Humanity's Great Sage

Chapter 601: An Unacceptable Beginning

He originally assumed that Lu Ye would immediately escape to Jiu Zhou via the Divine Opportunity Column after the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade displayed such a crushing line-up. Hence, he was surprised to see that Lu Ye had not escaped.

At this moment, Lu Ye was standing in the Arcane Glade and looking up into the sky. More importantly, his expression did not reveal the slightest hint of panic or uncertainty.

[How strange!]

Nevertheless, it was good news for Tan Sheng. As long as Lu Ye did not escape, then there was a chance he could slaughter Lu Ye.

“It seems that he is reluctant to abandon the Arcane Glade unless absolutely necessary,” Xia Liang observed lightly.

A Primus-level Arcane Glade was extremely valuable. Even if it was only a small Arcane Glade, it was not something ordinary people could obtain. Nobody in their right mind could bring themselves to easily abandon such a precious treasure.

“This is going to be fun.” Tan Sheng grinned.

“He has hidden the Divine Opportunity Column.” Xia Liang stared at a certain spot in the Arcane Glade. The last time he came to the Arcane Glade with Tan Sheng, the Divine Opportunity Column had been established in that position. However, the spot where the Divine Opportunity Column should have been located currently stood empty. It was obvious that the Divine Opportunity Column was being concealed by a Ward.

[Concealing the Divine Opportunity Column… Lu Yi Ye’s actions clearly indicate that he does not wish to expose the existence of the Divine Opportunity Column. What… is he planning?] An idea seemed to occur to him, and his expression changed slightly. If it was as he feared, then Lu Ye was either being very outrageous or very bold.

Standing in mid-air, Huo Liaoyuan immediately caught sight of Lu Ye’s figure when the Concealment Ward lost effect. Even though it was their first meeting, he could recognise Lu Ye at a glance. He coldly glared at the figure below with eyes that resembled blazing flames, as though he was looking at a dead man.

*Boom… Boom… Boom…* A series of explosions reverberated throughout the air, accompanied by a violent torrent of Spiritual Power. The cultivators of the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade unleashed their offensive and continuously bombarded the Grand Defensive Ward that covered the Arcane Glade.

The scene of one hundred and fifty cultivators attacking in unison was extremely impressive. Even if their cultivation levels were different, their attacks illuminated the sky with a multitude of colors. The power behind these attacks was absolutely overwhelming. As a result, the light barrier of the Grand Defensive Ward dimmed at a rate that could be seen with the naked eye. It did not take long before the Grand Defensive Ward was on the verge of collapse.

On the other hand, Xia Liang, who had been observing the situation in secret, frowned at the sight.

[Something isn’t right. The Grand Defensive Ward seems… a little too weak.]

The last time he came here with Tan Sheng and Wei Que, they had attempted to destroy the Grand Defensive Ward. It was just that the strength of the Grand Defensive Ward back then was much stronger than the current Grand Defensive Ward.

[Is it because it’s a newly-erected Grand Defensive Ward?]

Before Xia Liang could understand the situation, the Grand Defensive Ward shattered with a loud explosion. Bits of fluorescent lights scattered throughout the sky and the entire Arcane Glade was completely exposed to the cultivators from the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade.

Like cats that had caught the scent of fish, many of the cultivators immediately charged forward and swarmed toward the Arcane Glade. Numerous auras firmly locked onto Lu Ye and the others from a distance, and murderous intent permeated the air.

It was at this moment that Lu Ye, who had been standing motionless all this while, finally made his move. He took out a Control Gem from his pocket and poured his Spiritual Power into the Control Gem.

In the next moment, a light barrier that was more dazzling than the previous Grand Ward appeared and swiftly covered the entire Arcane Glade. After the first layer was formed, it was immediately followed by a second layer… Not to mention the light barrier of the second layer contained a slight but distinct difference compared to the first layer.

The abrupt change left the cultivators from the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade completely flustered. Those who had not yet entered the Arcane Glade crashed head-first into the light barrier. Meanwhile, the others quickly stopped in their tracks with astonished expressions on their faces.

