Chapter 616: Song Chasing

A man, seemingly no older than twenty, stepped forward. The spiritual energy emanating from him, however, clearly indicated he was a ninth-level Cloud River Realm cultivator.

To possess such a high cultivation at his age undoubtedly spoke volumes about his exceptional background and talent.

The man was strikingly handsome, with an extraordinary demeanor. What was rare was that he showed no trace of the arrogance or aloofness often associated with disciples from major sects. Instead, his face radiated an approachable warmth, and his faint smile made people feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze.

He ascended into the air, hovering about ten *zhang* above the ground. Once he had attracted the attention of the nearby cultivators, he spoke in a gentle tone, "Friends from all corners of the Nine Provinces, Song Zhui greets you."

As he spoke, he performed a respectful bow, exhibiting impeccable politeness.

Immediately, faint murmurs arose from somewhere in the crowd: "It's Song Zhui from Yuanhong Hall!"

In the cultivation world of the Nine Provinces, new talents constantly emerged, replacing the old. Among the many cultivators present, some might not have known who Song Zhui was, but no one was unfamiliar with Yuanhong Hall.

After all, it was a first-rank sect.

Even when Lu Ye first entered the cultivation world, a woman had told him about the ten first-rank sects in Bing Province, categorized as one palace, two halls, three gates, and four sects. Yuanhong Hall was one of those two halls.

As a Yuanhong Hall disciple active in the Cloud River battlefield, Song Zhui was indeed somewhat renowned, but not everyone knew him personally.

Whether people knew him or not was irrelevant. His status as a ninth-level Cloud River Realm cultivator and a Yuanhong Hall disciple was more than enough.

With that warm smile still on his face, Song Zhui began, "Friends, I won't elaborate on why you've all rushed here from various parts of the battlefield; we all know it well. I am merely honored to stand here today and speak a few words that have been on my mind."

His smile slowly faded, replaced by a solemn expression. "Since ancient times, in the Spirit Stream Battlefield, the Cloud River Battlefield, and indeed throughout the Nine Provinces' cultivation world, the two great factions, the Ten-Thousand Demon Ridge and the Haotian Alliance, have opposed each other. It is natural for cultivators to take sides. For years, the blood feud between us has been a constant struggle, with neither side definitively overpowering the other. However, since Lu Ye emerged from the Crimson Blood Sect, the situation seems to have subtly shifted. In the Spirit Stream Battlefield, countless fellow cultivators from the Ten-Thousand Demon Ridge have died because of him, and many sects have suffered immense losses, especially in the inner and core circles... I previously heard that he led people to destroy dozens of sect strongholds in the inner circle, and I scarcely dared to believe it, but this is already a fact!"

"Furthermore, regarding the core circle, all sects stationed there are third-rank or above, and every one of them is rich with talent. Previously, it might take several years for even a single stronghold of a third-rank sect to be breached. Yet, since Lu Ye stepped into the core circle, he has destroyed dozens of core circle strongholds! On two separate occasions, those core circle sects were even forced to pay him off to avoid disaster!"

At this point, Song Zhui's face showed deep indignation, and his expression grew agitated. "I won't hide it from you all, the Yuanhong Hall, where I come from, was among them. Perhaps many of your sects present here were also among them. This is a disgrace to us, a disgrace to the entire Ten-Thousand Demon Ridge faction!"

The fact that the major sects in the core circle were extorted by Lu Ye twice and forced to pay "peace money," though not a secret, was rarely mentioned by Ten-Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators in public.

It was simply too humiliating.

Yet today, Song Zhui audaciously brought it up, and the effect was surprisingly good, as many in the crowd listened with grim faces.

Cultivators belonged to their sects, and sects represented their honor. How could cultivators remain indifferent when their sects were disgraced? It could be said that while some of the Ten-Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators gathered here were drawn by the bounty on Lu Ye, more were driven by hatred.

"We have all received the grace of our sects, carefully taught and nurtured by our elders, to achieve what we have today. When our junior brothers and sisters were bullied, we were not there! When our sects were humiliated, we were not there! When our sects were forced to compromise, we were still not there!" Song Zhui's voice gradually rose, his warm smile long replaced by an expression of resonating anger. He waved his hand, declaring in a low, resonant voice, "We couldn't intervene in the Spirit Stream Battlefield! But this is the Cloud River Battlefield, and Lu Ye is here!"

He suddenly pointed towards the direction of Returning Heaven Valley: "He's in there! He's in there watching us, mocking us, laughing that despite our overwhelming numbers, we're squabbling amongst ourselves, laughing that we possess the power to flatten everything, yet no one takes the initiative! Laughing that we are nothing but loose sand!"

Below, in the crowd, Ming Zhe felt his blood boil with excitement. He clenched his fists, wishing he could cheer loudly.

Song Zhui's words had truly struck a chord with him.

He suddenly realized that it wasn't that there were no insightful people on the Ten-Thousand Demon Ridge side; on the contrary, many people understood the situation perfectly, they just lacked a leader.

