Chapter 711: Zhuang Bufan's Realization

What happened in the misty sea, no one knew, and Huang Liang naturally wasn't clear either.When Lu Ye appeared, Huang Liang assumed Lu Ye had merely trapped the enemies within the mist."Killed them all," Lu Ye replied, glancing at him with a calm expression.Huang Liang felt as though he must have misheard something...Ye Liuli cheered with delight, clapping her hands and exclaiming, "Sixth Brother is amazing!"She wasn't fully aware of the strength of the Heavenly Chasm Sect cultivators, only thinking of them as a group of insignificant nobodies. Had she known, she would likely have been utterly shocked.

Only then did Huang Liang regain his composure. "When you said 'killed them all,' young friend... what exactly did you mean?"Lu Ye remained silent, simply raising his hand and waving it, as if wiping dust from a clouded mirror. The swirling mist before them quickly subsided, and the situation at the valley entrance became clear.The bewildered Yun Haitan and his men, along with the prone bodies of Wu Xie and others, were all plainly visible."What?" Huang Liang's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he gazed incredulously towards the valley entrance.It was then he realized he hadn't misheard."Killed them all" was meant literally; every enemy who had charged into Medicine Valley had truly been eliminated!How long had it been?From the moment the young man beside him activated the formation, only a few dozen breaths had passed, yet the Heavenly Chasm Sect had lost several elders and over a dozen disciples...Earlier, he, along with Monk Fahua and Liu Tianyi, had fought a bloody battle below the Heavenly Chasm, and the number of Heavenly Chasm Sect elders they had killed was roughly the same.And that was the result of two highly respected old masters fighting to the death.This unknown young man had managed to achieve the same feat with a mere gesture. Although he had leveraged the power of the formation, it was still almost inconceivable.Gazing at the calm young man beside him, a thought welled up in Huang Liang's mind.When a great change descends from heaven, a prodigy is bound to emerge!

As the mist dispersed, the Heavenly Chasm Sect cultivators also saw the figures in front of the thatched hut. However, unlike when they were in pursuit and paid no mind to Lu Ye and his companions, both the ordinary cultivators and the elders led by Yun Haitan were now filled with apprehension.The bodies of Wu Xie and others were still warm; how could one not be wary of someone who could kill Wu Xie in such a short time?Yun Haitan, having weathered many storms, showed no outward sign of his inner shock. He roared towards Medicine Valley, "You brat, your formation is indeed impressive, but that's all it is. Do you dare come out?"Lu Ye said nothing, but Ye Liuli retorted indignantly, "Do *you* dare come in?"Yun Haitan naturally wouldn't engage in a verbal spat with a young girl like Ye Liuli. He snorted, "Don't think hiding inside makes you invulnerable, boy. If you want to live, hand over the old man beside you! My Heavenly Chasm Sect embraces all talents; someone like you shouldn't die here in vain. As long as you genuinely pledge allegiance, my Heavenly Chasm Sect is willing to accept you, and all past grievances will be overlooked!"Lu Ye said blandly, "I killed so many of your people, and you still won't pursue it?"Yun Haitan replied, "Their deaths were due to their overconfidence. You have proven your worth, young friend; the dead are naturally less useful than the living!" If he could truly bring Lu Ye under his command, this incident could be turned into a meritorious deed, and he would have an explanation for the Heavenly Saint.Lu Ye nodded slightly. "Understood!"Yun Haitan stared intently at him. "How will you choose, young friend?"Lu Ye also looked at him. "Come inside, and I'll tell you."Yun Haitan's expression darkened, clearly understanding Lu Ye's intent."It seems you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin, young friend. In that case, you all shall die here!" Yun Haitan waved his hand. "Continue breaking the formation!"Having suffered a significant loss earlier, the Heavenly Chasm Sect naturally wouldn't venture deeper into Medicine Valley. The grand formation here was indeed strange and powerful, but as long as they didn't enter its confines, no matter how strong its might, it couldn't threaten them. Even with some losses, the Heavenly Chasm Sect still had many more members. As long as they continued their previous efforts, there would eventually be a day when the formation broke, and at that time, everyone hiding inside would meet a miserable end.As he spoke, numerous Heavenly Chasm Sect cultivators unleashed their attacks, which rained down towards Medicine Valley.However, with a wave of Lu Ye's hand, the entire Medicine Valley was enveloped by a light screen. The attacks struck the screen, only creating ripples without causing any damage.

While treating Huang Liang, the Little Medicine Immortal observed, nodding with satisfaction. "I'm very pleased with the payment you provided for the medicine; it's the most valuable payment I've ever received."In peaceful times, such a powerful formation guarding Medicine Valley would make it impenetrable. But now, the Heavenly Chasm Sect had risen in rebellion, and a massive turmoil, originating from Xuezhou, was sure to sweep across the entire Dragon Ascent Realm.Medicine Valley was directly in the path of this conflict, and even the strongest formation might not be able to fully protect it."How long can it hold?" the Little Medicine Immortal asked again."As long as the earth veins don't dry up, the formation won't break!" Lu Ye replied. The formation he had set up in Medicine Valley this time was both an experiment and a practice session. He had combined the grand formation of Medicine Valley with the local earth veins; their existence was now interdependent. The spiritual energy consumed by the defensive formation was drawn directly from the earth veins. Therefore, theoretically, as long as the earth veins didn't deplete, the formation wouldn't be breached.Of course, this was only in theory; in reality, there were many uncertain factors."So, it still has a breaking point," the Little Medicine Immortal understood.Huang Liang spoke up, "Rest assured, everyone. The Imperial Heaven Sect, Vajra Temple, and Haoran Academy have already issued a proclamation, calling on cultivators from across the realm to come to Xuezhou to vanquish evil. I've already contacted reinforcements who are rushing here and should arrive within a few days." Thanks to the Little Medicine Immortal's treatment, his injuries had stabilized, though he would still need time to fully recover.The Little Medicine Immortal nodded. "Let's hope it can last until then."

