Chapter 1755: Self-Digging a Hole

Bound by public rules, Yuan Du couldn't openly move against Lu Ye. However, there was no problem with him secretly hiring someone to assassinate Lu Ye. After all, if Lu Ye died, there would be no witnesses, and even if others had suspicions, there would be no proof.

Any other early-stage Moon Shadow realm cultivator would have surely perished, but Lu Ye's foundation was, after all, not comparable to an ordinary early-stage Moon Shadow cultivator. Thus, despite the shadow operative's exquisitely precise sneak attack, Lu Ye still managed to escape.

Lu Ye did not immediately counterattack, knowing that if the shadow operative wished to flee, he would be unable to pursue them. However, observing the operative's current demeanor, it was clear they had no intention of leaving, indicating their resolve to kill him on the spot.

This suited Lu Ye perfectly; he genuinely feared the opponent might miss a single strike and then escape for a thousand miles.

The shadow operative did not respond to Lu Ye's inquiry. In his hand, he clutched an object: Lu Ye's severed right arm. Normally, he wouldn't hold such a thing, but he clearly knew Lu Ye was a weapon master, and severing his sword-wielding arm would undoubtedly greatly hinder Lu Ye's combat effectiveness.

This would facilitate his subsequent aim to completely eradicate Lu Ye.

The dim shadow subtly writhed, and the severed arm shattered explosively. The next instant, the shadow operative prepared to strike again, resolving not to give Lu Ye any chance to resist this time.

Yet, the moment he crushed the severed arm, an extremely ominous feeling suddenly surged within him. This sensation was incredibly intense, a potent blend of instinctive premonition and accumulated experience.

Consequently, in a flash, he abandoned his initial intentions and prepared to flee the area.

Regardless of what changes might unfold, he absolutely would not allow himself to be placed in any dangerous situation. Only by staying alive was there hope.

It must be said, the shadow operative's reaction was swift, and his resolve was exceptionally firm. Had he not foolishly crushed Lu Ye's severed arm, Lu Ye would have been powerless to stop his escape.

Almost immediately as he crushed the severed arm, sending blood splattering, the limb transformed into a spreading mist of blood.

The blood mist, as if sentient, surged back and enveloped the shadow operative from above!

The shadow operative had no inkling such a change would occur. Although he had resolved to leave, it was already too late. Enveloped by the blood mist, his movements were momentarily impeded.

His spiritual energy surged around him, and in an instant, he broke free from the blood mist's entanglement. However, a scene that immediately filled him with despair then unfolded.

A vast sea of blood violently unfurled, instantly engulfing a massive area and completely wrapping around him.

The sea of blood raged, with undercurrents swirling, and the shadow operative's body stiffened…

The intelligence was incorrect!

Wasn't he merely an early-stage Moon Shadow realm weapon master? How could he possibly unleash such sophisticated blood arts? Had he known, he would never have held the severed arm, much less recklessly crushed it; this was akin to digging his own grave!

But now, regret was too late.

Despite the situation, he remained unflustered. After all, he believed his cultivation far surpassed Lu Ye's, and even if caught off guard by the blood art, an injured weapon master should have no means to stop him from leaving.

However, he soon realized something was amiss. This sea of blood was incredibly viscous and remarkably stable; it was not something he could break through quickly.

Not far ahead, a faint figure was dimly visible. The shadow operative fiercely lunged towards it, intending a direct assault. If he couldn't break through the sea of blood, then killing the one who wielded the blood art would serve the same purpose.

Yet, as he lunged forward, the figure mysteriously vanished.

Only Lu Ye's voice, devoid of any emotion, echoed in his ears: "You will die!"

"You accepted payment to eliminate trouble for someone, which is understandable."

"But because your employer failed to provide you with accurate intelligence, you will die here. Are you content with that? Can you rest in peace?"

"Perhaps you still cling to a sliver of hope, believing you can kill me to escape this predicament, save your life, and complete your employer's task."

"But that thought is too naive, because today, you are the one who will die!"

The shadow operative remained completely unmoved. A powerful cultivator like him possessed an unyielding will; how could he be swayed by a few words from another?

But as Lu Ye's words ceased, the sea of blood before them parted like clouds giving way to the moon, and the shadow operative's eyes widened in disbelief.

For Lu Ye, standing not far in front of him… was completely unharmed!

Impossible! The shadow operative was horrified. He had clearly severed Lu Ye's right arm and crushed it. Even if Lu Ye was a Moon Shadow realm cultivator with the ability to regenerate limbs, his right arm could not possibly have regrown in such a short time.

Because even for a late-stage Moon Shadow realm cultivator like himself, losing an arm would require a month of recovery.

An early-stage Moon Shadow realm cultivator would need at least three to five months.

Yet, what he saw was undeniably real. The shadow operative was certain it was not an illusion, and for a moment, he couldn't comprehend the situation.

Under normal circumstances, a Moon Shadow realm cultivator could indeed regenerate a severed limb, and it would truly require a significant amount of time.

But just now, Lu Ye, with a sudden flash of inspiration, regenerated his severed arm instantly at the cost of a single drop of his precious blood!

He had truly never known that precious blood possessed such an ability before, but upon reflection, it was not surprising. If precious blood could even manifest clones, then regenerating a severed arm was trivial by comparison.

