Chapter 2664: Just This

"That's exactly what I was thinking!" Lu Ye nodded. Zhu Yin wasn't the only one with the idea; Lu Ye also wanted to collect the bones.

He had received much kindness from the Phoenix Clan this time, and with no way to repay them, taking the bones out and giving them to the Phoenix Clan would be a small token of gratitude.

Moreover, in this process, he could still gain something.

Since it was confirmed that the Void Beasts wouldn't stray too far from the bones, this matter held great potential.

"Let's rest and recuperate first," Lu Ye said.

After this battle, both were considerably wounded. Fortunately, both possessed strong physiques, so recovery wouldn't be difficult. As for the spatial energy lingering in their wounds, it wasn't an issue for them; they were already proficient in this area, so neutralizing it was naturally simple.

Moreover, Lu Ye also needed time to comprehend the newly accumulated spatial mysteries, to better exert the power of his Dao Seed.

"Junior Sister, refine these two Dao Seeds," Lu Ye said, handing two Dao Seeds to Zhu Yin.

Only two remained, obtained from the last two Void Beasts they killed. Lu Ye had urgently refined all their previous gains, leading to a rich accumulation of spatial mysteries within him.

Zhu Yin nodded.

The two then sat down, each to heal and recuperate.

Time passed.

Figures moved through the spatial corridor—the Phoenix Clan powerhouses who had entered to search for them. Yet, despite searching for many days, they still found nothing.

The spatial corridor was intricate and complex inside, constantly changing. Thus, there was no such thing as a map. The Phoenix Clan members had no confidence whether they could find Lu Ye and Zhu Yin; they could only rely on luck.

Several more days passed. In a passage, Lu Ye ran swiftly, a nimble aura flowing around him. He appeared flustered, but his expression was calm and composed.

Over these past few days, his proficiency in wielding the power of his spatial Dao Seed had improved significantly.

Behind him, numerous Void Beasts, startled, pursued relentlessly. Although their numbers were fewer than in previous days, they were still far too many for him to handle alone.

Ahead, a slender figure appeared: Zhu Yin, who had been waiting there.

They exchanged glances. By the time Lu Ye swept next to her, his saber was already in hand.

Just as the Void Beasts attacked, a high-pitched dragon roar suddenly echoed. As before, the figure of a white dragon appeared, coiled around Zhu Yin. A temporal force field spread out, causing the Void Beasts caught within it to become motionless.

The slaughter began!

Having cooperated once before, their second collaboration was even more seamless.

After this battle, dozens more Void Beasts were slain. When Zhu Yin could no longer sustain it, the two quickly retreated.

A moment later, the Void Beasts behind them, just as before, scattered like birds and beasts.

Then, Lu Ye and Zhu Yin sat down to divide their spoils.

He naturally intended to split them evenly with her, but Zhu Yin only took three of them, saying: "Brother Lu, you seem to have a way to quickly refine Dao Seeds, so you can have all of these."

She wasn't sure what Lu Ye's method was, but after spending so much time together, how could she not have noticed? Previously, whenever Lu Ye obtained Dao Seeds, he would refine them quickly.

Lu Ye said, "That's not right. We worked together, so we should certainly split them evenly."

Zhu Yin slowly shook her head. "Void Beast Dao Seeds cannot be kept for too long. During this period, I can only refine three. Any more would be useless and would simply vanish."

"That's a thing?" Lu Ye asked, surprised. He genuinely hadn't known.

"Of course, I wouldn't deceive you, Brother Lu." Zhu Yin smiled. "To be honest, even the Phoenix Clan seniors who came in for training probably haven't gained as much as we have. While the number of Void Beasts in the spatial corridor isn't small, they are extremely scattered. Encountering them is actually just a matter of luck."

Lu Ye nodded. This was evident from their previous experience; if they hadn't accidentally stumbled into a Void Beast lair, they wouldn't have had such a massive haul.

Currently, he held the absolute majority of their gains, with only a small portion going to Zhu Yin.

"Then I won't decline your generosity. Thank you, Junior Sister," Lu Ye said, expressing his gratitude.

His Dao Seed foundation was already very strong. If he refined more, it would undoubtedly grow significantly. Lu Ye's only current frustration was that his comprehension wasn't enough, and he couldn't fully unleash the power of his Dao Seed.

After several more days of refining and cultivation, Lu Ye swaggered to the front of the cave. This was how he had come last time; as soon as he appeared, numerous Void Beasts had pursued him out.

After two rounds of slaughter, the remaining Void Beasts numbered less than half of their original count.

Lu Ye and Zhu Yin had just discussed their plan: this time, they would eradicate all the Void Beasts and then collect the Phoenix Clan senior's bones.

Then they would need to find a way out; they couldn't be trapped here indefinitely.

The plan was good. However, a moment later, Zhu Yin looked suspiciously at Lu Ye, who was sweeping towards her. She saw that there was nothing behind him, no trace of Void Beasts pursuing him.

"What's wrong?" Zhu Yin asked.

Lu Ye frowned and said, "They're not coming out!"

