Sage of Humanity

Ying Wuji almost thought a fight was inevitable. After all, Lu Ye had already released the hostage, and the Silver Snake Valley had no more restraints. On the contrary, the two of them were surrounded by numerous strong cultivators from the Five Great Families, and the situation was dire.

Of course, he didn't doubt that Lu Ye had the ability to fight his way out of here, but as for himself, he might not have that capability.

He had made up his mind, if a fight broke out, he must stick close to Lu Ye and never fall into the hands of the Five Great Families again!

Previously, he had been careless and was captured. That was his stupidity. If he were to be captured again, he wouldn't have the face to let Lu Ye rescue him once more.

But who would have thought, after a long stare-down and a sigh from Chu Ruoyu, the anticipated battle didn't happen.

That sigh was both a recognition of Lu Ye and also a concession from Chu Ruoyu.

He clearly realized one thing: if a fight really broke out, the cultivators surrounding the courtyard would probably suffer heavy casualties!

So at Chu Ruoyu's command, the numerous strong cultivators from the Five Great Families escorted Lu Ye and Ying Wuji towards the direction where the portal was located.

It was both an escort and surveillance.

One hour later, they arrived at the location of the secret realm's portal.

The cultivators on duty here apparently didn't know what had happened. Seeing a large group flying towards them from a distance, they were all shocked. When they came forward to inquire, they finally understood that these two intruders were to be sent away from the secret realm.

For a moment, they were indignant.

Over the years, no one had ever intruded into Silver Snake Valley except for those guided in by the human race from the outside. Regardless of the intruders' backgrounds or purposes, it was a blatant invasion, a slap to the face of Silver Snake Valley.

So they found it hard to imagine how the higher-ups could reach such an agreement with these two intruders.

But since it had been decided, they couldn't argue and could only follow orders.

The so-called portal wasn't a substantial doorway. It was just a place where the space was relatively weak, and with the methods left by the strong cultivators of Silver Snake Valley in the past, it could be controlled to some extent. Thus, for the cultivators of Silver Snake Valley to come and go from the secret realm, they had to pass through here.

"Just to let you know, opening the portal is not easy and may take some time. Please be patient."

After landing, Chu Ruoyu spoke to Lu Ye beside him, then instructed the cultivators on duty: "Open the portal."

"Yes!" The cultivators on duty accepted the order and immediately got busy.

Lu Ye stood quietly, in stark contrast to Ying Wuji, who was on high alert, always vigilant. His posture was relaxed as if he didn't care about the numerous eyes watching from around.

But the more he acted this way, the more fearful the surrounding cultivators of the Five Great Families became, not daring to make any rash moves.

They didn't know how strong Lu Ye really was, but they knew how strong Long You and Wei Wuguang were.

Someone who could easily defeat Long You and Wei Wuguang, even capture them effortlessly, couldn't be weak.

No one doubted that if anyone dared to provoke, that seemingly harmless figure would unleash a thunderbolt action.

Time passed, and Lu Ye's brows furrowed: "Too slow!"

They had been here for half a Shichen, yet the portal still wasn't open. From what he could see, those responsible for opening the portal seemed to be deliberately delaying.

He didn't understand the intricacies of opening the portal, but he could see if they were doing their best.

Chu Ruoyu spoke: "Opening the portal has always been like this. Please..."

"One incense stick's time! If the portal is not open, we won't leave!" Lu Ye turned to Chu Ruoyu, his gaze cold.

This obvious threat immediately caused an uproar among the surrounding cultivators. Even Chu Ruoyu's eyes narrowed.

"Not leave? Sounds good, let's not leave!" Ying Wuji grinned, his expression eager.

Since entering this secret realm, he had been captured and tortured. His anger needed an outlet. If Lu Ye were to start a massacre here, it would suit him perfectly, a chance for revenge, to show the Five Great Families why he ranked sixteenth in the Cloud River Tournament!

Amid the commotion, Chu Ruoyu raised his hand slightly, and the noise around instantly calmed down.

Avoiding Lu Ye's gaze, he looked at one of the duty cultivators by the portal: "Ankang, if we spare no effort, can the portal open within one incense stick's time?"

After a slight pause, Chu Ankang responded: "Yes!"

"Then... open it within one incense stick's time!"

"Yes!" Chu Ankang accepted the order, shouting: "Hurry up!"

Chu Ruoyu then looked at Lu Ye: "Are you satisfied now?"

"I hope so."

