The vast region of Mount Ao, once lush with greenery and dense with forests, now lies barren except for the spirit mountaintops where the foundational sites of the Righteous Blood Sect and Ziwei Dao Palace are located. All other areas have become desolate mountains. The traces of the Insect Race's rampage are not something that can be repaired in a short time. At present, there are only seven or eight spirit mountaintops of the Righteous Blood Sect that remain unchanged. These mountaintops are within the triangular area encompassed by the sect's most important Righteous Peak, the Bright Heart Peak where Master Yun Xuechu resides, and Lu Ye's Emerald Bamboo Peak. The foundation of the sect in this area is ultimately still too weak. When the insect infestation struck, even with the assistance of manpower from Ziwei Dao Palace, they could not protect too large a territory, and some insignificant places had to be abandoned. Lu Ye had returned to the Righteous Blood Sect yesterday, first meeting the Second Senior Sister, then eagerly paying respects to his master, listening to teachings under the master's guidance, and only then returning to Emerald Bamboo Peak. He had a wonderful sleep! At his current level of cultivation, he no longer needs deliberate sleep. Even if exhausted, simply resting with closed eyes would suffice for recovery. Yet, as a human, it's not easy to abandon many habits ingrained in one's bones. Since he was conscripted to the Justice Department several years ago, he's been running around endlessly. First, handling various tasks, then sent to the Blood Refinement World, and upon returning to the Nine Provinces, dealing with the insect infestation. It wouldn't be long before he might have to return to the Blood Refinement World. On the eve of this impending great battle, stealing half a day's leisure is not too bad. Amber slept on his chest, while Yiyi was nowhere to be found, but likely she was with the Second Senior Sister. Raising a hand to lift Amber, Lu Ye stepped out of the bamboo building, stretched lazily, his gaze unfocused in a direction, his thoughts drifting aimlessly. After a while, Lu Ye suddenly snapped back to reality, raised his hand to gently pat his cheeks, and softly called out, "Number Nine!" "I'm here!" An ethereal voice immediately responded by his ear. "The spiritual energy within the Nine Provinces is under your control, isn't it?" Lu Ye asked. The Heaven's Augury Compass overshadows the Nine Provinces, meaning everything within it is under its control. It's due to the Heaven's Augury Compass that there are battlefield markings for cultivators, storing so much information, and even the merits and battle accomplishments for slaying enemies are instantly updated. Lu Ye used to not understand the mysteries of battlefield markings, but once he grasped the truth of Heaven's Augury, how could he not know? This was clearly Number Nine's handiwork. The control of spiritual energy follows the same principle. "So, does this mean the relatively sparse spiritual energy in the Nine Provinces is intentional on your part?" Although both the Nine Provinces and the Blood Refinement World are large realms, there is a fundamental difference: the distribution of spiritual energy. In the Blood Refinement World, the spiritual energy is significantly denser. Locations with Grotto Heaven Blessed Lands also gather much more spiritual energy compared to ordinary locations. But the Nine Provinces are different; the local spiritual energy has always been relatively sparse. Even the Soaring Dragon World, which Lu Ye once visited, surpasses the Nine Provinces in terms of spiritual energy density. This is why lower-level cultivators cluster in the Spirit Stream battlefield and the Cloud River battlefield, as these places provide the spiritual energy cultivators need. For those who reached the True Lake Realm, cultivation no longer requires the environment, as they adopt a method of Borrowing Heaven's Augury. As long as there is enough merit, a passage for spiritual energy can be opened. This is clearly abnormal, an external force interferes. It's hard to say if the current state of the Nine Provinces is beneficial or detrimental, but cultivators have grown accustomed to such cultivation methods, passing it down generation after generation. "If you need to cultivate, you must follow the rules. Before you refine me, I can't provide direct benefits," Number Nine apparently misunderstood something, thinking Lu Ye was asking for special treatment. "I have no need," Lu Ye shook his head, satisfied with his current cultivation speed. Should he choose, his cultivation could rapidly advance. In terms of efficiency, no one in the ancient history of the Nine Provinces can compare to him, "The Nine Provinces need it." "How so?" Number Nine voiced its confusion. "The Nine Provinces are currently barren and need to recover their vital energy quickly. With more spiritual energy, the recovery would be faster, so I ask you to supplement more spiritual energy within the Nine Provinces." Number Nine realized, "As you wish!" Upon its words, Lu Ye distinctly felt a tremor beneath his feet, immediately followed by a surge of abundant spiritual energy emerging from an unknown place, spreading across the region of Mount Ao. Simultaneously, the entire Nine Provinces experienced similar changes, causing many cultivators' faces to change drastically. Because the last time such a large-scale upheaval occurred, numerous ground fissures appeared across the Nine Provinces' land, quickly followed by the insect disaster that ravaged the Nine Provinces for years. Thus, when cultivators once again sensed such a disturbance, they couldn't help but feel an ominous premonition, as no one knew what was about to happen. But soon, the