Chapter 244: Insight

The enemy, who moments ago should have been on the ground, now appeared above him. Under the bright moonlight, a pair of fiery red wings, made of flowing spiritual energy, gently pulsed on the person's back. Spiritual energy coiled around a long blade in their hand as they swiftly struck down at him!

"This is impossible!" the spell cultivator shrieked inwardly as his body plummeted.

*Boom...* Dust billowed as the spell cultivator's body slammed hard onto the ground. He felt as if many of his bones had shattered, and a mouthful of fresh blood gushed out.

The spiritual energy barrier, which had withstood an attack from the Mountain-Shattering Blade imbued with two Sharpness Spirit Marks, also dissipated into nothingness. It wasn't that it had been broken, but rather that the spell cultivator could no longer sustain it.

To evade the power of Lu Ye's spirit artifact, he had flown quite high, nearly forty *zhang* from the ground. Consequently, the fall left him half-dead.

Darkness clouded his vision, he couldn't see, and his ears rang intensely. Blood oozed from the spell cultivator's seven orifices; such injuries clearly put him in a dying state.

Lu Ye lightly landed beside him, retracting the wings from his back. He then inverted his long blade, aimed it at the spell cultivator's heart, and plunged it directly.

The spell cultivator's body tensed, and he instinctively grabbed the blade of the Mountain-Shattering Blade with both hands, his eyes reflecting profound unwillingness.

He was a ninth-level spell cultivator. If he had died in a fair fight, he would have accepted it as a testament to his opponent's superior skill or his own lack thereof. But against Lu Ye, a mere seventh-level cultivator, he hadn't even managed to cast a single spell before being inexplicably killed. How could he possibly accept such a fate?

His unwillingness was futile. His rigid body slumped back to the ground, a crimson light flew forth, and the ninth-level spell cultivator... was dead!

Lu Ye withdrew his long blade and walked towards the spot where the weapon cultivator had vanished. As if breaking through a subtle barrier, the surrounding scenery twisted, and he found himself back in the familiar rocky forest terrain.

At this moment, the battle raged fiercely. One of the Hao siblings engaged the weapon cultivator in close combat, while the other manipulated a spirit artifact from a distance, harassing him. Their seamless cooperation infuriated the weapon cultivator.

Individually, the Hao siblings were no match for this weapon cultivator, but when they teamed up, he couldn't stand against them.

Cultivators of the same level can still differ significantly in strength.

Lu Ye had previously noticed that this weapon cultivator's spiritual aura wasn't particularly vibrant, indicating he was much weaker than Yuan Guang, whom Lu Ye had killed.

If Yuan Guang had been the one fighting the Hao siblings, he might have been able to take on both of them, but this particular weapon cultivator clearly lacked that capability.

Already frustrated by the ongoing fight, the weapon cultivator was further unnerved when Lu Ye suddenly materialized out of thin air.

Ordinarily, a mere seventh-level cultivator wouldn't warrant his attention, but in his current disadvantaged position, he absolutely could not afford to face any more enemies.

He was puzzled, wondering where his spell cultivator companion was and why he hadn't managed to kill the seventh-level cultivator.

A fiery red streak of light shot from Lu Ye's hand towards the weapon cultivator. Casually, he popped a spirit pill into his mouth and began to chew.

He didn't know when he had developed the habit, but after a battle, he always felt like consuming a spirit pill, even if his energy expenditure hadn't been significant.

This Qingtian Sect weapon cultivator was now trapped within the Nine Realms Map, like a cornered beast fighting for its life, yet his death was inevitable. Even without Lu Ye's involvement, the Hao siblings could have dispatched him.

Therefore, Lu Ye chose not to advance, instead providing support with his spirit artifact.

His relationship with the Hao siblings was a cooperative one, so he naturally couldn't hog all the benefits. A partnership founded on the principle of "everything is mine" would inevitably be fragile.

Clanging sounds echoed as two streaking spirit artifacts continuously circled the weapon cultivator, striking him at opportune moments. Though Hao Jing was a woman, she fought with a ferocity that matched any man. Her movements were incredibly swift, her spirit artifact a mere blur in her hands, and she consistently capitalized on the weapon cultivator's momentary distractions to strike at his vitals. After a dozen breaths, the weapon cultivator had several new wounds, his clothes stained crimson with blood.

Twenty breaths later, the battle concluded as Hao Ren's spirit artifact pierced through the weapon cultivator's back of the head.

A crimson speck of light floated from the weapon cultivator's corpse and settled onto the back of Hao Ren's hand.

Meanwhile, Hao Jing swiftly collected the spoils of war.

A strong sense of repulsion emanated from the surroundings. In an instant, the three returned to their original position, where two additional corpses now lay on the ground. Yiyi stood nearby, holding the Nine Realms Map.

Hao Ren burst into a hearty laugh, exclaiming, "That was exhilarating!"

The siblings had decided to join Lu Ye's scheme only after witnessing his capabilities, but they remained uncertain about their chances of success.

Now, however, Qingtian Sect had already lost two ninth-level cultivators without a single casualty on their side, which significantly bolstered the siblings' confidence.

Lu Ye then gave the command, "Let's go!"

Lu Ye lifted Amber from his shoulder and dropped it to the ground, where it immediately reverted to its original size. He then vaulted onto the tiger's back, pulling Yiyi up with him, and Amber galloped forward, advancing towards Qingtian Sect's mining area.

Meanwhile, the Hao siblings melted into the surrounding darkness, becoming invisible, though their faint presence indicated they were not far away.

Luring the snake out of its hole was a trick that could only work once; a second attempt would be impossible.

