Exposure

Damn, when did this woman double back?

What fast movement.

Li Ye's heart sank. He said nonchalantly, "Miss, why did you come to my room?"

"We don't know each other. You've definitely mistaken me for someone else."

Flower Demon pointed at Li Ye and laughed uncontrollably, becoming even happier. Her slender waist, which could be held in one grip, couldn't straighten up from laughing.

Li Ye frowned.

A moment later, Flower Demon finally contained her mirth. "I also know your secret."

She walked in front of Li Ye with her hands behind her back, her captivating eyes appraising him. "Young Master, are you very confused about how this Seat found you?"

Damn, she really recognized me.

Li Ye's heart skipped a beat, but he couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried, feeling extremely puzzled.

At this moment, a colorful porcelain bottle appeared in Flower Demon's hand. When she opened it, a fragrance wafted out. "This is a spice I usually use, called Thousand Mile Scent."

"I made it myself."

"It smells very faint, but the fragrance can penetrate clothes and attach to the skin. It can't be washed off with water, nor can it be masked by other spices."

"Last night, in order to threaten me, you leaned close to me and were alone with me for so long. The scent of the spice had already attached to your skin."

"And my perception of this scent is very keen."

The martial world is treacherous, Li Ye sighed. "So that's how it is."

No wonder Flower Demon could find him even after he had taken off his mask.

All the way here, he was only focused on the Golden Ginseng and those nine corpses, neglecting the scent of Flower Demon that had gotten on him.

He had been too careless.

Flower Demon stared at Li Ye playfully. "Li Bai, this getup of yours truly opens this Seat's eyes. Hehehe..."

"But I'm very curious, last night and now, which one is the real you."

With that, Flower Demon's slender jade hand flashed out like lightning, reaching for Li Ye's face.

Li Ye's eyes narrowed. He raised his hand to block the girl's attacking palm and fingers.

Flower Demon was surprised, not expecting Li Ye to have such skill, but she didn't give up.

Bang bang bang!

She continued to attack, afterimages flashing, and Li Ye continued to dodge and counter.

But they weren't just competing in techniques, but also in movement.

Flower Demon moved like a ghost, like a shadow, while Li Ye was like wind and lightning. Their figures almost intertwined into a blur, with dense afterimages filling the room, barely discernible to the naked eye.

In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged dozens of moves in the cramped room.

"Flower Demon, do you want your weakness to be known by everyone?"

Li Ye shouted loudly and retreated.

Flower Demon didn't continue the pursuit and said lightly, "You killed the Cao family, didn't you?"

Neither of them used their true strength, it was just a competition of techniques and movement.

But Flower Demon was a master of the Object Manipulation Realm First Layer. She was confident that even without using her true strength, no one below the Object Manipulation Realm could exchange so many moves with her and remain evenly matched.

This made her have to associate Li Ye with the genius who was proficient in Destructive Sword Intent and killed a group of Cao family masters last night.

Besides the strength Li Ye had just displayed, there was another point: he liked to collect corpses.

Last night, Flower Demon killed a Qi Gathering Ninth Layer Cao family master for him, and he then ordered her to collect the corpse.

And the Cao family members who died later also had no bodies left.

"What Cao family? I don't know."

"You killed that Cao family member last night, it has nothing to do with me."

Li Ye said with a straight face.

Flower Demon didn't get angry, still with a smile: "Destructive Sword Intent, the strongest killing power, is not something anyone can comprehend."

"A genius like you is willing to be an inconspicuous Corpse Burner during the day, and then at night, you transform into a daring Little Thief. Interesting, interesting!"

"However, what do you think would happen if I exposed your secrets?"

"Would the Cao family come looking for you, would the Divine Concealment Sect think you have ulterior motives, would the Corpse Refining Courtyard suppress you?"

Li Ye's expression sank, then he smiled again: "I don't know what will happen to me, but if I expose your identity now and reveal your weakness, I think you won't be able to get down the mountain today."

Flower Demon sneered: "You don't really think you have the qualifications to contend with this Seat, do you?"

Li Ye replied: "We'll know if we try."

Whoosh!

After speaking, his body flickered, and he was the first to flash out of the room.

He also raised his hand and summoned the Star Bead, obscuring all movement here.

