Chapter 1682: Is Him, It's Him

At a certain location within the Yin-Yang Grand Millstone, the white-haired elder of the Divine Wind Star Pirate Group stared into the depths, his gaunt face filled with fury and overflowing with resentment.

Six months prior, while staying in a low-level realm, he had inadvertently stumbled upon a strange occurrence. He had clearly sensed the presence of a Celestial Stage cultivator in that low-level realm, yet for some unknown reason, the cultivator had suddenly vanished.

After a thorough investigation, he vaguely felt that this low-level realm might be hiding a secret. In the desolate starfield, even the lowest-tier realm seemed somewhat special, especially when situated on the periphery of the expanding Yin-Yang Grand Millstone.

He was a well-traveled and knowledgeable individual, having even heard information about the Flower Clan and the World King Flower during a conversation with a Sunlit Stage cultivator. He immediately formed some conclusions.

Excited, he secretly departed the low-level realm, gathered his forces, and returned.

Before shattering the realm, he couldn't be certain whether a World King Flower truly existed within it; it was merely a possibility.

However, it was just a low-level realm in a desolate starfield. Destroying it wouldn't cause him any trouble.

As it turned out, a World King Flower was indeed hidden within that realm!

This treasure, which should have been his, was somehow taken by an external Celestial Stage Late cultivator. Enraged, he ordered his subordinates to pursue, but they suffered heavy losses.

Even his own relentless pursuit yielded no results until the Celestial Stage Late cultivator escaped into the Yin-Yang Grand Millstone!

He had thought that once inside, no matter how elusive the cultivator's escape methods were, they would surely not evade his grasp. However, to his surprise, the individual had once refined a spiritual flower from the Primordial Realm, making them completely immune to the suppressive effects of the Grand Millstone's unique environment.

He had lost the trail!

The old man's heart ached as if pierced by a knife.

The value of a World King Flower was immeasurable. If news of it got out, even large and top-tier realms would flock to it. With just this one flower, he would possess wealth that could last him several lifetimes.

Yet, all his painstaking planning had only benefited someone else.

He vaguely knew that the World King Flower was irrecoverable. Since he had already lost the target's trace, finding them again was out of the question; the other party could easily escape from another direction.

But how could he willingly leave just like that?

He still clung to a sliver of unrealistic hope: what if that young man got lost inside and somehow emerged from this very spot?

It was this faint hope that kept him from leaving, keeping vigil here, watching with eager anticipation…

But a month of waiting had made him restless.

Just then, a figure vaguely appeared in the distance. The old man's heart skipped a beat, and he strained his bloodshot eyes to peer ahead.

Due to the omnipresent and powerful grinding force, the space within the Yin-Yang Grand Millstone appeared distorted, making it difficult for the old man to discern who the figure was.

But as the other party approached, the figure became clearer, and the old man's excitement slowly mounted.

It was him! That young man!

He had actually emerged from this very location.

The old man almost burst into laughter, secretly vowing that this time, no matter what, he would not let the other party escape again. This was absolutely his closest chance to reclaim the World King Flower.

His power surged forth, and invisible ripples radiated explosively from his aged body in all directions. To capture Lu Ye, the white-haired elder didn't hesitate, immediately activating a secret art that forcefully boosted his strength at the cost of burning his own life force.

In his current position, suppressed by the Yin-Yang Grand Millstone's environment, his Lunar Stage Late cultivation could only exert power equivalent to the Lunar Stage Early.

However, with the aid of this secret art, he could wield power infinitely close to the Lunar Stage Mid.

In an instant, vital energy pulsed within his withered body, and his power fluctuated. A string of bead-like treasures also appeared in the old man's hand. As he channeled his power into them, he let out a soft cry: "Go!"

The beads in his hand scattered, transforming into five rising suns. Four of them sealed the surrounding area, while the fifth shot directly towards Lu Ye.

The extreme heat distorted even space itself.

In the distance ahead, Lu Ye, who was strolling casually, raised an eyebrow at the sight.

A mage!

As a weapon master, he most preferred mages because they were fragile to cut down, unlike those brute brawlers with their hard, iron-like skin and bones, which would cause powerful recoil when struck by his Panshan Blade.

These five sun-like phenomena were clearly the manifestation of his opponent's artifact.

It had to be said, as expected of a Lunar Stage Late cultivator, even though he could only wield Lunar Stage Early power now, his methods were far beyond what an average newly ascended Lunar Stage cultivator could manage.

Judging from the artifact's power, it was likely at the six-star level.

Indeed, worthy of a star pirate leader; his wealth was completely incomparable to a Lunar Stage cultivator like Old Tang.

Before, facing such an attack, the only thing Lu Ye could do was to avoid its sharp edge.

However, an attack that had been overwhelmingly fierce to him a month ago now seemed… just average?

