Chapter 2276: Strange Situation

The Mad Lion’s seemingly effortless palm strike allowed everyone to experience firsthand the true power of the Path Integration realm.

It was a power that brought despair to those in the Path Fusion realm, an authority that none of them could challenge.

Even the interconnected qi-mechanisms, linked by the Dao patterns of "same spirit, shared branches," were almost shattered by that palm strike. Fortunately, Lu Ye was no longer what he used to be; the immense gains from the Underworld Battlefield had allowed him to instantly increase his power by over forty levels, enabling him to barely maintain the formation.

If he had been at his previous 167 levels of power, the Mad Lion's strike would have sent them all spiraling into an abyss.

Though the situation was critical, hope was not entirely lost...

Six figures reeled backward, spitting blood, yet Lu Ye's efforts allowed them to maintain the basic semblance of their formation. His divine sense surged wildly, sending messages to everyone while simultaneously channeling power to guide them.

At this critical moment, Yan Zhixing and the others cooperated fully, constantly adjusting their positions.

A new surge of Dao power erupted as the Mad Lion's second strike arrived, its might undoubtedly even greater than before.

Comparatively, this strike was a full thirty percent stronger than the previous one.

The concentrated Dao power clearly coalesced into the shape of a palm, instantly eclipsing all light from their sight. With a gentle grip, it captured the six figures in its palm.

Then, it clenched fiercely!

The Mad Lion stood in the distance, mimicking the stance of the giant Dao-power hand, his expression relaxed and casual, as if he were crushing six tiny insects.

Then, he frowned slightly...

A faint radiance suddenly burst forth from the cracks of the giant Dao-power hand, followed by Yan Zhixing's furious roar: "Open!"

The clenched hand suddenly shattered, and the Dao power dispersed.

Where the six individuals stood, a vivid figure of a Black Tortoise suddenly appeared. Lu Ye's main body was in the center, directing and guiding, while his clone, Chen Gushan, Zi Ying, and He Linglong occupied the four limbs. Yan Zhixing was positioned at the tortoise's head, as Dao power flowed through everyone's bodies, integrating into a single entity.

The Black Tortoise had a snake-like head, a thick, armored back, and its scales were covered in intricate and complex patterns.

As Yan Zhixing suddenly exerted his power, the snake-like tortoise head writhed, breaking free from the giant Dao-power hand's grip. It was precisely this desperate counterattack that allowed everyone to escape danger and break free from their confinement.

The Black Tortoise formation itself was quite simple; the challenge lay in connecting each individual's qi-mechanisms. Lu Ye easily resolved this issue, and under his guidance, Yan Zhixing and the others, despite never having formed such a formation before, were able to achieve it effortlessly.

Yan Zhixing's eyes were wide with fury. He had led the previous burst of power, and in that instant, the entire pressure of the formation had transferred to him. Even as a body cultivator, he knew he couldn't sustain it for long.

The power unleashed in that moment had far exceeded his personal limits!

He looked towards Lu Ye with some concern...

Now that the formation was complete, he naturally knew how much pressure Lu Ye, as the core and director, had to bear. It would certainly be no less than what he had just experienced, and it would be constant.

Could Lu Ye withstand it?

If he could endure, they would still have a fighting chance today. If he couldn't, the formation would collapse on its own, and they would all perish.

With a single glance, his heart tensed. Lu Ye's skin was flushed crimson, his entire body looked like a boiled shrimp, and even his eyes were bloodshot!

In such a state, he clearly couldn't last much longer. In a few breaths, perhaps a dozen, he would inevitably reach his limit.

"Oh?" The Mad Lion didn't continue his attack. After seeing the Black Tortoise formation, he instead looked seriously at Lu Ye and nodded slightly, "Interesting!"

He clearly discerned that the core of this formation was Lu Ye.

As he spoke, he slowly raised a hand, his five fingers drawing together like a bird's beak. From a distance, he slowly brought it down towards Lu Ye and the others.

The Dao power in the void boiled once more. A giant bird's beak actually appeared, as if an invisible divine bird had materialized, and its sharp beak pecked towards the Black Tortoise's shell.

While attacking, the Mad Lion grumbled discontentedly, "The Dao power in the outer realms is truly too thin..."

If not for this, his power wouldn't be limited to this extent. If he could truly exert his full strength, a mere few Path Fusers could be annihilated with a single strike.

At this critical juncture, Lu Ye and the others didn't hear what he was saying at all. As the massive, elongated bird's beak pecked down, everyone's hearts were filled with terror, and their Dao power surged wildly.

A brilliant radiance burst forth from the Black Tortoise's shell. Under Lu Ye's guidance, the combined power of the six transformed into a protective barrier.

With a silent touch, the six figures spat blood again, and the radiance on the Black Tortoise's shell suddenly dimmed. This was a defense formed by six top-tier Path Fusers in a formation, yet it was almost shattered by a single strike. Such a disparity was truly despair-inducing.

But no one despaired. Everyone had experienced more despairing situations than this, and not just once. Their resilient mental fortitude, forged through countless life-and-death trials, taught them that until the very last moment, they should never give up.

Lu Ye maintained the Black Tortoise formation while guiding its movements. But no matter how the formation moved or dodged, it couldn't escape the bird's beak's relentless harassment.

