This was merely the beginning; their next task was to strategize on how to eliminate these nine saber-toothed tigers using their combined strength.
"Right, the saber techniques you used earlier seemed rather peculiar. May I ask what moves you were employing?"
Su Xue did not conceal anything, instead honestly explaining her techniques to Ye Ningze.
"I am using our Su family's renowned ultimate skill, the Blood Fiend Saber. If not for my own insufficient strength, I could have easily dealt with these nine tigers."
Upon hearing this, Ye Ningze appeared somewhat shocked, not expecting such a formidable technique.
It could easily bypass limitations of cultivation levels, something many people could not achieve even after a lifetime. Yet, with this technique, it was accomplished with ease, which was both perplexing and astonishing.
After all, a technique that could absorb an opponent's power to enhance one's own was inherently heaven-defying.
What was even more critical was that this technique seemed to have no limitations.
However, Ye Ningze was mistaken moments later. The reason was simple: Su Xue's complexion turned extremely pale, ashen like a blank sheet of paper. This outcome was clearly a result of her using the Blood Fiend Saber.
It seemed that the so-called lack of side effects was merely Ye Ningze's wishful thinking. Indeed, such a powerful technique still carried severe repercussions.
"Are you alright? Your complexion doesn't look good. With such potent side effects, it seems this move cannot be used lightly."
Su Xue responded matter-of-factly, "Any powerful technique comes with side effects. After all, we are only human; our bodies cannot withstand such immense power."
Ye Ningze nodded in agreement after hearing Su Xue's words.
While that might be true, the problem now was how to deal with these nine saber-toothed tigers when Su Xue was in such a poor state.
Su Xue was filled with worry, but Ye Ningze remained unfazed by their predicament.
He had already devised a plan. No matter how formidable these beasts were, they were still animals and could not compare to human intellect.
Ye Ningze could pick them off one by one, set traps for them, or even lure them into a series of snares, making it incredibly easy to defeat these creatures.
After a moment, Ye Ningze said to Su Xue,
"You rest here and recover. I will go and capture these beasts in one fell swoop."
Su Xue, unsure of Ye Ningze's confidence, anxiously said to him,
"You mustn't! Each of these nine saber-toothed tigers possesses A-class strength. That means nine of them are equivalent to an invincible force below S-class. I know you are a Grandmaster, but don't forget that even Grandmasters cannot defeat nine saber-toothed tigers."
In truth, the nine saber-toothed tigers already surpassed the Grandmaster level, but Ye Ningze held a trump card that Su Xue could not fathom.
Just as Su Xue possessed the Blood Fiend Saber, Ye Ningze naturally had a trump card beyond her imagination.
Ye Ningze's Crimson Flowing Sand was already parched and had absorbed the blood of too many demonic beasts along the way, turning it a dark gold.
Ye Ningze was confident that even if all nine saber-toothed tigers combined, they would be no match for the Crimson Flowing Sand.
This was Ye Ningze's fundamental strength and his source of confidence.
Ye Ningze looked at Su Xue before him and walked into the darkness without looking back.
The sole advantage of the Crimson Flowing Sand was that the sand could be divided into multiple attacks against enemies. This meant that if Ye Ningze wished, he could split one attack into several or even a dozen.
However, the prerequisite was that a single attack could break through the opponent's defenses. If splitting into a dozen attacks failed to breach their defenses, then those divided attacks would become utterly useless.
Ye Ningze laid a series of traps along his intended path. If he were to return the same way later, these traps would serve their purpose effectively.
They might even pierce the bodies of the demonic beasts instantly, and upon piercing them, the beasts' blood would flow back into the Crimson Flowing Sand.
This would ensure that the power and might of the Crimson Flowing Sand would not diminish.
Consequently, any creature passing through this cave would be subjected to the Crimson Flowing Sand's attacks, and the sand would completely annihilate these creatures.
Ye Ningze's plan was meticulously crafted; this method of "fighting to sustain fighting" would better unleash the Crimson Flowing Sand's power to its absolute limit.
If Su Xue were to witness this, or if she were to know Ye Ningze's intentions, she would surely be amazed by his boundless and imaginative creativity.
After completing the trap deployment, Ye Ningze immediately proceeded to his next step. With the traps set, the remaining task was to lure the prey into them.
And Ye Ningze was the best bait. Ye Ningze deliberately exposed his presence and location to the saber-toothed tigers.
The saber-toothed tigers quickly located Ye Ningze within the dark cave.
The saber-to-othed tigers soon surrounded Ye Ningze, leaving him with only one direction to escape: the path behind him.
Thus, he broke into a run, his body transforming into a streak of light as he vanished without a trace. The saber-toothed tigers closely pursued him.
Neither of them was slow, but the saber-toothed tigers clearly disliked being toyed with by their prey.
To them, prey was prey. Even some demonic beasts more powerful than them would never dare to provoke the saber-toothed tigers lightly.
The reason was that these saber-toothed tigers possessed immense unity. Once they banded together, they became the most terrifying force in the world, striking fear into all enemies.
Therefore, they were unaccustomed to being constantly teased by a creature as insignificant as Ye Ningze.
They accelerated their pace, but they forgot one crucial thing: if they increased their speed further, they would find it difficult to control their bodies.
Losing control of their bodies would be a terrifying prospect, as they would lose their most basic means of survival.
Indeed, the very next moment, as their power and speed reached their absolute limit, disaster struck.