Chapter 149: Pitying the Beautiful and Cherishing the Jade?

While Lan Yudie slew an enemy, Amber had already charged within ten zhang of the group. A magical spell shot towards Amber, but the beast's charging form suddenly slid sideways, nimbly dodging it. Simultaneously, Lu Ye leaped up, pushing off Amber's back with both feet, and darted directly towards a red-clad woman. Lan Yudie hadn't been wrong; the woman had an excellent figure, especially her prominent chest.

She was a spell cultivator, and all the spells previously directed at Lan Yudie and Amber had been cast by her. She was also Lu Ye's target!

Mid-air, Lu Ye drew his blade and swung, cleaving an incoming spell apart, scattering its spiritual energy. Another spell struck. Although her casting speed wasn't as fast as Dong Shuye's, it was by no means slow. Lu Ye had nowhere to dodge. A flush appeared on the woman's face. She had hit him. With his fifth-level cultivation, he would be gravely wounded, if not killed!

She was going to get rich! She seemed to envision mountains of spirit stones, a quantity she could never spend in a lifetime. Many sects in the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge had issued bounties for Lu Ye. Whoever killed Lu Yiye could claim rewards from specific sects, and if these rewards were combined, they amounted to a fortune that would even stir a True Lake Realm cultivator. Seeing her spell succeed, the red-clad woman's heart swelled with excitement.

However, in the next moment, Lu Ye lunged in front of her, his long blade wreathed in fiery-red spiritual energy, slashing down. As the blade flashed, the woman instinctively activated a spiritual energy barrier in front of her. With a crisp crack, the sturdy spiritual energy barrier shattered. The sharp long blade descended diagonally from above the woman, effortlessly slicing through her slender neck.

"Huh?" The woman's last thought was: How did this Lu Yiye manage to charge right in front of me? Her vision inverted, her wide eyes blinked twice, and her consciousness plunged into darkness. The last image seared into her sight was Lu Yiye stabbing a disciple from behind!

The battle began abruptly and ended just as quickly. After Lu Ye killed the sixth-level spell cultivator, he also dispatched a fifth-level weapon cultivator, and then... it was over. Although both were sixth-level spell cultivators, the red-clad woman's strength was far inferior to Dong Shuye's. The latter had, after all, fallen from the seventh level; while his cultivation might have diminished, his techniques remained. Furthermore, given the woman's excited state, once Lu Ye closed in, what good outcome could she expect? Even Dong Shuye was left questioning his existence after Lu Ye got close, let alone her.

Amidst the scattered limbs and flesh on the ground, Lu Ye and Lan Yudie exchanged glances, both slightly startled. "This guy's killing speed is incredible!" they both thought simultaneously.

This group of Ten Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators consisted of five individuals: two sixth-level and three fifth-level. Lan Yudie's original plan was for Lu Ye to briefly restrain the female spell cultivator while she dealt with the others, before returning to finish off the spell cultivator. Who would have thought Lu Ye would dispatch her in a few strokes, and even help her kill another one?

"I underestimated you," Lan Yudie said, clearly pleased with Lu Ye's performance. She mused that a dying camel was still bigger than a horse, and it was astounding that the last disciple taken in by a behemoth on the brink of collapse could be so formidable. If the people from the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge had witnessed his performance just now, their resolve to eradicate him would undoubtedly harden. Currently, the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge's desire to kill Lu Ye only concerned the survival of the Jadeblood Sect; once Lu Ye was dead, the Jadeblood Sect would certainly be delisted two months later. If they knew this Jadeblood Sect disciple could so easily kill cultivators of higher cultivation levels, they would surely be even more unsettled. Such a person, once he grew, would be a nightmare for any Ten Thousand Demon Ridge faction. As for the "cherishing pretty women" sentiment discussed earlier... it didn't exist. The beautiful female cultivator's eyes hadn't even closed yet.

"Let's go!" Lan Yudie called out. Amber trotted over, eager to help, but the battle had ended so quickly that it had no chance to participate. The two set off again!

Lan Yudie's mood was heavy. Although the skirmish had ended quickly, it indirectly indicated a problem: those from the inner circle were likely catching up soon. There would undoubtedly be stronger enemies ahead, and if the inner circle arrived, the core circle wouldn't be far behind, making the situation beyond her ability to handle.

"Which sect were those from?" Lu Ye asked.

"Who knows!" Lan Yudie replied. "Why do you ask?"

"To remember them."

Lan Yudie smiled. "Ambitious!" She paused, then added, "If we both survive this mission, I'll find out for you."

"Then I thank you."

"No problem!"

They continued their journey, encountering occasional fierce battles. However, the cultivators they faced were not particularly strong, so Lu Ye and Lan Yudie could manage together. As they traveled, Lan Yudie periodically sent out messages or checked for incoming ones, evidently communicating with someone.

Two days later, she sighed softly, a flicker of sadness in her eyes. After sending a message, she told Lu Ye, "Qi Xin and the others are too exhausted; they can't catch up."

"Should we wait for them?"

