Chapter 1852: How Could This Happen?

As they chased and fled, Yuan Che saw Lu Ye charging straight at him. He met the attack without fear, even with a hint of eagerness.

Both being Moonstone cultivators, Yuan Che's cultivation was a level higher than Lu Ye's, so he naturally felt no dread.

Despite his confidence, Yuan Che was far from underestimating his opponent. Before deciding to attack Three Realms Island, Zi Xuan had thoroughly gathered intelligence on it.

What concerned them most was Lu Ye's power. He was a formidable cultivator who, even in the early Moonstone stage, could hunt Yu Huan to desperation. His strength clearly could not be judged solely by his cultivation realm.

Moreover, Yuan Che had personally witnessed the sharpness of the Piling Mountain Blade. His plan was simple: he didn't aim to kill Lu Ye, but merely to hold him off for a moment. That would allow Bao Youyou and Hu Guang to provide support, creating a three-on-one scenario where Lu Ye, no matter how skilled, would have no chance of survival.

With demonic energy surging, Yuan Che's entire body became enveloped in golden light as he activated a profoundly powerful protective technique. Simultaneously, his already towering figure suddenly expanded several times over, transforming into a colossal ape with elongated arms, covered in white fur, and two prominent tusks.

For a demon cultivator, manifesting one's true form in battle unequivocally signified the deployment of full power.

Baring his fangs, he glared at Lu Ye with blood-red eyes. As he swung one arm back, the flesh on it began to ripple rapidly.

The distance between them closed rapidly, their respective auras surging fiercely.

Then, Yuan Che witnessed something baffling: Lu Ye, who had been charging at him, inexplicably sheathed his blade, gripped the hilt with his right hand, and lowered his eyelids slightly.

At that instant, a chilling dread swept over Yuan Che, and a profound sense of danger suddenly emerged within him. However, the two were already too close for him to retreat in time.

Though uncertain of Lu Ye's intentions, Yuan Che, caught directly in the path, executed the most appropriate counter. His arm, which had been drawn back, lashed out violently, striking the air like a long whip.

This strike wasn't meant to kill, but merely to impede his foe for a fraction of a second. Despite the intense feeling of dread, he was confident he could achieve this.

The extended arm slammed into Lu Ye, causing him to dissipate into thin air. Yuan Che felt no joy, however, because he immediately realized it was merely an illusion.

The instant the illusion vanished, Lu Ye's true form appeared directly before Yuan Che. As Yuan Che raised his other arm, intending to repeat his attack, the Piling Mountain Blade was already drawn from its sheath.

At that moment, the brilliant gleam of the blade rose like a nascent sun, momentarily dazzling all cultivators watching. As the long blade emerged, it unleashed an incomparably terrifying slash.

Yuan Che's eyes widened abruptly. In that split second, he felt as if he wasn't facing a mid-stage Moonstone cultivator, but a Sunbeam realm master!

He finally understood the origin of that intense premonition of danger he had felt moments before.

The two figures passed each other, each maintaining their forward momentum. However, while Lu Ye's speed remained unchecked, Yuan Che's body slowly halted, suspended in mid-air with a bitter expression.

His gaze met Bao Youyou, who was still pursuing him. Yuan Che clearly saw the horror in her eyes and couldn't help but force a bitter smile.

He realized he couldn't even hold his opponent off for a second. Lu Ye of Three Realms Island, a mid-stage Moonstone cultivator… how could his power be so terrifying?

He was certain that his actions and reactions had been flawless, devoid of any arrogance or underestimation of his foe. Yet, despite his carefulness, he could not escape his fate.

"Careful!" Yuan Che gasped.

As the words left his lips, the golden light enveloping him shattered, and his colossal demonic true body abruptly split in two, plummeting into the deep ocean. Blood and entrails spilled forth.

Bao Youyou's eyes trembled violently. She reached out, attempting to catch Yuan Che's falling body, but she was a moment too late. She could only watch helplessly as the two halves of his remains disappeared into the depths.

She stood frozen, almost convinced she was dreaming, so utterly bizarre was the scene before her.

As a late-stage Moonstone cultivator like Yuan Che, Bao Youyou possessed a strong mental fortitude. Furthermore, hailing from a top-tier domain like the Zi Xuan Demonic Star, it was widely acknowledged that the demon cultivators from Zi Xuan Island were genuine powerhouses among those at the Moonstone level.

Her momentary stupor clearly indicated the immense psychological impact of what she had just witnessed.

"Junior Sister Bao!" A furious shout jolted Bao Youyou awake. Simultaneously, she felt a sharp aura lock onto her. She quickly looked up to see Lu Ye already charging back, hurtling directly towards her with incredible speed.

With Yuan Che killed effortlessly right before her eyes, Bao Youyou dared not linger. She immediately darted to the side.

In that direction, Hu Guang, sensing trouble, was coming to meet her.

A few breaths later, Bao Youyou looked back to see Lu Ye had stopped pursuing, merely watching her with a cold gaze. This filled her with a profound sense of having narrowly escaped death.

Two breaths later, she finally rendezvoused with Hu Guang. Without a moment's hesitation, the two demon cultivators teleported back to the command warship.

