Translator: Truth Editor : Dhael Ligerkeys It might look like Lu Ye had gouged the Raving Bladesmen when he forced them to give up twenty blade technique insights, but he knew full well that that wasn’t the case. In fact, he was certain that the Raving Bladesmen would only give him the basic stuff. That was fine though. That was what Lu Ye wanted. Lu Ye felt inspired as he studied the books. His study lasted until Yi Yi came in with a basin of water and wiped his face with a wet towel. A while later, Lu Ye sat opposite Hua Ci and chowed down the tableful of food in front of him as usual. After lunch was over, Lu Ye asked, “I’m going back to the Outpost. I should be ascending to the Cloud River Realm very soon. What are your plans?” “Nothing for now,” Hua Ci replied carelessly while putting away the dishes. “You’re not planning to stay here forever, are you?” Lu Ye asked in a puzzled voice. “Just focus on your own cultivation and don’t worry about me. Who knows, I might still progress faster than you even if I remain in the Spirit Creek Battlefield,” replied Hua Ci before winking at him. Lu Ye snorted. “I shall do my best not to fall behind then.” He rose to his feet and brought out his Spirit Boat. After he leaped onto it, he said, “I’ve left behind some cultivation resources for you. I’ll be waiting for you at the Cloud River Battlefield.” “Be seeing you.” Lu Ye nodded and shot into the sky. He was gone just like that. A smile cracked on Hua Ci’s face before she continued to clean up the table. It would be a long time before they met again, but she did not feel too bitter about the parting. Temporary partings would only make the reunion sweeter. When Lu Ye first entered the Core Circle, he had taken turns flying a flying Spirit Artifact with Ju Jia. Despite this, it still took them ten days to make it from the Crimson Blood Sect’s Outpost to the Devoted Ones’ Outpost. But now that he was Heaven Nine, both his telekinesis speed and his endurance were far greater than before. He had reached the Crimson Blood Sect’s Outpost in less than three days. A Legate could pass through their Outpost’s Grand Ward completely undetected and without resistance, but he was spotted by a sentry immediately after he made an entry. They immediately recognized Lu Ye and cried out in pleasant surprise, “Fifth senior brother is back!” The news immediately spread like wildfire. Countless people began swarming him from all sides. Lu Ye swept his gaze across the crowd and noted in astonishment that most of them were unfamiliar faces. In fact, some of them looked to be only twelve to thirteen years old. Lu Ye guessed that these younglings were probably the latest batch of disciples. The older ones were mostly made up of acolytes and associates. There were countless sects in the Outer Circle, but no one could top the Crimson Blood Sect’s World Spiritual Qi because Lu Ye had maxed out the relevant upgrade during his last return. Associates would kill to join their Outpost because the concentration of their Outpost’s World Spiritual Qi was eleven times stronger than the wilderness. This was an advantage no other Outer Circle possessed. If the Crimson Blood Sect wished to grow further, then they must increase their Tier to Tier Six so that they could move their Outpost to the Inner Circle. Also, the Crimson Blood Sect was easily the most famous sect in the Spirit Creek Battlefield right now. The Thousand Demon Ridge sects neighboring them only wished they were located somewhere else. This meant that joining the Crimson Blood Sect not only gave them the best cultivation efficiency, but also security. Their allies were perfectly happy to send their weaker disciples over to cultivate im their Outpost as well. Perhaps the only flaw of their Outpost was that their means to earn Contribution Points were limited. In the Outpost, countless people were staring at him with curiosity, admiration, respect, and other emotions. Lu Ye abruptly discovered that the cultivators he knew were almost all gone. For example, Kong Niu, Ruan Lingyu, He Lingxi, Gu Yang and more had already entered the Inner Circle. The Spirit Creek Battlefield had always been like this. The new constantly replaced the old, and the old constantly chased after new heights. Cultivators were constantly fighting to improve their cultivation and their future. Only those who could survive this endless push could become the ultimate winner. He didn’t even know who the current prolegate was… First things first, Lu Ye entered the Sanctum of Providence and converted all the Blessings he had plundered into Sect Contribution Points. The number began skyrocketing in his vision. He had conquered twenty three Core Circle Outposts before coming to an agreement with the Thousand Demon Ridge. Although there was a massive loss during the plundering, the final number was still astronomical. An incense stick later, the Divine Opportunity Column sat at an astounding thirty million Sect Contribution Points. Right now, the Crimson Blood Sect might be the only sect in the entire Spirit Creek Battlefield with this many Sect Contribution Points. They could increase their territory by at least ten times its current size with this sum. Lu Ye wasn’t going to perform the upgrade though. When their Tier went up—and it was only a matter of time—they would need to spend an exorbitant amount of Sect Contribution Points to move to the Inner Circle. The Outpost didn’t really need that extra territory, and they already had everything they needed. In the end, he decided that saving these Sect Contribution Points would be the wiser option and only paid himself