Chapter 2159: Killing the Fusion Path

The Wind Rises Across the Nine Provinces

The Wind Rises Across the Nine Provinces

The Talent Tree clone had already moved in from the flank, attempting an interception. However, it was ultimately a little too slow. If Man Shan managed to establish his escape, the confrontation would devolve into a chase, and all previous efforts might become futile.

But in that very instant, Lu Ye suddenly brandished the Mountainbreaker Saber in his hand.

Invisible ripples spread out, sweeping across the surrounding void.

Man Shan, who was about to flee, suddenly felt an excruciating pain in his severed arm and chest wounds. It was as if a dormant power within him had erupted, transforming into an invisible hand that violently tore open the injuries he had painstakingly suppressed.

Blood spurted.

Struck by the pain, Man Shan involuntarily paused.

The eruption of the Fanged Power achieved a miraculous result; it was precisely this momentary delay that allowed the Talent Tree clone to finally catch up.

Without a weapon, the clone relentlessly hammered Man Shan with its bare fists.

"Get lost!" Man Shan roared in furious retaliation, throwing a punch of his own.

Based on their previous clashes, this punch should have been enough to repel Lu Ye's Talent Tree clone, giving Man Shan space to continue his escape.

However, he ultimately miscalculated, or rather, underestimated Lu Ye's determination to kill him.

As their fists collided, their respective spiritual powers clashed and annihilated each other. Yet, the disparity in strength still caused the clone significant damage; one of its fists was instantly mangled, and its body jolted violently as if struck by lightning.

But the clone did not retreat at all; it didn't even adopt a defensive stance. Instead, it continued to furiously channel its spiritual power, attacking ferociously, completely disregarding its own life or death.

In that fleeting exchange, after several intense collisions, both of the clone's arms were completely shattered, and even its body cracked into countless fissures like porcelain.

This was the disparity of four levels of power. In a direct, unyielding confrontation, Man Shan could indeed have destroyed the clone with little effort.

Man Shan was enraged. Just as he was about to deliver the final blow to the clone, Lu Ye's main body arrived, striking to kill.

Sensing the danger behind him, Man Shan was terrified. He no longer cared about the clone, hastily turned to face the incoming attack, and was met with a dazzling flash of saber light.

However, at that very moment, the clone, now without arms, leaped entirely onto Man Shan's back, wrapping its legs around his body and biting down on his neck.

This brutal scene made Qing Yu and others watching nearby wince.

The pincer attack from Lu Ye's main body and clone left Man Shan struggling to cope. He finally realized that unless he dealt with one of Lu Ye's forms first, he would have no chance of escaping this time.

He had only just advanced to Fusion Dao; he had a promising future ahead. How could he die here?

Risking another saber strike from Lu Ye, he used his spiritual power to protect himself, then reached back, gripped the clone's head, and violently pulled it, tearing the clone from his back.

Along with the clone, a piece of flesh still clutched in its mouth was also pulled away.

"Ptui..." The clone spat the piece of flesh towards Man Shan, while simultaneously using its legs to deliver a powerful kick forward.

"Die!" Man Shan roared. While squeezing the clone's head with his hand, he clenched his other hand into a fist and, as the clone kicked him, he violently punched the clone's abdomen.

A rain of blood sprayed everywhere, and the clone's body was utterly annihilated!

Lu Ye's heart pounded.

Until now, because of the unique nature of the Talent Tree clone, he had always been unwilling to let it engage in dangerous situations. This was the first time the Talent Tree clone had been destroyed in combat.

The sense of death felt far more real than when his Blood Clone had perished.

Lu Ye even felt as if he had truly died once.

However, he quickly regained his composure, and the long saber in his hand descended mercilessly.

The saber cut through Man Shan's shoulder blade, piercing directly into his chest before its momentum stopped.

Lu Ye, however, felt no joy; instead, his heart skipped a beat.

He could sense that Man Shan's spiritual power had not been depleted, yet his saber strike had been effective. This was highly suspicious because if Man Shan's spiritual power hadn't run out, it would have been impossible for him to break through his defenses.

Everything he had done so far, including the destruction of the Talent Tree clone, had only one purpose: to relentlessly exhaust Man Shan's spiritual power. Only by depleting Man Shan's spiritual energy would he have a chance to kill him.

A desperate counterattack!

This thought flashed through Lu Ye's mind, and he immediately tried to pull back. But Man Shan's flesh writhed, clamping down tightly on the Mountainbreaker Saber. Then, he raised a hand and seized Lu Ye's saber-wielding wrist.

"You want to kill me? You'll die too!" Man Shan roared, looking insane. Before today, he had been full of vigor, believing that after years of effort, he finally had the right to establish himself in the Star Abyss. But this battle had shattered all his aspirations.

He had also grown up fighting fiercely for supremacy. In such a desperate situation, what did he fear about death?

Of course, before that, anyone who made him suffer would suffer too.

Gathering his remaining spiritual power into his fist, he launched a punch!

This was meant to be a fatal blow, but it didn't land a single hit on Lu Ye. As the punch was thrown, Lu Ye's figure drifted lightly backward.

