hundred Formation Pagoda.

On the thirty-third level of the Hundred Formation Pagoda, he had broken a defensive grand formation, but it had taken him over two hours. That was because he had no external assistance then. Now, however, it was different. Tianyan Sect had an abundance of formation cultivators; having them cooperate would significantly increase the efficiency of breaking the formation. Moreover, Lu Ye didn't need to dismantle the entire grand formation this time.

Therefore, on the way here, Lu Ye had already instructed Zhao Li to find thirty-one formation cultivators and distributed his formation flags among them. As Lu Ye continued his actions, one formation cultivator after another, holding a flag, moved to a different designated position. Moments later, all thirty-one were in position.

Qingfeng Gate's garrison commander felt a bad premonition. He had already discarded his previous underestimation, taking out the grand formation jade slip and activating it with full power, bringing the formation's might to its maximum. He might not understand formations, but just by looking at the current situation, he knew that Lu Yi Ye of the Crimson Blood Sect had clearly come prepared this time. With the past lessons of Windflower Courtyard and Sunlit Mountain, he certainly didn't want to repeat their mistakes.