Battle merit, in the end, is something that can be continuously obtained, but the Soul Severing Saber is one of a kind. How could Lu Ye possibly differentiate the importance?

Now, as long as the materials for the Boulder Mountain Saber meet the requirements, it can be enhanced with more restrictions at any time to improve its quality, saving him the trouble of seeking someone to upgrade it later. Moreover, the saber now has the effect of harming the psyche, which is truly rare!

Lu Ye wanted to find someone to test the saber. For a combat cultivator like him, a weapon that grows alongside him has improved leaps and bounds, making his hands itch for action.

However, considering his current identity as Li Taibai, he could only give up the idea.

Lin Yue's efficiency was high; the next day, she brought back the appointment order from Ten Thousand Demons City, appointing Li Taibai to the position of assistant Mountain Pass Chief of Dark Moon Forest Pass, to assist in guarding the pass.

Lu Ye didn't investigate his Ten Thousand Demons Ridge battlefield marking because once triggered, it could only last for a few hours. But he believed that if he were to check it, the identity column would definitely have changes.

Under normal circumstances, even if Lu Ye had already advanced to the Divine Sea Realm, he wouldn't qualify to be a small pass chief, because he didn't have notable achievements and hadn't made substantial contributions to Ten Thousand Demons Ridge. Not even meeting the minimum military rank requirement.

In the current grand situation of the Nine Provinces, both the Haotian Alliance and Ten Thousand Demons Ridge have altered some old rules, tending towards flexible arrangements.

At Dark Moon Forest Pass, Lin Yue was unable to manage alone, so she seized a wild Divine Sea Realm to vouch for her, and Ten Thousand Demons City readily agreed. Nowadays, everywhere was in need of manpower; although a freshly advanced Divine Sea wasn't much, it was still a Divine Sea.

Lu Ye couldn't help but sigh.

While he was with the Haotian Alliance, he was just a squad leader in the Law Enforcement Hall. With no news for two years, he was even removed from position. Yet, at Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, he was given significant responsibility, becoming a small pass chief at a mountain pass. In Dark Moon Forest Pass, he was second only to one, above many, truly showing the unpredictability of life.

Of course, he knew this was a special act during a special time.

"A squad of cultivators has encountered some trouble four hundred miles east, where a Divine Sea Realm insect race is spotted. You need to make a trip."

After issuing the appointment order, Lin Yue didn't hesitate to instruct Lu Ye.

This was something the two Divine Sea Realms had to do.

The appearance of the insect plague was a great disaster for the Nine Provinces, but for many cultivators, it was a feast. As long as they survived, they could continuously earn battle merit and rapidly enhance their cultivation, a rare opportunity never before experienced.

Thus, whether in the Haotian Alliance or Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, many cultivators were exerting efforts to kill insects. Firstly, to protect the peace of the Nine Provinces, and secondly, for themselves.

Most cultivators in Dark Moon Forest Pass were scattered outside, looking for insect races to kill. The few that remained were either resting or recovering from injuries and would soon leave.

In the past, such a situation would be impossible, especially since Jinglan Lake Pass of the Haotian Alliance was just a thousand miles away. If their defensive strength weakened, it would be easy for the enemy to take advantage.

But now, driven by the current situation, both factions tacitly stopped large-scale attacks on each other, so even with the weak defense at Dark Moon Forest Pass, there was no worry about an attack from Jinglan Lake Pass.

Of course, small-scale conflicts were still inevitable.

As a governor of the pass at the Divine Sea Realm, there was usually no need to act, but if the cultivators under them discovered a Divine Sea Realm insect race and couldn't handle it, they would need to step in and kill it.

This is precisely why Lin Yue had been exhausted recently. In name, she was the grand pass chief, glamorous and prestigious, but in reality, she was running around saving people.

Finally managing to recruit a robust person like Lu Ye, obviously, he had to be deployed to solve the problem.

Firstly, she truly needed rest, and secondly, she wanted to test Lu Ye's capabilities.

Back when Li Taibai was at True Lake Level 3, he could instantly slay a True Lake Level 7, and she once regarded him as a rising star who could rival Lu Ye the Sect Destroyer. Now, having advanced to the Divine Sea Realm, his strength was undoubtedly not weak, and dealing with a Divine Sea Realm insect race shouldn't be a problem.

With the grand pass chief's order, Lu Ye naturally only had to comply.

Moreover, even without this order, he needed to go out for a trip.

He couldn't possibly linger in Dark Moon Forest Pass forever.

Without delay, a sword light flashed as Lu Ye soared into the sky, heading straight eastward.

Having advanced to the Divine Sea, his flying speed became much faster, not to mention he was now riding the sword.

Along the way, occasionally an insect race would block his path, but his body never stopped. Sword Qi flew from the sword gourd at his waist, slicing those insect races in half, their blood splattering in all directions.

Covering several hundred miles took no time. Looking down from high altitude, a large gathering of insect races could be seen below, resembling spiders, albeit only in shape.

Because the most distinctive feature of the insect race was their thick exoskeletal shell, which was the same regardless of shape.

Ordinary spiders don't have exoskeletal shells.