a wage. His Contribution Points skyrocketed past the one hundred thousandth mark after that. Next, Lu Ye teleported back to the headquarters using the Divine Opportunity Column. He saw Shui Yuan immediately after he appeared because she had been informed of his arrival a while ago. The woman cracked a smile when she turned to him and saw the string of Storage Bags tied snugly around his waist. She had heard that her junior brother had extorted a ton of goods from the remaining Thousand Demon Ridge sects after conquering the initial twenty three, but it was only now she got a concrete idea just how massive his profit was. “Second senior sister,” Lu Ye greeted respectfully while walking up to her. Shui Yuan nodded and examined him for a moment. “You’re darker and stronger than before.” “What can I do? That’s the life of an adventurer,” he snarked before taking off the string of Storage Bags and handing them to Shui Yuan. He immediately felt lighter both physically and mentally. “Oh my!” Shui Yuan thought she knew how much Lu Ye had gained from his trip, but she was still surprised when she actually checked the Storage Bags’ contents. It wasn’t like the Thousand Demon Ridge publicly aired their shame after all. “They’re for the sect. Feel free to do with them as you please,” Lu Ye said before adding, “I’ll go see the Sect Master now.” “The old man isn’t here today,” Shui Yuan replied. “Really? Oh well, I guess I’ll visit Lady Yun instead.” Every time he returned from outside, he made sure to visit his two seniors. It was basic etiquette. “Wait.” Shui Yuan stopped him before pulling out a wooden box from her Storage Bag. Lu Ye accepted it and checked its contents. There were two jade bottles inside the box. They both contained what looked like amber-colored Spirit Pills the size of a soybean. “I made it using the honey you asked Ju Jia to bring back. It has beautifying properties, and I’m sure Lady Yun will love it.” Most women cared deeply for their appearance, and this was doubly true for women who had reached a certain age. They wanted to hold onto their beauty for as long as possible after all. That was why beauty products were popular even among female cultivators. Lu Ye exclaimed in surprise, “The honey is also a beauty product?” Lu Ye had no idea. When Ju Jia was forced to ascend to the Cloud River Realm to save himself, Lu Ye had given him a massive amount of honey so that Shui Yuan could study it and hopefully convert it into medicines that could restore one’s Spiritual Power. Instead, she had turned it into a beauty product. “It does. I’ve tried it myself,” Shui Yuan said smilingly. “You should vary your gifts once in a while, no?” “You are absolutely right, second senior sister.” Lu Ye thanked her before giving her all the remaining honey in his stock. Now that he knew that the honey also possessed beautifying properties, he realized it would be a waste to use it like he normally did. He also gave her the royal jelly since there wasn’t much left anyway. He trusted her judgment and did not care what she did with it. After that, he flew to the Summit of Clarity and paid Lady Yun his respects. As Shui Yuan had predicted, Lady Yun immediately broke into a wide smile and showered Lu Ye with praise when she saw the gift. Of course, it wasn’t that great a gift that she would allow him skip her tests altogether, but Lu Ye had improved a fair bit in the Way of Glyphs since they last met. That was why he was able to handle them pretty well. He learned a lot from her instructions as well. Lu Ye returned the books he had borrowed before and borrowed a new batch of books. He realized then that he had almost gone through half of the books in Lady Yun’s library—those that were related to the Way of Glyphs at least. When evening came, and Lu Ye bade Lady Yun goodbye, she said, “Come find me after you’ve ascended to the Cloud River Realm.” “I will.” “Be seeing you.” As usual, he was escorted out of Lady Yun’s residence by the mute attendant. He still didn’t know what was wrong with her, but every time he saw her, he had this strange feeling that she wasn’t as real as she seemed… When he returned to the Summit of Cauldron, he discovered that his second senior sister had already prepared a tableful of medicinal food. He did not hesitate to chow down immediately. “Oh right, why did you want me to return to the headquarters before I ascend to the Cloud River Realm, Sister Shui?” Lu Ye asked while eating. “It’s nothing. I just want you to ascend in the Outpost where everyone can see you. According to the old man, your ascension may be a tad different compared to others.” “Different?” “Yes. I’m not elaborating because even the old man isn’t sure what will happen. You’ll know when you ascend,” Shui Yuan replied while putting more food in his bowl. Lu Ye nodded before saying, “Please tell me what you know about the Cloud River Battlefield, Sister Shui.” He would be entering the Cloud River Battlefield after ascending to the Cloud River Realm. Naturally, he would like to learn more about his next destination. “The Cloud River Battlefield…” Shui Yuan looked wistful as she continued, “It’s completely different from the Spirit Creek Battlefield in the sense that it is both far more interesting and dangerous…” Shui Yuan had obviously trained herself in the Cloud River Battlefield before. Lu Ye made sure to memorize her experiences and the rules. When he was done eating, Shui Yuan warned, “Remember that the Thousand Demon Ridge isn’t necessarily our sworn enemy in the Cloud River Battlefield. Sometimes, cooperation is the only way to achieve your goals.” “Understood.”