CHAPTER 1214: CHAPTER 1212: LEADING THE CHARGE

Lu Ye never expected that he would have to endure another round of that terrible transmission experience so soon. Watching a group of cultivators eager for battle merits, their morale high and ready to set off, he couldn’t help but think maliciously about what their expressions would be like once they experienced it themselves.

Originally, because they were setting up a big array, many skilled individuals had gathered here at Liyuan, mostly those who were well-versed or adept in the Array Path.

The advance team was still this group of people, because in order to establish a reliable stronghold, it required numerous big arrays to cover and protect it. Of course, this task was entirely voluntary, with no one being forced.

As expected, nobody backed down at this time; everyone wanted to participate in this endeavor.

All have experienced the battle in the Blood Refinement World and gained substantial benefits there. Now, with another chance for an alien expedition, naturally no one wanted to miss out, especially those in the True Lake Realm and the Divine Sea Realm, as the Unparalleled Continent would be their battlefield for a long time. Moreover, every Corpse Race member killed is one less threat, so whoever arrives first gets the first kill.

Lu Ye was at the forefront. Before departure, people from the Heaven’s Augury Mercantile Union had been instructed, secretly by Number Nine, to send several Heaven’s Augury Pillars.

Lu Ye’s task was to find suitable positions to place these Heaven’s Augury Pillars. Within the radius covered by these pillars, cultivators would gain records of their battle merits when they kill the Corpse Race.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Lu Ye again leaped into the vortex, followed by Feng Wujiang, and then a group of Divine Sea Realm array cultivators. Once the Divine Sea Realm cultivators had all passed through, it was time for the True Lake Realm, the Cloud River Realm array cultivators...

In the circular underground space, silhouettes appeared one after another. Apart from Lu Ye, who was prepared and looked calm, even the senior brother’s face turned slightly pale. Others stumbled and swayed embarrassingly after their arrival.

For cultivators of the Nine Provinces, the most customary way of transmission was through the Heaven’s Augury, a process that was smooth and seamless. Even the initial transmission from the Nine Provinces to the Blood Refinement World was such that there was no uncomfortable experience.

However, this time’s transmission was definitely not smooth and seamless. The whole process felt not only lengthy but also like being swallowed by some exotic beast, traversing through its intestines.

Many Divine Sea Realm cultivators struggled uncomfortably, stealing glances at Lu Ye, thinking how this fellow was too conniving for not forewarning others about this miserable experience beforehand. It was clearly the mindset of someone who, after getting drenched in the rain, wants to rip others’ umbrellas.

But soon, their discomfort subsided as those in the True Lake Realm fared even worse.

Each one appeared and immediately ran aside to retch violently...

The old folks quietly watched this spectacle, feeling significantly balanced at heart.

Lu Ye had already flown upward through the tunnel, followed closely by everyone else, soon emerging from the dry ancient well onto the ruins above.

Divine Sea Realm’s Mental Consciousness spread out, and immediately discovered something, one figure darting off in a direction. When returning, they held a clawing zombie.

The zombie’s strength was quite strong, aligned with True Lake Realm levels. Yet under the Divine Sea Realm’s containment, it was like a furious rabid dog, unable to break free despite its struggle.

"So this is the Corpse Race!" Several Divine Sea Realm cultivators clicked their tongues in amazement, feeling that this vast stellar space was indeed full of wonders.

The Blood Race in the Blood Refinement World had already opened their eyes. But at least the Blood Race were living beings, they yelled when cut, and bled when killed. These Corpse Race members were clearly deceased, yet they could move like living people. Quite strange indeed.

Honestly, had Lu Ye not mentioned the characteristics of this race, seeing such beings sprawled on the ground, even after discovering them, they wouldn’t have cared much, simply assuming they were long-dead corpses.

A large group of Divine Sea Realm observers enjoyed watching intently; those unable to squeeze in started capturing their zombies to study.

The remaining Corpse Race in the ruins had been mostly lured away by Lu Ye. Only a few scattered ones remained, soon all captured.

The True Lake Realm cultivators who arrived later looked completely puzzled, not knowing what these Divine Sea Realm cultivators were doing, observing and discussing in clusters, occasionally unleashing guttural roars from within.

Feng Wujiang was somewhat helpless, speaking to Lu Ye: "Junior brother, if you have the time, it would be best to brand the Corpse Race characteristics and information onto jade slips, later providing the Nine Provinces cultivators coming here information about the Corpse Race to better guard themselves."

Lu Ye nodded: "That’s not a problem." He had thought of this too; the Nine Provinces cultivators came here to kill the Corpse Race and earn battle merits. If someone is genuinely killed by the Corpse Race due to inferior ability, there’s hardly any recourse—skills not matching up, conceding defeat. But if it’s due to lack of information that leads to casualties, that would be unnecessary loss.

There are many things to pay attention to when dealing with the Corpse Race. First is the issue of corpse poison. Every Corpse Race member has corpse poison. Once this poison infiltrates a cultivator’s body, it becomes quite troublesome to expel. Only with special Detoxification Pills or help from a healing cultivator can it be eradicated. It’s hard to handle effectively with a cultivator’s own strength.

