Sage of Humanity

In front of a stronghold, the fierce battle raged on. Lu Ye stumbled, swinging his saber instinctively.

Although he would recuperate for a while after each major battle, consuming elixir pills to replenish his depleted spirit force, the loss of psyche force was not so easily restored. This resulted in his body appearing almost transparent at the moment.

A voice in his mind kept ringing, clamoring for him to close his eyes and rest properly, but Lu Ye knew that with his current state, if he truly closed his eyes, he might never wake up again.

His strong willpower sustained him, allowing his presence to flicker like a candle in the wind, still casting its final glow in this ruined city.

The Insect Race squad under his command had dwindled to the last three after this period of campaigning. Even these three were battered and wounded like him.

It was a real dead end.

Throughout his cultivation journey, Lu Ye had faced many crises, many of which he couldn't have resolved with his own abilities. But he had never been forced step by step into a corner like this before.

With a slight stir in his heart, a connection suddenly severed, and the groggy Lu Ye couldn't immediately discern where this sensation came from. It took him a while before he realized that one of the three Insect Race creatures under his command had died in battle, leaving only the last two, who likely wouldn't survive the day either.

He squeezed out the last of his strength, wielding his Boulder Mountain Saber and slaying the swarming Insect Race one after another.

After the annihilation of the Butcher squad, he only intended to help them complete their mission, but at this point, he couldn't even be sure what belief was sustaining him.

Perhaps… it was simply because those Xianyuan Guards had fought to the death to protect him. They had exchanged their lives for his survival, and just because of this alone, he couldn't let their mission fail.

However, human strength eventually comes to an end, and some regrets are unavoidable. After this battle, he likely would no longer have the strength to fight and would need to hide in the stronghold for a long recovery, seeing if his condition could improve.

In the midst of this fierce battle, Lu Ye didn't notice that on a rooftop some dozens of yards away, several figures stood, quietly observing this scene.

The deceased Butcher, Liu Datong, Yooi Qing, and the faces of Xianyuan Guards whose names couldn't be recalled, were all here.

The Butcher squad had returned to this place!

Under normal circumstances, Lu Ye would have been unable to miss them, especially since these people didn't bother to hide themselves.

But at that moment, Lu Ye was nearly burned out, with such blurred vision that he couldn't even clearly see a few yards ahead, let alone dozens.

"Why are you pushing yourself so hard?" Yooi Qing looked at Lu Ye, who was fighting bloodily, feeling quite uneasy.

"You guys really went too far!" Liu Datong sighed, "We should've told him the truth. He probably thinks we're all dead."

"The City Lord died last. He didn't tell him, so it must have been deliberate," retorted Yooi Qing, turning her head furiously toward the Butcher.

The Butcher indifferently said, "True nature is revealed in life and death. If we had told him earlier, we wouldn't have seen this. This kid's not bad!"

All the Xianyuan Guards knew that the Butcher was a man of high standards. Receiving such a comment from him undoubtedly meant that Lu Ye's performance had caught his eye.

"No wonder he was chosen!" The Butcher murmured again.

"What?" Yooi Qing looked at him, puzzled.

"Nothing," the Butcher shook his head.

"Stop dawdling and save him! We won't die if we're dead, but if he dies, who knows what will happen," Yooi Qing yelled.

The Butcher glared at her, "Watch your manners!"

Even so, he still flashed forward, rushing toward the battlefield, with many Xianyuan Guards closely following.

On the battlefield, Lu Ye felt that every ounce of his strength had dried up, nearly lacking the power to even swing his Boulder Mountain Saber.

The battle had quieted. Through his fading vision, he could no longer see a single member of the Insect Race. Not only had the attacking Insect Race been eradicated, but even his own Insect Race squad had been wiped out.

It was over…

As this thought emerged, Lu Ye's spirit relaxed and he stumbled, falling forward.

He didn't hit the ground; at the crucial moment, a large hand supported his shoulder, holding up his falling body.

Lu Ye weakly looked up, seeing the reflection of the Butcher in his field of vision, the chubby man's face unusually adorned with a hint of an approving smile.

Lu Ye was confused as to why he would see the deceased Butcher at this moment. Perhaps it was an illusion from overexertion?

Behind the Butcher, he saw more figures.

Dead Liu Datong, Yooi Qing, and those not too familiar faces…

Though he felt it was an illusion, guilt still lingered in his heart, and Lu Ye muttered, "Senior, the mission…"

The mission ultimately had not been completed, but he could no longer hold on. Drifting into sleep, he wasn't even sure if he could wake up again.

"You've done well!" The Butcher patted his shoulder, "The mission's already complete!"

They had already killed all of Insect Race in the responsible area on their way over, leaving only those on Lu Ye's battlefield.

