Chapter 589: Battle of the Giant Armor

He looked up to see Ju Jia, who had just thrown a punch, holding his stance with a look of intense struggle on his face. In an instant, he moved to block the fox demon and slammed his fist down towards the approaching Lu Ye.

Lu Ye leaped back, dodging the blow, his heart filled with an unprecedented horror!

In a single exchange, Ju Jia's mind had been enslaved by the fox demon!

What kind of monstrous ability was this?

Lu Ye didn't understand how the fox demon enslaved minds, only guessing it was her innate talent. However, based on the information Lu Ye possessed, even if the fox demon wanted to achieve this, she needed direct physical contact.

Before, when he feigned unconsciousness and was brought back to Fox Immortal Valley, the fox demon had placed her hand on his forehead and then used her secret technique.

He had never imagined that without direct contact, the fox demon could also cast this secret technique from a distance.

Furthermore, Ju Jia had, after all, followed him deep into the Soul Washing Pool, where his soul had been tempered. While the benefits he gained weren't as significant as Lu Ye's, his soul was still much tougher than those of cultivators at the same level. Yet, despite this, he was enslaved by her with just a glance. The power of the fox demon's innate divine ability far exceeded Lu Ye's imagination.

A trusted helper had suddenly turned against him. This unexpected turn of events truly caught Lu Ye off guard.

What puzzled Lu Ye even more was why the fox demon hadn't died after taking a strike from him.

His blade had pierced directly into the fox demon's heart, and as it passed through her body, it was also imbued with the 'Heavy Thorn' spiritual rune. There was no reason for the fox demon to still be alive.

Yet, though her aura was as weak as a flickering candle in the wind, she simply wouldn't die!

After repelling Lu Ye with a punch, Ju Jia suddenly turned, scooped up the fox demon who was still coughing blood, and leaped up, soaring skyward, fleeing directly towards the depths of Mount Taimang.

This is bad!

If Ju Jia managed to take the fox demon away, all his plans for today would be for naught.

He had waited so long in Fox Immortal Valley, finally getting this prime opportunity today. There would be absolutely no chance for another.

Besides, he had already revealed himself today. If Ju Jia really took the fox demon away, he might never find them again!

Just as Lu Ye was thinking this, a slender figure suddenly appeared in front of Ju Jia. It was Yi Yi, who had been lurking nearby.

At this moment, Yi Yi charged straight towards Ju Jia, unleashing several spells with a raised hand. Ju Jia didn't dodge or evade, withstanding the spells which struck him, scattering sparks everywhere. With one arm, he held the heavily injured fox demon; with the other, he clenched his fist and mercilessly smashed it towards Yi Yi.

Lu Ye's heart tightened as he watched.

However, at that very moment, the Nine Array Diagram appeared in Yi Yi's hand, expanding with the wind, and transformed into a sky-obscuring curtain, enveloping Ju Jia.

Caught off guard, Ju Jia's fist plunged into the array diagram, as if striking an invisible space, his entire arm swallowed.

Ju Jia tried to retreat, but Lu Ye had already arrived, kicking Ju Jia hard on the back, like kicking steel, emitting a dull thud, directly kicking him into the Nine Array Diagram.

Within the diagram, in an environment of chaotic stone pillars, two figures immediately appeared.

'Well done!' Lu Ye praised loudly, and following closely behind Ju Jia, he plunged into the Nine Array Diagram.

Inside the Nine Array Diagram, the dark sky resembled thick cotton, making one feel suffocated. Eerie vortices slowly spun in the sky, giving the entire space a deeply unsettling feeling.

This was not a true world; it was merely a dimension within the Nine Array Diagram.

Ju Jia still held the fox demon, standing silently beneath a stone pillar, glaring fiercely at Lu Ye who had pursued them inside. The expression on his face was unfamiliar to Lu Ye.

The fox demon was still spitting blood, a look of unprecedented panic on her face. Compared to her current tragic situation, what shocked her most was Lu Ye's sudden betrayal.

She had never imagined that a cultivator under her command could one day betray her and inflict such immense pain.

Dozens of yards apart, neither Ju Jia nor Lu Ye moved.

Although Ju Jia's cultivation level was the same as his, no one in the world probably knew better than Lu Ye how formidable Ju Jia's physical body was.

If it came to a life-or-death battle, while he could certainly defeat Ju Jia, he himself would not emerge unscathed.

But with Ju Jia's mind enslaved, if he didn't deal with him first, he couldn't hope to harm the fox demon. It was truly a headache.

'Who exactly are you?!' the fox demon snarled through gritted teeth.

Lu Ye glanced at her indifferently, his gaze calm, as if looking at a dead person.

Now that she was in the Nine Array Diagram, the fox demon was certainly doomed. What he needed to consider now was how to bypass Ju Jia and kill the fox demon.

'You were never affected by my secret technique, were you?' the fox demon asked again. At this point, she finally understood some things.

Today's events were absolutely no coincidence. Instead, Lu Ye had planned them long ago, taking advantage of Fox Immortal Valley's cultivators being mentally relaxed and severely weakened after their battle with the berserk giant ape, and suddenly launching his attack, truly catching her off guard.

Just then, Yi Yi's voice suddenly entered Lu Ye's ears: 'Lu Ye, should I send some demon wolves in to help?'

'No!' Lu Ye quickly refused.

