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If there was a ranking system that listed the most famous cultivators in the Cloud River Battlefield, Lu Ye would definitely be at the top of the list. His actions in the Spirit Creek Battlefield had attracted the attention of numerous Divine Ocean Realm Masters. In addition, the cultivators in Jiu Zhou came to know his name due to the enormous bounty placed on his head by the major Sects in the Thousand Demon Ridge.
After Lu Ye came people like Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan. Their names might not be very well-known in the cultivation world of Jiu Zhou, but they were extremely famous in the Cloud River Battlefield. After all, every single Cloud River Realm cultivator was bound to enter the Spirit Creek Battlefield. Who in the Spirit Creek Battlefield did not know about these two cancerous tumors on the Spirit Creek Battlefield’s Roll of Supremacy?
Further down the rankings were people like Song Zhui who came from prestigious backgrounds and boasted extraordinary cultivation. These people could be considered somewhat famous in the Cloud River Battlefield.
Ying Wuji was part of this group.
Very few people had seen Ying Wuji’s true appearance, but many had heard of his name before. This was especially true among the cultivators in the Thousand Demon Ridge, particularly among the Ghost Cultivators… The main reason for his fame was that he slayed a Real Lake Realm Master in the Bing Zhou’s Chaotic Sky Plains two months ago even though he was only in the Ninth Order Cloud River Realm at the time!
It was truly an impressive feat for a Cloud River Realm Master to slaughter a Real Lake Realm Master. While part of the reason was that the Real Lake Realm Master had been wounded in the first place, the news was astounding nevertheless. His achievement was no longer as simple as overcoming the limitations of several Minor Realms and killing the enemy. On the contrary, he had managed to slaughter an enemy by overcoming the limitations of a Major Realm.
In the history of Jiu Zhou’s cultivation world, there were many who could overcome the differences between Minor Realms to kill their enemies. However, there were few who could overcome the differences between Major Realms to kill their enemies.
The main reason Ying Wuji achieved such a spectacular feat was that he was a Ghost Cultivator! More specifically, he was a Ghost Cultivator who came from the Yama Temple.
The Bing Zhou’s Ten Great First Tier Sects consisted of one Palace, two Temples, three Sects, and four Clans. Among the two Temples, one was the Rainbow Temple which Song Zhui came from while the other was the Yama Temple which Ying Wuji came from.
The Yama Temple was very special in the sense that nearly seventy to eighty per cent of the cultivators within the Sect were Ghost Cultivators. It was also the most troublesome Sect in the whole of Jiu Zhou.
For example, the Northern Profound Sword Clan and the Raving Bladesmen had focused on nurturing and improving themselves in one discipline over the generations until they reached the peak of their respective cultivation. While they were considered powerful, their mighty prowess was no secret to the public.
On the other hand, the Yama Temple was different. Nobody knew what kind of heritage the Yama Temple possessed because Ghost Cultivators generally remained hidden in the shadows.
There was a saying in the cultivation world: A cultivator might stand a chance of survival if they offended any of the other First Tier Sects, but they were doomed without a doubt if they were targeted by the Yama Temple.
Song Zhui and Ying Wuji were both cultivators who came from Bing Zhou and belonged to the Thousand Demon Ridge. Furthermore, their ages and their cultivation were similar. It was only natural for them to form a relationship with each other in private.
Song Zhui had stepped forward and given such a passionate speech to portray the image of a righteous and selfless man on the surface. Unfortunately, his actions were only to inspire and motivate the Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators who gathered here into action. After all, the information he obtained indicated that the defenses in Lu Ye’s Arcane Glade were very strong. The only method to overcome the defenses in Lu Ye’s Arcane Glade was by organizing the strength of the Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators.
When the time came, he would lead the forward charge of the Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators to draw Lu Ye’s attention. Meanwhile, Ying Wuji would search for an opportunity to strike from the shadows. They would then share the bounty equally among themselves once Lu Ye was dead. If everything went well, the whole plan would be carried out without anybody noticing. It could be said that the predicted success rate was extremely high.
“There’s nothing to worry about when you have me!” Ying Wuji’s voice floated erratically. “But, I want sixty per cent of the bounty!”
