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Song Zhui was no stranger to Ying Wuji’s abilities. After all, Ying Wuji was a Ghost Cultivator capable of overcoming the boundaries of a Major Realm and killing a Real Lake Realm Master. It was impossible for such a powerful Ghost Cultivator to make a mistake and fail to subdue a Fifth Order Cloud River Realm Master, but the unexpected turn of events had left him fleeing with severe injuries instead.
As a result, Song Zhui’s supposedly fool-proof plan ceased to exist in an instant.
Song Zhui honestly could not understand. Nevertheless, it was meaningless to consider such things at this point. Ying Wuji had escaped and could no longer be relied upon. If he wanted to defeat Lu Ye… then his only option was to attack by force!
He was actually very reluctant to use this method because he would not gain many benefits by defeating Lu Ye with this method. At the most, he would only be able to increase his reputation and prestige.
In the future, the Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators would always remember that Lu Ye had died in an operation headed by him whenever the topic of Lu Ye was mentioned. Be that as it may, what was the use of fame and prestige to him? Only actual resources would be beneficial to him.
The smile on his face vanished, and his expression became solemn. It was not until this moment that he realized he had greatly underestimated Lu Ye. He breathed out softly before he spoke once more. “Regarding my offer earlier… You haven’t given me an answer, Cultivator Lu.”
“I refuse!”
When the decisive answer entered his ears, he nodded slightly. The answer was within his expectations. Lu Ye would have been insane to agree to those conditions. Just as he previously mentioned: It was normal to fear death, what more cultivators like themselves?
“Well then… What was the trade you wanted to propose earlier, Cultivator Lu?”
The corners of Lu Ye’s mouth turned upwards to reveal a smile. It was rare for him to smile at strangers. At the same time, he lightly waved his hand. Ripples spread out across the space in front of him, then an object came into view.
Song Zhui’s eyes narrowed at the sight. Similarly, many Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators were astonished to see the object that suddenly appeared before them. The object was not unfamiliar to them. After all, it was something they often came into contact with.
A soft exclamation rang out from the crowd. “A Divine Opportunity Column!”
It was astonishing to see a Divine Opportunity Column in such a small Arcane Glade. Not to mention, the Divine Opportunity Column looked like it had been there for a long time. It had simply been concealed by a Ward, so outsiders had failed to notice its existence. It was not until Lu Ye’s deliberate actions that the Divine Opportunity Column was revealed to the public view.
The existence of the Divine Opportunity Column meant that Lu Ye and the others could return to Jiu Zhou via the Divine Opportunity Column at any time. Forget a few hundred Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators, the situation would remain the same even if a few thousand Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators had gathered here. They would be helpless in this situation unless they could stop Lu Ye and the others from touching the Divine Opportunity Column. However, they were currently outside the range of the Arcane Glade’s Wards. It was impossible for them to achieve such a feat. In other words, Lu Ye and the others could escape at any time.
Song Zhui finally understood the situation. [No wonder Li Baxian and the others had been standing quietly behind Lu Ye with such calm expressions on their faces. It turned out they had this hidden trump card…]
Thinking back to his suggestion and the various statements he made earlier, he couldn’t help feeling extremely ridiculous. At the same time, he was furious.
He previously heard rumors that Lu Ye had summoned a Divine Opportunity Column in the Carnage Colosseum and successfully escaped with his life despite heavy siege thanks to the Divine Opportunity Column. Nevertheless, he could barely believe that Lu Ye had summoned another Divine Opportunity Column in the Arcane Glade. Each Divine Opportunity Column was worth a hundred thousand Contribution Points after all.
While the vast majority of cultivators were scrambling to earn several thousand Contribution Points, Lu Ye was capable of summoning the Divine Opportunity Column repeatedly. Therefore, Song Zhui couldn’t help feeling the same indignation that Xia Liang and Tan Sheng felt back then. [Just how wealthy is Lu Yi Ye!?]
