Sage of Humanity

Perhaps in the past, the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge had prepared for defense battles, but because the terrain was not Chess Sea, those bone fragments did not come into play.

Bone fragments are not any kind of spirit material, even if cultivators from the Haotian Alliance had captured them before, they wouldn't take them too seriously.

This time, the defensive battle is within the Chess Sea, and the well-prepared Ten Thousand Demons Ridge naturally holds a tremendous advantage.

If the situation is truly as such, then it is certain that Fourth Senior Brother is in grave danger, because the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge came with premeditation and would obviously not be content with just killing some Level 7-8 junior cultivators. They'd be more willing to target those Core Circle Governors and Deputy Governors.

These people are the future pillars of the big sects. If all were to perish here, it's not to say that the Spirit Stream Realm's talents would be completely wiped out, but for the next few decades, there would inevitably be far fewer figures to shoulder the heavy responsibilities.

Ten Thousand Demons Ridge is playing a grand game of chess!

Even now, with the function of the bone fragments exposed, the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge side feels no fear, for within the Chess Sea, the merging and attachment of Chess Islands is beyond human control. Everyone who enters here can only passively wait for their Chess Island to merge with another, and then partake in bouts of ferocious combat.

Before all the Chess Islands combine into one vast provincial state, even a powerful being like Li Baxian cannot possibly leap over the sea to flee to another Chess Island in times of crisis, for flying over the sea consumes far too much spirit force, something Lu Ye has experienced deeply.

Thus, those holding the bone fragments from the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge naturally possess a huge advantage.

After conveying the message received from Li Baxian, everyone was shocked; no one had imagined that the bone fragments could have such miraculous effects.

"Fourth Senior Brother told me to quickly discard the bone fragments, otherwise they would lead us to converge with the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators who possess the bones," Lu Ye said, taking out the few bone fragments and fondling them in his hands, seemingly with no intention of throwing them away.

"What does Junior Brother think?" asked Lann Yudie, looking at him.

"What do you all think?" Lu Ye countered.

One of the two Haotian Alliance cultivators who arrived later said, "Senior Brother Li is unaware of our situation here. His proposal certainly stems from concern for Junior Brother Yiye's safety, which is understandable.

We now have six people, and with the methods arranged by Sister Hua Ci, even if we really encounter people from Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, as long as there are fewer than ten of them, we can fight. If the bone fragments truly have that kind of effect, I believe we shouldn't discard them. On the contrary, we should take advantage of them and let them lead us to Ten Thousand Demons Ridge's people!"

After he finished speaking, he turned his head and looked around.

His fellow sect members naturally nodded in agreement.

Lann Yudie and Gao Tai exchanged a glance and also nodded.

Everyone looked at Lu Ye, who said with a smile, "Since nobody objects, then each person can take one piece. I don't know if the effects will become stronger with more pieces."

As he spoke, he distributed three of the four bone fragments in his hand, so that each person from the big sects held one.

He said solemnly, "Right now, it's certain that many from Ten Thousand Demons Ridge have already joined forces. The Haotian Alliance side has probably suffered considerable losses. If we can kill more of the enemy, we can reduce our own casualties. By doing so, when all the Chess Islands eventually merge, we'll have the capital to contend with Ten Thousand Demons Ridge!"

Lann Yudie nodded, "Junior Brother's words are timely."

Gao Tai suddenly felt a sense of honor and mission, "So you're saying, the heavy responsibility of saving the Haotian Alliance falls upon us now?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the other two turned serious.

Lu Ye chuckled, "It's not that exaggerated; there will always be people from the Haotian Alliance who are lucky enough to meet each other. Regardless, let's all put in more effort together!" Read latest stories on empire

All of them nodded, feeling the heavy weight on their shoulders.

"Rest for the time being; I'll keep guard," Lu Ye said, and immediately flashed to the highest point of the small island.

Two hours later, another small island appeared within Lu Ye's vision, and he immediately sent out an alert. Those who were healing and recovering all stood up at once, looking into the distance. They couldn't make out the situation on that island, nor could they tell which faction it belonged to.

But no matter which faction those coming might be from, everyone was already prepared for battle.

After a brief discussion, a fresh plan to lure the enemy deep into their territory was hatched.

Lann Yudie and Gao Tai were tasked with drawing out any potential enemies, while Lu Ye and the others would retreat to the rear of the small island.

If those who arrived were Haotian Alliance cultivators, they would of course be warmly welcomed. If they were from Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, then Lann Yudie and Gao Tai would lead them into pursuit. If they dared to chase them, they would inevitably pass through the mushroom area arranged by Hua Ci, and then it would be time to adapt to the situation.

The reason Lann Yudie and Gao Tai were chosen to lure the enemy was mainly because Gao Tai was a physique cultivator, tough-skinned and sturdy. Even if he took a few hits, it wouldn't be fatal. With Hua Ci supporting from behind, as long as he wasn't killed on the spot or seriously injured, there was an opportunity for treatment after the fact.

In short, Gao Tai was responsible for taking a beating.

And Lann Yudie was tasked with being as beautiful as a flower…

The sight of such a delicate and graceful female cultivator fleeing in front, especially with bloodstains on her body, would likely trigger the pursuit desire of the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators.

The plan was proposed by Lu Ye and received unanimous approval from everyone, except Lann Yudie, who seemed to harbor some hostility toward Lu Ye.

