Chapter 66: Nine Star Sect and Xuanmen

Zhang Wu, a cultivator at the Spirit Creek Fourth Level, possessed far more combat experience than Lu Ye. With his dual blades, he wove a dazzling display. Just as Lu Ye raised his long saber to block an attack, Zhang Wu's other hand thrust a scimitar diagonally, moving with extreme speed.

At this moment, drawing his saber to block again was clearly too late. Just as Zhang Wu thought he had gained the upper hand, a triangular, miniature shield-like object suddenly appeared on Lu Ye's body.

With a 'ding,' the scimitar struck the Guardian Spirit Pattern, deflecting the fierce blow.

Lu Ye seized the opportunity, shifting his weight and sidestepping, then delivered a diagonal slash with his long saber!

The sharp blade carved a long gash on Zhang Wu's arm, exposing raw flesh.

Big Tiger also seized the moment to pounce, its roar shaking the heavens. Yiyi's figure, like a ghost, flickered around, diverting Zhang Wu's attention.

It was three against one!

Moments later, Lu Ye, breathing heavily, thrust his long saber through Zhang Wu's chest once more, this time piercing his heart. Zhang Wu's head drooped, lifeless, his hands falling to his sides, and his weapon clattered to the ground.

This arduous battle finally concluded with Lu Ye's victory.

However, he paid a considerable price. Not only was his spirit energy largely depleted, but he also sustained four bone-deep wounds. Blood had almost completely soaked his clothes, and the air around him was thick with the scent of it.

While the Guardian Spirit Pattern could indeed block enemy attacks, there were several instances where Lu Ye simply couldn't activate it in time; his opponent's strikes were too swift. This disparity stemmed from differences in cultivation realm and combat experience. Fortunately, none of his injuries were to vital areas.

To defeat a Fourth Level cultivator while only at the Spirit Creek Second Level, even after inflicting severe damage and gaining a significant initial advantage, still cost him such a heavy price. This made Lu Ye deeply aware of his own deficiencies.

Not only was Lu Ye significantly injured, but Big Tiger and Yiyi were also far from unscathed. Half of Big Tiger's body was stained blood-red, and Yiyi's form appeared much dimmer.

After quickly clearing the battlefield, collecting the storage bags from the fallen and even the young master's Mysterious Spirit Bell, Lu Ye swung onto Big Tiger's back and urged quietly, "Go quickly!"

Big Tiger bounded forward, racing towards Rift Canyon.

Halfway there, Lu Ye's vision blurred, and his body was on the verge of collapse from exhaustion. He felt he couldn't hold on much longer and barely managed to instruct Yiyi and Big Tiger: "If you come to a fork in the road, don't wander aimlessly. Find a place to hide. We'll discuss everything else once I wake up."

Before Yiyi could react, Lu Ye swayed, nearly falling from Big Tiger's back. She quickly moved to support him.

Less than half an hour after Big Tiger carried Lu Ye away, a figure suddenly appeared on the former battlefield. The person surveyed the lingering traces of the fight, then looked up and called out, "Found them!"

In an instant, two more figures swept in from nearby.

The three of them surveyed the chaotic battlefield, realizing at once that something terrible had happened.

"What should we do?"

"We should inform Senior Brother Cao Ye."

One of them said, sighing, then activated his war imprint to send out a message.

After waiting a moment longer, a burly figure descended, radiating intense spiritual light. His aura was even more formidable than that of the Spirit Creek Fifth Level cultivators Lu Ye had encountered previously.

"Senior Brother Cao!" The three cultivators bowed.

Cao Ye stepped forward, examining the bodies of his four fellow disciples, his expression growing progressively grim.

Based on the remnants on the battlefield, Junior Brother Sun had his neck severed, bleeding to death swiftly. Junior Sister Yuan was decapitated. The young master had wounds on his thigh, shoulder blade, and neck, a severed arm, and a fatal chest wound. As for Zhang Wu, he bore numerous injuries, clearly having endured a prolonged battle, with a fatal wound also to his heart.

"Worthless!" Cao Ye cursed, gritting his teeth.

He truly couldn't fathom how the young master, protected by the Mysterious Spirit Bell, could have died! The Mysterious Spirit Bell, though only a low-grade spirit artifact, possessed formidable defensive capabilities. When activated in danger, it could even withstand a Spirit Creek Seventh Level cultivator for a brief period, and anyone below that realm wouldn't be able to breach its defense quickly.

And in this outermost region of the battlefield, not to mention Spirit Creek Seventh Level cultivators, even Sixth Level ones were rarely seen. Cultivators of the Spirit Creek Sixth or Seventh Level were dominant forces here; they typically remained at their sect's strongholds and did not venture out easily. He himself wouldn't have come here this time if not for Zhang Wu's distress call.

With the Mysterious Spirit Bell for protection and Zhang Wu, a Fourth Level cultivator, accompanying him, this was precisely why he and Dong Shuye felt secure allowing the young master to wander outside.

Moreover, this location was well within the Nine Star Sect's stronghold's sphere of influence...

Yet, the young master had been killed right on their sect's own grounds!

How could he explain this to the Sect Master? Nine Star Sect's prestige had been utterly lost in a single day. Cao Ye could almost envision the absolute fury of the elders within the sect once this news reached them.

"Send a message back immediately. Block off a hundred-mile radius. Search for a young man accompanied by a white tiger, approximately at the Spirit Creek Third or Fourth Level of cultivation. He uses blade-type spirit artifacts. His faction or origin doesn't matter. A reward of thirty spirit stones for any clues, five hundred spirit stones for killing him, and one thousand spirit stones for capturing him!" Cao Ye's voice rang out, deep and resolute.

The three cultivators' expressions brightened, and they promptly acknowledged the order.

Although Zhang Wu's dying message was a simple one—"youth with a white tiger, Spirit Creek Second Level"—Cao Ye had clearly deduced more.

Zhang Wu had engaged in a fierce battle with the perpetrator before being killed. Therefore, Cao Ye inferred that the opponent's cultivation was not merely at the Spirit Creek Second Level, but more likely at the Third or Fourth Level; otherwise, killing Zhang Wu would have been impossible. As for using a blade, that was even simpler to deduce, given the obvious wounds on both the young master and Zhang Wu.

The opponent likely possessed a very good spirit artifact; otherwise, there would be no logical explanation for a weaker cultivator to defeat and slay Zhang Wu.

As he pondered, Cao Ye suddenly turned his head and bellowed, "Who's there!"

As his words faded, a handsome, dashing man in a green robe stepped out of the shadows. A long sword hung at his waist, and one hand rested casually on its hilt as he emerged with an unhurried grace, like a king surveying his domain.

The moment he saw the man, Cao Ye tensed as if facing a formidable foe, rapidly activating his spirit energy. He gritted his teeth and growled, "Wang Yang!"

His nervousness was understandable. Although he was at the Spirit Creek Sixth Level, his opponent was at the Seventh. While it seemed like only one level's difference, within the Spirit Creek realm, the Fourth and Seventh Levels were significant watersheds, with crossing them bringing a tremendous increase in power.

In previous encounters, Cao Ye had suffered numerous setbacks at Wang Yang's hands, so seeing him appear now immediately gave Cao Ye a headache.

He was confident he could escape; after all, as a body cultivator, he was resilient and tough. While he couldn't defeat Wang Yang, he could certainly flee. However, his three fellow disciples lacked that capability.

Why wasn't this bastard staying put at the Profound Gate's stronghold? How did he get out here? Cao Ye cursed inwardly, knowing full well that their side's substantial commotion must have attracted the Profound Gate's attention.