Chapter 1356: Never See Again

Deep within the secluded forest, Shadowless lay hidden on the trunk of a large tree. He activated his secret arts, concealing his form and suppressing his aura.

Naturally, he had heard about Lu Ye’s immense power recently.

Lu Ye had single-handedly fought two hundred enemies from Wanmoling, scattering their ranks.

Outside Tianji City, he had famously slain Xia Liang with his saber in front of a multitude of witnesses, earning widespread renown.

Shadowless admitted that in a direct confrontation, he was no match for such terrifying strength.

However, for ghost cultivators, cultivation level was never the primary factor in eliminating enemies. Like sword cultivators, this lineage was inherently capable of defeating opponents of higher ranks.

The difference was that unlike the honorable and direct methods of sword cultivators, ghost cultivators always acted with stealth and cunning. So, even if Lu Ye was incredibly powerful, if Shadowless could find an opportunity, he could still achieve a one-hit kill!

He had previously suffered significant setbacks at Lu Ye’s hands. During an earlier assault on Huitian Lingdi led by Song Zhui, Song Zhui had openly drawn Lu Ye's attention while Shadowless secretly sought an opening to strike. Yet, as soon as he approached within ten feet of Lu Ye, his presence was inexplicably detected. He was then injured by Lu Ye’s array and forced to flee.

His vitality was greatly diminished. While recuperating deep within Mount Taimang, he unluckily crossed paths with Lu Ye, who was leaving Huitian Valley via a teleportation array, and endured a second defeat.

At that time, Lu Ye was merely at the sixth level of the Cloud River Realm, while Shadowless was already at the ninth!

It was an utter humiliation!

After that incident, he returned to his main sect in Kyushu. While recuperating in seclusion, he also diligently cultivated the secret arts of the Senluo Hall.

Nearly half a year later, he finally achieved considerable progress.

Although his cultivation had not advanced, his strength had undergone profound changes. The grave losses he had suffered at Lu Ye's hands naturally had to be avenged.

This was not the sole reason he had chosen to challenge Lu Ye.

More importantly, back in Huitian Valley, Lu Ye had somehow detected his presence, and Shadowless always felt it wasn't solely due to the power of an array.

It seemed Lu Ye possessed a unique ability to see through his stealth!

For a ghost cultivator, this was absolutely intolerable. The ability to hide and move without a trace was a ghost cultivator's greatest advantage. If even this crucial advantage ceased to exist, what purpose did a ghost cultivator serve?

For nearly half a year, whenever he recalled Lu Ye’s sudden gaze back at him, Shadowless was plagued by sleepless nights.

Now, with his secret arts perfected and his ghost cultivation path more formidable than half a year ago, he possessed the confidence to challenge Lu Ye!

In this battle, he intended to confront his own vulnerabilities and bring honor to the ghost cultivation path!

The mountain wind rustled mournfully. In his sight, Lu Ye floated three feet above the ground, calmly suspended, his posture relaxed and seemingly unguarded.

Shadowless’s eyes remained placid. Like a specter, he leaped from the tree trunk and swiftly advanced towards Lu Ye.

There was no sound, no trace of his movement.

He had envisioned countless scenarios of confronting Lu Ye. At the moment of execution, Shadowless entered a state of profound tranquility.

For a ghost cultivator, this was undoubtedly the ideal state.

In this condition, with his deep foundation, he was confident of an assassination even if he were facing a True Lake Realm cultivator.

As he moved, two ink-black curved blades materialized in his hands.

He closed in to within three feet behind Lu Ye, then suddenly erupted in an attack.

The serene space was abruptly disrupted by a burst of spiritual power. A fierce wind howled through the wilderness, and trees swayed violently.

Shadowless transformed into a black streak, like dark lightning, streaking towards Lu Ye’s back.

He was upon him in the blink of an eye.

At that very instant, a fiery red light suddenly erupted. As a fierce saber slashed down, Shadowless's calm mind finally rippled with utter horror.

Shadowless's figure abruptly appeared. He parried Lu Ye's sudden turn and strike with his two curved blades.

They were face-to-face, almost touching. Their eyes met, and Shadowless vaguely saw the chilling resolve in Lu Ye’s gaze.

"You…" Shadowless’s face contorted in disbelief.

He wasn't sure if his prior movements had been exposed. If they had, Lu Ye's perception was terrifyingly acute. At this moment, Shadowless was not the same as he was half a year ago; he had mastered the secret arts of Senluo Hall, and his concealment abilities had vastly improved.

Within the Cloud River Realm, no one should have been able to detect his hidden presence, much less when Lu Ye had his back turned.

But if Lu Ye hadn't detected his presence beforehand, then Lu Ye’s reaction speed was simply horrifying!

He counterattacked almost the very instant Shadowless struck. Was this truly something a Cloud River Realm cultivator could achieve?

"It's you!"

Lu Ye finally recognized Shadowless.

They had clashed once in Huitian Valley and again in Mount Taimang. This fellow had suffered significant defeats at his hands twice, then vanished without a trace, only to reappear in this Cloud River Hegemony.

The first time, he had injured this person by leveraging the power of an array.

