Humanity's Great Sage

Chapter 571: We’re All Family

Li Baxian observed the group of people and tried to guess where they were from. Of course, Xia Liang and Tan Sheng were doing the same.

They were in a dangerous situation and if things were to go on as expected, they would definitely not be able to live past this day. So, they were happy to see the sudden appearance of these cultivators.

If they were from the Grand Sky Coalition, then naturally the only thing awaiting them would be death.

However, it would be a new lease on life for them if these cultivators came from Thousand Demon Ridge.

While checking them out, Xia Liang’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he called out to one of the Ninth Order cultivators. “You are… Zhou Yuntian of Burning Sky Valley, Brother Zhou?”

When those words came out, the expressions of Lu Ye and Li Baxian turned grim.

This spelled trouble!

Burning Sky Valley was one of Thousand Demon Ridge’s forces, and the fact that Xia Liang knew Zhou Yuntian by name meant that they knew each other. In other words, these people were most likely from Thousand Demon Ridge!

Hearing his name being called, Zhou Yuntian glanced at Xia Liang with a thoughtful glimmer in his eyes. “Fellow cultivator, could you happen to be Xia Liang of the Raving Bladesmen, Brother Xia?”

Xia Liang nodded. “It is this Xia indeed!”

From their conversation, it could be gathered that they knew each other, but not very well. Even so, this was still bad news for Lu Ye and Li Baxian.

The reason they dared chase after two Ninth Order cultivators was undoubtedly because Xia Liang and Tan Sheng were both severely injured, but how could they be a match against so many cultivators from Thousand Demon Ridge?

Even escaping with his life would be a luxury. The moment this group of people arrived, they had surrounded the place completely, and with their numbers, the two of them were completely locked in. Any sudden movements they made would likely result in their counter-attack.

Lu Ye’s mind raced, trying to think of a way to break free from this situation. However, no matter how hard he thought, this situation was certain death for them.

Meanwhile, Xia Liang and Zhou Yuntian exchanged a few words, and Zhou Yuntian asked, “Why has Brother Xia fallen into such a state?”

Xia Liang sighed. “If a tiger went down to level land… It’s better off not finishing that sentence. Brother Zhou, this Xia has something to request of you!”

Zhou Yuntian motioned for him to speak. “Pray tell, Brother Xia.”

Xia Liang shot an icy glance at Lu Ye and Li Baxian. “If Brother Zhou could kill the two of them, this Xia would be ever-grateful.” His body was no longer in any condition to continue fighting. With new wounds layered on old, it would be impossible to expect himself to recover his vitality without recuperating for a while. Though he was unwilling to entrust this task to someone else, there was simply no better choice right now.

The main reason he came here was to get revenge for Yan Xing, and Li Baxian had to die for his wish to be fulfilled. As for whether or not Li Baxian’s blood would spill on his hand or someone else’s, he was in no position to decide.

“Oh?” Zhou Yuntian chuckled and asked curiously, “May I know what sort of grudge there is between Brother Xia and these two fellow cultivators that would lead you to fight so mercilessly in such a place?”

This group of cultivators were drawn over here when they sensed the commotion nearby. Otherwise, it was impossible for them to coincidentally appear here deep in the vast expanse of the Grand Wilds Peak.

Xia Liang gestured to Li Baxian and coldly snorted. “Brother Zhou, please take a closer look at who he is!”

Only then did Zhou Yuntian look at Lu Ye and Li Baxian. He didn’t seem to show much of a reaction when he glanced over Lu Ye, but his expression changed when he saw Li Baxian, and he asked in surprise, “You are… Li Baxian?”

Though Li Baxian didn’t recognise him, he knew who Li Baxian was.

He was the legend of the Spirit Creek Battlefield, how could anyone not have heard of him? It could be said that if Li Baxian didn’t wear a mask, then if he took a walk around the Cloud River Battlefield, at least five out of ten people would be able to recognise him, and the same could also be said of Feng Yuechan.

So, Zhou Yuntian was very surprised to see him, and the reason was because he never expected to bump into such a legend on the Cloud River Battlefield.

As soon as those words came out, everyone turned their eyes to Li Baxian, and one of them nodded. “Sure enough, it really is Li Baxian. I’ve seen him once on the Spirit Creek Battlefield from afar and I can confirm that it’s him.”

“Haven’t he and Feng Yuechan been suppressing their cultivation and staying on the Spirit Creek Battlefield all this while, how have they come to the Cloud River Battlefield?”

“Looking at his cultivation, he is already in the Fifth Order Cloud River Realm. It seems like he has been in the Cloud River Battlefield for some time. Cutting off the outside world for so long, we’ve missed quite a lot of interesting events.”

“…”

They didn’t bother to hide their conversation from anyone and instead openly chatted in a hushed voice, which left Lu Ye and Li Baxian with strange looks on their faces.

Both of them were prepared for a bloody battle. Admittedly, they were no match for these people, but that didn’t mean that they would simply sit and wait for their deaths. Even if they couldn’t escape and were to be buried, they should at least take a few of them down with them. The Eight or Ninth Order masters wouldn’t be easy to kill, but Tan Sheng and Xia Liang had to die!

But now, it seemed that this group of people didn’t have any hostility towards them.

Lu Ye couldn’t understand why that was, and Li Baxian was similarly confused. Glancing at Zhou Yuntian, he nodded. “That’s right. I am Li Baxian. Do you have something to say about me?”

A look of fear arose on Zhou Yuntian’s face as he denied it. “It’s nothing so serious. I dare not comment about Cultivator Li. Back then, when this Zhou was cultivating in the Spirit Creek Battlefield, Cultivator Li’s reputation had already spread far and wide. Though my cultivation is higher than Cultivator Li’s now, it is only because I left the Cloud River Battlefield earlier. If we were to have entered the Cloud River Battlefield at the same time, then I’m sure you would have long ascended to the Real Lake Realm before me. This Zhou is undeserving.”

