Chapter 666: Pursuing the Fugitive

Trailing behind the Cloud River Ninth-Layer cultivators were the Eighth-Layer ones. They had been on the verge of giving up the pursuit, as it seemed Lu Yiye was destined to die at the hands of the Ninth-Layer cultivators anyway, rendering their continued chase pointless.

However, just then, they saw Lu Ye lower his posture, turn around, and fly back towards them.

Overjoyed, they all descended, preparing to intercept him.

But before they could fully prepare, Lu Ye retracted his spirit boat. A pair of fiery red wings unfurled behind him, and he transformed into a streak of crimson light, flashing past them from below.

The moment those wings appeared, Lu Ye's speed increased by an entire tier!

Everyone's expression changed. They had never imagined Lu Ye possessed such a technique. Some faintly realized what was happening, looking back along the path with concern, secretly marveling at Lu Yiye's outrageous audacity and recklessness.

The battle in the mine outside Mount Tai Mang had taught Lu Ye a valuable lesson.

Revenge, he learned, should be swift, ideally not delayed overnight. Otherwise, once the chance was missed, even if his strength grew later, he might not get another opportunity for retribution. After all, the Cloud River Battlefield was vast, and tracking someone's whereabouts was incredibly difficult.

His current strength was indeed no match for Ninth-Layer cultivators, and he would have to fight hard against Eighth-Layer ones. However, killing those below the Eighth-Layer would generally not be too much trouble.

The hundreds of cultivators who had pursued him from Heavenly Secret City varied in cultivation levels. After soaring for over a hundred miles, their group had stretched into a single line, with the lower-cultivation cultivators trailing at the back.

Lu Ye had already bypassed the interception of the Eighth and Ninth-Layer cultivators. Now, he was heading straight for those below the Eighth-Layer.

These cultivators had almost lost sight of Lu Ye, only continuing their chase driven by self-interest and hatred. Suddenly, they saw a figure with fiery, flowing wings charging towards them, and they were momentarily stunned.

Straining their eyes to see, someone exclaimed in surprise, "It's Lu Yiye!"

As soon as the words left their lips, many cultivators quickly summoned their spirit artifacts and secretly channeled their spiritual power, ready to give Lu Ye a harsh welcome the moment he reached them.

The next instant, the fiery red streaking light, imbued with an unstoppable momentum, crashed into the formation of these Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators.

Violent spiritual energy surged unstoppably in that moment, with booming sounds resounding incessantly, accompanied by screams and gasps of shock.

In an instant, the crimson light that was Lu Ye pierced through the enemy formation like an arrow. Behind him, a thick mist of blood exploded, and severed limbs and torn flesh scattered everywhere.

In that brief contact, at least seven or eight people were slain.

The remaining Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators were all horrified. No one had expected Lu Ye, a Fifth-Layer cultivator, to unleash such immense power.

While it was true that over two thousand Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators, including several Cloud River Ninth-Layer experts, had died by his hand in the cave outside Mount Tai Mang, they had been poisoned, which wasn't a direct display of his personal strength.

Few knew Lu Ye's true strength.

It was only now that everyone realized Lu Ye's own power was not to be underestimated. In the short encounter just now, not a single Myriad Demon Ridge cultivator had been able to withstand a single strike from him.

The crimson light, having pierced through the formation, changed direction again and charged forth once more. Several more Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators, still reeling, were instantly killed.

"Lu Yiye, how dare you!" an enraged shout came, as the Eighth and Ninth-Layer cultivators had already caught up, their eyes wide with fury.

They had never expected Lu Yiye to be audacious enough to turn back and slaughter over a dozen people right under their noses.

Although the deceased were not their relatives, everyone still felt their faces burning with shame.

Lu Yiye's action was practically a slap in their faces.

Sensing the powerful pursuers closing in, Lu Ye did not linger. After piercing through the enemy formation a second time, he immediately fled in one direction. With every beat of his fiery red wings, his figure covered a vast distance.

The dozen or so Ninth-Layer cultivators pursuing him were horrified to discover that, in this state, Lu Ye's flying speed was not at all inferior to theirs; in fact, he was even slightly faster!

When he first emerged from Heavenly Secret City, Lu Ye's demonstrated speed was already astonishing, equivalent to that of an ordinary Eighth-Layer cultivator despite his Fifth-Layer cultivation. Everyone had attributed it to his flying spirit artifact.

But what about now?

He had put away his flying spirit artifact, relying entirely on his own abilities, and his speed was even greater than before.

This was simply incomprehensible.

At this point, the Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators finally understood why Lu Ye had dared to flee from Heavenly Secret City; he clearly had something to rely on.

"Everyone, those are Flying Wing Spirit Patterns!" someone suddenly exclaimed. "Lu Yiye must have an incredibly skilled spirit pattern master behind him."

The speaker clearly had some understanding of the Way of Spirit Patterns. Although he knew Lu Ye was also a spirit pattern master, he didn't believe Lu Ye's own ability could construct a stable Flying Wing Spirit Pattern that allowed cultivators to fly. This defied logic; constructing and maintaining the stability of a spirit pattern while simultaneously activating its power for flight was something even a Divine Sea Realm cultivator might not achieve.

