Chapter 662: Return

Winds Rise Across the Nine Provinces

After a long conversation with Ji Yuan, Lu Ye understood many things, yet it seemed to raise even more questions. However, he couldn't quite grasp what exactly he was confused about.

As they spoke, Immortal Essence Guards continuously returned from outside, saluted Ji Yuan, and then plunged into the Soul Pool, disappearing from sight. The insectoid siege had concluded, and as the spiritual entities of Immortal Essence City, they needed to enter the Soul Pool to slumber and reduce their energy consumption.

Lu Ye recognized several familiar faces, including Liu Sanbao, the Scholar, and the Blind Fortune Teller. As expected, all three were powerful cultivators at the Divine Sea Realm, each commanding an Immortal Essence Guard squad. When they saw Lu Ye, none of them showed much surprise. Due to previous events, all the spiritual entities in Immortal Essence City already knew that an outsider had appeared during the insectoid siege, performed well, and had been recruited into the Butcher's squad. Their gazes met, and they merely nodded slightly in greeting.

Soon, another familiar face appeared: Xi Wanying, who carried a pipa. The woman's gaze at Lu Ye was extremely resentful, as if Lu Ye had committed some unforgivable act against her. However, she always carried that pitiful, melancholic, and fragile expression, like an abandoned, homeless kitten. Yet, anyone who underestimated her because of it would surely face dire consequences. The Butcher had personally admitted that Xi Wanying was stronger than him, and his words implied that she wasn't very forgiving. Thus, seeing her made Lu Ye somewhat uneasy, fearing she might hold a grudge from their last encounter and seek revenge.

Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened. Xi Wanying merely glanced at Lu Ye before looking away. After saluting Ji Yuan with her Immortal Essence Guard squad, she walked into the Soul Pool. Squad after squad of Immortal Essence Guards returned from outside and entered the Soul Pool.

The Butcher also returned with his team. Liu Datong, Yu Qing, and the other spiritual entities who had fought alongside him were all unharmed. "Good job, kid," Liu Datong said, stepping forward and patting Lu Ye's shoulder. The other Immortal Essence Guards also smiled at Lu Ye, their expressions showing approval and commendation.

Lu Ye felt a wave of relief. Although he knew the spiritual entities of Immortal Essence City were immortal after witnessing the Butcher's resurrection, he didn't truly relax until he saw them with his own eyes. Yu Qing winked at Lu Ye and said playfully, "Come again next time, little brother!" Lu Ye chuckled, feeling that her words carried a certain double meaning.

One by one, the Immortal Essence Guards entered the Soul Pool and submerged themselves. The Butcher looked at Lu Ye and began, "Kid, cultivate well. Perhaps the future of Immortal Essence City…" Before he could finish, Ji Yuan interrupted him, "Butcher!" The Butcher changed tack, patted Lu Ye's shoulder, and said, "Anyway, no matter what, just focus on becoming stronger!" Lu Ye nodded. The Butcher turned to the City Lord. "My Lord, I'll go in now too." "Go," Ji Yuan waved. The Butcher glanced at Lu Ye one last time before stepping into the Soul Pool.

Lu Ye watched the Soul Pool for a long time in silence, then suddenly spoke, "City Lord, I should be able to enter Immortal Essence City anytime now, but when I'm outside, I can't discern what's happening inside. How can I know the exact time of the next insectoid siege?"

Currently, when he activated the power of the Rest Fruit Core, two large gates would appear in that special small space. One gate led to the place where Lu Ye used to hone his skills, and the other connected to Immortal Essence City. However, the number of merit points required to open the two gates differed significantly. In principle, as long as Lu Ye had enough merit points, he could indeed enter Immortal Essence City at any time. This time, he gained over 300,000 battle merits and exchanged them for more than 300 drops of Soul Water, a tremendous gain. Lu Ye wasn't sure if he could obtain Soul Water again, as it was the foundation of Immortal Essence City, but battle merits could definitely be acquired again. As long as he seized the right moment, he just needed to enter during the next insectoid siege. Moreover, his strength would only be greater the next time he entered, making it easier to acquire battle merits. For him, Immortal Essence City was practically a tailor-made secret realm for accumulating battle merits.

Ji Yuan shook his head. "The timing of the insectoid sieges cannot be determined. They might occur once every year or two, or perhaps only once every few years. There's no fixed pattern; it solely depends on whether the insect nest has accumulated enough power. As for how you can know the situation inside Immortal Essence City… I have no way of knowing, unless you come in periodically to check." That was clearly impossible. Entering Immortal Essence City once required ten thousand merit points. A visit or two wouldn't be an issue for Lu Ye, but he couldn't sustain such continuous consumption. Furthermore, each insectoid siege only lasted for about ten to fifteen days. If Lu Ye didn't enter during that period, all his previous and subsequent checks would be in vain. If he were to follow that method, Lu Ye might coincidentally catch one insectoid siege after spending perhaps a million merit points. That was quite frustrating.

