"I run fast," Lu Ye explained. "You're quite lucky," Chen Xiao didn't doubt anything. In his view, being able to charge in alive, Lu Ye's luck was certainly something, yet he was so unlucky to be besieged by those giant insects and suffer such severe injuries. Taking deep breaths, Chen Xiao's voice turned weak: "Lu Yiye of the Righteous Blood Sect, I've heard of you, hope you can continue to be lucky. I've requested reinforcements, but you should understand the current situation. Even with the resources of the provincial guard, it's not easy to dispatch appropriate personnel. The orders from within the pass mandate me to hold on for two hours, but I can't achieve that. Can the defense of the Jinglan Lake Pass be entrusted to you? In any case, ensure the mountain pass isn't lost within two hours!" Lu Ye wanted to comfort him a few words, but couldn't say them out loud. Chen Xiao was more aware of his injuries than anyone, and there was no need for self-deceptive words. He nodded solemnly: "I will do my utmost!" "Good!" Chen Xiao nodded: "Then it's entrusted to you!" As he finished speaking, the spirit force within him suddenly dissipated, his head slowly bowed down, and his gaze dimmed. The healing cultivator beside him was still desperately activating her spirit force to sustain his vitality, but to no avail. Chen Xiao had been holding on, entirely relying on his determination. Now that Lu Ye had arrived, although not perfect, he was still a Divine Sea Realm cultivator. After entrusting the task of guarding the Jinglan Lake Pass, he couldn't hold on any longer. "Don't waste your strength," Lu Ye spoke. The healing cultivator wiped away the tears streaming down her eyes; even though she had grown accustomed to life and death since embarking on the cultivation path, she hated her own ineptitude every time someone died before her. Many healing cultivators experience such a psychological journey. They witness life and death the most, transitioning from initially being heartbroken and frustrated, to gradually becoming indifferent and viewing life and death without sentiment, marking their growth. The assault and defense continued; on the pass's city walls, various defensive structures roared with a buzzing fury, striking powerful attacks into the invading insect swarm. Lu Ye turned his head and glanced around, meeting the eyes of many Jinglan Lake Pass cultivators, keenly sensing the low morale. The original Mountain Pass Chief, Liew Yuemei, mysteriously lost her life, causing unrest and fear. Coincidentally, the insect plague struck. A Divine Sea Realm defender had finally arrived, but ended up heavily injured, worse than death, and now passed away like Liew Yuemei. Although another Lu Ye had come, his cultivation was merely at Divine Sea Level 2... Even the Level 6 Chen Xiao had no room to exert his abilities; what could a Level 2 accomplish in such a situation? The entire Jinglan Lake Pass had lost its central leadership from the start. If not for their usual rigorous training and mutual cooperation, the mountain pass would have long been overwhelmed by such a large-scale insect plague. The prospects were bleak, low morale followed as a matter of course. If possible, breaking out and escaping wouldn't be a bad option. After all, there weren't any ordinary people living here; even if the insect race occupied the mountain pass, there wouldn't be too much subsequent loss. As long as the mountain pass soldiers survived, they could always return one day. But given the current situation, how could they break through? The insect plague encircled the entire mountain pass, and how many would survive if they truly attempted that? The best opportunity for a breakout had already passed before the insect plague enveloped the mountain pass. A bitter situation indeed, Lu Ye sighed inwardly. But ultimately, this mess had something to do with him. If Liew Yuemei were still alive, sitting here during the insect plague, the mountain pass's condition wouldn't be so dire. Regardless, Liew Yuemei did possess strength. But she just had to seek death! As their eyes met, Lu Ye slowly spoke: "Tasked with responsibility, I'm also one of the provincial guards. Since fate has brought us here, there's no room for refusal. Today, I take on the defense of the Jinglan Lake Pass, and hope everyone can join me in working together to slay the insect race and protect the mountain pass!" "Please issue the command, Sir!" a True Lake Realm cultivator cupped his fists. "Please issue the command, Sir!" the crowd shouted in unison. "None of you are children. Given the current situation, you know what needs to be done without my excessive instructions. Continue as you were before. I do not excel in mountain pass defense compared to you. I have only one order: ensure the defense line is not breached!" Many soldiers sighed in relief, fearing that Lu Ye might intervene and disrupt the pace and arrangements with reckless orders. Especially since he was so young and younger than all the True Lake Realm cultivators present, it's inevitable that some might have the blemish of being over-ambitious. Luckily, despite his youth, he possessed self-awareness. "Sir, the insect plague is aggressive. If there were no Divine Sea Realm insects, the defense of the mountain pass could still hold. But among the swarm, there are many Divine Sea Realm insects, along with huge ones..." A beefy guy with the beard spoke. This person was at True Lake Level 9, just a step away from the Divine Sea Realm, clearly with some status at the Jinglan