Sage of Humanity-Chapter 1738 - 1736: Rout
To have killed a Moon Jade from the enemy side was no small achievement, and Su Yuming, who was stationed there, couldn't help but pause in surprise.
It was in this very moment of distraction that the unexpected happened.
A dazzling point of blood light burst forth, then swiftly expanded, spreading rapidly in all directions.
Su Yuming's eyes narrowed as he quickly retreated, shouting, "Blood Technique! Get out of the way!"
He finally understood that the Moon Jade wasn't dead, because there was no sign of a Moon Jade's downfall when the opponent's body exploded—that was the moment the opponent seized the opportunity to perform a Blood Technique.
Moreover, judging from the speed at which the blood-red light spread, the opponent's mastery of this Blood Technique was clearly profound.
His reactions were swift, so he avoided the enveloping Blood Sea, but his subordinates, the Constellation cultivators, did not have such reflexes. Of the two thousand cultivators from Baiyue Island, half had been deployed to maintain the big island-protecting array and to counterattack He Baichuan's invading forces; the remaining thousand were besieging the three Array Base Halls, leaving three to four hundred Constellation cultivators here.
When Ma Shangsi's Blood Sea unfolded, these three to four hundred Constellations were instantly enveloped, with none spared. The sight made Su Yuming's eyes nearly burst with rage.
The next moment, he realized that within the Blood Sea, the presence of Constellations began to fade at a rapid pace—one after the other, as though an ancient ferocious beast had awakened within the Blood Sea and was devouring his fellow cultivators' lives.
He quickly understood—it was Lu Ye who was acting because only with a Moon Jade's involvement could the Constellations die so quickly, filling him with grief and anger.
Fortunately, the Baiyue Island cultivators were not fools. Despite the sudden upheaval and the abrupt entrapment in the Blood Sea, although most appeared panicked, they quickly mobilized their powers to stir the Blood Sea.
Ma Shangsi was indeed powerful, and the Blood Sea was formidable, but to trap three to four hundred Constellations by himself was impossible. By stirring the Blood Sea, the Constellations caused turbulence and drained his energy. It would take only a little while to break through the Blood Sea.
Over a hundred Three Worlds cultivators charged out from the hall, forming formations using the As-Close-As-Siblings Array Disc, grouping in threes and fives. Under Ma Shangsi's assistance and guidance, they hunted the enemies within the Blood Sea.
Not to mention, Lu Ye, who burst out of the hall with Ma Shangsi, was wreaking havoc in the Blood Sea. With his current Moon Jade power, how could Baiyue's Constellations possibly resist?
With each passing breath, cultivators were falling.
Su Yuming, who had managed to escape the Blood Sea's range in time, had veins pulsing across his forehead as he frantically unleashed his power toward the Blood Sea, hoping to aid his Constellations in breaking it quickly and rescuing them.
But only three breaths later, he was filled with despair.
In this brief span of three breaths, the number of Constellations fallen in the Blood Sea had already reached fifty! Though the vast Blood Sea was relentlessly being disrupted, it could still hold for another seven or eight breaths.
Three breaths, fifty people—if it continued for another seven or eight breaths, wouldn't over a hundred more die? There were only three to four hundred Constellations here in total.
Such a huge loss was something Su Yuming couldn't accept at all, so after a moment's hesitation, he hurled himself toward the Blood Sea.
Despite having wisely evaded the Blood Sea's shroud moments ago, he now had no choice but to dive in voluntarily in an attempt to break it faster—what an ironic and helpless situation.
Yet, only by delving deeply into the Blood Sea could he have confidence in breaking it more swiftly to rescue his comrades.
Su Yuming truly lived up to being a Late Stage Moon Jade; as he entered the Blood Sea, his fierce and turbulent mana made the entire Blood Sea seem on the verge of boiling.
Just as Lu Ye was savagely killing enemies within the Blood Sea, Ma Shangsi's voice came through to him: "Saintly Venerable, I can't hold on much longer!"
It wasn't that he wasn't strong enough, but simply that there were too many cultivators battling within the Blood Sea. Not counting Lu Ye and Su Yuming, there were already several hundred Constellations. All these clashes had to be borne by the Blood Sea; that he held on for several breaths was already a testament to his profound strength.
At these words, Lu Ye immediately steadied himself, and in the next moment, he executed a Blood Technique—the blood-red hue more intense than before emanated from him, extending outward.
In addition, within the Blood Sea, under Lu Ye's audio transmission, another figure activated a Blood Race secret technique.
Lann Qiyue!
Though she was only at the Early Stage of Constellation cultivation, the unique nature of the Blood Race's Blood Techniques ensured that she could also make her mark on this battlefield.
Su Yuming's judgment wasn't entirely wrong. If it were merely a Blood Technique, his act of diving in would indeed allow him to break it more swiftly and rescue his Constellations.
Yet little did he know, this wasn't a mere Blood Technique but a Blood Race secret technique executed by a Peak Moon Jade Blood Race!
While both might appear similar on the surface and even indistinguishable to others, the critical difference was that the Blood Race's Blood Sea could merge and grow stronger.
This misjudgment was fatal!
Consequently, his expression soon turned bewildered because just as the Blood Sea, unstable and on the verge of being broken, suddenly became a lot more stable.
