Chapter 509: Meeting

Li Baxian had indeed arrived with Feng Yuechan. In the confined battlefield, he fought with his sword, staying close to her to ensure her safety, while Feng Yuechan’s spiritual power surged, continuously unleashing spells in all directions.

They had three opponents, or rather, five!

One opponent was already sprawled on the ground, bright red blood pooling beneath them, their fate uncertain. Judging by the injuries, it was clearly Li Baxian's work.

Another opponent was outside the immediate combat area, spiritual power surging around them as they continuously waved a formation flag.

This individual was a formation master, and the spiritual power fluctuations around them indicated they were at the fifth level.

The three directly engaging Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan were also at the fourth or fifth cultivation level.

At this moment, the three opponents looked grim, their eyes wide with horror, simply because Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan were performing with astonishing power.

They had initiated an ambush with an overwhelming numerical advantage, yet not only failed to immediately subdue their targets, but even lost one of their own. If their formation master companion hadn't promptly activated the pre-set formation, the remaining three would surely have been overwhelmed.

Even with the formation's assistance, the three found themselves in a perilous situation. The sword lights, like streaks of a rainbow, were terrifyingly lethal and fast, while the spells unleashed were incredibly powerful.

"Where did these two monsters come from?"

The group felt a bitterness in their mouths worse than coptis, realizing they had met their match.

One of the fifth-level cultivators sensed trouble. If the fight continued, not only was their own endurance uncertain, but the commotion would inevitably draw attention. If cultivators from Myriad Demons Ridge arrived, it would be no problem; they could join forces to overpower and eliminate these two formidable opponents. However, if cultivators from the Vast Heaven Alliance appeared, they would be in dire straits.

With a fifty-fifty chance, no one dared to gamble.

He promptly yelled, "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding! How about we all cease fighting?"

He already harbored thoughts of retreat, but Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan's attacks were relentless; without a mutual cessation of hostilities, they had no opportunity to disengage.

As for their fallen comrade… he was merely a temporary ally, not a sworn brother, so his death was simply a matter of bad luck.

Hearing the shout, Li Baxian furrowed his brow slightly and eased his offensive.

It wasn't that he lacked the confidence to eliminate these individuals. Rather, being caught within a formation, and with a formation master aiding their opponents, neither he nor Feng Yuechan could unleash their full potential. They were currently operating at only about eighty percent of their usual strength.

Yet, even under these circumstances, with the two of them fighting in tandem, they were confident they could eliminate all their opponents, despite being trapped within the formation.

After all, this was not a particularly sophisticated formation.

He and Feng Yuechan had cultivated in the Spirit Creek Realm for over a decade. While it might seem they had wasted considerable time, this prolonged accumulation had endowed both of them with exceptionally profound foundations.

Their opponents were merely ordinary fourth or fifth-level cultivators; they were no match for them.

However, this was ultimately a hunting ground. Prolonged conflict here could easily lead to unforeseen complications. Their priority was to rendezvous with Lu Ye.

With this thought, Li Baxian called out, "Agreed!"

His offensive slowed further.

The fifth-level cultivator who had called out felt a surge of relief and was about to speak when suddenly a tragic cry echoed from nearby. The sound caused a drastic change in the speaker's expression, as he recognized it as the voice of his own formation master companion.

From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a figure that had appeared behind the formation master, and a brilliant blade of light, glinting coldly, pierced through the formation master's chest.

"It's over!"

Lu Ye rushed to the location and immediately assessed Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan's predicament. With his eyes enhanced by the Insight Spirit-pattern, he also noticed a formation operating. There was no need for pleasantries; he immediately stealthily approached the formation master.

The opponent was solely focused on activating the formation to suppress Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan, deeply shaken by the pair's formidable power. They were entirely unprepared for Lu Ye's clandestine approach, and by the time Lu Ye made his move and they sensed his presence, it was already too late.

The Mountain Crushing Saber pierced through the individual's chest. As the long saber was withdrawn, blood gushed forth. Lu Ye then swung the saber again, decapitating the opponent.

Almost the instant Lu Ye attacked, Li Baxian, who had already slowed his assault, unleashed his flying sword once more. It shot directly at the fifth-level cultivator who had called out earlier, striking with a series of clanging sounds. The flying sword, moving like a meteor chasing the moon, sent the person stumbling backward, blood spurting from their body. Just as they managed to regain their footing, a chilling killing intent assailed them from behind.

It was Lu Ye, who had already stepped into the formation and was now charging forward to kill.

Before he even reached his target, the Mountain Crushing Saber had already unleashed a strike. A crescent-shaped blade light tore through the air, heavily striking the person's back, shattering their protective spiritual energy and carving out a bloody wound.

A scream erupted, then abruptly ceased.

Lu Ye's figure had already swept past him, moving towards the next target, his long saber trailing a spray of hot blood.

Behind him, the fifth-level cultivator swayed once, then collapsed to the ground.

However, before Lu Ye could reach the second opponent, that person was struck head-on by a Lightning Attracting spell. Lightning snakes coursed through their body, causing them to convulse and tremble, leaving them scorched. The subsequent spell then blasted a hole clean through their chest.

On the other side, the last fourth-level cultivator was also slain by Li Baxian's flying sword.