Song Zhui had stepped forward and become that leader. Now, the cultivators of the Ten-Thousand Demon Ridge had hope of uniting as one, forming a rope of hatred strong enough to tear both Returning Heaven Valley and Lu Ye to shreds!

Song Zhui took a deep breath, and his impassioned tone slowly subsided. He calmly said, "Friends, I know that Lu Ye carries a very, very large bounty on his head. Even one-tenth or half a percent of that bounty would be enough for a lifetime. But there is only one Lu Ye, and so many of us have come. As the saying goes, 'one worries not about scarcity, but about unfair distribution.' I understand the concerns many of you harbor, but what I want to say is, are we just going to stand by, constantly wary of each other, allowing Lu Ye to mock us from within? If so, what future does the Ten-Thousand Demon Ridge have then?"

Someone immediately spoke up, "Senior Brother Song, since you've stepped forward, why don't you lead the operation? We will all follow your orders, and I believe other fellow cultivators wouldn't object."

"Yes, yes, Senior Brother Song should lead."

"We will obey Senior Brother Song's command!"

Voices of agreement echoed from various parts of the crowd.

A smile once again bloomed on Song Zhui's face as he cupped his fists in another bow. "Thank you for your kind words. Since I have taken the initiative to step forward, I indeed have this intention, as we cannot simply keep waiting. Of course, if any fellow cultivator has objections, please speak freely. I am not petty-minded."

With the atmosphere built up to such a degree, who would dare to stand up and object? To contradict Song Zhui at this moment would only incite public outrage.

Moreover, Song Zhui's cultivation and background were evident. Even if there were cultivators present whose cultivation was not inferior to his, they wouldn't disgrace him at this juncture.

He subtly raised his hand and pressed it down twice, and the clamor gradually subsided.

Song Zhui continued, "Lu Ye must die, and this spiritual land must be destroyed. But I am not doing this for the bounty; I intend to eradicate a menace for the Ten-Thousand Demon Ridge. I have specifically studied Lu Ye. Although his cultivation is still low, he has achieved many things that no one has ever managed since ancient times. In the Spirit Stream Battlefield, he caused widespread chaos. Now that he is in the Cloud River Battlefield, though he hasn't made any overly startling moves, it is evident from the previous hunting ground incident that if he isn't killed, he will undoubtedly become a grave threat to our Ten-Thousand Demon Ridge in the future! I imagine your sects would also not wish to see him grow, otherwise, they wouldn't have issued so many bounties."

"Furthermore, according to the various intelligence I have gathered, Lu Ye has set up many formations in this spiritual land, especially a large anti-air formation. Just recently, a fellow cultivator lost their life because of it. Additionally, there are nearly three hundred demon wolves in this spiritual land, which should not be underestimated. Of course, with so many of us, we already possess enough power to overwhelm them. What I want to remind everyone is to still be extremely careful. While the bounty is good, one must be alive to enjoy it."

"As for the bounty after Lu Ye's death... I will compile statistics in advance. All fellow cultivators who participate will equally share Lu Ye's bounty! Of course, this task will require assistance. Later, if any skilled junior sisters are willing to help me, they can come find me."

At his words, many were surprised, truly not expecting Song Zhui to make such a decision.

The bounty on Lu Ye was indeed massive, but if it were to be divided equally among so many people present, it wouldn't amount to much. At most, it would be a small windfall.

Something was better than nothing.

Furthermore, Song Zhui was right; the main purpose of killing Lu Ye this time was not for the bounty, but to eradicate a menace for the Ten-Thousand Demon Ridge. The bounty received was secondary.

Moreover, with so many people acting together, there would be virtually no risk, making the bounty essentially free money.

At the entrance of Returning Heaven Valley, the dispersed cultivators of the Ten-Thousand Demon Ridge found their resolve unified by Song Zhui's words. Although some were still somewhat reluctant, the momentum was undeniable, and they found it difficult to resist.

Song Zhui then spoke a few more words, primarily advising the Ten-Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators to prioritize their own safety, which further convinced everyone of his good character.

After Song Zhui descended, several female cultivators volunteered and approached him. Following Song Zhui's instructions, the female cultivators eagerly began compiling a list of the names, origins, and factions of the cultivators participating in the assault on Returning Heaven Valley.

Although there were many Ten-Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators, the female cultivators were highly efficient. In less than half an hour, several jade slips were presented before Song Zhui.

He gave the female cultivators a warm smile, "Junior Sisters, you've worked hard."

The female cultivators reacted differently: some responded with smiles, some were too shy to speak, and some even took the initiative to exchange battlefield imprints with Song Zhui. Song Zhui readily agreed to all requests.

After he had attended to the female cultivators, Song Zhui began to examine the contents of the jade slips.

A voice suddenly echoed beside him: "Are you really doing this without a shred of conscience?"

There was only the voice, no visible figure. Even cultivators passing by Song Zhui did not notice anything.

Song Zhui lowered his head, his lips moving almost imperceptibly: "You're certainly not the only hidden ghost cultivator here. You'd better not let anyone else succeed, Ying Wuji. I trusted you enough to team up with you, and I've gone to great lengths to rile up this crowd. Don't you dare disappoint me."