Chapter 1396: Hostage Eliminated!

**The Rise of Kyushu**

It must be said that both Fan Yunhua and Jia Yu possessed extensive combat experience and a strong instinct for escape.

Almost simultaneously with their movements, Lu Ye also moved.

He chose not to flee. If possible, he would have preferred to cooperate with Fan Yunhua and Jia Yu. Both of them were late-stage Star Constellations, and with himself, they might have a chance to contend with a Moon Illumination cultivator.

However, this was clearly unrealistic. He didn't trust them, and they wouldn't trust him either.

Furthermore, taking the initiative at such a moment was far more advantageous than passively fleeing. His Immovable Mountain Blade was unsheathed with a resounding clang, slashing towards Zhu Yuan.

Just then, the dense blackness of the cave ahead suddenly twisted, and two dark figures, like thick ropes, shot out from it, attacking outwards to the left and right.

Fan Yunhua and Jia Yu fled, Lu Ye drew his blade, and the dark figures twisted and extended—everything happened in an instant.

Lu Ye's pupils suddenly contracted to pinpricks, and his mind was greatly shaken in that instant.

Nevertheless, the momentum of his Immovable Mountain Blade remained undiminished as it chopped down fiercely.

Zhu Yuan was still facing away from him, his expression solemn. With his strength, he must have sensed Lu Ye's attack, but he clearly didn't take Lu Ye seriously, merely activating his spiritual power to protect himself.

However, how could mere defensive spiritual power withstand the Immovable Mountain Blade, which was enhanced by the Divine Edge spirit pattern?

As the long blade descended, the spiritual power shattered. Zhu Yuan realized the danger, but it was too late to dodge. In haste, he could only raise his arm to parry.

The sharp blade sliced into his upper arm, tearing through flesh and severing bone. After a brief stalemate, as Lu Ye's brute force erupted, the long blade spun like a crescent moon.

Blood splattered, and a severed arm fell to the ground.

Cries of pain and screams rang out simultaneously!

The one crying out in pain was Zhu Yuan; he hadn't expected to lose an arm due to a momentary lapse in caution.

The ones screaming were Fan Yunhua and Jia Yu, who had just fled. Lu Ye couldn't see what had happened to them, but he knew without looking that their fate wouldn't be good.

Lu Ye, on his part, didn't pause. After severing Zhu Yuan's arm, a flurry of blade shadows enveloped him.

Zhu Yuan, a late-stage Star Constellation cultivator, possessed formidable strength. If it were a straightforward duel, Lu Ye would have needed considerable effort to defeat him, but ultimately, Zhu Yuan paid the price for his carelessness and disdain.

Once Lu Ye unleashed his furious blade technique, Zhu Yuan could only parry, completely unable to retaliate.

In just three breaths, Lu Ye's straight stab sent the dark blade piercing through Zhu Yuan's chest, a complete penetration right through his heart!

For cultivators below the Star Constellation realm, such an injury would undoubtedly be fatal.

However, Zhu Yuan had, after all, refined his physical essence almost to the Great Perfection stage of marrow essence. Though severe, the injury was not immediately fatal.

He froze, daring not to move, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief as he faced Lu Ye. He hadn't expected a late-stage Star Constellation cultivator like himself to have his vital point seized by a mid-stage cultivator like Lu Ye. He clearly felt the ebb and flow of spiritual power on Lu Ye's Immovable Mountain Blade; even the slightest movement from him would cause his heart to explode into dust...

A simple stab wound he could recover from by channeling power, but if his heart exploded, he would truly be dead.

On both sides, Fan Yunhua and Jia Yu's screams continued without cease, as if they were undergoing immense torture. The two dark figures that had extended from the cave slowly retracted, like a giant pulling back its arms. As they retracted, the screams grew closer,

Until, in his peripheral vision, Lu Ye saw the two men, bound by the dark figures, being dragged into the cave.

The profound darkness rippled, and the screams vanished, along with the life force of the two men...

At this moment, Zhu Yuan's expression was complex, still pondering how he had been subdued by Lu Ye.

Lu Ye's expression was equally complex.

He had previously thought that what was hidden in the cave should be a Moon Illumination cultivator, but the moment the other party attacked and spiritual power leaked, he realized his judgment was wrong.

What was hidden in the cave was no Moon Illumination cultivator.

It was a Sun Illumination cultivator!

He racked his brain but couldn't understand: how could it be a Sun Illumination cultivator?

To a Sun Illumination cultivator, Star Constellation cultivators were like ants on the ground. Why had Zhu Yuan gone to such lengths to lure the three of them before this Sun Illumination cultivator?

Simply killing for fun? That seemed unlikely. Star Constellation cultivators were ubiquitous in the Myriad Manifestation Galaxy. If this individual truly sought amusement, casually strolling outside would be far less troublesome than having Zhu Yuan go to such lengths.

Moreover, the Sun Illumination cultivators in the Myriad Manifestation Galaxy were limited in number, mostly powerful figures from this star system. Even visiting Sun Illumination cultivators from outside wouldn't stay for too long.

“Oh?” an aged voice echoed from the cave, tinged with surprise. This was undoubtedly due to Lu Ye's unusual reaction and performance just now. Even if Zhu Yuan had been careless, for a mid-stage Star Constellation cultivator to subdue him in mere three breaths was astonishing.

