Sage of Humanity

A mere street's distance had become the line between life and death.

One after another, the Xianyuan Guards fearlessly broke ranks to block the Insect Plague, only to be inundated.

Finally, the building with the red lanterns hanging at the entrance was within reach. By Lu Ye's side, only Yooi Qing remained, her Spiritual Body showing an abnormal translucent state, clearly on the verge of dissipation.

At the last moment, she grabbed Lu Ye's shoulder and flung him out, shouting, "Quick, hide inside!"

Midair, the Boulder Mountain Saber flashed with saber light, and two insect creatures, akin to locusts, sprayed green blood as they fell.

Lu Ye landed in front of the building and, turning his head, could no longer see Yooi Qing's figure; only the overwhelming horde of the Insect Race surged toward him from behind.

He hurriedly pushed open the great door and rushed into the building, slamming the door shut behind him. Following that, the violent sounds of the Insect Race's assault came from outside.

But this building ultimately possessed a special protective power, so no matter how the Insect Race attacked, they couldn't break through.

Lu Ye's fists were clenched tightly, his face darker than it had ever been, and the sorrow deep in his heart brought him an indescribable pain.

The time he had spent with Yooi Qing and the others was short, their relationship at best a fleeting acquaintance, not even reaching the level of friends.

But each of those Xianyuan Guards had protected him to the death at the final juncture. Without their support, Lu Ye knew he could not have escaped back to this stronghold.

Thinking carefully, he had only given Butcher slightly less than half a bottle of Soul Cleansing Water. By what virtue did he deserve the trust of those Xianyuan Guards with their lives?

The Insect Race's attack from outside continued to be fierce. Further down the street, the sounds of intense combat echoed continuously, indicating that Butcher was locked in a fierce battle with a Divine Sea Realm creature of the Insect Race.

Until, at one moment, the sounds of combat abruptly ceased.

Lu Ye's heart tightened.

He did not know the outcome of the battle, whether Butcher had won or lost.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, the already noisy Insect Race outside suddenly grew louder, their distinctive hisses rising incessantly.

Realizing something, Lu Ye quickly peered through the crack of the door, only to see the Insect Race congregating in a certain area on the street before the door. Within that area, saber light flashed continuously, and Insect Race creatures were chopped into pieces by the sharp blade.

Following that, Butcher's portly figure burst out from within, quickly arriving at the door. Lu Ye hurriedly opened the door, allowing Butcher to flash inside.

After Butcher entered, Lu Ye closed the door once again, and the outside became noisy again.

"Are you the only one left?" Butcher looked around and suddenly asked.

Lu Ye, with his head lowered, replied, "All the seniors... they died protecting me on my way back!"

Sensing the guilt in Lu Ye's heart, Butcher chuckled softly, "Even without protecting you, they wouldn't have lived much longer. Let them be dead, don't take it to heart, they..." He stopped mid-sentence, his expression turning profound as he shifted topics, "Since you've survived, live well. Don't let their sacrifice be in vain."

Lu Ye was silent, his mood heavier than it had ever been.

Butcher stepped forward, handing over his bone-stripping saber, "I'm entrusting this to you, take good care of it."

Lu Ye was shocked, looking up, his face filled with alarm, "Senior?"

Butcher sat down cross-legged, sighed, "I'm a bit tired, just need to rest, don't mind me."

With those words, he closed his eyes, and his nearly transparent body vanished in a twist, the bone-stripping saber falling to the ground with a clear sound.

Though he had won the last battle, it had been a bitter victory. Having forced himself to return here, he ultimately could not hold on any longer.

Gazing at the spot where Butcher's figure had disappeared, Lu Ye stood speechlessly.

He did not know what sort of belief drove these Xianyuan Guards, but from his scant conversations with Yooi Qing and the others, he learned that they had been waging this war for thousands of years. The unceasing warfare over those millennia had bred in the Xianyuan Guards the notion that death was a release.

Liu Datong, Yooi Qing, and those other Xianyuan Guards whom Lu Ye couldn't even name, had displayed no fear in life's final moment.

They had never feared death.

Uncertain how much time had passed, Lu Ye stepped forward and bowed respectfully toward the place where Butcher had vanished. Then, he picked up the bone-stripping saber and stored it in his storage space.

Afterward, he found a spot to sit cross-legged and consumed an elixir pill to heal himself.

The Butcher squad was annihilated, but their mission had not been completed. Even if only as a remembrance and a tribute, Lu Ye wanted to continue their task, to eradicate the Insect Race from this region.

He had numerous injuries on his body, all sustained during the previous breakout; these injuries were difficult to heal. He could have used the Soul Cleansing Water, but he had given the last of it to Butcher.

But he still had the strength to fight, as long as he was careful not to exhaust his Psyche Force.

Within his perception, five members of his Insect Race squad were still alive; two others had been killed by different Insect Races in the previous chaos.