Generally speaking, only one Grand Defensive Ward would be established at each location. That was because the defensive abilities of the Grand Ward were directly linked to the Spiritual Power accumulated over time. Even if they prepared a second Grand Defensive Ward, the Grand Ward would not be very useful if they could not accumulate enough Spiritual Power. On the contrary, it would only cause the overall power to be split among both Grand Wards.

In that case, the invaders would surely have the strength to break through the second Grand Ward if they had the strength to break through the first Grand Ward in the first place. Rather than spreading out the power and increasing the risks for no reason, it was better to focus their strength in one place.

However, Lu Ye’s Arcane Glade had two Grand Defensive Wards! It could even be said that the power of the second Grand Defensive Ward was considerably stronger than the first Grand Defensive Ward!

Xia Liang’s previous speculation had turned out to be true. Thus, he couldn’t help exclaiming, “This bastard… How sly!”

Tan Sheng frowned. “Brother Xia, have you realized something?”

Xia Liang explained, “The first Grand Defensive Ward was just a decoy to fool the enemy. In fact, the second Grand Defensive Ward is the real Grand Defensive Ward!”

[No wonder the Grand Defensive Ward gave off such a weak and fragile feeling earlier. It was all part of Lu Yi Ye’s plan. I’m afraid the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade is about to suffer!]

One hundred and fifty men had been split in half by the Grand Defensive Ward. One half contained around seventy people trapped inside the Grand Ward, and the other half contained less than eighty people barricaded outside the Grand Ward.

The sudden turn of events frightened many of the cultivators, but they quickly regained their composure. That was because they believed the invading force under Huo Liaoyuan’s command was absolute and invincible. In contrast, the enemy’s actions were nothing more than the futile dying struggles of the damned.

Only Huo Liaoyuan frowned at the sight. There was an inexplicable sense of unease in his heart, as though something ominous was about to occur.

Even without his explicit order, the cultivators outside the Grand Ward began bombarding the Grand Ward once more. They had the strength to destroy the first Grand Defensive Ward, so it was only natural that they also had the strength to destroy the second Grand Defensive Ward. There was no denying that their numbers had been halved, but they simply needed to spend more time to achieve their goal.

Inside the Grand Ward, the seventy or so cultivators ignored the dense numbers of Wolf Mutants below. Instead, they focused their gazes on Lu Ye and the others. Flying forward, they stopped at a suitable distance and summoned their Spiritual Power to attack.

Meanwhile, Lu Ye raised his hand and summoned a Ward Flag. Looking up at the sky, he gave a light wave of the Ward Flag.

An Aerial Lock! The entire space within the Arcane Glade seemed to become distorted for a moment. The cultivators who barged into the Arcane Glade without invitation immediately revealed expressions of shock and bewilderment. Then, they screamed in terror as they abruptly fell out of the sky. At that moment, they felt as though a whole mountain was pressing down on their bodies. The enormous pressure was so heavy that they could barely breathe.

When the incident occurred, Xi Liang and Tan Sheng, who were hiding and watching from the shadows, grimaced slightly at the sight. They had also suffered at the hands of the Aerial Lock Ward previously. Just recalling their experience was enough to bring forth a wave of lingering fear that paralyzed them.

On the other hand, Huo Liaoyuan was dumbfounded and exclaimed in astonishment, “An Aerial Lock!?”

[The Aerial Lock Ward!? How can it be!? How can there be an Aerial Lock Ward here!?]

Although Lu Yi Ye of the Crimson Blood Sect was said to have achieved extremely high attainments in the Way of Wards, he was ultimately a cultivator in the Cloud River Realm. How could he have the strength to prepare the Aerial Lock Ward? It had to be said that such complex Grand Wards could not be done by most Ward Cultivators in the Real Lake Realm either.

[Besides… I did not receive any information regarding the Aerial Lock Ward. Did the person who delivered the information deliberately conceal this piece of information from me?]

Countless thoughts raced through Huo Liaoyuan’s head. Unable to retain his earlier composure, he transformed into a fiery light and rushed forward. At the same time, he yelled at the top of his lungs. “Quickly destroy the Grand Ward!”

