Translator: TheBrokenPen Editor : Dhael Ligerkeys “Someone you knew from Evil Moon Valley?” asked Wu Hua’s senior, knowing full well the story of how Wu Hua came to join his order. That was how he knew Lu Ye must be someone from the very same slave mines the Grand Sky Coalition assaulted months ago. “Yeah,” Wu Hua nodded. “I was lucky enough to be accepted. As for him, his potential was so poor that almost no one wanted him. Somehow he managed to enter the Crimson Blood Sect. But it’s been months since I last saw him and he’s clearly changed a lot!” He would have missed Lu Ye just now, if not for the big white tiger. Back in the days when they were still slaves, everyone looked almost the same: disheveled, haggard, and their faces caked with grime and dirt. But now that they had become Cultivators, their appearances had all changed and that was why he nearly missed Lu Ye and vice versa. “You said he only had the potential of one leaf?” asked Wu Hua’s senior brother. “What rank was he at that time?” That took seconds before Wu Hua could finally answer, “I think he had only just unlocked his first Spiritual Point.” “Then I daresay you’ve got the wrong man,” said his senior. “The man with the white tiger just now is at least a Fourth-Order Cultivator.” “What?!” gasped Wu Hua. In his haste, he did not have the time to read Lu Ye’s rank but he believed what his senior said. [Impossible. How could Lu Ye ever manage to reach the Fourth-Order with that one-leaf-worth of potential? Never. Not when I am only still in the Second-Order myself and I was slated to have greater potential than him!] [So, I really was mistaken just now, eh?] Wu Hua wondered quietly to himself, scratching the back of his head dubiously. He and his fellow Burning Moon Mountain acolytes did not notice a stranger drifting past them with a sharp and piercing glare at the crowd where Lu Ye disappeared. [Crimson Blood Sect, Lu Yi Ye?!] [That trespasser, Yi Ye?!] [They share the same name. There must be no mistaking it then and I wasn’t wrong. It really is him!] [But what happened to him that he managed to improve from just a novice Cultivator into the seasoned Fourth-Order today?! But here are people saying that he has only the potential of one leaf!] Whatever the answers were, there was one thing that Dong Shu Ye was certain of: Lu Yi Ye had improved by leaps and bounds. He was still in the Third-Order when they last met and here he was, just fresh after a few months, a Fourth-Order Cultivator. [Whatever he is, Lu Yi Ye is definitely more than just a one-leaf-potential weakling!] Not that it mattered much. He had allowed Lu Yi Ye to slip past his fingers once, and he was determined to not allow that blunder to repeat, whether Lu Ye’s a Third-Order or a Fourth-Order Cultivator. As far as Dong Shu Ye was concerned, every iota of suffering and indignity that he has been enduring lately was all Lu Ye’s fault. If he had not slain the heir to the Nine Star Clan, then the Clan would not have accepted the Mystic Sect’s challenge. That would have spared the Clan a hell lot of losses and he would not have to personally abandon his post to give chase, since his subsequent absence was the very reason that the enemy dared to mount an attack on his outpost! If only he did not try to pursue Lu Ye back then, Wang Yang would never dare to attack him! [This is all Lu Yi Ye’s fault and for that, he must pay!] thought Dong Shu Ye bitterly. [And that name… the Crimson Blood Sect… I know that name… A well-known militant order of Bing Zhou. While younger members of the Grand Sky Coalition might not recognize that name, we of the Thousand Demon Ridge grew up listening to tales of the elders who witnessed the Crimson Blood Sect’s once-glorious past with their own eyes and it was because of these accounts that the even recent generations of the Thousand Demon Ridge knew something that you Grand Sky Coalition pups know nothing about.] “What’s wrong with you? Who insulted your mother?” The rich and pampered prodigal stared at the ‘Ding-Dong’ when he trotted back to the roadside stall with a bitter look on his face. “What about the tiger I wanted?” Dong Shu Ye turned and faced his young employer. “Are you certain that you want that tiger?” he asked with a grin as a plan hatched in his mind. “Of course. Is he refusing to sell?” “Well, if you want it, then let’s take it from him!” The young brat stared at Dong Shuye blankly for seconds before he cracked into a sly grin himself. “Heavens, ‘Ding-Dong’, you read my mind! Taking it would give me more satisfaction than just buying it! Good idea! Let’s go!” “No, you’re staying here,” Dong Shu Ye shook his head. “I can handle this alone.” “Now, that’s a no-no, ‘Ding-Dong’. This is a show I’m gonna want to witness with my own eyes. If you’re leaving me here, ‘Ding-Dong’, you can bet your arse that I’ll make sure my mother hears about this. I know what you wanna