Chapter 2291: How is a Frame Built?

Star Abyss Coins did not appear without reason, nor did Qingrou's corpse vanish inexplicably. Both were part of the rules governing this competition. The vast and magnificent will of the Star Abyss, capable of assembling tens of thousands of cultivators from every corner of the Star Abyss, could effortlessly grant Star Abyss Coins as rewards for eliminating foes and making their bodies vanish.

Lu Ye became interested. He promptly considered using the Star Abyss Coin in his hand to discover what valuable items it could be exchanged for.

At that very moment, however, a sudden premonition of danger struck him. He hastily activated his Dao power for self-protection. In the next instant, the ground trembled, and the cave system fractured.

The cave where he and Qingrou had been was, in fact, a fragmented barren star. Now, this entire star lay shattered, because just moments earlier, a figure had cleaved right through it. Amidst the flying debris, Lu Ye saw the culprit.

It was a demon, radiating palpable demonic energy, with a robust physique and a large hammer-like Dao weapon in hand. Its aura was exceptionally fierce. Lu Ye's mind raced, and he instantly realized that the Star Abyss blessing he had just acquired must have drawn the demon to his location. Qingrou's formation had originally concealed their presence, preventing any commotion from spreading. However, the Star Abyss blessing was different; its distinct phenomenon was easily noticeable to any nearby cultivators.

The moment Lu Ye spotted the demon, the demon likewise spotted Lu Ye, and its form darted through the scattered debris, rapidly closing in. Lu Ye's brow furrowed slightly. A thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately advanced to confront the opponent.

In a blink, the two figures collided. The instant saber met hammer, their respective Dao powers erupted with immense ferocity. Both reeled from the impact, a clear indication of an evenly matched exchange.

The demon, whose aura was erratic, bared its teeth in a grin at Lu Ye and opened its mouth as if to speak, but its expression abruptly shifted. It suddenly realized an overwhelming force emanated from Lu Ye's long saber, and it instantly knew it had been tricked. In their previous exchange, Lu Ye had clearly held back, aiming to lower its guard for a sudden, devastating burst of power.

He was no match! The demon instantly grasped the disparity in strength between himself and Lu Ye. Yet, retreat was not an option. If it pulled back, it would certainly be overwhelmed by a furious assault. Having been chosen for this competition, it had endured countless battles of life and death, even achieving victory against stronger foes on several occasions, granting it extensive combat experience. It cursed its misfortune; to encounter such a formidable enemy so early in the competition! After all, out of over fifty thousand cultivators in the Fusion Dao realm, seventy percent were below the fifth level. Of the remaining thirty percent who were above the fifth level, only a mere ten percent at most had reached the seventh level. With its eighth-level Fusion Dao cultivation, supplemented by the power of 180 Dao lines from its Dao weapon, its strength was undeniably just below the top tier. But the opponent was clearly stronger!

Furthermore, it keenly perceived Lu Ye's potent killing intent. In this critical life-or-death moment, it didn't even have the luxury of noticing the peculiar dissipation of Lu Ye's Dao power. With a furious roar, it frantically channeled its Dao power, assuming a defensive posture. It wouldn't need long; just two breaths of delay would suffice. Because it wasn't alone!

The competition had only just commenced, and nearly all cultivators who had successfully emerged from the white jade platform were moving in pairs. It, naturally, had a companion, concealed nearby, ready to provide remote support. No sooner had the thought crossed its mind than the demon's expression drastically changed. Lu Ye's saber-wielding right hand suddenly vibrated with extreme force, and in a flash, the long saber and the Dao weapon great hammer clashed repeatedly. Each impact unleashed the destructive power of over two hundred Dao lines.

Quivering Blade! This saber technique, inherited from the Liao clan, proved remarkably effective at this moment! In terms of raw power, a certain disparity existed between Lu Ye and the demon, though it wasn't insurmountable. In a conventional one-on-one fight, Lu Ye possessed the means to kill it, but it would require time. But he had no time to waste. For as he engaged the demon, he sensed a presence from afar lock onto him—a presence not overtly powerful, yet it instilled a distinct sense of peril. The feeling of danger undoubtedly stemmed from the demon's companion, who most likely possessed a powerful long-range assassination technique. This hidden adversary was far more perilous than the demon itself. Its failure to strike immediately was likely due to caution, perhaps expecting Lu Ye's non-existent companion to intervene. It was highly unlikely these two had anticipated that, so early in the competition, their own comrade would already be dead, a victim of internal strife... This afforded Lu Ye a brief window of opportunity. He needed to eliminate the demon before the hidden powerful enemy intervened, otherwise, the situation would become exceedingly difficult.

Admittedly, the demon's strength was considerable, and its adaptability quite remarkable. Yet, under the frenzied assault of the Quivering Blade, the Dao power it channeled into its Dao weapon abruptly shattered. Its arm shot high into the air, and the great hammer Dao weapon almost slipped from its grasp... Its face contorted in horror, it stared at Lu Ye in utter disbelief. It had clearly perceived that in that single instant, Lu Ye had unleashed no less than a thousand units of Dao power! Is this how one fights? The demon was utterly bewildered.