It would have been fine if he hadn't known the fox demon could enslave minds from a distance, but now that he knew, he absolutely couldn't allow anyone else, human or beast, to enter the Nine Array Diagram. Otherwise, not only would they not help, but they would also make the situation worse.

Even Ju Jia couldn't resist the fox demon's secret technique, let alone those demon wolves. If they were sent in, they would only become the fox demon's helpers.

Therefore, this battle today would be fought by him alone!

Aside from Yi Yi, he would not rely on any other external force.

'Adapt as needed!' Lu Ye murmured softly, his body slightly hunched, his Mountain-Sunderer Blade held vertically before him, his gaze fixed on Ju Jia, assuming an offensive stance.

The next moment, dust swirled beneath his feet. With the 'Windwalk' enhancement, he lunged forward like lightning, reaching Ju Jia in the blink of an eye. His long blade, wreathed in flames, slashed down fiercely, aiming directly for the fox demon in Ju Jia's arms.

Ju Jia raised his right arm, a flash of profound light blossoming on it, forming a protective barrier.

The long blade struck, emitting a clang, and the rebound force made Lu Ye's body lean back slightly. However, the profound light barrier on Ju Jia's arm only trembled slightly.

The next moment, the Mountain-Sunderer Blade fell again, mercilessly, still striking towards the fox demon.

The fox demon's pupils constricted. During Lu Ye's time in Fox Immortal Valley, his identity had always been that of an array master. The fox demon's greatest understanding of him was his formidable mastery in array formations. The fact that Fox Immortal Valley was able to successfully kill the berserk giant ape this time was largely due to the numerous arrays Lu Ye had overseen and set up.

But the fox demon had never imagined that this array master, whom she had relied on so heavily, could unleash such power!

Lu Ye was only at the fourth-level cultivation stage, but his strength was comparable to cultivators at the sixth or seventh stages within the valley.

Even more surprising to her was Ju Jia's performance.

Enslaving Ju Jia was a last resort, and she had never expected that this burly man, who had the same cultivation level as Lu Ye and whom she had just met, would also perform so remarkably.

These two... where did these monsters come from?

Had she perhaps enslaved someone extraordinary?

As the fox demon's mind reeled, Lu Ye and Ju Jia had already exchanged blows more than ten times. Every strike Lu Ye delivered was with full force, holding nothing back, yet every blow was completely blocked by Ju Jia.

Although he had long known of Ju Jia's powerful physique and formidable defense, it was only by truly fighting him that he could genuinely appreciate the terrifying strength of his defense.

Though Ju Jia was not injured, he was still in a wretched state under Lu Ye's relentless assault. Firstly, he was on the defensive, and secondly, he had to divert strength to protect the fox demon in his arms.

Even without any distractions, if he were to fight Lu Ye, he might not be Lu Ye's match, let alone now.

Under the continuous heavy blows of the blade, Ju Jia's body kept retreating. In contrast, Lu Ye, with every descending slash, closed in step by step, his oppressive aura growing stronger.

The fox demon sensed something was wrong and suddenly looked up at Lu Ye, her beautiful eyes immediately transforming into abysses. The strange power fluctuations surged once more.

Even though she guessed Lu Ye was unlikely to be affected by her secret technique, the fox demon still couldn't resist trying.

The strange power invaded Lu Ye's mind, and a faint gray mist immediately ignited around his innate talent.

The light in the fox demon's eyes dimmed slightly. Indeed... this guy had absolute resistance to her secret technique. But she truly couldn't understand how a fourth-level cultivator of the Cloud River Realm could resist it.

No matter how strong his mind was, it made no sense for him to be unaffected by her secret technique.

Another blade strike descended. As this strike fell, a brilliant light flashed on the Mountain-Sunderer Blade, imbued with the 'Heavy Pressure' spiritual rune!

Ju Jia, who raised his arm to block the strike, instantly hunched down, feeling as if an immense force had descended upon him. He roared, and a powerful, violent energy surged from his body, attempting to resist the suppression of this force.

However, the next moment, the heavy pressure suddenly vanished.

This sudden change left Ju Jia flustered and unprepared. His impenetrable defense finally showed a slight flaw, and even his body staggered.

Lu Ye drew his blade and thrust it straight, aiming directly for the fox demon's face.

A look of terror appeared on the fox demon's pale face, her beautiful eyes reflecting the fiery red gleam of the blade, which rapidly grew larger in her vision.

However, this strike ultimately failed to take her life. At the critical moment, Ju Jia seized the Mountain-Sunderer Blade, allowing the sharp edge to cut deeply into his large hand, causing it to bleed profusely, but he gritted his teeth and refused to let go.

Lu Ye's eye twitched. He leaped up and delivered a kick, using the rebound force, to create distance from Ju Jia.

Pfft... The fox demon spat blood, her face utterly devoid of color.

Although she had been continuously protected by Ju Jia and not directly wounded by Lu Ye, the clash between Lu Ye and Ju Jia had been incredibly fierce. No matter how well Ju Jia protected her, she still suffered significant shockwaves.

Normally, such shockwaves would have no effect on her. But she had first been injured by the berserk giant ape, then ambushed by Lu Ye. Now severely wounded, the repeated shockwaves from the exchanges made her extremely uncomfortable.

Ju Jia evidently noticed this, and lowered his head to look at the fox demon in his arms, his eyes filled with worry.