Once the plan was drawn up, everyone immediately set about implementing it.

Lu Ye, along with Hua Ci and three others, retreated to the rear of the island, while Lann Yudie and Gao Tai continued to stand at a vantage point to watch.

During the wait, accompanied by a booming sound, the ground shook and trembled as two small islands collided with each other.

Lu Ye concentrated his senses, and soon, there were spirit force fluctuations coming from over there, along with the whistling sound of magic and spells being cast.

Shortly after, Lu Ye checked the battlefield marking, conveying the information from Lann Yudie, "Five people, from Ten Thousand Demons Ridge!"

Five people meant at least three sects were involved. It was possible that one person had fallen in battle. Even if Ten Thousand Demons Ridge had some plans in place, real combat wasn't simply about having more people to ensure a safe retreat.

When death was certain, whether it be Ten Thousand Demons Ridge or Haotian Alliance members, both could erupt with a determination and resolve to perish together with the enemy.

Of course, that kind of determination and resolve would be greatly diminished after being weakened by Hua Ci's mushrooms.

Thunderous noises kept coming from the front. Very soon, Lu Ye saw the figures of Lann Yudie and Gao Tai fleeing in disarray toward this side. They weren't together but had split into two different paths.

The Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators pursuing them were extremely cautious, constantly observing their surroundings while on the chase, afraid of being ambushed.

But if they dared to step foot on this Chess Island, all their caution would be for naught.

Hua Ci's arrangements might not cover the entire island, but all key locations had her planted mushrooms. Unless those cultivators could maintain flight at all times, it was inevitable they'd inhale some spore powder.

Upon seeing Lu Ye and the others, the pursuing Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators wore expressions that said, "Just as expected," but after sensing that both Lu Ye and Hua Ci were only at Level 6, their tense moods relaxed quite a bit.

On the surface, six against five didn't clearly indicate who had the upper hand, but apart from Lu Ye and Hua Ci, who were unharmed, the other four were all covered in blood, obviously injured.

While the five hesitated whether to attack, Lu Ye and his team had already fiercely charged forward, forcing the other side into battle.

Spiritual Artifacts flew out, colliding and clashing in midair, creating a symphony of metallic sounds as explosions of spirit force erupted in light, one after another.

Because Lu Ye's side had one person staying close to protect Hua Ci, and he himself at Level 6 had yet to master weapon control, the exchange favored the cultivators from Ten Thousand Demons Ridge.

Just when the confidence of the five from Ten Thousand Demons Ridge was solidified, the tide turned dramatically. The momentary obscurity in their spirit force made their Spiritual Artifacts difficult to control and greatly reduced their might. In an instant, Lann Yudie and the others knocked down three spirit lights.

By the time Lu Ye charged up to a cultivator from Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, that person, with a face full of fright, tried to back away but failed to block the blade light coming head-on.

Blood sprayed and agonizing screams rose and fell in succession.

Twenty breaths later, the battle had ended. Lu Ye shook the fresh blood off his long blade, sheathed it, and called out to Gao Tai, "Senior Brother Gao, accompany me to take a look on the opposite island."

"Sure!" Gao Tai quickly agreed, and the two went to investigate together.

Although they felt it was unlikely for the opposition to have left anyone behind, it was always better to be cautious. An oversight leading to casualties on their own side would be the most costly mistake.

Lann Yudie and the rest stayed behind to clean up after the battle, handing over the spoils as usual to Hua Ci, leaving her torn between laughter and tears. She had no idea how many storage sacks she would accumulate after the Spirit Stream Defense Battle.

She wanted to share some of the spoils, but no one was willing to accept them, as everyone knew that their ability to fight so effortlessly was all thanks to Hua Ci's efforts. Without her methods, even six against five might have resulted in casualties.

In contrast, now nobody was injured and they hadn't even consumed much spirit force. Who wouldn't like such a battle? This further solidified their determination to protect Hua Ci.

Meanwhile, after a thorough inspection by Lu Ye and Gao Tai confirmed no Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators were hiding on the other side, they returned to their own island.

Afterward, Lann Yudie, accompanied by Hua Ci, went to the opposite island to make similar preparations.

As the islands expanded, the places needing Hua Ci's attention grew in number, so she couldn't cover the entire islands. She could only choose suitable locations, and such tasks consumed a lot of spirit force. Fortunately, the Spirit Energy Gathering Spirit Runes Lu Ye had constructed earlier were working, allowing her to sit down after each arrangement and recover swiftly.

Especially as the islands continued to grow, nature's spiritual energy became denser and denser. The spiritual energy on the island now was almost double that of the Righteous Blood Sect's base.

Hua Ci was busy. Contemplating this, Lu Ye then set up a larger range of Spirit Energy Gathering Spirit Runes where everyone rested, which consumed six-tenths of his own spirit force.

Seeing Lu Ye's technique, Gao Tai and the others were utterly astonished.

Only then did they realize that both members from the Righteous Blood Sect were treasures.

Hua Ci could save lives and heal, cultivate mushrooms to weaken enemies, and that was already quite something. But Lu Ye could also easily construct Gathering Spirit Runes, greatly simplifying everyone's recovery process, and they wouldn't have to worry about conserving spirit force in future battles.

There was a sense of wonder. Just what kind of divine sect was the Righteous Blood Sect?