Sage of Humanity
Chapter 880 - 878: Swindler!

Two people were clearly missing from the group behind Ying Wuji, they must have met a terrible fate.

Faced with such a sudden conundrum, Lu Ye was caught off guard, never expecting such a peril in this treasure land.

As he watched the pursuing group chasing after Ying Wuji and the others, Lu Ye raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Fire Spirit Tribe?

He had seen records of this race in a book in his master's Bibliotheca.

In the Nine Provinces, the main entities currently thriving are the human race and the Demon Race, but besides these two large races, there are several smaller races, such as the Five Elements Spirit Tribe.

The Five Elements Spirit Tribe is naturally gifted, born proficient in many wondrous secret techniques. Many of the spirit runes that the human race now masters have been derived from generations of research on the Five Elements Spirit Tribe's secret techniques by earlier sages.

This is also why his master's Bibliotheca recorded the Five Elements Spirit Tribe.

However, members of the Five Elements Spirit Tribe are extremely rare, and an average cultivator might not encounter even one in their entire life.

But right now, there were easily more than a hundred Fire Spirit Tribe members pursuing Ying Wuji and the others?

The peculiar environment here might nurture such unique entities as the Fire Spirit Tribe, but their number seemed excessive.

Could it be that the Eight Extremes Demon Sealing Array in this city was indeed sealing off the Fire Spirit Tribe?

If true, then there might be far more Fire Spirit Tribe members here than what he was currently seeing.

The thought sent a shiver down Lu Ye's spine, and he instinctively reached for his waist, only to come up empty.

Seeing Ying Wuji and the others moving towards him, he had no choice but to raise his hand and cast a spell towards their pursuers, slightly slowing down the approach of the Fire Spirit Tribe members.

In a moment, the two groups had joined together.

"Go!" Ying Wuji immediately turned towards the direction of the entrance.

Everyone followed closely behind.

However, a desperate scene emerged. As the Eight Extremes Demon Sealing Array in the city failed, molten lava erupted from the channels, revealing numerous Fire Spirit Tribe members.

Among the Five Elements Spirit Tribe, the Fire Spirit Tribe was known for their explosive tempers. Having been sealed for who knows how many years, they had already lost their sanity. Sensing the presence of Lu Ye and the others, they swarmed from all directions, encircling them tightly in an instant.

Lu Ye and Ying Wuji led the way, with Lu Ye's spells roaring in his hands and Ying Wuji's twin curved sabers slicing through the crowd as they battled forward.

"Ah!" A sudden scream came from behind. Someone had fallen victim to the Fire Spirit Tribe, engulfed and turned to a blood rain in mere moments.

The others were filled with grief and terror but were powerless to help.

Lu Ye and Ying Wuji didn't even look back, continuing to fight their way through, but more and more Fire Spirit Tribe members attacked from the front, seemingly aware of their intentions and blocking their path.

With enemies intercepting in front and chasing from behind, they were nearly in a hopeless situation.

"Go down!" Ying Wuji made a swift decision, shouting furiously as he led the descent.

In mid-air, surrounded by enemies, landing on the ground at least eliminated attacks from below.

After a few moments, they finally landed in the ruined city, with countless Fire Spirit Tribe members swarming from all directions like a raging tide.

More Fire Spirit Tribe members climbed out of the lava, joining the hunt.

Continuous screams echoed. The Cloud River Realm cultivators who had followed Ying Wuji couldn't withstand the assault, dying or becoming seriously injured within moments.

Ying Wuji's eyes were filled with anger. He hadn't anticipated that what was once an opportunity turned into a tremendous crisis within such a short time, truly displaying the unpredictability of fate.

He felt slightly reassured by the standout performance of Niu Meng, whose exceptional strength at least allowed him to cooperate effectively.

Normally, he would have detected something unusual because, with the strength Niu Meng displayed, he couldn't possibly be an unknown figure. His prowess in magic rivaled, if not exceeded, that of Lui Qing from the Myriad Magic Pavilion.

Lui Qing had secured the fourth place in the Cloud River Realm competition. Niu Meng couldn't be considered inferior, yet there was no record of Niu Meng in the Cloud River Realm rankings.

But in such a critical situation, with the overwhelming Fire Spirit Tribe closing in like a tidal wave, Ying Wuji couldn't ponder too much.

While fending off attacks, he shouted, "Brother Niu, hold on, I've sent a message to the pass, reinforcements will be here soon."

Lu Ye remained silent, only using spells to fend off the enemy.

The Fire Spirit Tribe's strength wasn't extremely high, comparable to the Spirit Stream and Cloud River levels among human cultivators, with hardly any True Lake Realm members.

But Lu Ye could clearly sense that a stronger presence in the crisscrossing trenches was gradually awakening.

The Fire Spirit Tribe wasn't without powerful members; it was just that the Eight Extremes Demon Sealing Array hadn't completely failed, keeping these strong members sealed.

