Chapter 940: Haotian Alliance Has Lu Yiye, My Ten Thousand Demons Ridge Has Li Taibai

Originally, major sects wouldn't pay much attention to a rogue cultivator at the True Lake Realm, as they weren't lacking one or two such cultivators. Recruiting such a rogue cultivator made it difficult to foster loyalty to the sect. It was better to nurture young children with no prior allegiances; they were more impressionable and more likely to develop a sense of belonging to the sect.

However, Lu Ye's performance today undeniably captivated Lin Yue. The most crucial point was that he wasn't just any rogue cultivator; he hailed from the Peerless Continent. Having arrived in Kyushu not long ago, he had little understanding of the region's situation and was likely uncertain about his future. Recruiting him at this moment would surely win his allegiance easily. As for loyalty, that could be cultivated gradually over time.

There was no longer a need to investigate his background. Earlier, when Lin Yue was in Myriad Demon City, she had already sent word to have someone investigate Li Taibai's origins, specifically to confirm whether he was indeed from the Peerless Continent. If he turned out to be an infiltrator sent by the Vast Heaven Alliance, or if he had been recruited by them beforehand and planted in Myriad Demon Ridge, she herself would be implicated should anything go wrong later.

But today, Li Taibai had forcefully slain a Vast Heaven Alliance cultivator at the True Lake Seventh Realm, witnessed by numerous cultivators from both factions. This confirmed he had no connection to the Vast Heaven Alliance; otherwise, why would he kill someone so openly? By killing someone from the Vast Heaven Alliance, regardless of who he was before, he could only ever be a Myriad Demon Ridge cultivator from now on. Such a person could be trusted.

Beside her, Tong Shuyao listened to Lin Yue's words with some delight: "Auntie, do you intend to recruit him into our sect?"

"What do you think?" Lin Yue looked at Tong Shuyao.

"Oh, yes, yes!" Tong Shuyao nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking rice, eager for the idea. She quickly added, "I'll go talk to him!"

If he could be recruited into their sect, their relationship would become even closer, making future interactions more legitimate and smoother.

"Not so fast. This person is not as simple as he appears. Your impulsive approach might not be effective," Lin Yue waved her hand.

"What do you mean, Auntie...?" Tong Shuyao didn't quite understand.

"Silly girl," Lin Yue looked at her and sighed, feeling that her niece was too naive, perhaps only seeing Li Taibai's brilliance and nothing else. She decided to offer some guidance: "Why do you think he killed that Vast Heaven Alliance cultivator today?"

Tong Shuyao blinked: "Why?"

"To assert his dominance!" Lin Yue said with certainty, as if she had seen through Lu Ye's intentions.

Tong Shuyao was puzzled.

Lin Yue then explained, "He won six out of six battles, but in the first five, he only repelled his opponents, not even harming them. Yet, in the last battle, he struck with a thunderous blow, killing his opponent using some unknown method. It's clear now: he deliberately wanted to assert his dominance. He didn't kill earlier just to make his opponents lower their guard, waiting until his true target appeared before unleashing his full power."

"Auntie, do you mean... Junior Brother Taibai's initial target was that deceased Tan Shu?"

Lin Yue nodded, "On Myriad Demon Ridge's side, you are the strongest. On Vast Heaven Alliance's side, Tan Shu was the strongest. If you want to assert dominance, it's naturally most effective to take down the strongest. His first five battles, where he only repelled and didn't kill his opponents, were all deliberate. It was only in the last battle that he acted decisively. He is new to Kyushu, and I brought him here. With the prestige he gained today, it will be easier for him to act in the future... Hmm, this young man is quite shrewd. You must be a bit careful when interacting with him; he's not as simple as he appears."

Tong Shuyao felt a bit confused and hesitantly asked, "Could it be that Junior Brother Taibai knew Tan Shu was powerful and didn't dare to hold back, which is why he struck to kill?"

Lin Yue continued, "He expended a great deal of energy and has already entered secluded cultivation to recuperate. You wouldn't be able to see him if you went." She then chuckled and shook her head. "That..."

Originally, she had felt a slight disapproval of Tong Shuyao's interest in Li Taibai. From Lin Yue's perspective, apart from his handsome appearance, Li Taibai didn't have any particularly outstanding qualities; he was merely passable. Young talents like him were abundant in Myriad Demon Ridge; even their own sect had several. Tong Shuyao's tendency to judge people by their looks was somewhat concerning and could easily lead to disadvantages in the future.

However, looking at the situation now, her perspective had changed. If Tong Shuyao truly liked the young man, perhaps she could try to facilitate a match. If he became a son-in-law of their sect, whether he was formally recruited or not would be irrelevant. Of course, recruiting him would still be best, to prevent other sects from benefiting.

"That's a possibility, but even if he had only fought Tan Shu to a draw or been defeated, no one would have underestimated him. Yet, he specifically killed Tan Shu, clearly knowing that only by eliminating the strongest would the effect be maximized."

Tong Shuyao fell into thought, recalling Lu Ye's actions that day. She suddenly realized that it might indeed be as her aunt had said: everything Lu Ye did today was deliberate and meticulously planned. From the very beginning, his target was Tan Shu.

