Chapter 1269: Shattered to Pieces

**Wind Rises Across the Nine Provinces**

The battle situation was clear: Lu Ye from the Nine Heavens Realm had gained the absolute upper hand. Although Baoshi possessed an incredibly powerful physique, he was still overwhelmed by the relentless, storm-like onslaught. In such a situation, defeat and death were only a matter of time.

The wisest course of action for Baoshi would have been to retreat. He had already proven his strength, so there was no need to persist. Given the formidable power of his physique, if he had truly intended to escape, no one could have stopped him. However, he clearly had no intention of retreating; he continued to fight to the death! No one knew what he was holding on for, but this didn't prevent the hidden spectators from showing him their utmost respect. Perhaps it was precisely this tenacity that allowed monstrous talents like him to surpass others.

Suddenly, the sharp, aggressive blade glow vanished, and the widespread clamor turned to silence. In the center of the battlefield, two figures, one large and one small, stood less than thirty zhang apart. Lu Ye lowered his head, inspecting his Panshan Saber with a hint of distress. The intense battle had left numerous tiny nicks on its blade. Fortunately, when the Panshan Saber was upgraded, emphasis had been placed on its inherent quality; otherwise, the blade might have shattered during the fight.

Baoshi's resilience was unexpected, and his persistence was admirable. However, given the circumstances of their clash, Lu Ye had no choice but to fight without holding back. The same was true for Baoshi; this battle was undoubtedly a full-strength engagement from both sides.

A commotion rippled through the hidden observers. Although Baoshi's final, desperate stand had led them to anticipate his demise, witnessing him shatter into a pile of crushed stones still caused a tremor of unease. A fierce gust of wind swept through, and Baoshi's colossal body abruptly collapsed, breaking into countless tiny fragments of stone. Thirty zhang away, despite his fractured body, Baoshi still stood tall and proud. In his final moments, he merely looked at Lu Ye and gave a slight nod.

The watching cultivators' scalps tingled, and their skin tightened. They silently mused that if they were to face such an attack head-on, they would be utterly obliterated, leaving no trace. Originally, after Baoshi's appearance, the hidden monstrous talents had entertained thoughts of testing Lu Ye's capabilities. However, after this battle, all of them abandoned that idea. Even Baoshi was pulverized. They didn't possess the abnormal physique of the Stone Tribe. Forcing themselves into battle would just be sending more bodies to Lu Ye.

Lu Ye returned to his position, silently recovering and regulating his breath. He continued to set up a formation, his movements orderly and unhurried. Moreover, observing his technique and proficiency in setting up the formation, it was clear he possessed considerable mastery in the way of formations.

In contrast, Yu Yaorao, hidden not far behind him, couldn't help but hold her breath, her fists clenching nervously. She hadn't expected that her mere two acts of goodwill towards Senior Brother Lu would yield such enormous and direct returns. She couldn't help but feel a little emotional, realizing that it was indeed important to harbor good intentions and cultivate good relationships with others, as one never knew when such kindness would be reciprocated with blessings. Yu Yaorao felt quite awkward. She clearly had no intention of relying on others, yet things had unfolded in precisely this manner.

Originally, although her strength was not weak, she had never been very confident about securing one of the final hundred victorious spots, especially given her severe injuries. In such a competition, the closer it got to the end, the greater the dangers one would encounter. The Divine Sea Dispute had now entered its final stage. Not only was there less than half a month remaining, but the number of living cultivators was also likely very small. Having persisted this far, every surviving cultivator was naturally cautious, careful not to make any mistakes that others could exploit. This was both an insult to the strong and a fear of being taken advantage of during a fight. But now, she only needed to stay quietly here, and there was a high probability she would survive to the very end!

The premise was that Lu Ye didn't die! With so many people secretly lurking in all directions, if she dared to leave alone, she would undoubtedly face a dire fate. Staying here, while feeling a bit like seeking shelter from others, had one significant advantage: as long as Lu Ye remained alive, no one would dare to casually trouble her. Everyone saw that she was with Lu Ye, and bothering her would undoubtedly be provoking Lu Ye. Given the residual power of his recent battle, who would dare to cross Lu Ye at this moment? Ding You had fallen in battle, and Zhao Yunliu was likely struggling to protect herself. She didn't believe she was significantly stronger than Ding You or Zhao Yunliu. If things continued as they were, the most probable outcome was that she would be slain in some battle, becoming part of another's spoils. She several times opened her mouth as if to speak, but finally sighed and said nothing.