As the shadow operative reeled in shock, an even more incomprehensible scene unfolded. With a flick of Lu Ye's finger, four drops of fresh blood shot forth, then suddenly writhed and transformed into figures identical to Lu Ye.

Clones?

The shadow operative suspected he might be under an illusion without realizing it.

Yet, no matter how he scrutinized them, those clones showed no flaws; they were identical to the main body, even their auras were indistinguishable.

Despite his many confusions, the shadow operative was not prepared to idly await his fate. Lu Ye actively dispelled the concealment of the blood sea, exposing his form to the shadow operative, which presented an excellent opportunity for the latter.

Thus, he immediately channeled his spiritual energy, transforming his body into a dark shadow and lunging at Lu Ye with lightning speed.

Lu Ye simply watched him with a calm gaze, a tranquility that struck fear into the shadow operative's heart.

But he had no room to retreat!

Almost the instant he reached Lu Ye, an indescribable pressure suddenly descended. The shadow operative then perceived that Lu Ye's main body and the four clones were connected by their energy, their spiritual power and vital essence resonating, instantly forming an impregnable formation!

A ringing sound echoed, sending a chill down the shadow operative's spine, as the Pan Mountain Blade was unsheathed.

With Lu Ye's main body as the core and the four precious blood clones providing support, the power unleashed in that instant was so immense that it even eclipsed the late-stage Moon Shadow realm shadow operative.

One-on-one, Lu Ye did not fear a late-stage Moon Shadow realm cultivator, but unless he could employ a drawing-cut strike by surprise, killing one would remain very difficult for him.

However, forming a formation with the precious blood clones was a different matter entirely. This was akin to five Lu Yes forming a single formation, with no discord, allowing the full power of the formation to be perfectly unleashed.

Not to mention that the shadow operative specialized only in stealth attacks; even a body cultivator adept at direct confrontation would certainly not fare well.

From the outset, the confrontation was gravely disadvantageous for the shadow operative. Trapped within the blood sea, with no hope of escape, and unable to utilize his strengths in his preferred domain, the shadow operative's overall power was severely diminished.

Under the oppressive power of Lu Ye's formation, he gained complete dominance in mere moments, causing the shadow operative's body to sway and blood to gush forth.

Lu Ye also took the opportunity to activate the Blood Lure Art, further accelerating the shadow operative's decline.

The presence of the Fangs' power meant the shadow operative's wounds could not heal quickly. After only about fifteen minutes of fighting, the shadow operative revealed his true form.

He appeared to be an unremarkable old man. Had he concealed his Moon Shadow realm aura, no one in a crowd would have given him a second glance. Even though he was in a desperate situation, he did not beg for mercy, nor was there any panic in his eyes, as if he had long prepared for this very day.

The shadow operative had no remaining strength to resist, yet Lu Ye did not kill him, instead saying: "You are dying here because of your employer, not due to any lack of your own skill. Tell me who he is, and I will avenge you later!"

The shadow operative looked up at him, said nothing, and then suddenly plunged his short blade into his own chest, twisting it fiercely!

Lu Ye frowned.

Within the sea of blood, the shadow operative's eyes slowly closed, his life force dissipating. Until his death, he did not utter a single word to Lu Ye.

Although he had been injured by the sneak attack, Lu Ye still felt a great deal of admiration for the elderly shadow operative. He had truly carried out his assigned task with the utmost loyalty.

However, Lu Ye was almost certain that Yuan Du was the one who had instructed this shadow operative to assassinate him.

Because there was no one else who fit the profile, and Yuan Du possessed the capability.

He stepped forward, raised his hand towards the shadow operative's corpse, channeled his spiritual energy, and fierce flames erupted.

While admiration was present, destroying the body and erasing traces was still necessary. Furthermore, Lu Ye was uncertain if shadow operatives possessed the ability to feign death. If the opponent were to fake their demise as a strategic retreat and escape, wouldn't he appear foolish?

A moment later, the shadow operative's corpse was reduced to a charred mass. Lu Ye removed his storage ring, then pulverized the charred remains. Only then did he retract the sea of blood and his precious blood clones, and continued on his journey.

His divine sense continued to monitor the surroundings. Lu Ye flexed his right arm and noticed that the arm regenerated using precious blood was slightly weaker than the original.

This was unavoidable, but it posed no major problem; with some time for recovery, his right arm would naturally return to its original strength.

Since Yuan Du's plan to have the shadow operative assassinate him had failed, he should not make any further moves in the short term. At the very least, he would need to understand why his plan failed.

After all, in Yuan Du's estimation, there should have been no possibility of failure for a covert attack by a late-stage Moon Shadow realm operative. In fact, not only did Yuan Du believe this, but the shadow operative himself thought the same, which is why he eagerly attacked after Lu Ye left the Myriad Manifestations Sea.

The opponent must have been hiding outside Three Realms Island all this time. Unfortunately, Lu Ye had been in seclusion for the past two months, leaving no exploitable weaknesses, until his departure today presented an opportunity.

If Lu Ye's offense to Yuan Du that day was merely a minor grievance, then after today's events, this enmity would be irreconcilable, unless Lu Ye was willing to let bygones be bygones.

But that was impossible. Someone had tried to kill him; how could Lu Ye remain indifferent? He simply lacked the capability now, otherwise, he would surely follow Ma Bin's example and charge directly into Myriad Manifestations Island.