The second time was essentially kicking him while he was down, when his vitality was severely depleted…

Neither of those encounters truly showcased his own strength.

This time, however, was different. Even though there was still a one-level cultivation gap, once Shadowless exposed his form, he could no longer pose any threat to Lu Ye.

As he spoke, Lu Ye suddenly exerted force with his hand.

Shadowless had no time to be shocked, for an unmanageable force suddenly pressed against his twin blades. His two curved blades were knocked aside, and he watched as the long saber, burning like flames, was about to strike him down.

As Shadowless’s pupils contracted, his spiritual power surged, and he urgently cried out, "Shadowless Stealth, Coming and Going Without a Trace!"

The long saber descended, cleaving Shadowless's entire body into two.

Lu Ye, however, raised an eyebrow.

The strike hadn't felt like it hit a solid object; it felt as if he had merely cleaved a shadow!

What kind of secret art was this?

He immediately turned his head, fixed his gaze on a spot to the side, pushed off with his feet, cracking the earth, and dashed forward, lunging in that direction.

Shadowless, who had once again concealed his figure, felt his scalp prickle with dread!

Had his movements been seen through again?

Impossible!

He had executed this secret art to his absolute limit; there was no reason it should be exposed so easily.

Yet, even though he was still concealed, it seemed he could still see his reflection in Lu Ye’s eyes.

A terrifying sense of oppression swept over him as Lu Ye approached, making his chest constrict so tightly he could barely breathe.

In that brief moment, he finally understood one thing.

This Lu Ye… his perception was unbelievably strong, which was why he could so effortlessly see through Shadowless’s movements.

And this second saber strike… Shadowless definitely couldn't block it.

Without any lingering hope or futile resistance, he quickly shouted, "I concede!"

The moment his figure reappeared, it vanished, as he was transported out of the arena.

In the Senluo Hall’s Tianji Hall, Shadowless reappeared, his face pale. He looked around, saw the familiar surroundings, and finally relaxed.

Seeing the gaunt old man waiting beside him, Shadowless approached with a look of shame. "Master, your disciple has failed."

The old man had already anticipated this upon seeing Shadowless, so he was unconcerned. "A single defeat means nothing. Cultivators face victories and losses throughout their lives; no one can guarantee they will never lose. Only by facing yourself and acknowledging your shortcomings can you truly grow stronger."

"Yes," Shadowless respectfully nodded. After a moment's thought, he added, "Master, that Lu Ye's perception seems incredibly powerful. My concealment methods had absolutely no effect on him, not even when I employed the 'Shadowless Stealth' secret art."

The old man was surprised this time. "He can even see through 'Shadowless Stealth'?"

Shadowless nodded.

"That is indeed strange. Logically speaking, only someone several cultivation levels higher than you should be able to detect your presence. He is currently only at the eighth level of the Cloud River Realm; no matter how strong his perception, how strong could it possibly be?"

"Your disciple suspects he might be innately gifted, born with a much stronger mind than others," Shadowless speculated.

The strength of one's mind directly correlates with the strength of one's spiritual soul. Before reaching the Divine Sea Realm, while a cultivator's advancement and the passage of time could indeed gradually fortify the spiritual soul, such growth was passively accumulated. There was no way to actively cultivate it, unless one consumed some rare treasure capable of enhancing spiritual soul strength.

Thus, Shadowless's speculation was logical and reasonable.

"If that is the case, then retreat from him, yield to him, avoid him. Wait for the passage of time, then look back at him."

"Yes!" Shadowless respectfully affirmed, secretly making a firm resolution.

In the future, wherever Lu Ye appeared, he would undoubtedly keep his distance. It would be best never to encounter that fellow again!

Defeating Shadowless was insignificant to Lu Ye. The ghost cultivator's greatest advantage had no effect on him. In terms of direct combat ability, Shadowless was even inferior to Xia Liang, so he was no match for Lu Ye.

Returning to the Bilu Sect’s Tianji Hall, Lu Ye immersed his mind in the Battlefield Imprint, continuing to draw for a lucky opponent.

He had no specific target, just chose randomly. Of course, he wouldn't pick his Fourth Senior Brother or anyone familiar.

He consecutively selected several individuals, and the information relayed from the imprint indicated that all of them were currently engaged in battle.

It hadn't taken him long to defeat Shadowless, but for others, it wasn't so quick.

One must remember that those currently fighting were all among the top one hundred strongest cultivators, each immensely powerful. When they truly clashed, battles were rarely resolved in a short amount of time.

He was not in a hurry and continued to make selections.

Someone would eventually become available.

It wasn't until he selected one particular person that the Battlefield Imprint provided a different response.

A hollow voice echoed in his mind.

"Challenge Lan Ziyi."

This woman… is a bit unlucky, Lu Ye thought.

However, being chosen by him also indirectly proved something.

This woman was very strong, allowing her to quickly defeat her opponent and now be in an "available" state.

After a moment's wait, the hollow voice sounded again.

"Opponent accepts challenge. Select battlefield."

As a military cultivator, there was naturally no debate about the choice of battlefield; it would be the simplest, small combat arena.

His vision blurred, and he found himself in the combat arena.

He looked up and saw Lan Ziyi gazing at him not far away, her brows furrowed.