Chapter 719: The Great Formation Shows Its Might

The Dragon Ascent Realm was not as vast as the Nine Provinces, but it contained a significant number of large and small factions. This time, 984 factions participated in the encirclement and suppression of the Heavenly Rift Cult. Led by the three dominant sects, tens of thousands of cultivators had gathered.

However, in the battle below the Heavenly Rift, more than half were killed or injured. Those who remained alive now fled in terror like stray dogs. The Blood Clan powerhouses and the Heavenly Rift Cult remnants who had joined the Blood Clan pursued relentlessly from behind. In Lu Ye's line of sight, multicolored lights streaked rapidly towards Medicine Valley. They arrived shortly.

"Is that you, young friend Ye Liu, ahead?" shouted a man at the forefront, clad in a long robe and wearing a scholar's cap. At first glance, he had the demeanor of a scholar. It was Yuan Changcun, the current dean of Haoran Academy. He had already learned about the situation in Medicine Valley from Huang Liang, naturally knowing of Lu Ye's presence and understanding that the allied army would only survive this time by relying on Lu Ye's strength. He came ahead specifically to communicate with Lu Ye.

"It is!" Lu Ye replied.

As he spoke, Yuan Changcun reached Lu Ye, appraising him from head to toe. Seeing Lu Ye's calm expression, displaying the composure of one unmoved even if a mountain were to collapse before him, Yuan Changcun secretly praised him, sighing with emotion, "Indeed, heroes emerge from youth." He had heard of the Overlord Blade Villa; Ye Ying's Overlord Blade Arts were renowned throughout the Dragon Ascent Realm. He had never expected Ye Ying's sixth son to possess such capabilities. In the intelligence Huang Liang had relayed to him, this young man was highly regarded, with a subtle inclination to view him as a savior.

Whether he was a savior or not was of no concern to Yuan Changcun at this moment. Only by escaping today's calamity could they even discuss future matters. "We'll be relying on you, young friend, from now on!" Yuan Changcun slightly nodded to Lu Ye.

"Let them enter the valley!"

Yuan Changcun immediately turned and shouted, "Enter the valley quickly!" As he spoke, streams of light, wave after wave, flew past them and overhead, rushing into Medicine Valley, merging with the vibrant flora within. Most cultivators were unaware of the valley's mysteries. Having witnessed the anomalies below the Heavenly Rift and the Blood Clan's treachery and power, they were now panic-stricken. Even inside Medicine Valley, they felt little security. However, all cultivators had received the message that Medicine Valley was enveloped by an astonishing grand formation, their last hope. Whether they could escape this ordeal depended on the upcoming battle.

"Young friend, please go prepare. I'll guard the rear here!" Yuan Changcun said, gripping his longsword. Lu Ye nodded, then turned and retreated into the valley.

During the chase, cultivators were constantly hunted down and slain by the Blood Clan and the Heavenly Rift Cult remnants. Along the way, bodies lay sprawled, and blood splattered. Fortunately, the allied army was numerous. Though the Blood Clan was powerful, eradicating them entirely was no easy feat. After about fifteen minutes, all Dragon Ascent cultivators seeking refuge had entered the valley, and most of the pursuing Blood Clan and Heavenly Rift Cult remnants had also rushed in. Instantly, battles erupted throughout the bird-filled, fragrant valley.

Only after all the Blood Clan members had charged in did Lu Ye activate his spiritual power, channeling it into the formation jade pendant in his hand. In an instant, clouds and mist swirled within the valley, and an extremely dense sea of fog emerged from nothing, enveloping the entire valley impenetrably.

"There's a formation!" Only then did the Blood Clan realize, and a startled cry rang out. Many Blood Clan members instinctively shot skyward, attempting to escape the formation's reach. However, after flying only a few feet, it felt as if a colossal mountain pressed down from above, preventing them from soaring any higher.

"An anti-flight formation!" Many of the Blood Clan members who had charged in furiously were finally somewhat horrified, never expecting that a place like the Dragon Ascent Realm would possess such a thing as an anti-flight formation. Shrouded in mist, disoriented, plagued by illusions, and unable to fly, they had become the trapped party!

Simultaneously with the formation's transformation, the Dragon Ascent cultivators were also disoriented, as their enemies were suddenly engulfed by dense fog, vanishing from sight. The surrounding scenery vanished entirely, and the numerous sounds of battle faded, as if they were the only ones left in the world...

Within the mist, Lou Yichuan gasped for breath. In the previous battle, many of his fellow disciples had died. He was fortunate enough to escape, though he was injured, and had just fought a Blood Clan member, almost dying at their hands. The Dragon Ascent Realm had never dealt with the Blood Clan before, so they were completely unfamiliar with their methods. Their crushing defeat below the Heavenly Rift was partly due to this. The Blood Clan's numerous secret arts were extremely insidious, and their blood aura possessed strong corrosive properties. It could corrode the spirituality of spiritual artifacts and defensive spiritual power alike, causing many Dragon Ascent cultivators to suffer losses during their encounters with the Blood Clan.

