Chapter 74: A Leaf

Winds Stir Kyushu

As Lu Ye darted out, the baby-faced cultivator who had called out grew desperate, his attacks becoming increasingly fierce. The person he was fighting was already somewhat outmatched, and now, caught in a pincer attack with Lu Ye, his situation immediately became precarious.

Although the moniker "Overmountain Tiger" originated from the Profound Sect, the cultivators of the Nine Star Sect were also well aware of it. It was a reputation Lu Ye had forged through his kills over the past few days.

Reputation is a curious thing. Facing an ordinary third-stage cultivator, any fourth-stage cultivator wouldn't feel much pressure. However, if this third-stage cultivator had killed several fourth-stage cultivators and established a name for himself, the situation would be entirely different.

The fourth-stage cultivator from the Nine Star Sect now felt immense pressure. Fighting one against two, he was overwhelmed. In just three breaths of time, he was suppressed by Lu Ye and the baby-faced cultivator, left with almost no ability to retaliate.

Seeing Lu Ye's blade slash down, he hastily pulled out a spirit talisman, intending to activate it. However, the baby-faced cultivator to his side delivered a tricky sword thrust, striking his wrist. The man's grip loosened, and the spirit talisman fell to the ground.

Seizing this opportunity, Lu Ye's blade rose and fell, striking the cultivator down with a single blow.

"What a sharp blade!" The baby-faced cultivator's eyes narrowed as he watched. He thought to himself that it was indeed as Senior Brother Wang Yang had predicted: this Overmountain Tiger truly possessed an extraordinary spirit artifact. Otherwise, a third-stage cultivator like him could not have so easily breached a fourth-stage cultivator's protective spiritual energy, let alone severely injure the opponent with a single strike.

Immediately, the baby-faced cultivator's face lit up with a smile. "Good brother, I've decided to be friends with you!"

However, Lu Ye didn't even glance back. He plunged directly into the thick of the battle, leaving a heavily wounded enemy lying before the baby-faced cultivator.

"Pl-please... spare me!" The ground beneath the fourth-stage cultivator was stained red with blood. He stared terrified at the baby-faced cultivator.

The baby-faced cultivator's smile vanished. He said faintly, "You're a fourth-stage cultivator; don't speak such naive words!" His long sword pierced the opponent's chest. The man's body suddenly stiffened...

A speck of red light emanated from the back of the dead fourth-stage cultivator's hand and floated onto the back of the baby-faced cultivator's hand. The baby-faced cultivator's face lit up with a smile once more. Raising his sword, he charged towards Lu Ye, shouting, "Good brother, I'm here to help you!"

An incense stick's time later, the great battle subsided.

All the cultivators from the Nine Star Sect were annihilated. It wasn't that they didn't want to escape, but that they had no opportunity to. Engaging in battle within such a narrow canyon, once defeated, there was generally no way out. Turning their backs to the enemy and fleeing would only lead to a swifter death.

The Profound Sect also suffered losses; three cultivators died, and most of the others were injured. However, overall, it was a thorough and exhilarating victory. Those who survived felt little sorrow; instead, they were joyful.

This was the norm in the Spirit Creek battlefield. Countless Spirit Creek stage cultivators battled each other, and death was commonplace.

In this great battle, only two people died by Lu Ye's blade. However, at least four or five were injured by him.

After the battle, no one from the Profound Sect collected the spoils of war. They all just quietly watched Lu Ye. It wasn't that they didn't want the spoils, but that Lu Ye's behavior over the past few days had established an unspoken understanding between them.

All spoils of war would belong to the Profound Sect. In return, the Profound Sect cultivators would give Lu Ye some spirit pills as compensation.

The baby-faced cultivator was the leader of the group. He took a step forward, clasped his hands, and asked, "How should I address you, Junior Brother?"

Five zhang in front of him, Lu Ye was applying healing pill powder to his wounds. It was his first time experiencing a melee of this scale. The battles he had previously participated in didn't involve many combatants; even the largest one involved fewer than ten cultivators.

