Lu Ye's assault was fierce, but the hound was ultimately a big insect, with an incredibly sturdy white bone carapace on its back. Even when struck by the Boulder Mountain Saber, it merely left marks without causing fundamental damage, making it difficult to take its life for the moment. Instead, the hounds' constant lunging and biting put him in a perilous situation. Two more hounds regained their senses after being struck by the sneak attack, surrounding Lu Ye from the left and right, while the remaining two headed towards the ground fissure, searching for traces of the doppelganger. They knew that in such a battle, they must never expose their vulnerable abdomen to the enemy, so the doppelganger hidden in the ground fissure posed a threat. Helplessly, the doppelganger could only leap out from the ground fissure, accompanied by numerous sword lights, darting towards its true body. Utilizing Sword Qi and performing Words and Sword Theorem, after breaking through the interception of two hounds, it smoothly merged with the true body. In an instant, the aura of the true body and doppelganger blended, connecting their life forces, and forming an array. Ordinarily, for cultivators to form an array, they must have telepathy, be well-coordinated, and require long practice, or use the As-Close-As-Siblings Array Disc. However, for the true body and doppelganger, forming an array was extremely simple, as they were inherently one, without needing any external force. Both their auras surged, two bodies faced five hounds head-on, yet remained unfazed, with a dazzling display of saber light and sword flashes. The situation at Dark Moon Forest Pass settled completely, no longer requiring Lin Yue's involvement; what's left was cleanup. The insect swarms were foolish, only knowing to press the attack without retreat. The cultivators within the mountain pass merely needed a steady approach to completely exterminate the remaining Insect Race. She was concerned about Li Taibai's safety, so she fought her way out, searching everywhere and constantly sending transmissions, but received no response. At the same time, outside Jinglan Lake Pass, Veteran Wan's voice echoed: "I'll leave the rest to you all; I'm going to find that Lu Yiye." Using magic and spells to clear the way, rumbling through the insect swarms, heading outward. Lu Yiye had lured all the big insects away and hadn't returned yet; his situation must be unfavorable. He needed to go assist him; as for the mountain pass, it was no longer a concern. The remaining Insect Race were merely moving battle merits for the pass soldiers, left for them to handle. North and south, two major camps, two mountain passes, two figures almost simultaneously set off, heading towards the ground fissure. Moments later, Veteran Wan sensed something; intense spirit force fluctuations came from the front, evidently indicating a heated battle happening there. He immediately sped up, and soon saw the battlefield ahead. In mid-air, two figures swiftly moved back and forth, one wielded a saber with fierce saber light, and the other controlled a sword with rampant Sword Qi, one attacked from afar coordinating the battle, and the other engaged in close combat, complementing each other seamlessly. In the sky, there was a slowly rotating river of Sword Qi, continuously contracting and restricting the big insects' space to move. As Veteran Wan arrived, he witnessed the saber-wielding figure strike, swiftly exploding a hound mid-air, scattering insect blood across the sky in a visually stunning scene. Even though he had never seen it before, Veteran Wan recognized at a glance that the saber-wielding youth was Lu Yiye, because Lu Yiye was a combat cultivator who wielded a saber and always had a white tiger beast with him. This matched some of the intelligence he'd received before. He quietly sighed in admiration, no wonder he's a figure who stirred up storms in Spirit Stream Realm and Cloud River Realm. Though he kept a low profile during the True Lake Realm for a few years, he ultimately had an immensely deep foundation, being able to slay such a big insect so effortlessly. The power of such a strike couldn't possibly be unleashed by someone at Divine Sea Level 2. He was slightly puzzled about the identity of the sword cultivator—who was this person? He had neither seen nor heard of them, yet their Sword Control skill was incredibly proficient, and remarkably, they harmoniously coordinated with Lu Yiye! This kind of coordination could only occur between exceptionally close individuals or with the use of the As-Close-As-Siblings Array Disc. Thinking thus, Veteran Wan suddenly looked up into the distance, where Liu Guang rapidly approached, accompanied by the unmistakable aura of Divine Sea Level 7. Soon, a graceful figure came into Veteran Wan's sight. Simultaneously, Liew Yuemei also spotted Veteran Wan. Two individuals from north and south, charging in for support, exchanged glances momentarily, then both directed their gaze towards the fierce battlefield, each gaining clarity. Almost instinctively, they both halted their steps, standing firmly several hundred yards from the battlefield, refraining from advancing recklessly, both quietly channeling their spirit force. Read ahead and get updates at *. Veteran Wan now realized that the young sword cultivator was not a Haotian Alliance cultivator, but from Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, otherwise Lin Yue wouldn't have rushed over. In this case, it seemed Lu Yiye encountered this sword cultivator by chance and the latter had acted nobly to assist? If so, how could they coordinate so smoothly with Lu Yiye? He couldn't quite comprehend, but it did not hinder Veteran Wan from accurately assessing the current situation. These two young warriors collaborated to slay