Chapter 1537: Strongest Enemy Turns Out to Be Myself

With no fancy moves, blades clashed and rang out, each impact causing both Lu Ye and the figure formed from the statue to tremble violently, their spirit energy surging.

After only a moment of combat, Lu Ye confirmed one thing: this opponent was another him. Not only did the figure possess the same appearance and saber as Lu Ye, but its strength and fighting style were also indistinguishable from his own.

Was this the trial for the opportunity?

It seemed that to obtain the opportunity, he would first have to pass this trial, which meant defeating another himself!

Such a bizarre event was something Lu Ye had never experienced, and he found it somewhat novel.

But a question immediately arose: how could one defeat another self with one's own power?

Numerous thoughts flashed through his mind, but Lu Ye's focus settled. His eyes became as firm as ice. No matter how much this figure resembled him, it was ultimately just a resemblance; it wasn't truly him. It was very likely an incredibly sophisticated illusion, so masterful that even with his keen eyesight, he couldn't find a flaw.

The continuous clash of power against power, blade against blade, perfectly illustrated the inherent dangers of a blade cultivator's struggle. Each engagement brought both combatants to the brink of life and death—an intensity Lu Ye had never experienced when fighting other enemies. Until now, none of his foes, even those of comparable strength, had ever possessed his exact fighting style, making such a scenario impossible.

This battle, however, was a truly even match. Both sides radiated extreme aggression; every downward swing of the long blade exerted immense pressure, signifying a fight to the death. Yet, in this utterly ferocious combat, both figures managed to perfectly block each other's attacks, sustaining not the slightest injury. Lu Ye felt as though he were fighting his own reflection, and while the combat was fierce, it felt incredibly awkward.

Suddenly, at a certain moment, the figure opposite him changed its blade stance, and a point of light burst forth. Lu Ye's expression changed to one of surprise, and he quickly pulled back. A light like an exploding sun appeared, and a blade lotus slowly unfurled. Each flying petal was a condensed burst of blade energy, enveloping a significant portion of the hall.

Lotus Sun! Although Lu Ye had speculated that his opponent might even be able to wield the three forms of Overlord Blade Art when the opponent first demonstrated it, seeing it with his own eyes still left him somewhat incredulous. This illusion was far too sophisticated; all of his own abilities could be perfectly replicated by the figure opposite him.

This was his first time directly facing the might of Lotus Sun. The feeling was completely different from when he cast it himself; this was experiencing it from the perspective of the attacked, making him appreciate the terror of Lotus Sun even more. Even though he had reacted quickly and retreated, he was still inevitably caught in the aftershocks of the Lotus Sun. Blade energies sliced from all directions, forcing Lu Ye to hastily construct a Sacred Guard Spirit Pattern, which barely managed to neutralize the attack.

Before he could regain his footing, pinpoint blade lights, like scattered stars, assaulted him.

Myriad Stars!

Unable to dodge or evade, Lu Ye's skin tightened, and a chill ran through his body as his vision filled with the image of countless stars raining down upon him. Having lost the initiative, Lu Ye found the opponent's assault relentless, as if determined to kill him. It would be utterly humiliating to be killed by another version of himself in such a trial.

Sacred Guard couldn't withstand such a continuous, wild assault. He knew his own attacking power well, so Lu Ye didn't focus on defense. Instead, he drove his blade momentum, unleashing continuous blade light.

The sound of a Tidal Surge echoed, layer upon layer, endless.

Myriad Stars fell, and Tidal Surge broke. Lu Ye felt a slight pain in his arm and seized the opportunity to drift back. Before he could stabilize, a figure, enveloped in boundless killing intent, rushed from the shattered blade light, its incredibly oppressive aura making one's heart heavy. Lu Ye finally understood what his enemies had faced. Under such domineering pressure, if one's mind wasn't steady enough, they could easily fall into a disadvantage, even if strong.

He spun his long blade, meeting the attack head-on—the only thing he could do now. The two long blades collided again with a thunderous roar, both figures shaking. Although the opponent had gained the upper hand just a moment ago, Lu Ye had now stabilized his mind and would not be easily defeated.

But gradually, he noticed something amiss. He stole a glance at his right arm, where he had sustained a blade wound earlier. Logically, such a superficial injury should be nothing to him; with his powerful physique and vitality, it should recover in moments. Yet, the not-so-large wound had not healed at all. Not only that, it was actually expanding, with blood flowing out and staining his clothes.

