Sage of Humanity

The Hundred Arrays Pagoda encompassed an area of thirty miles, filled with a myriad of hidden formations and serious dangers. There was only one safe passage, which was through a gateway space formed by the branches of several crooked trees; going straight through this passage would safely lead to the outside of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda.

The approach was by this path, but the departure was by another.

When Lu Ye's figure landed, two people were preparing to enter, and a slight noise made both of them turn to glance at Lu Ye, but they didn't pay much attention.

Lu Ye had put on his mask again and had placed Amber into the spirit beast sack.

Although such concealment sometimes proved virtually useless, it was still better than nothing.

The two had already passed through the branch gateway, walking and talking as they went.

Both were clearly array cultivators, currently discussing the setup methods of a formation, each holding differing opinions, believing their methods were more effective, and their debate was quite heated.

Although Lu Ye practiced Array Path, he hadn't had a similar experience since his last exchange and learning with Zhao Li from the Tianyan Sect at the Spirit Stream battlefield long ago.

He walked leisurely behind the two men, listening to their conversation, which he found quite amusing for a while.

However, from Lu Ye's perspective, these two men's mastery in Array Path seemed quite unsophisticated, making their debate appear as if he were watching children quarrel.

For a moment, he realized that in the field of Array Path, he had already advanced far beyond his fellow cultivators of the same level.

After advancing a few miles, one of the shorter array cultivators suddenly fell silent, appearing thoughtful. His companion, seizing the moment, said enthusiastically, "It seems Fellow Daoist Qi has had a realization. Surely, Fellow Daoist Yooi's array setup method is somewhat more effective, right?"

The companion's silence led to a misunderstanding, making him falsely assume that the other agreed with his view, and he was quite pleased with himself for a time.

The Qi-named cultivator, silent, turned his head to look back at Lu Ye following them, then whispered to the Yooi-named cultivator, "Fellow Daoist Yooi, did you notice that person just now?"

"What?" The Yooi-named cultivator was puzzled.

"The one following us... don't turn back."

"What about him?" The mystery made the Yooi-named cultivator nervous.

"Think about it carefully, doesn't he resemble someone?" the Yooi-named cultivator hinted.

Previously, he had been too focused on discussing the formation with the Qi-named cultivator, so even though he had seen Lu Ye at the entrance, he hadn't paid much attention. But as they walked, he had an epiphany, which was why he had become silent, and not because he had been convinced by the Qi-named cultivator.

The Qi-named cultivator thought hard, but he had only glanced briefly at Lu Ye and hadn't paid him much mind; how could he recall anything now?

He whispered, "Fellow Daoist Yooi, stop beating around the bush. Who is that man?"

The Yooi-named cultivator spoke softly, "If I'm not mistaken, he should be Lu Yiye!"

The expression on the Qi-named cultivator's face changed dramatically. Even as an array cultivator deeply engrossed in his studies, he had heard of the famous Lu Yiye of the Righteous Blood Sect lately, and knew that many cultivators from the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge were investigating Lu Yiye's whereabouts, though there hadn't been any real findings yet.

If the person following them truly was Lu Yiye, that would indeed be interesting.

"Fellow Daoist Qi, are you sure?"

The Qi-named cultivator said, "He's wearing a mask and not showing his true face, but judging by his physique, it does resemble the one described in the rumors."

"There are many people with similar physiques in the world."

"Rumor has it that Lu Yiye is a master of Array Path…" the Qi-named cultivator added.

The Yooi-named cultivator's eyes lit up, "Exactly, that's why he would come to the Hundred Arrays Pagoda."

"Even if we're wrong, it doesn't matter much; we can just apologize. But if he really is Lu Yiye, Fellow Daoist Yooi, today might be our lucky day!"

Lu Yiye is merely at the Level 5 realm, and the two of them, one at Level 7 and the other at Level 6, could easily handle him if they joined forces.

With eye contact, no words needed, both understood each other's intentions, and the Qi-named cultivator suddenly stopped and pointed at an empty space nearby, saying, "Fellow Daoist Yooi, there seems to be a killing array here, can you see anything noteworthy?"

Whether there truly was a killing array there, he wasn't quite sure; it was just a casual mention.

The Yooi-named cultivator took the hint and also stopped, looking in that direction and saying, "Let me see."

A few dozen feet behind, Lu Ye walked at a leisurely pace, sighing deeply in his heart.

He knew it, even though he was wearing a mask, it was hardly effective. Given this situation, his whereabouts were likely exposed again.

The two cultivators were still pointing and discussing a certain empty spot, while Lu Ye had already walked past them.

Just then, both men simultaneously fell silent, and one of them suddenly produced a long halberd in his hand. Spirit force surged, thrusting directly toward Lu Ye's back. The full force of a Level 7 Cloud River realm burst forth, emitting a sound that cleaved through the air.

The other person seemed to be a magic cultivator, as golden light sparkled in his hand and suddenly stretched out, transforming into a golden arrow. With a slight tremor, the arrow too broke through the air.

