Chapter 901: You probably can't command me

"Junior Brother Lu, what do you think?" Shangguan Qiu, who had been quiet, suddenly turned to look at Lu Ye, who was adjusting his chaotic spiritual power.

King Gengwu's Team A3 had members with various strengths, and Shangguan Qiu's specialty was keen observation.

They had just experienced a massive upheaval and were hit by the divine sense of a Divine Sea Realm master, leaving their minds agitated. Others might not have paid much attention, but Shangguan Qiu hadn't forgotten. Before Ning Ge revealed his true cultivation, this temporary recruit, Junior Brother Lu, had already struck a blow. This undoubtedly meant he had an extremely keen perception of the impending crisis, allowing him to act before Ning Ge.

One must remember, Ning Gu was a hidden Divine Sea Realm expert!

Such acute perception was truly astonishing.

Given the current situation, it was certainly not wrong to ask for Lu Ye's opinion.

One shouldn't judge a book by its cover, or measure the sea by the bushel. Shangguan Qiu never underestimated others due to their low cultivation, just as King Gengwu had previously said, "Who hasn't started from the first stage of the True Lake Realm?"

"What's the point of asking him?" Xiao Ruyun said impatiently. "He's just a first-stage True Lake Realm cultivator; he probably hasn't even seen a real battlefield. In this situation, a swift retreat is the best course of action."

Shangguan Qiu glanced at him. "If the Captain were awake, he likely wouldn't make that choice."

"But the Captain is already unconscious, and he would never joke about our lives!"

Amidst the arguing, Lu Ye suddenly stood up, leaning on his long saber. He took a few deep breaths; his chest and abdomen felt a dull ache, but other than that, he was fine and it wouldn't affect his combat performance.

He beckoned with his hand, and Amber immediately transformed into the size of a cat, leaping onto his shoulder.

"Junior Brother Lu?" Kang Yuanqiao stared at him in astonishment. The others also looked on.

Lu Ye looked in the direction from which screams and fighting sounds emanated. With his saber at his waist and his hand on the hilt, he slowly said, "I don't know what you all do when you encounter something like this, but personally, if I suffer a loss, I naturally have to get it back. If the opportunity is right, then I'll get it back now, immediately!"

Everyone was stunned, naturally seeing Lu Ye's intention to intervene in the affairs of Mount Xianxia. Even Kang Yuanqiao, who advocated for joining forces with the True Lake Realm cultivators of Mount Xianxia now, couldn't help but be lost in thought, unsure where Lu Ye found such immense courage.

If he were to charge in, he would be facing a Divine Sea Realm master! Naturally, a True Lake Realm cultivator had no chance against a Divine Sea Realm master; the sheer mental suppression alone would be enough to utterly crush a True Lake cultivator.

However, coincidentally, Lu Ye happened to possess a special treasure that could be used against Divine Sea Realm masters. He thanked his own fortress lord for requesting such a massive battle merit reward from Heavenly Secret after the last defense of Solitary Mountain City, which gave him enough capital to purchase that special treasure from the Battle Merit Pavilion. He had originally acquired it as a precaution, so he wouldn't be completely defenseless if he encountered another Divine Sea Realm master. He hadn't expected it to come in handy so soon.

Furthermore, throughout his journey, Lu Ye had received help from many cultivators of the Haotian Alliance whom he didn't know. Especially during the time his identity as a Bixue Sect disciple was exposed on the Spirit Stream Battlefield, countless Haotian Alliance cultivators of unknown origin had escorted him, allowing him to reach Golden Light Peak and hold out until his Eldest Senior Sister and Fourth Senior Brother arrived. Later, on both the Spirit Stream Battlefield and the Cloud River Battlefield, he had also received help multiple times from unknown Haotian Alliance cultivators, some of whom might have been from Mount Xianxia.

Now, Mount Xianxia was about to face annihilation. If Lu Ye had no ability to stop it, then so be it. But since there was a sliver of possibility, he naturally had to try.

"Boy, don't be reckless! With your meager cultivation, are you going there to die?" Xiao Ruyun shouted sternly.

Lu Ye ignored him and strode forward.

A figure flashed, and Xiao Ruyun stood in front of him, looking at him resolutely. "We brought you out, so we have a responsibility to bring you back. Don't go any further."

Seeing Lu Ye's continued advance, Xiao Ruyun gritted his teeth, raised his command medallion, and shouted sternly, "By my authority as a Lieutenant-Guard of the Bing Province Guards, I command you: go back now, immediately!" As he spoke, he channeled power into the medallion in his hand, causing it to emit a strong yellow light.

Lu Ye looked at the command medallion in his hand, pondering without a word.

Xiao Ruyun said, "I don't care which pass or fort you're from, but according to the regulations of the Bing Province Guards, in an emergency, the one with the higher military rank has priority in command. Even if you're new to the provincial guard, you should have heard of this regulation."

Indeed, there was such a rule in the guard regulations. Under normal circumstances, military rank determined only the amount of monthly stipend cultivators received, and it was only effective within the same fort.

For example, if Lu Ye was at Cangyan Mountain Pass, he could mobilize and command all provincial guards with a lower military rank than him within that pass, regardless of their cultivation level. Of course, currently, only he and Nian Yuexian were at Cangyan Mountain Pass, so he couldn't command anyone else.

Outside the pass, his military rank might not hold authority.

This was also a regulation established to prevent high-ranking cultivators from abusing their authority.