Even though Lu Ye felt the Butcher was comforting him, he still managed a weak smile: "That's good…"

Confused, the illusion seemed too real. Without the chance to think any further, his head drooped, and he completely lost consciousness.

His nearly transparent body even twisted slightly at that instant.

"I'll take him to the City Lord's Residence. You guys split into three squads and search around to see if there are any that slipped through the net,"

"Yes."

Liu Datong and the others promptly responded in the affirmative.

The Butcher grabbed Lu Ye and, after giving the order, soared into the sky. Taking off from ten zhang above the ground, he swept towards the direction of the City Lord's Residence and soon disappeared without a trace.

…

Amidst the chaotic darkness, a strand of light suddenly appeared. The light rapidly expanded, and as it did, Lu Ye's dormant consciousness slowly began to revive.

The immense fatigue of his mind had already vanished without a trace, replaced by boundless comfort. The warmth that enveloped him felt as if he had returned to a womb.

He did not know where he was. Although his consciousness was reviving, he had not fully awoken, still lingering in a state between sleep and wakefulness.

His memories were somewhat blurred. Vaguely, he only remembered experiencing many grueling battles before, and it seemed as though some faces flashed before his eyes.

Without thinking too much, his reviving consciousness once again sank into slumber.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Lu Ye awoke again.

This time, he was truly awake. After a brief moment of disorientation, Lu Ye quickly recalled the events that unfolded before his unconsciousness: following the annihilation of the Butcher's squad, he led his own team of the Insect Race through Xianyuan City to hunt the Insect Race, completing the task that the Butcher's squad had left unfinished.

But in the end, it seemed he still failed to accomplish the mission...

A sense of regret filled his heart. After all, he wasn't strong enough. Despite the unique state that allowed him, with only a Cloud River Level 5 cultivation, to possess the strength of the True Lake Realm here, facing such a situation, there was only so much one could do alone.

Also... where is this?

Lu Ye instinctively felt that his surroundings were somewhat familiar, yet he could not immediately recall the place.

With a slight sensing, his psyche vibrated.

Because he discovered that his Psyche Force had grown considerably stronger.

Logically, his Psyche Force had already far surpassed that of cultivators in the same realm. Improving it was not supposed to be easy, yet after this period of unconsciousness, the growth of his Psyche Force was distinctly noticeable.

Had the desperate battles pushed his own limits and resulted in a breakthrough?

It didn't seem like it...

Only at this moment did he notice the abnormality of his surroundings. His body was surrounded by a thick fog that was so dense one could not see one's own fingers.

The fog was no ordinary fog. Being immersed in it made one feel comfortable in spirit, to the point where one wished to soak in it for a lifetime.

A scene from Lu Ye's memory instantly merged with his current environment.

"Soul mist!"

Lu Ye couldn't help but feel shocked. The mist around him was clearly soul mist.

The last time he was in Xianyuan City, he had experienced an environment like this. Both he and Giant Armor, Amber, and Yiyi had gained a lot of benefits from it.

Soul mist is something that only exists in the Soul Cleansing Pool.

In other words, is he currently in the Soul Cleansing Pool?

But he clearly passed out outside a stronghold in the city. How could he have ended up in the Soul Cleansing Pool without any reason?

In the midst of confusion, the faces of the Butcher, Liu Datong, and Yooi Qing suddenly flashed through his mind...

At the very last moment before he lost consciousness, it seemed he saw these Xianyuan Guards, who were supposed to be dead.

But that must have been an illusion—how could the dead come back to life?

So it seems that it must have been other Xianyuan Guards who found him and brought him back to the City Lord's Residence, placing him in the Soul Cleansing Pool?

Although it was unlikely, it was the only explanation.

He had learned from the Butcher that there were quite a few Xianyuan Guards operating within Xianyuan City, and they were just one squad among them. Each Xianyuan Guard squad was responsible for exterminating the Insect Race within a certain area.

Perhaps another Xianyuan Guard squad had completed their mission and discovered him during their search.

Although he did not know who brought him here, it was undoubtedly a life-saving favor. Lu Ye silently noted this debt of gratitude.

The loss of his Psyche Force had been perfectly replenished, and not only that, it was much stronger than before. It could be said that Lu Ye was now in the best condition he had ever been.

The saying goes, "When the belly is full, the mind turns to wanton pleasure." This phrase could also apply to Lu Ye.

At this moment, he wasn't thinking about any wanton pleasure, but rather the dense soul mist surrounding him...

The last time he had come here, he had bottled some Soul Cleansing Water to take with him. Although he didn't know who placed him in the Soul Cleansing Pool this time, the opportunity was rare and not to be missed.

Thus, upon realizing his situation, without the slightest hesitation, Lu Ye activated his power, expanding it in all directions. Patterns of Yin-Yang Dual Origins intertwined and fitted together, and in the blink of an eye, a massive spirit energy gathering funnel formed amidst the soul mist.