Sage of Humanity

"Captain, he's coming." The cultivator steering the spirit ark suddenly uttered in a low voice, as the person previously flying alongside with a mask turned and swooped directly towards them.

Moreover, the momentum was aggressive, with spirit force swirling.

The visitor harbors ill intent!

Zhou Kui shouted sternly, "Lu Ye, how dare you!"

He truly couldn't fathom what scheme Lu Ye was up to, to dare attack them so openly, and to do so alone.

They had previously clashed at the Hundred Fragrance House, where Zhou Kui suffered some losses, which made him realize one thing: though Lu Ye's cultivation was inferior, his physique was not.

However, in that encounter, both sides restrained themselves and did not go all out. With a cultivation gap of four small levels, Zhou Kui believed that if he went all out, Lu Ye would not be a match for him.

He lost face in the elegant courtyard of the Hundred Fragrance House and had held a grudge against it. That was why he spoke harshly when meeting Lu Ye at the Hunting Pavilion. Yet, before he could trouble Lu Ye, Lu Ye came to him instead.

Despite his anger, Zhou Kui felt pleased.

Since Lu Ye had attacked them first, retaliating was justified, and even if the matter reached the Lord Department Chief, he would hold the moral ground.

Today, he must teach him a harsh lesson to vent his grievances.

With many thoughts racing through his mind, Zhou Kui stepped forward and dashed out of the spirit ark, heading straight towards Lu Ye.

His body was surging with spirit force and blood Qi, forming a dense and sturdy protective layer on the surface, reaching the peak of his momentum in an instant.

At the same time, he launched a powerful punch forward.

Clang...

The sound of a long blade being unsheathed echoed as it slashed down at Zhou Kui.

The Boulder Mountain Saber was with the doppelganger; currently, Lu Ye used a spare long blade. Though it was inferior in quality to the Boulder Mountain Saber, it was still handy.

The long blade clashed against the fist, a momentary stalemate occurring, both spirit forces colliding intensely.

Zhou Kui's expression changed, as he clearly sensed the sharpness of the blade, noticing his protective layer formed by his own blood Qi and spirit force was faltering.

Daring not to persist, knowing that if the protection broke, his physical body alone might not withstand the blade.

He followed through with another powerful punch.

Physique cultivators, in lower cultivation phases, utilize defensive spirit artifacts like shields, as their blood Qi wasn't plentiful, nor their bodies sufficiently strong. Defensive spirit artifacts help avoid damage and better protect themselves and allies.

But at Zhou Kui's level, the protection formed by his blood Qi and spirit force surpassed any defensive spirit and magic artifacts.

For physique cultivators, their robust physique is the best protection.

Thus, high-level physique cultivators seldom use defensive treasures, for if their strong body is unreliable, no spirit artifact could help.

Facing Zhou Kui's second punch, Lu Ye remained unfazed, his long blade pressing downwards, causing his already violent spirit force to surge even more fiercely.

Spirit light flashed on the long blade.

Double-Sharpness Spirit Runes activated!

Zhou Kui's expression drastically changed, as at that moment, he clearly perceived his protection being torn apart, and a bloody gash appeared on his fist, deep enough to see bone.

Had Zhou Kui's physique not been strong enough, any other cultivator would have had their whole arm split in two by that blade.

Despite the intense pain washing over him, Zhou Kui maintained extreme composure, smoothly deflecting Lu Ye's long blade, with his second punch still carrying its momentum.

The fist landed on Lu Ye's chest, yet did not cause much impact, as a Defense Spirit Rune absorbed the punch's force.

Though the rune shattered, it diminished most of the punch's power.

Lu Ye withdrew his blade, assuming a ready stance.

In an instant, Zhou Kui felt a chill run down his spine and inexplicably found himself amidst an endless stellar space, with points of light rushing towards him from all directions.

The overwhelming brilliance left him at a loss for how to respond momentarily.

Fortunately, with rich combat experience, facing such a crisis, he swiftly curled into a ball, crisscrossing his arms, shielding his chest's vital points.

Sizzling sounds emerged as blood splattered forth.

Zhou Kui's body rapidly plummeted, densely covered with small puncture wounds.

"Captain!" came the startled cry, as several figures leaped from the spirit ark, members of Team A-5.

Initially, they hadn't planned to intervene, given their captain's True Lake Level 9 cultivation. Across Bingzhou, only a Divine Sea Realm cultivator could pose a threat to him.

But unexpectedly, within just a moment of fighting, the captain already suffered such a huge blow, unable to hold back any longer, they all sprang into action.

In mid-air, Lu Ye relentlessly pursued Zhou Kui's plunging figure, his long blade continuously slashing down.

Zhou Kui struggled to harness his power to protect himself, but the long blade enhanced by Double-Sharpness Spirit Runes was so sharp, coupled with Lu Ye's current True Lake Level 5 cultivation, there was no defense he couldn't cut through under the Divine Sea Realm.

Every slash left a new wound, with blood continuously splattering.