Nearly half of his men were trapped inside the Grand Ward, and they were falling out of the sky due to the effects of the Aerial Lock Ward. The current situation was unprecedentedly terrible. In fact, he never even imagined such an outrageous situation could occur before he brought his men here.

Huo Liaoyuan’s words were accompanied by numerous bone-chilling screams. Dazzling sword lights swept across the Arcane Glade, followed by the explosions of powerful Spell Techniques. Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan had both taken action at the same time.

Everywhere the sword lights and the Spell Techniques passed, blood splattered and vitality vanished. Several cultivators of the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade lost their lives before they even crashed to the ground. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. During that brief moment, as many as five or six men died on the spot.

Ju Jia also charged forward. Leaping several meters above ground, he smashed his fist against the head of a staggering Cult Blackfyre cultivator. The Spell Cultivators did not even have the time to make a sound before his head burst open like a watermelon. Passing through the blood mist, Ju Jia was already aiming for his second target. The cultivator in question was instantly filled with pure terror.

The wolf pack that had remained quiet and motionless until now suddenly began moving. Their agile and powerful bodies sprinted forward, their snow-white fur dancing in the wind. Some of the Wolf Mutants also opened their mouths wide and released blue crescent-shaped wind blades which slashed at their enemies, bringing forth a gush of crimson blood. Unfortunately, the number of Wolf Mutants that could control the wind blades was not many. Most of the Wolf Mutants had charged forward without hesitation. Knocking down the staggering cultivators, they ripped at their opponent with their fangs and claws.

The screams became increasingly frequent and despairing over time.

Outside the Grand Ward, the cultivators of the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade under the leadership of Huo Liaoyuan felt as though they had fallen into an ice cavern. A chill ran down their entire body.

They initially thought that they held an absolute advantage. Contrary to expectations, a battle where they could have crushed their enemy with overwhelming force had turned into such an outrageous and unbearable situation instead. Watching familiar faces after familiar faces getting torn to pieces and dying in front of them, the rage and sorrow in their hearts erupted like the flames of a volcano.

“Run!” somebody yelled.

The surviving cultivators seemed to return to their senses and swiftly attempted to flee outward. Some of them finally managed to reach the border of the Grand Ward only to discover in a fit of despair that they could not leave the Grand Ward. The thick light barrier in front of them had blocked off their only hope of escape.

There were two layers to the Grand Ward. The first layer defended against the outside. It was a Grand Defensive Ward. On the other hand, the second layer defended against the inside. It was a Trap Ward!

These cultivators were doomed to a tragic fate as soon as they stepped into the Arcane Glade.

“Stay away!” One of the cultivators who had reached the borders of the Grand Ward screamed in terror. Unfortunately, he only had time to helplessly flail his Spirit Artifact around before he was buried under the bodies of more than ten Wolf Mutants. The sound of sharp teeth ripping his flesh apart filled the air. It was an extremely creepy sound indeed.

Xia Liang and Tan Sheng watched in horror, their eyes twitching at the sight before them. It was not just the cultivators of the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade who did not expect the situation to develop in this direction. Even Xia Liang and Tan Sheng were shocked by the circumstances.

They initially assumed that Lu Ye would escape back to Jiu Zhou as soon as the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade launched their offensive. In the end, the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade suffered grievous losses. Meanwhile, from the beginning to the end, Lu Ye had only activated a Control Gem and swung the Ward Flag in his hand. The role a powerful Ward Cultivator could play under these circumstances was absolutely horrifying.

*Boom… Boom… Boom…* Loud explosions abruptly rang out from various locations in the Arcane Glade. The fleeing cultivators scattered throughout the Arcane Glade had accidentally activated the Explosive Wards that Lu Ye had prepared beforehand.

The flames that burned bright and the Spiritual Power that surged turbulently completely drowned out the screams amidst the chaos. In less than ten breaths of time, more than half of the cultivators trapped inside the Arcane Glade were killed while the rest were shrouded in despair.

Li Baxian, Feng Yuechan, and Ju Jia charged forward in three separate directions. They were practically invincible in battle, bringing about even greater casualties to the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade.