"You can take your time to consider, but my patience is limited!"

As Zhao Tianmu's mind fluctuated, Lu Ye's calm voice rang out again. Zhao Tianmu looked up to see Lu Ye's right hand resting on the saber's hilt, thumb gently stroking it, ready to draw the saber at any moment.

Next to Lu Ye, the woman's body trembled uncontrollably, her severed arm dripping blood, leaving a crimson pool on the ground.

Zhao Tianmu immediately understood that his previous thoughts were too naive.

He deduced that these Constellations came from a newly ascended large domain, so they couldn't have much knowledge. With so many hostages in hand, he could easily cope, but he hadn't expected the other party's ruthlessness and decisiveness to be beyond imagination.

If it were a Moon Jade who had honed her essence to the extreme, the severed arm injury could be regenerated at a cost. However, for a Constellation Early Stage, such an injury is irreparable, and even if she ascends to Moon Jade later, she can't compensate for it because the severed arm was missing before her Moon Jade ascension.

His junior sister's arm has been severed, her future cultivation will inevitably suffer greatly, and if another arm is severed, her prospects will be bleak.

Observing the ruthlessness of this young man named Li Taibai, Zhao Tianmu knew he would certainly do such a thing; on his side, even if he killed these True Lake-Divine Seas, what good would it do?

"I agree to your proposal!" Zhao Tianmu wasn't one to ramble. Upon grasping the key point, he immediately consented and then said, "But I have a request."

Lu Ye nodded, "We can talk!"

Zhao Tianmu pointed to the severed arm on the ground, "I want to take this!"

Constellation Realm cultivators lack the ability to regenerate a severed arm, but if the arm is intact, it can be reattached.

Lu Ye glanced down and then turned, signaling to Nian Yuexian.

Nian Yuexian kicked the severed arm towards Zhao Tianmu, who caught it with one hand.

"Let them go!" Lu Ye spoke.

With a sullen face, Zhao Tianmu released the Divine Sea cultivator from Chaotian Sect that he held and slowly retreated, eventually moving back behind the crowd.

The numerous True Lake-Divine Seas from Nine Provinces, previously seized by him, then stepped towards where Lu Ye was, and Lu Ye raised his hand, pushing the woman bound by the Immortal Binding Rope.

The exchange of hostages went smoothly, as both Lu Ye and Zhao Tianmu knew that neither would act rashly during this process.

Nine Provinces had concerns; over a dozen True Lake-Divine Seas were under restriction, their spirit force sealed. Even if they took action, the fallout from the battle alone would be enough to doom these True Lake-Divine Seas.

Zhao Tianmu likewise wouldn't act; he hoped more than anyone for a smooth exchange of hostages.

With mutual understanding, everything proceeded safely and smoothly.

Shortly, the woman with the severed arm returned to Zhao Tianmu, who grasped her intact arm and urgently channeled spirit force, soaring skyward.

Simultaneously, he threw down a prepared orb from his hand.

Violent spirit force surged out.

Almost as the orb appeared, many of the Nine Provinces Constellations took action.

Their tacit understanding was not limited to safely exchanging hostages. Everyone knew that after the exchange, neither party would easily let matters rest. The Nine Provinces Constellations were ready for battle, and Zhao Tianmu was no less prepared.

Were he alone, there wouldn't be much to fear, as he said before; he truly didn't regard the Constellations Early Stages.

But now he had a companion bound by the Immortal Binding Rope. Without freeing the companion, he dared not engage the Nine Provinces Constellations directly.

Throwing the orb spirit treasure was merely to restrain; within a short time, he could safely leave with his companion. Once the binding was released, this vast domain would be at his disposal.

First, he would kill these Constellations, then slaughter all beings in this domain, to vent his anger.

The orb spirit treasure is a type of exotic treasure, usable only once, storing inside it fine, needle-like sharp tools. Once unleashed, each hits with the full force of a Constellation Early Stage, its power remarkably formidable.

The instant the orb exotic treasure exploded, hundreds of rays shot out in all directions.

Those from Nine Provinces, under pressure, could only employ techniques to resist.

Lu Ye and Nian Yuexian vigorously channeled spirit force, missing no attacks, for behind them were the rescued True Lake-Divine Seas, unable to withstand such assaults.

As the chaotic spirit force fluctuations settled, the orb exotic treasure's power depleted, leaving the Nine Provinces unscathed, and figures soared into the sky in pursuit of Zhao Tianmu.

Lu Ye took the lead, charging ahead, his resolute gaze reflecting the enemy's image.

He must not let Zhao Tianmu escape this place, or the consequences would be dire!

Yet the disparity in cultivation levels between them also meant differences in flight speed.

The flight speed of Constellation Late Stage is ultimately much faster than the Early Stage.

Since Zhao Tianmu flew into the sky with the one-armed woman, only three breaths had passed before he rushed into the stellar space.

Once he entered the stellar space, it was even harder to pursue him, because Zhao Tianmu's speed in stellar space was surely beyond what someone at the Constellation Early Stage could match. Even Lu Ye might not keep up with him.

Perhaps thinking she was out of danger, the one-armed woman glanced back and saw the persistent figure of Lu Ye behind them.