cultivators noticed that as the disturbance spread, the concentration of spiritual energy in the Nine Provinces was continuously increasing. No one knew what this was all about, but for the human race of the Nine Provinces, it was definitely a good thing. The increase in the concentration of spiritual energy greatly aided the recovery of vital energy in the Nine Provinces, and even shortened the crop-growing cycles for ordinary people, allowing them to plant the necessary crops for sustenance more quickly. On Emerald Bamboo Peak, Lu Ye quietly sensed the changes, feeling somewhat sentimental. He never thought that one day, with just a few words, he could trigger changes throughout the Nine Provinces. Although it was Number Nine who accomplished all this, he had played a significant role in advancing it. Number Nine, after all, was merely an artifact spirit. Even if it had existed for thousands of years, its logic wasn't as meticulous as that of the human race. It must have realized this, which might be why it sought out Lu Ye to join hands and collaborate. In just over two hours, the concentration of spiritual energy throughout the Nine Provinces had more than doubled, and the disturbance gradually dissipated. Lu Ye leaped up and headed towards Righteous Peak. There were cultivators coming and going on Mount Ao, who were from the Righteous Blood Sect. In the past, whenever Lu Ye returned, only the sect master, Second Senior Sister, and Master Yun Xuechu would be in the sect headquarters. Due to cultivation reasons, disciples were usually concentrated on the Spirit Stream battlefield and the Cloud River battlefield. But this time, upon returning, he clearly felt that the sect headquarters had become lively, and he saw many long-lost faces. Ruan Lingyu, who once traveled together with Hua Ci, Kong Niu, and the first disciple he met under the Righteous Blood Sect, Chen Yu, He Xiying, and after him and Hua Ci, the Governor of the Spirit Stream battlefield, Guk Yang, Luo Qisheng... Even after several years without seeing them, Lu Ye could recognize them at a glance. All of them were at Cloud River Realm cultivation, and most were above Level 7, with the highest cultivation being Chen Yu, who now was at Cloud River Level 9, just a step away from advancing to True Lake. Compared to Lu Ye, their cultivation speed was slow. Even compared to Hua Ci, they lagged behind a lot. But this is the normal cultivation speed for ordinary cultivators. Lu Ye's exceptional cultivation efficiency was due to the Talent Tree, and Hua Ci benefitted from her unique inheritance. Such excellent opportunities are not something that just anyone can encounter. Lu Ye had exchanged battlefield markings with Governors from many sects on the Spirit Stream battlefield, but today, how many could match his cultivation pace? Only Fourth Senior Brother and Feng Yuechan could barely keep up... Yet it is precisely because of these numerous ordinary cultivators that the cultivation world of the Nine Provinces has a solid foundation, bridging the generations, passing on the legacy. Some familiar names and faces are gone forever, but that's how cultivation is, always fraught with dangers. According to Second Senior Sister, among the current generation of disciples, there are still quite a few with extraordinary talent and promising futures, especially one disciple named Thang Jian, who joined the Righteous Blood Sect with Lu. Now, he has only reached the Spirit Stream Realm, but he has already advanced to Cloud River. His cultivation speed seems even a bit faster than Lu Ye's was back then, likely advancing to True Lake within a few years. His talent and aptitude would be considered top-notch across the entire Nine Provinces, and he is certainly worth nurturing. Lu Ye hadn't seen this junior brother because, after solving the insect disaster problem, he returned to cultivat on the Cloud River battlefield. After finding Second Senior Sister on Righteous Peak and getting a meal, Lu Ye felt nostalgic. When his cultivation was low, Second Senior Sister often found ways to cook medicinal meals for him. Now, with his high cultivation and constant travel, such treats are rare. Eating and sleeping are habits not easily forsaken. Second Senior Sister asked many questions about the Blood Refinement World, and Lu Ye answered them all one by one. Seeing her expression, it was clear she also wanted to participate in the expedition to the Blood Refinement World. Lu Ye understood. After all, Eldest Senior Brother was there, and Second Senior Sister wanted to contribute her efforts, especially as she was a rare Divine Sea Realm healing cultivator. If they did venture into Blood Refinement World, Bingzhou would definitely want to name her for the expedition, so this was something she couldn't avoid. Having her there might save many lives in critical moments. Lu Ye didn't stay long on Righteous Peak. After eating his fill, he wiped his mouth and returned to Emerald Bamboo Peak. No reason other than Qian Wudang sending a message, asking him to refine as many As-Close-As-Siblings Array Discs as possible. During the counterattack against the Insect Race's Great Secret Realm, there were enough array discs for use since only cultivators above the True Lake Realm level participated in that war. There were not only enough, but there were also many extras. But the situation during the expedition to the Blood Refinement World will be different. Even Cloud River cultivators will need to participate, increasing the demand for the As-Close-As-Siblings Array Discs. So for the current Nine Provinces, the more of these, the better. Just the problem being, Lu Ye was the only one who could refine these, which naturally left him with no choice but to take on the responsibility.