do but if you wish to make a name for yourself in these parts, you’re not going to do so without the help of my mother.” Dong Shu Ye held his young employer in a transfixed stare that lasted for seconds. Placidly, he observed, “You’re not just a profligate and pampered hedonist, are you?” “I lack only the gifts to become a Cultivator, or I would have already been wreaking havoc here and there,” the young prodigal chuckled proudly. “I might look like a rich good-for-nothing, ‘Ding-Dong’, but I’m definitely not a fool. So get me the tiger and I will put in a good word to my mother for you.” “Very well, sir, if that’s what you wish,” muttered Dong Shu Ye as he got up and he left. The young brat sprang to his feet, not forgetting to leave a Spirit Stone on the table as payment for the breakfast, then he ran after Dong Shu Ye with the same excitement as a child expecting his birthday present. He had never witnessed a Cultivator’s duel before in his life and this could seem like the field trip that he had been waiting for all his life. He was not at all worried about his own safety, for his mother had told him about how powerful Dong Shu Ye really was—the kind of Cultivators who could basically rule a city with absolute supremacy. To that end, she had always been reminding him to be nice and courteous to Dong Shu Ye and how he could one day be useful. Lu Ye and Amber rode out of Yi’An and continued their way. Tang Wu took two days to send him here, but that actually saved him a month’s worth of journey. That was just how fast Tang Wu and his little magical boat were. Pity he couldn’t take him further. But Lu Ye was thankful enough. The Crimson Blood Sect outpost here in the Battlefield was still a long, long way ahead, but now as a Fourth-Order Cultivator of the Spirit Creek Realm, he no longer had to be as anxious and fearful as he once was. At last, he had the means to keep himself safe. So long as he could steer clear of any mishaps, his journey ahead in the outer peripherals of the Battlefield should be expectedly safer than before. Lu Ye felt more comfortable with more than enough supplies to keep himself sustained for his passage. A quick calculation yielded the possibility that he might be able to reach somewhere between Eighth- or Ninth-Order by the time he reached the outpost, assuming he had enough Spirit Pills to keep his progress steady. All of a sudden, just when he thought things were progressing just a little too smoothly, he felt as if he was being watched. He knew that feeling. He had it before, right when Dong Shu Ye was hot on his heels. The same prickly sensation on his back that could strike the fear of Heavens into him. [Is it the Clan? Have Tai Luo Clan Cultivators arrived here to exact their vengeance upon me?] That was the first thing Lu Ye could think off the top of his head. He looked around anxiously but there was no one, and nothing appeared amiss. Then he heard it. He positively heard it. From somewhere far, far behind, he could hear cries and whoops and whoever or whatever it was, the stranger was coming at him—fast. Lu Ye quickly focused his Spiritual Powers around his eyes and he looked hard. But what—or rather, who—he saw was enough to petrify him into stone. [Dong Shu Ye?!] [Why the hell is he here?!] Lu Ye could barely forget the last time they walked into each other at Tassel City. He had to take Amber away and run for his life and avoid leading him to Hua Ci and her friends. But meeting him here and now was the last thing he expected to happen and the sight of Dong Shu Ye chasing after him was a real déjà vu moment! Lu Ye’s mood plummeted into the depths of an abyss. If only he knew Dong Shu Ye was here, then he would have avoided coming here at all! And from the looks of things, Dong Shu Ye must have caught sight of him earlier, and here he came now. Amber was too handsome a Spirit Beast for anyone to not look at and ignore. Even the average stranger would stare and admire his beauty, never mind a Dong Shu Ye who had a vendetta against both Amber and him. But Lu Ye was even more amazed that Dong Shu Ye did not come alone. He was holding someone by the scruff of his neck and the screaming and yowling were coming from him. But Lu Ye definitely wasn’t in the mood to dwell on that particular subject. He patted Amber’s back and said, “Run, Amber! It’s Dong Shu Ye! He’s coming after us again!” As he spoke, he slapped a Move-With-The-Wind Talisman on the tiger’s back. The last Move-With-The-Wind Talisman, one of the few Talismans his mentor left him prior to sending him into the Battlefield, was used up the last time he tried to run from Dong Shu Ye. This one was freshly purchased just not long ago at the cost of twenty-five Spirit Stones apiece—a price that was not at all cheap by usual Talisman standards. Offensive Talismans often cost the least, followed by defensive Talismans. That made utility Talismans