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Translator: Jon
Editor: Dhael Ligerkeys
“I wouldn’t dare!” Huo Liaoyuan practically spat out the words through gritted teeth.
At this moment, fluctuations of Spiritual Power suddenly erupted from the distance. He turned to look in that direction and discovered that the source of the commotion was coming from the place where the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade cultivators were currently stationed.
“No!” He yelled, immediately realizing what had happened. [Lu Ye must have taken advantage of my brief confrontation with Xia Liang and Tan Sheng to circle around and attack the base again!]
There was no time to explain anything to Xia Liang and Tan Sheng. Turning around, he hastily rushed in the direction of Ameliorate Valley’s entrance.
Meanwhile, Xia Liang and Tan Sheng exchanged a confused glance with each other. Xia Liang suggested, “Let’s go and take a look.”
Since their existence had been exposed, there was no need to remain hidden any longer.
At the entrance of the Ameliorate Valley, Huo Liaoyuan rushed back only to discover that two other cultivators had been killed. They were sprawled in a pool of their own blood.
“Where is he?” Huo Liaoyuan questioned.
A Cult Blackfyre disciple answered. “He escaped!”
Huo Liaoyuan felt the blood surging in his chest, but there was nowhere for him to vent his rage. At the same time, he was very confused about something.
[Lu Ye is a Combat Cultivator. How is he able to wield the skills of a Ghost Cultivator? Even with the help of Spirit Talisman Papers it should not be possible for him to be so elusive.]
Lu Ye had attacked twice and murdered five cultivators. Although these losses could not be compared to what they suffered during the day, the enemy hidden in the dark was the scariest.
Huo Liaoyuan originally planned to block the entrance until he gathered enough people to invade the Arcane Glade, but the reinforcements needed time to arrive.
Unfortunately, their losses would only increase if he continued waiting for the reinforcements. In fact, the number of people they’d lose might even surpass the number of reinforcements they gained at this rate!
Withdrawing from this place was certainly a good choice, but where could they retreat to? Furthermore, how would they know whether Lu Ye escaped if they withdrew? On the other hand, they might not have another opportunity to withdraw from battle if they missed this chance.
Perceiving the uneasy atmosphere surrounding him, Huo Liaoyuan knew that he had to finish the battle as soon as possible if he wanted to defeat Lu Ye. He turned to look at Xia Liang and Tan Sheng who followed him here. Then, he asked with a solemn expression, “What do you think about working together?”
Even though he hated these two very much, he needed their strength in this situation. As Ninth Order Cloud River Realm Masters, the power they wielded was not something that should be underestimated. More importantly, his plan would have better chances of success if he could borrow their strength in battle.
Xia Liang pondered for a while before he responded. “Working together is not a problem, but our opponent is hiding inside the Arcane Glade. What difference does our cooperation make unless you are willing to invade the Arcane Glade, Cultivator Huo? Unfortunately, I don’t think you will voluntarily choose such a drastic option. Isn’t that right, Cultivator Huo?”
Sacred Universe Arcane Glade might have suffered great losses, but they were not without the strength to perform an invasion. It was just that an offensive would result in greater casualties even if they managed to defeat Lu Ye in the end.
Xia Liang did not believe that Huo Liaoyuan would be so foolish as to make such risky choices.
Contrary to expectations, Huo Liaoyuan calmly asked, “Why are you so certain that I will not invade the Arcane Glade, Cultivator Xia?”
Xia Liang’s expression twitched at those words. Despite staring at Huo Liaoyuan in bewilderment, he could not tell what the other party was thinking at the moment.
Huo Liaoyuan glanced in the direction of the Arcane Glade and calmly said, “I will invade the Ameliorate Valley at daybreak. For that reason, I would like to borrow your strength. Once we succeed in the mission, I will share twenty per cent of the bounty on Lu Yi Ye’s head with you!”
His words surprised Xia Liang, and even Tan Sheng was puzzled too.
Looking at Huo Liaoyuan’s posture, he seemed very confident that he could defeat Lu Ye. Nevertheless, an invasion would only end with both parties suffering severe casualties. Why was he so willing to take such a risk?
“Forty per cent!” Xia Liang was confused, but that did not stop him from negotiating a better deal for himself.
