Chapter 602: Heavy Casualties

Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan were both at the Cloud River Sixth-level Realm. However, with their profound foundations, the power they could unleash far surpassed that of typical Sixth-level cultivators. As for Jujia, he was a monster. His physique was as strong as forged steel. While Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan still needed to dodge enemy counterattacks when killing foes, Jujia simply charged head-on, letting enemy attacks land on his body with thudding sounds, affecting him not in the slightest.

Under normal circumstances, even with their immense power, the three of them could not have faced so many enemies. However, the cultivators from Holy Universe Spirit Land had first been suppressed by the anti-air formation and were now besieged by another formation. Moreover, with numerous demon wolves attacking, panic spread, turning the situation into utter chaos and providing the trio with room to display their individual strengths.

"Break the formation! Quick, break it!"Huo Liaoyuan's furious roar echoed through the sky, his eyes bloodshot. As he roared, his entire being seemed to ignite like flames, and the formidable power of his Ninth-level Realm swept across the area. A massive fireball, like a sun descending from the sky, slammed into the protective formation. Under this impact, the formation's light barrier visibly caved inwards for a moment, and its brilliant glow suddenly dimmed slightly. At this very moment, many other cultivators from Holy Universe Spirit Land also launched their attacks simultaneously, making the scene incredibly intense.

Within the Spirit Land, the number of Holy Universe Spirit Land cultivators killed had already exceeded thirty, and as time passed, more and more cultivators continued to perish. Li Baxian and his companions moved in a chaotic dance, while the wolf pack surged forward, orchestrating a symphony of death.

At this juncture, the surviving Holy Universe Spirit Land cultivators within the Spirit Land finally managed to organize a defensive line. Over thirty individuals pressed their backs against the confinement formation's light barrier, with body cultivators deploying large shields at the front, forming a human wall. They engaged in a desperate struggle against the attacking wolf pack.

However, without breaking the confinement formation, they had no immediate way to escape. In such a situation, self-preservation was their utmost limit; how could they possibly have the energy to break the formation? Their only hope now was for Huo Liaoyuan and the others to breach the protective formation and rush in to rescue them.

Boom, boom, boom...Continuous loud thuds resounded, and the protective formation's light barrier rapidly dimmed. Although the power of this second formation was significantly more robust than the first, it could not withstand the incessant attacks of so many cultivators. After all, this was merely a protective formation set up by Lu Ye on his own, and its ability to hold out for this long was already remarkably rare.

Within the Spirit Land, Lu Ye remained in place, remotely controlling the formation's operation. A formation with someone actively directing it was entirely different from one left unattended. While he knew the protective formation wouldn't last much longer, extending its duration for even a little more time could only be beneficial.

Just then, he suddenly shifted his body, and a short blade grazed past his neck, striking empty air. A ghostly figure materialized a few steps behind him. The ghost cultivator, who had launched the sneak attack, wore an expression of utter astonishment, seemingly not expecting Lu Ye to evade such a concealed strike.

It had to be said, this ghost cultivator was incredibly daring, still thinking of assassinating Lu Ye in such a chaotic situation. Their primary objective for this expedition was Lu Ye; if they could kill him, then all their previous losses would be somewhat acceptable. Yet, this seemingly foolproof strike had failed to land.

With his presence exposed, the ghost cultivator immediately attempted to retreat. However, a fiery red saber light had already descended before him, followed by a flurry of attacks.

Watching from the shadows, Xia Liang observed the scene silently, his eye twitching. He couldn't help but recall the days in Fox Immortal Valley when he had meticulously taught Lu Ye saber techniques, even fully imparting the Mind's Eye secret art to him. Although Lu Ye had applied a Guardian Engraving on him, that engraving was only temporary and would lose its effect after a few uses. Compared to what Lu Ye had gained, what did it truly amount to?

What shocked Xia Liang even more was that Lu Ye had actually grasped the basics of the Mind's Eye secret art in such a short time. And judging by his reaction speed, the range his Mind's Eye could perceive was even greater than Xia Liang's own. What kind of monster was this?

And... this fellow was already at the Cloud River Fifth-level Realm? Xia Liang truly couldn't fathom what miraculous elixirs Lu Ye had consumed for his cultivation to advance so rapidly. Recalling their first meeting two months prior, the man had only been at the Cloud River Third-level Realm, fleeing desperately like a stray dog from Xia Liang's pursuit. In Fox Immortal Valley, he was merely at the Fourth-level Realm, and now, after just a few days apart, he had advanced another level.

"Agh!" The ghost cultivator spat blood, flying backward with a gaping wound across his chest and abdomen. Before he even hit the ground, several demon wolves pounced on him, followed by agonizing screams and the sound of flesh being torn. This ghost cultivator, like Yan Gui whom Lu Ye had killed before, was at the Cloud River Seventh-level Realm. However, a Seventh-level cultivator who once required Lu Ye to exhaust all his means to defeat was now effortlessly dispatched in his presence.

Crack...A shattering sound echoed.Numerous cracks appeared on the protective formation, making it instantly precarious. Although the ghost cultivator's sudden attack didn't harm Lu Ye, it did tie him down, preventing him from controlling the formation. This indirectly accelerated the Holy Universe Spirit Land's progress in breaking through. Even more intense sounds of breaking followed, until the entire formation's light barrier completely shattered.

