Chapter 684: Such Fierceness

Inside the cave, when Lu Ye opened his eyes again, Ye Liuli was soundly asleep, leaning against the rock wall. Ever since Overbearing Blade Manor was breached, she had been in a state of constant anxiety for the past few days. Coupled with several days of non-stop flight with Lu Ye, she was utterly exhausted.

A childlike innocence still lingered on her face. She wore a purple dress, but what should have been a luxurious color was now largely covered in crimson stains – the color of blood. Unattended for days, her face was grimy, and her hair was disheveled.

It was unclear what she was dreaming of, but her brows were tightly furrowed, and her expression was tense and uneasy.

In the darkness, she suddenly opened her eyes, meeting Lu Ye's gaze. Her expression tensed. "Sixth Brother..."

"Shhh!" Lu Ye raised a finger to his lips.

Ye Liuli nodded.

Sounds came from outside, like a whooshing through the air. These subtle noises had startled her awake. Although her cultivation was not as strong as Lu Ye's, she had at least reached the Cloud River realm, and her senses were still sharp.

"It looks like there's a cave here. Let's check it out," a voice from outside said.

Ye Liuli's expression instantly tensed. Given their current condition, if their hiding place was discovered, they would surely perish. But it was too late to hide now. She cursed herself for being so useless, for falling asleep at such a critical moment. If only she had detected the enemy earlier, there might have been a slim chance of survival.

Regret was useless now. She grabbed her saber, steadied herself, and stood up, positioning herself to shield Lu Ye.

The name Overbearing Blade Manor originated from Ye Ying; the term "overbearing" didn't describe his character, but rather the exceptionally fierce and overpowering nature of the blade techniques he practiced. Naturally, Ye Ying's children, having grown up immersed in this environment, all practiced the same lineage of blade techniques. Ye Liuli's saber, in both shape and size, looked almost identical to Lu Ye's Mountain-Shattering Blade.

Though small and accustomed to a pampered life, in that moment, the young woman displayed a newfound resolve. With Sixth Brother heavily injured and unable to fight, and their location now compromised, her only option was to eliminate every approaching enemy to secure even temporary safety. Even if it meant death, she would rather die before him!

No sooner had the young woman prepared herself than a figure burst into the cave. It was a man in blue, whose dust-covered appearance suggested he hadn't rested properly for days. Before he could fully assess the situation inside the cave, a flash of saber light erupted in his vision. This strike was like a fierce tiger descending from the mountain, or a flood dragon emerging from the sea – unmatched in its ferocity. It was hard to imagine that such a petite woman as Ye Liuli could unleash such a dominant blade technique.

Attacked so suddenly, the blue-clad man's expression changed. He hastily unfurled the long sword in his hand, forming a protective curtain of swords to shield himself from Ye Liuli's attack. At the same time, he shouted, "They're here!" Had he focused solely on the fight, he might have fared better, but at that critical moment, he chose to shout, inadvertently weakening his own aura.

Spiritual energy surged and clashed as the saber light sliced through the continuous sword curtain. Accompanied by a sharp scream, the blue-clad man who had rushed in was sent sprawling. The opponent's cultivation was comparable to Ye Liuli's, and given her current state, she logically should not have been his match. However, the blade techniques of Overbearing Blade Manor were always fierce and dominant, renowned for allowing the weaker to overcome the stronger. Coupled with Ye Liuli's desperate resolve to protect, while her opponent was merely following orders, this sudden confrontation resulted in her severely wounding him.

Her eyes shone, and she was about to press her advantage and finish him off. However, a figure flashed before her eyes, and another person appeared. A gauntleted fist emerged from the darkness, shattering her saber's glow. Unleashing immense power, it sent her flying.

The pursuing enemies were clearly not alone; there were several of them. However, the cave was narrow. The blue-clad man, severely wounded by Ye Liuli, had entered first, followed closely by the gauntlet-wearing cultivator. Three others remained at the cave mouth, standing guard.

The newcomer's aura surged, and his burly build indicated he was clearly a body cultivator. In such a narrow cave, facing a body cultivator like him was undoubtedly a most desperate situation.

Ye Liuli struggled back to her feet, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Yet, she still stood alone before Lu Ye, her long saber slightly uplifted, adopting a defensive stance.

The body cultivator who had just entered scanned the scene, noticing the blood at Ye Liuli's mouth and Lu Ye lying faintly breathing behind her. He let out a soft snort. "To think that the esteemed Young Master Ye Six and Young Lady Ye Seven would stoop to such a state one day. How pathetic, how lamentable!"

"Who are you people!" Ye Liuli snapped, gritting her teeth. There was nothing more tragic than this: her family destroyed and scattered, yet she still didn't know who was behind it all.

"What's the point of asking that now?" the body cultivator replied, regarding Ye Liuli calmly. "We merely take people's money to solve problems for others. If you must blame someone, blame your father for provoking someone he shouldn't have."

