Chapter 497: Disappeared

Jiang Liuzi frowned. "How long has he been in the Cloud River Battlefield?"

"It's unclear exactly when he entered the Cloud River Battlefield, but intelligence indicates he ascended to the Cloud River Realm less than two months ago!"

Jiang Liuzi gasped.

Less than two months since ascending to the Cloud River Realm—in other words, even if he entered the Cloud River Battlefield immediately after his ascension, it's still only been that long. Yet, he's already at the third level of the Cloud River Realm! What kind of terrifying cultivation speed is this?

The Cloud River Realm is indeed a stage where cultivation can rapidly improve, thanks to miraculous items like Spirit Tokens. However, Spirit Tokens aren't easily acquired. Even when fortunate enough to encounter a "Heaven-bestowed Spirit Token," one must contend with hundreds or thousands of people, fighting tooth and nail for a chance to snatch one or two. Their quality cannot be guaranteed; purple or golden Spirit Tokens are invariably targets for cultivators at the eighth or ninth level. With Jiang Liuzi's current cultivation, he would, at most, dare to vie for blue ones. Daring to even think about purple or golden Spirit Tokens would surely teach him a harsh lesson.

How many Spirit Tokens did this Lu Yiye acquire to instantly reach the third level of the Cloud River Realm? Everything pales in comparison. Jiang Liuzi considered his own cultivation speed to be quite fast, but compared to Lu Ye, it was utterly insignificant.

"We've arrived."

As they spoke, the two figures descended. Jiang Chengzi, who had been hidden in the shadows, revealed himself and came forward to meet them.

"Is he still there?" Wei Que asked.

"Over there, there's a cave. He's hiding inside and hasn't come out," Jiang Chengzi said, pointing in a direction.

"Excellent!" Wei Que's face lit up with delight. He instructed, "Jiang Chengzi, go in and ambush him. If you succeed, that's ideal. If not, Jiang Liuzi and I will act together to kill him. After it's done, I'll take sixty percent of the spoils, and you two brothers will share forty percent!"

Although Wei Que immediately claimed sixty percent of the spoils for himself, his ninth-level cultivation indeed qualified him for such a demand. Naturally, Jiang Liuzi had no objections. As for Jiang Chengzi, he still hadn't grasped Lu Ye's identity and thus didn't understand what "forty percent of the spoils" truly meant. But since his own brother remained silent, he naturally wouldn't speak out either.

"Then I'll go," Jiang Chengzi said, producing a dark short blade and holding it in his hand. He swiftly concealed his presence and stealthily moved towards the cave.

Earlier, when he fought Lu Ye in the valley, his stealth technique was directly broken, and he was severely humiliated as a result. Jiang Chengzi was naturally unwilling to accept this, believing it was merely Lu Ye's luck that his stealth technique was disrupted. His array of assassination techniques couldn't be deployed, forcing him into close-quarters combat. How could he be a match? He secretly vowed that this time, he would redeem the name of ghost cultivators! He would show that fox-faced man the terror of a ghost cultivator's ambush!

After he disappeared, Wei Que and Jiang Liuzi also prepared to provide support at any moment.

After waiting for a moment, a sudden explosion echoed from the direction of the cave, followed by a burst of flames shooting skyward! Wei Que and Jiang Liuzi, who had been waiting in tense readiness, both froze. They couldn't understand why Jiang Chengzi, merely going to ambush a third-level Cloud River Realm cultivator, would create such a massive commotion. Moreover, the sound seemed somewhat off, as if...

"Something's wrong!" Jiang Liuzi exclaimed, and transformed into a streak of sword light, rushing towards the source of the commotion. Wei Que frowned and followed suit.

A moment later, amidst a pile of collapsed rubble, Jiang Liuzi unearthed Jiang Chengzi, who had been buried beneath. Jiang Chengzi was covered in blood, his hair disheveled, and his body charred, looking utterly miserable. Fortunately, his life was not in danger.

"What happened? Where is Lu Yiye?" Wei Que asked.

The cave had already collapsed, but there was no sign of Lu Yiye anywhere, only Jiang Chengzi. Jiang Chengzi gasped for air, his face showing a look of terror, as if he had just survived a disaster. After a good while, he replied, "I didn't see anyone. This place was booby-trapped with a Blasting Formation!"

He had originally believed this trip would allow him to wipe away his previous disgrace, but not long after entering the cave, he stepped directly into a Blasting Formation. There was hardly any room to maneuver inside the cave. So, even though Jiang Chengzi sensed something amiss the moment the formation was triggered, he couldn't escape. The formation activated, the cave collapsed, and he was buried inside. As for that fox-faced man... he hadn't seen him at all.

"Didn't you say he was here?" Wei Que's expression darkened.

"He was definitely inside, but I don't know why he's gone!" Jiang Chengzi explained. He had personally watched the fox-faced man enter the cave, and there had been no sign of him emerging from beginning to end. Yet, the fellow had vanished as if by magic. Now, it seemed the only explanation was that the other party had already detected being followed, so they deliberately set up a formation ambush in the cave and then quietly left using a stealth talisman.

Wei Que's face was grim; he felt distressed. He had expected a prosperous venture, but it turned out to be a wasted trip. The crucial point was that there was now no way to track Lu Ye's whereabouts! In this vast Cloud River Battlefield, if the other party intentionally concealed himself, who could possibly find him?

Of course, if the news were leaked and cultivators from the entire Ten-Thousand Demon Ridge faction were mobilized, Lu Yiye would have nowhere to run or hide. However, the Cloud River Battlefield is far more complex than the Spirit Stream Battlefield, and Wei Que was unwilling to share such immense benefits with too many people. With his ninth-level Cloud River Realm cultivation, as long as he found Lu Ye's whereabouts, he was confident enough to kill him.