Chapter 393: You Have Half an Hour

Wind Rises in Kyushu

"Yes, four thousand merit points. You might not have that many, but I think you should be able to gather them!"

The most common way to earn merit points is by killing enemies. They can also be obtained by selling items to the Heavenly Secret Treasury. Normally, a Spirit Creek Realm cultivator would find it very difficult to accumulate so many merit points. Of course, if someone is a garrison commander or vice-commander of a certain outpost, they could also issue themselves a monthly salary.

Four thousand merit points is a huge sum for cultivators in the outer or inner circles. However, for some core circle cultivators, it's not impossible to obtain if they make an effort.

Especially a powerful and beautiful female cultivator like Bai Lan, who would be well-cared for in any sect. Even if she couldn't gather them herself, someone would find a way to help her.

Lu Ye asked for twenty portions of Earth Core Flame, which wasn't an exorbitant demand. It was a figure he arrived at after comprehensive consideration.

"Why should I give you twenty portions of Earth Core Flame?" Bai Lan said, annoyed.

This was the first time she had encountered something like this in a Spirit Creek Ranking challenge, leaving her speechless. The notorious "Sect Exterminator" Lu Ye was infamous, and she had heard his name countless times. Only upon meeting him today did she realize there was something wrong with his mind.

Thinking about it, would someone with a normal mind attract such widespread targeting from the entire Ten Thousand Demon Ridge?

"If you want to fight, then fight. Stop with the nonsense," Bai Lan snapped.

Then she saw Lu Ye leave a trail of afterimages as he rapidly charged towards her.

She raised her hand and unleashed a continuous barrage of spells towards Lu Ye. However, he weaved through the spells, precisely dodging every attack, rapidly closing the distance between them.

If an ordinary spell cultivator encountered this situation, they would immediately create distance, continuously attacking while retreating.

But Bai Lan was a formidable expert ranked forty-eighth on the Spirit Creek Ranking; how could she be an ordinary spell cultivator?

Moreover, the moment Lu Ye made his move, she realized their speeds were not on the same level. Not only was Lu Yi Ye's artifact-controlling speed unparalleled, but his own speed was also astonishingly fast.

She couldn't retreat far at all.

So, she made a decisive move. Her hand seals changed, and she formed a spell incantation. At the same time, a light suddenly shone from the back of her hand.

It wasn't the light of a battlefield imprint, but the light of a spirit tattoo!

On the back of this woman's hand was a tattoo inscribed by a Spirit Tattoo Master!

Since the Azure Blood Sect had Spirit Tattoo Masters like Madam Yun, how could the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge not have them? However, tattoos of this kind were incredibly valuable, so few Spirit Creek Realm cultivators possessed them.

Aside from the various materials required to inscribe a spirit tattoo, simply commissioning a Spirit Tattoo Master was a considerable expense.

To put it realistically, the tattooed flying wings Lu Ye had previously obtained were, in terms of value, no less than a magic artifact.

Furthermore, tattoos were categorized into overt and covert, and also temporary and permanent, with each type requiring different resources to create.

The tattoo Bai Lan activated was clearly a covert one, as it was invisible before and only revealed itself when she channeled it. This allowed her to catch her enemies off guard.

It was unclear whether it was temporary or permanent; if the latter, the cost of inscribing this spirit tattoo would have been immense.

Though the spirit tattoo flashed and vanished, Lu Ye saw it clearly. It looked somewhat familiar, similar to the Lightning Attraction spirit tattoo he had recently acquired.

The surroundings were filled with mist formed by the collision of water and fire spiritual energy, covering a vast area. At this moment, it was too late to escape this region.

Lu Ye immediately understood his opponent's intention. He frantically channeled his spiritual energy, and his body was instantly enveloped by a protective layer formed by a defensive spirit tattoo.

A bolt of lightning struck, directly targeting Lu Ye's position. In an instant, lightning snakes snaked through the mist-shrouded area, accompanied by incessant crackling sounds.

Lu Ye's body trembled as he truly felt the power of a top-fifty Spirit Creek Ranking expert. The strength of his defensive spirit tattoo rapidly weakened. Even as he desperately channeled spiritual energy to maintain its operation, it broke after only three breaths. Few Spirit Creek Realm cultivators could withstand such lightning power.

Under Bai Lan's horrified gaze, Lu Ye, his face scorched black, charged out from the lightning-filled space. As he rushed forward, he even exhaled a puff of black smoke from his mouth.

Despite her horror, Bai Lan's hands did not stop moving. A vivid, ferociously roaring water dragon lunged towards Lu Ye, while she rapidly retreated.

She had no choice but to retreat; her strongest trump card hadn't even fazed Lu Yi Ye. How could she dare remain in place?

The Fire-Coiled Mountain-Cleaving Blade struck down, colliding with the water dragon. A tremendous impact came head-on, causing Lu Ye's sword-wielding arm to momentarily falter.

As light flashed across the blade, a Heavy Pressure spirit tattoo was activated.

The long blade cut through like a hot knife through butter, splitting the water dragon in two. In an instant, it was before Bai Lan, striking down with a fierce blow.

Bai Lan's face was filled with alarm and fear at this moment. She touched a tear-shaped earring beneath her earlobe, and as spiritual energy surged, a protective layer quickly formed.

Lu Ye's initial intention with that strike was not to take Bai Lan's life. After all, he was still hoping she would deliver the Earth Core Flame; if he killed her, there would be no Earth Core Flame.

