As the City Lord finished speaking, a slowly rotating vortex suddenly appeared in the sky. Initially small, the vortex rapidly expanded. In the blink of an eye, it enveloped an area with a radius of a hundred zhang.
Looking up, it was as if the sky had been punctured.
The vortex's destination was unknown, but within it, faint and unusual movents could be heard.
Every Spiritual Body in Xianyuan City was looking up.
Under the gaze of countless eyes, from the vortex erged an insect of the Insect Race, three zhang in length, its body covered with a carapace, four limbs beneath it, and a triangular head reminiscent of a gigantic mantis. It clung near the vortex, its complex compound eyes reflecting the scenes of the city below.
Rustling sounds followed, and a second mantis-like creature of the Insect Race appeared, then a third, and a fourth… Until in an instant, they blotted out the sky.
It was as if a floodgate had been opened, and from within the swirling vortex, countless insects of various sizes and shapes poured out.
In just a short ten breaths, both the sky and ground near the vortex teed with insects, and more were still rushing out from it.
"Kill!" A roar sounded as colorful lights surged from all directions, overwhelming the insects. Many of the powerful insects had not moved many steps before they were reduced to mush. Yet, the insects pressed on relentlessly, as if they were inexhaustible. The surviving insects stomped over the corpses of the dead and charged forward madly. Even as their mutilated bodies reached the Spiritual Bodies, they bit and slashed with their jaws and limbs, quickly diminishing the spirits' forms.
Half an incense stick's ti later, the first defensive line organized by the Spiritual Bodies was breached. After one incense stick's ti, the second line collapsed.
After two incense sticks' ti, the fourth defensive line was once again broken, and countless Spiritual Bodies were shattered.
Inside the City Lord's Residence, within the Soul Cleansing Pool, a continuous stream of Spiritual Bodies used their Soul Seals to reform and flew out without looking back, rejoining the battlefield.
Even though the Spiritual Bodies would not truly perish, the sensation of being dispersed was no different from death.
Such brutal combat is sothing the Spiritual Bodies had experienced countless tis.
Only half a day had passed since the start of the major battle, and already half of Xianyuan City had fallen. It was only at this point that the city's Spiritual Bodies gradually managed to halt the Insect Race's advance.
The two sides fought without end, using the city's central line as the boundary.
Every participating Spiritual Body had "died" several tis.
One could imagine, if not for the Soul Cleansing Pool, Xianyuan City would have fallen long ago. It was by utilizing the Soul Cleansing Pool that the Spiritual Bodies could continuously resurrect from it and rejoin the battle.
This was the choice Xianyuan City made long ago, from the City Lord to the common residents. To use the entire city as a sacrifice, with the Soul Cleansing Pool as the foundation, they shed the limitations of the flesh and gained a power nearly akin to immortality, so they could resist the Insect Race.
Do not consider this a blessing, as, in the short term, immortality truly seems delightful. However, if on this basis they had to partake in grueso battles ti and ti again, experiencing death over and over, it would be nothing short of torture.
At that ti, Xianyuan City was also a first-class power within the Nine Provinces, in no way inferior to the current 1st grade sects, even stronger.
But for the Nine Provinces, Xianyuan City had no choice but to make such a decision.
Because soone always had to stand up.
There were another seventeen top-notch powers that stood up alongside Xianyuan City. These eighteen powers now reside in what is today known as the Boundless Mirage Realm!
Within the City Lord's Residence, the City Lord lifted his head to gaze at the vortex in the sky. He could sense faint, heart-trembling breaths from within the vortex, more pronounced than the last ti.
Ti… There wasn't much left. Xianyuan City might withstand this assault, and maybe the next one and the one after that, but there would co a day when it could no longer hold out. If no resolution erged by then, the complete annihilation of the Nine Provinces would be just around the corner.
Hopefully, before that day cos, soone will step forward.
The City Lord couldn't help but think back to that young man. If it were him… there might be a chance.
…
A large ship-shaped Flying Spirit Artifact slowly approached, carrying mbers from Soaring Cloud Palace.
Previously, when the news of the Boundless Mirage Realm's opening spread, four nearby powers rushed over. However, Soaring Cloud Palace was delayed on the road, failing to arrive in ti, which resulted in only three powers making it into Xianyuan City.
The people from Soaring Cloud Palace didn't leave but waited nearby until they received a ssage from Gu Canyang and ca to assist.
This ti, it was Deputy Governor Zhou Pei leading the team from Soaring Cloud Palace, roughly a hundred people in total.
He and Gu Canyang were old acquaintances since their respective territories were not far apart and had a good relationship.
Upon eting, of course, there was a warm exchange of greetings.
Situated within Xianyuan City, there was no way to communicate with the outside world, so no one knew where the Boundless Mirage Realm connected or the situation within.
Now that he learned the Boundless Mirage Realm was connected to Xianyuan City, Zhou Pei was greatly surprised, for the environnt within Xianyuan City was rather harsh. The fact that the Surreptitious Palace had been able to survive against the odds, facing two enemies at once, really made him take a second look and filled him with admiration for Gu Canyang.
Gu Canyang blushed...
His own experiences this ti were quite embarrassing. As soon as he had entered Xianyuan City, he'd been captured and imprisoned in a dungeon. If not for Lu Ye's rescue, he would likely have lost his life by now. He hurriedly stopped Zhou Pei's praises and whispered the truth to him.