The full-powered thrust of the halberd inexplicably missed its mark. The Level 7 cultivator from Cloud River, surnamed Qi, had not yet grasped what had happened when he shockingly saw Lu Ye closing in within ten feet of him. A streak of fiery red blade light sliced across his field of vision, followed by a numbness in his arm. An arm, severed, flew into the air.

"Ah!" A scream rang out, and the cultivator Qi's face drastically changed. His figure staggered backward, but Lu Ye's second blade had already been swung. This blade, tracing the shaft of the halberd, diagonally swept up, slicing across his neck.

Lu Ye then passed by the figure of the Qi surnamed cultivator, charging directly at the Yi surnamed cultivator.

Only at this moment did the Yi surnamed cultivator just manage to cast the Golden Arrow Technique. Seeing Lu Ye bear down on him like a tiger descending a mountain, the overwhelming oppressive force almost left him breathless. Sensing the danger, he didn't even think before he moved, directly floating backward.

Lu Ye's long blade descended, the Double-Sharpness Spirit Runes on it effortlessly penetrated the man's protective spirit force, leaving a huge gash across his chest. Yet, under the powerful impact, the man was thrown out through the safe passageway.

As if breaking through an invisible barrier, ripples emerged and the man's figure abruptly vanished.

Lu Ye paused, slightly hesitating, then chose not to pursue.

The place where the magic cultivator fell was enveloped by a Formation, and it was unclear when or by which array cultivator it had been left.

Without knowing the details of this Formation, it was not wise to rashly rush in. The opponent had taken such a hit from him and had fallen into an unknown Formation, likely the chances of survival were slim.

Even if he had the spare energy to break the Formation, he might not be able to find his way back.

Lu Ye sheathed his blade.

Only at this moment did the body of the Qi surnamed cultivator collapse to the ground, blood flowing, staining the earth red.

Lu Ye stepped forward, collected the fallen man's storage sack, and the Spiritual Artifact in his hand, then with a kick, he knocked the corpse out of the safe passageway.

The moment the corpse hit the ground, a thunderous booming noise erupted followed by intense heat waves, loud explosions, and dazzling firelight, all indicating that an explosion magic array had been triggered.

Lu Ye inwardly felt alarmed. Although he had gathered many details about the area outside the Hundred Arrays Pagoda from the intelligence provided by Heaven's Augury Mercantile Union, he had not expected the situation to be so grave.

Indeed, there were hidden Arrays everywhere; the power of this explosion magic array was much greater than any he had set up.

This was not to say that the person who set up the array was more skilled in the Array Path than he was, but rather that the array had existed for a longer time, accumulating a vast amount of energy, and its sudden release was naturally terrifying.

Continuing on his way, only the vivid blood on the ground remained, a testimony to the fierce battle that had erupted here just moments ago.

The two cultivators thought that their cultivation level was higher than Lu Ye's and that ambushing him together was almost a sure thing. Yet little did they know, Lu Ye had even killed a Level 8 cultivator; a Level 7 and a Level 6 cultivator were barely a match for him now.

After walking another dozen miles, he finally arrived in front of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda.

This was a comparatively safer area.

Centered around the Hundred Arrays Pagoda, within a hundred feet radius, it was an absolutely safe place​.

Lu Ye looked around and saw quite a number of cultivators gathered here, all of whom were array cultivators.

What comforted Lu Ye was that, like him, some people wore masks, making him not seem so out of place.

There was an unspoken rule here at the Hundred Arrays Pagoda: regardless of one's background, upon arrival, everyone was considered an array cultivator, and within this area, fighting was not allowed.

Many array cultivators would immerse themselves in cultivating here, pondering the mysteries of the Array Path. Any conflict would inevitably affect them.

Not only were there no conflicts here, but even the sound of voices was suppressed to the barest minimum, making the atmosphere, despite the presence of not a few array cultivators, very serene and tranquil.

Some array cultivators sat alone in meditation, while others sat in pairs discussing the mysteries of arrays, and still others tested their skills against one another based on their understanding of arrays.

Most people were unaware of each other's background; perhaps among those discussing array techniques, one might be from Ten Thousand Demons Ridge and another from the Haotian Alliance.

In contrast to the broader environment of the Cloud River battlefield, this place was truly a secluded haven.

Back when Lu Ye was advancing to the Cloud River realm and preparing to enter the Cloud River battlefield, his Second Senior Sister Shui Yuan had told him that the situation in the Cloud River battlefield was far more complex than that of the Spirit Stream battlefield. Since there were no big sect bases here, cultivators from different regions, if unknown to each other, typically didn't know their affiliations.

Thus, many times, cultivators from the two opposing factions had the chance to coexist peacefully, and sometimes even cooperate intimately.

But for Lu Ye, what awaited him seemed only to be targeted attacks and relentless pursuits…

Feeling the tranquility and peace of this place, Lu Ye couldn't help but sigh inwardly, wishing for a time when he too could enjoy the treatment befitting an ordinary cultivator.

However, he also knew that this was merely wishful thinking. His reputation was well known among the big sects of Ten Thousand Demons Ridge; countless pairs of eyes were watching him. For the people of Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, encountering him meant only one thought: kill him, or call for reinforcements to do so!