Sage of Humanity

The small islands within Chess Sea all started off quite small, roughly the size of a plaza, but as time passed and they adhered to one another, their scales became larger and larger.

The larger the scale of the island, the stronger the enemies might be, and their numbers might also be greater, for in the repeated merging and elimination of the islands, any party with insufficient capabilities or numbers had already been eliminated.

Of course, there were exceptions, such as Lu Ye and Hua Ci, two Level 6 cultivators, occupying a relatively large island.

As the two islands rapidly approached each other, Lu Ye noticed something odd about the other side.

On that island, there appeared to be a fight going on, with flashes of magic and spells lighting up from time to time.

The closer they got, the more apparent the noise of the battle became.

If there was a fight, that meant not only Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators were there but also Haotian Alliance members, although the current situation of the skirmish was unclear.

The other side was so engulfed in battle that they apparently hadn't noticed the two islands drawing closer, which might be something Lu Ye could take advantage of.

After a moment's contemplation, Lu Ye said to Hua Ci, "I'll go over and have a look, you stay here."

"Be careful."

Lu Ye urged his spirit force, and instantly a pair of wings laced with fire spirit power unfolded behind him, turning into a streak of Liu Guang towards the island ahead.

No sooner had he flown out of the small island and arrived above the sea, Lu Ye felt the spirit force inside his body pouring out like floodwaters breaching a dam, the extent of the consumption was nearly as much as maintaining a set of Defense Spirit Runes as tall as himself.

Secretly alarmed, he realized that one really couldn't fly carelessly within Chess Sea, or rather, flying above the sea surface was too costly in spirit force, and he wondered what the reason could be.

Fortunately, now the islands were not too far apart, and after just a few breaths, Lu Ye landed on the other island, retracting his wings and trying his best to suppress the outflow of his spirit force, moving towards the direction of the battle.

He didn't have much time as the two islands were about to collide, and the people here would surely become alert then.

Luckily, the island wasn't very big, and after a short while, Lu Ye arrived at the outskirts of the battlefield, looking on to see five Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators besieging two from the Haotian Alliance.

Three corpses lay on the ground, which indicated a fierce battle had taken place.

Among the five Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators, there were two magic cultivators, one physique cultivator, one combat cultivator, and one that appeared to be a ghost cultivator.

The two Haotian Alliance cultivators, one male and one female, were both covered in blood and riddled with wounds, showing signs they couldn't hold on much longer.

After all, they were two against five, clearly not a match; that they had managed to survive until now was firstly because the male cultivator from Haotian Alliance was a physique cultivator. He had a towering, burly figure, full of vigor, extremely tough, holding a big shield spirit artifact, blocking many attacks.

Secondly, the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge side was playing it safe, not wanting to take too many risks. They knew that if pushed to the edge, their enemy could have a last-ditch strategy, and one of their comrades lying on the ground was a testament to that.

They had not started as a battle of five against two, but six against four! After successfully killing one, a companion acted too hastily, resulting in another Haotian Alliance cultivator dragging them both to their deaths.

Currently, they only needed to pin these two down, break that combat cultivator's big shield spirit artifact, and their opponents would have no further means to resist.

The three Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators, apart from the magic cultivators, surrounded the male and female, constantly harassing them, while the two magic cultivators stood a bit farther away, ensuring they would not accidentally injure their companions. They kept invoking spells, bombarding the big shield, which already showed dim spirit light, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

In such a situation, the two from Haotian Alliance found it incredibly difficult to escape – virtually impossible. Yet looking at their expressions, it was clear they were prepared to die. They did not beg for mercy, knowing it would be futile and only lead to further humiliation. For the female cultivator in particular, falling into enemy hands would mean a fate worse than death.

They were now waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity to take their enemies down with them.

That opportunity came in an instant!

With a loud boom, the ground shook as the two islands collided, causing everyone to lose their footing.

Several Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators' faces changed colors, having encountered these Haotian Alliance members half a Shichen ago, so none had expected to come across another island so soon.

"Be careful!" someone shouted just as the collision occurred. At that moment, the two Haotian Alliance cultivators charged together toward the combat cultivator. The physique cultivator roared, swinging the big shield to protect the slender figure beside him as they broke through ferociously, their eyes filled with determination and ruthlessness, unsettling the targeted combat cultivator.

"Ahh!"

The scream did not come from the targeted combat cultivator but from another direction, catching everyone off guard.

The Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators looked in the direction of the sound, only to see a dagger protruding from the chest of a magic cultivator standing on the outskirts of the battlefield. Behind the magic cultivator, a vague figure stood, and no one knew when he had arrived there.

How did he get here so quickly? They all were momentarily taken aback.

As the islands collided, they had realized others might arrive. If it was a Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivator, all would be well, but if it was from the Haotian Alliance, the situation would undoubtedly change.

What they hadn't expected was that a magic cultivator from their side would be attacked immediately after the islands touched! Had the attacker been hiding nearby all this time?

There was no time to think further, the great battle had already begun.