Song Zhui calmly questioned, “The reason?”
“I’ll be the one to bear the infamy.”
Stealing the thunder from under the noses of so many Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators was bound to incite public outrage. Not to mention, there was no keeping such things secret. When the time came to receive the reward from the major Sects, the truth behind who killed Lu Ye would be revealed immediately. The Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators whose prey was stolen might not dare to openly offend Ying Wuji, but there was nothing to stop them from cursing him in private. It was an inevitable outcome.
“You’re a Ghost Cultivator who never reveals your face. Why would you be afraid of people scolding you?”
“Words are hurtful. With so many people cursing me, I will definitely be very hurt by their words. I don’t care. I want sixty per cent!”
“I hope you choke to death on your greed!” Song Zhui snapped in annoyance. “Fine, whatever. Do as you wish.”
Fifty or sixty per cent would not make much of a difference, so he could not be bothered to argue over such trivial matters.
“In that case, hurry up and make your move. I’m getting impatient!” Ying Wuji urged.
A short while later, the Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators swiftly and effectively took action under Song Zhui’s orders. The hundreds of cultivators were split into different groups for the operation. The Body-tempering Cultivators with tough bodies stood at the forefront, followed by the bloodthirsty Combat Cultivators, then came the Ghost Cultivators and the Spell Cultivators. 𝐑𝔞₦ƟᛒЕş
Based on Song Zhui’s arrangements, the cultivators were split into nine groups in a formation resembling an arrow. Afterwards, they marched toward the Ameliorate Arcane Glade with a great oppressive spirit.
Inside the Ameliorate Arcane Glade, Li Baxian, Feng Yuechan, and Ju Jia quietly stood beside Lu Ye. They were staring in the direction of the Ameliorate Valley’s entrance with gloomy expressions.
The Thousand Demon Ridge’s impressive line-up was not something they could repel with their strength, especially when the wolf pack had already been driven out of the Arcane Glade. In any case, it would have been impossible for them to defeat their opponent even if the wolf pack had remained behind.
What puzzled Li Baxian was that Lu Ye did not seem to show any intention of escaping back to Jiu Zhou immediately. On the contrary, Lu Ye was simply standing there quietly. Li Baxian might not know what Lu Ye was planning, but he knew that Lu Ye was no longer the same person who needed his help and protection when they first met. After several years of growth and development, Lu Ye had grown into an independent individual.
The Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators slowly drew closer to the edges of the Arcane Glade. Then, Song Zhui’s voice resounded in all directions. “Everybody, be careful. Don’t step into the range of the Arcane Glade. I repeat, there is an Aerial Lock Ward inside the Arcane Glade! We will attack at the same time and destroy the Grand Defensive Ward first. Afterwards, please follow my subsequent commands.”
Song Zhui’s previous efforts had been very effective. Apart from a few Ghost Cultivators hiding in the shadows, the rest of the cultivators were very cooperative on the surface. They would no longer be able to monopolize the bounty even if they slaughtered Lu Ye, so there was no reason for them to take unnecessary risks. It was much safer to work together as a group.
Out of the nine groups, Song Zhui personally commanded one of them and took the lead to fly at the front. It was not until they reached a suitable distance that he suddenly stopped and raised his hand. The cultivators behind him quickly came to a uniformed stop. Raising his hand once more, he shot a Telekinetic Technique toward the front. The light of the Telekinetic Technique seemed to pass through an invisible barrier.
Ripples spread out across the barrier as the effects of the Concealment Ward were nullified, and the situation inside the Arcane Glade soon came into view. There were several wooden huts scattered throughout the Arcane Glade, and the location of the Spirit Spout was very conspicuous.
Meanwhile, four figures stood in front of a wooden hut. Although the figure standing at the back was tall and burly, Song Zhui’s attention was immediately drawn toward Lu Ye standing at the front. He frowned slightly at the sight, a look of bewilderment flashing across his face. [The situation… is a little different from what I imagined.]
At the same time, the Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators discovered something. The Arcane Glade in front of them did not have a Grand Defensive Ward… To be more accurate, the Grand Defensive Ward was not activated! The entire Arcane Glade appeared before them, seemingly completely defenseless. Moreover, there was no sign of the rumored Wolf Mutants.