What upset Song Zhui even more was that the person who leaked the information in secret had not mentioned the existence of the Divine Opportunity Column. If he had known that Lu Ye had a Divine Opportunity Column in the Arcane Glade, he would have acted more cautiously and ensured that he could deal a fatal blow to Lu Ye before he made his move. He would not have brought hundreds of Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators to the Arcane Glade in such an oppressive and conspicuous manner.
Unfortunately, this was a misunderstanding on Song Zhui’s part. The source of the information regarding Lu Ye’s hiding spot had come from Tu Guanxiong of the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade, but Tu Guanxiong himself had not known about the existence of the Divine Opportunity Column either…
Xia Liang had once mentioned the matter to Huo Liaoyuan in secret, but Huo Liaoyuan had ignored the issue due to his confidence in the Deathmatch Platform. In the end, Huo Liaoyuan died in the Deathmatch Platform and the knowledge of the Divine Opportunity Column died with him. Hence, the only people who knew about the Divine Opportunity Column were Xia Liang and Tan Sheng. It was too bad that they decided to borrow the strength of these Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators to force Lu Ye to abandon the Arcane Glade, so it was only natural they would not publicize the knowledge.
The fighting spirit of the Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators, who originally believed that victory was in their grasp, dropped sharply after they saw the Divine Opportunity Column. The feeling that their trip was boring and in vain washed over them instead. They were too far away to stop Lu Ye and others from coming into contact with the Divine Opportunity Column. The Ghost Cultivators hiding in the shadows might have a chance, but they no longer dared to step into the Arcane Glade without good reason after their experience from before.
After the Divine Opportunity Column appeared, there were several dozen seconds of stunned silence where nobody spoke a word. In the end, Song Zhui broke the silence once more. “Does the trade you mentioned earlier related to this item?”
Lu Ye did not provide a direct answer. On the contrary, he simply said, “The reason so many people have gathered here is to take my life. Perhaps… I can give you an opportunity.”
Behind Lu Ye, Li Baxian frowned slightly. He suddenly had a bad feeling about the situation. Feng Yuechan also noticed the strange situation and turned to look at him. Both of them could not shake the feeling that Lu Ye was acting very oddly today, but they kept silent and did not interfere with his actions out of trust. Nevertheless, they did not know what he was planning.
Only Ju Jia remained standing there, as calm as a mountain. He did not seem to care about the situation around him. After all, he was a simple-minded man. If there was a fight, he would take the lead and charge forward. If there was no fight, then he would simply stand guard there. Ȑ𝒶ÓᛒÊȿ
“What do you mean?” Song Zhui was puzzled.
“It’s simple!” Lu Ye stared directly at Song Zhui. “I will leave this place, but the Thousand Demon Ridge must not destroy the Arcane Glade!”
“Little Junior Brother!” Li Baxian immediately shouted in protest. Although he finally understood what Lu Ye was planning, he did not understand Lu Ye’s choices. Returning to Jiu Zhou was the safest and most reasonable choice. Why would Lu Ye make such a proposal?
Lu Ye stood with his back to Li Baxian and explained softly. “Senior Brother, there is no point hiding when I’ve been targeted by the Thousand Demon Ridge. The situation will not change unless I stay in Jiu Zhou and never enter the Cloud River Battlefield again. Otherwise, there will always be somebody trying to kill me as soon as I enter the Cloud River Battlefield. Last time, it was Xia Liang and the others who found this place by some unknown means. But, what about next time? No matter where I try to hide, it is only a matter of time before somebody else comes looking for me.
“Rather than hiding somewhere, I might as well wander around the world so that nobody can pinpoint my exact location. As for my safety… Don’t worry too much, Senior Brother. While there are many in the Cloud River Battlefield who are stronger than me, there are not many who can surpass me in terms of speed. Besides, I’m used to being hunted. Most of the people, who attempted to come after me during my time in the Spirit Creek Battlefield, have suffered tragic fates.”
The last few sentences left a bitter taste in Li Baxian’s mouth… Thinking back to the experiences Lu Ye went through on the Spirit Creek Battlefield, he could not deny that Lu Ye had always been living a life on the run.
“I understand what you’re saying, but you can’t do that. Little Junior Brother, let’s retreat to Jiu Zhou according to plan for the time being. We can talk about the future when the future comes.”
