Sage of Humanity

What happened in the Sea of Fog, no one knew, and Huang Liang naturally had no idea.

Seeing Lu Ye appear, he thought Lu Ye had simply trapped the enemy within the Sea of Fog.

"Killed them all," Lu Ye glanced at him and replied indifferently.

Huang Liang felt he must have misheard something...

Ye Liuli cheered and clapped, exclaiming, "Brother Liu is so formidable."

She wasn't quite clear about the strength of those Sky Ravine Sect cultivators and thought they were just a bunch of nobodies, but if she knew, she would probably be utterly shocked as well.

Huang Liang snapped back to reality, "Young friend, what do you mean by 'killed them all'?"

Lu Ye didn't speak, but simply waved his hand as though wiping away dust from the surface of a cloudy mirror. The roiling Fog Sea quickly settled, and the situation at the entrance of the valley came into view.

The dubious Yun Haitian and others, along with the bodies of Wu Xie and his group lying on the ground, were all clearly visible.

"What?" Huang Liang's eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets, disbelievingly staring in the direction of the valley entrance.

Only then did he realize that he hadn't misheard.

The phrase "killed them all" meant exactly what it sounded like: all the enemies who had rushed into Medicine Valley had indeed been wiped out!

How long had it been?

From the time the young man beside him had activated the big array, it had been just a few dozen breaths ago, and the Sky Ravine Sect had already lost several elders and over a dozen disciples...

Previously, he, Monk Fahua, and Liu Tianyi had fought a bloody battle below Sky Ravine and killed roughly the same number of Sky Ravine Sect elders.

And that was a result hard-fought by two venerable and respected elders laying down their lives.

This young man, unknown and unheard of, had achieved the same feat in a casual gesture; although he had relied on the power of the Formation, it was still beyond imagination.

Looking at the young man beside him with an indifferent expression, Huang Liang couldn't help but think to himself.

When anomalies descend from the heavens, monsters arise!

As the fog dissipated, the Sky Ravine Sect cultivators also saw the figures in front of the thatched cottage. Unlike when they had pursued them without paying any heed to Lu Ye and his comrades, now, whether it was the ordinary Sky Ravine Sect cultivators or the elders led by Yun Haitian, all were filled with dread.

The bones of Wu Xie and his group were still warm, and anyone capable of killing Wu Xie in such a short time was to be feared.

Despite his shock, Yun Haitian, who had weathered great storms, managed to keep his composure and shouted in the direction of Medicine Valley, "Boy, your Formation is indeed extraordinary, but that's all there is to it. Do you dare to come out?"

Lu Ye didn't speak, but Ye Liuli couldn't accept this, "Do you dare to come in?"

Naturally, Yun Haitian wouldn't stoop to bickering with a little girl like Ye Liuli and snorted coldly, "Don't think that hiding inside will guarantee your safety. Boy, if you want to live, hand over that old man beside you! The Sky Ravine Sect is like the sea that embraces all rivers; a talent like you shouldn't die here in vain. As long as you sincerely join us, the Sky Ravine Sect is willing to accept you, letting bygones be bygones!"

Lu Ye spoke indifferently, "I've killed so many of your people, and you're not going to pursue that?"

Yun Haitian said, "They died because they overestimated their abilities. Young friend, you have proven your worth—of course, dead men are less useful than the living!" If he could truly win over Lu Ye, this time he could make up for past failures and have an explanation for the Celestial Saint.

Lu Ye nodded slightly, "Well taught!"

Yun Haitian looked at him intently, "How will you decide, young friend?"

Lu Ye also looked at him, "Come in and I'll tell you."

The expression on Yun Haitian's face darkened slightly, as he understood Lu Ye's intention.

"It seems you won't shed a tear without seeing the coffin. In that case, all of you can die here!" Yun Haitian waved a big hand, "Continue the array destruction!"

After suffering a major loss previously, the Sky Ravine Sect naturally would not venture deeper into Medicine Valley. The Formation here was truly tricky and formidable, but as long as they did not enter the big array, no matter how powerful it was, it could not threaten the people of the Sky Ravine Sect. The sect might have suffered some losses, but the surviving majority could continue as before. Eventually, they would break through the Formation, and by then, all those hiding inside would have no place to be buried.

As he finished speaking, numerous Sky Ravine Sect cultivators launched their attacks simultaneously toward Medicine Valley.

However, as Lu Ye waved his hand, the entire Medicine Valley was enveloped by a light barrier. The attacks landed on the barrier, merely causing ripples with no damage to the barrier itself.

The Little Miracle Healer treated Huang Liang while observing the situation, nodding in satisfaction, "The medical fee you've paid, I'm quite pleased with it. This is the most valuable medical fee I've ever received."

In times of peace, such a powerful Formation would make Medicine Valley virtually invulnerable, but the Sky Ravine Sect had already caused an uprising. A great disturbance originating from Xuezhou was bound to sweep across the entire Soaring Dragon World.

Medicine Valley, being in the forefront, might not be fully protected by even the strongest Formation.

"How long can you hold on?" Little Miracle Healer asked again.

"As long as the Earth Vein does not dry up, the Formation will not break!" Lu Ye responded. This time, the Formation he had laid out in Medicine Valley was an experiment and a practice drill. He had integrated the valley's big array with the local Earth Vein, linking their existences together. The spirit force consumed by the protective array was drawn from the Earth Vein. Theoretically, as long as the Earth Vein wasn't exhausted, the big array would not be breached.

