Sage of Humanity

Leaving Haotian City, Lu Ye pulled out the ten-part map for reference and headed in one direction, paying no mind to Qian Wudang's threat.

Words spoken in anger cannot be taken seriously.

Three months of cultivation passed like a single day, continuously refining Explosive Fire Spirit Stones and As-Close-As-Siblings Array Discs during this period. The days were incredibly monotonous and dull.

Unlike those long-renowned senior Divine Sea realm cultivators, who could settle down in one place and meditate like a stone, after all, he was just a twenty-something young man. Young people have their vitality, and if he truly lived like the elderly Divine Sea realm cultivators, he wouldn't be young anymore.

It's not that he had to do something specific, even just getting out for a walk, changing the environment, could lighten his mood.

The advancement in the Divine Sea realm is not only reflected in one's spirit force reserves but also in the expansion of the Divine Sea, representing a holistic growth. Each level's advancement significantly boosts a cultivator's strength.

Compared to the previous Level 1 of the Divine Sea realm, the increase in his spirit force reserves goes without saying. The consumption of so many gold-hued spirit fortune sticks wasn't for nothing; the Divine Sea had evidently broadened, meaning his Mental Consciousness strengthened.

Lu Ye flew onward, gazing down at the land below.

Desolation was everywhere.

The once-glorious Nine Provinces, rich in talent and fertile landscapes, had barely any greenery visible since the Insect Race's rampage.

For cultivators who have succeeded in cultivation, these impacts aren't much, but for those with low cultivation and especially commoners, such changes are unbearable pain.

For commoners to survive, they must eat grains, but under the current circumstances, even the best farmlands have turned barren. No one dares to come out to farm, even if they would, there's no guarantee the Insect Race won't ravage them.

If this continues, once the foundation of commoners is shaken, it will ultimately affect the entire cultivation world.

It can be said that this insect disaster is the greatest calamity the Nine Provinces have ever faced, yet the cultivation world has yet to find an effective solution.

Countless cultivators guard the four directions, indeed they killed countless insects, but without cutting off the source, the insects keep coming.

On the way forward, one can often see groups of cultivators fighting the Insect Race, especially around those ground fissures where battles erupt frequently.

Because the Insect Race crawls out from the ground fissures.

Near ground fissures of a certain scale, silhouettes of Divine Sea realm cultivators are often present, but even with numerous Divine Sea realm cultivators in Bingzhou, there are more ground fissures than they can cover.

Many small ground fissures have no one guarding them, relying only on Cloud River realm and True Lake realm cultivators to kill the insects, which is why manpower is scarce everywhere in the Nine Provinces now.

Lu Ye occasionally made a move, achieving some successes, but they were just a drop in the ocean.

A day later, a city appeared in the distance.

The city wasn't large, just a small city, which could be found everywhere in the Nine Provinces.

Red River City!

The city where the D-9 squad is currently stationed.

A Divine Sea realm cultivator guards the city. When Lu Ye arrived, he didn't hide his presence. The other party noticed, and their Mental Consciousness reached out, to which Lu Ye responded in kind, both withdrawing after contact.

This was the way unfamiliar Divine Sea realm cultivators greeted each other.

A figure soared up from within the city, standing in mid-air, looking towards the direction Lu Ye came from. Shortly after, Lu Ye flew over the skies and halted twenty meters in front of him.

The Divine Sea realm cultivator stationed here was a middle-aged man with a cultivation at Level 4 of the Divine Sea realm, not high, yet not low. For a small city like Red River City, it was adequate.

His main duty was akin to Li Taibai's, and there was nothing much needed from him usually. Many Cloud River and True Lake realm cultivators helped defend here, enough to handle most situations. What he needed to do was to deal with some Divine Sea realm bugs.

Of course, if an unbeatable situation arose, he could only call for assistance.

There were many top-tier Divine Sea realm cultivators in Bingzhou, ready to help at any moment and would rush to offer aid upon receiving a call.

"Lu Ye from the Justice Department, greets Senior Brother!" Lu Ye first saluted and stated his identity.

The middle-aged man returned a salute, "Shie Yuan from the Long River Sect."

The Long River Sect, a 3rd grade sect nearby, governs Red River City. Now that the insect disaster is sweeping through, it's only natural for the Long River Sect to deploy a Divine Sea realm cultivator to guard Red River City.

The defense and garrison in Bingzhou adhered to a nearby principle. Within the jurisdiction of big sects, they sent their people to guard independently. Only in areas with middle three grades and lower three grades sects without Divine Sea realm cultivators did the provincial guard allocate Divine Sea realm cultivators.

"Are you Lu Yiye from the Righteous Blood Sect?" Shie Yuan suddenly realized.

"Indeed."

"I've long admired your great name." Shie Yuan said courteously, though internally he was quietly shocked. A few years ago, Lu Ye shook the Spirit Stream battlefield and Cloud River battlefield, making a name for himself. His name spread widely in Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, while many in Haotian Alliance were taking notice. This# cha*pt!er was upload^ed by the t@e@am at M|VLEMP^Y.R.!

What shocked Shie Yuan was that it only took a few years for Lu Ye to advance to the Divine Sea realm, and not just at the beginner level. Judging by his aura, he was already at Divine Sea Level 2.