However, Zhou Kui was, after all, a physique cultivator with deep foundations. Although Lu Ye could break through his defenses, killing him would require either using his Mental Consciousness or a fair amount of effort.

Moreover, Lu Ye never had the intention to kill.

Half an hour ago, he didn't even intend to make things difficult for Zhou Kui. He knew that Zhou Kui harbored resentment towards him because of a matter involving Zhou Wang, and the conflict at Hundred Fragrance House's elegant courtyard was likely aimed at him, but since he didn't suffer any loss in that incident, he let it go.

Lu Yiye had always been generous, never holding grudges.

But Zhou Kui just had to leave harsh words, threatening that he would get him eventually…

If others aimed to make things difficult for him eventually, then naturally, he had to make it hard for them, too. This time, he came to teach Zhou Kui a lesson.

He didn't know how many slashes he had delivered. During the period, Zhou Kui attempted to resist, but under Lu Ye's storm-like attacks, he hardly had any strength to fight back, forcing him to exert all his strength to defend himself.

Boom…

Zhou Kui crashed heavily to the ground, both feet embedded deeply into the earth. The great impact left his legs numb and his heart sank, realizing trouble as he looked up to see Lu Ye landing with a kick aimed at him.

He hurriedly raised his hands to defend, but it was too late.

Lu Ye's kick, launched with full force, landed squarely on Zhou Kui's cheek, sending him flying dozens of meters high and leaving a remarkably clear shoe print on his face.

Only then did several members of Team A-5 arrive in pursuit and launched attacks on Lu Ye.

Lu Ye had long been prepared, and after delivering the kick, he soared into the sky, darting towards the distance, leaving behind a riotous, flamboyant laughter along the way.

The members of Team A-5 split into two groups, leaving one to tend to Zhou Kui, while the remaining four chased after Lu Ye. However, they lost sight of him after just a moment and returned in frustration.

At this moment, Zhou Kui was leaning against the trunk of a large tree, his clothes soaked with blood, riddled with stab and slash wounds, the flesh at those wounds turning over grotesquely.

A particularly clear shoe print marked his face... looking both pitiful and comical.

Compared to the physical wounds, Zhou Kui felt even worse inside.

A physique cultivator at True Lake Level 9 like him actually got beaten by Lu Yiye! And beaten so miserably, it made his face darken terribly, like the bottom of a pot.

Looking at Zhou Kui's tragic state, the members of Team A-5 were each filled with righteous indignation.

"Lu Yiye went too far, captain! We can't let this go!"

"That's right, captain. Attacking a fellow like this is a major crime, we can't just let him off so easily."

They clamored, seemingly ready to hold Lu Ye accountable immediately.

"The one wearing the mask… none of you saw his face, who can be sure it was Lu Yiye?" suddenly a voice rang out, from the magic cultivator in the team.

In Team A-5, he always served as the strategist role, often offering plans during missions, and enjoyed Zhou Kui's trust deeply.

"The body shape matches, the cultivation matches, that's enough. Besides, I've heard Lu Yiye uses a blade, and that person was wielding a blade too!"

The magic cultivator slowly shook his head, "Not enough! There are many with similar builds, and cultivation isn't always what it seems. There are always ways to disguise it. If that person really were Lu Yiye, then his power would be terrifying."

Crossing four minor realms and disciplining his own captain like disciplining a grandson... could that really be achieved by someone at True Lake Level 5?

Following the magic cultivator's reasoning, the group fell silent. Initially, they were sure that the assailant was Lu Yiye, but now they felt uncertain.

Crossing four minor realms to easily defeat someone with higher cultivation was indeed unbelievable.

But if it wasn't Lu Yiye, then who could it be?

"It was Lu Yiye!" Zhou Kui, who had been silent, suddenly gritted his teeth and spoke. He hadn't seen the attacker's face clearly, but the close combat was enough for him to conclude the person's identity.

The magic cultivator slightly frowned, not fully agreeing, but since the captain was so certain, he dared not argue further, just asking, "What does the captain intend to do?"

"This can't just be set aside." Zhou Kui rose, looking towards the direction of Haotian City, "Let's go back to Haotian City with me, I will report this to Lord Department Chief!"

This time, he indeed suffered a lot, getting disciplined without any power to fight back. His body, barely recovered, was again heavily injured, requiring further healing. However, if Lu Yiye dared to act like this, then Zhou Kui wouldn't hesitate to retaliate.

As one of the earlier members mentioned, attacking a fellow cultivator is a major crime. If it turns out that Lu Ye committed such an act, he wouldn't get away without serious consequences.

Though Lu Yiye always wore a mask, Zhou Kui believed that the Lord Department Chief could certainly verify the matter. Before a strong cultivator at the Divine Sea Realm, Lu Yiye's crimes would certainly have no way to hide.

"Captain," the magic cultivator spoke gravely, "Please reconsider this, today's events ultimately had you at a loss. If it reaches Lord Department Chief, it might affect your reputation."