"Save them!" Huo Liaoyuan roared through gritted teeth. Although he wished to tear Lu Ye limb from limb, he wasn't consumed by rage at this moment and instead issued a highly appropriate command. Numerous cultivators swarmed in, passing through the confinement formation's light barrier without hindrance. They converged with the surviving cultivators within the Spirit Land, simultaneously fending off attacks from Li Baxian's group and the wolves while turning to bombard the confinement formation's light barrier. The confinement formation was significantly weaker than the protective formation. If not for being entangled with the wolf pack, the trapped cultivators would have long since broken through it. Now, with the assistance of their comrades, the confinement formation shattered completely in just thirty breaths of time.

From hundreds of yards away, Lu Ye's gaze met Huo Liaoyuan's; one was calm as water, the other seething with fury. After a few breaths, Huo Liaoyuan suppressed his anger and gritted out, "Retreat!" At his command, the many cultivators from Holy Universe Spirit Land fought and retreated, quickly moving outside the Spirit Land's boundaries. The wolf pack did not pursue them. Within the Spirit Land, aided by the anti-air formation, they could still contend with cultivators, but outside, where cultivators could fly, the threat posed by the wolves was drastically reduced.

The cultivators returned in disarray, each one shaken. Some of the more emotionally vulnerable female cultivators even burst into tears. They had endured some dangers on their cultivation journey thus far, but never had they felt so helpless. Trapped within the Spirit Land, the aura of death had been like an invisible beast, licking at their souls, pushing them to the brink of collapse. So many fellow disciples, with whom they were familiar, had died tragically beside them. After today, this battle was destined to become a lifelong nightmare they could never escape.

"Lu Yiye, you are dead!" Huo Liaoyuan roared, blood seeping from his tightly clenched teeth. He had initially believed this expedition would be an easy accomplishment, but it had instead resulted in catastrophic losses, all within the span of a brief moment! As the decision-maker and leader of this operation, he would undoubtedly be held accountable in the future, perhaps even punished by the sect. And the culprit behind all this was Lu Ye. His hatred for Lu Ye was so profound that all the waters of the world could not wash it away.

And then there was that shadowy figure who had leaked the intelligence... He had previously suspected that the person secretly leaking intelligence must have suffered greatly at Lu Yiye's hands, thus seeking to use others to kill him. Based on the intelligence he received, he had already tried his best to overestimate Lu Ye's strength; otherwise, he wouldn't have brought so many people. Yet, upon their first engagement, his side had collapsed like a crumbling mountain, suffering immense casualties. Before coming, he had never imagined he would encounter such a setback, but it had unfolded right before his eyes. The anti-air formation... how could a Cloud River realm cultivator set up such a formation?!

Within the Spirit Land, Lu Ye watched him with a calm gaze, saying nothing, showing no trace of a victor's pride. Then he waved his formation flag, reactivating the concealing formation, which enveloped the entire Spirit Land and made it vanish from everyone's sight. This placid reaction only further inflamed Huo Liaoyuan's fury, almost making him explode.

"Brother Huo," an Eighth-level Realm soldier cultivator, bearing numerous wounds and bloodstains on his face from an obvious bitter fight, approached Huo Liaoyuan. "What do we do now?"

Huo Liaoyuan turned and looked around, seeing faces filled with lingering fear, panic, and the relief of having narrowly escaped death. He had brought over one hundred and fifty people, but now, fewer than one hundred remained alive. In other words, in that brief span of time, over sixty people had died within the Spirit Land! Huo Liaoyuan's lips twitched; his mind was in turmoil, and for a moment, he didn't know what to do.

With their current strength, if they organized a strong assault, there might be a chance to kill Lu Yiye, but it would undoubtedly come at the cost of even more devastating casualties. Having already lost so many, how could he dare to sacrifice more? The opponent clearly wouldn't counterattack. Within the Spirit Land, the anti-air formation significantly weakened the cultivators' abilities, allowing the demon wolves to participate effectively in combat. A counterattack from Lu Ye's side would only be suicide. In other words, in this situation, no matter who it was, the attacking party would suffer greatly.

"Rest here and wait for reinforcements!" After a long moment, Huo Liaoyuan's dry lips finally managed to utter a sentence. The Sacred Flame Sect and the Universal Sect still had many people who could be mobilized; it would just take more time. If a hundred people weren't enough, they would gather two hundred. If two hundred weren't enough, then three hundred. No matter what, Lu Yiye had to die.

With the order given, the Eighth-level Realm soldier cultivator visibly relaxed. He had genuinely feared that Huo Liaoyuan, in his rage, would make an ill-advised move. The spirit boat, which had been suspended in mid-air, slowly descended. The disheveled cultivators from Holy Universe Spirit Land set up camp at the entrance of Returning Heaven Valley, resting their minds and bodies. In the shadows, Xia Liang and Tan Sheng remained silent. They had hidden there, originally hoping to reap benefits from the chaos, but instead, they had witnessed an unimaginable drama, leaving their emotions conflicted.