With five Insect Race members, plus himself, as long as they were careful, it should not be a problem to complete the Butcher squad's mission, provided they did not encounter any Insect Race from the Divine Sea Realm.

However, Divine Sea Realm Insect Races were not so easily encountered; their meeting this time was purely coincidental. Such powerful creatures normally stayed closer to the City Lord's Residence.

The noise outside gradually subsided, and the lively laughing and banter within the stronghold had died down, leaving only silence flowing.

Only after resting for four Shichen did Lu Ye get up and peer outside through the crack of the door. The number of Insect Races scattered nearby was not that many, and five of them were under his command.

With a thought, he issued commands to those five Insect Races, directing them to approach other nearby Insect Races.

The moment Lu Ye opened the door, all the Insect Races in sight were startled, and driven by instinct, they swooped toward him.

However, the slaughter had begun, and when the five controlled Insect Races erupted in revolt, life quickly faded away.

Lu Ye's figure blurred into an afterimage as he charged forward, the Boulder Mountain Saber unsheathed, slicing out a crescent-shaped saber light. The oncoming Insect Races fell in rows in an instant.

He didn't control the noise of the battle, intentionally making a ruckus to attract the nearby Insect Races.

He was right beside a stronghold he could hide in, and if the situation turned sour, he would rush back at the first opportunity, ensuring his own safety.

More and more Insect Races were drawn over, and the battlefield was littered with their severed limbs. Flecks of golden light drifted from all directions towards the back of Lu Ye's hand, but he had no time to check the increase in his battle merit. The only thought in his mind was to annihilate all the Insect Races in his vision!

The battle ended after two Shichen, and Lu Ye dragged his weary body back to the stronghold to recuperate.

Outside the door, five enslaved Insect Races stood guard quietly.

Half a day later, the door opened again, and Lu Ye walked out. Even though he tried not to use his Psyche Force during the battle, the rapidly changing situation on the battlefield often left him no choice.

Compared to before this battle, Lu Ye was undoubtedly weaker, but this weakness was only in his psyche and did not affect the execution of his strength.

He teleported onto the back of a Spider Insect Race, activated Concealment and Breath-concealing Spirit Runes, and under Lu Ye's command, the five Insect Races moved towards the direction of the next stronghold.

Lu Ye only knew that the Butcher squad's mission was to annihilate all the Insect Races in this area, but he didn't know the exact size of this area.

The only thing he could be sure of was that the clearing proceeded from inside outward, so heading towards the outside of the city was the correct direction.

He had originally come from the city's outskirts to the middle, and now he was making the return journey, truly a turn of the wheel of fortune.

Fortunately, the farther out toward the outskirts, the lower the average strength of the Insect Races.

Every time he found a stronghold, Lu Ye would first scout the surroundings to see if there were any overly powerful Insect Races. If there were, he would use his Insect Race squad to ambush and kill them; if there weren't, then he would simply make a commotion in front of the stronghold to attract all the nearby Insect Races.

Fighting alone was undoubtedly tedious. Previously with Butcher leading the way, they had been unstoppable, with little resistance from the Insect Races wherever they went. But now, with everything relying on himself alone, Lu Ye felt the pressure.

At least there were battle merits to be had for killing Insect Races.

Resting time and again, slaying enemies time and again...

Blood flowed into rivers and corpses stacked like mountains outside every stronghold. Lu Ye lost count of how many Insect Races he had killed; he only knew his battle merits were fast approaching the significant milestone of two hundred thousand.

His body grew weaker and more translucent; despite resting after each major battle, the consumption of his Psyche Force made him feel increasingly groggy, and a constant thought churned in his mind: to close his eyes and take a proper sleep, regardless of the world turning upside down.

Eventually, he reached the very edge of the city.

Looking ahead, thick fog rolled in, isolating the entire city.

Gazing at the fog, Lu Ye couldn't help feeling a sense of familiarity; whenever he had previously entered the Mirage Realm, monsters would emerge from such fog to attack.

He had also been curious about what lay within the fog, so he had once ventured deep into it to explore. Unfortunately, without going far, he was mysteriously attacked and killed.

He never expected to find such fog outside Xianyuan City as well. What would happen if he walked into it?

Lu Ye quickly dismissed the thought. Although he was unsure of the consequences of entering the fog, one thing was certain: the outcome would not be good. It was better to remain honest and active inside Xianyuan City.

He changed direction and led his Insect Race squad to the side, continuing the task of clearing out the Insect Races.

Street after street was cleared, and wherever they passed, all Insect Races were slaughtered without mercy.

Lu Ye's body became increasingly weak and almost transparent; every time after a big battle, even though he would rest, the drain on his Psyche Force made him feel drowsy. A thought surged in his heart every moment: to close his eyes and sleep well, let the world turn upside down.