Chapter 960: Preventing Problems Before They Arise

In the grand hall, Lu Ye returned, covered in blood. Xiao Xinghe breathed a sigh of relief. Liu Yuemei, who had been sitting calmly, suddenly stood up, her hand pressing down on the table. Her spiritual energy surged, causing the table to splinter into pieces.

Qi Wu, who had remained in the hall, watched the blood-soaked Lu Ye, his eyelids twitching uncontrollably. He couldn't believe his eyes, and a wave of lingering fear washed over him. He had initially underestimated Lu Ye. The disparity in their cultivation levels was clear; fighting above one's realm typically involved overcoming one or two minor stages, but he was three minor stages above Lu Ye. Moreover, he himself was capable of fighting beyond his own realm. Therefore, he had been absolutely confident in his ability to defeat, and even kill, Lu Ye. He had even felt a hint of displeasure when Liu Yuemei intervened at the critical moment, teleporting him away and having Chen Ke take his place to fight Lu Yi Ye to the death. He thought the Fortress Lord had underestimated him.

But what was the outcome...? The battle was over. Lu Yi Ye had returned, but Chen Ke was nowhere to be seen. The result was clear: Chen Ke was dead! How had he done it? The Battle Arena formed its own small space, impervious to external interference, so no one knew what truly transpired within. Yet, the outcome was undeniable and utterly horrifying. If Lu Yi Ye could kill Chen Ke, he could certainly kill Qi Wu himself, especially since Chen Ke's strength was considerably greater than his own. A thought flashed through Qi Wu's mind: he had inadvertently saved his own life.

Meanwhile, upon seeing Lu Ye's return, Lin Yinxiu showed no surprise whatsoever. Instead, her expression was one of "just as expected, this is how it should be." In her youth, she had heard her mother recount many extraordinary tales about Feng Wujiang, including instances where he snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and numerous occasions where he slew enemies who, by all logic, should have been invincible. In her mother's accounts, no matter how incredible an event, it seemed perfectly natural if it involved Feng Wujiang. Her mother deeply admired Feng Wujiang, regretting only that she had never been able to personally follow him and serve by his side. Her mother had died young, and Lin Yinxiu, having grown up steeped in her mother's stories, was profoundly influenced by her. This was also why she had insisted on joining the Law Enforcement Division this time, even going so far as to pressure Qian Wudang to assign her to the same team as Lu Ye. She saw the shadow of Feng Wujiang in Lu Ye. Feng Wujiang had been dead for a long time; now there was only Lu Yi Ye. Naturally, she did not wish to grow old and look back with the same regret her mother had felt for missed opportunities.

When Lu Ye had previously taken out the Battle Arena, she had indeed been a little worried, even preparing to send a message to Qian Wudang to inform him of the situation. But then she reconsidered: if Lu Ye truly was a second Feng Wujiang, he would undoubtedly possess the fortune and means to turn danger into safety in such a predicament. And indeed, the outcome was precisely as she had anticipated. The seemingly impossible had actually occurred, exhilarating her and affirming her discernment.

"Impossible!" Liu Yuemei's expression was distorted and terrifying. She stared at the suddenly appearing Lu Ye as if he were a phantom. How could he have won?! How could Chen Ke have lost?! Lu Yi Ye appeared heavily injured and had clearly suffered considerably, yet how could he have walked out of the Battle Arena alive? She had already estimated Lu Ye's capabilities as highly as possible, and she had even seen through his earlier intentions, concluding that Qi Wu was likely no match for him. That's why, at the last moment, she had teleported Qi Wu away and sent a voice message to Chen Ke to take his place. Yet, this was the outcome...

This young man... actually possessed the strength to directly slay a True Lake Realm Seventh Stage cultivator. Liu Yuemei was suddenly horrified; this was clearly beyond her comprehension, and it revealed Lu Ye's terrifying potential. Today he was at True Lake Third Stage and could kill a True Lake Seventh Stage. What if, one day, he reached Divine Sea Third Stage? Would he then be able to kill her, a Divine Sea Seventh Stage cultivator? There was already a long-standing animosity between them, and today she had thoroughly offended him. If he ever reached his full potential, he would surely not spare her. In an instant, numerous thoughts flashed through Liu Yuemei's mind, and her aura grew dangerous.

Lu Ye was suddenly horrified. His skin prickled as if struck by countless needles. How could he not sense Liu Yuemei's barely concealed killing intent? He immediately spoke in a low voice, "Fortress Lord Liu, according to the Heavenly Mystery Contract, I am taking Xiao Xinghe with me. From this day forward, he will be a member of the Law Enforcement Division!"

Indeed, this young man from the Verdant Blood Sect was a member of the Law Enforcement Division. If she were to openly kill him here, the consequences would be severe and uncontrollable. She could use her authority to suppress Xiao Xinghe, both openly and covertly, by assigning him dangerous missions and wishing for his swift demise. However, as the Fortress Lord of Startled Waves Lake Pass, she couldn't possibly take action herself. Especially within Startled Waves Lake Pass, which was her territory; if anything happened to a member of the Law Enforcement Division here, Qian Wudang would not let it rest.

After a deep gaze at Lu Ye, Liu Yuemei finally suppressed her shock and resentment, saying coldly, "Naturally!"

"In that case, we shall take our leave!" Lu Ye cupped his hands in a respectful salute. Facing Liu Yuemei, he retreated step by step. Xiao Xinghe and Lin Yinxiu followed closely beside him. Liu Yuemei's gaze never wavered, fixed intently on him like a sinister specter. Only when they were outside the grand hall did Lu Ye abruptly turn, summon his spirit boat, and step onto it, ascending into the sky. Xiao Xinghe and Lin Yinxiu likewise took flight on their respective artifacts. Three figures, three streaks of light, soared out of Startled Waves Lake Pass. No one paid them any mind. Battles had been frequent at Startled Waves Lake Pass recently, with many cultivators coming and going; who would concern themselves with three departing individuals?