The fierce battle concluded within ten breaths of Lu Ye's arrival.

Li Baxian and Lu Ye locked eyes, the former's gaze filled with astonishment and curiosity. Lu Ye beckoned, "Follow me!"

With that, he turned and headed back the way he came, with Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan quickly following.

In the ravaged battlefield, Yi Yi swiftly collected the spoils of war before burrowing into the ground.

On the way back to the cave, Lu Ye glanced up at the hunt rankings, his eye twitching slightly when he saw the first-place entry.

A moment later, guided by Lu Ye, Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan passed through the area where the explosive formation was located, reaching the deepest part of the cave.

They each sat cross-legged. Li Baxian looked around in surprise, asking, "What kind of formation is this?"

With his keen eye, he could discern the presence of a formation, but lacking expertise in formation arts, he couldn't identify its specific type.

However, given that Lu Ye dared to bring them here for refuge, he clearly had a reliable plan.

"A teleportation formation."

"A teleportation formation?"

Both Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan were astonished. While they had long been aware of Lu Ye's remarkable proficiency in formation arts, they never imagined he could construct something as complex as a teleportation formation!

This was truly beyond their imagination.

After all, Lu Ye was currently only at the Cloud River Realm.

"How far can it teleport?"

Li Baxian inquired. The farther a teleportation formation could transport, the greater its value. A range of only a few or a dozen li would be useless, as cultivators at the Cloud River Realm could cover such a distance very quickly.

"About two hundred li."

"Hiss..."

Li Baxian drew a sharp breath.

Beside him, Feng Yuechan also wore a look of shock.

Although they were only at the Cloud River Realm, they had cultivated for many years and possessed far greater experience than Lu Ye. They naturally understood the profound implications of a Cloud River Realm cultivator constructing a teleportation array capable of transporting two hundred li.

Lu Ye's mastery in formation arts was undeniably greater than they had ever imagined.

Lu Ye must have set up more than one such teleportation formation; otherwise, he wouldn't be hiding here.

With this teleportation formation, even if Lu Ye's cultivation was lower, as long as he didn't actively seek trouble and prioritized self-preservation, he could remain secure in this hunting ground.

Li Baxian felt a pang of embarrassment. He had assumed Lu Ye was enduring a terrible time in the hunting ground, besieged by enemies, which was why he and Feng Yuechan had rushed there in such a hurry. Who would have thought their junior brother possessed such capabilities?

This was indeed good news. With the teleportation formation, even if they encountered an overwhelming powerful opponent, they could escape at any moment.

Recalling his cultivation level, Li Baxian exclaimed in surprise, "Junior Brother, how are you already at the third level?"

Upon reflection, it had been less than two months since Lu Ye advanced to the Cloud River Realm. He had initially assumed Lu Ye hadn't even reached the second level, yet a recent glance revealed Lu Ye was already at the third.

"I had good luck. I recently went through a mystic realm and gained a considerable amount of battle merits, which I then exchanged for some spirit tokens."

As they conversed, Yi Yi emerged from underground and respectfully bowed to Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan, greeting them, "Greetings, Fourth Senior Brother, and Senior Sister Feng."

Li Baxian nodded with a smile, saying, "It's been many days, Junior Sister, you've become even more radiant and captivating."

This was not mere flattery. After Yi Yi advanced to the Cloud River Realm alongside Amber, her delicate features had indeed become more appealing, and her physique seemed to have matured slightly.

The compliment made Yi Yi's eyes curve into crescent moons.

Feng Yuechan pulled her down to sit, and Yi Yi handed the spoils of war she had collected earlier to Lu Ye.

Lu Ye accepted them, casually disabling the storage bags' restrictions while chatting with Li Baxian.

During the recent skirmish, Lu Ye had ascertained his and Feng Yuechan's cultivation levels. Both Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan were now at the fourth level of the Cloud River Realm, one level higher than his own.

After all, they had entered the Cloud River Battlefield several months earlier than Lu Ye. While Lu Ye had enjoyed good fortune, their luck was also favorable; both had encountered their own opportunities during this period and had advanced to the fourth level over a month prior.

Li Baxian inquired about the Blood Pact Sect, and Lu Ye recounted everything.

Upon learning that the sect was developing well and had promising prospects, Li Baxian sighed, "Our Junior Brother has endured much."

The current Blood Pact Sect could truly be said to have been single-handedly built by Lu Ye. He recalled that when he first returned to the sect, the entire Blood Pact Sect, apart from the Sect Master and Second Senior Sister, had only him as a disciple.

Yet now, the Blood Pact Sect boasted at least seven or eight hundred disciples, if not over a thousand. The development of their stronghold was thriving, and across the entire outer perimeter of the battlefield, no other force could compare.

The various enhancements within the stronghold surpassed even those of most inner circle sects. Furthermore, they possessed abundant sect merits, allowing them to purchase additional enhancements at any time.

Moreover, the "peace money" sent by the major sects from Myriad Demons Ridge's core region had made the Blood Pact Sect wealthy overnight. Setting aside other factors, the sheer quantity of materials alone was sufficient to support the sect's development for fifteen to twenty years without any issue.

All these advantages were solely the result of Lu Ye's efforts.