Chapter 972 Taking People
Zhou Ze's words were polite, but his attitude was extremely firm. He clearly knew that no matter what, Lu Ye could not take Zhou Wang away today. Once Zhou Wang fell into Lu Ye's hands, he might survive today, but he would surely die in the future!
In the center surrounded by many Zhou family cultivators, the saber lights of Lu Ye and Xiao Xinghe crisscrossed, but they could not break through the encirclement by the Zhou family cultivators. The situation was at a stalemate for a while.
Although the two had the ability to fight across levels, they were currently unable to contend against the sheer number of opponents from the Zhou family. If the Zhou family truly intended to block them, their means were simply insufficient to resolve it.
Thankfully, these people knew their limits and did not dare to strike heavily, or even attack proactively, merely defending passively.
Lu Ye's offensive was fierce, and now with True Lake Level 5 cultivation, many Zhou family cultivators fighting him were caught off guard, constantly being injured and crying out.
He remained unflustered.
Relying solely on his status as a disciple of the Righteous Blood Sect, he could never cause such commotion or have such capability. Regardless, the Zhou family was a 3rd grade cultivation family, not a place anyone could invade.
But now he was part of the Law Enforcement Hall of the Justice Department, backed by the Justice Department of Bingzhou, which was his confidence for barging into the Zhou family today.
Xiao Xinghe did not know what Lu Ye intended, but from recent interactions, he understood that his junior brother never engaged in useless endeavors; he always acted with a plan. So even though the situation temporarily appeared unfavorable, Xiao Xinghe remained composed.
He vaguely felt that his junior brother surely had a backup plan.
Moreover, even if his junior brother didn't have a backup plan today, at most they would leave the Zhou family in embarrassment, but their lives would not be in any danger.
Lu Ye indeed had a backup plan. While contending with the numerous Zhou family cultivators, he was constantly focusing on sensing the commotion in the small courtyard.
He dared not use mental consciousness, as there must be a Divine Sea Realm master residing in the Zhou family; recklessly using mental consciousness could easily be detected by that person.
Until at some point, amidst the crowd encirclement, Lu Ye suddenly turned his head towards a direction, barely sighting someone swiftly flying out of the small courtyard.
It was evident that Zhou Wang, hiding in the courtyard, couldn't sit still or had received some directive, preparing to change location.
The tracking disc had just been given to Zhou Ze by Lu Ye; once Zhou Wang moved, it would be difficult for Lu Ye to track him without using the disc.
Zhou Wang had a great plan, little knowing Lu Ye was waiting for this very moment.
There were several True Lake Realm presences in the courtyard, and Lu Ye had never seen Zhou Wang before. If Zhou Wang didn't actively reveal himself, Lu Ye wouldn't know who was who, and even rushing into the courtyard might not succeed.
The fact that Zhou Wang revealed himself saved Lu Ye a great deal of trouble.
As Lu Ye swung his saber, a powerful momentum burst forth from him.
In a fleeting moment, many Zhou family cultivators around him faintly felt as if a crescent moon was suspended high behind Lu Ye. Those sensitive to such nuances immediately changed expression, "Saber Intent!"
There was no actual crescent moon; it was merely the precision of saber intent influencing himself.
An extremely dangerous aura emanated from Lu Ye, even causing Xiao Xinghe, fighting alongside him, to feel his skin tighten. Though he had spent time with Lu Ye and seen him in action, he had never witnessed Lu Ye exerting his full power; at that instant, Lu Ye felt entirely unfamiliar, deeply aggressive, and threatening not only to aura but also the soul.
It made everyone confronting him feel like a rabbit facing a tiger.
The influence of such aggression and intimidation was immense during a fierce battle.
The saber fell, upon the high-hanging crescent moon, streams of lunar radiance poured like water.
Each stream of lunar radiance was a sheet-like blade light.
Tyrannical Saber 2nd Movement, Crescent Moon!
"Be careful!" cried one who reacted quickly, hastily defending themselves.
The sounds of "shish, shish, shish" echoed incessantly, many Zhou family cultivators surrounding Lu Ye and flipping over, blood spurting.
They dared not strike heavily at Lu Ye and Xiao Xinghe; Lu Ye attacked without any restraint.
Previously, he only shouted "Those who dare obstruct official duties shall be killed without mercy," wasn't merely arbitrary; if not for the sheer number of Zhou family cultivators succeeding one another in defense against him and Xiao Xinghe, there might already be casualties all around.
If Tyrannical Saber 1st Movement, Myriad Stars suited solo combat against enemies, then the 2nd Movement, Crescent Moon, was perfect for solo fighting multiple foes.
Under the Crescent Moon, a slight flaw finally appeared in the tight formation. Despite Zhou family cultivators quickly rushing to remedy it, Lu Ye was already enveloped by fire-red spirit force, twisting and rolling around him, transforming into dense Yin-Yang Dual Origins, interlocking and embedding.
Making him look as if encased in a burning egg.
As the eggshell shattered, the call resonated throughout Dingtian City, a gigantic Fire Phoenix soared, crashing through the encirclement of Zhou family cultivators unprepared, charging toward Zhou Wang escaping.
Sensing commotion behind him, Zhou Wang looked back, beholding a magnificent burning Fire Phoenix, stunning him, hastily summoning his weapon to strike at the Phoenix.