It is said that even a dead tiger from the Righteous Blood Sect retains its might, and now it seems that those words are indeed true.

"Junior Brother Lu, what brings you here?" Shie Yuan steadied his mind and asked.

It was certainly not to switch defenses with him. Red River City was under the jurisdiction of the Long River Sect, and any change of defense would be handled by Divine Sea Realm cultivators of their own sect; there was no need to trouble others.

"I have a few relatives serving under your command. I was passing by and thought I'd stop for a visit," replied Lu Ye, turning his head to glance at the city wall nearby.

A few figures scrambled up the city wall, clearly having sensed something. They eagerly looked over, and when Lin Yinxiu saw Lu Ye's gaze, she jumped up and waved, as if afraid he wouldn't see her.

Shie Yuan understood, smiling slightly, "I see, then off you go, Junior Brother Lu, I won't keep you from your reunion."

With those words, he descended, and Lu Ye adjusted his direction, darting towards the city wall, arriving in front of the group in the blink of an eye.

Amber leaped from Giant Armor's head, diving straight into Lu Ye's arms. Quick-eyed and swift, Lu Ye caught hold of Amber by the scruff of its neck, holding it in his hand, as Amber whimpered with helpless eyes.

Holding Amber, Lu Ye looked at the familiar faces in front of him, smiling brightly, "Third Senior Brother, Fourth Senior Brother!"

Xiao Xinghe's expression was complex, full of emotion, "We've been outdone. In the two years we haven't seen each other, you've reached the Divine Sea, while we're still lingering in the True Lake Realm."

Back when they first met Lu Ye, their cultivation was on par, yet now he remained in the True Lake, while Lu Ye had ascended to the Divine Sea. Though the specific cultivation levels weren't vastly different, there was still a gap in realms.

Li Baxian laughed heartily, "Once the youngest junior, always the youngest junior. Divine Sea or not, our little junior walks ahead, and we'll catch up soon enough."

To be honest, their cultivation progress wasn't slow, given their excellent aptitude—especially in the past two years, when earning battle merits became easier, the overall strength of cultivators in the Nine Provinces has steadily risen. However, when compared to Lu Ye's advancement, their progress seemed insignificant.

Lu Ye laughed, "Fourth Senior Brother is right, I'll go ahead and pave the way for you, Senior Brothers."

The brothers, long apart, had endless words to share, but it wasn't the right place, so they could only exchange a few greetings.

Lu Ye turned to look aside when Lin Yinxiu bounced out, calling sharply, "Captain!"

Lu Ye chuckled, "I'm not the captain anymore, your captain is my Third Senior Brother."

Lin Yinxiu thought for a moment and changed it to, "Old Captain!"

Lu Ye was speechless and then looked at Feng Yuechan, "Senior Sister Feng."

Feng Yuechan smiled gently, "Your two junior brothers have been talking about you all the time. You've been back for so long and still haven't come to see them, finally you're here today."

Lu Ye explained, "Some things came up."

Inwardly, he had a peculiar feeling. In terms of seniority, Feng Yuechan was his junior niece, but he had gotten used to calling her Senior Sister... On his part, it didn't matter, but what to do about Fourth Senior Brother then?

Everyone assumed the eldest brother had long since passed, so no one delved too deeply into certain matters. Childhood friendships couldn't be hindered by seniority.

But now that the eldest brother was alive and well... If they ever meet again, who knew if Fourth Senior Brother might get a beating.

"What's wrong?" Feng Yuechan looked at Lu Ye, puzzled, sensing something strange in his gaze.

"Nothing, just remembered something," Lu Ye replied.

Lu Ye could explain the situation regarding the eldest brother to the sect master but couldn't afford to tell others, not even Feng Yuechan.

What would be the point? The distance between the two domains was unfathomably vast, only serving to disturb peace of mind. If there was ever a chance to return to the Blood Refinement World, he could take Feng Yuechan along to reunite firsthand.

Looking up at the towering figure of Giant Armor, Lu Ye reached up, tiptoeing to pat his shoulder.

Giant Armor grinned broadly.

"Wasn't the Team D-9 supposed to have more members by now? Why are there only a few of you?" Lu Ye asked.

A squad was usually fully manned at six members, but only five were present here. Of course, if Yiyi hidden inside Amber was counted, there were indeed six.

"Another is preparing a welcome for you, little junior," Li Baxian smiled mysteriously.

Lu Ye had an inkling, "Someone I know?"

"Whether you know them or not, you'll see soon enough."

With that, they flew towards the city.

The city bustled with throngs of people. When the Insect Disaster broke out, all the common people within about 30 miles were gathered in Red River City, so now the city was slightly crowded. Fortunately, the city's order was held by the cultivators of the Long River Sect. Yet, most people were pale and thin, evidently lacking sustenance.

As they landed in a small courtyard, Lu Ye's mental consciousness swept over, immediately understanding who the sixth squad member was.

A perfectly expected outcome.

Their eyes met, and the bright-eyed, graceful woman smiled warmly, carrying herself with the demeanor of a cultured young lady, yet her words were the usual familiar tone, "Not lured away by fox spirits in the wild, and still remember to come back, good."