It must be said that Lin Yue's thoughts were quite astute. Her deduction of Lu Ye's actions was largely correct, although her understanding of his motive was mistaken. But how could she know that Lu Ye merely intended to stand up for his Third Senior Brother, and not to assert his dominance? If he hadn't witnessed his Third Senior Brother being treated that way and worried about his future safety, why would he have caused such a stir? For him at this point, keeping a low profile was the correct course of action. At the very least, by slaying Tan Shu, there would be one less person to trouble his Third Senior Brother in the future. Moreover, Tan Shu had originally tried to use others to kill, but failed, so Lu Ye had no psychological burden in killing him.

"It's understandable that he has his own little schemes. Regardless, Myriad Demon Ridge finally has someone respectable," Lin Yue said with a slight smile. "The Vast Heaven Alliance has Lu Yiye, and Myriad Demon Ridge has Li Taibai. I wonder who would be stronger if those two ever met."

Among this generation of cultivators, although both factions produced many talented individuals, none shone as brightly as Lu Ye. Originally, Myriad Demon Ridge had Lan Ziyi, and many cultivators at the Spirit Sea Realm had placed their hopes on her, wishing she could surpass Lu Yiye. However, fate had other plans... In the Spirit Stream Battlefield, her ranking on the Spirit Stream List was lower than Lu Ye's. In the Cloud River Battlefield, her ranking in the Cloud River Hegemony was also lower than Lu Ye's. Lan Ziyi could no longer be counted on, but Li Taibai offered hope. Judging by his performance today, he would certainly be no less impressive than Lu Yiye. Lin Yue could almost foresee that once these two matured, there would be a world-shaking battle between dragons and tigers!

"Ya'er, follow him closely these next few days. Don't let too many people interact with him. If the opportunity is right, ask him if he's willing to join our sect," Lin Yue instructed. News of today's events would surely spread quickly, and by then, they wouldn't be the only ones interested in Li Taibai. Fortunately, they had the advantage of proximity. If others wanted to poach him, they would have to see if she agreed.

"I understand, Auntie, don't worry! I definitely won't let anyone steal him!" Tong Shuyao, sometimes naive but sometimes very clever, now fully grasped the meaning of Lin Yue's words. With that, she rushed out, evidently planning to find Lu Ye. But once outside, she remembered: after today's battle and the incident with Junior Brother Taibai, the long-standing combat tradition at the passes between the two factions had halted. For several consecutive days, no one had gone there. The once bustling battlegrounds were now quiet and deserted.

Two days later, a figure swiftly entered Darkwood Pass, hurrying towards a large hall. This was the administrative hall of Darkwood Pass, where Lin Yue typically worked, handling various matters big and small within the pass. She wasn't alone in the hall; other Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators were present. Many affairs at the pass didn't require her personal attention, so she naturally had assistants. These individuals were considered her trusted lieutenants.

As the figure swiftly entered the hall, numerous Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators promptly rose and saluted: "Greetings, Great Pass Master." Generally, each pass had at least two Spirit Sea Realm cultivators stationed there, distinguishing between a Great Pass Master and a Minor Pass Master, with the distinction based solely on their cultivation levels. Although Lin Yue was a Pass Master at Darkwood Pass, she was actually the Minor Pass Master. The man who had just arrived was Zhang Kun, the Great Pass Master of Darkwood Pass, whose cultivation was one level higher than Lin Yue's, at the Divine Sea Seventh Realm.

He had been away on business, not present at the pass for the past two days. Now, he had rushed back, looking extremely agitated, which greatly surprised Lin Yue. "Brother, what happened?"

Zhang Kun wasted no time, urgently stating, "I've heard some rumors."

"What rumors are you referring to, Brother?"

"A rogue cultivator named Li Taibai arrived at the pass and, at the True Lake Third Realm, slew a Vast Heaven Alliance cultivator at the Seventh Realm. Is that true or false?"

"What do you think, Brother?" Lin Yue asked with a faint smile, offering no direct answer. She wondered if he, too, had taken an interest in Li Taibai and intended to poach him from her. Although she had the advantage of proximity and had instructed Tong Shuyao to stay close to Li Taibai and prevent too many people from contacting him, Tong Shuyao reported that Li Taibai had been in secluded cultivation to heal for the past two days, not leaving his quarters. This left Tong Shuyao with no opportunity to approach him.

"Junior Sister, I'm not joking, nor do I have any ulterior motives. Tell me definitively, is this true or not?" Like Lin Yue initially, he hadn't fully believed the news, but as he received more intelligence, he realized it was highly likely to be true. If it was, the situation would be dire.

"Yes, it is. What's wrong?" Seeing Zhang Kun's expression, Lin Yue found it difficult to beat around the bush any longer.

"Was the person killed named Tan Shu?" Zhang Kun asked again.

"I believe that was the name." Lin Yue recalled and nodded. After the incident two days prior, everyone at the pass had been spreading Li Taibai's name; no one really cared about the person who was killed. Lin Yue herself only learned Tan Shu's name after Tong Shuyao recounted the details.

"This is bad!" Zhang Kun's face changed. He said urgently: "Quick, issue orders to prepare for battle!"