Chapter 662: Return
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Lu Ye figured out many things after a long talk with Ji Yuan. However, he seemed to have even more doubts, though he did not understand why he was doubtful.
More and more sentries of the Xianyuan City Watch returned during their conversation. After they saluted Ji Yuan, they disappeared into the Pool of Divine Purification.
The insectoid attack on the Lost City of Xianyuan had ended. As apparitions, they had to enter the pool and fall asleep to recuperate.
Lu Ye saw several familiar faces. They were Liu Sanbao, the scholar, and the blind fortune teller.
As expected, they were all Divine Ocean Realm Masters, and they respectively led a team of sentries. When they registered Lu Ye’s presence, they were not surprised because all the apparitions in the city were aware of the incident a while back. There was an Outsider in the city during the insectoid attack, and he had performed well. Therefore, Butcher included him in his team.
As they exchanged glances, they only nodded to greet each other.
Soon, another familiar figure appeared. She was Xi Wanying, who always held a pipa in her arms.
The woman looked resentfully at Lu Ye, as though the man had done something outrageous to her. All the same, she always appeared resentful and pitiful, looking like a homeless kitten. However, if anyone underestimated her because of that, they would end up in a horrible state.
Butcher had acknowledged that Xi Wanying was more powerful than him, and he had implied that the woman was narrow-minded. Therefore, when Lu Ye saw her, he was understandably uneasy. He was worried the woman would retaliate against him because of the previous incident.Fortunately, such a thing did not happen. Xi Wanying only took a look at Lu Ye and pocketed her gaze. Then, she saluted Ji Yuan and entered the Pool of Divine Purification with her sentries.
More and more sentries returned and entered the pool.
Soon, Butcher and his team came back as well. Liu Datong and Yu Qing, who had fought the enemies with Lu Ye before, were fine as well.
“You’ve done a great job, brat.” Liu Datong came up to Lu Ye and patted his shoulder. The other sentries flashed smiles at him with looks of approval.
Seeing that, Lu Ye was relieved. Although he figured out that the apparitions in the city would never die after witnessing Butcher’s resurrection, it wasn’t until he saw them return safely that he became at ease.
Yu Qing winked at him and said coquettishly, “You have to visit us again, Little Brother!”
Lu Ye put on a hollow laugh, feeling that there were some underlying meanings in her words.
The sentries then stepped into the pool one by one.
Butcher looked at Lu Ye and said, “Brat, work harder to improve your cultivation. Perhaps the future of the Lost City of Xianyuan…”
Before he could even finish his words, Ji Yuan cut him off. “Butcher!”
Butcher stopped talking about it as he patted Lu Ye’s shoulder again. “Regardless, you must grow stronger!”
Lu Ye nodded in response.
Butcher then glanced at the City Lord. “I’ll go in as well, Sir.”
“Go ahead.” Ji Yuan waved his hand.
Butcher took one more look at Lu Ye before entering the Pool of Divine Purification.
Lu Ye looked in the pool’s direction and remained silent for a long time before saying, “Sir, I suppose I can enter the Lost City of Xianyuan at any time. However, when I’m in the outside world, I’m unable to know what’s going on in the city. How will I find out when the insectoids strike the city again?”
When he activated the seed’s power now, two doors would appear in the special space. One of them led to the place where he could get some training, and the other was connected to the Lost City of Xianyuan. However, the Contribution points required to open the doors were different.
Theoretically, as long as he had enough Contribution points, he could enter the Lost City of Xianyuan at any time.
This time, he had earned more than 300,000 battle points and traded them for more than 300 drops of Soul Cleansing Water. It could be said to be a handsome reward.
He had no idea if he could acquire more Soul Cleansing Water in the future. After all, it was the foundation of the Lost City of Xianyuan. Nevertheless, he could always earn more battle points.
He just had to grasp the chance and enter the city when the insectoids struck again.
Moreover, he would return to the city as a stronger cultivator in the future. By then, it would be easier for him to earn battle points.
The Lost City of Xianyuan was like a Hidden Realm specifically made for him to acquire battle points.
Ji Yuan shook his head. “We’re not sure when the insectoids will strike again. Perhaps they’ll come back in one year or even several years. There’s no pattern to speak of. It depends on how much energy they’ve stored in the insectoid nests. I don’t have a way to let you know what’s going on in the city unless you come here to take a look from time to time.”
Lu Ye could not afford to do that. It required 10,000 Contribution points to enter the Lost City of Xianyuan. Certainly, he could come in one to two times, but he could not bear to keep wasting so many points.
Moreover, an insectoid attack typically lasted for ten days to half a month. If he did not come in during this period, all his visits before and after the attack would be futile.
If he decided to do so, it would probably take him a million Contribution points before he would bump into an insectoid attack.