Lake Pass. His opinion basically represented the ideas of all the mountain pass soldiers. Lu Ye glanced at him and said: "What's your name?" The beefy guy sternly replied: "Yooi Huang!" Lu Ye nodded: "The mountain pass is left to you all; as for the Divine Sea Realm insects outside..." He turned around, facing the direction of the insect plague, raised his hand and summoned an object, "I'll kill them!" When the last word fell, the spirit force surged, and the object the size of an infant's head suddenly split apart, transforming into countless fine Scale Armor fragments. Under the guidance of Lu Ye's own aura, these Scale Armor fragments seemed to have a life of their own, clinging to him. The crackling explosions sounded continuously, accompanied by an extremely violent aura. Red light burst forth, and an invisible wave of energy swept in all directions, causing those on the city wall to stand unsteadily, squinting their eyes in unison. When Yooi Huang and others looked again, they were all stunned. Because where Lu Ye originally stood, there was now a tall crimson figure that had replaced him. The figure was tall and slender, with sharp angles all over, looking vicious. Many complex and intricate patterns covered its surface, stretching from its cheeks across its entire body, forming a wildly extravagant totem with vivid, interwoven colors. The towering figure just stood there quietly, making no movements, yet emitting an endless fierce aura, as if an ancient ferocious beast imprisoned for countless years had just broken free. The invisible pressure permeated the air, making even Yooi Huang, a True Lake Level 9, sweat on his forehead. The already ferocious aura became even more violently unparalleled with the abrupt appearance of a gigantic long knife. Not far from Lu Ye, the healing cultivator who had just mended Chen Xiao's wounds let out a soft moan and retreated more than a dozen steps. "Cover armor!" Yooi Huang stared blankly at the suddenly appearing giant figure and instantly recognized what it was. In the Nine Provinces, there is a faction for cover armorers, with which he had dealings. However, the cultivators of the cover armorer faction, like those of the beast-taming faction, have always been in a rather awkward position. Their strength depends almost entirely on the constructs and demon beasts they command. Most of the time, cover armorers and beast-taming faction cultivators serve the role of pathfinders in complex and unknown environments, because even if their constructs or demon beasts are lost, it doesn't directly harm the cultivators themselves. Never had he thought there was such cover armor that simply by donning it could elevate a person's aura to such a violent degree. Is this still cover armor? Amidst his internal shock, the crimson figure already darted out, passing through the protective array's light screen and crashing violently into the dense swarm of insects at such speed that even someone at the pinnacle of the True Lake Realm like him could not see clearly, only catching sight of two crimson streams trailing from its eyes. The towering figure wielded the massive long blade, a simple slash that cleaved through the densely packed insect swarm, and then dived in. In an instant, countless lives waned. All cultivators witnessing this scene were dumbfounded, and for a moment, the defense of the mountain pass nearly paused, as the originally relentless attacks became sparse. Fortunately, the insect swarm was drawn by Lu Ye and didn't take the opportunity to attack. Otherwise, the defensive line could have been breached, resulting in many more casualties. "Don't just stand there, get moving!" Yooi Huang shouted angrily. The shocked soldiers awakened as if from a dream, quickly attending to their duties. Whether they could survive this siege by the Insect Plague, they didn't know, nor did they know if they could hold out until support arrived from the Sky Gate Checkpoint. But they knew what they had to do, especially after seeing Lu Ye charging into the insect swarm single-handedly. If someone just passing through could sacrifice themselves , how could the soldiers of Jinglan Lake Pass lag behind? If the mountain pass stands, so do they; if the pass falls, they perish. The originally low morale suddenly soared. There was no denying it; the superiors leading by example was the best way to boost morale, far more meaningful than any grand speeches in such a dire situation. Lu Ye didn't know how to manipulate people's hearts or command subordinates, as he lacked the mind for it. His choices were both driven by the circumstances and his own intention. Donning the Dragon Throne armor was perfect for such a battlefield; there was no need to deliberately seek out the enemy's location. A simple slash, a swing of the knife, and every stroke yielded results. In contrast, dueling someone like Liew Yuemei was not very suitable for the display of the Dragon Throne's potentials, which is why he didn't summon the Dragon Throne during their battle. It wasn't solely because he had already activated the Bloodstain Spirit Runes and Beast Transformation Secret Technique. After donning the Dragon Throne, his entire perspective elevated significantly. When facing a single target, it couldn't fully showcase the Dragon Throne's strengths. This piece of equipment was entirely meant for large-scale skirmishes. With the power of one, battling enemy leaders from all sides, wherever the Dragon Spine Saber fell, even Divine Sea Realm Insect Race members were fragile as paper.