Lu Ye clearly perceived a peculiar energy lingering around the wound, obstructing its recovery and preventing his strong physique and vitality from exerting any effect. Lu Ye's brow furrowed slightly. He was beginning to doubt whether his previous conjecture was correct. He had just thought that everything here was merely an illusion, albeit a very sophisticated one that he couldn't discern flaws in. But if it were an illusion, how could he be injured? And why was the injury so strange?

Was this not an illusion?

This moment of distraction broke the hard-won stalemate once more. Lu Ye saw a flash of the opponent's blade; even though he dodged immediately, he couldn't completely avoid it, and a wound was cut across his abdomen. As he raised his blade to block the ongoing assault, he silently assessed the wound on his abdomen. He found it was like the one on his arm, imbued with a strange power that prevented healing and slowly worsened the injury.

The opponent's blade was peculiar! Lu Ye immediately understood. Although the opponent's blade looked identical to his Cragblade, it wasn't the true Cragblade. That blade carried a strange power that inhibited wound healing and even made injuries more severe. In the short term, this peculiarity didn't significantly affect Lu Ye, but over time, it could become problematic. Moreover, the enemy Lu Ye faced was another version of himself, possessing all his abilities. Any slight weakness on his part could become the crucial factor in determining victory or defeat!

Lu Ye quickly activated the power of his Talent Tree to incinerate the strange energy within him. Instantly, the peculiar power lingering around both wounds was burned away. With his powerful physique and vitality, the wounds rapidly began to heal.

Having dealt with this problem, Lu Ye felt a sense of relief, but the situation remained grim. They had been evenly matched, but that slight delay had put Lu Ye at a minor disadvantage. He knew that if he couldn't quickly recover from this setback, it would only grow worse, because his fighting style tended to quickly expand small advantages through overwhelming pressure, thereby securing victory.

But facing such an enemy, how could he regain the upper hand? Lu Ye couldn't think of what to do. Even facing a Moon Bloom cultivator wouldn't be this tricky. Lu Ye suddenly realized something: the most difficult enemy to defeat in this world was himself! This was quite ironic.

He considered donning his Dragon Seat armor. He had the Dragon Seat; his opponent surely couldn't. Just as he was about to try, he found his storage ring wouldn't open. His heart sank, then he tried to connect with the Red Talisman, which he nurtured within him, but found he couldn't even activate it. Lu Ye instantly understood: in this kind of battle, external assistance was unavailable. He could only rely on his innate abilities.

As the opponent delivered another blade strike, Lu Ye's eyes suddenly lit up. He quickly met the attack with his own blade. The timing of this strike was so perfectly grasped that it miraculously pulled him back from his slight disadvantage. So… he *does* have flaws in his fighting style! The enemy's recent strike had a tiny flaw, or rather, wasn't perfectly smooth. Such flaws are often fleeting and hard to grasp, but everything the enemy performed was something Lu Ye possessed. Seizing that sliver of opportunity was not difficult for him!

Lu Ye had never noticed this before, as he'd never had such an experience. He inwardly felt a chill of fear. If an enemy had exploited this opportunity in a past battle, he might have been in serious trouble. But now that he'd discovered it, he wouldn't make the same mistake again.

Lu Ye's heart suddenly stirred. This was a rare opportunity. Perhaps he could use it to find more of his own shortcomings. If he found them, he would correct them; if not, he would strive harder. With this thought, Lu Ye developed a renewed interest in this battle. He fully unleashed his power, continuously clashing with his opponent. He truly did find many of his own deficiencies, especially when he gained an advantage. His broad, open attacks often presented the enemy with opportunities.

The reason enemies hadn't turned the tide against him before was due to their insufficient strength and insight. If their strength and insight were enough, any slight opening could have doomed Lu Ye. Lu Ye felt a cold sweat break out. He truly hadn't noticed these things before, mainly because his cultivation had progressed too quickly, and he had never been systematically taught. His blade techniques were mostly instincts honed through life-or-death situations. These skills were enough for Lu Ye to dominate most cultivators of his rank. Perhaps some had noticed flaws, but they were powerless against Lu Ye's overwhelming strength.

Yet, one's own fate must ultimately be controlled by oneself, not left to the weaknesses of others. Lu Ye realized this was an extremely rare opportunity, a chance to overcome his own deficiencies. It was truly like looking into a mirror, finding his various flaws in his reflection, and then correcting them.