However, in emergencies like the current one, military rank determined the extent of one's authority.

Lu Ye hadn't intended to use his military rank to suppress others. With his cultivation level, what good would a high rank do? It was better to avoid actions that would be hard to convince others of. Furthermore, he and the members of Team A3 were merely strangers who had met by chance; he was just recruited as a temporary extra for the mission, and they didn't know each other well. Therefore, he hadn't asked others to help and was preparing to go alone.

Because he himself didn't know how effective that special treasure would be. If it truly worked, it might resolve Mount Xianxia's crisis; if not, he would have to retreat.

But with someone blocking his way with a Lieutenant-Guard's command medallion, Lu Ye had no choice but to respond.

He unfastened the command medallion from his waist and flashed it at Xiao Ruyun: "You probably can't command me."

The sudden burst of purple light almost blinded Xiao Ruyun.

Kang Yuanqiao and the others all stared blankly at Lu Ye's retreating figure, their minds in turmoil.

It wasn't until Lu Ye soared into the sky and swept towards the depths of Mount Xianxia that Mu Zheng exclaimed, "Commander!"

All of them held the rank of Lieutenant-Guard, not because their cultivation was insufficient, but because they hadn't accumulated enough battle merits. Only their captain, having stayed in the True Lake Realm longer, had the rank of Commander.

But Captain King Gengwu was at the ninth stage of the True Lake Realm, while Lu Ye was only at the first stage! Xiao Ruyun had intended to order Lu Ye to retreat using his authority of military rank, but he hadn't expected Lu Ye's rank to be even one level higher than his own. How could he possibly command him then? It was already generous of Lu Ye not to order him to follow.

"The Captain is awake," a soft cry announced. Everyone immediately disregarded their shock regarding Lu Ye's Commander rank and gathered around King Gengwu.

At this very moment, on the main peak square of Mount Xianxia, blood flowed like rivers, and corpses were scattered everywhere.

It was apparent that Ning Gu had already begun a massacre.

Mount Xianxia had over twenty True Lake Realm cultivators, indicating a considerable foundation. However, most of them were not within the sect, either serving in the provincial guards or traveling abroad for other reasons. The True Lake Realm cultivators who permanently resided in the sect, including An Mofeng and Ning Gu, numbered only seven.

Three of them had already fallen, lying in pools of blood, their fates unknown.

The remaining few, including An Mofeng, were all injured, clearly having just fought a fierce battle with Ning Gu.

When Lu Ye arrived, he saw many cultivators from Mount Xianxia, who had rushed there upon hearing the news, staring at Ning Gu with eyes full of anger and shock. In Ning Gu's hand, he held a young man who appeared to be only at the third stage of the Cloud River Realm.

The young man was roughly the same age as Lu Ye. To possess such cultivation at his age indicated remarkable talent; within a fourth-rank sect like Mount Xianxia, he would undoubtedly be a future pillar of the sect.

Ning Ge had always left everyone in Mount Xianxia with the impression of being kind and gentle. The lake where he meditated was open to anyone, and many disciples would go to him for guidance when they encountered difficulties in their cultivation. Therefore, when he suddenly revealed an unknown side of himself today, not only were the ordinary disciples of Mount Xianxia unable to accept it, but even the True Lake Realm elders found it unacceptable.

The contrast was simply too stark.

However, the dozens of corpses scattered across the square all confirmed the fact that Ning Gu was a mole for the Myriad Devil Ridge.

When Lu Ye rushed to the scene, Ning Gu turned and glanced at him, a flicker of envy in his eyes.

Everything suffered by comparison. The young man he held in his hand was roughly the same age as the young man who had arrived from the Law Enforcement Division, but their cultivation and character were completely incomparable.

Why did other sects have such outstanding disciples, while Mount Xianxia couldn't cultivate them?

However, his target was not Lu Ye, so he merely glanced at him and paid no further attention. A first-stage True Lake Realm cultivator could not change the current situation.

At the same time, a suspicion arose in Lu Ye's mind.

Why wasn't Ning Gu escaping? His identity had been exposed, and he had even admitted it. Logically, he could have quickly fled. Otherwise, once the Law Enforcement Division summoned nearby Divine Sea Realm masters, he wouldn't be able to escape.

Not only did he not flee, but he came here to massacre people. What was his intention?

Could he really, as he claimed, annihilate Mount Xianxia? Even if he could achieve it alone, it would require a significant amount of time.

As his thoughts raced, Lu Ye realized something.

Ning Gu didn't intend to leave here alive, because even if he escaped, he would certainly not be able to flee the influence of the Haotian Alliance in Bing Province.

As for his true purpose in doing this, Lu Ye was unsure. A mole sent by the Myriad Devil Ridge in his youth, hidden for nearly a century—his roots were with the Myriad Devil Ridge, but his cultivation and expertise were all from Mount Xianxia.

Was he now with the Myriad Devil Ridge or the Haotian Alliance? Who could truly say?

Just then, a whooshing sound suddenly came from behind him. Lu Ye turned to look back and saw Team A3, led by King Gengwu, rushing towards him.

Seeing Lu Ye unharmed, King Gengwu let out a long breath.

The other team members didn't know Lu Ye's true background and simply thought he was a random recruit King Gengwu had picked up on the street.

Although King Gengwu wasn't entirely clear on Lu Ye's details either, he was, after all, the person designated by their own Divisional Commander. If anything unexpected happened to Lu Ye this time, it would be difficult to explain to the Commander.