However, as time passed, these powerful Fire Spirit Tribe members would eventually break free.

So, they had to carve out an escape route quickly; waiting for rescue from Gushan City Pass was not reliable.

Particularly troubling for Lu Ye was the apparent innate resistance the Fire Spirit Tribe had to fire-type spells, making his attacks less effective.

After thirty seconds, Ying Wuji grunted in pain; a True Lake Realm Fire Spirit Tribe member had managed to land a close-range attack.

The Fire Spirit Tribe was naturally proficient in many fire-type secret techniques. Each one was a formidable fire-type magic cultivator, but that didn't mean they were limited to spellcasting. Some, who were tall and burly, were clearly adept at close-quarters combat.

Though they relied on each other, they couldn't withstand the overwhelming assault.

As Ying Wuji stumbled back, leaving his middle section exposed, numerous fire-type spells came at him, death looming over him, and despair filled his face.

Having just recently ascended to the True Lake Realm, his life was just beginning to get exciting. He didn't expect it to end here.

Early in his cultivation journey, the elders of Senluo Hall had taught him that the path of cultivation was fraught with thorns, life and death unpredictable, and every battle must be fought with the resolve and determination to die.

That was how he had always acted.

But now, at this critical moment, Ying Wuji felt a deep sense of reluctance.

His promising life had just begun; how could it end here?

Yet, no matter how unwilling, what could he do? His cultivation level was what it was; he couldn't exhibit strength far beyond his level.

Then, he saw a bright blade slicing through the spells approaching him, instantly dissipating them. The heat waves swept past him, shocking both his body and mind.

He stared blankly at the familiar figure standing before him, recognizing the long saber. His mind was in turmoil.

Magic cultivator Niu Meng?

From East Hillock Plains Pass?

Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivator?

Deceiver!

From the first moment he saw this person, he suspected it was Lu Ye. But seeing the battlefield marking on his hand made him dismiss his doubts.

Battlefield markings were gifts from Heaven's Augury. How could a member of the Haotian Alliance possess a Ten Thousand Demons Ridge battlefield marking?

Yet he had one!

Several times, he felt this person wanted to stab him; what he thought was just an illusion turned out to be his survival instinct!

It was indeed him!

Even in this perilous moment, Ying Wuji felt unsteady from the shock.

"Follow me!" Lu Ye had returned to his original voice, sighing lightly. As his weapon-control supplies box flew out from his waist, the Boulder Mountain Saber slashed fiercely, paving a way forward.

Indeed, the Boulder Mountain Saber suited him best.

Especially against enemies like the Fire Spirit Tribe, relying on spells was unreliable. A ten-level power spell hitting a Fire Spirit Tribe member would have its effect reduced by half; they had a natural resistance to fire spells.

With the long saber in hand, Lu Ye seemed transformed. Spirit force surged around him, and Fire Spirit Tribe members fell like stalks in the wind wherever he passed.

Though Ying Wuji was shocked, he knew sticking close to Lu Ye was his only chance of survival.

He understood that Lu Ye saved him not because of their trivial past acquaintance on Unparalleled Continent but because, at this moment, it was better to have a partner than to fight alone. Lu Ye needed someone to guard against attacks from behind.

He cooperated seamlessly, just as they had once done on Unparalleled Continent.

With the Fire Spirit Tribe's powerful members yet to awaken, it was the best time to escape. If they stalled any longer, even Lu Ye wouldn't make it out alive.

From high above, an indeterminable number of Fire Spirit Tribe members filled the vast cave and the crisscrossing trenches of the ruined city, more Fire Spirit Tribe members continuously awakening from within.

Amidst the Fire Spirit Tribe's domain, two figures pushed forward unchallenged, headed towards the entrance.

Yet, as they neared a hundred feet from the entrance, the magma ahead suddenly surged up, swiftly transforming into a giant hand that slammed towards Lu Ye and Ying Wuji.

The giant hand's force was astonishing. Even Fire Spirit Tribe members it encountered along the way were disoriented or exploded on the spot.

The warning bells in Lu Ye's mind rang sharply. Looking at the incoming giant hand, he sensed its power and knew a powerful Fire Spirit Tribe member had made a move, perhaps not entirely free, but capable of controlling spells.

If this was the case in a restricted state, who knew what terrifying abilities they might display once fully freed.

Given the situation, they either forged ahead or retreated far back.

With vast numbers of pursuers behind, retreat wasn't an option. Having fought to this position, if they turned back now, escape would be impossible.

Without hesitation, Lu Ye charged towards the giant hand.

Invoking the power of his Talent Tree, invisible roots sprouted from his skin, and he infused his spirit force into the long saber in his hand. In an instant, the Boulder Mountain Saber became enveloped in flames, as if truly burning.

He slashed forward fiercely, creating a stark contrast between his small figure and the massive hand.

The giant hand then engulfed both Lu Ye and Ying Wuji, obscuring them from view.

...

Lost track of time, recently overwhelmed with various affairs