Huo Liaoyuan shook his head. “You must be joking, Cultivator Xia. Your combined strength might be impressive, but your additional support is just icing on the cake to me. Even without your help, Lu Yi Ye will die. I’m only sharing twenty per cent of the benefits with you to minimize the casualties among the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade cultivators as much as possible. If you are not willing to join forces with me, I will not force you.”
His confidence that he could defeat Lu Ye completely bewildered Xia Liang and Tan Sheng.
After a moment of silence, Xia Liang finally came clean. “Cultivator Huo, you might not know this, but there is a Divine Opportunity Column in Lu Yi Ye’s Arcane Glade.”
He had not disclosed this information previously, and the location of the Divine Opportunity Column had been concealed during the battle today. Hence, the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade cultivators had not noticed the existence of the Divine Opportunity Column.
Huo Liaoyuan was astonished. “Are you certain?”
“I saw it myself.” Xia Liang nodded. “Regardless of what your plans are, Cultivator Huo, you will need to seize and occupy the Divine Opportunity Column as soon as possible if you want to kill Lu Yi Ye. Lu Yi Ye must not be allowed near the Divine Opportunity Column.”
“Understood. I will make the necessary arrangements later.” Huo Liaoyuan nodded.
Xia Liang gave Huo Liaoyuan a deep look before he said, “It’s enough if you know about it, Cultivator Huo.”
With a few simple sentences, they confirmed their cooperative relationship.
Afterwards, Xia Liang and Tan Sheng found an isolated spot and sat down to meditate.
Huang Liaoyuan also relayed the order to invade the Ameliorate Valley when morning came. The cultivators had yet to recover from the fear of the previous battle, but they started making preparations for the battle tomorrow nevertheless.
At the place where Xia Liang and Tan Sheng were resting. After trying to hold his tongue for some time, Tan Sheng couldn’t help asking in a soft voice, “Brother Xia, do you think Huo Liaoyuan will really attack Lu Yi Ye’s Arcane Glade?”
“Since he has already said he will, then it’s probably true.”
Tan Sheng shook his head slightly. “Although this is my first contact with Huo Liaoyuan, there is no doubt that he is a cunning man. The Sacred Universe Arcane Glade has already suffered great losses. If he attacks the Arcane Glade again… The losses are not worth the effort even if he defeats Lu Yi Ye. Why would somebody like him make such a decision? Not to mention, he agreed to share twenty per cent of the profits with us… Brother Xia, I think we should be careful. Huo Liaoyuan probably does not harbor goodwill toward us.”
Xia Liang nodded. “I know. We will just have to act accordingly tomorrow. But, what bothers me most is something else…”
“What is it?”
“Huo Liaoyuan did not ask me about the location of Lu Yi Ye’s Divine Opportunity Column.” Xia Liang looked puzzled.
He had decided to reveal the information regarding the Divine Opportunity Column to Huo Liaoyuan, but his actions were not motivated by kind intentions. He simply worried that Huo Liaoyuan might persecute Lu Ye too much and drive Lu Ye away. If that were to happen, then all their efforts would have been in vain.
However, Huo Liaoyuan had not shown much interest or asked any questions even though he seemed surprised by the news. That was clearly a strange reaction. It was almost as though the existence of the Divine Opportunity Column would not affect his plans at all, so there was no need to obtain further details regarding the matter.
Tan Sheng replayed the conversation in his head and soon came to the same conclusion. He frowned. “What exactly is he trying to do?”
“It doesn’t matter what he is trying to do. We will know when morning comes.”
Dawn was coming soon.
More than two hours later, the sky began to brighten. The Sacred Universe Arcane Glade cultivators, who had prepared themselves in advance, began a brazen attack on the Ameliorate Valley’s Arcane Glade under Huo Liaoyuan’s command. It only took a moment before the Concealment Ward lost effect and the Arcane Glade entered their vision. They were not obstructed by the Grand Defensive Ward because Lu Ye had not prepared a Grand Defensive Ward.
Inside the Arcane Glade, Lu Ye stepped out and frowned at the sight of nearly a hundred cultivators approaching the edges of the Arcane Glade.