Suddenly, a fit of violent coughing erupted. Zhuang Bufan, who had been sitting steadily in his chair, seemed to show signs of his injuries recurring.With the coughs, he stumbled to his feet.Ye Liuli quickly rushed forward to support him, asking anxiously, "Brother Zhuang, let me help you back to your room to rest."Zhuang Bufan, however, waved a hand, gasping for air. It took him a while to steady his breathing, then he looked up at Lu Ye. "Brother Ye, I have no sect or faction, and I've lived a life of carefree abandon. Over the years, I haven't made many friends. To have met you before my death, I can say I've lived a meaningful life."Though he hadn't known Lu Ye for long, Lu Ye admired his character, and Zhuang Bufan reciprocated that admiration.Although he didn't know what treasure Lu Ye had produced that had kept him from feeling the bone-deep pain these past few days, he knew from the Little Medicine Immortal's earlier remark that what Lu Ye had offered must have been extremely valuable.And Lu Ye showed no hint of regret using such a precious item on a man who was already dying.Perhaps it was a congenial nature, or perhaps the perspective of a dying man was simply different, but regardless, he was grateful for Lu Ye's efforts and remembered his kindness.For the past few days, a thought had been in his mind, but he had been indecisive because that idea might even harm Lu Ye.But now, it was time to make a decision.Such a divine object should not remain hidden. Furthermore, even if he tried to conceal it, Lu Ye would eventually discover it after his death. Rather than letting Lu Ye rashly experiment with it later, it was better for him to demonstrate it himself, allowing Lu Ye to clearly understand its advantages and disadvantages firsthand.

At Zhuang Bufan's sudden and unusual actions, Lu Ye clearly sensed something was amiss. He frowned and said, "Brother Zhuang, there's no need to say more. It's important that you return to your room to rest."Zhuang Bufan shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. "Brother Ye, I am a dying man, not long for this world. If you hadn't brought me here, I would have already been left exposed in the wilderness. These past few days, I've been wondering, since death is certain, why struggle? Now I understand: my lingering for these few days was precisely for this moment. And after today, there will be no such opportunity again."The group stared at him, bewildered, unsure of his intentions.Only the Little Medicine Immortal seemed pensive, letting out a soft sigh."I imagine Brother Ye is also curious about how I sustained these injuries," Zhuang Bufan said. As he spoke, a hint of color returned to his pale face, and he seemed to be in much better condition.However, both Lu Ye and Ye Liuli recognized this as a final surge of vitality, a dying man's brief revival. He seemed to have activated some secret art, drawing out the last vestiges of strength from his body."Senior Little Medicine Immortal should have some idea; she will tell you."As he spoke, he stepped towards the valley entrance, one steady step after another. His once-weak aura began to revive, and the powerful presence of a Cloud River Realm Ninth-Layer cultivator surged forth."Brother Zhuang, you..." Lu Ye reached out to stop him, but then retracted his hand. He could feel that this was Zhuang Bufan's final burst of life, and it was also Zhuang Bufan's own wish. Regardless of whether he could stop him, even if he did, Zhuang Bufan wouldn't survive.With such severe injuries, and now activating a secret art that pushed his body to its limits, Zhuang Bufan was clearly making a desperate gamble.To obstruct him now would only cause Zhuang Bufan's last spark of life to vanish in vain.For a cultivator, a glorious death was, after all, a form of destiny.Moreover, from Zhuang Bufan's earlier words, it seemed his departure was not simply to fight to the death with the enemy, but rather to make a profoundly significant choice. As he advanced, accompanied by the resurgence of his aura, there was immense confidence, as if those before him were not formidable experts of the Heavenly Chasm Sect, but merely a rabble of insignificant foes.

Beside Lu Ye, Ye Liuli was already in tears. The young girl had a kind heart. While her acquaintance with Zhuang Bufan over a few days hadn't fostered deep affection, watching someone she considered a friend bravely march to his death was undeniably difficult to bear.Yiyi remained silent, and Huang Liang sighed.Zhuang Bufan's unusual behavior naturally caught the attention of the Heavenly Chasm Sect cultivators at the valley entrance. Yun Haitan frowned as he watched Zhuang Bufan approaching step by step, and couldn't help but sneer, "Overestimating yourself!"Even though Zhuang Bufan was now displaying the aura of a Cloud River Realm Ninth-Layer cultivator, Yun Haitan paid him no mind.He didn't know why Zhuang Bufan was adopting a posture as if to charge at them, but it suited his intentions perfectly. The Heavenly Chasm Sect had suffered immense losses in Medicine Valley and was temporarily unable to retaliate. If the opponent dared to rush out, it would give them an opportunity.As long as Zhuang Bufan dared to step out of Medicine Valley, without the protection of the formation, he would certainly die.