Chapter 2298: This Kind of Fate

While Lu Ye was deep in thought, a powerful aura rapidly approached the chaotic battlefield.

He quickly turned his head and saw a streak of light flash across his vision.

Encased within the light was an extremely burly figure!

And the direction he was charging towards was precisely where the strange treasure lay.

Lu Ye, hidden in the shadows, watched with a twitch in his eyelid. He thought to himself, "This guy is truly reckless. From his stance, he clearly intends to forcibly seize the treasure in plain sight. But such an act will surely incur widespread wrath, and no matter how high his cultivation, he won't come to a good end."

"Is this person out of his mind? Anyone with a shred of sense wouldn't act so rashly. However, considering he's clearly a body cultivator... perhaps it's understandable."

The situation unfolded much as Lu Ye had predicted. When the body cultivator brazenly revealed himself, his intentions clear and undisguised, it indeed drew the encirclement and attack of numerous Dao Integration cultivators from all directions.

These cultivators had been fighting well, but in that instant, as if by unspoken agreement, they all ceased their attacks and collectively turned their attention toward the body cultivator.

A barrage of colorful attacks rained down on the body cultivator from all directions. At the Dao Integration level, no one could withstand such an assault!

The body cultivator clearly sensed the danger. Encased in the stream of light, his face suddenly became solemn. Immediately, he let out a furious roar and unleashed his Dao power.

In an instant, a full-body armor covered him, encasing him completely. Not only that, but his vital essence and Dao power surged together, condensing into a phantom image that perfectly mirrored his own form, only larger, protecting his physical body within.

The numerous attacks landed, and the massive phantom only lasted for a single breath before shattering.

The armor covering his body also rapidly dimmed, then began to crumble!

This armor was clearly not an ordinary treasure; it was the body cultivator's Dao weapon. Such purely defensive Dao weapons are quite rare, as most cultivators prioritize offense, believing it to be the best defense. However, there was no doubt that the body cultivator's Dao weapon played a crucial role in this situation.

Protected by the Dao weapon armor, the body cultivator actually broke through the barrage of attacks and reached the strange treasure.

He reached out and grasped the dimly glowing bottle.

Even though his Dao weapon was damaged, he had expended considerable Dao power, and even sustained some injuries, it was ultimately worth it.

He had succeeded!

"Kill!" someone roared, and cultivators from all directions surged towards the body cultivator.

The real danger had arrived.

Although the body cultivator had bravely seized the strange treasure, escaping alive in such a situation was nearly impossible. At this point, even the cultivators previously hidden in the shadows could no longer sit still and revealed themselves, rushing forward.

Lu Ye, however, paid no attention to the body cultivator. His spiritual sense surged, scanning all directions.

The body cultivator couldn't be alone; cultivators usually operate in pairs. Therefore, he must have a companion waiting to assist him!

Furthermore, although the body cultivator acted rashly, anyone who could cultivate to this level wasn't truly foolish and wouldn't pursue a path of certain death. Since he acted this way, he must have a trump card.

This trump card was very likely his companion, hidden in the shadows.

Lu Ye couldn't figure out how his companion could safely extract him in this situation. He only knew that if he could locate the companion, he would very likely be able to play the role of the mantis stalking the cicada.

In an instant, Lu Ye detected a subtle aura, surprisingly not far from him.

This was very likely the body cultivator's companion.

The opponent was well hidden, with no trace of their presence before this moment. Lu Ye was able to detect them because there were some faint Dao power fluctuations coming from that direction.

Without hesitation, Lu Ye unleashed his movement technique and rapidly approached that direction.

Meanwhile, the body cultivator, holding the strange treasure, quietly watched the enemies charging from all directions, a hint of mockery on his face hidden beneath the visor.

Everyone thought his actions were a path to certain death, but who knew he had a reliable companion?

He didn't need to escape on his own; his only task was to seize the strange treasure. As for escaping... his hidden companion would assist him.

With a surge of power, a strange stone shattered, transforming into a layer of light that enveloped him. Immediately, his figure rapidly faded, to the stunned gazes of many cultivators.

At the same time, Lu Ye had already closed in on the suspected hiding place of the body cultivator's companion. At first glance, he couldn't see her face because she was wearing a hooded cloak that completely concealed her figure and features. However, he could confirm she was a female cultivator.

This was deduced because the body cultivator was male.

Just as Lu Ye wondered how she planned to assist her companion from this position, a strange scene unfolded.

As the female cultivator activated her power, the void before her began to warp. Immediately afterward, a figure rapidly solidified from a faint outline.

The figure was burly, clad in full-body armor whose luster was dim and heavily damaged. In his hand, he clutched a bottle.

This was none other than the reckless body cultivator from before. He should have been besieged just moments ago, yet somehow he had appeared here.