[Are they… planning to attack by force? No matter how furious Huo Liaoyuan might be, why would he make such a foolish choice? Does he not care whether his subordinates live or die? Or, did his rage overpower his reasoning after the two ambushes last night? But, the orderly formation of the other party seems to indicate otherwise.]
Li Baxian, Feng Yuechan and Ju Jia appeared and stood beside Lu Ye.
“Little Junior Brother!”
“The situation is not looking good.”
Lu Ye’s expression was solemn. He had seen Xia Liang and Tan Sheng in the enemy camp. Their presence was within his expectations. They were forced out of hiding because of him, so their next best choice was naturally to join forces with the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade.
Their presence might seem to have strengthened the enemy forces. However, a poisonous snake hiding in the shadows was the most terrifying. Now that they were forced into the open, the threat they posed had reduced considerably.
Lu Ye turned to look at Ju Jia. “If we can’t repel them, we must escape to Jiu Zhou via the Divine Opportunity Column. Do you understand?”
He was not worried about Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan. They would escape if the situation turned bad. Therefore, only Ju Jia worried him.
When several Wolf Mutants died in battle yesterday, Ju Jia had spent the entire day in a depressed mood. He might not be willing to abandon the wolf pack and escape by himself.
Ju Jia glanced at the Wolf Mutants nearby and kept silent.
“There will be nothing left if you die, but you can avenge them if you survive!” Lu Ye earnestly tried to persuade Ju Jia.
Lowering his head, Ju Jia remained silent.
Lu Ye sighed heavily but did not attempt to persuade Ju Jia again.
“Attack!” Outside the Arcane Glade, the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade cultivators uniformly stepped into the range of the Aerial Lock Ward following Hui Liaoyuan’s command. After their humiliating defeat yesterday, it was only natural that they abandoned their flight today.
Ameliorate Valley’s Arcane Glade was a small Arcane Glade that did not occupy much space. However, Lu Ye had prepared Grand Wards that covered a large area so that the wolf pack would be comfortable. Whether it was the Concealment Ward, the Grand Defensive Ward, or the Aerial Lock Ward, they far exceeded the range of the Arcane Glade and covered a radius of several hundred kilometers.
When the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade cultivators stepped through the borders of the Grand Wards, they remained at a distance of several hundred kilometers from Lu Ye and the others. Naturally, this distance was not within their attack range. Hence, they stepped forward in unison and approached the center of the Arcane Glade together. Every one of them surged with Spiritual Power, ready to attack at any time.
Likewise, the wolf pack began to take action. They snarled and bared their fangs, the Mutant powers surging violently around their bodies.
The battle was about to begin!
It was not until both parties were less than fifty kilometers from each other that the Sacred Universe Arcane Glade cultivators released the first assault under Huo Liaoyuan’s command. For a time, the lights of various flying weapons and Spell Techniques bloomed and rained down on the wolf pack in an overwhelming manner.
At the same time, the wolf pack counterattacked with numerous wind blades. It was just that the number of wind blades was significantly inferior compared to the attacks from the cultivators. There was no helping the difference in numbers. After all, only a few Wolf Mutants could wield the Mutant Spell Techniques.
Long-distance confrontations were undoubtedly disadvantageous for the wolf pack. The leader of the wolf pack was clearly aware of this fact, so it threw its head back and howled.
In the next moment, the wolf pack began moving. Countless wolf howls echoed and resonated with each other as the snow-white figures dashed forward and closed the distance of fifty kilometers.
Some of the Wolf Mutants were struck by Spell Techniques or flying weapons during their charge and stumbled in their tracks. Fortunately, they had tough and sturdy bodies. They were also protected by their Mutant Vitality Shields. As long as their Mutant Vitality Shields were not destroyed, they would not suffer any life-threatening injuries.
Ju Jia’s burly figure was mixed among the wolf pack, and he charged forward with the Wolf Mutants. Meanwhile, Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan followed closely behind the wolf pack. Hundreds of swords flew out, and Spell Techniques hummed loudly in activation. It was an impressive display of their immense strength.
Only Lu Ye remained standing in place. He was wielding the nine flying weapons in the weapon holder hanging around his waist to reduce the pressure on the wolf pack.
The battle broke out in earnest, and the scene became lively in an instant.
