Chapter 2177: Brother Yan Is Indeed Invincible and Courageous

Wounded by the sneak attack, the Blood Clan Dao Integration cultivator, enraged and shocked, could not hold back. This strike was undoubtedly his full power.

With a strength of 30 Daos, he was undoubtedly stronger than Man Shan had been. This individual must have reached the Dao Integration stage several years ago.

But today, Lu Ye was also stronger than he had been!

Eighteen Dao bones glowed within his body. His 27 Dao strength was only three Daos less than his opponent's.

Furthermore, the enhancement from Bifu provided him with an increase of one Dao's worth of power. In other words, Lu Ye could now effortlessly exert 28 Dao strength.

When he had previously tested it with his Talent Tree clone, it had given him a one-Dao power boost. Today, even with Kang Xing and the other two brought into the Bifu space, it still only offered one Dao of enhancement. Lu Ye vaguely suspected that the Bifu's enhancement was related not only to the number of cultivators it contained but also to their individual strength.

Judging by this, even if he were to take in three cultivators of the Ninth Dao, at most, it would only provide him with a two-Dao power boost.

This Dao artifact, renowned throughout the entire Variegated Starry Sky, was truly like a chicken rib to him – famous but of limited practical use.

His expression was neutral, neither sorrowful nor joyful. He exchanged blows with the Blood Clan Dao Integration cultivator several times. Though at a disadvantage, he was not in disarray.

"How is this possible?" Pei Dan's face was filled with inexplicable horror.

From the feedback of their exchange, he could confirm one thing: Lu Ye was not a Dao Integration cultivator, but merely a Dao Entrance cultivator, as Lu Ye's Dao power was not condensed enough.

But how could a Dao Entrance cultivator possess such powerful strength?

He had already recognized this strange human as the very person their side was looking for, and also the target he had been searching for during his several days of hiding.

Fei Lian had ordered the Bug Mother to mobilize the army to attack the star specifically for this person!

According to the intelligence provided by the Bug Mother, this person carried the Bifu and could probably exert 20 Dao strength. But now he realized the Bug Mother's assessment was wrong; this was nowhere near 20 Daos – he could almost fight himself to a draw!

If Pei Dan was shocked, how could Yan Hong not be?

He had momentarily thought Lu Ye was a Dao Integration cultivator; otherwise, how could he trade blows with Pei Dan? Thinking back to how he had even considered recruiting Lu Ye earlier, he felt a momentary pang of shame.

But he couldn't understand why a Dao Integration cultivator would disguise himself as a Dao Entrance cultivator and kill enemies all over the battlefield.

There was no time for deep thought now. Although heavily wounded, he still had the will to kill enemies. Seeing Lu Ye at a disadvantage, he immediately came to assist.

With Lu Ye acting as a distraction, as long as he was careful enough, there shouldn't be too much of a problem, especially since Pei Dan also had injuries, though they weren't severe.

After a brief exchange, Pei Dan grew even angrier and roared, "You're dead!"

A burst of blood-red light exploded, and a fierce sea of blood swept in all directions.

With strength similar to Lu Ye's, he could only rely on the sea of blood to kill him quickly. Otherwise, if they kept fighting like this, he didn't know how long it would take to determine a victor.

As for Yan Hong, who was darting around nearby, he truly didn't take him seriously. Once Lu Ye was dealt with, Yan Hong could be killed effortlessly.

The moment the sea of blood unfurled, Yan Hong's face changed drastically, and he urgently cried out, "Brother Lu, retreat!"

The many dangers just now had made him momentarily forget that his opponent was a Blood Clan member. Now, wanting to retreat, it was too late; the words had barely left his lips before he was engulfed.

"Oh no," Yan Hong thought, his face grim. He was already somewhat outmatched, and now that Blood Clan Dao Integration cultivator had even unleashed his sea of blood. It seemed he and Lu Ye were truly destined for the Yellow Springs.

In another part of the sea of blood, Lu Ye, however, had a calm expression, his eyes even holding a hint of eagerness.

Unlike Yan Hong's worries, he had actually been waiting for this moment!

When fighting against the Blood Clan, he always had a natural advantage. Back then, he had been able to help Yin Luo slay the peak Dao Integration Blood Fiend by relying on his suppression of the Blood Clan's sacred aura.

This Blood Clan Dao Integration cultivator didn't seem very strong, so his sacred aura was definitely inferior to Blood Fiend's. He could suppress the opponent at any time.

But without the cover of the sea of blood, many things would be difficult to explain.

Inside the sea of blood, it didn't matter.

The Blood Ancestor who shattered Fangcun Mountain in this starry sky back then was absolutely an extraordinary Blood Clan powerhouse. Lu Ye's entire sacred aura came from the Blood Ancestor, and even if he only inherited a portion, he could still hold an advantage when facing the Blood Clan in this Star Abyss.

Standing still, Lu Ye put on a flustered act.

Suddenly, a chilling sneer echoed from all directions, making it impossible to discern the true source.

"Die!" From the side, Pei Dan's fierce shout rang out.

Anyone else would surely have had their attention drawn.

But Lu Ye turned his body in another direction.

The true killing intent... came from this direction!

As expected, within the bloody mist, the Blood Clan figure had already revealed himself. Reaching out, he clawed towards Lu Ye's head. At first glance, seeing that Lu Ye was not fooled by his trick, he couldn't help but be startled, thinking, "This human's perception is truly sharp."

At this moment, he could certainly retreat and avoid a direct confrontation with Lu Ye. However, their previous exchange had allowed him to gauge Lu Ye's strength, and naturally, he had no fear.

As the stronger party, what reason was there to avoid battle?