the giant insects. Although the scene appeared thrilling and dangerous, the situation was actually under control, and their lives were presumably not in danger. Whether they could annihilate the remaining insects depended on their skills. At this point, it was inappropriate for others to intervene precipitously, especially when Lin Yue was nearby. If someone rashly interfered, it would surely disrupt the collaboration of the two young warriors and easily cause misunderstanding with Lin Yue. A multitude of thoughts crossed Veteran Wan's mind, while Lin Yue was also feeling tumultuous emotions at that moment. Veteran Wan did not know Li Taibai, but she recognized Lu Yiye. Who would have thought that Lu Yiye would appear here, collaborate with Li Taibai in insect-slaying, and judging by Lu Yiye's various performances during the battle, he was clearly unyielding to Li Taibai in any way. In terms of cultivation, the two young warriors were evenly matched. In other words, if they were to duel each other, it would be hard to predict who would win or lose. Lin Yue was a bit dazed. Previously, she thought that Lu Yiye lacked momentum and had faded into obscurity. She believed the Nine Provinces would soon be a place where Li Taibai made his name. But now it seemed that things were not as she imagined; Lu Yiye was still the same Lu Yiye, still dazzlingly radiant. Veteran Wan's thoughts were hers as well, so they both stopped outside the battlefield in unison. "Fellow Daoist Lin, it's been a while." Veteran Wan's audio transmission through Mental Consciousness reached her ears. Though they weren't particularly familiar, they had met a few times, so they recognized each other. "Fellow Daoist Wan," Lin Yue responded. "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Lin. Such a talent among your ranks. What's the young man's name? Where does he come from?" Lin Yue frowned, not wanting to reveal Li Taibai's background. But on second thought, a figure like Li Taibai was destined to become famous in the Nine Provinces, and it was impossible to hide him, unless he was never allowed to appear in public. She then straightforwardly said, "Li Taibai. As for his origin, he's merely an independent cultivator and not from any prestigious sect." "An independent cultivator!" Veteran Wan was surprised. He originally thought that the young sword cultivator was secretly nurtured by a top sect from Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, yet he turned out to be an independent cultivator? He didn't believe Lin Yue would deceive him on such matters, so if she said Li Taibai was an independent cultivator, he undoubtedly was. Though independent cultivation isn't easy, it doesn't mean they can't achieve great accomplishments. In the history of the Nine Provinces, some top experts have been independent cultivators, and these people often receive great opportunities and mystical inheritances. So even if they weren't from prestigious sects, their backgrounds were still remarkable. "Today's young people truly are extraordinary," Veteran Wan sighed. "These two collaborate well. In my opinion, we need not interrupt, just monitor the formation. How does Fellow Daoist Lin feel about this?" Even with mutual understanding, it's better to clarify some matters. A few years ago, faced with such a situation, the two would certainly not have thought this way and would have charged into the battle, dealing with the emerging talents first. But now, with the insect plague sweeping the Nine Provinces, both major camps have tacitly paused their conflicts, and even cultivators meeting in the wild sometimes collaborate sincerely. With such awareness among the lower-level cultivators, how could these two at the Divine Sea Realm not have it? Lin Yue nodded in agreement, "I was thinking the same!" With the two monitoring the formation, even if Lu Yiye and Li Taibai didn't achieve complete success, the remaining giant insects wouldn't escape. Once the discussion was settled, both turned their gazes to the battlefield, only to witness another surprise. Because in just a brief moment, another giant insect was slain through the combined efforts of the two young warriors. This time, Li Taibai acted decisively. His nimble flying sword pierced through the insect's abdomen, exited through its mouth, stirring up a rain of insect blood. Of the five giant insects, only three remained, and the balance of power shifted, leaving little suspense in this battle. Lin Yue and Veteran Wan were increasingly filled with sighs and amazement. Neither Lu Yiye nor Li Taibai exhibited the level of power typical for cultivators at their realm. If it were ordinary cultivators at Divine Sea Level 2 faced with this situation, they would have perished long ago. Yet, these two could successfully slay giant insects one after another, particularly with their cooperation, which was genuinely delightful to watch—decisive and straightforward, without any hesitation. Such collaboration was rarely witnessed by Veteran Wan or Lin Yue. A dozen breaths later, Lu Yiye initiated the attack, striking through the air with his saber towards one giant insect. In an instant, the sharp saber light slashed, carving a deep fissure into the insect's back without taking its life. Instead, he withdrew, facing another approaching insect. As Lu Yiye withdrew his saber, the sky suddenly gathered countless sword lights, transforming into a remarkable sword slash that precisely struck into the injured insect's back fissure. The thick white bone carapace was cleaved by the saber, then slashed by the sword, no longer able to sustain itself, it split apart. Without this layer of protection, the insect's body cracked open. "Excellent!" Veteran Wan couldn't help but exclaim. Such seamless cooperation was also a visual feast for the spectators.