For cultivators in the Enlightenment Realm, with only five Dao bones in their bodies, the theoretical limit for Dao power reserves was a mere thousand... Upon reaching the Fusion Dao realm, Dao power reserves significantly increased thanks to the presence of Dao patterns. However, even at the peak of Fusion Dao, the maximum limit was only ten thousand units; beyond that, the body simply could not store more.

However, these limits were merely theoretical. No one typically stockpiled their Dao power to its absolute maximum; after all, once reserves reached a certain threshold, cultivators usually expended them to achieve breakthroughs. For instance, his own constant Dao power reserve typically hovered around three thousand units. This was generally sufficient for all his competition needs. If any conflict ever forced him to completely deplete his reserved Dao power, he would likely be on the brink of death, rendering any additional Dao power useless. Every wisp of Dao power was hard-won. In combat, cultivators would, whenever possible, strive to minimize their Dao power expenditure, seeking to defeat or eliminate foes with the least cost. Yet, today he had encountered a true anomaly. The instant they clashed, a thousand units of Dao power were simply squandered. This was nothing short of a reckless fighting style, yet undeniably effective, for it had caught him completely off guard.

With its Dao weapon raised high and its defense wide open, a flash of saber light seared into its vision. In this life-or-death crisis, the demon's expression turned utterly grim. It wished to reactivate its Dao power for self-protection, but the preceding instant's clash had destabilized its vital energy and agitated its Dao power. Consequently, there was a fatal, momentary delay in its attempt to reform its defenses. This was undoubtedly fatal! Its sole hope now rested on its companion, praying that the ally had noticed its plight and would intervene.

The hidden companion did not betray its hope. Almost the instant its precarious state was perceived, a sharp attack soared in from the distance. A stinging pain flared across Lu Ye's back, an undeniable sign that the incoming attack carried life-threatening power. He, however, showed no hesitation. His thrusting saber surged with even greater momentum, determined to deliver a decisive blow. The demon's body stiffened. Before its protective power could fully re-coalesce, the Panshan Saber pierced through its neck. In the next instant, formidable power erupted from within the saber's blade. The demon, an eighth-level Fusion Dao cultivator, was utterly extinguished!

Lu Ye immediately withdrew his saber, but it was too late to evade. A sharp, sudden pain erupted in his back, feeling as if a furiously spinning drill had pierced straight through him! A burst of blood mist erupted before him... His body had been explicitly pierced through, leaving a gruesome void in his waist and abdomen. Fortunately, it was not a fatal wound. Lu Ye's heart tensed. The hidden enemy was indeed formidable, appearing even stronger than the demon he had just faced.

Compared to his own injuries, Lu Ye was more curious about something else. The attack from the shadows originated from afar, yet it arrived in the blink of an eye. Its speed was astonishing; he hadn't even perceived the trajectory of its origin... It was as if the enemy's attack, once unleashed, bypassed the spatial barrier and struck him directly. What sort of technique was this?

There was no time for further thought, as the sense of danger from behind intensified, as if killing the demon had enraged the hidden foe. He spun around abruptly, gazing into the depths of the starry sky, and saw a speck of golden light flash. Immediately afterward, that golden light was upon him. Without warning, and with no time to dodge, Lu Ye hastily raised his Panshan Saber to block. A violent force slammed into the Panshan Saber, sending him reeling backward. His saber-wielding right hand was a mangled mess, trembling uncontrollably. This wasn't caused by the enemy's attack, but rather the aftermath of using the Quivering Blade to slay the demon earlier. The instantaneous discharge of a thousand units of Dao power had shattered the demon's defenses and created an opening, but it had also exacted a toll on him.

The white light of the Star Abyss blessing landed precisely upon him, but Lu Ye paid it no mind. The instant his retreat halted, he immediately lunged forward, initiating a direct assault! To deal with such an enemy, close-quarters combat was undoubtedly the best approach. Another speck of golden light flickered, making Lu Ye's heart skip a beat. As expected, the attack was already upon him again. Only now did he clearly discern that the attack was, in fact, a slender arrow, entirely condensed from Dao power! It gleamed with dazzling golden light, yet was supremely dangerous.

Another collision ensued. This time, Lu Ye managed to steady himself, but immediately after, the enemy launched a second attack. Lu Ye was seething with frustration, feeling utterly constrained. If he could get close, he was absolutely certain he could eliminate the enemy. However, the adversary's attacks left no discernible trace, leaving him no room to evade and forcing him to endure them head-on. The strength disparity between them wasn't vast, yet this made closing the distance to his opponent far from simple. He attempted several more times, but still to no avail; the distance between them had narrowed by less than ten li.

Lu Ye's resolve hardened, and he gritted his teeth, determined to persevere. He refused to believe that this stealthy rogue could possibly outmatch him in Dao power reserves! When it came to a contest of Dao power reserves, at the Fusion Dao level, Lu Ye genuinely feared no one.