Chapter 1114, Gaining a Foothold

Translator: Jon

Translation Checker: Silavin

 

During the intense battle, a huge light column suddenly came from behind. As the light column traversed across the place, a vacuum passageway that was more than ten kilometres was formed. All the insectoids in the passageway were killed. It wasn’t until three to four breaths of time later that the passageway was filled with new insectoids.

 

More light columns came from behind as they carried with them deafening humming sounds and violent fluctuations of Spiritual Powers.

 

The Wards at the back of the defence line had been activated.

 

A lot of Ward Cultivators arrived after the hundreds of Vanguard members passed through the portal. Their only mission was to build the Wards as quickly as they could.

 

They had to build Killing Wards, not Defensive Wards.

 

These cultivators were in the Insectoid Great Hidden Realm, and their goal was to destroy the insectoids. What was the point of them having Defensive Wards? Only Killing Wards were needed.

 

The best defence was a good offence.

 

Those from Bing Zhou had gone all out this time. Many powerful Spirit Treasures had been brought here from the major Sects. Some of them were even the most important treasures of the top Sects.

 

One had to know they wouldn’t easily use these treasures under normal circumstances. The Destructive Lightning Spear of the Sky Origin Clan was one such example.

 

However, these Spirit Treasures were now placed in the Wards, serving as the Ward Nodes. Amplified through the Wards, their powers were horrifying.

 

It could be said that no individual cultivator could showcase a power like this. Naturally, the attacks were fatal to the insectoids.

 

Humming sounds were continuously heard as the Wards were running at maximum capacity. As the powers of the Wards and Spirit Treasures were activated, they finally managed to suppress the insectoid attack.

 

In just one hour, they pushed the insectoid attack back by three kilometres.

 

The Body-tempering Cultivators, Combat Cultivators, and Ghost Cultivators quickly returned to the defence line and recuperated. Many people in Lu Ye’s area were injured. The Body-tempering Cultivator who had joined forces with Lu Ye to kill the great insectoid earlier looked battered as his arms were wounded.

 

Such an injury was nothing to Body-tempering Cultivators, though. They had a strong physique and ample vitality, so their wounds would recover quickly.

 

The seriously injured ones had retreated to somewhere near the portal.

 

Over there, many Medical Cultivators were ready to treat the injured cultivators.

 

Following the battle, the frustration of these Body-tempering Cultivators, Combat Cultivators, and Ghost Cultivators was resolved. Moreover, Lu Ye sensitively detected that these people saw him in a different light now.

 

Lu Ye of the Crimson Blood Sect was a famous figure. He was already known to be the Annihilator of Sects and one of the Three Banes of Spirit Creek when he was weaker. Now, he was one of the Two Geniuses of Bing Zhou.

 

Nevertheless, some experienced Divine Ocean Realm Masters didn’t take Lu Ye seriously as he was only a young rising Star.

 

Someone like him might have a bright future, but he didn’t have much influence now.

 

But during the battle earlier, all of them had witnessed how capable he was. Although he had used some external powers, those were still considered his power.

 

It could be said that the power he had showcased wasn’t inferior to those of the experienced Divine Ocean Realm Masters. He was even more powerful than most of them. If they hadn’t seen it with their eyes, they wouldn’t have believed that a young man in his early twenties like Lu Ye could have such a savage aura and use such an abstruse Blade Technique.

 

Cultivators were ranked by their powers. The power that Lu Ye showcased would determine how well he would be treated.

 

These Divine Ocean Realm Masters realised that he didn’t only have a bright future, but he was also quite influential now.

 

They stopped treating him like a Junior. He had earned himself a place on this stage named Jiu Zhou.

 

These cultivators repeatedly launched an attack and got some rest.

 

Even the Spell Cultivators started taking turns. No one knew how long this war would last, so they had to use their powers efficiently to continue to kill the enemies sustainably.

 

Humans didn’t have infinite energy. No Spell Cultivator could continuously cast many spells for a long time. They needed rest as well.

 

The Spirit Treasures in the Ward Nodes were immensely useful at the most critical moments. They were the assurance to maintain the stability of the defence line, so they were not used unless it was necessary.

 

Pang Zhen, Long Bai, Tang Yi Feng, Mu Suifeng, and Su Xiu, all of them Ninth-Order Divine Ocean Realm Masters, left the defence line and formed a mobile team.

 

Pang Zhen was the Deputy Coalition Leader of the Grand Sky Coalition, Long Bai was the City Lord of Thousand Demon City, Mu Suifeng was the current Sword Master of the Northern Profound Sword Clan, and Su Xiu was the Palace Master of Auspicious Cloud Palace. They could be considered some of the most powerful and authoritative people in Bing Zhou.

 

Considering the composition of the team, one could tell how important it was.

 

Their tasks were to monitor the entire situation and lend a helping hand to those in danger to ensure the integrity of the defence line. With the help of these five powerful cultivators, nothing would go wrong as long as those from Bing Zhou remained calm and steady.

 

Presently, these five people were hovering in the sky and looking down at the entire battlefield while communicating with each other using their Divine Egos.