As the mist swirled, the enemy suddenly vanished from sight. All surroundings disappeared, leaving only a dense sea of fog fluctuating around him. Lou Yichuan gasped for breath, feeling somewhat helpless, when suddenly the sea of mist before him parted, revealing a half-zhang wide passage. The passage was only a few zhang long, and at its end, a figure with blood-red skin was spinning in circles like a headless fly. It was the Blood Clan member who had almost killed him!

Lou Yichuan's heart tightened, and he almost instinctively wanted to flee. However, he quickly realized that the Blood Clan member's state was somewhat unusual. He had spotted the Blood Clan member, and by all accounts, the Blood Clan member should have been able to spot him too. In fact, the Blood Clan member seemed to be affected by something, completely unaware of Lou Yichuan, who was several zhang behind him. "Someone is secretly helping me!" Lou Yichuan immediately realized that such a technique could only be wielded by the master of the grand formation. He tightened his grip on his spiritual artifact and silently approached the Blood Clan member. Once close, his spiritual power erupted, fiercely attacking the Blood Clan member.

"Die!"

Only when Lou Yichuan suddenly launched his attack, with sharp energy nearing him, did the Blood Clan member react. But it was too late. As Lou Yichuan swung his spiritual artifact, the protective blood-aura around the Blood Clan member's body violently fluctuated. The powerful force caused the Blood Clan member to vomit blood repeatedly, and their aura instantly weakened significantly. Originally, Lou Yichuan was no match for this Blood Clan member, but now that his opponent was severely wounded, the situation immediately reversed. Fueled by a surge of anger, Lou Yichuan unleashed everything he had learned in his life, striking the Blood Clan member defenselessly. In just a few moments, he slew them.

In another part of the misty valley, Puhui was locked in an unyielding struggle with a Blood Clan member. The physiques of the Vajra Temple monks were indeed formidable, and their qi and blood were extremely vigorous. However, their usually invincible bodies proved largely ineffective when facing the Blood Clan. The Blood Clan's physique wasn't particularly strong, but their blood-qi was exceedingly insidious, containing intense corrosive properties. Puhui's powerful body, honed for decades, was now covered in corrosive marks, and even his protective golden aura had been shattered. Monk Puhui was very strong, but the Blood Clan member he faced was also formidable. Without any unexpected intervention, Puhui would certainly not be a match. In fact, if Puhui hadn't occasionally invoked chanting sounds to disrupt the enemy's mind, he would probably have died long ago.

As the two figures fought, a muffled thunderclap suddenly echoed. A searing white lightning bolt, as thick as a baby's arm, descended from the sky, striking the Blood Clan member directly on the head. The formidable Blood Clan member instantly trembled uncontrollably, fine lightning snakes danced across their body, and their aura weakened considerably.

"What an opportunity!" Monk Puhui's eyes lit up. He rushed forward, delivering a powerful punch to the seemingly immobilized Blood Clan member. The power of this punch was enough to crack metal and shatter stone. It landed heavily on the Blood Clan member's chest; visibly, the Blood Clan member's chest caved in, their clothes on the back burst open, revealing a circular hole, and the area around their lower back bulged for an instant.

"Ugh!" The Blood Clan member spat blood, but the ejected blood mist seemed sentient, wrapping around Monk Puhui. Having suffered from this before, Puhui was prepared. He unleashed a tremor of spiritual power around him, dispelling the blood mist, then delivered three more punches, instantly crushing the Blood Clan member before him to death.

Throughout the valley, experiences like Lou Yichuan's and Monk Puhui's were abundant. Medicine Valley's grand formation could be said to be Lu Ye's most powerful feat since he began cultivating. Previously, when Heavenly Rift Cult pursuers arrived and were trapped within the formation, he single-handedly killed several Ninth-Layer elders, leaving Huang Liang somewhat incredulous. However, at that time, Lu Ye could not fully unleash the formation's power because he had no one to coordinate with him. To truly exert the full might of this grand formation, it had to be done as it was now. He hid in the shadows, controlling the formation's power, coordinating with others within the formation to eliminate the incoming enemies.

However, this consumed an enormous amount of mental energy because too many cultivators had entered the valley's grand formation this time, combined with the pursuing Blood Clan members. More than tens of thousands of beings were fighting within the entire Medicine Valley. Even with his incredibly powerful mental strength, he couldn't control every position. He could only try his best to assist the Dragon Ascent cultivators, saving some who would otherwise surely die and helping those at a disadvantage turn the tide, gradually shifting the situation. Mental strength is directly linked to the strength of one's soul. As Lu Ye's soul was powerful, his mental strength was naturally also strong.

As time passed, his mental energy continuously depleted. When Lu Ye felt fatigued, he decisively took out and consumed soul water to replenish himself. Yiyi and Amber moved through the grand formation. Under his guidance, they precisely located critically wounded and dying Dragon Ascent Realm cultivators and brought them to the Little Medical Immortal for treatment. This indeed saved many lives.

However, there was only one Little Medical Immortal. Even if her few medicinal apprentices were exceptional medical cultivators, their effectiveness in such a situation was severely limited. More cultivators perished from severe injuries. The entire Medicine Valley became a scene of bloodshed, with corpses strewn everywhere. This was no longer merely a battle between cultivators; it was a confrontation between two worlds—this was war!

Facing the Blood Clan's aggressive invasion, the Dragon Ascent Realm could not retreat, nor did it have any path of retreat.

(To be continued)