Humanity's Great Sage

Chapter 530: So Close

His companions nodded. Each of them took up positions to the left and right of Lu Ye, their unwavering gazes remained fixed on Lu Ye.

Liu brandished several ward flags, casting them into the air where they magically planted themselves into the ground, indicating the four cardinal directions. The finesse and skill with which he handled the flags was a testament to his considerable proficiency in the art of ward-casting. However, even among Cultivators in the Cloud River Realm, Ward Cultivators could barely boast of any extraordinary feats yet at this point, let alone a Spell Cultivator who had also studied ward-casting on the side.

With the ward flags deployed, Liu began his work. 

Lu Ye sat there and watched him indifferently. 

Moments later, he suddenly burst into laughter, “Time is running short, Liu.”

“Silence!” Liu glowered, his face flushed with anger. Building a ward was no easy work; it was a feat that demanded a considerable amount of time and skill. Given enough time, Liu could indeed construct a proper concealing ward, but what he lacked in skill could hardly keep up with the scarcity of time—which was a luxury they did not have. 

No one knew when the next eruption would occur; yet, when it happened, their location would undoubtedly be exposed.

Already tense, Lu Ye’s taunting words from Lu Ye stacked even more stress on Liu. In a moment of carelessness, he felt a tremor in one of the ward flags he had been coordinating.

He sensed imminent failure; if he could not stabilize his ward flags in time, all his efforts would go to waste, and it might be too late to recover.

But as a Spell Cultivator who only dabbled with a bit of ward-casting, there was little he could do to remedy the situation, even if he wanted to.

As he continued his attempts, his ward flags trembled even more, growing increasingly pronounced like trees shaking in a storm.

His companions furrowed their brows, looking unamused. They might not be well-versed in ward-casting, but even they discerned that something was amiss.

Just as Liu was in a panicking frenzy, a ward flag flew out of nowhere and embedded itself within the ward’s arrangement, instantly stabilizing the trembling flags.

“Your ward-casting is pathetic,” Lu Ye remarked casually. 

Another ward flag flew out with a wave of his hand, seamlessly integrating into the incipient ward. 

Liu, at a loss for words, could barely react. He didn’t know whether to stop Lu Ye or not, although he ultimately refrained from intervening. One ward flag after another flew out, and before he knew it, the embryonic form of a large-scale magical ward had taken shape.

The speed and dexterity of Lu Ye’s finesse left Liu in awe, the latter realizing that Lu Ye was miles ahead of him in the mastery of ward-casting. 

Small wonder Lu Yi Ye managed to stir up such a storm during his time in the Spirit Creek Battlefield. Rumors had it that he possessed the ability to defeat the defensive wards that guarded the strongholds of all the Thousand Demon Ridge sects and orders there, but Liu had initially thought it was nothing but an exaggeration. Clearly, there was more to Lu Yi Ye than met the eye. 

That was such a level of proficiency in ward-casting that even True Lake Realm Ward Cultivators might find it hard to keep up with. 

Beyond any doubt, Liu realized, Lu Yi Ye must have visited the Heavenly Derivative Sect’s Hundred Wards Tower. He must have benefited a lot from his visit there; there was no way he could possess such a profound understanding of ward-casting otherwise. 

He was correct on all accounts; while it was one thing for Lu Ye’s exceptional talents in ward-casting to have played a significant role in how good he was, the most crucial reason for his remarkable proficiency in ward-casting was the immense benefits he obtained from the Hundred Wards Tower.

That single journey through the Tower had brought about a transformational improvement in his understanding of magical wards, leaving a lasting resonance that persisted until this very day.

It would not be a stretch to call the Hundred Wards Tower of the Heavenly Derivative Sect the anathema of all Thousand Demon Ridge Ward Cultivators for only Cultivators of the Grand Sky Coalition could enter the Tower. At the same time, those from Thousand Demon Ridge could never set foot inside throughout their entire lives.

