Chapter 1901: Heavenly Ink Escape

Beside the damaged battleship, Tian Yan led several of his Moon Radiance subordinates as they charged toward Lu Ye. As experienced pirates, veterans of many battles, they naturally wouldn't rush in foolishly. Instead, they fanned out, forming a semi-encirclement, like a vast net closing in on Lu Ye.

The distance between them rapidly closed.

Some Moon Radiance figures suddenly vanished, the power of spells began to erupt, and even cultivators unleashed their artifacts, launching them directly at Lu Ye.

Even though Lu Ye had previously demonstrated terrifying strength, the Moon Radiance cultivators from Thunderlight, outnumbering him, showed little fear.

In a flash, the combined might of spells and artifacts enveloped Lu Ye, completely overwhelming him in an instant.

Yet, at that very moment, Tian Yan suddenly cried out, "Be careful!"

When he turned to look, Lu Ye, who should have been far away, had somehow appeared phantom-like beside one of their Moon Radiance cultivators. His dark long saber swept horizontally, without a trace of killing intent or aura.

The targeted Moon Radiance cultivator was a spellcaster who had just cast a spell. He had believed his attack was successful, and his momentary relaxation and oversight instantly transformed into a fatal crisis.

He frantically tried to retreat but found it was too late. In his haste, he could only activate the protective power of his artifact.

His body suddenly burst with light, which then shattered. He stiffened, as if struck by lightning, his face contorted in immense fear. He couldn't comprehend how his protective artifact, on which he had placed so much hope, had failed to block even a single strike from the opponent.

Although the artifact's grade was not very high—only five-star—it was still a defensive item and should not have been breached with such ease.

He couldn't understand, and he no longer had the time to think, because after his protective artifact was shattered, another swift saber strike descended, cleaving his body in two.

After the Mountainbreaker Saber was upgraded to an artifact, in addition to becoming incredibly sharp, its ability to counter protective artifacts became particularly pronounced. Under normal circumstances, even if Lu Ye wielded a seven-star or eight-star long saber, he couldn't have cleaved through the opponent's defenses with a single strike, but the Mountainbreaker Saber could.

No blood flowed. The instant the opponent's body was cleaved, the Moon Radiance cultivator disintegrated into shimmering points of light.

This clearly indicated that the opponent was merely a shadow, a remnant left by a cultivator from an unknown era.

Almost the instant Lu Ye succeeded, several merciless attacks converged from all directions. These pirates showed no regard for the lives of their comrades, a testament to their ferocity. From their perspective, if this combined assault could eliminate their comrade along with Lu Ye, it would still be considered a gain.

Lu Ye drifted away, reappearing beside another Moon Radiance cultivator in the blink of an eye.

Tian Yan’s eyes nearly split with rage. He didn't genuinely grieve for the loss of his Moon Radiance subordinates, as he wasn't the true Thunderlight leader; this was merely his identity for the current trial, and he had no real camaraderie with them. However, if too many of his Moon Radiance subordinates perished, it would impede the execution of his plans and negatively impact the rewards he would receive at the conclusion of this trial.

"How dare you!" he roared, charging at Lu Ye, intent on saving the targeted Moon Radiance cultivator. But how could he possibly catch up? The instant he made a move, the targeted Moon Radiance cultivator had already dissolved into shimmering light under the saber's glare.

After the first, came the second, then the third…

Tian Yan realized with despair that his Moon Radiance subordinates couldn't even lay a hand on the enemy. He had no idea what secret art this Nine Heavens leader practiced; he moved erratically, appearing and disappearing like a phantom, utterly without a discernible pattern.

If it were just that, it would have been manageable. But the critical point was the terrifying lethality of the long saber in this person's hand. Even his second-in-command, who ranked among the top thousand on the combat leaderboard, couldn't last three breaths against him, let alone the other Moon Radiance cultivators.

The only one present capable of fighting him was Tian Yan himself!

However, the opponent utterly refused to engage him, simply leaping around in an infuriating manner. As a member of the Stone Race, Tian Yan's physique was certainly robust, but in terms of speed and agility, he was vastly outmatched.

Realizing that if this continued, his Moon Radiance subordinates would likely be completely slaughtered, he made a swift decision, roaring, "All of you, retreat!"

He would personally deal with this Nine Heavens leader! The opponent's reluctance to engage him clearly indicated that they sensed his formidable strength.

The Moon Radiance cultivators who had miraculously survived were already thoroughly terrified by Lu Ye's onslaught. Hearing Tian Yan's command, they scattered without a moment's hesitation, like birds and beasts, each filled with lingering trepidation.

Yet, even as they fled, Lu Ye pursued and managed to kill one more.

Tian Yan had already charged forward, his body, akin to a stone sculpture, now emitting a brilliant glow. His entire frame swelled into that of a small giant, and blazing light erupted from his eye sockets.

He clenched one hand into a fist, striking out fiercely, and roared, "Die!"

Lu Ye, having just eliminated a Thunderlight Moon Radiance cultivator, abruptly turned. As the Mountainbreaker Saber flashed with light, the Divine Edge spiritual patterns were activated, and he met the enormous fist head-on.