the most expensive of the three types and the Move-With-The-Wind Talisman was one of the most expensive utility Talismans ever sold. Fortunately, he now had enough Spirit Stones to call himself affluent, so he had already bought a total of three Move-With-The-Winds this morning. Only, he did not expect that he would be using them so soon. The screaming from behind never stopped and Dong Shu Ye could have sworn that his ears were ringing from the noise ever since he began gliding in the air to catch up to Lu Ye. Finally, he could tolerate no more and he growled, “Shuddup, you!” “THIS IS FUN, ‘DING-DONG’!” the boy might be yowling like a pig on the way to slaughter, but he was actually enjoying the thrill and exhilaration from the up-and-down motion. Never had he experienced anything like this before with any of his former Cultivator bodyguards. Growing fonder of ‘Ding-Dong’, he craned his neck so that he could yell into Dong Shu Ye’s ears, “More! I want more!” That was the last straw for Dong Shu Ye who felt as if someone had whacked the side of his head with a sledgehammer. He withdrew the cocoon of energy that he initially employed to protect his young ward from the strong and vicious winds in the air. Without the protection of the energy cocoon, the skin and flesh on the face of the young prodigal were buffeted so furiously by the winds that his features looked grotesquely distorted, snapping like a flag in the wind. Three seconds. That was all it took and the boy fainted. Only then did Dong Shu Ye restore the energy cocoon. He was already regretting his choice of allowing the boy to come. The kid was just too noisy. Too late to complain, Dong Shu Ye knew. Not that he could leave the boy anywhere now. It was dangerous out here in the wilderness and if anything—any harm or danger—were to befall his ward, he would never be able to explain himself to his new master and mistress. [To say nothing about how that bloody white tiger seemed to be stronger and faster now compared to the last time…] He could remember vividly how easy the chase was two months ago even though Lu Ye was also using Talismans then. Catching up to Lu Ye was not just difficult this time; it was nigh impossible, especially since he could only make sure that he was not being shaken off even though he was already gliding as quickly as he could. He could only think of two reasons. One, his powers had taken a plunge when he was injured by his former comrades at his old order. The next would be the undeniable truth of Lu Ye’s improvements. It didn’t take long before the young brat regained his consciousness and the discordant chorus of excited shrieks began once more. Suppressing the urge to knock out his young ward with his own hand, Dong Shu Ye had to quietly withdraw the magical cocoon again… The young prodigal blacked out once more. Both the hunter and the hunted gradually traveled further and further away from Yi’An. This could not go on, Dong Shu Ye surmised. All he could do was glide while his quarry could rely on his mount and Heaven knew how many Talismans he still had! Gliding itself was taking quite a toll on him and if his quarry had more than a few Move-With-The-Wind Talismans, it was only just a matter of time before they could shake him off for good. He looked ahead of Lu Ye in the direction he was fleeing and an idea came up. Unbeknownst to Lu Ye, he was riding straight into lands that belonged to Dong Shu Ye’s benefactor. [Maybe I can get some help from the rest of the family’s retainers in the young boy’s name,] he mused quietly. He placed a finger on his Battlefield Imprint and delivered a message. In the meantime, Lu Ye was not feeling as anxious as he was earlier. He and Amber had come a long way since their last encounter with Dong Shu Ye. The physical enrichment Amber had received from the dragon scale just last night was showing: he was running very much faster than before. If this status quo could be maintained, then they might have a chance to shake Dong Shu Ye off their tail, assuming they had enough Move-With-The-Wind Talismans, for it was the one thing that was giving Amber the much-needed burst of speed. But Lu Ye could see that Dong Shu Ye was exhausting himself as well by trying to keep up. And he wondered if his senses were wrong, but it felt as if Dong Shu Ye no longer was a Seventh-Order Cultivator. He looked rather like a Sixth-Order instead, for the natural radiation of Spiritual Powers coming off him had become relatively weaker. But they were quite a distance away from each other and Lu Ye could be mistaken, although he did not want to find out. The last time he had a fight with Dong Shu Ye, it didn’t turn out well and he would give anything to avoid a rematch. He looked up. Dark clouds loomed ominously overhead as thunder groaned sonorously. [Dammit you, Dong Shu Ye! Why does my greatest nemesis have to be a Spell Cultivator!?]