Chapter 2306: Picked up a Companion

By this point in the contest among the Star Abyss Scions, if Lu Ye genuinely intended to find a companion, he couldn't afford to be careless. Their strength would need to be absolutely reliable. If not at the peak of the Fusion Dao stage, they would at least need to be at the ninth level. Only then, when encountering battles, would they not become a burden.

However, among the more than fifty thousand Fusion Dao cultivators initially, the number of female cultivators who had reached this level of cultivation was actually quite small. Lu Ye estimated there would be at most a few hundred, certainly not exceeding a thousand. Finding a suitable companion under such conditions would be very difficult.

Actually, Junior Sister Shuang was quite good. Although her personality was a bit cold, her strength was sufficient. If he could somehow eliminate Ning Gu, Lu Ye was confident he could persuade Junior Sister Shuang to partner with him. After all, she and Ning Gu were only temporary companions. They hadn't known each other before, so there was no deep bond or emotion between them.

For the next period, Lu Ye first spent some time recovering from his injuries. Only then did he continue to roam, while also searching for potential companions. Unfortunately, he didn't have much success. A month passed quickly.

On a floating landmass, Lu Ye sat cross-legged, drifting with the currents, and counted his Star Abyss Coins. It had been almost three months since the start of the Star Abyss Scions' contest, but he had only acquired a little over two hundred Star Abyss Coins. This showed that the difficulty in acquiring Star Abyss Coins was mainly because they could only be obtained by personally defeating enemies, and not by robbing others. Each Star Abyss Coin represented a slain Fusion Dao cultivator.

He didn't know how efficient others were at eliminating enemies, but his own rate was certainly not low. Of course, it wasn't top-tier either. For instance, those peak Fusion Dao cultivators who traveled in pairs definitely had a higher kill efficiency than him.

In the mysterious space resembling a treasure vault, there was an item he wanted to exchange for. However, that item required five hundred Star Abyss Coins, and Lu Ye wasn't sure if he could gather enough before the contest ended. He would do his best; if he couldn't gather enough, there was nothing he could do. After all, Star Abyss Coins wouldn't be wasted in the end. At worst, he could exchange them for a large quantity of Dao bones. These were Dao bones left behind by deceased Fusion Dao cultivators, and the Dao power stored within them was incomparably superior to that in the Dao bones of Entry Dao cultivators.

As he was counting, Lu Ye suddenly turned his head to look in a certain direction. Sounds of combat were coming from that direction. He put away his Star Abyss Coins, leapt forward, and headed towards the source of the commotion. Combat meant cultivators were present. As long as he engaged and killed them, he could gain Star Abyss Coins!

Lu Ye soon arrived at the site of the battle. He hadn't been slow, but by that moment, the fight was already nearing its end. The two parties engaged in combat were both female cultivators. One of them had a weak aura and appeared to be seriously injured. The other, however, was unharmed. Yet, on the battlefield, the injured female cultivator surprisingly held the absolute advantage. The unharmed cultivator, conversely, was steadily retreating, unable to withstand the assault. Such a situation undoubtedly indicated a vast disparity in their strengths.

Lu Ye also noticed a Star Abyss Coin floating quietly not far from where the two women were fighting. This undoubtedly meant a cultivator had died in battle. Although he didn't know the full story, just by observing the current scene, Lu Ye understood. It seemed two partnered Fusion Dao cultivators had encountered this severely injured female cultivator. Believing they had an opportunity, they had brazenly attacked. However, they hadn't expected that even severely wounded, she was still beyond their ability to contend with. The male cultivator had been killed, leaving only the female cultivator struggling to hold on.

The uninjured cultivator clearly intended to retreat. With her severe injuries, allowing her opponent to retreat would undoubtedly have been the best choice, but the severely injured woman clearly had no such intention. She displayed an intent to eradicate her opponent, leaving the other struggling in despair.

After watching for a moment, a thought struck Lu Ye. This was precisely what he needed. He had been considering finding a companion earlier, but hadn't found anyone suitable. Now one had appeared right before him. He couldn't miss this opportunity!

From his observations, this severely injured female cultivator's cultivation was quite impressive. She might not be as strong as Junior Sister Shuang, but she was definitely at the ninth level of the Fusion Dao stage. With such cultivation, supplemented by her Dao weapon, her strength would certainly exceed two hundred Dao marks. What was even rarer was that this female cultivator was human!

Actually, Lu Ye had observed on the White Jade Platform that among the more than fifty thousand Fusion Dao cultivators, while humans constituted a significant portion, it wasn't as large as one might imagine. Given a choice, Lu Ye would naturally prefer to cooperate with a human. There was an innate sense of closeness between them.

Having made up his mind, Lu Ye took a step forward and boldly entered the two women's battleground. Lu Ye's sudden appearance startled both combatants, and they each became wary. Lu Ye's long saber slashed down, its blade light dazzling. A moment later, the battle concluded with the death of the weaker female cultivator.