The Fire Phoenix did not evade, letting these weapons gouge into its body, flames swirled, its momentum ever fiercer.
Their distance rapidly closed.
In the blink of an eye, the silhouette of the Fire Phoenix engulfed the area where Zhou Wang was, accompanied by a ghastly wail.
The many cultivators of the Zhou family, only just coming to their senses, were frozen in shock, staring agape at this scene.
The burning flames suddenly dissipated, revealing two figures. At this moment, Lu Ye held Zhou Wang by the arm with one hand, a saber pressed against Zhou Wang's neck, while his gaze was solemnly fixed on a certain spot of the Zhou Family Manor.
Just at the moment of success, he sensed a trace of a Divine Sea Realm presence, signaling an intent to act. However, he achieved his goal too swiftly, causing the other party to restrain their original intention. The presence of the strong cultivator from the Divine Sea flickered momentarily and then vanished.
After quietly watching that direction for a moment, Lu Ye finally withdrew his gaze.
Looking at the figure he had seized, burned beyond recognition, he asked in a deep voice, "What's your name?"
The might of the Fire Phoenix was overwhelmingly strong, and Lu Ye was now at the True Lake Level 5 realm. The person he captured was only at True Lake Level 2, so although Lu Ye quickly dispersed the Fire Phoenix, the other was still severely burned, their clothes charred and sticking to their bloodied skin, writhing in pain.
Yet he gritted his teeth and refused to answer, imploringly looking at the place where Lu Ye had fixed his gaze earlier, clearly hoping for rescue from his family's Divine Sea Realm cultivator.
"No one can save you," Lu Ye said calmly.
That Divine Sea Realm cultivator hadn't intervened earlier and certainly wouldn't now.
He likely valued Zhou Wang greatly, otherwise, he wouldn't have hidden him despite knowing his transgressions. But now that he had fallen into Lu Ye's hands, if he forcefully intervened, even killing Lu Ye and Xiao Xinghe here, the Justice Department would not let it go.
The Zhou family might be 3rd grade, but in front of the entire Justice Department, they're still incredibly fragile.
In his high position, he must consider not just momentary honor or disgrace, or one person's life, but the future of the entire family.
"This person is not Zhou Wang, Fellow Daoist Niu captured the wrong person," Zhou Ze shouted in frustration.
Never did they expect that so many people from the Zhou family would fail to stop Lu Ye.
They were indeed caught off guard; who would have thought that someone at True Lake Level 5 could exhibit such powerful strength with such earth-shattering explosiveness.
Neither the Crescent Moon nor the Fire Phoenix were techniques that ordinary cultivators could wield.
Of course, the main issue was their own qualms, fearing true retribution against Lu Ye and Xiao Xinghe, giving Lu Ye an opening to exploit.
If the previous clash had been a life-and-death battle, Lu Ye might have protected himself, but Xiao Xinghe would undoubtedly have died on the spot.
"Whether it's the wrong capture will be known once taken to the Justice Department for trial!" Lu Ye naturally couldn't be bothered with him. He didn't know Zhou Wang, but others did, and the Nightingale of this place was still with Lin Yinxiu. He called to Xiao Xinghe, "Third Senior Brother, let's go!"
Xiao Xinghe nodded silently and flew into the sky.
"Who dares to leave!" Zhou Ze shouted, leading a group of Zhou family cultivators to surround them again.
Lu Ye ignored him, only looking toward the hiding place of the Zhou family's Divine Sea Realm cultivator and said calmly, "Your honor should know the Justice Department's style of conduct. Now that I have captured the person and am leaving, if the Zhou family insists on blocking me, I can leave the person behind and take his life instead!"
As he said this, his Boulder Mountain Saber moved slightly.
Zhou Wang instantly let out a muffled groan, his neck beginning to drip with blood.
A surge of Mental Consciousness suddenly erupted, unnoticed by others, but Lu Ye sensed it clearly.
After a while, Zhou Ze restrained his previously firm stance, clasping his hands and saying, "Fellow Daoist Niu, it is a misunderstanding. The Zhou family does not intend to obstruct, only that his... injuries are severe. Can we have our healing cultivator tend to him first?"
This was evidently instructed by the Divine Sea Realm cultivator secretly, who understood that at this stage, they couldn't get the person back, and causing more trouble wouldn't benefit the Zhou family at all.
Lu Ye glanced at Zhou Wang, snorting lightly, "These injuries won't kill him!"
Zhou Wang's injuries seemed severe, but he was still a True Lake Realm cultivator, hardly so easy to die from this.
He shifted his tone: "But since the elder has spoken, I'll give you this courtesy. Thirty miles west of the city, the Zhou family may send a healing cultivator; I will wait one incense stick's time!"
With those words, he turned and left!
Xiao Xinghe followed closely behind.
Just as they flew out of the Zhou family's manor, they saw a familiar figure rushing towards them from afar, full of momentum.
It was Lin Yinxiu.
Lu Ye was greatly surprised, "Didn't I tell you to wait over there? How come you ran over?"
Lin Yinxiu said, "I saw there was movement over here, guessed you were in a fight, and thought to come support... Is it over?"
"It's over."
"We won?" Lin Yinxiu glanced at Zhou Wang, who Lu Ye was carrying, and exclaimed in admiration, "Captain is amazing."