“Senior Brother, running and hiding will not solve the problem. Only a strong retaliation will plant a seed of fear in their hearts. Since they dared to target me, then I will do my best to kill them in return! If I choose to run now, then there will always be a next time. It will be a never-ending cycle. I’m sure you don’t wish for me to run and hide either whenever I face any problems in life. Isn’t that right, Senior Brother?”
“In that case, I’ll come with you!”
Lu Ye shook his head gently. “Senior Brother, you should stay here and cultivate in peace. Don’t forget to help me watch over Ju Jia. With his personality, there’s no saying what he could do without a person to restrain him. More importantly, it will be more convenient for me to act alone.”
Li Baxian was about to speak again, but Feng Yuechan tugged at his sleeve lightly to stop him. Then, she asked Lu Ye a question. “Junior Brother Lu, you will always be in danger if you choose to walk down this path. Do you have the confidence to survive?”
“With enough effort, anything is possible!”
Standing in mid-air, Song Zhui was stunned for quite some time before he finally came back to his senses. He exclaimed in astonishment, “Is that the trade you wanted to propose, Cultivator Lu?”
“That’s right!”
He scowled, not quite understanding what Lu Ye was aiming for.
In this situation, the safest and most appropriate choice would be for Lu Ye to return to Jiu Zhou via the Divine Opportunity Column. Be that as it may, he had proposed such a strange trade which undoubtedly posed a great risk to him. He would be giving the Thousand Demon Ridge an opportunity to kill him in exchange for the protection of a mere Arcane Glade.
Nevertheless, the Thousand Demon Ridge had no reason to reject his proposal. This outcome could even be said to be exactly what they wanted. That was why Song Zhui nodded in agreement after he pondered in silence for a short moment. “Sure!”
Regardless of what the other party was planning, there was nothing wrong with agreeing to the proposal.
“Do you need me to make a Heavenly Oath?” Song Zhui questioned. The trade was too much in favor of the Thousand Demon Ridge. In fact, it was so much in their favor that he couldn’t help feeling uneasy without the Heavenly Oath.
“No need!” Lu Ye replied calmly. While speaking, he began walking to the side.
“Little Junior Brother!” Li Baxian grabbed Lu Ye’s arm in hopes of stopping Lu Ye from being reckless.
Lu Ye smiled at Li Baxian. “Senior Brother, don’t worry too much. There’s no harm in accumulating difficult experiences.”
Their gazes met, and Li Baxian could see the resolution in Lu Ye’s eyes.
How could he not realize that Lu Ye had spoken the truth? Running away once would only lead to more and more incidents in the future. They could not keep running and hiding in this manner, but he couldn’t help feeling worried anyway. Even if Lu Ye was now strong enough to be independent, the man standing in front of him was the same Junior Brother who had needed the protection of him and Mo Yuan on the top of the Goldentip.
A long while passed before Li Baxian finally spoke in a gloomy voice. “Be careful!”
He wanted to go with Lu Ye, but Feng Yuechan would definitely follow him. In that case, Ju Jia would not remain behind either. Four people traveling together would be far less convenient than Lu Ye traveling alone.
“I know!” Lu Ye responded with a smile.
Li Baxian released Lu Ye’s arm. Lu Ye walked to the side and stood still. His Spiritual Power circulated, and the Grand Ward beneath his feet swiftly began to glow.
Song Zhui and the rest of the Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators watched in bewilderment and wondered about the Ward that suddenly appeared.
Inside the Ward, Lu Ye looked up at Song Zhui and warned softly, “Don’t forget the deal I made with you. If anybody dares to destroy my Arcane Glade, I will return to the Spirit Creek Battlefield and destroy the Outposts of the other Sects!”
Song Zhui finally understood why Lu Ye had not needed him to swear to make a Heavenly Oath. Although the Heavenly Oath had an absolute restraining effect, Lu Ye’s threat at this moment was not bad either. With that threat in place, nobody would dare to target this Arcane Glade as long as Lu Ye was alive.
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