Chapter 371: Storage of Spirit

The Myriad Devil Ridge recognized Lu Ye as a formidable threat and sought to eliminate him to prevent future troubles. Naturally, the Haotian Alliance was equally aware of his significance.

To the Myriad Devil Ridge, Lu Ye was a harbinger of disaster, a source of chaos. Yet, for the Haotian Alliance, he was a rapidly rising star among the younger generation, a pillar of strength crucial for their future resistance against the Myriad Devil Ridge.

With differing standpoints, their attitudes towards him, and indeed everything, were naturally divergent.

If the Myriad Devil Ridge intended to kill, then the Haotian Alliance would protect. This struggle has been the essence of the two factions' confrontation since ancient times; neither would easily allow the other to have their way.

It wasn't just the Northern Profound Sword Sect that sent people; many sects within the core circle dispatched their members. However, unsure of Lu Ye's arrival direction, the Haotian Alliance had dispersed its forces to scout and await him.

Lu Ye approached from this particular direction, encountering the Northern Profound Sword Sect. Had he come from another, he might have met the Righteous Sect, the Green Jade Sect, or even the Azure Cloud Palace.

The Northern Profound Sword Sect was extremely strict in accepting disciples. Among all the first-grade sects in Kyushu, it had the fewest members. Within its core circle stronghold, there were only a few dozen cultivators from the sect itself. The fact that over ten individuals were dispatched now clearly showed their high regard for Lu Ye, and Li Baxian's influence undoubtedly played a role in this.

"Daoist Lu, you cannot enter the Myriad Poison Forest. The Myriad Devil Ridge has already set up numerous traps there, waiting for you to walk straight into their net."

"Someone from my Blood Sect is trapped inside."

"We've heard. Even if you must go, now is not the time. You need to gather more people first. The Myriad Devil Ridge currently has the upper hand, with thousands of their cultivators gathered there. Without sufficient numbers, it will be difficult to break through their defenses."

"I can't wait any longer. The environment inside is harsh, and my Blood Sect disciples have been trapped for several days. Any further delay will likely lead to a disastrous outcome." Lu Ye turned to Yu Lianzhou. "If disciples from your Northern Profound Sword Sect were trapped inside, what would you do, Daoists?"

Yu Lianzhou pondered for a moment. "I understand. Then we shall accompany you on this journey."

"I am deeply grateful for your willingness, Daoists. However, this path is perilous, so there's no need for you to venture deep into the Myriad Poison Forest."

"Daoist, are you saying you intend to break through alone?" Yu Lianzhou understood the implication of Lu Ye's words.

"I might be able to breach their defenses and enter the Myriad Poison Forest."

"Might?"

"I haven't tried, so I can't be certain. But I still need your help to get there. My whereabouts are now exposed, and many from the Myriad Devil Ridge will likely try to intercept me. I need to recover for a while and maintain my spiritual power."

"But Daoist Lu, even if you truly possess a method to breach their defenses and enter the Myriad Poison Forest, then what? It's filled with poisonous miasma, a truly dangerous place. If you can't escape, you'll eventually perish inside."

"I have my own plan; please rest assured, Daoist."

Yu Lianzhou frowned, uncertain whether he was telling the truth.

Lu Ye smiled. "I value my life more than any of you."

Only then did Yu Lianzhou nod. "Then we shall proceed as you say. But if the task proves impossible, do not push yourself too hard."

"Understood."

"Let's go!"

With Yu Lianzhou's low shout, he mounted his flying sword. Lu Ye stepped onto it, and the group of over ten cultivators transformed into streaks of sword light, soaring towards the Myriad Poison Forest.

Lu Ye had previously worried about the sustainability of his spiritual power. Now, with Yu Lianzhou transporting him on his sword, he could focus on recovering.

He popped a handful of spiritual pills into his mouth and activated the Gluttonous Meal technique, his abdomen buzzing as his spiritual power rapidly recovered.

Along the way, Haotian Alliance cultivators continuously received messages and rushed to converge. They also encountered Myriad Devil Ridge cultivators attempting to intercept Lu Ye. However, after a few groups were annihilated, those Myriad Devil Ridge cultivators no longer dared to act recklessly, not even daring to follow from a distance.

This was because sword cultivators were incredibly fast. If targeted by the Northern Profound Sword Sect's 'sword maniacs,' escape was highly improbable.

Gradually, the number of Haotian Alliance members gathering grew, quickly reaching over two hundred.

But as Yu Lianzhou had mentioned earlier, the Myriad Devil Ridge had seized the initiative this time, having gathered far more people than the Haotian Alliance. Consequently, the Haotian Alliance couldn't amass too many forces in a short period.

He had initially tried to persuade Lu Ye to wait a few more days until the Haotian Alliance could gather enough forces to confront the Myriad Devil Ridge, but his efforts were unsuccessful.

Under normal circumstances, waiting a few more days would have been fine. However, given the current predicament, neither Lu Ye nor Jujia could afford to delay.

Furthermore, even if the Haotian Alliance were to gather sufficient forces, it would at most result in a standoff with the Myriad Devil Ridge.

A standoff involving several thousand people typically wouldn't escalate into a full-blown battle, simply because of the sheer numbers. If a fight were to erupt, both sides would suffer heavy casualties, an outcome neither could bear.

This was akin to the inner circle, where the Myriad Devil Ridge had gathered a comparable number of cultivators to resist the Haotian Alliance forces that Lu Ye had drawn together.

In previous years, such large-scale operations between the two factions were rare; neither side wished to push the other to a point of mutual destruction.

However, ever since Lu Ye stirred up trouble in the inner circle, these large-scale gatherings of cultivators seemed to have become the norm.