However, upon seeing that protective layer, another flash of light appeared on the Mountain-Cleaving Blade, activating a double sharpness enhancement.

With one strike, Bai Lan's body flew backward like a broken sack, utterly disheveled.

The protection didn't break, so she wasn't injured. After all, the earring was a high-grade spiritual artifact; even if she couldn't fully activate its power, it was enough to keep her from dying.

However, under this one strike, the glow of the protective barrier significantly dimmed, and the immense force of the impact could not be negated.

Bai Lan scrambled to her feet, but before she could steady herself, she felt another powerful impact, sending her flying again. This time, the protective barrier had become extremely faint.

She couldn't withstand a third strike!

Bai Lan panicked.

She had originally thought that with this high-grade spiritual artifact bestowed by her master, she would be invincible. But now she realized she had underestimated this brute; the intensity of his attacks surpassed her comprehension. She truly couldn't understand how a Sky-Eight Realm cultivator's single sword strike could be so terrifying.

Lu Ye did not pursue her; he stood quietly in place.

Bai Lan hastily got up, looking at Lu Ye from a distance, still shaken.

"You have half an hour."

After saying this, Lu Ye then shouted, "I concede!"

His figure rapidly faded, then vanished.

Bai Lan was dumbfounded...

She had already prepared to concede, but her opponent actually conceded first.

What was this supposed to mean?

Bai Lan instantly grasped Lu Ye's intention: in half an hour, that brute would challenge her again!

Damn it!

On the giant rock by the cliff, the man waited anxiously. Although his junior sister had a high-grade spiritual artifact for protection, Lu Yi Ye's previous track record was undeniable. Since he began climbing the rankings, not a single cultivator from the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge who was ahead of him had survived. His junior sister was the apple of his eye; how could he not be worried?

Just as he was feeling anxious, the void ahead twisted, and his junior sister's figure suddenly appeared.

The man looked at his junior sister, then at the Spirit Creek Ranking...

His junior sister's rank was forty-eighth, unchanged, and Lu Yi Ye's rank was fiftieth, also unchanged.

"You won?" the man exclaimed in surprise.

Bai Lan looked at her senior brother, her face pale. Recalling that she would have to face that aggressive brute again in half an hour, her mouth puckered, "Senior Brother..."

The man's expression changed, and he nervously asked, "What's wrong, Junior Sister? Are you injured anywhere?"

"Wuwuwu..." Bai Lan threw herself into his arms, weeping disconsolately.

The man was frantic. "Are you hurt anywhere? Tell me quickly."

Bai Lan just kept crying, shaking her head vigorously.

The man's face turned green. His junior sister showed no signs of injury, yet she was so distraught...

Could it be...

That scoundrel Lu Yi Ye, I swear we are irreconcilable!

After a good while, as Bai Lan's emotions stabilized, the man finally understood the situation. He sighed in relief; things weren't as he had imagined.

"You said that scoundrel asked you for twenty portions of Earth Core Flame?"

"Mhm."

"And then he'll challenge you again in half an hour?"

"Definitely. He just conceded himself and withdrew from the arena."

Recalling the aggressive feeling of that brute charging with his blade, Bai Lan felt a shiver down her spine. She had fought many weapon cultivators before, but none had ever given her such a strong sense of oppression. That fire-coiled long blade hadn't physically harmed her, but it had left her spirit riddled with holes.

Regardless, she never wanted to fight someone like him again. The feeling of her life being constantly at risk was very unpleasant.

What was certain was that without the high-grade spiritual artifact bestowed by her master, she would have died in that recent battle.

"That's simple then. Next time he challenges you, just refuse him. You don't have to fight him in this match."

Bai Lan, still sniffling from crying, had a sudden thought: "Right, I have the right to refuse. There's no need to fight him at all."

As long as her ranking on the Spirit Creek Ranking was below his, he would never be able to trouble her again!

That hateful fellow actually wanted to extort twenty portions of Earth Core Flame from her? He could go to hell!

"Senior Brother is so smart!" Bai Lan said, a smile breaking through her tears as she wiped her eyes, her mind instantly relaxing.

In the wooden house in the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest, Lu Ye was cultivating by consuming pills.

Yi Yi and Hua Ci sat upright before him, both facing Lu Ye.

"If you have something to say, say it."

Lu Ye felt somewhat uncomfortable being stared at.

Hua Ci said sarcastically, "I never would have guessed. The great 'Sect Exterminator' Lu Ye is actually a tender-hearted gentleman who cherishes women."

Yi Yi added, "He's not tender-hearted towards all women, only those with significant assets."

"How significant?"

"Hmm... at least bigger than yours."

Hua Ci thoughtfully considered, "Wouldn't living like that be exhausting?"

"I don't know," Yi Yi said, indicating she had never experienced such a burden, and asked curiously, "Sister Hua Ci, are you tired?"

Hua Ci smiled gently, "It's alright."

"That's enough, both of you!"

Seeing the two women's conversation drift further and further off-topic, Lu Ye couldn't stand it any longer. "In your eyes, am I that kind of person?"

The two women thought seriously for a moment, then nodded in unison.

Yi Yi said, "Back when we left Qingyun Mountain, didn't you like it when female cultivators lectured you with grand principles? The grander the principles, the more you seemed to appreciate it."

Hua Ci also said, "I still remember the first time we met; someone was clearly wrapped up like a zongzi, yet their eyes were incredibly mischievous."

"You've misunderstood me," Lu Ye said, a little sad.