Sage of Humanity
Chapter 881 - 879: Be a human!

In the next moment, amid the fierce sword light, Lu Ye broke through the giant palm and charged out.

The scorching power was resisted by the Talent Tree's might, but the immense force of the slap caused his tiger's mouth to crack open, blood gushing out, even blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, and his chest and abdomen churned with turbulent blood Qi.

Following closely behind him, Ying Wuji also groaned, his complexion pale.

He was secretly horrified; if it weren't for Lu Ye blocking the front, he himself would likely have been killed by the power of that palm.

Passing through this final barrier, they rushed into the stone staircase corridor they had come from, one after the other.

Once inside, the pressure significantly reduced, as there was no longer any need to worry about being surrounded from all sides.

However, many Fire Spirit Race members had already entered this corridor, climbing upward, desperately blocking and obstructing once they sensed Lu Ye and Ying Wuji's presence.

Lu Ye, with a long saber in hand, flickered the blade light, moving nonstop. Along the way, Fire Spirit Race members kept falling.

In those rare cases where some slipped through, Ying Wuji, who followed behind, dealt with them.

"Roar!" A deafening roar suddenly echoed from behind, filled with endless anger and resentment. The very power of this roar caused both Lu Ye and Ying Wuji's minds to shake, their bodies unstable.

Simultaneously, a stinging sensation emitted from their brains.

"Divine Sea Realm!" Ying Wuji exclaimed in shock.

His senses were not as keen as Lu Ye's, and the previous chaos meant he hadn't detected much.

How could he have known that the Fire Spirit Race members they had previously encountered were not all of them? More powerful ones were sealed within, now breaking free.

Only now did he realize.

The pain in their minds was undoubtedly due to the psyche being impacted, and the sheer power from a mere roar could only belong to a Divine Sea Realm cultivator.

Along with that roar, a massive force surged from behind.

In the midst of their rush, Ying Wuji turned his head to see an utterly horrifying sight.

Behind them, magma rolled and surged, along with a powerful shockwave rapidly sweeping towards them. Figures of numerous Fire Spirit Race members floated and sank within the molten lava.

"Lu... Brother Niu, run!" Ying Wuji shouted hurriedly.

If they were caught in this massive magma surge, Ying Wuji was certain he would be dead for sure, though he wasn't sure whether Lu Ye would survive.

Although he had recognized Lu Ye's identity, he did not dare call his full name, fearing Lu Ye might turn around and cut him down.

He repeatedly warned himself in his mind that this person was Niu Meng, not Lu Yiye!

Although Lu Ye didn't look back, he was aware of the tremendous danger approaching from behind. Without hesitation, he quickened his pace, carving a bloody path through the Fire Spirit Race's blockade.

They sprinted for a while when suddenly light shone from above, marking the entrance to the stone platform they had seen before.

In the next instant, Lu Ye's figure shot out, and Ying Wuji followed awkwardly.

They turned their heads to look around and saw that inside the volcano crater were numerous figures of Fire Spirit Race members, clearly those who had earlier escaped from below.

The few men Ying Wuji had left behind were nowhere to be seen, their fate unknown.

Without any delay, the two shot skyward, bursting out of the crater. Turning back, an unforgettable scene presented itself.

Magma erupted skyward, forming pillars, heat waves swept through, distorting the Void.

The ground trembled, the mountain pass cracked.

From the erupting magma, figures of Fire Spirit Race members shot forth, roaring at the sky, venting their resentment for being sealed away for years.

Their cries were sorrowful, their shouts enraged, causing the heavens and the earth to change color.

Finally seeing daylight again, numerous Fire Spirit Race members vented their rage, then suddenly turned, with eyes burning, staring at Lu Ye and Ying Wuji.

Despite the passage of time, they still remembered clearly that it was the human race who had sealed them with their methods. Such a deep-seated hatred naturally meant...

No rest until death!

Ying Wuji felt his scalp tingle, hastily flying toward the Gushan City Pass.

Earlier, when they were attacked in the underground cave, he had already sent a request for help to the pass. By now, someone from the pass should have been dispatched to aid.

But at that time, he didn't know the severity of the situation. With the change now, the reinforcements sent from the pass might not be enough. To fend off this disaster, they would need the full strength of the Gushan City Pass.

This was not just a crisis but a calamity. If not handled properly, the entire Gushan City Pass could be plunged into grave danger.

As these thoughts raced through his mind, he glimpsed a figure beside him out of the corner of his eye.

Turning his head, he saw Lu Ye, wearing a mask, keeping pace with him.

"You..." Ying Wuji was utterly baffled.

A Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivator encountering danger would naturally flee towards the Gushan City Pass. Why was this Haotian Alliance member stirring up trouble?

Was he really unafraid of death?

Soon, he understood Lu Ye's intention.

If Lu Ye fled towards the Cangyan Mountain Pass, he would only bring trouble to the Cangyan Mountain Pass.

