Sage of Humanity

If refining the Banlan Core is akin to piercing through a blocked passage, then initially, what blocked this passage was the imprint left by Jiu Ying, the original owner.

Dark Butterfly exerted tremendous effort to erase the imprint left by Jiu Ying and replaced it with her own. When her imprint filled the passage instead of Jiu Ying's, it marked the moment the core changed hands.

Anyone else attempting to refine the core would need to repeat this process, and the expenditure of energy would be no less than Dark Butterfly's.

However, under the Chains of Life, Lu Ye's power can easily replace the imprint left by Dark Butterfly, making it his own.

This is taking over the nest.

The plan was laid out this way, but whether it succeeds, Lu Ye wasn't sure, given that he had never done such a thing before; even an old monster like Jiu Ying had only speculated.

Fortunately, at present, everything was going smoothly.

His Dao force continued to deplete, and the ownership of the Banlan Core was slowly shifting.

Outside the relic, upon the altar, Dark Butterfly was directing the Insect and Blood Races' armies when her expression suddenly changed.

Even though she was excluded from the relic, her connection with the Banlan Core should remain intact, but as Lu Ye refined, she clearly felt that her close connection with the Banlan Core was gradually weakening.

This left her stunned, completely unaware of what was happening.

She frantically tried to channel her Dao force to explore the relic, but she couldn't find a way in.

With time passing, she despairingly realized that her connection with the Banlan Core was growing weaker until it was wholly severed!

What was happening?

She had expended so much energy and risk to refine it successfully, thinking she would become the Banlan Master, fully controlling this powerful Dao soldier. But who would have thought that within days, her previous efforts would turn to naught?

Even at this moment, she hadn't suspected Lu Ye had interfered, because she knew firsthand how difficult it was to refine Banlan, and Lu Ye, having just Entered the Path, shouldn't have the capability.

But on second thought, what if it truly was Lu Ye?

She was excluded the moment she succeeded in refining, yet the little rascal remained inside, without showing himself until now—who knows what he's doing in there?

The more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed, but she couldn't confirm it, leaving her extremely anxious.

Deep within the relic, Lu Ye toyed with the core of the relic—an entity not physical, but the manifestation of the Banlan's restriction central hub.

The moment he successfully refined it, Lu Ye distinctly felt an extremely close connection between himself and Banlan. With this core in hand, he was technically the Banlan master, capable of achieving many things others couldn't within Banlan.

Not to mention the relic itself.

Using this core, Lu Ye could easily discern various arrangements and restrictions within the relic, making alterations when needed.

His gaze fixed on a location, his sight elevated infinitely, piercing the Void, where he saw Dark Butterfly standing at the relic entrance, her expression shifting remarkably—suspicious, angry, and shocked all at once.

Looking at another direction, there was a grand battlefield where countless cultivators contended fiercely, endlessly warring.

In a third direction, a vast blue star, where countless humans lived in peace and prosperity, with cities standing tall.

Lu Ye's gaze swept over, even spotting Yan Hong in secluded cultivation within a secret chamber of one city...

Is this... the home planet of the human battle alliance?

Since arriving in the Banlan stellar space, Lu Ye had always heard of the home planet but had never visited. This star could be considered the human central hub, almost all families resided there, and it housed many powerful beings.

Suddenly dizzy, Lu Ye staggered briefly, the mysterious sight shattering.

Lu Ye gave a muffled groan, feeling a sharp pain in his mind.

Without much panic, he realized why this was happening.

Ultimately, it stemmed from a lack of strength.

Although his plan was flawlessly executed, the Dao soldier left by Jiu Ying was of a high tier, and under normal circumstances, the Banlan Dao soldier was beyond Lu Ye's reach.

Even with ingenious planning to gain control of the Banlan Core, due to insufficient cultivation realm, though the Banlan master, many limitations ensued.

The earlier insight into Banlan was a Banlan master's capability, but doing it through Banlan drained his mind excessively, unsustainable for long.

Lu Ye sat down, slowly recovering until he felt considerably better.

Putting the Banlan Core back into the pit, currently, no one but Lu Ye could enter this relic, thus there was no worry of it being refined by others.

Lowering his gaze, Lu Ye immersed his mind.

Within the Divine Sea, the soul body manifested and gently spoke: "Jiu Ying!"

"I'm here." From the Divine Sea, Jiu Ying emerged, and hurriedly approached: "Little friend, did the plan succeed? Was the Banlan Core refined?"

It wore a concerned expression, without a trace of pretense.

Lu Ye merely looked at it with indifference.

