Chapter 1995: Wind and Waves Are Too Strong, I Can't Hear Clearly

"Here it comes!" Mu Qing had been staring at the beast companion in Lu Ye's arms, hoping to discern the nature of the golden light. Yet, despite her focus, she couldn't make it out clearly.

A flash of golden light filled their vision. Ying, who was fiercely charging at Lu Ye, suddenly found herself enveloped in this golden light, rendering her body stiff.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Lu Ye reached out, seizing Ying, a Sun Chaser, in his hand.

The Mountain Crushing Blade slid from its sheath, coming to rest against Ying's long, pale neck.

Ying's face was a mask of bewilderment. The change had occurred so abruptly that not only were the onlookers unable to grasp what transpired, but even she, the direct participant, had no inkling. Now, enveloped in the golden light, she found herself unable to channel her spiritual power or vital energy. The chilling blade pressed against her, leaving her utterly paralyzed with fear.

She distinctly felt the blade's sharpness; even through her mid-stage Sun Chaser physique, she could sense a piercing sting. In other words, this blade could effortlessly cut through her flesh!

Her eyes darted towards Shangcheng Yue, filled with an imploring look, silently conveying a desperate plea for rescue.

"A soul-bound artifact?" Shangcheng Yue's brows furrowed. He finally regarded Lu Ye with seriousness, no longer daring to show any hint of contempt.

His perception was accurate: this newly emerged young man was undoubtedly a recently ascended Sun Chaser. Ying's power was undeniably superior to his, yet after that peculiar golden light, she had been directly apprehended.

This was clearly not the young man's own ability, but rather the effect of that golden light…

Ordinary magical artifacts could not possess such mysterious and formidable power. Only a soul-bound artifact could!

He therefore immediately concluded that this young man wielded a soul-bound artifact; otherwise, he could not have so effortlessly overcome a more powerful opponent.

A closer examination of Ying's condition—her life force intact, breathing steady, and body covered in golden light—made him instantly realize that the soul-bound artifact must possess a sealing ability.

What supreme treasure could possibly yield such a soul-bound artifact? Shangcheng Yue's mind raced, yet for a moment, he could not recall any supreme treasure possessing such specific power.

Wuxiang Palace had dared to invade the Myriad Manifestations Sea so brazenly precisely because they possessed a thorough understanding of its intricacies. Prior to the invasion, Shangcheng Yue had even acquired a sword qi from the Heavenly Pivot Sword, primarily as a precaution against the Fire Gourd from the Myriad Manifestations Star System.

As it turned out, his caution was justified. His gamble with Yuan Se had largely been a contest between two supreme soul-bound artifacts, and his audaciousness had given him a slight edge.

Yet, he hadn't anticipated such a turn of events just as they were preparing to return home.

Shangcheng Yue narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing at Lu Ye, and slowly began, "Young man, do you understand what you are doing?"

Wuxiang Palace had always been the one to plunder other forces. Today, was someone actually attempting to plunder *them*?

Moreover, Yuan Se had stated that this young man was not a Sun Chaser from the Myriad Manifestations Star System. In other words, he must have come as reinforcement from an unknown star system, meaning his death would not provoke retaliation from Myriad Manifestations.

While the power of this sealing soul-bound artifact was indeed mysterious and difficult to counter, a soul-bound artifact was not invincible. He genuinely harbored no fear.

"I have a question I wish to ask!" Lu Ye stated, his Mountain Crushing Blade still pressed against Ying's neck, his gaze fixed on Shangcheng Yue.

Shangcheng Yue remained silent for a moment before replying, "Speak!"

On any other day, he would have dismissed such an arrogant young man. However, with Ying's life currently in his opponent's hands, he found himself unable to refuse. Regardless of the circumstances, rescuing Ying was his immediate priority.

"What transgression did your Saintess commit? Why are you hunting her down?"

From all the intelligence gathered, Ya Ya was indeed the Saintess of Wuxiang Palace. She clearly had opportunities to regain her original form long ago but had never done so, evidently knowing the repercussions that would follow her restoration.