Perhaps for a short period, it was possible, but over an extended time, errors were bound to occur.

Spirit Patterns like Flying Wings, which required long-term maintenance, were generally used in the art of tattooed spirit patterns.

The man continued, "His continuous activation of the tattooed spirit pattern's power demands an immense toll on his body. Given his Fifth-Layer cultivation, he can at most sustain it for half an hour. So, gentlemen, do not let him escape! You must keep up with him. In half an hour, he will surely die!"

At these words, the group of Ninth-Layer cultivators instantly perked up.

Some had been considering using speed-enhancing secret arts, but hearing this, they dismissed the idea. Any technique involving secret arts at that level came with a certain degree of backlash... just as Shadow Wuji had become extremely weak after activating a secret art to escape outside Revival Valley.

Therefore, no cultivator was willing to activate a secret art unless absolutely necessary.

It must be said that this Ninth-Layer cultivator had a considerable understanding of the Way of Spirit Patterns, but he did not understand Lu Ye.

For an ordinary Fifth-Layer cultivator, activating the Flying Wings so desperately would indeed not last very long. This was fundamentally a spirit pattern that Cloud River Realm cultivators were not supposed to be able to master.

But who could have imagined that Lu Ye possessed something like the Talent Tree? The Flying Wing Spirit Pattern was activated on the Talent Tree, meaning its activation consumed far less energy than a mere Flying Wing Tattooed Spirit Pattern.

Furthermore, Lu Ye had a profound foundation, and he had been consuming spirit pills to replenish his energy from the very beginning. Thus, the situation would certainly not unfold as that cultivator predicted.

Time passed, and the distance between them gradually widened. Even with the group of Ninth-Layer cultivators desperately pushing their limits, after half an hour, they could only see a distant red dot...

Such a distance was dangerous, because if it widened further, they would lose sight of Lu Ye entirely. With the world being so vast, where would they find him then?

The Ninth-Layer cultivator who had spoken earlier now had an ashen face.

He had previously sworn that Lu Ye, with his cultivation, could only last half an hour at most. Now, the time limit was up, but from Lu Ye's vigorous posture in the distance, it was clear he was full of life, showing no signs of exhaustion.

On the contrary, they themselves were considerably depleted after half an hour of full-power exertion. While not entirely exhausted, their strength was certainly affected.

As if sensing the subtle gazes around him, the cultivator who had spoken earlier gritted his teeth and declared, "He definitely won't last much longer! Fellow Daoists, victory is within reach. You absolutely must not give up. At the very least, we cannot let him get away, or all our efforts will be in vain."

As he spoke, the spiritual power surging around him pulsed in an extremely peculiar rhythm. Immediately, his entire body became flushed with a red glow, and his already incredibly fast speed increased by another level, instantly pulling away from the others.

He had clearly activated some secret art that boosted his speed.

Seeing his certainty, others followed suit, activating secret arts they wouldn't normally use.

Cultivators at their level generally practiced secret arts for self-preservation or desperate measures, either passed down from their sects or purchased from the Heavenly Secret Treasury.

Lu Ye had also practiced secret arts. The 'Heart Eye' technique taught by Xia Liang was a secret art of the Mad Blade Sect.

The 'Blood Shifting Art' taught by his Third Senior Brother was also a secret art.

However, these two secret arts he learned had very little backlash. Especially the Heart Eye technique, which was merely an extension and expansion of perception.

The Blood Shifting Art did have some backlash, but its effects wouldn't be too significant if one was careful.

The secret arts the Ninth-Layer cultivators were now employing were different. Each was designed to boost escape speed in critical moments, with very noticeable backlash. The longer they were sustained, the greater the backlash.

But at this moment, to avoid being outrun by Lu Ye, they disregarded these consequences. Especially one sword cultivator, who, as a sword hum resonated, instantly surpassed everyone else, taking a commanding lead.

The distance Lu Ye had previously opened up was now continuously closing.

Lu Ye, fleeing ahead, clearly sensed this. However, he was already at full speed, continuously activating both the Wind Walk and Flying Wing Spirit Patterns, with no way to increase his speed further.

Moreover, the spiritual power within him was being consumed at an immense rate.

Even though he constantly consumed spirit pills for replenishment, the spiritual power consumption for Lu Ye, while maintaining two Spirit Patterns, was unimaginable. The energy gained from refining spirit pills simply wasn't enough to cover the expenditure.

Fortunately, he still had his Spirit Storage Ring!

The spiritual power stored in this spirit artifact ring was accumulated either by his own infusions or through natural dispersion over time, making it instantly accessible without any delay or hidden dangers.

As the chase continued, the scenery on the ground rapidly receded behind them.

Lu Ye quickly pulled out a map to check his current location and look for suitable hiding spots nearby.

He had to prepare for being caught. If he truly couldn't shake off those pursuers, he would have to find terrain he could use for cover.