His extreme modesty left Li Baxian feeling awkward, wondering to himself, what was going on? Instead of showing hostility, this cultivator from Thousand Demon Ridge actually humbled himself in front of him… When did his reputation grow so distinguished?

He was not the only one confused, however. Both Tan Sheng and Xia Liang were also flabbergasted. Xia Liang frowned. “Brother Zhou, Li Baxian is from the Devoted Ones!”

Zhou Yuntian nodded. “Naturally, I am aware.”

[You’re aware?] [If you’re aware, then why don’t you hurry and kill him?]

Seeing that Xia Liang was about to say something, Zhou Yuntian laughed and raised his hand to interrupt him. “I understand how you feel, Brother Xia, but there are no factions here. Since we have come here, then we are all one family. There’s no need for talk of the Grand Sky Coalition or Thousand Demon Ridge. I do not know what enmities there exist between the four of you that would lead to your fight, but I think it’s fate that we’ve met today. Thus, I say, let’s let bygones be bygones.”

All four of them were stunned by his ridiculous words. Thousand Demon Ridge and the Grand Sky Coalition had been on opposing ends since the very beginning, and the slaughter between the cultivators of both factions have never ceased. The amount of blood and hatred accumulated over the years was something that couldn’t be dissolved no matter what. Whether it be in the Spirit Creek Battlefield or the Cloud River Battlefield, whether they knew each other or not, they had a reason to kill as long as their factions differed.

Not to mention that Zhou Yuntian was only a Ninth Order Cloud River cultivator. Even if he were in the peak of the Divine Ocean Realm, that would not give him the qualification to resolve the enmity between the two factions.

What was more, the four of them were not only in opposing factions but also had personal grievances between them. Otherwise, Lu Ye wouldn’t have pursued them to this extent, seemingly intending to eradicate them completely.

However, Zhou Yuntian spoke with such eager sincerity, and none of the cultivators around them seemed to object. Instead, they all nodded and even advised the four of them to prioritize peace. This situation was inexplicably strange.

Xia Liang and Tan Sheng stared at Zhou Yuntian as if they were looking at a madman. If it weren’t for the predicament they were currently in, they might have blown up at him with curses.

Even though Li Baxian thought it was strange, he nodded continuously at his statement. “Yes, that’s right. We should prioritize peace in all that we do. Engaging in constant fighting and killing is unbecoming!”

While he was annoyed that these uninvited guests had disrupted his and Lu Ye’s plan to rid their enemies, the current situation was still better than being attacked by these people.

When Xia Liang called out Zhou Yuntian’s name, Li Baxian had almost even prepared his last words…

“I expected no less of Cultivator Li to know reason and righteousness!” Zhou Yuntian smiled at Li Baxian with an approving look.

Li Baxian smiled in return, maintaining an elegant demeanor.

It was then that another sound rang through the air, accompanied by a surge of Spiritual Power coming from the depths of the dense forest. Zhou Yuntian raised his head and his expression suddenly became solemn. He exclaimed, “The Venerable has arrived!”

With those words, the dozen of cultivators who had arrived earlier all showed serious expressions and bowed slightly, adopting an attitude of respectfully welcoming the new arrivals.

Their exaggerated reaction, combined with Zhou Yuntian’s mention of a Venerable, made Lu Ye and Li Baxian also wear solemn expressions. They had a vague feeling that the person Zhou Yuntian referred to as the Venerable had to be someone extraordinary. Otherwise, these Cloud River Realm cultivators wouldn’t show such deference.

Looking up in the direction of the sound, be it Lu Ye, Li Baxian, Tan Sheng, or Xia Liang, all of them revealed their astonishment.

Four figures floated over in the air, and from the fluctuations of their Spiritual Power, all four were Ninth Order Cloud River Realm cultivators.

If it were only the four Ninth Order cultivators, it wouldn’t have surprised Lu Ye and the others.

However, what surprised them was the demeanor of these four Ninth Order cultivators. They were positioned front, back, left, and right, carrying a daybed as they floated gracefully towards them.

Sheer pink curtains hung from the top of the daybed, through which one could faintly glimpse the figure lying lazily on the daybed, exuding a charm that caused one’s heart to race. Even before the person arrived, a captivating fragrance wafted through the air, filling the battlefield saturated with the smell of blood with a beguiling atmosphere.

Lu Ye was perplexed. He couldn’t understand who on that daybed could make these four Ninth Order Cloud River Realm cultivators lower their posture like this. In the Cloud River Battlefield, reaching the Ninth Order Cloud River Realm was an accomplishment that filled one’s heart with pride. Even when facing one stronger than oneself, one would at most address them as “senior brother”.

From the figure that could be glimpsed through the curtain, it was undoubtedly a woman lying on the daybed!

In an instant, the daybed floated above their heads, and the four Ninth Order cultivators stopped in mid-air with solemn expressions.

A gust of mountain wind brushed against their noses, intensifying the fragrance. It was a scent that Lu Ye had never smelled before, indescribable yet possessing an intoxicating power that made anyone who caught a whiff of it unable to resist wanting more.

“All hail the mistress!”

Led by Zhou Yuntian, the dozen of cultivators who had arrived earlier greeted in unison, their expressions filled with utmost devotion.

Lu Ye even noticed several people inhaling deeply in discretion as if they wanted to absorb more of that fragrance.

His face couldn’t help but grow serious, and he glanced at Li Baxian. Seeing the guarded expression on his face, it was evident that his senior brother also sensed something off about the situation.