Translator: Jon Editor : Dhael Ligerkeys In the cultivation world of Jiu Zhou, even though Contribution Points and battle points were only shown as numbers on the cultivators’ Battlefield Imprints, they could be traded for tangible resources. Both of them were equally important to the cultivators. Contribution Points could be earned in three ways: killing enemies, selling stuff to the Vault of Providence, and when the Legates of the Outposts distributed the points while they were on the Spirit Creek Battlefield. There were no other ways. On the other hand, other than killing enemies in some special places, the sources of battle points were diversified. For example, when Lu Ye was in the Myriad Beast Domain back then, he didn’t earn a lot of battle points by killing enemies. However, after he led Pang Da Hai and the others to solve the biggest crisis of the Domain, he obtained a large number of battle points. Therefore, apart from killing enemies, one could also earn battle points by completing some specific tasks, and the points earned this way were more than what one would get by destroying enemies. In comparison, battle points were undoubtedly more important as they could be directly traded for Amulets while Contribution Points couldn’t. One could only trade Contribution Points for Amulets by taking part in auctions. That was the reason Cloud River Realm Masters loved looking for Hidden Realms on the Cloud River Battlefield and partaking in the tasks. The Spirit Creek Battlefield had a lot of inheritances while the Cloud River Battlefield had many Hidden Realms. The former could help the cultivators build solid foundations while the latter could help the cultivators grow in power rapidly. That way, powerful cultivators would continuously be produced in the cultivation world of Jiu Zhou over the generations. Ever since Lu Ye stepped into the Cloud River Battlefield, he had only ventured into the Myriad Beast Domain before. First of all, it had only been a short time since he arrived at this battlefield. Secondly, he hadn’t been to many places, and some Hidden Realms would only open up during specific times. Nonetheless, that didn’t mean there were few Hidden Realms on this battlefield. If one was intent on finding Hidden Realms, every cultivator could experience it once every month. Many of the Hidden Realms had battle points that were to be earned. That way, the cultivators could acquire battle points in the Hidden Realms by completing tasks and then trade them for Amulets. Although it was difficult and dangerous, it was better than waiting for the Heavens to grant them Amulets or cultivating in low-quality Arcane Glades. Lu Ye had previously obtained a lot of battle points in the Myriad Beast Domain. After he traded them for Amulets, he only had 56 points left, and there hadn’t been an increase since then. Now, his battle points had increased to 576. In other words, he had earned 520 points. The amount could be traded for two to three White Amulets. Lu Ye instantly realized that he had obtained battle points instead of Contribution Points after killing the insectoids. This came as a surprise to him. In comparison, battle points were undoubtedly more useful, and he wasn’t lacking Contribution Points. After some calculations, he realized the battle points he had acquired correlated to the power of those insectoids. This was similar to how one earned Contribution Points. For example, if Lu Ye killed a Fifth-Order Cloud River Realm Master, he would get 40 Contribution Points. Similarly, if he destroyed an insectoid that was equivalent to a Fifth-Order Master, he would acquire 40 battle points. That was why he had earned 520 battle points by eliminating more than ten insectoids that were equivalent to Cloud River Realm Masters. While he was exultant, he became even more vigilant. Anything that had something to do with battle points must be complicated. The cultivators on the Cloud River Battlefield had concluded that the Hidden Realms with battle points were more perilous than those without. Although Lu Ye had entered the Rift of Illusions this time instead of a Hidden Realm, all the clues showed him that this wasn’t a benign place. Even though he was as powerful as a Real Lake Realm Master now, he might not be able to keep himself safe. He pushed the thoughts aside and kept his guard up. The second floor was covered with the insectoids’ broken carcasses. The floor had been dyed green with their blood, and a pungent smell permeated the air. Since there was a bed, it was supposed to be a resting place. However, just like the first floor, there was no one in sight, and the thickness of the dust showed that it had been vacant for a long time. Although it was only natural to come across insectoids in the Rift of Illusions, Lu Ye still had no idea where he was. The second floor wasn’t spacious, so he could see everything with a glance. There was a wooden window that was wide open, so the insectoids must have entered the room through the window. Just as Lu Ye was ready to close the window, a thud was heard all of a sudden, and the room turned dim. There was a large figure at the window as its rectangular head stuck out, and its grayish-green compound eyes reflected Lu Ye’s figure. There came another mantis, and Lu Ye felt that this one was more dangerous than the ones he had just killed. It could be a coincidence or the battle had attracted this insectoid’s attention. The moment the mantis caught sight of Lu Ye, it barged into the room and wielded the blades on its front legs, looking like a Combat Cultivator who was adept at using blades. A storm of bloodlust swirled up in this cramped room. Lu Ye lifted