Once, twice, thrice...

The Black Tortoise's seemingly impregnable shell was already fragmented. One more strike, and it would surely be unable to resist.

"I'll do it!" Yan Zhixing roared. As the bird's beak pecked down once more, the Black Tortoise shifted, its head rising to meet the attack proactively.

Upon impact, Dao power surged wildly, and Yan Zhixing coughed up a mouthful of bloody mist, his chest caving in.

Though not dead, he was severely wounded.

More worrying than Yan Zhixing's state was Lu Ye's. The enormous pressure of the entire formation had been constantly bearing down on him, causing his skin to completely crack in just a short span of time. His entire body had turned into a man of blood.

Back in Banalan, he could lead the Crane Wing formation to charge and kill enemies because his own strength far exceeded that of ordinary Dao Entrants. So, even if the Crane Wing formation comprised a hundred people, he didn't feel much pressure and could maintain it indefinitely.

But this time was different.

Although it was only a formation of six people, the combined strength of Yan Zhixing, Chen Gushan, Zi Ying, and He Linglong far surpassed his own. Such immense pressure meant that if his personal foundation hadn't been strong enough, he wouldn't even have been able to form the formation, let alone maintain it for any duration.

Affected by Lu Ye's condition and coupled with the Mad Lion's fierce assault, everyone clearly felt that the Black Tortoise formation was showing signs of instability...

This was bad!

In Lu Ye's divine sea, You Die had been observing the struggle outside ever since she hid there. Lu Ye had not cut off her perception of the outside world, and although she hadn't joined the formation, she still saw the problem.

After only a moment's hesitation, she spoke: "Brother Ye, I'll lend you a hand!"

As she finished speaking, she suddenly dissipated in Lu Ye's divine sea. The next moment, Lu Ye's spirit was reinvigorated, as in that instant, he distinctly felt a layer of new power enveloping his entire body.

That was You Die's power.

You Die directly used her own soul body, transforming into a 'soul-garment' that enveloped Lu Ye. She also activated a unique soul secret art of her own.

In this way, although she couldn't directly enhance Lu Ye's strength, she could help him alleviate some of the pressure.

She had never used this secret art on anyone else, nor had she had the opportunity to, because it would create a very close bond between her and the recipient.

But she and Lu Ye already had a life-chain. Could the close relationship forged by this secret art be stronger than that? If Lu Ye met with misfortune on this journey, she would not be able to survive alone.

Lu Ye felt his originally heavy body suddenly lighten.

He was overjoyed!

He truly hadn't expected You Die could still be of use. Earlier, because she was a soul body, he had let her hide in his divine sea, but he hadn't realized this would leave him with an unexpected aid.

He faintly felt that this secret art You Die was performing was somewhat similar to the Soul Clan's Soul Attachment art, yet also slightly different.

But this was ultimately a good thing. At this moment, the pressure from the formation was still present but no longer significant. There was no need to worry about the formation collapsing on its own. Now, the only thing they needed to consider was how to turn the tide and achieve victory!

Ever since the Mad Lion appeared, they had been continuously on the defensive. To defeat the enemy, simply taking hits was not enough; they had to fight back...

Although the Mad Lion was in the Path Integration realm, he had, after all, only ascended hastily. In this realm, he was ultimately unstable.

With these thoughts in mind, Lu Ye, amidst his strenuous efforts, stole a glance at the Mad Lion.

He couldn't help but be startled...

Because the Mad Lion's condition was clearly not right. Although he still stood there casually, seemingly attacking indifferently, his massive, ten-meter-tall body was already stained crimson with blood. His exposed skin was covered in cracks, like shattered porcelain!

What was going on?

Lu Ye couldn't understand it, because the Mad Lion's current state was very similar to his own.

But he was bearing the pressure of the Black Tortoise formation as its core. What about the Mad Lion? What pressure was he under?

"The Mad Lion's condition is not right!"

Not only Lu Ye, but Yan Zhixing and the others also noticed this.

This couldn't help but invigorate everyone.

Although they didn't know the reason, the Mad Lion's appearance clearly indicated he was under immense pressure. This situation was very likely not sustainable for long.

If this were the case, then today might not be a death trap. Now, it was a test of who could endure longer.

If Lu Ye and the others could last longer, perhaps the Mad Lion would simply drop dead on the spot without them even needing to counterattack.

But if the formation was broken before the Mad Lion gave out, they would also be unable to escape death.

No one had expected such a bizarre situation to occur in their first confrontation with a Path Integration realm cultivator.

Why was the Mad Lion like this? Could it be a drawback of his hasty ascension to the Path Integration realm? The others didn't know the reason, and they had no way to investigate it.

In contrast to the others' invigorated spirits, the Mad Lion's expression began to turn gloomy and impatient. Failing to deal with a few Path Fusers was unforgivable, even with environmental and other reasons preventing him from fully exerting his power.

As his mood shifted, the might of his attacks grew even fiercer.

Lu Ye and the others could no longer afford to be distracted. They could only fully concentrate on maintaining the formation and defending. Thanks to You Die's exertion of power, Lu Ye would have long since been unable to continue.