These spider-shaped insect races were sizable, each about the size of a baby, crawling rapidly on the ground, occasionally spitting silk from their mouths.

A group of more than ten people was trapped in the center, unable to advance or retreat.

The strength of these people was not weak, most were in the True Lake Realm, with a few in the Cloud River Realm. Normally, even if they couldn't defeat these spider insect races, escaping shouldn't be a problem, but unfortunately, a massive web in the sky blocked their escape route.

On that web lay a house-sized spider insect race, emanating a very fierce aura, already having taken the life of one cultivator, feasting upon them.

In this situation, it was obvious that a large spider of the Insect Race had brought its descendants out to hunt, and they stumbled upon this group of cultivators.

The small spiders were tasked with encircling the cultivators, preventing their escape, while the large spider indulged itself.

When Lu Ye arrived, the cultivators' defensive circle had dwindled to less than thirty feet, on the verge of collapse.

On the spider web, the large spider had finished its meal of the unfortunate cultivators and was about to target another victim.

It seemed this was a quite meticulous Insect Race, knowing to trap its prey here to eat fresh at any time.

As if sensing Lu Ye's swiftly approaching presence, the Insect Race's instincts made the large spider lift its compound eyes to look in Lu Ye's direction, then its mouthparts moved, and a strand of spider silk shot straight at Lu Ye.

The trapped cultivators also saw Lu Ye, and one of them shouted, "Hold on, someone is here to save us!"

Before the words had even settled, the spider silk suddenly transformed into a web that wrapped Lu Ye tightly.

The face of the cultivator who shouted turned green, not recognizing Lu Ye, and not knowing what background this Divine Sea Realm powerhouse had, only feeling that this person was rather impulsive. Approaching the battlefield so recklessly at such a level, now caught up, he feared the outcome would be grim.

One must know, that spider silk is poisonous!

However, just as the thoughts turned, a burst of firelight suddenly appeared in the air.

With a roll and sweep of the firelight, Lu Ye's figure re-emerged, and the web enveloping him was burned away completely.

Immediately followed by the clear sound of swords, several sword lights flew out from the sword gourd as if someone was writing in the air, and those sword lights transformed into strokes, crisscrossing the space where the large spider was.

Words and Sword Theorem!

This was a Sword Dao heritage obtained from the Soaring Dragon World, which Lu Ye had taught to Li Baxian, and he himself naturally could activate it.

Under the illumination of the Soaring Dragon World's Origin, he possessed an incredibly profound sword cultivation foundation, and now that the Words and Sword Theorem was unleashed, even if the sword master of the Beixuan Sword Sect came, he would have to praise him as a fine sword cultivator!

The chitinous exoskeleton on the large spider's body provided no protection whatsoever. With Lu Ye's cultivation improvement, the power he could exert from the sword gourd had greatly increased.

Sword cultivators are known for their lethality, under the brilliance of these few sword lights, the large spider's form immediately became rigid, yet the sword lights did not pause, under Lu Ye's control, they flew into the swarm.

They swept silently, and many of the Insect Race fell one after another.

Until a few strands of Sword Qi slowly dissipated, several hollowed-out spaces were cleared in the expansive encirclement, with numerous small spiders dead and injured beyond count.

Hanging in the sky, the large spider also shattered into pieces, with blood and corpse fragments scattering down.

A dozen or so cultivators were energetically reinvigorated, and they all began launching their own methods to advance outward.

The large spider's death evidently had an enormous impact on the small spiders, causing them to become utterly disordered and hardly a threat to the cultivators anymore.

Lu Ye strolled leisurely through the air, with sword lights occasionally flying out from the sword gourd.

But he could clearly see below, it seemed the dozen or so people were not of one group. Originally, they could band together when trapped and in danger, but as the greatest threat was removed, they split into two groups.

Lu Ye immediately understood that some of them were cultivators of the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, while others should be from the Haotian Alliance.

The cooperation of cultivators from both major factions was not unheard of; there were precedents of such alliances within some secret realms on the Cloud River battlefield.

But those collaborations were due to the circumstances, and it was rare to see such cooperation within the native lands of the Nine Provinces.

The dozen or so people exerted strength together, and with Lu Ye's coordination from the side, within just one incense stick's time, the insects here were thoroughly exterminated.

The two groups were panting heavily, yet were both vigilant and worriedly watching Lu Ye in the air.

The cultivators of the Haotian Alliance were unsure of his background, and the several cultivators from the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge were equally clueless about his origins.

Lu Ye didn't bother to explain, casually saying, "Why are you still staying here? Waiting for the Insect Race to retaliate?"

The commotion from the battle just now was notable. If there were other Insect Race members nearby, they would surely be attracted over.

The leaders of the two groups hurriedly bowed and said, "Thank you, my lord, for rescuing us!"

No need to figure out Lu Ye's origins at this point; judging by his demeanor, regardless of faction, he didn't seem intent on making things difficult for them.

The two teams darted off in different directions, soon disappearing from sight.

Lu Ye continued onward, flying for about 30 miles before descending with the sword light, diving into a fissure below.

After the great changes in the Nine Provinces, there were many such ground fissures from where the Insect Race emerged.