Chapter 958: Young and Naive Lu Yiye

Xiao Xinghe, despite his connection to the Blood Sect, was now a disciple of Qingdi City. There was a layer of separation, making him far less appealing to Liu Yuemei than Lu Ye, a true Blood Sect disciple.

If Lu Ye could be brought to Jinglan Lake Pass, his life or death would be entirely at Liu Yuemei's whim. She had recently experienced the pain of losing her son. Although she had personally killed Li Taibai, the deep anger and sorrow within her remained unexpressed. Lu Ye's sudden appearance in her sight naturally sparked ideas in her mind. This was precisely why Lu Ye, despite knowing his personal presence would complicate matters, still chose to come. He was bait, a lure to hook Liu Yuemei!

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint Commander Liu," Lu Ye began. "I currently serve in the Department of Justice, and this is my first official assignment. If I fail to complete it, I won't be able to face Commander Qian. How could I possibly join someone else's command at a time like this?"

"Do you really want to do a good job?" Liu Yuemei asked.

"Naturally," Lu Ye replied.

"Good!" Liu Yuemei exclaimed. "I've considered it. You came with Commander Qian's order, and I can't disrespect him. Since you want to succeed, I'll give you an opportunity. Whether you can seize it or not will depend on your own ability!"

Lu Ye's eyebrow raised. "Really?"

Liu Yuemei chuckled softly. "Though I am a woman, I always keep my word. Why would I deceive you?"

Lu Ye adopted a cautious expression and asked warily, "May I ask what Commander Liu wishes me to do?"

Liu Yuemei smiled faintly. "I've long heard that Lu Ye of the Blood Sect is skilled at defeating opponents of higher cultivation, and not just in the usual sense. It's a pity I haven't seen it with my own eyes..."

Lu Ye's expression showed understanding. "Commander Liu wants me to have a sparring match with someone?"

"If you win, you can take Xiao Xinghe. But if you lose, you'll have to stay here and serve under my command. Do you have the courage for that?"

Lu Ye pondered for a moment, then nodded. "It's not impossible, but may I ask, Commander Liu, who will be my opponent?" He turned his gaze, glancing intentionally or unintentionally at Chen Ke, who stood nearby. "If it's Daoist Chen, then there's no need. I admit I wouldn't be able to defeat him."

"Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you. Chen Ke's cultivation is indeed much higher than yours." With that, Liu Yuemei immediately sent a message. In a moment, a lean man flew into the hall, respectfully cupping his fists. "Greetings, my lady. How may I be of service?"

This man's appearance was unremarkable, and his build wasn't tall. However, his expression was grim, and his aura was extremely sharp, with a faint hint of bloodlust, indicating he had killed many people. As soon as he appeared, Xiao Xinghe's face changed. He whispered, "Qi Wu!" He clearly seemed wary of this person.

From behind the table, Liu Yuemei spoke, "Qi Wu, I want you to spar with Lu Ye. You must win, you must not lose. Do you understand?"

Qi Wu turned to look at Lu Ye, frowning slightly. "What is his cultivation level?"

"Third-level True Lake Realm!"

Qi Wu's frown deepened. "My lady, my cultivation is three levels higher than his. He's no match for me. And you know me, my lady; I never spar or engage in technical combat. I only know killing techniques. If I accidentally kill him, it won't be good."

Before Liu Yuemei could respond, Lu Ye scoffed, "What a coincidence, I also only know killing techniques!"

"I haven't seen such audacious people in a long time," Qi Wu said blandly. "I hope your skills are as bold as your words."

"The feeling is mutual."

As their gazes met, sparks seemed to fly. Beside Lu Ye, Xiao Xinghe continuously gave him anxious looks, and even Lin Yinxiu became secretly worried.

From behind the table, Liu Yuemei rested her arm on the table, hands clasped under her chin, watching the scene with interest. Seeing Lu Ye's youthful impetuosity, she immediately slapped the table. "Since both of you only know killing techniques, then let's have a death match."

"My lady!" Xiao Xinghe exclaimed, his face pale, rushing forward. If it were just a sparring match, it wouldn't be a big deal; at most, one would admit defeat for being inferior. But a death match meant a real possibility of death, especially since Qi Wu's killing techniques were sharp, and he was three minor realms higher than his junior brother. How could his junior brother fare well against him?

"This is not your place to speak!" Liu Yuemei snapped, her Divine Sea Realm aura pervading, suppressing Xiao Xinghe until he couldn't speak, struggling to stand. She looked at Lu Ye and Qi Wu. "What do you two think?"

"If it is Commander Liu's order, your subordinate will naturally comply," Qi Wu said calmly.

Lu Ye nonchalantly took something out of his storage bag. "In that case, let's make it complete. We might as well fight inside this item, to spare others the sight of bloodshed!"

Qi Wu looked at the item in Lu Ye's hand, slightly stunned. "A Battle Stage!" How could he not recognize the famous artifact known as the Battle Stage? He had initially thought Lu Ye was just putting on a brave front, but to his surprise, Lu Ye had actually produced such a rare treasure. His heart sank instantly, and he seriously scrutinized Lu Ye for the first time. Without absolute certainty, how could the opponent voluntarily use a Battle Stage? Yet, he truly couldn't understand where this Lu Ye got the confidence to challenge him to a death match. If Lu Ye was hiding his cultivation, that was impossible; how could one hide it under the nose of a Divine Sea Realm master? So, he must be a genuine third-level True Lake Realm cultivator.

