Sage of Humanity

Following Li Qi, Lu Ye displayed extreme compliance, a stance that undoubtedly surprised Li Qi.

He really hadn't seen anyone like Lu Ye before; such a disposition is truly rare. It's just a pity that he probably won't live long. Once the Insect Matriarch extracts the secret of the Crane Wings Array Runes, he will lose his value. At that time, only two paths will lie before him: submission or death!

Even though they had just met, Li Qi could feel that Lu Ye was the type to rather break than bend, so his ending seemed inevitable.

A day later, a giant star appeared ahead.

Li Qi suddenly spoke: "Are you going to act? If so, do it quickly, otherwise you'll have no chance!" His tone was calm, but his gaze at Lu Ye carried a trace of mockery.

Throughout this journey, he had felt Lu Ye's agitation more than once. To his amazement, Lu Ye's agitation wasn't simply a desire to escape, but he harbored killing intent towards him!

An Enter the Path dare harbor killing intent towards me, a Dao Fusion... it's audacious.

He even purposefully exposed some flaws, but unfortunately, Lu Ye didn't actually take action.

"Is that the insect hive?" Lu Ye seemed not to have heard his words, just staring at the brown star ahead.

Li Qi said, "Indeed, the Insect Matriarch asked me to bring you here."

"The Insect Matriarch..." Lu Ye focused his mind, "What cultivation?"

Li Qi looked at him with interest. Even now, he was still concerned about the Insect Matriarch's cultivation; did this kid really not know the word 'death'?

He had no intention to answer this question. With a push of power, he wrapped Lu Ye and flew forward. After pondering a bit, he continued, "If you want to live, do not hide anything when you meet the Insect Matriarch. You should know why you were captured."

Lu Ye ignored him.

The brown star was large, yet it seemed devoid of many cultivators, rendering the entire star silent.

Looking down, this vast star resembled a beehive, with countless large and small dark pits on the surface, bottomless and innumerable.

Li Qi led Lu Ye into one of the giant pits, descending all the way.

Not knowing how much time had passed, suddenly a faint blue ripple spread from below, like a layer of watery texture, silently and without sound.

Li Qi's body suddenly stiffened, quickly urging his power to protect himself.

Stopping, he turned to look at Lu Ye, who initially curiously looked around, his expression had turned bewildered.

"Li Qi greets the Insect Matriarch!" Li Qi stood still and shouted loudly.

A lazy, soft voice sounded, "There's nothing for you. Go."

"Yes." Li Qi responded, flashed, and darted out. As he glanced back, Lu Ye's eyes were lifeless, and his body seemed to be cradled by an invisible big hand, slowly descending. The faint blue ripples layered and spread like ocean waves, eroding everything.

Divine Origin Illusory Sea!

Li Qi was secretly shocked, realizing that he had underestimated the Insect Matriarch's regard for the Crane Wings Array Runes. He had thought once Lu Ye was brought here, the Insect Matriarch would personally inquire about the array's mysteries.

But evidently, the Insect Matriarch had no intention to question and directly unleashed the Divine Origin Illusory Sea. The Insect Matriarch was determined to fully extract the secret of the array runes.

Indeed, with the Insect Matriarch's expertise in the Path of the Psyche, she could directly perform the Soul Searching Technique, but this was not foolproof. The Soul Searching Technique inflicts severe damage to the target's psyche, and the intelligence gathered wasn't comprehensive.

The Divine Origin Illusory Sea was different; once executed, an Enter the Path could not resist at all. By then, anything the Insect Matriarch commanded would be obeyed; what secret wouldn't be uncovered?

For the Insect Matriarch, a Dao Fusion, to use such a secret technique on an Enter the Path was undoubtedly overkill, but when it concerns the Crane Wings Array Runes, it seems understandable.

Poor kid... Li Qi glanced one last time at the falling Lu Ye and quickly darted away.

Although the Insect Matriarch didn't exert full power in performing the Illusory Sea Secret Technique, he did not want to be swept into this technique; even he, a Dao Fusion, greatly feared this illusion.

In the wild, within the forest, a constant 'thunk thunk thunk' sound echoed.

Lu Ye's actions suddenly paused. At that moment, he couldn't help feeling a bit confused.

Who am I? What am I doing?

Vaguely, a sense of unease arose in his heart, as if he had forgotten something, and the whole world felt isolated, giving rise to an intensely unreal feeling in his heart.

Looking at the axe in his hand, he suddenly realized.

Right, I need to chop wood to trade for rice. There's nothing left to cook at home, and Little Butterfly is waiting for me.

In the deepest part of his consciousness, a thought inadvertently flashed by, who is Little Butterfly?

Then, a voice echoed in his heart, Little Butterfly is my wife, the best woman in this world who doesn't disdain my poverty and never abandons me!

The tired body suddenly filled with boundless strength. He raised the axe high and sweated profusely.

The sky was getting dark, and Lu Ye carried a bundle of firewood, winding down the mountain path.

At the foot of the mountain was a small village, with only a dozen households. Wisps of cooking smoke rose, and several children played noisily at the village entrance.