Little information could be gleaned from that single remark, other than the implication that Ye Ying had provoked a powerful enemy, leading not only to his own death but also implicating his children and causing the vast family legacy he had built over his lifetime to vanish like smoke. Furthermore, the enemy clearly had no intention of saying anything more to Ye Liuli, or perhaps they didn't know much themselves.

"Young Lady Ye Seven," the body cultivator continued, "considering your father was quite a figure, kill Young Master Ye Six, and then end your own life. That way, we can report back easily."

Ye Liuli gritted her teeth. "You're dreaming!"

The body cultivator's eyelids lowered. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be. Ending your own life will spare you much pain. If we have to do it ourselves, what you face will be far worse than simple death!"

Ye Liuli seemed to grasp the implication; her eyes immediately widened in terror, and even the breath she had been holding escaped in a gasp. Although she was the pampered young lady of Overbearing Blade Manor, she had heard countless tales of misfortunes that befell beautiful women. She had never imagined that such a fate could one day befall her. If that were truly the case, death would be preferable.

"What an opportunity!"

While the body cultivator spoke of letting Ye Liuli end her life, he had actually been searching for an opening. Although his cultivation was far higher than Ye Liuli's, and he didn't believe she could pose any threat in her current state, he was inherently cautious and knew the potential people could unleash when pushed to their limits. His subtle verbal intimidation had caused her composure to waver. If he didn't strike now, when would be a better time?

He shifted his stance, and spiritual energy surged around him. The body cultivator lunged towards Ye Liuli like an arrow loosed from a bow. His burly frame contrasted sharply with the young woman's delicate one, this assault akin to a hawk hunting a rabbit. How could Ye Liuli, already suffering from unhealed old wounds and new injuries, possibly withstand this well-prepared strike? Yet, she didn't retreat a single step, remaining steadfast before Lu Ye. Feeling the powerful spiritual energy fluctuations and immense aura emanating from her enemy, Ye Liuli knew the odds were heavily against her this time. Even if she trained diligently for another two or three years, she might not be a match for such a powerful enemy, let alone in her current state. She couldn't be taken alive by him! Even if she died by his hand, she absolutely could not be taken alive! With that thought, a death wish bloomed in Ye Liuli's eyes.

Just then, however, a figure suddenly flashed out from behind her, followed by a resplendent glow.

"What?" the body cultivator exclaimed. All his attention had been on Ye Liuli; for a moment, he hadn't even noticed when an extra person appeared before her. What met his gaze then was a sharp, fiery red saber light.

"Haah!" A profound sense of crisis enveloped his mind and body. The body cultivator let out a roar, raising his fist to meet the saber light. His vital energy surged, and spiritual energy pulsed, causing his fist to glow with a pinkish aura.

A continuous stream of saber light descended. In that instant, it was as if several saber hums rang out at once, yet also as if it were just one. The pinkish glow shattered abruptly as the sharp saber sliced into his knuckles, nearly severing his forearm.

"Ah!" It was both a gasp of surprise and a shriek of agony. He was a body cultivator with seventh-level cultivation. While not peak in the entire Dragon Ascension Realm, it was still formidable. He had never imagined that someone in this world could cleave through his vaunted defenses with a single saber strike. The blade techniques of Overbearing Blade Manor… could they be so fierce?

Another flash of saber light bloomed, slicing horizontally. The body cultivator hastily tried to counter, crossing his arms protectively before him. Yet, the saber light cut through his elbows like slicing through tofu, and as it swept past, his two severed forearms flew off.

The body cultivator staggered backward, blood gushing from his severed forearms. The rapid turn of events had thrown his mind into chaos. It was only then that he realized another figure had appeared before him… it was the very Young Master Ye Six who had been lying on the ground! *This brat tricked me!* a thought surged in the body cultivator's mind. When he first entered, he had seen Lu Ye lying there, appearing half-dead, and had completely disregarded him. In his eyes, dealing with Ye Liuli would be enough to complete the mission. Who would have thought that the Young Master Ye Six he had ignored possessed such combat prowess!

Lu Ye was smaller than him, and at first glance, it seemed as if Lu Ye had merely run into his embrace. But the Mountain-Shattering Blade in Lu Ye's hand thrust upward, its sharp edge piercing the body cultivator's jaw and plunging directly into his brain.

"Gurgle..." The body cultivator's eyes widened in disbelief as gurgling sounds escaped his throat. His body twitched and convulsed, and as Lu Ye withdrew his saber, blood gushed, and the man collapsed to the ground, quickly ceasing to move.

The events of those mere two seconds stunned Ye Liuli, and the blue-clad man who had entered first was dumbfounded. It wasn't until his comrade was killed and Lu Ye's gaze fell upon him that he let out a shriek and desperately tried to retreat. But it was too late to flee now. The weapon sheath at Lu Ye's waist hummed, and nine streaks of light shot out in quick succession, piercing the opponent's protective spiritual energy and riddling his body with holes. The man collapsed outside and fell silent.