Once they were out of Startled Waves Lake Pass, Lu Ye immediately turned to Lin Yinxiu and instructed, "Message the Division Lord. Tell him that I, your captain, have conscripted Xiao Xinghe from Azure Emperor City at Startled Waves Lake Pass, and we are returning immediately!"

Lin Yinxiu gave him a meaningful look but still obediently nodded, "Understood!" She didn't use a standard guard token to transmit the message. Instead, she simply raised her hand and manipulated her battle mark, sending a message out.

Xiao Xinghe felt a vague unease and spoke up, "Junior Brother, we shouldn't leave Startled Waves Lake Pass so quickly. At the very least, you should wait until your injuries have recovered."

Lu Ye replied, "My injuries aren't serious... Senior Brother noticed it too?"

Xiao Xinghe said, "That woman might not be willing to let us leave so easily. Her killing intent was obvious at the end; she merely couldn't act within her own territory. But once we leave Startled Waves Lake Pass, with her Divine Sea Realm cultivation, if she truly means to kill us, we won't be able to resist."

"Indeed!" Lu Ye nodded. If Liu Yuemei truly intended to act, the three of them wouldn't stand a chance. Therefore, staying at Startled Waves Lake Pass might seem like the best option right now. But Lu Ye dared not. Liu Yuemei's killing intent had been stirred, and with constant conflict between Startled Waves Lake Pass and Dark Moon Forest Pass, who knew what complications might arise if they stayed? Thus, they had to return immediately.

While he could have sent the message himself – the conscription of Xiao Xinghe into the Law Enforcement Division being a minor matter that didn't strictly require reporting to Qian Wudang – he specifically had Lin Yinxiu do it. He believed that once Qian Wudang received the message, he would undoubtedly understand their current predicament. Since Lin Yinxiu was with him, her situation was inherently tied to his own. Therefore, their survival on this journey depended entirely on Lin Yinxiu's importance in Qian Wudang's eyes. The more significant she was, the faster Qian Wudang would arrive! As for why he didn't message the Sect Master: he was now a member of the Law Enforcement Division, and any issues should naturally be brought to his direct superior. There was no need to alarm the Sect Master.

Lin Yinxiu surmised Lu Ye's intentions but chose not to reveal them. As she had told Lu Ye before, she was very obedient; she would do whatever her captain asked. It was just a message; it wasn't a big deal. It had taken them two days to travel from Vast Heaven City to this location, but a Divine Sea Realm cultivator like Qian Wudang, exerting his full power, could likely arrive in just an hour or two.

This journey was not a formal mission; Lu Ye was merely recruiting his own team members. Therefore, he didn't want to trouble his superior; always relying on others would only make him appear incompetent. Furthermore, there would always be times in the future when his superiors wouldn't be able to look after him. However, Liu Yuemei's final gaze made him realize he had underestimated the woman's madness. Perhaps under normal circumstances, even if she harbored animosity towards disciples of the Verdant Blood Sect, she wouldn't make many overt moves, at least to preserve her status and reputation. But now, in the throes of losing her son, it was highly probable that her rationality extended only as far as preventing her from acting within Startled Waves Lake Pass itself. It could only be said that a woman who was both mad and irrational was utterly terrifying.

Lu Ye couldn't be certain if Liu Yuemei would pursue them, but the probability was high. Ultimately, it was essential to take precautions against potential threats.

"No need to be too fast," Lu Ye said, slowing their flight. "Just a bit slower is fine." The longer they remained within the influence of Startled Waves Lake Pass, the later any potential crisis would manifest. No matter how much Liu Yuemei lost her composure, she would not allow the three of them to suffer any mishap within the confines of Startled Waves Lake Pass.

In Vast Heaven City, within the main hall of the Law Enforcement Division, Qian Wudang was attending to official duties when he received a message from Lin Yinxiu. For a moment, he was bewildered. He mused that Lu Yi Ye was quite efficient, having already recruited a team member. But why bother reporting such a trivial matter to him? Furthermore, standard reports were typically transmitted via guard tokens, yet this time he had received a message through a battle mark, which seemed... unusual.

"This is bad!" Qian Wudang suddenly realized, hastily rising to his feet. He had just been thinking how familiar the name Xiao Xinghe from Azure Emperor City sounded, as if he'd seen it somewhere before. If this person was indeed the one he suspected, then the situation was dire. And what's more... how did that scoundrel Lu Yi Ye end up going to Startled Waves Lake Pass to conscript someone? Startled Waves Lake Pass belonged to Heaven's Gate Pass. Didn't he know who was in charge there? If he knew and still went, then he was foolish. But if he didn't know, how could he possibly have gone to Startled Waves Lake Pass? That damned brat...

Qian Wudang was practically seething with rage, regretting immensely that he had granted Lu Ye the captain's position. It had only been a few days, and he had already ventured deep into a tiger's den. It wouldn't have mattered if he'd gone alone, but he had taken Yinxiu with him. No wonder Lu Ye had asked him to sign the writ for free conscription of team members earlier. Looking back now, Lu Ye must have already made up his mind then, and it was laughable that he hadn't questioned it further.

"Lu Yi Ye!" Qian Wudang snarled under his breath. "If anything happens to Yinxiu because of this, I'll beat you into oblivion, or I'll change my surname to Lu!"