"Your subordinate only obeys Commander Liu's orders," Qi Wu said, suppressing a hint of unease in his heart, and turned to Liu Yuemei.

Liu Yuemei's eyes narrowed slightly. "Lu Ye, it seems you're quite confident."

Lu Ye responded neither obsequiously nor arrogantly, "Your subordinate merely wishes to exert his full strength."

Liu Yuemei was silent for a moment, then spoke, "In that case, you two shall enter the Battle Stage to fight!"

Lu Ye cupped his fists. "Before that, your subordinate has one more request."

"Speak!"

"Your subordinate requests Commander Liu to establish a Heavenly Dao Pact. If I am fortunate enough to survive, I wish to take Xiao Xinghe with me, and Commander Liu must not hinder me."

"Are you questioning me?" Liu Yuemei's eyes flared with anger.

"Words are baseless!" Lu Ye met her gaze without fear. From their brief interaction, it was clear that things were as Xiao Xinghe had feared: Liu Yuemei, having suffered the loss of her son, had become somewhat irrational. As a commander, she had agreed to a death match between her subordinate and another, which was not the demeanor expected of a Divine Sea Realm master. She probably longed to kill him herself, but due to her status, it was inconvenient for her to act directly, so she could only do so through others. Such a crazy and irrational woman naturally had no credibility. Before the battle, establishing a Heavenly Dao Pact was the best course of action.

"Very well, I'll agree to your terms!" Liu Yuemei stated coldly. She raised her hand, and as golden light surged, she conjured a Heavenly Dao Pact. She drafted the terms, imprinted her mark, and then tossed it to Lu Ye.

Lu Ye lowered his head, meticulously checking each clause. When he saw a particular clause, his heart settled. Events were unfolding exactly as he had anticipated; Liu Yuemei had indeed subtly tampered with the terms of the Heavenly Dao Pact. He feigned ignorance, acting somewhat impatient, and then imprinted his own mark. The Heavenly Dao Pact dissolved into shimmering light and vanished. In the ethereal realm, the Heavenly Dao descended, and the pact was sealed.

"If you two have nothing more to say, then begin," Liu Yuemei urged impatiently.

"I'll try to leave you a complete corpse," Qi Wu said.

Without a word, Lu Ye channeled spiritual power into the Battle Stage in his hand and struck it towards Qi Wu.

Xiao Xinghe was burning with anxiety, wishing to intervene, but he was suppressed by Liu Yuemei's Divine Sea Realm aura, unable to move or even speak. How could he possibly stop it? Lin Yinxiu, on the other hand, no longer seemed as agitated as before, though a thoughtful expression crossed her face.

The small Battle Stage floated towards Qi Wu and violently expanded. But at that very instant, Liu Yuemei suddenly raised her hand, pulling Qi Wu to her side through the air. Meanwhile, Chen Ke, who had stood motionless beside them the entire time, flashed to Qi Wu's original position.

Lu Ye's expression instantly changed to one of extreme astonishment, and he blurted out, "You...!"

Chen Ke grinned at him. "Please enlighten me!"

As his words fell, both figures vanished simultaneously.

"Hahahaha!" Liu Yuemei suddenly burst into wild laughter, her appearance frenzied. "You actually thought I would be outwitted by you? Truly young and ignorant!"

There were many True Lake Realm cultivators at Jinglan Lake Pass who met the requirements, yet she hadn't sought anyone specific. She had intentionally summoned Qi Wu, known for his sharp killing techniques, hoping that during the sparring match, Qi Wu would cripple or accidentally kill Lu Ye. That had been her initial plan.

However, the subsequent events made her vaguely realize something: Lu Ye didn't seem to fear Qi Wu. This was evident from his willingness to produce the Battle Stage. Not only was he unafraid, but he also seemed very confident he could defeat Qi Wu; otherwise, why would he voluntarily bring out the Battle Stage? Liu Yuemei found it hard to believe. With a three-level difference in cultivation, where did Lu Ye get such confidence? Regardless, Lu Ye's attitude and actions certainly provided the basis for her deductions. Given this, if she truly let Qi Wu fight, he would very likely be killed.

Since Qi Wu couldn't be relied upon, she could only rely on Chen Ke. Chen Ke was her disciple, with a cultivation level of True Lake Seventh Realm. Although he was only one realm higher than Qi Wu, his actual strength was significantly greater. If Lu Ye was confident in defeating Qi Wu, he would certainly be no match for Chen Ke. As for swapping opponents at a crucial moment, for a Divine Sea Realm master like her, it was merely a flick of the wrist. No one present could stop her. To this end, she had already laid the groundwork when drafting the terms of the Heavenly Dao Pact. Many clauses made no mention of Qi Wu's name, specifically to allow her to exploit this loophole. Fortunately, though she was currently irrational and acting wildly, she at least knew it was inconvenient for her to act personally. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been Chen Ke entering the Battle Stage at that moment, but herself.