If corpse poison accumulates excessively in the body, the cultivator will inevitably transform into a Corpse Race member.

Moreover, in terms of categories, the Corpse Race is further divided into zombies and rotting corpses. The former is basically equivalent to the physique cultivators of the human race, generally the type that fights alone. Rotting corpses are more troublesome; they show traces of magic cultivators and beast-taming factions. However, what they tame is not demon beasts, but their fellow Corpse Race members.

Furthermore, most of the Corpse Race lack spiritual intelligence and act only on instinct. However, some Corpse Race have spiritual intelligence. Besides their physical characteristics differing from the human race, there are not many significant differences between them.

Lu Ye had discovered this earlier while surveying the surrounding area. Among the horde of corpses pursuing him, many of the Corpse Race exhibited quite high spiritual intelligence. If not for his speed, he would have truly been surrounded and intercepted.

All of these are things that cultivators must be mindful of when dealing with the Corpse Race. Nine Provinces cultivators come here to slay the Corpse Race, not to bolster their numbers.

A group of Divine Sea Realm cultivators studied the Corpse Race for a while, finally not forgetting their main objective. The captured Corpse Race members, besides two that were killed experimentally, were all restrained in place by various means.

This wasn’t for viewing pleasure, but mainly to leave them here for later Nine Provinces cultivators to see firsthand what the Corpse Race looks like.

A group of True Lake Realm and Divine Sea Realm cultivators began clearing the ruins to establish the first stronghold for the Nine Provinces here.

Thanks to the commotion Lu Ye caused when he came by earlier, the nearby Corpse Race were drawn away, so the entire process proceeded with minimal interference. Occasionally, some stray Corpse Race mistakenly intruded, only to be swiftly slain.

While they were busy here, news about the Unparalleled Continent and the Corpse Race quickly spread across the Nine Provinces. True Lake and Divine Sea Realm cultivators, who had long been impatient, began heading toward Liyuan, and even some Cloud River Realm cultivators who heard the commotion were eager to move.

However, they were unceremoniously blocked by True Lake Realm members of their sect.

According to the True Lake Realms, the Cloud River Realms should be causing a stir on the Cloud River battlefield. Now that the Nine Provinces finally have a place suitable for True Lake and Divine Sea Realms to showcase their skills, who knows how long it will last. What are the Cloud River Realms coming to take away? The piece of fat isn’t that large; every bite the Cloud River Realm takes means one less for the others.

On this matter, every sect in the Nine Provinces that received actual news reacted the same: strictly prohibiting Cloud River Realm cultivators from setting foot in Liyuan, let alone entering the Unparalleled Continent!

It must be said that in certain matters of perception and handling, the cultivator community shares a natural commonality.

At the same time, in the Nine Provinces, the heavenly spirit light, which had paused for over two months, resumed. Previously, Number Nine was hiding from Yueh Xin, not daring to show himself easily, so this opportunity for Divine Sea Level 9 to break through its shackles had to be paused.

Now that Yueh Xin is dead, the opportunity naturally must continue.

The number of Constellation Realms born in the Nine Provinces is gradually increasing. Most have set out again to explore the stellar space, seeking spirit jade for cultivation and also searching for the Unparalleled Continent’s position in the stellar space.

The Constellation Realms cannot enter the Unparalleled Continent through the transmission passage, so they can only rely on flying. Although the stellar space is vast and their search lacks a target, finding it this way will be difficult, but maybe they’ll stumble upon it?

It’s not that they want to do anything to the Corpse Race of the Unparalleled Continent. Even if they did, the True Lake Realm and Divine Sea Realm of the Nine Provinces would not agree.

Not even Cloud River Realms are allowed to set foot in Liyuan, let alone worry about what they might take. How could Constellation Realms, whose cultivation is above the Divine Sea, expect anything?

At the very least, they need to understand the specific location of the Unparalleled Continent, and this search is merely an accompaniment to finding spirit jade and is not a waste of time or effort.

Only a few Constellation Realms, led by Jian Guhong, stayed behind.

They had no choice but to stay because there is still a Yang Qing within the Nine Provinces. Before fully understanding Yang Qing’s attitude toward the Nine Provinces, the Constellation Realms are not at ease to leave entirely.

Even though their staying wouldn’t make much difference in the face of an absolute power gap, at the very least, they can pledge to live and die with the Nine Provinces!

Of the Constellation Realms staying behind, only five or six remain. They are trying to find Yang Qing’s whereabouts, preparing to have an open and honest conversation with him. However, despite their efforts, Yang Qing remains elusive, as if that mighty figure vanished into thin air.

Thus, it became apparent that Yang Qing does not wish to see them. Otherwise, with his abilities, any stir in the Nine Provinces would hardly escape his perception.

This is quite helpless.

Thinking it over, the matter might still need Lu Ye to step forward to have a chance.

No matter what, Lu Ye and Yang Qing share a bond of gratitude for freeing him from trouble. The Formation on Liyuan was also revealed to Lu Ye through Yang Qing’s audio transmission. If others can’t find him, maybe Lu Ye can?