Leaving aside Lu Ye's torment, Dong Shuyi was genuinely surprised that his spell had failed to kill Lu Ye.
He now understood that what Luo Ji had said was true. This disciple, whose origin was unknown, could fight using spirit patterns. He had seen with his own eyes the shield-like spirit pattern on the other's body, which had blocked several fireballs.
No wonder someone like Luo Ji had returned in defeat. When Luo Ji came back yesterday, he had probed the battle report and learned that this guy had lost. He had thought that Luo Ji had not given it his all, but now it seemed he had wronged him.
However, he was not Luo Ji. Although Luo Ji's background was better and he practiced a heaven-level cultivation method, his cultivation was a hard weakness.
He, a mighty cultivator at the Seventh Layer Realm, naturally had more than just this.
Spirit power surged, and a fireball the size of a washbasin appeared before him, almost instantly hurtling toward Lu Ye at incredible speed!
"This time, let's see how you block it!"
As the fireball approached, Lu Ye's scalp tingled. Although the previous fireballs were numerous, they were only the size of fists, and he could barely block them. How could he block a fireball the size of a washbasin?
"Amber!" Lu Ye growled.
Amber's speed increased, and it darted forward.
The massive fireball fell from the sky, almost grazing Amber's rear as it exploded. The scorching heat burned Lu Ye's face, and even with the protection of spirit power, it was of little help. He could even smell the scent of singed hair...
He secretly rejoiced, thinking that although this thing looked big, its speed was slower than the small fireballs, or else Amber wouldn't have been able to dodge it.
However, the next moment, his expression changed. The massive fireball did not hit the ground but suddenly changed direction, chasing after them.
This thing could turn!
In mid-air, Dong Shuyi, gliding with one hand behind his back and the other making seals, controlled the wind and seemed almost divine. However, the spirit power around him surged wildly, as if a killing god had possessed him, exuding a fierce aura.
The massive fireball's speed increased, and it was about to hit. Lu Ye knew that if he didn't have a countermeasure, he and Amber would meet their end in the next moment.
He took a deep breath, sheathed his long knife, and held his hands out in front of him. As he channeled spirit power, a defensive spirit pattern immediately appeared before him.
This was clearly not enough. The defensive spirit pattern had barely blocked the previous small fireballs, let alone such a large one.
However, as Lu Ye poured his spirit power into it, the palm-sized defensive spirit pattern suddenly expanded, becoming as large as a table in a very short time.
The intricate and complex patterns on the spirit pattern flowed and glowed.
At this moment, Lu Ye felt as if his body had been drained. Although he didn't have time to check, this single spirit pattern had definitely consumed at least thirty percent of his spirit power.
In other words, he could only activate such a spirit pattern three times before exhausting all his spirit power.
He had never activated a spirit pattern like this before. Previously, whether it was offensive or defensive, it was always a momentary thing. However, spirit patterns have a common characteristic: as long as there is enough spirit power to maintain them, they will continue to exist.
The reason why spirit patterns can remain active is that they naturally gather the spirit energy of heaven and earth, which sustains their existence.
The massive fireball hit the defensive spirit pattern, and the overwhelming force transmitted through, causing Amber to crouch, almost kneeling on the ground. Lu Ye's arms bulged with muscles, as if he were holding up a heavy object.
The scorching heat rushed toward him, and the fireball's flames flickered, causing the defensive spirit pattern's glow to quickly dim. Even with Lu Ye continuously pouring in spirit power, it could not last long.
But what slightly reassured Lu Ye was that he had blocked this attack...
He immediately tried to tilt the defensive spirit pattern to push the fireball away.
However, before he could make any move, Dong Shuyi, not far away, coldly snorted, "Foolish!" and changed his hand seals.
A loud explosion echoed, and flames swept in all directions, distorting the vast space. The surrounding trees burned fiercely.
Dead? Dong Shuyi landed and coldly surveyed the scene.
Under normal circumstances, a Third Layer Spirit Stream cultivator would never be able to block his spell, but this time, his target was clearly not an ordinary Third Layer cultivator. This guy was a disciple from a top-tier major force, and his mastery of spirit patterns was breathtaking.
There was rustling in the forest, and the sound quickly faded away.
He's still alive? Dong Shuyi's eyes twitched, and his killing intent intensified.
Just as he was about to continue the pursuit, a message from the battlefield imprint suddenly arrived. He initially ignored it but then remembered what Lu Ye had said, his heart skipping a beat, and he quickly checked it.
It was a message from Cao Ye, simple and straightforward, but it made his heart sink to the bottom!
"Wang Yang is leading six hundred Xuanmen cultivators to attack our base. Senior Brother, return quickly!"
If he hadn't caught Lu Ye, seeing this message, Dong Shuyi would have immediately rushed back. But now, with Lu Ye right in front of him, giving up at this moment was hard to accept.
After a brief hesitation, he sent a message back.
At the Nine Stars Sect base, the protective array was fully activated, and cultivators were stationed at key points, ready for battle.
The sudden attack by the Xuanmen was something no Nine Stars Sect disciple had expected. After all, they had just declared war, and the Nine Stars Sect had lost. Cao Ye couldn't understand what Wang Yang was up to.
But since the attack had happened, as the highest-ranking cultivator stationed at the base, Cao Ye had no choice but to command the cultivators to defend.
However, he couldn't do it alone, so he immediately sent a message to Dong Shuyi. But Dong Shuyi's reply was frustratingly simple: "Hold on!"
What else could they do besides hold on?
The protective array was fully operational, and a large number of spirit stones were burning, transforming into defensive power, keeping the Xuanmen cultivators outside the base. It was estimated that they could withstand the Xuanmen's attacks for one or two days.
So although the Nine Stars Sect was under attack, the cultivators inside the base were only slightly tense and not overly panicked.
"Damn Wang Yang!" Cao Ye cursed in his heart, truly not understanding what this guy was up to.
Just then, a disciple rushed over in a panic, reporting something. Cao Ye was shocked and quickly walked out of the hall.
He immediately saw a figure, holding the hand of a purple-clothed woman, hurriedly approaching.
"Luo Ji!" Cao Ye shouted, leaping up and landing in front of the figure. He looked at him and then at the purple-clothed woman he was holding: "What are you doing?"
Luo Ji frowned and said, "I'm leaving."
"Leaving?" Cao Ye was confused, "Where are you going at this time?"
"Of course, I'm leaving. Do you want to wait to die?" Luo Ji looked at him as if he were an idiot.
Cao Ye frowned, not understanding Luo Ji's intentions, and blocked him. "You can leave, but why are you taking the purple-clothed woman?"
Luo Ji said, "From now on, the purple-clothed woman is no longer a Nine Stars Sect disciple."