The fleet continued to advance towards Three Realms Island, following Hu Guang's earlier orders. However, the once imposing armada had lost its initial grandeur. After witnessing the recent horrific events and brutal slaughter, an inexplicable pall had settled over the entire fleet. Every demon cultivator felt a deep chill in their hearts, their bodies and minds trembling as they stared at the human figure still standing in the distance.

"How could this happen?" Bao Youyou whispered, her eyes red, from the command warship.

Initially, the heavy losses of Astral Manifestation cultivators could be attributed to a flawed strategy by their Moonstone leaders, who had been lured away by Lu Ye. But now, even Yuan Che was dead!

And he had been killed in a direct confrontation, completely without resistance.

Beyond her grief, Bao Youyou felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Fortuitously, Lu Ye's previous target hadn't been her; otherwise, she, not Yuan Che, would now be dead.

Hu Guang's lips were pale, and his fists clenched tightly. Though he desperately wanted to deny it, everything had unfolded right before his eyes, forcing him to admit, "We severely underestimated him."

He had witnessed Yuan Che's actions and responses; there had been no hint of reckless ambition. Yet, he still met his end. The fundamental issue was their failure to accurately assess Lu Ye's true strength.

Recalling the sequence of events since they launched their attack on Three Realms Island, Lu Ye had first arrived alone to harass the fleet, intentionally drawing away their three Moonstone cultivators. Then, by some unknown means, he had circled back, unleashing a brutal massacre within the fleet. After the three of them returned to defend, he had again used words to provoke, leading Hu Guang to stay behind and command the fleet while Yuan Che and Bao Youyou pursued him together.

They had believed that two against one would pose no problem, but the outcome was the loss of Yuan Che.

From the very beginning, Lu Ye had dictated the pace of the battle. The Zi Xuan demon cultivators had been completely led by the nose. Every word and action of their opponent was clearly purposeful. At the outset, Lu Ye had even deliberately feigned a weakened aura due to the loss of a clone, and it was humiliating that Hu Guang had failed to see through the ruse.

They said foxes were cunning, but compared to everything Lu Ye had accomplished in such a short time, Hu Guang felt pathetically naive. Lu Ye of Three Realms Island — that man truly possessed a devious and calculating mind!

"What was that technique?" Bao Youyou asked, trembling with fear. Though she had narrowly escaped, the memory of that terrifying blade still left her profoundly shaken.

Hu Guang shook his head. How could he know what kind of technique that was? If Yuan Che couldn't withstand that strike, then he and Bao Youyou couldn't either. In all of Zi Xuan, perhaps only the Great Island Master, Lionheart, could survive such a blow.

"Regardless of the technique, such a secret art must exact a heavy toll on him," Hu Guang declared, gazing intently in Lu Ye's direction. He based this assessment on observing Lu Ye consuming a large quantity of spirit pills, an undeniable sign that Lu Ye needed to recover after unleashing that blade, explaining why he hadn't pursued them.

This might be an opportunity... Hu Guang's heart stirred. Logically, if his deduction was correct, Lu Ye must be at the end of his strength. If he and Bao Youyou were to counterattack, they might still be able to achieve something.

Yet, he hesitated to make that decision. A misjudgment would only exacerbate their dire situation. Moreover, he couldn't be certain if Lu Ye's current display was intentional, designed to lure him into such a choice. One of their three Moonstone cultivators was already lost; while the remaining two might still put up a fight together, losing another would inevitably lead to their piecemeal defeat.

His heart skipped a beat. Hu Guang suddenly realized a grim truth: in his confrontation with Lu Ye, he had already been mentally outmaneuvered. No matter what Lu Ye did, he now suspected it was a trick, dimming his eyes and filling him with bitterness.

On the other side, Lu Ye, who had already consumed a significant number of spirit pills, watched the fleet recede into the distance, his expression one of disappointment.

He genuinely wanted to draw Hu Guang and Bao Youyou into another fight. Although he had already used 'Drawing Blade Slash' and no longer possessed the immediate power to quickly defeat another strong enemy from a higher realm, he still had his Blood Clone. If Hu Guang and Bao Youyou dared to engage him, he could deploy the Blood Clone to form a powerful array, which would almost certainly spell doom for the two demon Moonstone cultivators.

If he could eliminate Hu Guang and Bao Youyou, the vast fleet would become his prey, to be dealt with as he pleased.

Unfortunately, since these two were avoiding direct confrontation, he would have to resort to other tactics.

Watched by countless demon cultivators, Lu Ye, who had been standing still, finally moved. His figure transformed into a streak of light, darting towards the fleet. He nimbly evaded the incoming attacks and swiftly landed on the rearmost Tiger Shark warship.

He drew the Piling Mountain Blade, his gaze meeting Hu Guang's at the very front of the fleet. Beneath his serene expression was undeniable provocation. He plunged his long blade downward, slicing through the Tiger Shark warship's defenses as easily as cutting tofu.

The slaughter resumed!

Hu Guang let out a deep sigh, finally confirming that Lu Ye had indeed been feigning weakness earlier. While relieved he hadn't taken the bait, he was forced to make a deeply humiliating decision: "Return to the island!"