And with the eruption of a massive energy burst deep within the Blood Sea, this newfound stability became even more apparent!
Lu Ye detonated a drop of his own treasure blood!
The detonation was necessary. To annihilate the enemies trapped in the Blood Sea, the Blood Sea must be maintained for a sufficient length of time. However, even with him and Lann Qiyue assisting secretly, so many people battling within the Blood Sea couldn't hold it for long.
A drop of treasure blood might only extend the Blood Sea for a few more breaths, but it should be enough.
Outside, He Baichuan's forces were deploying strong offensive measures. To quickly open a gap, breakthrough from this direction was required. Should any fish slip through the net, our side's forces won't have the advantage, leading to significant casualties.
From the beginning, Lu Ye planned to utterly eradicate Su Yuming's forces.
The alliance with Ma Shangsi must achieve the greatest battle result in the shortest time!
With the reinforcement of treasure blood, the Blood Sea truly became more stable.
Lu Ye turned to Ma Shangsi's direction and instructed, "Keep an eye on that Moon Jade, since he has returned, let him stay!"
Originally, when Su Yuming escaped, Lu Ye felt a bit regretful. Killing a Constellation and killing a Moon Jade have different effects. In such a battlefield, if the enemy loses a Moon Jade, it would inevitably deal a tremendous blow to their morale.
He initially planned to deal with the Constellation enemies within the Blood Sea first, then find a way to team up with Ma Shangsi to eliminate the Moon Jade.
Unexpectedly, the adversary actively returned.
Su Yuming's plans were clear to Lu Ye. One had to admit, this willingness to risk danger for his Constellation subordinates was commendable, yet admiration aside, he was still the enemy, and there was no reason to hold back.
Receiving orders, Ma Shangsi immediately charged towards Su Yuming.
Originally, he had to maintain the stability of the Blood Sea and assist the Three Worlds Island Constellations in fighting the enemy, rendering him immobile. But now things were different. Lu Ye and Lann Qiyue's Blood Sea had merged, allowing Lu Ye to help bear the pressure of maintaining the Blood Sea, while assisting in killing the enemy fell to Lann Qiyue. Thus, he could spare some strength to target Su Yuming, entangling the opponent!
Outside Baiyue Island, numerous observing cultivators' gazes were focused entirely on this area of Blood Sea. The uninvolved spectator sees clearly. Yu Huan et al. might not grasp the changes here, as they were fiercely contending in their own battlefields, but the observing cultivators saw everything clearly.
No one knows the situation within the Blood Sea. The big island-protecting array blocks it, making perception unclear. Only a vague awareness that life's breath within the Blood Sea was continuously dwindling.
Everyone changed color, realizing that the battlefield within the Blood Sea would be a critical victory point in this battle for Spirit Island. Whoever wins here gains absolute advantage.
Was it the prepared Three Worlds Island or the profoundly rooted Baiyue Island?
No one knew; everyone watched eagerly.
Within the Blood Sea, Su Yuming was entangled by Ma Shangsi. Even giving his all couldn't free him, and witnessing familiar presences perish around elicited horror within.
Suddenly, he realized trespassing into the Blood Sea was a mistake, but what's done was done; regret was futile.
Anger transformed into flames burning within, and amid fluctuating mana, managed to drive Ma Shangsi back step by step.
This wasn't due to him being stronger, but Ma Shangsi had consumed significant energy conjuring the Blood Sea, furthermore, Lu Ye's command was to entangle Su Yuming. The opponent now displayed desperation, thus Ma Shangsi naturally avoided his sharpness.
Being inadvertently drawn into mutual destruction by the enemy wouldn't be worth the cost.
In the battlefield of the Blood Sea, Baiyue Island initially held an absolute numerical advantage, but with time, this advantage dwindled, then was neutralized and turned into a disadvantage.
Defeat breaks like a collapsing mountain!
Among the competing Constellation cultivators, the inclusion of Lu Ye, a Moon Jade, sentenced Baiyue cultivators to grim fates. Within the Blood Sea's environment already unfavorable to Baiyue cultivators, those targeted by Lu Ye rarely survived beyond a single strike.
Having occupied Baiyue Island for eight hundred years, they've seen skirmishes, yet such large-scale conflicts had never been encountered.
Conversely, on the Three Worlds cultivators' side, those from Jade Conch and Qingli Dao World might lack war experience, but Nine Provinces cultivators had fought through countless battles.
This scale of conflict was but a small event compared to previous Nine Provinces army counterattacks against the Insect Race Great Secret Realm or expeditions to the Blood Refinement World.
Moreover, Nine Provinces cultivators were fearless, and their combat style was brutal. Even if Jade Conch and Qingli Dao World cultivators lacked experience, they were spurred into action.
Thus, although numerically inferior, when Ma Shangsi burst out of the Array Base Hall, casting the Blood Sea, Baiyue cultivators' downfall was inevitable.
A few breaths later, Baiyue Constellation forces within the Blood Sea were completely annihilated.
Su Yuming was direly endangered.
Originally battling Ma Shangsi alone, amid latter's avoidance, he seemed fierce. But when Lu Ye joined in, master and servant attacking together left Su Yuming utterly powerless.
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