Chapter 1497: Don't Mess Around

From the Novel:

The formation of the Accumulation Ranking experts was indeed something ordinary Star Constellations couldn't withstand. If the battlefield had been an environment that restricted movement, it might have limited their effectiveness. But on the Myriad Manifestations Sea, there were no such restrictions on movement, rendering the number of opponents largely irrelevant. As long as their movements were swift and frequent enough, the three in formation would be incredibly difficult to encircle.

This was the primary reason why the Star Constellations from Carp Island struggled to make any significant impact.

However, what truly astonished the onlookers was not the performance of Lu Ye and his two companions, but rather the technique displayed by Ban Ci. No one knew what it was or what was happening inside that black sphere, but the fact that a late-stage Star Constellation could restrain a Moon Exalt utterly defied their understanding.

Cultivators from various factions watched, feeling a sense of relief. They were fortunate that Carp Island had launched the initial attack, because any other force attempting to assault Unrivaled Island would have certainly incurred devastating losses. While the number of cultivators on Unrivaled Island might not be large and their overall strength wasn't particularly high, the presence of a few exceptional individuals meant that none of the attacking factions could easily conquer it without uniting their forces.

The slaughter continued unabated. Wherever Lu Ye and his two companions went, a bloody scene unfolded as cultivators from Carp Island continuously fell into the Myriad Manifestations Sea, sinking without a trace. They tried to encircle the trio, but Lu Ye and his companions were incredibly fast, moving too quickly to allow an encirclement to form. Instead, any enemy who was even slightly careless would inevitably become their target.

These individuals had all participated in the Star Constellation Hall's competition and had never previously encountered experts ranked on the Accumulation Ranking. They had naively believed that any difference in strength among Star Constellations would be minor. It was only through this confrontation that they truly understood that, despite being fellow Star Constellations, there could be vast disparities in power.

In less time than it takes to brew a cup of tea, over thirty of the hundred-plus attackers had fallen. While a significant number of Star Constellations remained, fear was etched on every face, and their morale had plummeted. They not only had to defend against the relentless assaults from Lu Ye's trio but also against the strange attacks originating from Unrivaled Island, leaving them scrambling and disoriented.

The chaos continued until a sharp shout rang out: "Retreat!"

It was Nan Xingzhen, recognizing the dire situation, who gave the order. If they didn't retreat immediately, more would surely perish. The Star Constellations, as if granted a great amnesty, scattered and fled into the distance. Lu Ye and his two companions ignored them, charging directly towards Nan Xingzhen's position.

Seeing this, Nan Xingzhen immediately understood their intention: to join forces with Tang Jun and corner him. If ordinary Star Constellations had attempted such a feat, Nan Xingzhen would have dismissed them entirely. However, he had witnessed the recent performance of Lu Ye and his companions and knew he could not underestimate them. If he were alone, he could easily retreat. However, his Moon Exalt companion was still trapped within the strange black sphere; if he left, his ally would be abandoned.

As he deliberated, a cracking sound reached his ears. Following the sound, his expression brightened. The strange black sphere hovering outside Unrivaled Island now resembled a shattered mirror, riddled with countless cracks from which an aura familiar to Nan Xingzhen surged. With a crash, the black sphere completely shattered.

A figure was revealed, rapidly retreating. It was Ban Ci, but her current state was clearly dire. No one knew what she had endured inside the black sphere; blood streamed from her seven orifices, her face was as pale as paper, and her aura was as weak as a candle flame flickering in the wind. Forcibly using a Star Constellation's body to perform that secret technique to trap a Moon Exalt indeed came at a tremendous cost.

In front of her, the Moon Exalt woman stood suspended in the air with a stern expression, powerful and profound spiritual energy surging around her. She launched a spell directly at Ban Ci, shouting sharply, "Die!" To think that she, a Moon Exalt, had been trapped by a mere Star Constellation's technique! Although the Star Constellation had paid a considerable price for it, that was not enough to quell the fury in her heart. Only by killing Ban Ci could she erase the humiliation she felt.

Ban Ci was nearly completely drained; she had no power to retaliate against such an attack. If nothing intervened, she would surely not survive this blow.

However, just as the Moon Exalt woman unleashed her technique, a figure suddenly appeared in front of Ban Ci. Ban Ci was momentarily stunned, truly not expecting anyone to come to her rescue at such a critical moment. She looked up to see a back blocking the furious assault ahead, the figure holding a saber in one hand and slowly turning. Dazed, Ban Ci seemed to hear the roar of a tsunami, as waves surged, suddenly becoming fierce and violent.

The power of the spell struck. The clash of spiritual energy and vital force was like a stone hitting an egg, with the latter utterly defenseless. However, the continuous saber light was like endless waves, one layer breaking only for another to rise, forming an impenetrable defense. The figure did not retreat a single step.

In the mermaid territory, Lu Ye had been able to block a mid-stage Moon Exalt's attack with this saber. While that earlier attack had been a casual, hasty blow, not a full-power strike, there was no reason he couldn't block an early-stage Moon Exalt's offensive now, especially while in formation with Pu Ke Ghost. Amidst the spell's fury, Lu Ye's figure was even advancing forward, albeit slowly!