Lu Ye stood with his saber, turning his head to look at the pale-faced female cultivator. Her expression was extremely solemn, as the recent encounter had made her realize Lu Ye's power. Against such an opponent, she might have had a chance if she hadn't been injured, but now she was severely wounded, her Dao power in disarray, unable to exert even half of her usual strength. How could she possibly be a match for Lu Ye?

"Was she going to die here? Perhaps it's for the best!" Thinking this, a look of determination appeared on her face. With a tremor of the longsword in her hand, the longsword, clearly her Dao weapon, flowed like liquid, enveloping her entire body. Immediately after, she transformed into an incomparably sharp sword light and attacked Lu Ye in an instant.

"This temper... a bit fiery!" Lu Ye was left speechless, somewhere between laughter and tears. He had been about to ask if she wanted to team up, but before he could even open his mouth, this woman had adopted a stance as if she wanted to die with him. Lu Ye didn't know the name of her secret technique, but judging by its power, it was clearly the woman's last, desperate effort. Since that was the case, he might as well test her capabilities.

His long saber in hand spun like a crescent moon, and he struck down fiercely! The instant the saber light and sword radiance collided, it was like the eruption of a miniature sun. The dazzling, brilliant light was clearly visible even from hundreds of thousands of miles away.

As the light dissipated, Lu Ye gazed speechlessly at the woman quietly floating before him. He had indeed tested her strength, and it met his requirements. If he partnered with her, she wouldn't be a burden. "But what was with her immediately falling unconscious?"

The female cultivator's face was ashen, and blood stained her clothes. Judging by her condition, she had been severely injured even before this last battle. In such a state, and having performed a powerful secret technique, it was natural she couldn't endure. The woman was exceedingly beautiful, with a graceful figure and exquisite curves. Due to her injuries, her clothes were somewhat torn, revealing patches of fair skin. Yet, she lay unconscious before Lu Ye. Because of her unconsciousness, the longsword that had transformed into liquid to envelop her had returned to its original form. If it had been someone with malicious intent, this female cultivator might have suffered unspeakable humiliation.

Lu Ye, however, merely activated his power, enveloped the female cultivator and her Dao weapon, collected the two Star Abyss Coins, and soared away with her, finding a secluded spot to settle down.

After more than a full day, Lu Ye, who had been meditating and recovering, suddenly opened his eyes. He looked at the female cultivator lying not far away and said, "Your injuries are severe, but your foundation isn't damaged, so with some rest, you should be fine. Physical wounds are easy to heal, but wounds of the heart depend on you. If you don't wish to live, I can grant your wish right now."

While the female cultivator was unconscious, Lu Ye had examined her injuries. He didn't know what the female cultivator had experienced before, but during his examination, he noticed a problem with her state of mind. She seemed to have suffered a great blow, and her entire being exuded a sense of desolation. This was likely why she had desperately unleashed that secret technique, intending to perish together with him. At that final moment, she hadn't wanted to live.

But if she truly didn't want to live, why had she fought earlier? Wouldn't it have been simpler to just let herself be killed? Lu Ye couldn't understand it, but it was ultimately someone else's business, and it wasn't appropriate to inquire further. For him, this was a potential companion. If she was willing, it would be a win-win situation. If not, Lu Ye could still gain a Star Abyss Coin. Even though they were both human, in this environment, Lu Ye felt no pity.

The woman slowly opened her eyes. She had actually woken up moments ago and had been secretly examining herself, making sure she hadn't suffered any assault or other misfortune. Only then did she relax. Though her heart was desolate, there were some things she still didn't want to experience.

Fusion Dao cultivators all possessed extraordinary recovery abilities. Within a day, the woman had recovered considerably. She slowly sat up, then walked straight away into the distance. Lu Ye blinked. "What does this mean? She's just leaving?" After all, he was somewhat her savior. Given the situation then, even if Lu Ye hadn't killed her, merely abandoning her there would have left her in a perilous state. Not thanking him was one thing, but leaving without a word was simply too much. He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't pursue her. It was just one Star Abyss Coin; if she wanted to go, then so be it.

However, to his surprise, within moments, the woman actually returned. Only then did Lu Ye realize what she had been doing. Clearly, her previous clothes were damaged, and she had gone to find a place to change. Although her face was still pale, her appearance was much more presentable.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist. May I ask your name?" the woman asked softly.

Lu Ye stated his name.

The woman nodded. "Song Weiwei." This was clearly her name.

"Are you alone, Fellow Daoist?" Song Weiwei asked again. Since she had first seen Lu Ye, he had been by himself, and she hadn't seen any companion of his until now. There could only be one reason for this: Lu Ye's companion had died, just as hers had.

"Yes!"

"I see," Song Weiwei acknowledged. She then walked to the side and sat down, quietly focusing on her recovery.

"What do you see?" Lu Ye frowned. However, observing Song Weiwei's demeanor, it was clear she was willing to partner with him; otherwise, she would have already left. This was natural. Both were a male and a female, and both had lost their companions. Their encounter was fate, and their strengths mutually met each other's requirements. In the current environment, it would likely be difficult to find a better companion than the other.