Song Zhui’s gaze swept across the Arcane Glade. He did not see any traces of the Wolf Mutants, but that did not mean there were no Wolf Mutants hiding in the Arcane Glade. Lu Ye was capable of concealing the entire Arcane Glade with a Concealment Ward after all. It should not be a problem for him to hide a few Wolf Mutants.
For that reason, Song Zhui was certain that the hidden Wolf Mutants would ambush them from all directions as soon as he and the others stepped foot into the Arcane Glade!
According to the original plans Song Zhui made with Ying Wuji, he would lead the others to destroy the Grand Defensive Ward around the Arcane Glade. Meanwhile, Ying Wuji would take the opportunity to infiltrate the Arcane Glade and ambush Lu Ye. Since the other party did not even bother to activate the Grand Defensive Ward, then Ying Wuji’s entry into the Arcane Glade was practically without any resistance!
Various thoughts flashed through Song Zhui’s mind, then his signature warm smile appeared on his face. Looking at Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan standing behind Lu Ye, he slowly opened his mouth to speak. “Cultivator Li, Cultivator Feng, it has been a while since we last met. You are looking as good as ever.”
When Song Zhui had been in the Spirit Creek Battlefield, he had ranked third on the Spirit Creek Battlefield’s Roll of Supremacy! That was the highest ranking any cultivator could achieve during the period when the three major cancerous tumors ruled the Spirit Creek Battlefield’s Roll of Supremacy. Meanwhile, Feng Yuechan had placed first while Yan Xing had placed second on the Spirit Creek Battlefield’s Roll of Supremacy. Neither one of them was an individual that future cultivators could ever hope to rival.
As the top rankers of the Spirit Creek Battlefield’s Roll of Supremacy, it was only natural for Song Zhui, Li Baxian, and Feng Yuechan to be acquainted with each other.
Li Baxian ignored Song Zhui. Being in different factions, there was no need for him to treat Song Zhui with respect or courtesy. He simply whispered to Lu Ye softly, “This man is Song Zhui from the Rainbow Temple. He is very powerful, at least on the same level as Xia Liang. Don’t be fooled by his warm and friendly appearance. He is actually very cunning. ”
Lu Ye nodded slightly. He was quite familiar with Xia Liang’s strength. Seeing as this man was on the same level as Xia Liang, he must be amazing indeed.
As for Li Baxian’s remark regarding Song Zhui… There was no doubt that Song Zhui was a two-faced man, but that did not matter. Lu Ye had no need to play any tricks against them. After all, the battle today would be an open conspiracy!
Song Zhui was not offended by the fact that Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan had ignored him. Turning toward Lu Ye, he continued speaking. “Cultivator Lu of the Crimson Blood Sect, I’ve long heard of you. Please accept my greetings!”
Then, he bowed to Lu Ye politely.
Lu Ye casually cupped his fist in greeting. “Cultivator Song, you’ve traveled from afar to visit. Why don’t you come inside for a chat? If people learn that I left you standing outside to talk, they will think that the cultivators of Crimson Blood Sect do not know how to treat their guests politely!”
Song Zhui laughed. “You must be joking, Cultivator Lu. There’s no need to try and invite me into the Arcane Glade. I’ve long heard about your high attainments in the Way of Wards, Cultivator Lu. I’m afraid I have no intention to fall prey to your Wards.”
Despite the smile on his face, he gave a cold snort in his heart. He was becoming more and more confident that Lu Ye had hidden various Earth-shattering Grand Wards inside the Arcane Glade. Moreover, these Grand Wards would definitely be activated as soon as they stepped into the Arcane Glade. Everything was all a ruse to catch them by surprise.
“How is that possible?” Lu Ye’s expression was extremely calm. “All who come are guests. I can’t express how excited I am to welcome you. Why would I prepare the Four Point Demonic Ward or the Mind-blowing Soaring Feathers or the Sumeru Two-Way Invisible Sword Ward to repel your arrival?”
The Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators felt their eyelids twitching upon hearing those words. Looking at the Arcane Glade once more, they couldn’t shake the feeling that countless dangers and murderous intentions were lurking inside the Arcane Glade.
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