This time, there were twenty people. He realized that a melee of this size was very dangerous for any cultivator. Even those with higher cultivation might be injured or killed, because human energy is limited, and it's impossible to guard against all attacks.

He had several wounds on his body, all left by the Nine Star Sect cultivators' desperate last attacks.

Hearing the baby-faced cultivator's question, Lu Ye pondered for a moment.

Before entering, the sect master had instructed him not to reveal his identity as a disciple of the Jadeblood Sect. And the name Lu Ye clearly couldn't be used, as many sects knew about his recruitment by the Jadeblood Sect.

He didn't want the moniker "Overmountain Tiger"...

"Yi Ye!" Lu Ye had indeed made a careful choice.

"So it's Junior Brother Yi Ye." The baby-faced cultivator again clasped his hands with a smile. "I am Chu Tian of the Profound Sect!"

Lu Ye returned the gesture with a clasp of his hands, maintaining a detached expression, giving off an unapproachable aura.

"It's like this..." Chu Tian adjusted his wording slightly. "A few days ago, Senior Brother Wang Yang sent a message, saying that if there was an opportunity, he'd like to invite Junior Brother Yi Ye to be a guest at the Profound Sect. What do you think, Junior Brother?"

"Wang Yang?" Lu Ye frowned.

Chu Tian chuckled and said, "He's a Senior Brother who is stationed at our sect's outpost."

Lu Ye wasn't particularly surprised that the other party invited him to be a guest at the Profound Sect. In recent days, he had saved many Profound Sect cultivators, and his practice of exchanging spirit pills with them had also allowed many Profound Sect cultivators to profit. Both by sentiment and by reason, the other party should show some appreciation.

Inviting him as a guest was clearly a gesture of goodwill.

However, his identity could not be exposed. Thus, he dared not have too close contact with unfamiliar sects. Moreover, he was only passing through and would not have a long-term association with the Profound Sect.

"No need." Having made up his mind, Lu Ye shook his head and refused.

Chu Tian showed no annoyance at all, as if he had already anticipated Lu Ye's response. He still smiled and said, "If that's the case, then so be it!" As he spoke, he winked at someone behind him. That person immediately acted, taking out a storage bag, and went to each of his fellow disciples, collecting the spirit pills.

While waiting, Chu Tian added, "Junior Brother Yi Ye, if it's convenient for you, could you leave a contact method? That way, if anything comes up, we can exchange information with our Profound Sect."

Lu Ye didn't know how to leave contact information. However, he had some conjectures. In the past few days when he killed enemies, many Nine Star Sect cultivators, before dying, would reach out and tap the back of their hands, causing their battlefield mark to glow, just like Zhang Wu did after being heavily injured at the very beginning.

The battlefield mark should not only record information but also be used for communication.

Thinking of this, Lu Ye nodded, "Alright!"

Chu Tian then wiped his own hand back, and a speck of blue light, like a burning flame, lingered on his fingertip. He flicked his finger, and the blue light flew towards Lu Ye, like a blue butterfly, landing on the back of Lu Ye's hand.

Lu Ye's heart stirred. The blue light imprinted itself into his mark and vanished.

At the same time, he vaguely felt that something had been added to his battlefield mark. However, it was inconvenient to investigate it at that moment, so he continued to maintain his aloof demeanor.

The spirit pills from the Profound Sect cultivators were quickly collected. At Chu Tian's signal, they were handed to Lu Ye. Lu Ye put them away without inspecting them, called out to Amber, and vaulted onto the tiger's back.

"Junior Brother Yi Ye!" Chu Tian suddenly called out to him.

Lu Ye sat upright on the tiger's back, turning his head to look at him.

Chu Tian said earnestly, "It seems there's someone from Boundless Isle among the Nine Star Sect. Junior Brother, you must be extremely careful."

Lu Ye nodded slightly. The great tiger turned its direction and sped away, leaving dust in its wake.

Chu Tian watched his departing figure, stroking his smooth chin. "Disciples from these major sects are indeed very arrogant," he muttered, "they don't even put Boundless Isle in their eyes!"

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