Passing through the village entrance, a hundred yards ahead, in front of a crude thatched hut, a tall figure stood on tiptoe, gazing into the distance.

Without any makeup, she showed her bare face, her black hair pulled up with a wooden hairpin, yet her stunning beauty was undeniable; the rough cloth couldn't hide her graceful figure. Under the descending dusk, her eyes sparkled like stars.

Her face still held some worry and anxiety, but upon seeing a figure carrying firewood, she immediately bloomed into a radiant smile, quickly stepping forward.

"Little Butterfly, I'm back." Lu Ye called out to the approaching woman, a feeling of warmth in his heart mixed with an extremely peculiar sensation.

"Why did you return so late today, husband?" Little Butterfly came up, wanting to take the bundle of firewood from Lu Ye, but was refused and could only pick up the rusty chopper.

"The weather was nice today, so I chopped a bit longer," Lu Ye replied while walking ahead.

"Next time don't come back this late. Aunt Liu said there are big bugs in the mountains that eat people; it's quite scary."

"You're listening to Aunt Liu's nonsense again."

Little Butterfly smiled, her already charming face revealing a hint of shyness: "Aunt Liu and the others are quite nice; they took me to dig wild vegetables today. I made some vegetable gruel."

"That's good fortune then." Lu Ye chuckled, his stomach growling.

After returning home and washing his hands, Little Butterfly served a bowl of vegetable gruel, placing it in front of Lu Ye, lighting a candle, and sitting across from him, watching him with her chin in her palms, her clear eyes reflecting an entire world.

"What about yours?" Lu Ye picked up the bowl intending to eat but suddenly remembered something and asked.

"I ate before you came back," Little Butterfly said with a smile.

Lu Ye sighed, stood up, took another bowl, split the vegetable gruel in half, and pushed it toward Little Butterfly: "Let's eat together; I can't finish so much."

"No need, husband works hard all day; you should eat more for strength!" Little Butterfly poured the gruel back. "And I really already ate, smell if you don't believe."

Speaking thus, she leaned toward Lu Ye, exhaling at him with a breath.

Fresh and fragrant, the candle's flame flickered, the person in front endlessly enchanting, Lu Ye's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Newlyweds, they were passionately in love, and the allure was irresistible for the young and vigorous.

Lu Ye hurriedly lowered his head to eat.

Little Butterfly blushed too and turned away, hurrying.

Eating the vegetable gruel, Lu Ye resolved silently to go to the market tomorrow to exchange wood for rice, ensuring Little Butterfly could eat two more bowls.

Having finished dinner and extinguished the candle, they went to bed together.

Beside him, her soft and warm body made Lu Ye's heart race. Little Butterfly turned over, her small hand resting on his waist, her side face pressed against him.

Lu Ye could even feel her eyelashes trembling.

"Husband..." Little Butterfly called softly.

Lu Ye swallowed, feeling as if he were ablaze.

An invisible flame burned his reason; just as he was about to lose control, a sudden wave of nausea hit him. He quickly got up, rushed out of the room, and retched under the eaves.

Little Butterfly donned her clothes and came out, gently patting his back, her beautiful face pale: "What's wrong, husband? Did I dig up the wrong wild vegetables and upset your stomach?"

Lu Ye kept retching, waving at her, unable to speak.

"Thud, thud, thud..."

A dense and urgent sound suddenly came from the village entrance.

Though nauseated, Lu Ye hurriedly looked up, seeing under the moonlight over a dozen riders darting into the small village like specters. They held high torches, and under the illumination of both the flames and moonlight, everyone's faces appeared grotesque and terrifying.

Torches were thrown out, burning the straw huts fiercely. Crying voices sounded; villagers fled chaotically; the specters on horseback laughed loudly, each wielding weapons hacking through the chaotic crowd, blood spraying.

"Mountain bandits!" Lu Ye's face turned pale.

He turned to grab Little Butterfly's hand, intending to flee.

The sound of hoofbeats suddenly stopped, a dark shadow leaping overhead to block the path, like an insurmountable mountain.

Lu Ye's heart sank.

On the black horse ahead, a one-eyed bandit wielded a blade, his gaze sweeping over Lu Ye, then looking at Little Butterfly, immediately revealing an amazed look, and he shouted in a low voice: "What a beautiful lady, today's fortune is rich indeed, hahaha!"

"Husband." Little Butterfly trembled, fear overwhelming, hiding behind Lu Ye.

Lu Ye was panic-stricken but somehow didn't feel too scared. He glanced at the chopper nearby, clenched his teeth, rushed out, holding the chopper, roaring as he charged at the one-eyed bandit.

"Courting death!" the one-eyed bandit snorted coldly, chopping his blade down. Lu Ye staggered and fell into a pool of blood.

The bandit laughed loudly, dismounted, walked straight to the weeping Little Butterfly lying on Lu Ye, grabbing her waist and heading into the house.

"Husband!" Little Butterfly continued to cry, tears streaming, but was carried further away from Lu Ye. She struggled, resisted, but how could a weak woman contend with such a ferocious bandit?

Lying in blood, Lu Ye watched Little Butterfly being taken into the house, feeling his body growing colder and colder, plunging endlessly into the abyss.

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