This scene greatly astonished the many cultivators watching from a distance. They had never imagined when Star Constellations acquired the ability to resist Moon Exalts. What they witnessed today was truly eye-opening, forcing them to re-evaluate Unrivaled Island's true capabilities.

If this Moon Exalt woman had initially engaged Lu Ye and his two companions with spells, Lu Ye felt his side could have generally coped. However, she immediately deployed that seal-like artifact, which was what tied the trio's hands and restricted their movements.

Sensing the strange saber technique from Lu Ye, the Moon Exalt woman visibly displayed surprise. Just as she was about to further test Lu Ye and his companions, she heard Nan Xingzhen call out, "It's over, let's go!"

As his words fell, Nan Xingzhen calmly retreated, and Tang Jun did not stop him. In their confrontation, Nan Xingzhen had always held the upper hand. If he wanted to leave, Tang Jun had no way to stop him and could only let him go. As soon as Nan Xingzhen departed, the Moon Exalt woman followed. Before leaving, however, she glared fiercely at Lu Ye, as if blaming him for thwarting her plans.

In an instant, the fighting near Unrivaled Island ceased. A fierce offensive concluded abruptly, with the attacking side having paid the price of dozens of lives.

Lu Ye watched the Moon Exalt woman's departure until she vanished from his sight. Only then did he turn around and immediately saw Ghost supporting a weakened Ban Ci nearby. Their eyes met. Ban Ci gave Lu Ye a slight nod, expressing her gratitude. Lu Ye said nothing, flashing back to Unrivaled Island and entering his cave. He could faintly hear the cheers of Chu Shen and others from within the island.

Chu Shen was undoubtedly ecstatic. He had initially believed Unrivaled Island wouldn't survive today's battle, given the clear disparity in strength. However, he wasn't particularly concerned about his own life. If worst came to worst, by revealing Jiu Yan's name, he believed Nan Xingzhen and his group wouldn't dare to truly kill him, and he could also use this to protect his subordinates. But in that scenario, not only would Unrivaled Island be lost, but he would also break his agreement with Jiu Yan. He would then have to obediently return to Cheling Realm and operate under his mother's protection.

Yet, to his absolute astonishment, Unrivaled Island had been saved! Not only was it saved, but the invaders were routed and fled in disarray!

His greatest hope had naturally been Old Man Fa, whose strength he was generally aware of. But who would have thought that Ban Ci's performance would be even more astonishing? Had Ban Ci not intervened at the last moment to trap the Moon Exalt woman, winning this battle would have been almost impossible. It was precisely because the Moon Exalt woman was trapped that Old Man Fa and his two companions had the freedom to act. Nevertheless, Old Man Fa truly lived up to his name. To fight a Moon Exalt as a Star Constellation, even while in a formation with others, was truly astonishing.

Unrivaled Island's personnel had been halved, but Chu Shen was not disheartened. Those who remained to weather the storm with him at such a critical time were trustworthy individuals who would undoubtedly form his future core team. He had initially expected all his recruits to abandon him.

After the battle, those who needed rest recuperated, and those who needed healing tended to their wounds. Chu Shen personally visited Ban Ci, expressing his gratitude to her as the island master.

Inside the cave, Tang Jun sat dispiritedly on a cushion in front of Lu Ye, letting out a long sigh. Speaking of which, though he was a Moon Exalt, he truly hadn't fought many cultivators of the same realm. While living in a place like the Qingli Dao Realm, he had never encountered another Moon Exalt, and after coming to the Myriad Manifestations Sea, he hadn't experienced any conflicts either. It wasn't until today that he truly realized the gap between himself and others. Both were mid-stage Moon Exalts, but Nan Xingzhen was undoubtedly far more powerful than him. If today's battle hadn't been cut short and they had continued fighting, he would undoubtedly have lost. This left him with a profound sense of frustration.

"You called me over. What is it?" Tang Jun asked, having been summoned by Lu Ye.

Lu Ye looked at him, likely guessing his thoughts, and tossed him a storage ring. Tang Jun took it with a puzzled expression, but after a quick inspection, he was astonished: "So much spirit jade!" Inside the storage ring lay approximately a million spirit jade!

"Where did this come from?" he quickly asked. As far as he knew, Li Taibai was a pauper. When he had gathered information about the Jade Snail Star System and was preparing to return, he had even specifically asked Tang Jun for travel expenses... After not seeing him for over a year, how had he suddenly become so wealthy? Furthermore, judging by his demeanor, he clearly possessed far more than what he had given. A million spirit jade – this was not merely a million spirit stones. Tang Jun, despite living for so many years, had never seen such a vast amount of spirit jade.

Lu Ye didn't answer, simply stating, "Go buy two decent artifacts." In today's battle, although he had been in formation with Pu Ke Ghost to resist the enemy, he had also paid attention to Tang Jun's situation. Tang Jun's foundation was very solid; at the mid-stage Moon Exalt level, he couldn't be called top-tier, but he was at least within the average. The primary reason he wasn't a match for Nan Xingzhen was simply due to his inadequate artifacts.