Today, as Lu Ye's group faced a crisis, Ya Ya was compelled to shatter her jade bracelet, thereby recovering the cultivation and memories sealed within. After knocking Yuan Du into the Myriad Manifestations Sea, she promptly fled.

Lu Ye could not simply disregard this matter. Since representatives of Wuxiang Palace were present, it was only natural for him to seek clarification.

A sharp glint appeared in Shangcheng Yue's eyes. "You know the Saintess?" he questioned.

The moment he finished speaking, Ying let out a stifled groan as blood flowed freely from her neck, the blade sinking an inch into her flesh.

Lu Ye gazed calmly at Shangcheng Yue. "I am asking the questions," he stated, "You merely need to answer!"

"You insolent youth!" A burly Sun Chaser behind Shangcheng Yue, seeing Ying injured, immediately erupted in fury. Yet, he dared not make any rash moves, a feeling of deep frustration evident in his restraint.

However, Lu Ye's action undeniably alerted the Wuxiang Palace Sun Chasers to his ruthless cruelty. It was clear that if Shangcheng Yue dared to utter another superfluous word, Ying would endure further suffering.

A flicker of appreciation appeared in Shangcheng Yue's eyes. Such a ruthless and decisive young man was rare these days and quite to his liking. Under normal circumstances, he might have even considered bringing him into their ranks, but the current timing was clearly unsuitable.

After a brief contemplation, he spoke: "The Saintess committed certain errors, which is why she is being pursued." Noticing Lu Ye's apparent intention to probe further, he added, "You need not inquire about the specific errors she made; this is a secret of Wuxiang Palace and cannot be disclosed."

Lu Ye blinked, realizing that Shangcheng Yue would never divulge this secret. He then changed his question: "When you hunt her, what is your ultimate objective?"

"Objective?" Shangcheng Yue offered a faint smile. "If she acknowledges her error, then it is easily resolved; she can simply resume her role as Saintess. But if she does not acknowledge her error…"

He trailed off, but his meaning was unmistakably clear.

Lu Ye's eyelids lowered slightly.

Lu Ye had never known what kind of force Wuxiang Palace was, nor had he even heard of them previously, but this encounter had certainly enlightened him.

Along the path, the ordinarily prosperous Myriad Manifestations Sea was strewn with corpses, and almost every top-tier spiritual island had been plundered. It would be no exaggeration to label them as brigands of the cultivation world.

Ya Ya, despite her origins in Wuxiang Palace, was now being hunted. This likely stemmed not merely from a transgression, but perhaps also from an irreconcilable conflict of ideals.

Furthermore, having spent years with Ya Ya, Lu Ye naturally understood her temperament. If she truly desired to return to Wuxiang Palace, she would not have maintained a child's form for all these years.

She could have recovered her true strength long ago.

Therefore, the conflict between Ya Ya and Wuxiang Palace was irreconcilable.

With this realization, Lu Ye understood precisely what stance he needed to take regarding Wuxiang Palace.

"Young man, I have answered your questions. Can you release her now?" Shangcheng Yue asked, gazing at Lu Ye from a distance, a subtle hint of impatience in his expression.

Lu Ye declared loudly, "You want me to release her? Very well! My terms remain the same: the person may leave, but the belongings stay!"

"Young man," Shangcheng Yue said, his gaze lingering. "You have only recently ascended to the Sun Chaser realm and may not fully comprehend the perils of the cultivation world. Do not presume that possessing a soul-bound artifact grants you unrestrained power. There are many entities in this world whom you cannot afford to provoke. Release her now, and I can overlook this incident. But if you persist in your delusion…"

As the blade flashed, blood gushed forth, and a severed arm flew through the air, plunging into the Myriad Manifestations Sea, vanishing beneath its deep, murky waters.

Shangcheng Yue's brow furrowed. The numerous Sun Chasers beside him were filled with rage, while the countless cultivators observing from a distance wore expressions of utter astonishment.