While Liu was still immersed in his contemplations, Lu Ye was already done constructing the Glyph prerequisite for the core of the concealing ward. Luminescent lines stretched and zigzagged, extending to cover an area of more than three hundred meters. 

Liu’s eyelids twitched with awe and astonishment. Even as an enemy, he couldn’t help but admire Lu Ye’s flair. The mere act of constructing Glyphs out of thin air was a luxury he could never dream of achieving.

The ward was complete. The saber-toting Combat Cultivator spoke up at last, “Is that really a concealing ward?”

Liu grumbled a sour “Yes” in response before turning his gaze toward Lu Ye, “But don’t you even think that you can escape death just because of this!”

Lu Ye responded pensively, “As I said, I simply prefer my death to be private. Now that the concealing ward is in place, let me set up an aura suppression ward. The commotion during the eruption will be incredibly intense, and a mere concealing ward might not be able to block it all.”

Unfazed by any reluctance or objections, Lu Ye continued constructing his next ward. Ward flags soared into the air, swarming in all directions as they arranged into the outline of a ward.

He stood within the circle of the ward’s outline, ensuring not a single flaw was visible as he channeled his Spiritual Power to construct the elements needed for Glyph: Void. 

The atmosphere grew thick with the Spiritual Power aura permeating the environs as each Yin-Yang element after another rapidly formed and spread out.

But Lu Ye knew how Glyph: Void was the most complex Glyph he had encountered to date—three times more intricate than Glyph: Fire Phoenix, in fact, and that demonstrated just how daunting this endeavor was.

Even though he had attempted to construct Void Spirit Patterns numerous times before, the risk of failure remained.

He surreptitiously hoped for success while focusing his mind to the utmost.

Luck was on his side this time. The process went flawlessly; Glyph: Void was almost done. All he needed was another twenty seconds to finish the remaining three-tenths of the Glyph and he would be able to magically convey himself to safety. 

All that was left was for Liu, the enemy Spell Cultivator, to not notice what he was actually doing. Given his knowledge of ward-casting, there was the risk that he could see through what Lu Ye was up to, and what Lu Ye was building was hardly an aura suppression ward at all. 

Lu Ye discreetly stole a glance at Liu and detected the look of astonishment in his eyes—he was completely entranced by how Lu Ye was performing his marvels as if he had fallen into a dream. 

For someone who practiced both the spell and ward cultivation, witnessing someone as skilled as Lu Ye constructing such a complex Glyph was an undoubtedly rare and profound experience. It held the promise of bestowing upon him some profound inspiration, potentially elevating his own abilities to new heights. 

“It’s done! At last!” 

Lu Ye’s heart settled as he finally finished.

And that was before, the shrill scream of a Spiritual Power blast came tearing through the air as the attack—fired using a saber—slammed into the almost-formed Glyph: Void.

With a deafening roar, the Spiritual Power disturbance in the atmosphere left by the attack caused the Glyph to disintegrate into nothingness. 

Lu Ye scowled darkly as he raised his gaze towards the saber-toting Combat Cultivator who had intervened, a burning desire to rush forward and kill him with his bare hands.

[I was so close!] Lu Ye mused sourly. 

“What was that for, Xia?” The Spell Cultivator called Liu snapped out of his immersive stupor, looking at Xia Liang with confusion.

“Was that an aura suppression ward that he was building?” Xia Liang inquired.

“No,” Liu shook his head. 

He could certainly recognize an aura suppression ward, but even though he knew about that right from the start, he did nothing to stop Lu Ye. He could see no way that Lu Ye would be surviving beyond today hence he chose to not intervene. But what was more, was how quaint and peculiar Lu Ye’s method of constructing Glyphs was, that Liu wished for more time so that he could observe Lu Ye’s work more closely. 

“I knew it,” Xia Liang coldly gazed at Lu Ye, “If it’s true that you don’t want people looking at how you die, then you could have slit your own throat right now. Why bother with these futile attempts?”