Two Haotian Alliance cultivators had charged towards a Ten Thousand Demons Ridge combat cultivator, recklessly determined to take him down with them, even at the cost of their own lives, and they almost succeeded.

Unfortunately, the two were too severely injured and the targeted combat cultivator was rescued by an allied physique cultivator. After being struck, he narrowly escaped death.

The four of them instantly clashed together, with the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge ghost cultivator not sitting idly by. His aura suddenly became elusive and unpredictable as he joined the fray from the side, and in no time, the two Haotian Alliance cultivators were in grave danger.

Meanwhile, after dealing with an opposing magic cultivator, Lu Ye pushed off the ground and sped towards the second magic cultivator, shouting, "Hold on!"

Upon hearing the voice, the physique cultivator wielding the big shield had no particular reaction, but the female cultivator who held a pair of daggers showed a shocked expression because she found the voice somewhat familiar… But there was simply no time to inquire into the newcomer's identity right now, with purple lines already climbing up her fair neck and even into her eyes, turning them a violet hue.

The purple lines continued to spread upwards, making her appear both demonic and alluring.

Ghost cultivators excelled in stealthy attacks, not in direct confrontations like this, but at this moment, she had no other choice but to muster all her strength.

On the other hand, Lu Ye's movements were agile as he deftly dodged the barrage of magic and spells from the magic cultivator.

As the distance between them quickly closed, the magic cultivator's eyes revealed a hint of terror. He had never seen a combat cultivator move so lithely, easily evading his every spell.

Seeing that Lu Ye was about to pounce, the magic cultivator clenched his teeth and his body surged with spirit force, generating a huge repulsive force that swept in all directions.

Lu Ye was staggered by the impact, but the magic cultivator desperately moved towards the other Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators, seizing the opportunity.

However, he had only run a few steps when a scorching breath struck him from the side. He turned his head to see a fat firebird flapping its wings.

He waved his hand hastily, and a spirit force barrier appeared in front of him.

With a loud boom, the firebird struck the barrier, scattering spirit force and causing his body to sway. Amidst the chaotic spirit force, Lu Ye burst forth, saber in hand.

The Boulder Mountain Saber rose, and a flash of fiery red light passed by. An arm was severed and flew off as the saber retracted and stabbed forward, piercing several bloody holes through the magic cultivator amid his pitiful screams.

Boom... the magic cultivator cast a final spell on Lu Ye's chest before dying, but it was blocked by the Defense Spirit Runes. The tremendous impact sent Lu Ye flying out, crashing to the ground.

He quickly got up and looked over; the magic cultivator had already collapsed, face down on the ground, with a speck of red light flying over from that direction.

Lu Ye tilted his head and spat out a mouthful of Blood Water, having long since vowed to kill any disagreeable magic cultivator on sight!
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Without delay, he rushed towards the two Haotian Alliance cultivators to support them.

It seemed that Lu Ye's arrival brought them a glimmer of hope for survival, or perhaps, their plan to die together with the enemy was disrupted. At this moment, the man and the woman were fighting as they retreated, moving towards Lu Ye.

But their injuries were too severe, and they were outnumbered, clearly unable to hold out much longer, leaving a trail of bloody footprints along their path.

The attacks from the three Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators grew increasingly fierce.

It was only after Lu Ye joined the fight that the situation barely stabilized. By then, the female cultivator finally realized who had come to their aid. Her emotions were complex, never having expected to encounter him again here.

"Go!" Lu Ye swung the Boulder Mountain Saber to block an attack from an opponent and shouted lowly.

Despite his participation, the situation was still dire. Continuing the fight like this, Lu Ye himself might not fear, but the other two Haotian Alliance cultivators would surely die.

The female cultivator and the physique cultivator hesitated, but Lu Ye shouted again, "Go now!"

The two Haotian Alliance cultivators no longer hesitated and immediately turned to flee.

Lu Ye suddenly felt an immense pressure as he faced three enemies alone, all at Level 7. Even for him, this was unsustainable.

A shield-sized Defense Spirit Rune manifested in front, and as Lu Ye's spirit force drained away frantically, the three enemies' attacks kept coming, fracturing the rune yet constantly repairing it under the influence of his spirit force in a never-ending cycle.

He held out for only the span of three breaths before he could no longer bear it, feeling as if all his internal organs were vibrating and his throat was filled with the taste of blood.

As he retracted the Defense Spirit Runes, he suddenly made a sweeping cut with his saber, forcing the three enemies back while he turned and ran.

By the time the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators looked up, Lu Ye had already dashed ten zhang away, amazed at how fast the boy could run. The three enemies simultaneously activated the Weapon Control Path, transforming three Spiritual Artifacts into streaks of light that shot towards Lu Ye.

Sensing the deadly threat behind him, Lu Ye shot upwards without a second thought, his fiery red wings unfurling at his back.

He did not activate the Defense Spirit Runes, sensing that they wouldn't hold against the assault, and even if they did, the tremendous impact would severely wound him in an instant.