The cultivators lurking in all directions weren't idly waiting. They were engaged in their own covert struggles, and any friction or clash among them would erupt into a cataclysmic battle. However, everyone maintained an unspoken understanding: the battlefield would be kept external, with no conflict occurring within a seventy li radius centered around Lu Ye's location. Time passed, and the sounds of battle occasionally echoed from all directions.

Just as he feared, it came to pass. He had indeed learned through various channels about Lu Ye's battle with Baoshi, knowing the latter's tragic end. He inwardly admitted that in a truly fair fight, he was likely no match for Lu Ye of the Nine Heavens Realm. However, Lu Ye's continued presence in one location offered him an opportune moment. This guy's achievements were already astonishing, and no one else was willing to add their life to his tally of victories.

Compared to Baoshi's arrival, Mokosho was undoubtedly far more arrogant and clearly came prepared. He had been accumulating momentum while rushing forward, a secret technique seemingly similar to Lu Ye's activation of the Fire Phoenix Spirit Mark. The longer the momentum was gathered, the fiercer the attack would be. Declaring one's origin and intention was the proper etiquette for a challenger, and accumulating momentum on the approach was a tactic against an opponent. While seemingly honorable and direct, it was in fact cunning and deceptive.

From a distance, a voice echoed: "Mokosho of the Myriad Devil Continent, I have come to experience your esteemed techniques!" When the voice rang out, the hidden cultivators watching were all excited, because according to the Reincarnation Tree's revelations, Mokosho was ranked eight places higher than Baoshi, holding the seventh position.

Lu Ye rose to his feet, instantly seeing through the opponent's intentions. In his sight, Mokosho was still seventy li away, yet his accumulated momentum had already reached an unbelievable level, distorting the very void as he advanced. Mokosho must have heard about Lu Ye's battle with Baoshi through various channels. Thus, even though he was a top monstrous talent from a supreme realm, he dared not underestimate Lu Ye in the slightest.

Mokosho, rapidly approaching with his momentum still rising, saw this and his eye twitched involuntarily! Had he known that Lu Ye was proficient in formations, Mokosho would never have approached with such accumulated momentum. That was simply asking for trouble. "That guy... wasn't he a soldier cultivator? How does he also know formations?" wondered one of the watchers. Mokosho couldn't help but speed up, fearing that Lu Ye's formation would become too perfect. No one could criticize him for it; this was simply his method. The more power his secret technique accumulated, the more ferocious its outburst. He had thought this would be a decisive blow, but now he saw Lu Ye from afar, actually setting up a formation! "Baoshi had been literally hacked to death by Lu Ye. What kind of performance would Mokosho deliver?" But now, with the arrow on the string, he had no choice but to release it. He had already declared his origin and intention, and had built up sufficient momentum. To abandon it midway would only invite ridicule.

Ten li vanished in the blink of an eye. As Mokosho, carrying world-shattering power, crashed down, a transparent barrier suddenly materialized, completely enveloping Lu Ye and Yu Yaorao's position. A colossal burst of light erupted, accompanied by surging spiritual power. Mokosho immediately felt something was wrong. The resistance from ahead was incredibly resilient, as if he had crashed into a mire. Lu Ye himself wondered if he could withstand such a prepared attack. Just as his previous strike with the Fire Phoenix Spirit Mark couldn't be individually countered by any of those cultivators, this wasn't about the strength of one's personal foundation. It truly exceeded the limits of the Divine Sea Realm. So his counter-strategy was simple: with a flick of his hand, formation flags flew out, spiritual power surged, and the Yin-Yang Five Elements intertwined and interlocked.

Ten li away, Mokosho's momentum had reached an astonishing degree, truly exceeding the typical scope of the Divine Sea Realm. Wild spiritual power dispersed in all directions; even the hidden cultivators watching could perceive that Mokosho had reached his limit, and he was beginning to show a tendency of struggling to control his own power. He immediately understood that Lu Ye's mastery in formations was greater than he had imagined. The formation Lu Ye had set up was not merely for forceful obstruction, but also capable of continuously weakening his incoming power while obstructing him.

Regardless, being able to witness a battle between two such top-tier monstrous talents was well worth the journey. Now, only the top few monstrous talents, those ranked highest, were likely qualified to challenge Lu Ye of the Nine Heavens Realm. Furthermore, after Baoshi's death in battle, it was highly uncertain whether even those few would still dare to challenge him.