The other two quickly grasped that realization.  Lu Ye had helped them to set up a concealing ward just so he could disguise his attempt of building a ward that would be to his advantage! Whatever trick it was he was trying to pull off, it was evident enough that he harbored ulterior motives. A behavior that contradicted his earlier claims entirely. 

If this really was going to be an inevitable death for him, then there was no reason for him to be trying to hatch some furtive plot. Therefore, this had to be some measure of defiant resistance; a sign that he was unwilling to give in without a fight.

The three enemy Cultivators regarded Lu Ye with an unfriendly stare. 

Lu Ye remained seated in silence, his eyes cast down, offering no defense.

At that moment, it came—the eruption of a blood-red column of light that burst forth from inside him. The glow that shrouded him transformed into a towering pillar that soared into the sky.

The expressions of the three Thousand Demon Ridge elites darkened grimly. 

The concealment ward had failed to contain such an extraordinary phenomenon! Their half-hearted expectations after waiting here for so long were in vain.

With Lu Ye’s position now exposed, it was only a matter of time before the entire horde of Thousand Demon Ridge Cultivators converged here. All three of them might be powerful and influential enough in their own right, but there was no way for them to drive and keep everyone away while they hoarded the chance to kill Lu Yi Ye to themselves—not without incurring the wrath of the many. 

As expected, just moments later, a group of Thousand Demon Ridge Cultivators arrived at the scene. The group of four had a Sixth-Order as the strongest member in their number and a Fourth-Order as their weakest member. Judging by the similar attire they were clad in, they seemed to be members of the same sect.

What was just intended to be a casual investigation turned out to be a surprise for them when they found a trio of ally elites clustering around a figure donning the mask of a fiendish demon while emanating a dazzling golden aura.

“That is…” The leading Sixth-Order of the group was taken aback at first although he quickly grasped the situation. That was none other than Lu Yi Ye!

However, what puzzled the newcomers was why were these ally elites merely surrounding Lu Yi Ye instead of eliminating him. Surely everyone in the Colosseum knew by now the substantial bounty that Lu Yi Ye’s head would fetch.

The squad of four maintained a safe distance several dozens of yards away, cautiously observing while not wanting to invoke any misunderstanding and aggression from their own friendly elites.

But as time passed, more and more Thousand Demon Ridge Cultivators arrived at the scene and most of them were left perplexed and bewildered like the first group, failing to comprehend what was going on. 

Until a few powerful elites arrived. They strode straight up to Lu Yi Ye and exchanged words directly with Xia Liang and his companions. Some even tried attacking Lu Yi Ye, but regardless of their might, their attacks could only send him tumbling around without inflicting even the slightest harm.

Soon the truth began to spread around. 

Lu Yi Ye had somehow obtained a Golden Body Token and he had cast its divine protection upon himself. Now protected by its invincible shield, he was impervious to any attacks unless the Token’s effects waned. It was simply impossible to kill him at the moment.

Some of the Cultivators knew about the boon of the Golden Body Token, but most did not. It took some time for everyone to finally understand its significance and when they finally did, they couldn’t help but marvel at the divine protection bestowed upon him. Until the Token’s power diminished, nothing could breach its defense.

Even a Divine Sea Realm Cultivator would salivate at the prospect of possessing a Golden Body Token; who would have thought that a mere Cloud River Realm Third-Order would somehow find one and be able to use it.

What a lamentable waste!

After all, Lu Yi Ye’s fate was sealed. The Token’s protection would eventually vanish and he would die. What a pity to squander such a rare and invaluable asset. 

At last, everyone eventually learned the reason why those Eighth- and Ninth-Order elites were merely encircling Lu Yi Ye instead of attacking him. 

This situation ignited the notion of chance and ambition in the hearts of many, especially the weaker and low-tier Cultivators. With their relatively low cultivation rank, it was challenging for them to be able to have any chance of killing Lu Yi Ye. 

But, what if, in the very instant the Token’s effects dissipated, they were lucky enough to deal the killing blow themselves?