his Inviolable Saber, and as a Saber Light flickered, he got into a fight with this mantis. The clangs of weapons were continuously heard, and the fluctuations of Spiritual Powers turned the room into a mess. Having acquired the power of Real Lake Realm all of a sudden, Lu Ye was still unfamiliar with it. After all, he was only a Fifth-Order Cloud River Realm Master. So, before he could adapt to it, he couldn’t fully activate his power. Just as he had expected, the mantis that came out of nowhere was more powerful than the ones he had just destroyed. At the very least, its blades were solid enough to fend off Inviolable Saber. Lu Ye came to the realization that this must be a mantis in the Real Lake Realm. He was curious about how many battle points he would obtain if he managed to kill this insectoid. Would the calculations be based on his current power in the Real Lake Realm or his cultivation as a Fifth-Order Cloud River Realm Master? If it was the latter, this mantis would bring him immense benefits. In the calculation of Contribution Points, a Real Lake Realm Master would get 100 points as a base, and for every increase in Minor Realm, another 100 points would be added. In other words, a First-Order Real Lake Realm Master would get 100 points, a Second-Order Master would get 200 points, and it would be 900 points for a Ninth-Order Master. If a Fifth-Order Cloud River Realm Master killed a First-Order Real Lake Realm Master, there was a difference of five Minor Realms, and he would get six times more than the base, which was 600 points. It was the same case for battle points. Six hundred battle points could be traded for a Green Amulet. The calculations were based on the assumption that the insectoid was as powerful as a First-Order Real Lake Realm Master, but the one before Lu Ye’s eyes was surely more formidable. The mightier the insectoid was, the more benefits he could get after killing it, and the increase was exponential. These ideas only stayed in Lu Ye’s mind for a short moment before he cast them away. He moved around agilely in the room and warded off the other party’s storm of attacks. The exchange of moves in this cramped space allowed him to rapidly grasp his current power. When the mantis lifted its front legs, Lu Ye seized the chance and blessed himself with Windwalk. The next moment, he moved across three meters in the blink of an eye. As a glint radiated from the Inviolable Saber, some abstruse patterns appeared on the dark blade. The weapon was now blessed with Sharp Edge. T/N: The author changes it to 锋锐 in Chapter 648, so I’m sticking to Sharp Edge. The mantis brought down its blade, trying to jab it into Lu Ye’s back, but it missed its target. The next moment, the Inviolable Saber penetrated the mantis’ chest with a clunk. As Burster was activated, the insectoid shuddered and hissed. When Lu Ye saw the mantis trying to attack him with another blade, he retracted his Inviolable Saber, bringing out green and acrid blood as it splashed onto the floor. The badly injured mantis staggered and instinctively wielded both of its blades on the front legs. With a boom, the walls of the second floor shattered, and the broken pieces of wood fell from the ceiling as dust swirled up. When the dust eventually settled, the mantis already had no more vitality left. However, Lu Ye wasn’t in the mood to find out how many battle points he had gained. Instead, he stared fixedly at the distant sky, which seemed to have split as there was a huge crack. There seemed to be another world hidden behind the crack. At this moment, a staggering number of insectoids were streaming out from the crack, pouring down onto this world like rain. The insectoids came in different forms and shapes. Lu Ye had seen many of them in the Rift of Illusions before, but there were also those he had never come into contact with. Like cats that caught a whiff of a fishy smell, they left an unknown space and arrived at this place. Lu Ye didn’t observe them for a long time. He merely took a glance and looked away. As shock and puzzlement riddled his heart, he sported a solemn expression. He had been staying in the house earlier, so he had no idea what was going on outside. Nonetheless, after he fought the mantis in the Real Lake Realm and caused the walls of the second floor to shatter, the situation outside came into his sight. For as far as he could see, there was a street that was lined with buildings that looked familiar to him. Many houses had collapsed, and in the ruins of that street, countless insectoids of different forms were seen squirming and moving around. The noise over here must have alerted those insectoids as they also looked at Lu Ye the moment he set his eyes on them. Wings were soon heard fluttering as those insectoids rose into the sky. There were also some insectoids that looked like hounds but were covered in the carapace. They had a long tail behind them, and their teeth were pointed. Presently, they were charging towards Lu Ye at an incredible speed. At that moment, Lu Ye knew he was in danger. When he appeared in the house in the beginning, he thought the place was safe. It wasn’t until he reached the second floor that he realized there was danger hidden beneath the safety. Now, he could finally see the truth. The safety he had imagined wasn’t existent in the first place. The house was surrounded by all sorts of insectoids. He didn’t notice them at first because those insectoids were quiet. Also, he appeared in this place as an apparition and also a form of reflection, so his perception hadn’t been restored yet. That was why he was oblivious to the insectoids on the second floor and outside the house.