Chapter 1555: Intense Battle

From the moment the Insect Race launched their attack until Moon Yao joined the fray, only about ten breaths passed. Yet, in that brief time, over ten Insect Race Constellations were slain, leaving the rest visibly stunned.

The Insect Race Moon Yao had expected his arrival to stabilize the situation, but he was horrified to discover it had no effect. Even after he ordered the destruction of the imperial artifacts scattered across the battlefield, the elusive figure remained as phantom-like as ever, leaving no trace.

The Insect Race Moon Yao roared in frustration. This scene infuriated him; despite his immense strength, the enemy refused to engage him. Instead, the figure darted back and forth, weaving through the Insect Race formation, relentlessly targeting and slaying only the Constellations.

An increasing number of Insect Race Constellations perished, their rigid carapaces offering them no sense of security.

Lu Ye gradually gained a deeper understanding. Although his battles with Yan Xi were fierce, they were not true life-or-death struggles. Lu Ye knew that even if he were slain within the azure hall, he would only lose a wisp of his divine sense, so he never felt the immediate threat of death.

This situation, however, was different; this was a true fight to the death. The Insect Race Moon Yao only saw him effortlessly cutting down foes, but in reality, every one of Lu Ye's movements danced on the edge of life and death, as any mistake could lead to his absolute ruin.

Yan Xi's maneuvering technique was, in essence, a high-stakes gamble. Such a profound understanding could never be truly grasped within the confines of the azure hall.

Lu Ye finally understood why he had consistently failed Yan Xi's trial. Even though he always believed his maneuvering technique had reached its essence, he was still no match for Yan Xi.

With this newfound insight, Lu Ye felt confident he could pass Yan Xi's trial. Unfortunately, the timing wasn't right; otherwise, he truly wished to enter the azure hall and test his theories.

This battle was unlike any he had ever experienced. In previous conflicts, Lu Ye mostly relied on the exquisite precision of his Overlord Blade technique, overwhelming powerful enemies with supreme might. But in this novel type of combat, Lu Ye felt a new kind of joy for the first time—the exhilaration of moving like the wind, effortlessly claiming enemy lives.

This was undoubtedly a novel experience, leaving Lu Ye with a somewhat peculiar feeling.

Maneuvering is not merely about movement; it’s a process. To successfully kill an enemy, one must rely on the instantaneous burst of power immediately after the maneuver.

Lu Ye was not lacking in this aspect. Both the Overlord Blade technique and the "Fangs Bared" inherited from Qing Li were effective ways to unleash power.

More Insect Race Constellations fell, yet the Insect Race Moon Yao couldn't even lay a hand on Lu Ye. Seeing that less than half of the Constellations remained alive, he quickly roared, "Scatter! Get away from here!"

The group of Insect Race Constellations was already terrified, unsure who would be the next casualty. Upon receiving the order, they immediately scattered in all directions, desperate to flee the battlefield.

Lu Ye fixed his gaze on one direction and pursued relentlessly. After a few maneuvers, he completely annihilated all the fleeing Insect Race Constellations in that area.

He intended to pursue in other directions, but the Insect Race Moon Yao wouldn't allow it. The Moon Yao clung to him relentlessly, and despite Lu Ye's repeated attempts to use his maneuvers to escape, he couldn't shake him off.

Previously, with numerous Insect Race Constellations providing cover, the Insect Race Moon Yao had been restrained, allowing Lu Ye free rein. Now, with no other Insect Race members around and only he and Lu Ye left to fight, he had no more reservations. His mana surged wildly, vital energy abundant, and his entire body became enveloped in a layer of bloody mist, as if he were ablaze.

If his opponent had been a mid-stage Moon Yao, Lu Ye would have had no illusions; the power gap would have been too vast for any strategy. However, since this opponent was only an early-stage Moon Yao, Lu Ye felt he might actually have a fighting chance.

Having made up his mind, he abandoned the pursuit of the remaining Insect Race Constellations. His figure flickered, transforming into a streak of bloody light. He moved like a gentle breeze, yet swift as lightning, soaring towards the Insect Race Moon Yao.

Seeing Lu Ye dare to attack him proactively, the Insect Race Moon Yao erupted in fury. Just as Lu Ye drew close, he suddenly unleashed a punch.

Potent mana condensed on his fist, held back until the very end of the punch's trajectory before exploding with a thunderous roar.

The Insect Race Moon Yao frowned, realizing his punch hadn't connected with Lu Ye. Instead, his own arm had been struck by a blade.

Sparks flew as a tremendous force impacted his arm, leaving an inch-deep crack on his carapace!

What incredible speed, what immense strength, what a sharp blade!

The Insect Race Moon Yao finally understood why his race's Constellations were no match for this human. Such terrifying speed and power were beyond what a late-stage Constellation could possess. Combined with the opponent's sharp blade, even the carapaces of the Insect Race Constellations couldn't withstand the onslaught.

Even as a Moon Yao, his carapace had been damaged, though the wound had no real impact on him.

He turned his head and saw Lu Ye standing several miles away, quietly gazing at him.

Their eyes met: one burned with fury, the other remained deep and composed.

