The blood-red light receded, all absorbed into his body, and Lu Ye slowly opened his eyes. He happily sensed the changes within himself. Although his cultivation only progressed by a small level, his actual strength increased more than just that. Of course, to see how much it has truly improved, he'd need to fight someone and test it, preferably in a life-and-death battle. But for now, there was no such opportunity. Getting up and heading to the side, he soon arrived at the entrance to the underground passage and continued forward. Not long after, he saw a figure standing there quietly. It was Nian Yuexian, who had been guarding him here all along. Lu Ye solemnly bowed, "Thank you, Senior Sister, for your protection." Nian Yuexian glanced him over. Although the passage was dim, to a cultivator of the Divine Sea Realm, such dim lighting didn't affect observation. "Reached Level 5, have you?" Nian Yuexian was slightly surprised, but on second thought, Lu Ye's speed in cultivation had always been this fast. "The vitality of the Insect Matriarch is immense, hence some gains were made." Nian Yuexian scrutinized him further, feeling that Lu Ye's changes went beyond mere advancement in cultivation because at this moment, she actually sensed a hint of pressure from him. As a Ghost Cultivator, she has keen sensitivity. With this feeling, it's likely accurate. In other words, Lu Ye might now have the capacity to fight her! This left Nian Yuexian somewhat in a daze. When she first met Lu Ye, he hadn't even reached the True Lake Realm. In such a short time, he had become comparable to her. This speed is far more terrifying than that person's back then. The Righteous Blood Sect seems to produce some freaks. Amazed in her heart, she didn't show it on her face and beckoned, "Let's go." The two moved forward one after another. Nian Yuexian wasn't one to enjoy conversations, and Lu Ye, with things on his mind, remained a little quiet along the way. He was contemplating whether to inform this Senior Sister Nian about the matter concerning his senior brother. Now that the insect disaster was resolved, what he had to face next was awaiting the call from Heaven's Augury to head to the Blood Refinement World to safeguard the Righteous Blood Sacred Land. The side of Mount Tai had already been arranged; at that time, he could surely gather some manpower, but he couldn't solely rely on Mount Tai. He also had to consider other methods. Nian Yuexian and the sect master would undoubtedly be excellent help; their strength was evident. The sect master was already aware of the Blood Refinement World situation, but Nian Yuexian wasn't, so it was necessary to give her a heads-up in advance. Moreover, Nian Yuexian and Mount Tai were both his senior brother's right-hand partners in the past, highly revered by their senior brother. Lu Ye believed that as long as he truthfully informed her, this Senior Sister Nian wouldn't miss the battle in the Blood Refinement World. Having made up his mind, just as he was about to speak, Lu Ye suddenly frowned. In the depths of his soul, some mystical senses emerged within him. Nian Yuexian, who was leading the way, sensed it and looked back with concern, "What's wrong? Did something go wrong with your previous cultivation?" Lu Ye shook his head, "No!" Nian Yuexian earnestly said, "Your cultivation is advancing too quickly; if there's a problem, don't hide it." Lu Ye replied, "There really isn't a problem, just... let's get to the top first." Seeing him , Nian Yuexian said no more and sped up considerably. The further they ascended, the more apparent Lu Ye's sensations became. He vaguely sensed the reason but still needed to confirm it with his own eyes. After a bit, the two burst out of the insect hive. At that moment, the night was deep. Lu Ye rose into the air, stood mid-air, and gazed at a particular section of the starry sky. In that piece of stellar space, one star was exceptionally bright. Compared to two months ago, its change was more than significant, and it seemed to have grown larger. This was Lu Ye's fourth time observing this star. The first unintentional discovery was due to a debate between two cultivators stationed at Jinglan Lake Pass. One noticed the change in this part of the sky — originally 17 stars, an extra appeared. At the time, Lu Ye didn't pay it any mind, for besides some bored cultivators, who would notice changes in one star among countless others? The next two observations were also unintentional; each time, that star grew brighter, but Lu Ye didn't think much of it. Until this time, among the Myriad Stars, it was the brightest! Lu Ye came to an understanding: it's not a star but an entire continent. That is the Blood Refinement World! Because he had once refined a drop of Sacred Blood from the Blood River within the Blood Refinement World, theoretically, he had some connection with it. It was just that previously the distance was too far, coupled with his insufficient proficiency in the Blood Path, making it difficult to sense the existence of the Blood Refinement World. But now, the Blood Refinement World is continuously approaching the Nine Provinces, getting closer and closer. With two months of refining, Lu Ye's proficiency in the Blood Path has significantly improved, turning this layer of perception into reality. The Blood Refinement World has actually arrived, and at precisely this time! In an instant, numerous thoughts surged in Lu Ye's mind, things he couldn't figure out before suddenly became clear, and matters that troubled and distressed him vanished without a trace. Not to mention, ever since the return from the Blood Refinement World, he had been pondering a question, which was when Heaven's Augury would send him back to the Blood Refinement World and how many people he could take with him. This question determined whom he had to