No one had anticipated Lu Ye's sudden move. While he hadn't taken Ying's life, he had directly severed her arm.

Pain contorted Ying's face, yet overwhelming fear was even more prominent. At such close proximity, she could sense the brutality hidden beneath Lu Ye's calm exterior far more clearly and intuitively than Shangcheng Yue.

"What did you say?" Lu Ye asked, looking somewhat puzzled at Shangcheng Yue. "The Myriad Manifestations Sea is too boisterous; your voice was too faint for me to hear clearly. Please repeat yourself."

Shangcheng Yue's cheek twitched, and he gritted his teeth. "I said… I will kill you!"

The moment he spoke, several figures surged forth from behind Shangcheng Yue. The Fourth Palace Master, Jue Ren, was particularly swift. A member of the Shadow Clan, he typically maintained a low profile, but now he led the charge, transforming into a nearly imperceptible shadowy light.

As these Sun Chasers moved in concert, Mu Qing's expression changed, and she quickly looked at Yuan Se. "Senior Brother Yuan…" she began.

This was an opportunity. Her personal experience granted her a deeper understanding of the golden light's enigmatic power than anyone else. Shangcheng Yue's audacity in confronting Lu Ye and ordering his demise stemmed from his conviction that the golden light was a manifestation of a soul-bound artifact's power, and thus, it could not be frequently deployed.

This was the inherent drawback of most soul-bound artifacts, which typically functioned as a decisive, one-time-use trump card within a short timeframe.

Like the Heavenly Pivot Sword Qi that Shangcheng Yue had previously wielded, or the miraculous Fire Gourd's flame that Yuan Se had activated…

But that golden light was different!

The six Sun Chasers of the Myriad Manifestations Sea were no match for their opponents, but with Lu Ye's addition, a fighting chance might emerge!

This presented an excellent opportunity for their star system to reclaim its dignity.

"Do not act rashly!"

To Mu Qing's utter disappointment, however, Yuan Se showed no inclination to seize the opportunity. He had clearly lost his nerve after his recent defeat in the earlier confrontation…

Mu Qing's face was etched with bitterness, and she couldn't help but recall Jiu Yan. If Jiu Yan were present, with her temperament, she would never tolerate other Sun Chasers acting so recklessly in the Myriad Manifestations Sea. She would undoubtedly have already been locked in an intense battle with Shangcheng Yue.

As the six Sun Chasers of the Myriad Manifestations Sea observed coldly from the sidelines, Lu Ye's position instantly became the epicenter of the escalating confrontation.

Waves of powerful divine sense assaults crashed in from various directions, easily breaching his soul defense.

These Sun Chasers from Wuxiang Palace were seasoned veterans of countless battles, and they naturally understood the most effective method for dealing with a newly ascended Sun Chaser like Lu Ye.

That method was spiritual attacks!

A newly ascended Sun Chaser, with an unstable realm, would naturally possess far inferior spiritual power compared to their own. Thus, by achieving spiritual suppression, Lu Ye would be utterly defenseless. This strategy would not only allow them to rescue Ying but also seize a powerful soul-bound artifact!

Yet, to everyone's disbelief, Lu Ye, this newly ascended Sun Chaser, was not immediately suppressed as anticipated under the barrage of spiritual assaults. Instead, his expression abruptly contorted into a grimace, a reaction to the pain searing through his spiritual sea. With a swift motion, he swung his long blade downwards.

Ying's head flew, her face frozen in bewildered helplessness, as her headless body toppled into the Myriad Manifestations Sea.

"Ying!" someone cried out. It was the burly man from earlier, who seemed to have a close relationship with Ying. Witnessing her death, his eyes instantly blazed with incandescent fury.

Lu Ye's eyes were bloodshot. He turned his head to look to the side, where the Pixiu beast companion, already perched on his shoulder, shimmered with golden light.

In that direction, Jue Ren was rapidly closing in on Lu Ye. The instant their eyes met, Jue Ren's heart lurched, and he swiftly retreated.