The Qingtian Sect cultivators were not fools. Two ninth-level cultivators had pursued the enemy, yet the enemy had not only survived but had returned. The cultivators remaining at their post would only need a brief investigation to ascertain the fate of those two ninth-level cultivators, after which they would send word back to their headquarters.

Hao Ren had already thoroughly scouted the area beforehand. There were a total of three ninth-level Qingtian Sect cultivators assigned to guard the mine. Two had been lured out and killed, leaving only the last one at their post.

Therefore, once this remaining ninth-level cultivator was eliminated, there would be no more ninth-level cultivators in the mining area. With Lu Ye's current strength, he could then act as he pleased, provided they withdrew before Qingtian Sect could react.

The immediate priority, therefore, was to eliminate this opponent.

They continued forward. About three *li* from the mining area, Lu Ye dismounted from the tiger's back. Amber transformed into the size of a cat and leaped onto his shoulder. Yiyi, meanwhile, went ahead to scout, seeking the ninth-level cultivator's position.

The Hao siblings remained nearby, ready to provide support, waiting only to locate the final ninth-level cultivator before joining forces with Lu Ye for a decisive kill.

As Lu Ye took a step, he subtly inhaled, and a spirit mark silently enveloped his body. In that instant, all traces of his presence vanished, including Amber, who rested on his shoulder.

This was the Concealment Spirit Mark.

It was a spirit mark he had obtained alongside the 'Splinter' spirit mark.

There was a type of spirit talisman called a Concealment Talisman. Lu Ye had utilized such talismans when rescuing Amber and used to carry several, as they proved highly effective in certain specific environments.

For instance, at this very moment!

However, ever since he acquired the Concealment Spirit Mark from the Talent Tree, those talismans had become obsolete.

In truth, Lu Ye desired a spirit mark that could completely conceal his physical form even more. If he possessed such a mark, he could vanish entirely, becoming as elusive as a ghost cultivator, far beyond merely suppressing his aura.

Gazing up, he could vaguely discern scattered lights emanating from the mining area, originating from the entrances and exits of the various mine shafts.

This sight reminded Lu Ye of his days mining in Evil Moon Valley...

He had initially believed that becoming a cultivator would entirely free him from arduous tasks like mining. Yet, he hadn't realized that even cultivators sometimes had to engage in it.

This practice wasn't unique to Qingtian Sect; it was common among all major sects. The resources produced within their strongholds were a vital source for cultivators' daily cultivation, and no one would willingly abandon them. No sect was affluent enough to forgo such resources.

Major sects had previously considered hiring ordinary mortals for mining, given the considerable mortal population in the Spirit Stream Battlefield. However, dangerous creatures frequently emerged from the mines, and cultivators from enemy sects often launched attacks. In such scenarios, mortals possessed no means of self-preservation and regularly suffered severe casualties.

Consequently, over time, no mortals dared to mine for cultivators any longer.

Left with no alternative, cultivators were forced to undertake the mining themselves.

It could be said that anyone who had spent time in the Spirit Stream Battlefield, whether disciples from major sects, minor families, or even rogue cultivators, were practically adept miners.

It was common to find pickaxes or other peculiar mining tools in a cultivator's storage bag.

Less than a *li* from the mine, Lu Ye, who had been moving silently forward, abruptly halted.

A faint sense of danger arose, as if he were being watched.

Without a moment's hesitation, Lu Ye channeled spiritual energy into his right eye, where an intricate spirit mark rapidly materialized.

Instantly, his vision transformed.

Enhanced by this spirit mark, named 'Discernment', he saw scenes ordinarily imperceptible. Everything around him ceased to appear realistic; his vision now reflected lines and bands of light, varying in thickness, constantly twisting and shifting. These were the manifestations of the world's spiritual energy.

The Discernment Spirit Mark's purpose was to clearly perceive the flow of spiritual energy and its transformations.

His gaze swept across his surroundings, then returned, fixating on a spot to his left. The flow of spiritual energy at that location seemed unusual; a specific area was noticeably denser than its surroundings. If that area were outlined, it would unmistakably form a human shape!

That humanoid shape was rapidly closing in on him, reaching his vicinity in the blink of an eye.

In that very instant, a dense sense of peril enveloped Lu Ye, causing the hairs on his entire body to stand on end.

The Mountain-Shattering Blade instantly shot from its sheath. Enhanced by the Sharpness Spirit Mark, he brought it down in a powerful forward slash.

*Clang!* A short blade materialized without warning, deflecting Lu Ye's strike. Immediately afterward, a figure appeared out of thin air before Lu Ye.

This was a short man with a small mustache. Judging by his spiritual aura, he was clearly a ninth-level cultivator!

Moreover, he was a ninth-level ghost cultivator! Otherwise, there would be no logical explanation for such strange abilities.

Was this the ninth-level cultivator who had been left to guard the area?

Lu Ye had no time for further thought; he retracted his blade and thrust straight ahead.

The ghost cultivator opposite him clearly wore an astonished expression, having never imagined that a mere seventh-level cultivator could so easily detect his presence and even gain the upper hand.

The powerful strike his opponent had unleashed was immensely heavy. In his hurried attempt to parry, he felt the web between his thumb and forefinger tear.

Seeing Lu Ye thrust another blade strike, he hastily raised his spirit artifact to block.

Just then, Amber, crouched on Lu Ye's shoulder, let out a sudden roar. The air itself seemed to twist, and a visible wave of energy slammed into the ghost cultivator. The ghost cultivator felt his head buzz as if he'd been struck hard by an invisible sledgehammer, leaving him momentarily dizzy and disoriented.