Lu Ye could clearly feel a powerful divine sense scrutinizing him, which made him very uncomfortable, as if a venomous snake's tongue was constantly licking him. Under such scrutiny, any subtle movement or change in his expression would not escape the other party's detection.

“Good disposition, and decisive actions!” the aged voice in the cave sounded again, seemingly appreciative. Then, the voice turned playful: “So, what do you plan to do next?”

Lu Ye lowered his gaze and said calmly, “I'll take him away, and once we're in a safe place, I'll release him!”

He had originally thought that if the entity in the cave was a Moon Illumination cultivator, he would find an opportunity to activate the Red Talisman against them! When he was in the early-stage Star Constellation realm, he had killed a Qin Yuandai. Now, as a mid-stage Star Constellation cultivator, and with the talisman nurtured longer within him, the Red Talisman's power should be even greater. Killing a Moon Illumination cultivator should be easy, provided the opponent wasn't too strong...

But the opponent was a Sun Illumination cultivator... this plan wouldn't work.

Lu Ye estimated that to fully unleash the Red Talisman's power to a level that could contend with a Sun Illumination cultivator's attack, he would at least need to advance to the Moon Illumination realm first.

“Taking a hostage and then negotiating terms, a good idea!” the aged voice praised lightly. As it finished speaking, a black ray of light shot out from the cave, directly striking Zhu Yuan's back of the head!

Zhu Yuan's eyes suddenly dimmed, and his body slumped limply. The Immovable Mountain Blade withdrew from him, and the fabric over his chest was instantly stained crimson with blood.

“So... what now?” the voice from the cave became even more playful. Lu Ye gazed down at Zhu Yuan's corpse, silently speechless.

The hostage had been killed, what was there to talk about now?

Though he didn't know who this mysterious entity in the cave was, judging by its methods, it was clearly not a benevolent being. Zhu Yuan was undoubtedly its subordinate, otherwise, he wouldn't have brought the three of them here. Yet, this old fellow showed no mercy in killing his own, indicating a malevolent and brutal nature.

Furthermore, his power reached the Sun Illumination realm. Even if Zhu Yuan were still alive, Lu Ye estimated he couldn't use him as leverage against such an individual.

Escape... was unrealistic. Fan Yunhua and Jia Yu were clear precedents. With a Sun Illumination cultivator staring at him from such a distance, escape was impossible.

Lu Ye only regretted not being careful enough. If he had been more cautious, leaving a pre-set spirit artifact outside, there might have been a chance of escape.

But without knowing Zhu Yuan's destination, even if he had thought of it, where would he have left a spirit artifact?

With a shake of the Immovable Mountain Blade in his hand, Lu Ye looked towards the dark cave. Activating all his spiritual power, he boldly charged inside!

Since death was inevitable, he might as well die fighting, which was far better than waiting passively for death.

It was a good thought, but the moment he rushed into the cave, Lu Ye knew he had overestimated himself. The viscous darkness around him was almost tangible; he plunged into it, and his body became sluggish as if he had stepped into a quagmire. Even his spiritual power was suppressed, and his divine sense couldn't extend outwards either.

Not to mention fighting, he couldn't even discern what his enemy looked like or where they were hiding.

The aged voice sounded again: “Your courage is commendable, but unfortunately, you overestimate yourself. How about this: kneel and kowtow three times, and I shall spare your life!”

In the darkness, Lu Ye gritted his teeth and remained silent, continuously swinging his long blade, yet striking nothing.

The vast disparity in cultivation realms made him feel particularly powerless.

It seemed his actions had angered the entity. The aged voice coldly snorted: “Stubborn fool! I told you to kneel, so you shall kneel!”

Then, immense pressure suddenly descended. Lu Ye's body, which had barely been able to move, abruptly stiffened, as if a star had been placed on his back, and he involuntarily hunched over.

As the pressure intensified, his expression became strained, his eyes glared, his bones groaned, and his face was so flushed with blood that it seemed on the verge of dripping.

The old entity was clearly pushing him to his limit. Lu Ye felt his leg bones were about to give way. If he continued to resist, the only outcome would be shattered leg bones, yet he stubbornly held on.

On the Peerless Continent, a Divine Sea cultivator from the Chaotian Sect of Ding Province had been held captive by Zhao Tianmu of the Qingli Dao Realm and faced death without fear. There was no reason he couldn't do the same.

Cultivators of Kyushu might have this or that problem, but many shared a common trait: fearlessness in the face of death!

Those who feared death had, for the most part, already perished.

The immense pressure pushed Lu Ye gradually towards his limit. At that very moment, he suddenly exerted force with both feet, his body shooting forward like an arrow released from a bowstring.

The expected scene of his leg bones shattering didn't occur, because almost the instant he actively exerted force, the immense pressure on him vanished without a trace. Even the surrounding black mist became less dense and stagnant.

He unleashed a heavy downward chop forward, pouring all his spiritual power into the blade during his full-force dash.

A bright flash of blade light pierced the darkness, then immediately faded into nothingness. Lu Ye felt his Immovable Mountain Blade being blocked by something. He tried to pull it back, but it wouldn't budge, so he could only kick forward!

His kick connected with something solid, though Lu Ye wasn't sure what it was.

“Hehehehe... Hahahaha!” Laughter suddenly erupted from the cave, growing from a soft chuckle to a booming, deafening roar, sounding exceedingly joyful!