*He could fight!* This was Lu Ye's assessment after their initial clash. After all, he was currently in the soul-possession state with Li Shang, enabling him to perform beyond his own usual level. However, there was still a fundamental difference in cultivation between them, so he had to remain cautious.

The spiritual energy of a Constellation and the mana of a Moon Yao ultimately differed qualitatively. Though the opponent's punch hadn't directly hit him, even its aftershock made him feel threatened.

Therefore, if he truly wished to fight, a direct confrontation was out of the question. There would be no chance of victory in a head-on clash; simply due to the disparity in their internal energies, Lu Ye had no hope of winning.

Unless he could get Li Shang to initiate a soul battle and destroy the opponent spiritually. However, Li Shang's previous soul battle against Xue Hao only succeeded because Xue Hao's guard was down, as he believed victory was assured. This time, the opportunity was slim.

Furthermore, even if Li Shang could initiate a soul battle, Lu Ye wasn't just facing one Insect Race Moon Yao. Many fleeing Insect Race Constellations were watching from afar, and once a soul battle began, Lu Ye's physical body would be left completely undefended.

He still had to rely on his maneuvering technique.

Strictly speaking, the maneuvering technique was most effective when surrounded. It emphasized moving swiftly and striking unexpectedly. Against a single opponent, however, the subtlety of the technique lost its significance because there was no one else to surprise.

But if a direct confrontation was impossible, Lu Ye had no other choice.

The Panshan Blade was indeed sharp enough, yet it only left a minor scratch on the opponent's carapace, failing to even pierce the flesh. Lu Ye estimated that even with the Divine Edge enchantment, it might not significantly harm the enemy.

As spiritual energy rapidly circulated within his body, the Insect Race Moon Yao across from him could no longer hold back. His figure swayed, then lunged forward.

Lu Ye met him with his blade. He knew clearly that in a battle against a higher-level opponent, his chances were few, perhaps only one. Therefore, he decided to give it his all!

In an instant, the two figures collided. The Insect Race Moon Yao unleashed both fists, violent power surging forth and covering a vast area. Having witnessed Lu Ye's maneuvers, he understood the enemy's agility, and this technique was designed to block all of Lu Ye's escape routes.

A barrier of pure mana, like an incredibly solid wall, formed directly in front of Lu Ye.

However, in the next instant, the Insect Race Moon Yao's expression changed. The enemy, who had fiercely charged at him with a blade, seemingly ready to fight to the death, had vanished without a trace!

The Moon Yao's divine sense spread out, instantly pinpointing Lu Ye's aura.

He abruptly turned his head. Lu Ye had already maneuvered to his side, and the dark longblade slashed down fiercely, without any flourish, spiritual energy surging wildly along its length.

This was undoubtedly a full-power burst from Lu Ye, displaying a fierce determination of 'kill or be killed.'

The Insect Race Moon Yao, however, paid it no mind. He simply raised an arm, holding it across his body. Though the slash looked incredibly fierce, having personally experienced Lu Ye's previous attacks, he knew it couldn't significantly harm him. Relying on his carapace's protection, he could easily block it.

His other hand clenched into a fist, which he then slammed towards Lu Ye.

As the longblade struck, the Insect Race Moon Yao was slightly surprised. Under this blow, he felt deeper wounds appearing on his carapace; the opponent's blade seemed sharper than before.

But that was all; if it couldn't pierce his carapace, everything was futile.

Before that thought could fully form, the Insect Race Moon Yao's heart suddenly jolted, an ominous premonition lingering in his mind. Immediately, he seemed to hear the sound of surging tides.

Before him, Lu Ye's expression remained calm and unperturbed. He ignored the opponent's incoming punch; in truth, he couldn't dodge it and could only hastily condense a few Sacred Guards to protect himself.

The Panshan Blade, enhanced with the Divine Edge Spirit Pattern, was indeed sharper than before. However, it could still only carve deeper wounds into the opponent's carapace, barely reaching the flesh.

But the Divine Edge was not what Lu Ye truly relied on.

At this very moment, countless tiny waves undulated along the blade of the Panshan Blade, flowing rapidly and surging back and forth.

The Panshan Blade's edge instantly transformed into a serrated blade.

As sparks flew, the Insect Race Moon Yao's carapace shattered, and an immense pain caused him to scream.

Gritting his teeth, Lu Ye unleashed his full power, bringing his blade down in a fierce strike!

Blood splattered, and along with it, half an arm went flying!

The layers of Sacred Guard barriers in front of Lu Ye shattered like paper. Barriers condensed from spiritual energy ultimately could not withstand the impact of mana.

In a hasty movement, Lu Ye turned around.

A hard fist slammed into Lu Ye's back, instantly leaving a deep indentation. His chest bulged violently, as if his heart were about to burst out. Under the immense force, Lu Ye was sent flying like an arrow, spitting out blood. He felt a powerful energy, undoubtedly mana, raging through his body like a venomous snake.

However, his Talent Tree quickly activated, incinerating all the mana that had infiltrated his body.

After being sent flying for dozens of miles, Lu Ye finally managed to regain his footing, albeit somewhat unsteadily.

Just as he turned around, he saw the Moon Yao Insect Race member pursuing him with a ferocious expression.