Jiu Ying's expression changed slightly: "Could it have failed? It's no matter, little friend is only at the Enter the Path stage now, you still need to cultivate diligently, strive to elevate your realm, and attempt once more in the future..."

"Do you have any last words?" Lu Ye interrupted its chatter, and while speaking, raging flames suddenly ignited, enveloping it.

Jiu Ying was startled: "Little friend, what is this?"

Lu Ye replied indifferently: "Is there still a need to play pretend at this point?"

Within the flames, Jiu Ying's figure appeared distorted: "Little friend, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Stubborn and unyielding. Must I really spell out what betrayal you have committed?" Lu Ye shook his head. Initially he hesitated whether to kill Jiu Ying, after all, this creature once had immense cultivation in its peak, its understanding of the Star Abyss is unmatched. It's a treasure trove in itself; though Lu Ye has uncovered much over time, Jiu Ying definitely has hidden secrets.

To be honest, Lu Ye was reluctant to destroy it.

Especially since it remained within his Divine Sea, he always had methods to deal with it.

But witnessing its demeanor now, Lu Ye's mind was made up.

No matter its worth, keeping such a creature around portends danger. Take this incident for instance, if not for secretly requisitioning a batch of Dao Bones from Dark Butterfly, alongside the Twin Flying Phoenixes Dao Runes, he might truly have ended up in Huang Quan with Dark Butterfly, unless he agreed to sever the Chains of Life.

Jiu Ying appeared docile before him only because it hid its claws, without opportunity it was benign, but given the chance, it would undoubtedly reveal its fangs.

Jiu Ying's countenance was grim: "Little friend, is this not a misunderstanding? You're aware, I have nothing but a sliver of Spiritual Sense left, should anything happen to you, I won't survive alone. Also...you and I swore by the Will of the Star Abyss, why would I harm you?"

Lu Ye chuckled: "And that's where you're clever. You didn't directly betray me, instead scheming on Dark Butterfly. Under the Chains of Life, Dark Butterfly and I are bound together. Refining the Banlan Core, if anything happens to Dark Butterfly, I won't survive either. You planned to regain freedom, Jiu Ying, your scheme is indeed clever, deceiving even me. Quite a calculation!" He paused before continuing, "And after my death...with your abilities, surely you could find another host, even if less compatible, yet still reclaim freedom."

Jiu Ying was about to argue, but Lu Ye raised a hand to stop: "Enough, whether you admit it or not, I now control the Banlan Core, a legacy from you. If you have last words, relay them, if not, then meet your end!"

Sensing Lu Ye's determination, Jiu Ying's expression fluctuated, suddenly laughing aloud: "Little friend accomplished much, I believed my plan flawless, yet didn't expect you would survive. Admirable, admirable."

"Not pretending anymore?"

Jiu Ying shook his head: "All my actions were for survival, little friend knows well, no need for harshness."

"You could live well here too."

Jiu Ying sneered coldly: "A prisoner beneath supervision, what's the joy in living?" he changed his tone, "Little friend, some things don't need explicit discussion. We've been getting along well, this time you suffered no loss, let's not dwell on it."

"Truly no loss, but I fear..."

"What does little friend fear?"

"Fear you'll plot against me again." Lu Ye looked at it calmly.

Jiu Ying said: "There won't be another chance, rest assured, little friend."

"Only the dead can offer assurance!"

Raging flames enveloped Jiu Ying, whose expression drastically changed, but soon it laughed again: "Little friend, why pretend? Did you forget the prior oath? If you kill me here, you won't escape death either!"

Clearly, it didn't believe Lu Ye would dare truly kill it. An oath sworn by the Will of the Star Abyss was no joke, even in its peak it couldn't break the pledge, across the Star Abyss, only one existence had some immunity, yet not absolute.

It assumed Lu Ye was merely threatening, planning to adopt a submissive stance soon, earnestly begging for mercy, believing Lu Ye was merely angry; once quelled, all would be forgiven.

Earlier, it rejoiced over the oath made with Lu Ye, else it wouldn't escape today.

But soon it realized its error, as the flames engulfed, burning away its remaining Spiritual Sense.

Jiu Ying screamed in agony, pleading continuously.

Lu Ye merely watched quietly, expression cold.

Within three breaths, that sliver of Spiritual Sense dimmed to extinction.

Only its shrill cries echoed within the Divine Sea.

"You'll join me in death!"

Yet as Jiu Ying's Spiritual Sense vanished, Lu Ye remained unscathed, never understanding until its end why Lu Ye dared truly kill it.

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