The instant fist and saber connected, the violently colliding mystical energy transformed into a visible shockwave that spread in all directions, engulfing a vast section of the starry sky.

The overwhelming fury in Tian Yan's eyes transformed into astonishment. His massive form was sent tumbling backward, his vision spinning disorientingly, leaving his face a mask of bewildered confusion.

Although he had known before their clash that this Nine Heavens leader was powerful, it was only upon actually engaging him that he discovered the opponent's strength was far greater than he had imagined!

The terrifying force unleashed with each sweep of that long saber made even him feel inadequate.

Was this a human?

There were only a handful of races in the starry void that could rival the Stone Race in physical might at the same cultivation level, and the human race was certainly not one of them.

What was the source of the terrifying power the opponent had suddenly unleashed?

What terrified Tian Yan even more was that he distinctly felt a crack appear on his fist with the opponent's saber strike!

This was utterly inconceivable. In terms of physical resilience, the Stone Race ranked among the top three in the entire starry void. Their robust physique had always been their fundamental strength and an inherent racial advantage, even surpassing artifacts of comparable level. Yet now, it had been cleaved open by a single saber strike.

He had initially believed this Nine Heavens leader avoided him out of apprehension for his strength. However, after this brief exchange, he realized that was far from the truth.

Meanwhile, Lu Ye slid back a dozen *li* before quickly steadying himself. It had to be said that the sheer power of a late-stage Moon Radiance Stone Race member was truly immense. Had he not pushed his cultivation to the extreme in the Constellation Realm and subsequently achieved significant growth after reaching Moon Radiance, he might not have been a match for his opponent in terms of strength alone.

Without any pause, Lu Ye advanced, dragging his saber.

Tian Yan had barely managed to regain his balance when he sensed an extremely ferocious aura rapidly approaching him. With an indignant roar, he defiantly charged towards Lu Ye.

He must not have performed well just now!

The two figures, one large and one small, collided. Fist shadows pummeled the void, saber light exploded freely, and mystical energies clashed fiercely without pause.

A moment later, Tian Yan turned and fled.

He couldn't win!

The Nine Heavens leader's movements were simply too agile; Tian Yan was always a step behind. The opponent's strength also surpassed his own, and their mystical energy seemed purer and more potent. What truly filled him with despair, however, was the long saber in the opponent's hand—frighteningly sharp. His physique, honed over a lifetime, couldn't withstand its repeated strikes.

In that brief exchange, Tian Yan was covered in wounds, and he clearly felt a strange power lingering within each cut, impeding their healing.

He still possessed the power to defend himself for the moment, but he was certain that if the fight continued, he would inevitably perish!

While he still had strength, his natural inclination was to run as far as possible. As for the rewards for this trial… what good were rewards if he lost his life?

Failure in trials was not new to him; Tian Yan was long accustomed to it and instinctively knew when to prioritize.

To his relief, the Nine Heavens leader showed no intention of pursuing him, merely watching him escape into the depths of the starry void.

But… it was so frustrating. He had been just one step away from success. Tian Yan etched the name "Nine Heavens Lu Ye" deep into his mind, knowing that he might encounter this 'shadow' again in future trials, and then, he absolutely could not afford to antagonize him.

The leader had fled! Casualties among the Moon Radiance cultivators were severe.

The Thunderlight pirate fleet immediately panicked. While Lu Ye was engaged in battle with Tian Yan and his Moon Radiance cultivators, Thunderlight's warships had been aggressively cornering and pursuing the Nine Heavens pirate group. But with Lu Ye's return, the Thunderlight pirates also scattered in disarray.

Lu Ye returned to his main battleship. The recent intense battle had left the flagship battered and torn, and many of his subordinate Tiger Shark battleships had also sustained significant damage.

"Leader!" Zi Xiao, leading a group of pirates, came to greet him, their faces etched with awe and reverence.

Although they had been fleeing just moments before, they had personally witnessed their leader's unparalleled courage. For pirates who constantly skirted the line between life and death, having such a leader at the helm was undoubtedly like a divine needle stabilizing the ocean, bringing immense peace of mind.

"What are the casualties?" Lu Ye asked.

Zi Xiao quickly replied, "Approximately thirty percent losses." This was only because Lu Ye had resolved the situation swiftly enough; otherwise, the casualties would undoubtedly have been much higher.

Lu Ye nodded. Thirty percent was still within an acceptable range.

"What should we do next?" Zi Xiao inquired.

The recent turn of events was truly unexpected. Nine Heavens had initially been cooperating with Thunderlight to pursue the Dark Cloud fleet. Yet now, their own leader had completely routed Thunderlight and driven them off.

This was somewhat comical, but from Zi Xiao's perspective, the leader was not at fault. After all, Thunderlight had attacked first, and how could such a powerful leader not retaliate?

Who knew Thunderlight would be so fragile, routed by the leader in just a few strikes? Having followed their leader for so many years, Zi Xiao had truly not realized just how formidable their leader's strength was.

Lu Ye turned his head to survey the battlefield.

The situation on the battlefield was clear. Under Thunderlight's coordinated command, the various pirate groups had gained a decisive upper hand against the Dark Cloud fleet. The fleeing Dark Cloud fleet was now completely encircled by the pirate groups, with no escape route.

(End of Chapter)