That would be unbearable.
During an insectoid attack, the Lost City of Xianyuan would be the best battlefield for him to earn battle points. Moreover, after this incident, Lu Ye would love to help ease the city’s tension during an insectoid attack. Although there was not much he could do on his own, the city was the agglomeration of the sentries’ powers.
All of a sudden, Ji Yuan let him in on some information. “However, since you’re also part of the city now as you’ve been included in Butcher’s team, you might be able to detect it when the insectoids strike the city.”
Lu Ye was surprised upon hearing that. “Have I been included in Senior Butcher’s team?”
The City Lord explained, “When Butcher brought you back, he said you’re part of his team, and I didn’t reject it. Therefore, you’re his team member now.” It was not just an oral acknowledgement. In a way, Ji Yuan’s will represented the city’s will. Since he had acknowledged Lu Ye’s identity, it meant that the entire city had done the same.
Now, Lu Ye was not so different from the other apparitions apart from the fact that he did not leave behind his Soul Imprint in the Pool of Divine Purification, and thus, he was unable to become immortal.
“Why will I be able to detect the next insectoid attack?” Lu Ye asked in puzzlement.
“You’ll find out by then. It’s also possible that my speculation is wrong.”
Hearing that, Lu Ye knew that it was a secret that the City Lord could not tell him.
“Sir, how am I supposed to leave this place?”
Since the problem in the Lost City of Xianyuan had been settled, it was time for him to leave.
On his previous visit, he did not have to worry about not being able to leave the city because all the cultivators would be chased out when the time was up. However, he did not come to the city because Hidden Realm opened up this time, so he probably would not be automatically driven out of the city.
“Are you ready?” Ji Yuan asked all of a sudden.
“Huh?” Lu Ye turned around and saw the man slowly pushing his palm towards him.
The palm did not contain any power, but as Ji Yuan extended his hand, Lu Ye felt that he was out of place in the Lost City of Xianyuan.
The view around him rapidly moved in reverse, and Ji Yuan was out of sight almost instantly. He even saw the entire Lost City of Xianyuan from afar.
It was as though he was looking at the city from high above the sky. Furthermore, the city was still swiftly shrinking until it seemingly became a grain of dust.
Lu Ye soon realised that as the City Lord of the Lost City of Xianyuan, Ji Yuan was able to send him away.
Just then, Ji Yuan said, “You haven’t reached the Divine Ocean Realm yet. If your soul stays detached from your body for too long, they might become incompatible. When you return, you have to use the Soul Cleansing Water to stabilise your soul and get some rest for a few days.”
His voice faded as he spoke.
Now, Lu Ye was nowhere to be seen in the City Lord’s Mansion as Ji Yuan was on his own.
The originally boisterous Lost City of Xianyuan fell into dead silence again. It would only liven up when Hidden Realm opened up or the insectoids attacked again.
In a different place, the red-clothed woman was swaying in a swing in her yard. A white cat was sound asleep beside her.
…
Soon, Lu Ye heard a familiar voice calling out to him. The voice was filled with anxiety and a hint of surprise.
[Whose voice is it?] He was in a groggy state, so he could not recall whose voice that was.However, he subconsciously felt that the owner of the voice was very important to him. The person must be an inseparable being in his life.
He wanted to open his eyes, but he realised his eyelids were extremely heavy, making him unable to do so. It was as though he had fallen into a nightmare.
All of a sudden, he recalled whose voice it was.
[Yi Yi!] All his memories were unsealed instantly as many things flashed across his mind. He soon realised the situation he was in.Previously, he activated the seed of the Mystic Fruit to enter the Rift of Illusions and get some training. Nevertheless, he ended up entering the Lost City of Xianyuan, and the City Lord eventually helped him leave the place.
However, he felt a sense of incompatibility.
It was as though he had been covered in a thick layer of dust, making his consciousness unable to control the movements of his body.
At that moment, he was not even able to do something as simple as opening his eyes.
While in a dazed state, he recalled the last words that the City Lord said to him.
Since he was not a Divine Ocean Realm Master yet, his soul and body would become incompatible if they were separated for a long time.
[I see what he means now. It’s more severe than I had expected.]Presently, Lu Ye felt as though his soul was inside a strange body. He was not used to it.
It had only been several days since he headed to the Lost City of Xianyuan, but he already fell into such a situation. If he had stayed in the city for a longer time, he suspected that his soul would not have been able to enter his body when he returned.
Yi Yi’s voice sounded again as she repeatedly called out to him. It seemed that she was sobbing.
Lu Ye could also hear Amber pacing around anxiously.
Certainly, he felt sorry that he made them worried for him. He could imagine how apprehensive they must’ve been during his stay in the Lost City of Xianyuan. Judging from the situation, something must have happened to his body not long after he entered the city.
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