ally with and whether he should use the tokens bestowed by the elders. But now, it seems that his worries were unnecessary; everything is under the control of Heaven's Augury. When the two domains are close enough, the Nine Provinces cultivators can directly enter the Blood Refinement World using the Heaven's Augury Pillar, without him having to exert effort in gathering manpower. At that time, the scenario will surely be the entire Nine Provinces supporting the Blood Refinement World. Also, this precise time point, right after the Nine Provinces cultivation world resolved the Worm Disaster, seems too coincidental. It's not just this that's coincidental; before, he and the sect master also realized many coincidental things, but it was difficult to delve too deep. Now it appears that the Nine Provinces' Worm Disaster seems to be just a rehearsal for larger-scale warfare! On the whole, the counterattack against the Insect Race's Great Secret Realm did not encounter much difficulty, even the final battle became uneventful because of Lu Ye's involvement. But the appearance of the Nine Provinces Worm Disaster led to the most direct result. Which was the comprehensive alliance and cooperation of the two camps that have been at odds for thousands of years! Having had this experience before, and with the remnants of this alliance and cooperation, if another cataclysm befalls that is about to sweep across the Nine Provinces, the two camps will be far more experienced and able to quickly integrate their strength, unlike the previous sluggishness. Based on this result, looking back, the emergence of the Worm Disaster might not be a sudden natural disaster but perhaps intentionally caused by some consciousness. If it weren't for this Worm Disaster, the two camps would still be at odds, and when a disaster greater than the Worm Disaster descends, even if they hastily cooperate, it might be too late. Only a calamity such as the Worm Disaster, which swept across the entire Nine Provinces, could force the two camps to put aside their mutual enmity and turn to cooperation, putting it into action. Of course, many losses inevitably occurred during this process, but to cure a chronic illness, strong medicine is required. From the result, the current situation in the Nine Provinces is entirely qualified to face a calamity greater than the Worm Disaster. The timeline also aligns with Lu Ye's speculation. First, he was sent by Heaven's Augury to the Blood Refinement World, where he witnessed various events and personally participated in the defense of the Righteous Blood Sacred Land. Simultaneously, the Worm Disaster erupted in the Nine Provinces domain, the Great Secret Realm of the Insect Race opened, and nine portals led to the Nine Provincial States. When he returned from the Blood Refinement World to the Nine Provinces, he brought back the As-Close-As-Siblings Array Disc, investigated the situation in the Insect Race's Great Secret Realm, and also obtained the method of refining from Mount Tai, bringing the counterattack swiftly onto the daily agenda and into action. And now, he clearly felt the approach of the Blood Refinement World! From beginning to end, there has been an invisible force driving the development of events. One could even say, Mount Tai giving him the method of refining insect blood, wasn't it also a hint in the unseen? Mount Tai himself might not have realized this. When Lu Ye initially sought him out, it wasn't for the method of refining insect blood, but to confront him and inform him about the senior brother and the Blood Refinement World, to win over his support and prevent him from causing trouble in secret, but in the end, he fortunately acquired something crucial to the counterattack against the Insect Race's Great Secret Realm. A fortunate coincidence... is also a hint in the unseen. The many clues seem chaotic, but if one personally experienced it all, one could clearly perceive things others cannot detect. "What's wrong?" Nian Yuexian looked at Lu Ye in confusion, unable to understand why he was staring at the stellar space with such a solemn expression. "What can you see, Senior Sister?" Although Nian Yuexian's cultivation surpassed Lu Ye's, her Ocular Power was also limited; she could not see as far, and naturally did not know what those bright stars represented. Lu Ye couldn't see either, but he could feel it. The Blood Refinement World should still be quite far from the Nine Provinces, but as time passes, it will inevitably get closer and when that happens, there will surely be a large-scale collision between the two domains. Lu Ye is very clear about how powerful the foundation of the Blood Refinement World is; purely in terms of cultivators, it likely has a deeper foundation than the Nine Provinces, as the Blood Race is vast in number and cultivation is simpler compared to the human race. The Blood Refinement World also has many Sacred Seeds, each with unfathomable strength. Right now, not many in the Nine Provinces can contend against a Sacred Seed. But if the strength of the Nine Provinces and the Righteous Blood Sacred Land are integrated, then their strength should be more evenly matched. The number of cultivators in the Righteous Blood Sacred Land is indeed not much, but those senior experts whose cultivation is in the Transformation Realm are not to be underestimated. The accumulated experience and wisdom over the years have given almost each of them strength comparable to a Sacred Seed. Moreover, in the confrontation of the two domains, the battlefield must never be in the Nine Provinces; otherwise, it will be catastrophic for the Nine Provinces. Having already suffered through years of the Worm Disaster, it needs time to recuperate; should such a calamity happen again, there would likely be no liveable place for the mundane people of the Nine Provinces.