Swoosh
Li Ye rose into the air, and before he could fall, a swirl of spiritual energy summoned a green leaf-shaped flying vessel beneath his feet, catching him in midair.
The invisible blades had come fast and fierce, striking the massive flying ship in rapid succession. Countless slashes rained down, some even breaking through the thick hull and hitting several unprepared disciples of the Purple Profound Sect.
Yet, not a single one managed to injure Li Ye.
Among them, the strongest and most advanced-stage Qi Refining disciple reacted even faster than Li Ye. Not only did he evade the attack in time, he had already summoned his magic weapon and shouted:
"Ambush! Abandon ship, now!"
Most of the disciples, as soon as they were attacked, either leaped off the ship to dodge or used talismans and magic tools to block the assault before repositioning themselves.
But a few reacted too slowly cut directly by the surprise attack. Blood splattered as limbs were severed, and they screamed in agony, plummeting from the shattered deck.
"Ahh! No!"
"I don't want to die! Help me!"
But no one had the time to care for them now.
Right after the ambush, more than a dozen unknown cultivators suddenly emerged from the clouds above, launching a full-on assault!
"Hmph!"
Seeing a yellow-faced cultivator Qi Refining mid-stage riding a flying sword straight toward him, Li Ye snorted coldly. A small shield appeared and hovered protectively around him while his blackwood sword shot forward like a streak of black light.
The yellow-faced attacker only chuckled darkly. Qi Refining sixth-layer energy surged from his body, and the spiritual light around his flying sword intensified as he attempted to slash through the blackwood sword.
But the moment their weapons clashed, a sharp clang echoed, and the blackwood sword didn't give an inch.
Only then did Li Ye release his full spiritual power revealing a cultivation level no weaker than his opponent.
The yellow-faced cultivator's expression shifted. He hurried to summon a low-grade orb-shaped magical weapon.
But in that brief window, Li Ye had already activated several talismans.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh
Seven or eight balls of flame roared through the air, rapidly expanding in the yellow-faced cultivator's eyes.
Boom!
A massive fireball exploded, lighting up the sky in a red blaze.
The yellow-faced attacker, now scorched and blackened, was barely protected by a defensive talisman that activated just in time, forming a barrier. Trails of black smoke followed as he hastily fled the explosion.
Though not fatally wounded, the sudden onslaught left him shaken.
His control over his flying sword faltered completely, and it was instantly suppressed by Li Ye's blackwood sword.
"Go!"
With a flick of his finger, Li Ye sent the blackwood sword slicing past the disrupted flying sword, its speed skyrocketing.
Whoosh
"ARGH!"
The yellow-faced cultivator raised his shield to block, but the sword easily curved around it, piercing through the protective light barrier and straight through his skull killing him instantly.
"Junior Brother Huang! You bastard how dare you!"
Li Ye had just collected the dead man's magic tools and storage pouch when a furious roar erupted nearby.
It came from one of the two Qi Refining late-stage cultivators among the attackers a haggard middle-aged man with graying temples and a weary face.
He and another had been double-teaming the only Qi Refining late-stage disciple among the Purple Profound Sect group, hoping to take him out quickly and then massacre the rest.
But now that Li Ye had killed the yellow-faced man seemingly this haggard cultivator's friend he abandoned his comrade without hesitation and charged straight at Li Ye with his magic weapon blazing.
"Junior Brother, hold out as best you can. Once I finish this one, I'll come help you right away…"
The Purple Profound disciple under siege, previously struggling to hold his ground, suddenly relaxed a bit and shouted encouragement toward Li Ye.
But the other late-stage attacker an old man with a grim face grinned cruelly.
"Worry about yourself instead. A mid-stage brat like that? Dead with a flick of my wrist!"
With a sneer, he intensified his assault, locking the Purple Profound disciple in place with no room to spare.
"Die!"
The late-stage cultivator charged through the air, the glowing orb in his hand radiating with immense power as he hurled it straight at Li Ye like a thousand-pound hammer.
Its appearance was strikingly similar to the smaller orb the yellow-faced cultivator had wielded earlier.
Li Ye's expression darkened.
He had merely killed someone who came looking for trouble why was he now suddenly being targeted by a late-stage cultivator?
Is this guy just avoiding my senior brother because he can't beat him, and decided to pick on the "easy target" instead?
A cold killing intent surged within Li Ye's chest.
He immediately retreated at full speed toward the forest below, his shield expanding in front of him as he activated a Golden Bell Talisman.
Clang!
The orb moved with terrifying speed. The shield, even fully powered, was smashed aside the moment it formed.
Its momentum barely slowed, the Golden Bell's protective barrier shattering on impact. Several defensive talismans activated in quick succession, though they only managed to slightly reduce the orb's destructive force.
Bang!
The orb struck Li Ye square in the chest.
"Argh!"
He let out a pained cry as the force flung him down, crashing headfirst into the nearby mountain forest.
What a weakling?!
Seeing Li Ye seemingly defeated in an instant, the senior Purple Profound disciple's face turned grim.
Caught off guard by the ambush, the Purple Profound Sect disciples were already suffering heavy losses dead or wounded, their fighting power plummeting. They clearly weren't a match for the well-prepared attackers. The situation was deteriorating fast.
In just this short exchange, two more had fallen. Including those who had died aboard the ship, nearly half were already gone!
If this continued, and the middle-aged attacker finished off Li Ye and returned to join the assault on him, even the senior disciple likely wouldn't survive.
At this moment, a deep resentment toward the sect welled up within him along with a hint of blame directed at Li Ye.
"Hmph! Still, dazed? Doesn't matter how long you hold out every last one of you Purple Profound Sect trash will die here today!"
The grim old man sneered and took the opportunity to press his attack.
Swish
His blade slashed toward the senior disciple, who barely dodged in time. The battle only grew fiercer.
His comrades were unreliable now. His only option was to take advantage of the other late-stage cultivator's absence kill the opponent in front of him, and flee!
…
Meanwhile, the middle-aged cultivator hovered with his glowing orb, chasing Li Ye into the forest below.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh
Several talismans flew out from Li Ye, turning into fireballs, but the orb's light easily shattered them.
He casually threw the orb again, and in the distance, Li Ye was blasted back once more coughing blood and crashing to the ground.
The middle-aged man's eyes were cold, tinged with the cruelty of a predator toying with its prey. Watching Li Ye clutching his longsword, struggling to crawl backward without the strength to counterattack, he smirked.
A few steps brought him much closer.
The orb shimmered again and was hurled once more.
"Purple Profound Sect scum go die with Junior Brother Huang…"
Boom
The orb shot forward, but just as it struck, Li Ye suddenly leaped up, his entire body glowing with an icy-white light. In an instant, he dodged the blast and dashed directly at his foe.
His fist, encased in bone-white armor, smashed into the cultivator's chest piercing straight through without regard for defenses.
A heavy thud followed behind him the sound of the orb crashing into the earth, blasting out a deep crater.
But the middle-aged man could no longer recall it.
His eyes widened. The cruel sneer still frozen on his face as he stared at Li Ye's calm expression, now just inches away.
"You lured me in on purpose…"
Splurt!
Li Ye didn't bother responding. He yanked his arm back violently, sending a fountain of blood spraying from the man's chest. The cultivator collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
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