His Dao power surged madly. His outstretched hand, in an instant, deftly dodged Lu Ye's blade light and directly clasped his head. Sharp claws dug into his skull; with just a bit more force, he could crush Lu Ye's head!

The coldness on Pei Dan's face intensified; he could almost foresee the moment of Lu Ye's death.

However, just as he was about to exert force, his body suddenly stiffened. An inexplicable terror and horror rose within him, accompanied by an invisible suppression. The strength in his hand suddenly dissipated by more than half.

The previously scattered blade light became incredibly solid at this moment.

"You..." Pei Dan's eyes widened like copper bells. He stared at Lu Ye in front of him, unable to believe his eyes, truly unable to understand why such an intensely sacred aura had suddenly burst forth from this human.

Even the few Old Ancestors of his own clan did not possess such a terrifying sacred aura!

The blade light flashed like snow.

Pei Dan's scream rang out; he was heavily wounded with just one strike.

Just as Lu Ye was about to deliver the killing blow, he suddenly had an idea. He kicked Pei Dan, sending him flying.

Not far ahead, Yan Hong, who had approached, guided by the sound, holding his long spear, hadn't yet reacted to what was happening when he saw a blurry figure collide with him from the front.

Judging only by the vague outline of the figure, he recognized that it must be the Blood Clan Dao Integration cultivator.

Without hesitation, he thrust his spear forward!

He didn't intend to do anything specific to the opponent; it was just an instinctive reaction. But this spear strike hit Pei Dan right in the back, and with no resistance, it pierced clean through his chest!

Yan Hong stood stunned on the spot. Heaven knows, it really was just an instinctive reaction.

"Well done, Brother Yan!" Lu Ye's voice rang out as he caught up in pursuit and delivered a horizontal slash, beheading Pei Dan under his extremely unwilling gaze.

The sea of blood dissipated.

Within that vast area, only the heavily wounded Pei Dan, Lu Ye with his face covered in blood and his skull even slightly dented, and Pei Dan's mangled corpse remained.

"Brother Yan is truly unparalleled in bravery and might," Lu Ye said, gazing at Yan Hong with bright eyes. "That we could slay this fiend this time is all thanks to you, Brother Yan."

"Uh..." Yan Hong blinked, his mind a bit muddled. Listening to Lu Ye's flattery, he felt that something was off, but being heavily wounded, he had no energy to think much. He simply paused for a moment, then pulled his spear out of Pei Dan's corpse.

"Brother Yan, please go back and heal your injuries first," Lu Ye said, seeing his poor condition and quickly urging him.

Yan Hong nodded. This time, he had truly escaped death. Facing a Dao Integration cultivator, he had never expected to survive; he had already resigned himself to death just moments ago.

"Brother Lu, how are your injuries?" he asked with concern.

Lu Ye's face was covered in blood at this moment, clearly injured during his earlier exchange with Pei Dan. Hearing the question, he raised a hand to wipe his face, making it even more gruesome. "It's nothing serious," he said. "The Blood Clan Dao Integration cultivator is dead. Once the news spreads, their army's morale will surely collapse. Now is the time to expand our gains, Brother Yan, we'll talk later!"

It was time to expand their gains, and also a good opportunity to kill enemies and seize Dao bones. If he missed this chance, it would be hard to encounter such an opportunity again.

After speaking, Lu Ye picked up his long blade and vanished, heading towards the most densely packed enemy formations to kill.

Now that most of his strength was exposed, he could take this opportunity to reap a harvest.

He had also considered whether to take this opportunity to find Zi Ying and help her kill Fei Lian. If that happened, the combined army of the Bug and Blood Clans would surely collapse.

But Zi Ying was not Yin Luo, after all, and he was unwilling to expose the secret of his sacred aura to someone he wasn't familiar with. So, he could only abandon that idea.

Without the Blood Clan Dao Integration cultivator, and with only Dao Entrance cultivators remaining, no one could stop him with his current strength. Wherever he went, a bloody storm ensued, with no enemy able to withstand a single blow.

Killing enemies and extracting bones, he repeated the process tirelessly.

"Brother Lu, we can't go on," a voice suddenly entered his ears.

Lu Ye recognized it as Kang Xing's voice and quickly stopped, checking the Bifu space.

In three corners of the space, Kang Xing and the other two were still seated there, but visibly, each person's body was trembling, and their faces were pale.

"What's wrong?" Lu Ye hastily asked.

Kang Xing weakly replied, "Brother Lu, our Dao power has been exhausted. We may not be able to provide further support."

Lu Ye suddenly understood. The Bifu's terrifying enhancement to its wielder was not obtained for free; it required the support of Dao power from the three cultivators held within its internal space. Moreover, judging by Kang Xing and the others' condition, once the Bifu's owner engaged an enemy, their Dao power consumption would be very high.

Recalling his earlier thoughts, if he were to die in battle, Kang Xing and the other two would also perish with him!

"It's fine, you all rest first. No need to exert Dao power for support anymore," Lu Ye quickly said. The assistance the three of them provided him was only one Dao's worth of power, and without the Blood Clan Dao Integration cultivator, whether he had this one Dao of power or not didn't matter.

"Brother Lu, be careful," Kang Xing replied.

Resuming killing enemies with his blade, Lu Ye felt a joy he had never experienced since entering the Star Abyss. He only felt that all before his eyes were Dao bones ripe for the taking, easily obtainable with just a reach of his hand.

In another huge sea of blood, Fei Lian was clashing with Zi Ying.

The two Dao Integration cultivators had clashed more than once or twice. In terms of raw strength, Zi Ying was slightly stronger, but with the aid of his sea of blood, Fei Lian was slightly more powerful than Zi Ying.

Simply put, when these two fought, unless one of them made a major blunder, it would be a prolonged battle, with neither able to gain the upper hand over the other.

This current clash was no different.