Of course, this was merely theoretical. In reality, there were many unpredictable factors.

"Which means there is still a chance it could be breached," Little Miracle Healer understood.

Huang Liang spoke up, "Rest assured, everyone. Imperial Heaven Sect, Vajra Temple, and Haoran Academy have issued calls to action, rallying cultivators from all over to come to Xuezhou to eliminate demons and purge evil. I have already contacted help that is on its way here; it will take but a few days to arrive." Thanks to Little Miracle Healer's treatment, his condition had stabilized, but he would need more time to recover fully.

Little Miracle Healer nodded, "Let's hope we can last until then."

Suddenly, the sound of violent coughing erupted; it was Zhuang Bufan, who had been sitting upright in a chair, showing signs of his injuries flaring up again.

Accompanied by his coughing, he staggered to his feet.

Ye Liuli quickly went to support him, concerned, "Big Brother Zhuang, let me help you back to your room to rest."

Zhuang Bufan waved his hand, gasping for air. It took him a moment to catch his breath before he looked up at Lu Ye, "Brother Ye, I'm a man with no sect, no allegiance, having lived a carefree life all these years. I've made few friends, and getting to know you before I die... I consider that a life well-lived."

Although he hadn't known Lu Ye for long, he admired Lu Ye's character and the feeling was mutual.

While he was unclear about exactly what treasure Lu Ye had provided to ease his deep-seated pain over the past few days, from Little Miracle Healer's previous remark, he knew that Lu Ye had offered something of great value.

That Lu Ye had used such a precious item on him, a dying man, without a trace of regret moved Zhuang Bufan deeply.

Perhaps it was their similar dispositions or the perspective that comes with impending death, but regardless, he was grateful for Lu Ye's generosity and couldn't forget his kindness.

He had harbored a certain idea over the past few days but had been indecisive because that idea might end up endangering Lu Ye.

But now, it was time for a decision.

Such a divine object should not remain hidden. Furthermore, even if he wished to keep it a secret, once he died, Lu Ye would eventually find out. It would be better for him to show Lu Ye himself, to let him see the stakes involved clearly with his own eyes.

Noticing Zhuang Bufan's unusual behavior, Lu Ye realized something was amiss and frowned, "Brother Zhuang, no need for more words, you must go back to your room and rest."

Zhuang Bufan shook his head and smiled, "Brother Ye, my death is inevitable. I wouldn't have lived long anyway. If it weren't for you bringing me here, I would have already died in the wilderness. These past few days, I've been thinking, since death is certain, why struggle against it? Now I see clearly, I've lingered these few days precisely for this moment, and after today, such a chance will never come again."

Everyone looked at him, confused, not understanding what he was about to do.

Only Little Miracle Healer seemed to have a guess and let out a soft sigh.

"You must be curious, Brother Ye, about how I got these injuries," Zhuang Bufan said. A tinge of color returned to his pale face, and he seemed to be in a better state.

However, both Lu Ye and Ye Liuli could see that this was the last rally of his energy; he appeared to be using some secret technique to squeeze out the last bit of strength from his body.

"Senior Little Miracle Healer probably has her suspicions; she will tell you," he said.

As he spoke, he walked towards the valley's entrance. His footsteps were steady. The weak aura he had previously shown was reviving, and the formidable presence of Cloud River Level 9 surged around him.

"Brother Zhuang, you..." Lu Ye wanted to stop him, but he hesitated and pulled back his hand. He could feel that this was Zhuang Bufan's final flourish of life, and it was what Zhuang himself desired. Aside from whether he could have been stopped, even if Lu Ye managed it, Zhuang Bufan wouldn't survive anyway.

With such grave injuries and now invoking a life-draining secret technique, it was clear that Zhuang Bufan was preparing for a desperate last stand.

To intervene now would only cause Zhuang Bufan's last spark of life to be wasted.

For a cultivator, a glorious death was a destination in its own right.

Moreover, from Zhuang Bufan's earlier words, it was evident that his current mission was not simply a reckless attempt to fight the enemy; it was more like a profoundly significant decision. As his strength returned, so did great confidence, as if before him stood not the many experts of the Sky Ravine Sect, but merely a group of poultry.

By Lu Ye's side, Ye Liuli had already dissolved into tears. The young girl was kind-hearted. Although she had only spent a few days with Zhuang Bufan, and they hadn't developed a deep relationship, she found it unbearable to watch someone she considered a friend go to his death willingly.

Yiyi was silent; Huang Liang let out a sigh.

Zhuang Bufan's unusual behavior certainly caught the attention of the Sky Ravine Sect cultivators at the entrance. Yun Haitian frowned as he watched Zhuang Bufan approaching, and couldn't help but snort disdainfully, "Overreaching!"

Even though Zhuang Bufan was now showing the aura of Cloud River Level 9, Yun Haitian did not take him seriously at all.

He didn't understand why Zhuang Bufan would put on a show as if intending to rush at them, but it suited his interests perfectly. The Sky Ravine Sect had suffered heavy losses in Medicine Valley and was temporarily incapable of seeking revenge, yet the enemy dared to leave the protection of the valley. This presented them with an opportunity.

If Zhuang Bufan dared step beyond Medicine Valley without the protection of the Formation, his death was certain.