 

“There’s no problem here. What about the other Zhous? Have you asked them about it?” Long Bai turned to look at Pang Zhen.

 

Pang Zhen replied, “They’ve gained a foothold, but there were different degrees of injuries and casualties in all other Zhous in the initial phase.”

 

That was unavoidable. There was Lu Ye in Bing Zhou who had a special move to attract the insectoids’ attention, buying time for the Vanguard members. However, people of the other Zhous didn’t have such a move.

 

The Vanguard members had stormed into the Insectoid Great Hidden Realm first, followed by a lot of cultivators. After getting into a battle, they pressed on and opened up a defence line. During this period, it was inevitable that some people were injured or killed.

 

Lu Ye had made a huge contribution in this regard.

 

“Casualties are unavoidable in any war. They were killed because they were not powerful enough,” Long Bai said dispassionately. “However, if the situation continues to develop this way, we won’t have to pay a huge price to solve the insectoid plague. Don’t you think it’s going too well for us?”

 

Pang Zhen replied, “We couldn’t take action back then because our powers were suppressed by the Yuan Metal Force Field. Since this problem has been solved, the rest isn’t an issue. Insectoids are unintelligent beings, after all. Although they come in a large number, they only do things based on instincts. Why would there be any turbulence when we’re only killing insectoids? If this is all they’ve got, it’s only a matter of time before we destroy all of them.”

 

Mu Suifeng said, “Don’t forget that there are some giant insectoids.”

 

From what they had seen in Lu Ye’s Image Stone, there were some gigantic insectoids. They had no idea how powerful those insectoids were since no one had dealt with them before.

 

Even at this point, the giant insectoids showed no signs of making a move. They could only faintly see the giant insectoids in the distance.

 

Su Xiu was tempted. “Should we go and challenge them?”

 

These men shot her a look. Although the woman looked meek and beautiful, she was a Body-tempering Cultivator. There was an unimaginably horrifying power within her petite body.

 

They had come into contact with her when they were young, so they knew how crazy she was behind her gentle appearance.

 

She must be eager to challenge the giant insectoids, but she couldn’t go there on her own. As such, she tried to tempt the others to give it a try.

 

“No, thanks.” Long Bai quickly turned her down. “I’d like to live longer.”

 

Su Xiu pursed her lips. “You’re such a coward!”

 

Long Bai felt the veins on his forehead bobbing.

 

Tang Yi Feng hurriedly said, “Compared with the war itself, I’m more concerned about another thing.”

 

They turned to look at him.

 

“There are no resources in the Insectoid Great Hidden Realm, so how are such a staggering number of insectoids nurtured? How were they even born?”

 

That was the doubt everyone had. Although they had some ideas, they couldn’t tell other people as there was no evidence.

 

“It’s too coincidental that the nine portals correspond to the nine major continents. Moreover, the insectoid plague broke out so suddenly that there were no signs before that. It’s as if a pair of invisible hands are making everything happen.”

 

Tang Yi Feng had talked to Lu Ye about the coincidence, but they didn’t delve into the topic.

 

Besides the two of them, other experienced Divine Ocean Realm Masters had the same doubts as well. It was just that they couldn’t say it out loud.

 

“In that case, what’s the purpose of this, then?” Long Bai asked.

 

Tang Yi Feng sighed. “There wouldn’t be so many doubts if I knew the answer. Considering the current situation, the insectoid plague has caused a particular outcome.”

 

A glint flashed across Pang Zhen’s eyes. “For the first time in thousands of years, the two sides have collaborated in a large-scale operation!”

 

“What’s the meaning of this, though?” Long Bai frowned. “Is this war meant to ease the tension between the two sides?”

 

“Who knows?” Tang Yi Feng replied meaningfully. “As cultivators, we have to conform to the will of the Heavens. If a pair of invisible hands are indeed making this war happen, it won’t take long before we find out the meaning behind all this. It’s just… not the right time yet.”

 

They fell deep in thought while feeling that something major would happen after they solved the insectoid plague that had devastated the entire Jiu Zhou.

 

At the head of the defence line, many Spell Cultivators were still casting their spells to kill the insectoids.

 

Lu Ye lay spread-eagled on the ground while munching on Spirit Pills to replenish his Spiritual Power and energy.

 

Amber lay beside him, gasping for air.

 

As the war progressed, Body-tempering Cultivators, Combat Cultivators, and Ghost Cultivators frequently needed to take action. They could no longer stay idle like before. As such, cultivators of these factions had to get as much rest as possible when they were not on the battlefield.

 

Darkness had descended as the sky was full of Stars.

 

Lu Ye discovered that the sky he saw in the Insectoid Great Hidden Realm wasn’t different from the one in Jiu Zhou. Regardless, the Insectoid Great Hidden Realm was under the coverage of the Heavens.

 

Then, he discovered something shocking.

 

A Star in a particular area of the sky seemed to have grown brighter than before.

 

It was his third time observing the sky, though he had only done so inadvertently on these occasions. He wasn’t bothered the first time he observed the sky, but he realised the Star’s changes during the second observation. The changes this time were even more conspicuous.

 

He wondered what caused the changes.