Man Shan's eye twitched. He looked down and saw the long saber still lodged within his body, the hand gripping the hilt, and his own hand still grasping that hand's wrist.

But this hand... had been severed at the elbow.

Clearly, when Lu Ye realized something was wrong, he had severed his own arm to withdraw.

"Heh heh..." Man Shan chuckled. He couldn't describe his current mood, nor did he understand how he could still laugh in this situation.

He only knew that he had truly lost this time, defeated by an eccentric monster. He didn't even know if his opponent was truly a Fusion Dao cultivator.

The tide had turned!

He sighed softly, then, with a slight pull, extracted the long saber, still attached to the severed arm, from his body. Another spray of blood erupted.

His expression remained unchanged as he raised his hand and threw the severed arm and Mountainbreaker Saber forward.

"Come kill me!" Man Shan met Lu Ye's gaze, his voice like thunder.

Although not yet dead, his spiritual power was exhausted. Even as a Fusion Dao cultivator, he had no chance of escape. Given this, he might as well seek a swift end.

Lu Ye reached out and caught them, his eyes flickering. He then placed the severed arm against his own wound.

Then, he darted, appearing at Man Shan's side. With the saber in his left hand, a flash of light passed, and Man Shan's head was separated from his body.

A Fusion Dao cultivator dead!

Qing Yu and the others watching from nearby stared blankly at the scene. No one spoke; only profound shock lingered in their hearts.

This was the first time they had ever witnessed a Fusion Dao cultivator being killed.

And Lu Ye, who could forcefully kill a Fusion Dao cultivator in such a manner, suddenly appeared towering and awe-inspiring in their eyes.

The battle concluded. Lu Ye should have immediately cleared the battlefield or recuperated, but he remained standing, his brow deeply furrowed.

For almost the exact moment Man Shan died, he vaguely sensed something about to descend.

The sensation was peculiar, indescribable, yet his spiritual sense found nothing.

Just as he thought it was merely his imagination, a dark, cloud-like mass suddenly formed above him.

Lu Ye looked up sharply. As the dark cloud churned, a vortex appeared in its center, and then a beam of light plunged down from it, enveloping his body.

Lu Ye was startled and leaped to dodge, but the beam of light seemed sentient, pursuing him relentlessly and striking his body with lightning speed.

Lu Ye froze, his brow furrowed tightly.

A tingling sensation spread through his body, and even the wound where his arm had been severed became incredibly itchy. It felt as if some mysterious power was rapidly mending his damaged flesh.

In this battle with Man Shan, his injuries were actually quite severe. On the surface, only his severed arm seemed serious, but in reality, by fighting a stronger opponent, his internal organs, flesh, and bones had all sustained varying degrees of damage.

But at this moment, under the nourishment of that mysterious power, his injuries were healing at an astonishing speed.

This was undoubtedly a good thing.

However, what unsettled him was that the Talent Tree was now violently swaying, with black smoke rising from its canopy.

This made Lu Ye realize that the beam of light that had just entered his body, while healing him, also seemed to harbor something ominous.

In just ten breaths, his injuries were fully healed, and there was no trace of his severed arm. Not only that, Lu Ye even felt his body become lighter and more resilient.

The Talent Tree's swaying hadn't stopped; instead, the black smoke grew denser.

"Congratulations, Dao Brother, for overcoming the strong with weakness, slaying a formidable enemy, and receiving the Star Abyss's Blessing!" A voice entered Lu Ye's ears.

Lu Ye opened his eyes and saw Qing Yu walking towards him. Behind her was a group of people, all looking at him with awe and reverence.

They had initially thought he was merely a new refugee to the Starry Sky, taken in out of Qing Yu's kindness. Who knew he was a ferocious tiger? If not for Lu Ye today, their group would have been doomed, and everyone except a few female cultivators would likely have perished.

"Star Abyss's Blessing?" Lu Ye frowned. "What is that?"

Qing Yu blinked, momentarily unsure whether Lu Ye had truly arrived in the Star Abyss recently.

She had previously judged him to be new because his aura was too pure. But if that were the case, it wouldn't explain Lu Ye's terrifying strength.

Now, Lu Ye didn't even know about the Star Abyss's Blessing, which again aligned with her initial judgment.

It wasn't appropriate to pry too much. Since he didn't know, there was no harm in explaining a little.

"Dao Brother, in this Star Abyss, the will of the Star Abyss is omnipresent. If one slays enough enemies, or can overcome a stronger opponent with weakness, there's a chance to receive the Star Abyss's Blessing. This blessing is essentially a reward for cultivators like us; those who receive it are invariably the elites of their rank, destined for great achievements in the future."

Lu Ye had never heard of such a thing before; Uncle Duan had never mentioned it to him. Then again, Uncle Duan didn't particularly like him and always felt that his young lady was being manipulated by him. If Lu Ye didn't ask, Uncle Duan naturally wouldn't tell him much.

"So, slaying enough enemies or overcoming a stronger opponent can both lead to this blessing?"

"Only a chance!"

"What are the benefits of this blessing for us?" From what he could see, there seemed to be not only benefits but also drawbacks, though Lu Ye wouldn't have been able to discern this without the Talent Tree's reaction.