He had just tried. Even when he charged into the cave, the Void Beasts scattered among the massive bones remained motionless. But when he tried to attack, they began to retaliate. And once he exited the cave, the Void Beasts retreated as well.

"How can that be?" Zhu Yin asked, surprised.

Lu Ye said with a solemn expression, "I suspect some of those Void Beasts might have developed intelligence."

Otherwise, why couldn't he lure them out? Based on the previous two times, these Void Beasts only acted on instinct. They should have been easy to lure out this time. But they were actually holding their ground within the cave.

"That can't be..." Zhu Yin frowned. "I haven't heard of Void Beasts having intelligence."

Lu Ye said, "If these Void Beasts truly originated from the Phoenix Clan senior's bones, then it might not be impossible."

"What do you intend to do, Brother Lu?" Zhu Yin asked.

"If they won't come out, then we'll have to go in and kill them," Lu Ye replied. "But be careful. If there truly is one that has developed intelligence, it won't be easy to deal with."

Zhu Yin nodded at his words.

A moment later, Lu Ye and Zhu Yin stood side by side in front of the cave.

The Mountain-Splitting Saber slowly unsheathed. Lu Ye held his saber, took a step forward, and Zhu Yin followed closely behind.

As a fierce saber glow slashed out, the battle instantly erupted.

The numerous Void Beasts originally scattered on the massive bones transformed into black shadows and pounced. Lu Ye and Zhu Yin defended the cave entrance, each unleashing fierce power.

Zhu Yin did not activate the power of her Dragon Soul, because with the slaughter during this period, Lu Ye's mastery of the spatial Dao was no longer comparable to when they first entered.

His spatial power was stronger, which made it easier for him to kill Void Beasts. Often, a single saber strike could inflict massive damage on a Void Beast.

His figure swept through, appearing and disappearing erratically, like an elusive phantom.

His cultivation and comprehension during this period gave him many ideas he wanted to test in practice, and this sweeping technique was one of them.

Originally, this technique was the ultimate method for fighting against multiple opponents. But no matter how agile his body or how fast his movements were before, there were always discernible traces.

If an enemy had keen enough eyesight and sharp enough methods, they could crack this technique.

But now, as Lu Ye integrated spatial energy into this technique, there were truly no discernible traces left. His figure would vanish from one spot and instantly appear in another; a blink later, he would appear in a third location.

This could no longer be called a simple sweeping technique. Lu Ye named it the Void Sweeping Technique.

If he were to encounter the previous spatial turbulence now, he could easily take Zhu Yin and avoid it without being affected by the turbulence's power.

With such a lethal technique, there was no longer a need to cooperate with Zhu Yin. Her secret art consumed too much of her own energy and couldn't be maintained for long; she only needed to take care of herself.

Void Beasts fell one after another under his saber, and Dao Seeds were collected.

As he activated his spatial power, Lu Ye's Void Sweeping Technique became increasingly fluid. Such practical combat was indeed an excellent method to improve his spatial mastery, far more efficient than quiet contemplation and arduous cultivation.

Just as Lu Ye's figure flickered once more, he suddenly turned his head to look towards Zhu Yin. Immediately after, his figure vanished from his spot again.

As the saber light flashed, a loud clang rang out. Lu Ye's body jolted, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

Zhu Yin immediately turned her head to look. At this moment, Lu Ye was blocking her side, his long saber parrying a spike that had attacked at an unknown moment.

The spike came from a seemingly unremarkable Void Beast. Amidst the chaos, it had quietly snuck up beside Zhu Yin and brazenly launched an attack.

Zhu Yin was secretly alarmed. If Lu Ye hadn't arrived in time to block that attack, she wouldn't have been able to dodge it at all and would have been severely injured.

"Brother Lu..." Zhu Yin exclaimed.

"It's this one!" Lu Ye's eyes shone brightly. He had just suspected whether one or more of these Void Beasts had developed intelligence.

Now, it seemed there really was one!

This Void Beast had hidden itself very well. He hadn't detected it at all before it suddenly attacked. In fact, if he hadn't evolved his sweeping technique into the Void Sweeping Technique, even if he had detected it instantly, he wouldn't have been able to save her.

However, since the opponent had revealed its presence, there wasn't much to worry about.

The collision just now gave Lu Ye the confidence to defeat it. This Void Beast's power far exceeded that of other Void Beasts, but it wasn't so strong that he couldn't contend with it.

Just as Lu Ye's words fell, an astonishing scene unfolded.

An odd cry suddenly came from within the Void Beast. At first listen, it resembled a phoenix's cry, but it was much duller. As this sound resonated, the numerous Void Beasts seemed to be drawn by something, gathering towards their location.

Lu Ye's expression changed, and he sharply commanded, "Stop them!"

Zhu Yin also realized something was wrong. Her Dragon Soul power surged, a dragon's shadow appeared, and the temporal force field spread out.

Lu Ye strenuously charged towards the Void Beast. But the opponent wasn't greatly affected by the temporal force field; it quickly retreated, and as it did, it directly collided with another Void Beast.

In a blink, the two merged into one!