He gazed at the massive sun rapidly approaching him and raised a hand to grip his Panshan Blade.

Seeing this, the old man opposite him couldn't help but be startled. Since their first encounter, Lu Ye had been constantly fleeing, never even daring to face him directly, given the vast power disparity between them.

But what was happening now? Had this young man lost his mind? Not only was he not fleeing from his attack, but he also showed no intention of even dodging.

However, this undoubtedly pleased the old man more, because as long as he killed Lu Ye, the World King Flower would reappear, and he could then calmly collect it. His only worry was that the commotion of the World King Flower appearing might attract other Lunar Stage cultivators.

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, the giant sun had already engulfed Lu Ye's figure.

The old man stared unblinkingly, as if he could already see the World King Flower revealing itself, his heart激动 beyond measure.

A Celestial Stage Late cultivator couldn't possibly survive such an attack.

However, no World King Flower appeared; only a faint flash of a blade reflected in his eyes.

The old man's pupils involuntarily constricted, instinctively sensing that something was wrong. Although his cultivation was heavily suppressed now, his Lunar Stage Late eyesight and combat experience remained. As a star pirate who plundered everywhere, he had experienced countless battles, big and small, in his lifetime.

Almost the instant that blade light appeared, the old man's body instinctively recoiled.

Yet, he was still a step too late. A figure had appeared before him at some unknown moment—the very enemy who should have been blasted into dust by the power of his artifact.

This seemingly very young man was now slightly hunched, his head bowed, his forehead obscured by shadows, but the old man could feel that the opponent's cold gaze was fixed on him. The whole person looked like a stalking leopard.

The old man's eyes suddenly widened. Without thinking, he hastily channeled his power to protect himself. At the same time, a crystal-like pendant around his neck shattered, quickly forming a layer of light that enveloped him.

When the blade light flashed again, the old man was utterly horrified. His body was sent flying backward by the impact of an enormous force.

The light barrier protecting him shattered like a bubble as he flew backward. The old man even felt his own protective power being cut through!

Only at this moment did he clearly perceive the power fluctuations emanating from Lu Ye.

It was no longer the spiritual power of a Celestial Stage cultivator, but the magical power of a Lunar Stage cultivator!

"Lunar Stage!"

This young man… had actually advanced to the Lunar Stage within the Yin-Yang Grand Millstone!

Though unbelievable, the fact was laid bare before him.

And what was with such terrifying slashes? Even if the opponent had indeed advanced to the Lunar Stage, they shouldn't possess such astonishing strength.

The protection formed by his shattered artifact, coupled with his own defensive power, couldn't be easily broken by a Lunar Stage Early cultivator, let alone a Lunar Stage Mid, yet the opponent had done it with just a seemingly effortless slash…

Now that they were both at the Lunar Stage Early, the old man felt that the opponent possessed the ability to effortlessly kill him.

Was this the potential of a cultivator who had emerged victorious from the Divine Sea dispute at the Cycle Tree and had refined the spiritual light nurtured in the Primordial Realm?

He had long heard that such cultivators became terrifyingly powerful when they grew, but he had never had the chance to witness it. Was this his chance to finally see it, but this... was not what he wanted.

Amidst his horror, the old man's mind raced.

The four suns that had originally sealed the four directions swiftly moved under his control, converging rapidly towards Lu Ye's position. Their speed was astonishing, enveloping Lu Ye's location in an instant.

Dazzling light shot into the sky, as if a great sun had truly exploded, and this entire space was almost melting.

Accompanying it was the resonance of a blade. Within the exploding four great suns, blade light flickered, and space itself seemed to be torn apart.

Silently, the great suns were annihilated one by one, and a figure rushed out from within, completely unharmed. With a single streak, he suddenly appeared close to the old man.

In the Celestial Stage, Lu Ye's use of the Streak technique placed a significant burden on him, so this secret art could not be sustained for long.

Now that he had reached the Lunar Stage, and his physique had greatly strengthened, Lu Ye finally felt that the burden of the Streak technique was no longer so great.

With his current reserves, sustaining such streaking for a day and a night was no problem. Of course, any longer than that was hard to say.

The old man was utterly terrified, never imagining that Lu Ye could emerge unscathed from such an attack. At this moment, his body was still retreating, but despite his speed, it was no match for Lu Ye's Panshan Blade.

There was no enhancement from God Edge, nor was the inherent power of the Panshan Blade activated; it was simply a pure swing.

The long blade was stained with blood, which splattered in all directions.

The old man's eyes almost popped out. A deep, bone-visible wound had appeared on his abdomen. As he spewed blood, the blood instantly seemed to ignite, transforming into a layer of blood-red light that enveloped his entire body, and then he fled into the distance without a backward glance.