Before last night, he should have had no opponents below the Object Manipulation Realm.

With his strength doubled now, Li Ye felt he might be able to contend with the Flower Demon at the Object Manipulation First Layer.

Seeing this, the Flower Demon transformed into an afterimage and followed closely.

Boom!

She slapped at Li Ye from a distance, using her true strength.

Overbearing devilish qi surged, the void shook violently, and immense pressure covered everything, almost everywhere.

Li Ye instantly felt that all his exquisite moves were useless in front of the Flower Demon's palm strike.

He had only one choice: a head-on collision.

To break the Flower Demon's palm force with even greater power.

The Profound Ice Sword appeared.

Li Ye lightly scolded, "River Crossing Slash!"

Chii!

He raised his hand and unleashed a sword strike, his movements fluid and fast as a gale.

The aura of the Great Dao permeated, Destructive Sword Intent erupted, and rolling winds howled, causing heaven and earth to lose their color.

The rich crimson electric arc within Li Ye poured onto the Profound Ice Sword, finally transforming into a blazing sword light that drifted out.

This sword strike seemed to want to make all things in heaven and earth wither, mountains and rivers shatter, and a chilling aura permeated all directions.

Dong!

The two forces collided, sword light and devilish qi interweaving, erupting with dazzling light.

"Thunder Sword Power!"

The Flower Demon's eyes widened in extreme shock.

She perceived her palm force crackling and exploding, being suppressed by Li Ye's pure Yang and fierce Thunder Sword Power.

Devilish qi is a Yin and cold force.

Thunder is a fierce and pure Yang force.

The former is naturally suppressed by the latter.

"Beauty, your palm strike seems to be giving out."

Li Ye chuckled.

"Do you think this is enough to contend with me?"

"Let me show you the true power of the Object Manipulation Realm."

Flower Demon let out a cold snort, her gaze suddenly turning sharp.

Hummm!

The next moment, a black pattern appeared in her palm. As soon as this pattern emerged, Li Ye instantly felt a majestic aura like a mountain pressing down on him.

Immediately after, Flower Demon lightly shook her palm, and with a 'Puff', she shattered Li Ye's domineering sword light.

"Dao Pattern? Not good!"

Li Ye's face greatly changed, and he instantly reacted, shifting his body sideways.

Whoosh!

Flower Demon's palm strike flew past his chest, almost grazing him, and hit the mid-air.

Bang!

Li Ye was sent crashing to the ground by the residual force of Flower Demon's palm strike, his blood churning, his face flushed red.

At this moment, information about the Object Manipulation Realm from the Holy Son's memories surfaced in his mind.

For cultivators, the Object Manipulation Realm was like a chasm; breaking through was akin to a fish leaping over the dragon gate.

And Dao Patterns were the fruits of Dao condensed by masters in the Object Manipulation Realm who sensed the Heaven and Earth Myriad Things, aligning with the heavens above and the earth below.

The first layer of the Object Manipulation Realm cultivated one Dao Pattern, the second layer two, the third layer three, and so on.

The power of Dao Patterns could no longer be measured by how many tons of force; it could be described as heaven-destroying and earth-shattering.

The greater the comprehension, the greater the power of the Dao Pattern.

"It really is Destructive Sword Intent! Hmm, this bead of yours seems to be able to conceal something."

"Can it cover the sound of our fight?"

"This will make it convenient for this seat to eliminate you, this great bane, and retrieve the Golden Ginseng."

Flower Demon's powerful aura surged, a thick, black dragon-like Dao Pattern coiled around her body, shaking the void with a constant hum.

In her eyes, there was a strong killing intent.

"I was thinking the same thing."

Li Ye stood up, a brilliant smile on his face.

Flower Demon paused, then realizing something, quickly covered her ears.

And rapidly floated away.

Damn it, she'd forgotten his strange evil technique.

Flower Demon broke out in a cold sweat. In a fight between masters, a single mistake could affect the outcome of the battle.

She couldn't imagine what the consequences would have been if Li Ye had used Words Manifest Reality during their earlier exchange.

However, Li Ye's speaking speed was incredibly fast, almost to the point of being described as eloquent. By the time Flower Demon covered her ears, he had already spoken: "Surrender now!"