Her seemingly gentle face twisted with extreme malice, her spirit force surged as she shrieked, "Dare to cut off my arm, I will slaughter your entire family!"

Lu Ye paid her no mind. At this moment, he was exceeding his maximum speed in stellar space, and in such a state, if there were any sudden obstacles ahead, he would certainly be unable to avoid them.

However, needing to chase a formidable foe, he couldn't worry too much. Moreover, Zhao Tianmu was clearing the way ahead, so if there were any obstacles, Zhao Tianmu would hit them first, making the possibility of him colliding with any barriers unlikely.

Just as he thought this, a flash of light assaulted him suddenly from the front; Zhao Tianmu had cast a spell.

Lu Ye thought to himself that this was bad. He considered that someone was clearing the path ahead, so he wouldn't crash into any obstacles, but he forgot that the opponent could attack.

With their cultivation levels different, and the opponent's attack swift as a dragon, at such speed, Lu Ye had no time to change direction and could only swing fiercely forward with his saber in desperation.

When the light exploded, Lu Ye's body was momentarily halted, and his speed greatly reduced; even his right arm holding the saber tingled slightly.

This delay only increased the distance between him and Zhao Tianmu. In the next instant, Feng Wujiang and others swept past him, but their speed was still inferior to Lu Ye's; they couldn't hope to catch up with Zhao Tianmu, who was at the Constellation Late Stage.

Continuing like this, Zhao Tianmu would undoubtedly escape far away with the one-armed woman, release her from the Immortal Binding Rope, and then come back to cause trouble once more.

This couldn't go on!

Originally, the backup plan he had left on that one-armed woman was meant for an even more surprising attack, but without utilizing it now, he could only watch the enemies escape.

The urgent task was to first hinder the enemy's escape.

Gripping the Boulder Mountain Saber, he locked his gaze on Zhao Tianmu's retreating figure, spirit force surging around him as a mysterious spirit rune quickly formed at his feet.

The Void!

In the next moment, he vanished from his spot.

When he reappeared, he was already behind the one-armed woman!

The one-armed woman was still cursing and yelling, her eyes filled with so much malice and ruthlessness that it almost overflowed. Suddenly, she saw Lu Ye's figure and was so shocked her eyes widened as if she thought she was seeing things.

It wasn't until the sudden surge of spirit force and the sharp, overpowering blade light swept toward her that she realized this young man, who cut off her arm and whom she swore to annihilate his whole family, had indeed caught up to her.

But... how did he do it? She clearly remembered his form being obstructed and had long been left far behind.

She wasn't the only one who couldn't understand—Zhao Tianmu couldn't either. As someone at the Constellation Late Stage, being pursued by a group from the Early Stage was undoubtedly infuriating.

But his priority was ensuring his junior sister's safety, so he could only choose to escape first. Like Lu Ye thought, he planned to shake off the pursuers behind, untie his junior sister's Immortal Binding Rope, and then return to deal with the Nine Provinces Constellation.

The sudden violent attack made his face change, and he quickly surged his spirit force to protect himself.

Having Lu Ye's saber strike down, Zhao Tianmu's face changed once more as he shockingly discovered that the opponent's attack was incredibly sharp, nearly breaking through his hastily summoned protective spirit force!

As cold sweat sprang up on him, two top-tier spirit treasures were immediately conjured—a great bell transformed into a protective force, and an arrow shot forth, aiming directly at Lu Ye's face. At the same time, he summoned spirit force and cast a spell toward Lu Ye with a wave of his hand.

Lu Ye instantly discerned that Zhao Tianmu was a magic cultivator.

For him, this was undoubtedly good news. As a combat cultivator, in such close combat against a magic cultivator, he could certainly gain some advantage.

However, the power of the opponent's spirit treasures could not be underestimated; the defense created by the great bell was extremely robust, making it difficult for the Boulder Mountain Saber, even enhanced with Divine Sharp Edge, to break through. The arrow spirit treasure was exceptionally agile, shuttling back and forth, coupled with Zhao Tianmu's sporadically cast spells that Lu Ye, for a moment, could do nothing about him.

The opponent undoubtedly also had rich combat experience and remained calm amidst changes.

This was Lu Ye's second time fighting a Constellation Late Stage one-on-one, but this battle was incomparable to the one in Black Abyss.

In Black Abyss, his final confrontation with Duan Xiuchen had no fancy tricks—it was just brute force deciding the outcome swiftly, allowing him to quickly resolve the opponent.

However, a true duel wouldn't be like that; instead, it was as it was before him now, the ultimate test of each cultivator's foundation and adaptability.

Lu Ye struggled to make progress here, nearly being hit by Zhao Tianmu's attack several times.

Also, Zhao Tianmu grew more and more alarmed as the battle continued.

Since his contact with the Nine Provinces Constellation, he had looked down on this group, thinking that based on his own strength, he could easily crush them one-on-one.

However, after exchanging blows with Lu Ye, he discovered that this Li Taibai, though only possessing a Constellation Early Stage cultivation, undoubtedly had the strength of a Constellation Late Stage. One-on-one, he had no confidence he could defeat the opponent.