"We can't wait," Lan Yudie shook her head. "Others will be waiting ahead to meet us."

Lu Ye nodded. For the rest of the half-day, she was rather silent, seemingly in low spirits, though Lu Ye didn't know what had happened.

As dusk approached, she suddenly looked up and pointed Lu Ye in a direction: "Run this way. Don't stop no matter what you encounter, and try to avoid engaging with the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators." She then crouched on Amber's back.

"Where are you going?" Lu Ye frowned.

"There are many Ten Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators ahead. I'll go hold them off." She turned back, giving Lu Ye a deep look. "Don't you dare die!" With that, she darted away like a cheetah.

Amber continued forward in the direction she had indicated. A short while later, spiritual energy fluctuations emanated from the side ahead, indicating that Lan Yudie had engaged the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators. The sounds of battle grew louder from that direction, and Amber swiftly carried Lu Ye further away.

In the jungle, several corpses lay sprawled on the ground, blood and severed limbs scattered everywhere. The dense forest had been cleared into a battlefield by the aftermath of the fight. Within this battleground, Lan Yudie, wielding two curved blades, danced gracefully while three Ten Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators fiercely engaged her. Judging by the spiritual light, the leader was clearly a seventh-level cultivator, with another at the sixth level and one at the fifth. The three formed a coordinated attack, with the seventh-level cultivator leading and the other two assisting, launching an incessant barrage. Lan Yudie already bore several wounds, her clothes stained red with blood. In such a situation, even if she wanted to escape, it would likely be impossible. Moreover, a sixth-level spell cultivator lurked nearby, eyeing her menacingly, occasionally unleashing spells that left Lan Yudie constantly on the defensive.

At this moment, she appeared frenzied, faint purple patterns having inexplicably spread across her cheeks, making her face both alluring and sinister. Despite being outnumbered, Lan Yudie's aura was more formidable. Her two short blades wove a dazzling display of light, unsettling all three opponents, who wondered what madness had seized the woman. The seventh-level cultivator groaned in distress, as eighty percent of Lan Yudie's attacks were directed at him, as if she intended to drag him down with her, even in death.

Amidst the fierce battle, a tiger's roar suddenly echoed from the side, startling both sides. The Ten Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators looked up, just in time to see a large white tiger leap out from that direction, charging straight towards them.

"A large white tiger?" The cultivators' expressions brightened. One of them shouted, "Lu Yiye is nearby! No wonder this woman was fighting so desperately; she was covering Lu Yiye!"

As everyone's attention was drawn to Amber, a figure had silently clung to the back of the spell cultivator who stood outside the battle circle. The cultivator's body suddenly felt heavy, an instinctive sense of dread rising, and a sharp, fierce cry reached his ears. Momentarily disoriented, the spell he was about to cast at Lan Yudie was interrupted. A gust of wind struck from behind, a slight pain in his neck. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a person dash past him with incredible speed. He tried to raise his hand, but found he could no longer control his body.

Lan Yudie, facing this direction, immediately accelerated her offensive, her twin blades transforming into a flurry of light. In a few strides, Lu Ye reached the edge of the battle, bringing his blade down on the sixth-level cultivator. The opponent had been moving around the edge of the battle, distracting Lan Yudie. Having been drawn to Amber, he failed to react to this swift strike. The blade carved a massive wound across his back, piercing his internal organs. He cried out in agony, but his scream was abruptly cut short as the long blade pierced through his heart, emerging from his chest.

The remaining two were aghast. They had initially held an absolute advantage, and while many had died, it was due to Lan Yudie's surprise attack; a seventh-level ghost cultivator's ambush was not easily withstood. Fortunately, they had stabilized the situation, confident they could subdue Lan Yudie with a slow, drawn-out fight. Yet, at this crucial moment, Lu Ye suddenly burst forth, felling two sixth-level cultivators in a flash of lightning.

Two against two!

Lan Yudie suddenly slowed her attacks, making the two Ten Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators momentarily uncomfortable. Lu Ye, blade in hand, had already engaged the fifth-level cultivator. With two cleaving strikes, the opponent's face turned pale. Despite being at the same fifth-level cultivation, he found that Lu Ye's speed and strength were beyond his ability to resist. He barely managed to parry the third strike, but his body stumbled backward uncontrollably, leaving his center exposed. This person was quite astute; sensing something was wrong earlier, he had already reached into his storage bag. Now, he perfectly pulled out a Golden Body Talisman and slapped it onto himself. Enveloped in golden light, he felt doubly secure.

With a crash, the golden light shattered. A massive wound opened on the man's body, blood gushed forth, and he stumbled backward. Amber happened to lunge forward, sinking its teeth into his neck. With a crunch, the neck bone snapped, and Amber's mouth was full of blood.

At this moment, the seventh-level weapon cultivator rapidly retreated several zhang. His longsword suddenly rose upright before him, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. The sword instantly transformed into a streak of light, darting straight towards Lu Ye, reaching him in a blink.

"Sword manipulation!" Lan Yudie's face instantly paled.