The duty cultivators indeed sped up. Golden light began to spread, outlining the shape of the portal in the Void. Lu Ye observed the portal while staying alert to the surroundings.

At this point, he didn't want any slip-ups.

Though he had reached some agreements with the Silver Snake Valley, he could faintly sense that they had ulterior motives and weren't simply afraid of him, wanting to send him away quickly.

Looking at the portal and recalling the past, he had some speculations.

"How long until it's passable?" Lu Ye asked.

Chu Ruoyu replied: "Once the portal is stable, it can be passed through! Of course, if you wish to leave now, you can, but the portal is unstable, and there may be some unexpected situations."

"Such as?"

"That's hard to say. After all, this portal was created by strong cultivators a thousand years ago. We can only slightly control it now, not fully understand it." Chu Ruoyu stroked his beard, being vague.

Lu Ye nodded slightly, suddenly turning to Chu Ruoyu: "What's outside the portal?"

Chu Ruoyu's hand stroking his beard paused almost imperceptibly, then he replied: "Outside the portal is naturally the Unparalleled Continent."

Lu Ye's lips curled into a sarcastic smile, taking a step towards the portal.

Ying Wuji, always watching his movements, quickly followed.

Chu Ruoyu's face changed: "Friend, the portal isn't stable yet. There are many risks. Please reconsider!"

Lu Ye acted as if he didn't hear, his figure moving, stepping directly into the portal. The golden portal trembled slightly, as if about to collapse, but quickly stabilized.

Following closely behind, Ying Wuji also stepped into the portal, and the two disappeared from everyone's sight.

Chu Ruoyu's face darkened, turning to Chu Ankang: "Where does the portal open?"

The others also paid close attention.

Agreeing to let Lu Ye and Ying Wuji leave, Chu Ruoyu and the other leaders of the Five Great Families had their plans.

Fearing Lu Ye's strength, they wanted him out of the Silver Snake Valley Secret Realm, but safety was a concern.

Such a person staying in Silver Snake Valley would bring unrest. Early resolution was best.

But while their strengths were considerable, long periods of peace had dulled their courage and resolve for life-and-death battles. So, neither Chu Ruoyu nor the other rulers wanted a direct conflict with Lu Ye and Ying Wuji.

To solve the intruders without direct conflict, there was only one way.

Utilize the strength of the Corpse Race!

The secret realm floated in the Void, its movement unpredictable but traceable.

Each of the Five Great Families had cultivators responsible for calculating the portal's appearance. Currently, this was handled by Chu Ankang.

Claims of difficulty and time in opening the portal were Chu Ruoyu's deception.

Opening the portal did consume resources, but properly done, it could be opened in a dozen breaths.

If it really took long, how could the Guiding Envoys return safely?

Understanding Chu Ruoyu's intentions immediately, Chu Ankang started his calculations.

The plan was to open the portal at a specific location to send the intruders.

The rest was simple: secretly calculate the portal's position, choose a suitable place, and delay enough time.

But their plans were disrupted. The youth with the knife seemed aware, urging them, and moved before the portal stabilized.

Thus, the portal's current position was less than ideal.

Chu Ankang said: "It should be near Lin Xun's tomb."

With millennia of experience, Silver Snake Valley knew where to safely open the portal and where danger lurked.

Otherwise, the portal couldn't always appear in safe places, avoiding danger zones.

"Lin Xun's tomb!" Upon hearing this, everyone gasped.

The Corpse Race originally came from humans. Lin Xun, a strong warrior from centuries ago, became a Corpse Race, gaining not only his past strength but also the abilities of the Corpse Race, making him formidable.

Among the Corpse Race, many are strong, the most powerful being the Golden Corpse King Corpse Fiend, with several commanding Silver Corpse Commanders.

Lin Xun was slightly less than a Corpse Commander but not by much.

With thousands of corpses under his command, he usually hid in his grave, nurturing them. Lin Xun's tomb was a forbidden land, and Silver Snake Valley never opened a portal within thirty thousand miles of it, fearing detection and retaliation.

Chu Ankang said: "The portal's disturbance isn't big, but close enough, it can alert Lin Xun." Speaking with regret: "If we could have delayed for half a day, we could have opened it in the Silver Corpse Commander's territory, ensuring their deaths!"

Chu Ruoyu shook his head: "This outcome is also ideal. Opening the portal in the Silver Corpse Commander's domain may not be beneficial for us. Activate the Heaven Reflecting Mirror to see how those reckless boys meet their end!"