During the insectoid siege, Immortal Essence City was an excellent battlefield for accumulating battle merits. Furthermore, after this experience, Lu Ye also wanted to help alleviate some pressure on Immortal Essence City during future sieges. While he couldn't do much alone, Immortal Essence City itself was formed by the combined strength of individual Immortal Essence Guards.

"However…" Ji Yuan changed the subject. "You are now considered half a resident of Immortal Essence City, having been assigned to the Butcher's squad. When the insectoid siege occurs, you might just sense it." Lu Ye was astonished. "I've been assigned to Senior Butcher's squad?" The City Lord replied, "When the Butcher brought you back, he said you were a member of his squad, and I didn't object. So, you are now considered part of the Butcher's squad." This was more than just a verbal acknowledgment; in a sense, Ji Yuan's will represented the will of Immortal Essence City itself. His acceptance of Lu Ye's identity meant Immortal Essence City as a whole had accepted him. Apart from not leaving his soul imprint in the Soul Pool, thus not being able to achieve immortality through it, Lu Ye was no different from the other Immortal Essence Guards.

"Then why would I be able to sense an insectoid siege?" Lu Ye asked, puzzled. "You'll know when the time comes. Perhaps I'm mistaken, too." Lu Ye understood that this matter likely involved something unspoken again.

"Then, My Lord, how can I leave this place?" Affairs in Immortal Essence City were concluded; it was time to depart. Last time he entered Immortal Essence City, he didn't worry about being unable to leave because once the time limit was up, Immortal Essence City would generate a repulsive force, expelling all cultivators who had entered. This time, it wasn't the opening of a secret realm, so he probably wouldn't receive such treatment.

"Are you ready?" Ji Yuan suddenly asked. "Ready for what?" Lu Ye turned his head, just in time to see Ji Yuan slowly extending a palm towards him. This palm carried no apparent power, yet under its influence, Lu Ye couldn't help but feel completely out of place within Immortal Essence City. The surrounding scenery rapidly receded. Ji Yuan instantly moved away from him, and the entire Immortal Essence City even appeared in his vision. It was as if he were tens of thousands of feet in the air, looking down upon Immortal Essence City. And the city continued to shrink at an incredibly fast pace, vanishing into a speck in the blink of an eye.

Lu Ye immediately realized that as the City Lord of Immortal Essence City, Ji Yuan could send him out. Ji Yuan's voice resonated in his ear: "Your cultivation has not yet reached the Divine Sea Realm. Prolonged soul departure might lead to incompatibility between your soul and physical body. After you return, remember to use Soul Water to stabilize your soul and rest for a few days." The voice lingered softly, then slowly faded away.

Inside the City Lord's residence, Lu Ye had vanished, leaving only Ji Yuan, a solitary figure. The once bustling Immortal Essence City fell silent once more. The next time it would become lively would likely be during the opening of a secret realm or another insectoid siege.

In another direction, within a small courtyard, a woman in red sat gently swaying on a swing. A white cat lay curled at her feet, peacefully sound asleep. A somewhat familiar voice, tinged with a hint of panic and a touch of surprise, echoed in his ears. Whose voice was it? Lu Ye's mind was a blur; for a moment, he couldn't recall whose familiar voice it was. Yet, subconsciously, he felt that the owner of this voice was incredibly important to him—an absolutely indispensable presence in his life!

He tried to open his eyes but found his eyelids incredibly heavy, unable to lift them. It was as if he had fallen into a nightmare. Suddenly, he finally remembered who the voice belonged to. Yiyi! It was as if a long-sealed door of memories had opened, and countless thoughts surged through his mind. Lu Ye slowly understood his situation. That's right, he had previously activated the power of the Rest Fruit Core, intending to enter the Mirage to hone his skills, but he ended up in Immortal Essence City instead, and then the City Lord sent him back.

But what was this sensation of disharmony? It felt as if his entire being was shrouded in a thick layer of dust, making it difficult for his consciousness to transmit commands and control his physical body's movements. For instance, at this moment, he struggled to even perform a simple action like opening his eyes. In a daze, he recalled the City Lord's final words. His cultivation had not yet reached the Divine Sea Realm, and prolonged soul departure could lead to incompatibility between his soul and physical body. So this was that situation… It was much more severe than he had imagined.

Now, Lu Ye felt as if his soul had entered a foreign body, experiencing various discomforts. He had only been in Immortal Essence City for a mere few days, yet such a condition had arisen. If the duration had been much longer, Lu Ye even doubted that his soul would have been able to reintegrate into his body upon returning. Yiyi's voice rang in his ears, repeatedly calling his name, her voice tinged with a sob. And Amber's restless pacing continually sounded nearby. He had worried them… Lu Ye didn't know how anxious Yiyi and Amber had been during his days in Immortal Essence City, but judging from the current situation, it seemed his physical body had experienced some issues shortly after he entered. (To be continued)