Gradually learning the truth, Zhou Pei's expression beca increasingly animated.
He had heard of Lu Yiye of the Righteous Blood Sect from Golden Light Peak, but Lu Ye's cultivation was only at the Level 5 realm back then, still a distance from their own level, so he didn't pay too much attention.
Unexpectedly, in such a short ti, the person who had made a na for himself atop Golden Light Peak had arrived in the inner circle and once again burst forth with brilliance within Xianyuan City.
This ti, it was even more astonishing. He nearly single-handedly devastated Fenghua Courtyard, allowing the Surreptitious Palace to stabilize the situation and turn defeat into victory.
Recognizing Lu Ye's potential, Zhou Pei naturally wanted to make his acquaintance.
A mont later, the large ship ascended and, under the control of the Soaring Cloud Palace cultivators, flew toward the Surreptitious Palace compound.
anwhile, Fenghua Courtyard and Illuminating Sun Mountain also received news of the closing of the Boundless Mirage Realm. What horrified them was that of the many cultivators from their own factions who had entered, not one survived, and even among the independent cultivators from Ten Thousand Demons Ridge only a few were left alive.
From these survivors, the two factions gradually pieced together what had happened inside Xianyuan City and found it hard to accept.
There were approximately five to six hundred cultivators that entered the Boundless Mirage Realm this ti, with Ten Thousand Demons Ridge accounting for over sixty percent, which naturally placed them at an advantageous starting position.
Yet, the final outco was the near total annihilation of Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, while over a hundred from the Haotian Alliance survived.
How exactly the Haotian Alliance achieved this, even the surviving few were not clear about, for they had already gone into hiding when they realized the situation was dire, and they didn't dare show themselves until Xianyuan City closed.
They only vaguely heard that soone from the Haotian Alliance was able to command the Spiritual Bodies of Xianyuan City to fight, which led to heavy losses for Ten Thousand Demons Ridge.
Upon hearing this news, the Heaven's Augury rcantile Union also started verifying it through various channels. Although the rcantile union did not participate in the struggle between the two camps, such previously unheard-of information could command a good price. If they could figure out how to command the Spiritual Bodies, they would undoubtedly reap huge profits since no one had ever been able to command Spiritual Bodies in Xianyuan City or other Boundless Mirage Realms before.
It was foreseeable that, before long, the events that occurred within Xianyuan City would spread. The cultivators of the Surreptitious Palace could certainly keep their lips sealed, but the independent cultivators from the Haotian Alliance who survived might not be able to do the sa. They were already living a ager existence; once the rcantile union offered the right price, many pieces of information might well be sold.
Of course, even if the information spread, it didn't really matter. The ability to transform minion spirits was Amber's skill and had nothing to do with Lu Ye. Even if others knew about it, they wouldn't be able to emulate it.
Four hours later, within the Surreptitious Palace compound, the big array activated, and the large ship descended.
The people from the Soaring Cloud Palace didn't stay long. They had been waiting outside for a month just to rendezvous with the Surreptitious Palace survivors, and now that their mission was complete, they intended to return to their own compound.
However, before leaving, Zhou Pei extended an invitation to Lu Ye, inviting him to visit the Soaring Cloud Palace compound as a guest.
At night, Gu Canyang hosted a banquet to thank Lu Ye for saving his life and for everything he had done in Xianyuan City. With a round of toasts and the exchange of cups, host and guests were all joyous.
The next day, Lu Ye woke up the slumbering Giant Armor and led him straight to the Heaven's Augury Hall of the Surreptitious Palace.
Lu Ye was not far from reaching the Level 9 realm, and once a cultivator reached Level 9, they needed to find a Heaven Rank technique for themselves. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to open up the next spiritual orifice. This was sothing that needed planning in advance, to avoid being unprepared when the ti ca.
Lu Ye was not lacking in rit, as long as he found a suitable Cultivation Technique.
As for Giant Armor, he had been stuck in the Level 9 realm for who knows how long. With Sima Yang dead, he had nowhere else to go. Since he was willing to follow Lu Ye, Lu Ye naturally aid to recruit him into the Righteous Blood Sect.
Therefore, he also needed to find a Heaven Rank technique for Giant Armor.
Giant Armor had no rits, but that was not a problem. rit could not only be earned by defeating enemies; it could also be obtained by selling items to the Heaven's Augury treasure vault.
Lu Ye had many Spiritual Artifacts he didn't need, particularly Flying Spirit Artifacts. He could let Giant Armor sell them to the Heaven's Augury treasure vault to accumulate enough rit.
This was undoubtedly a loss, because there was a significant difference in rit between buying and selling items in the treasure vault. Take his Boulder Mountain Saber, for instance—the gap in rit value was close to half.
But if he wanted to gather enough rit to buy a Heaven Rank technique for Giant Armor in a short period of ti, this was the only way.
Many top sects used this thod to quickly accumulate rit for their outstanding Disciples.
Side by side, the two entered the Heaven's Augury Hall. Giant Armor had probably never dealt with the Heaven's Augury treasure vault before. Luckily, although he might appear dim-witted and simple-minded, he was quite intelligent. After so basic explanations from Lu Ye, he understood.
Activating the battlefield marking to access the Heaven's Augury treasure vault, Giant Armor began searching for a technique that suited him.
Lu Ye searched as well.
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