These Fire Spirit Race members, filled with venomous anger, were unlike the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators intimidated by the legendary woman's name, who wouldn't act rashly.

Bringing the Fire Spirit Race to the Cangyan Mountain Pass would be problematic. Even if that woman were strong, she might not be able to handle such a crisis. If the defense was breached, the Bingzhou guard's leadership would certainly hold her accountable.

Therefore, Lu Ye couldn't flee towards the Cangyan Mountain Pass under any circumstances.

Since he couldn't flee to the Cangyan Mountain Pass, the only destination left was the Gushan City Pass.

But... you're from the Haotian Alliance! Ying Wuji's thoughts were chaotic. Though he didn't know how Lu Ye had shown him the battlefield marking of the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge earlier, he was sure Lu Ye couldn't show it a second time. At the Gushan City Pass, his identity would probably be exposed.

Given his reputation as Lu Yiye of the Righteous Blood Sect, once his identity was revealed, he wouldn't live to see tomorrow's sunlight or tonight's moon.

And there's also me, knowing this secret, as a Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivator, how could I not report what I know?

Despite thinking about the relationship between the two major factions recently, he hadn't reached a definitive conclusion. As a Bingzhou guard from the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, Ying Wuji naturally wouldn't make a choice detrimental to his faction.

Could it be...

A surge of alarm gripped Ying Wuji's heart. Suddenly panicked, he felt a strong sense that this person might want to kill him.

Turning his head, he met Lu Ye's gaze.

Ying Wuji gasped, this guy… probably intends to kill me and keep the secret!

Knowing his identity and secret, it would make sense to silence the only witness. Killing him would ensure nobody else knew.

Escaped one lair only to fall into another; Ying Wuji lamented his fate. In this life-and-death crisis, a flash of inspiration struck his mind, urgently declaring, "Heaven's Augury as witness, everything I know about your secret, I, Ying Wuji, will never reveal in any form or to anyone. If I violate this, I shall die immediately!"

Under the mask, Lu Ye's fierce gaze softened.

He had intended to make Ying Wuji swear by Heaven's Augury but hadn't expected him to take the initiative.

"Smart!" Lu Ye released his grip on the Boulder Mountain Saber.

Ying Wuji felt nearly exhausted.

"Give me the items!" Lu Ye spoke again.

"What items?" Ying Wuji's emotions swung wildly, completely unaware of Lu Ye's intent.

"The items you mined in the underground cave."

"..."

Ying Wuji finally understood why Lu Ye had earlier asked him to gather all the mined fire spirit stones in one place. At the time, he said it was for convenient distribution, but now it was clear… it was for him to rob.

So, even back then, he had already decided this.

"Have some decency!" Ying Wuji was enraged.

Lu Ye persistently stared at him. Despite some gains in the cave below, fire spirit stones were always beneficial to him.

Ying Wuji's group had likely collected a significant amount.

"Take it, take it, all of it!" Ying Wuji furiously threw out a storage sack containing the fire spirit stones they arduously mined, fuming, "Choke on it!"

However, he realized it was fortunate he had gathered all the fire spirit stones. Those Cloud River Realm members accompanying him had all died in the chaos, with their storage sacks lost. If he hadn't collected them, their efforts would have been wasted.

Curiously, he asked, "That battlefield marking of yours..."

Lu Ye replied indifferently, "Do you know how you can live longer?"

Ying Wuji immediately fell silent.

Looking back, he turned pale, seeing a dense stream formed into a firelight torrent, originating from the volcano crater, sweeping skyward with vast momentum.

The number of Fire Spirit Race members was even greater than he had thought earlier, and those seen now were only the ones who had emerged from underground. There were likely more hidden deep below.

Fortunately, he and Lu Ye had already reached the True Lake Realm, their flying speed much faster than when they were in the Cloud River Realm. Otherwise, they might not have escaped the Fire Spirit Race's pursuit.

Flying forward, their pursuers relentlessly chased them like parasites.

"Notify your Gushan City Pass to prepare for battle!" Lu Ye called.

"Already notified!" How could he need Lu Ye to remind him? He had sent messages to the pass while they were fleeing, hoping the Divine Sea Realm there would take it seriously. Otherwise, Gushan City Pass would face grave danger!

A squad had originally departed from Gushan City Pass to aid them but had since returned, as a small reinforcement would not help the current situation.

After a full four shichen, a magnificent pass finally came into view.

Gushan City Pass, they're here!

The city wasn't large, smaller than the Fire Spirit Race's underground city. Not that Ten Thousand Demons Ridge was stingy, but such a scale was more suitable for defense.

This was consistent across all passes; only by concentrating effective forces could the defense be impregnable.

The city was small, but its walls soared a hundred feet. At this moment, numerous figures stood firm on the walls, staring in their direction, turning pale upon seeing the firelight torrent behind Lu Ye and Ying Wuji.