Lu Ye's eyes widened.

"What kind of technique is this? It inexplicably gives me a strong sense of déjà vu, feeling somewhat similar to my own Void Dao Pattern Teleportation."

However, he hadn't seen any traces of Void Dao patterns before. Although the female cultivator had activated her Dao power, he couldn't tell what kind of technique she was employing.

Without time for further thought, the Pan Mountain Blade was unsheathed, and Lu Ye moved swiftly to strike at the body cultivator.

The female cultivator in the cloak had already noticed Lu Ye when he appeared, but she was in the midst of using her secret art to assist her companion. Therefore, even though she saw him, she couldn't react unless she abandoned her companion.

The body cultivator was now scared out of his wits!

According to the original plan, once he received his companion's assistance, they could both escape. He had witnessed his companion's methods and knew how bizarre and powerful they were, so he had complete trust in her.

He had never imagined that upon reappearing, the aura of death would suddenly envelop him.

Moreover, at this moment, he was still in a state of delayed solidification after traversing the void, making it impossible to react in time.

This delay was only for an instant, but it was precisely in that instant that Lu Ye's long blade descended.

As the blade light flashed, the Dao weapon armor covering the body cultivator's form shattered instantly...

Originally, the Dao weapon had only been slightly damaged under the earlier siege, and the body cultivator could have repaired it with some Dao power later. But this strike utterly destroyed it.

Firstly, the body cultivator had no time to react or activate his Dao power. Secondly, the Dao weapon's defense was no longer at its peak. How could it withstand the burst of Lu Ye's two hundred and forty streams of power!

Along with the shattered Dao weapon, the body cultivator's body was also cut in two. He stared with wide, furious eyes, filled with unwillingness, never having imagined he would meet such an end.

The instant he slew the body cultivator, Lu Ye reached out and snatched the bottle.

Just as he was about to press his attack on the body cultivator's companion, a pair of golden eyes under the hood suddenly looked towards Lu Ye!

Lu Ye suddenly felt these eyes looked familiar...

What was strange was that the left eye of the golden pair was a vertical pupil, reflecting an endless sense of dread and majesty.

Lu Ye's mind involuntarily trembled. In that instant, it was as if he had been targeted by some natural predator, and a chill ran through his entire body.

He forced himself to compose his mind, and Dao power surged. Numerous intricate patterns swiftly outlined and spread within his eyes, which at that moment turned blood-red, like two crimson moons.

Blood Pupils!

The female cultivator had eye techniques, and so did he.

These Blood Pupils were obtained from the Blood Ancestor. Lu Ye had comprehended them by observing the crimson moon in the Blood Devil Eye Spectacle years ago, and they had evolved into their current form through the deduction of his Talent Tree.

The Blood Pupils had an extremely powerful hallucinatory effect, making them perfect for the current situation.

As their gazes collided, both felt a sharp pain in their eyes.

Lu Ye raised his hand and brought his blade down, while a point of golden light burst forth from his opponent, instantly striking his chest.

The two figures separated. Lu Ye had been struck by the golden light, and the female cultivator had been swept back by his Dao power.

Her hood fell back, revealing golden hair. As she retreated, the female cultivator reached out, and a longbow appeared in her hand.

Only then did Lu Ye clearly see her face.

He was greatly astonished!

This woman... wasn't she the same golden-haired, golden-eyed woman he had encountered last time?

She seemed to have mastered some marvelous spatial power, as she had easily escaped when he pursued her last time.

So that's how it is!

So, she was the body cultivator's trump card. Now it seemed that her marvelous spatial power could be used not only by herself but also on her companions. That's why the body cultivator wasn't worried about being surrounded; as long as he seized the strange treasure, this golden-haired woman could rescue him.

According to their original plan, they should have already fled by now, hidden somewhere studying the treasure's effects. Who knew that Lu Ye would suddenly appear, having targeted the golden-haired woman early on, completely disrupting their plans.

Now, not only had the strange treasure changed hands, but even the body cultivator had been cut down by Lu Ye's blade.

What a mess...

Lu Ye felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. He wondered what kind of fate this was; in such a short time, he had caused the demise of two of the golden-haired woman's companions.

But how could he have known this would happen? One could only say the golden-haired woman had bad luck.

No, it was her companions who had bad luck...

There was no time for deep thought, because as the golden light flashed, Lu Ye was already struck.

He had experienced the golden-haired woman's prowess before. Her attacks seemed to bypass spatial barriers, hitting their mark instantly. Her strength was also considerable, and combined with her bizarre techniques, even Lu Ye found her difficult to handle.

Fortunately, Lu Ye was no longer the same as before. The last time he encountered her, he only had a little over two hundred and ten streams of power, whereas now he had grown by nearly thirty streams.

He had initially thought this woman would make an excellent companion, but seeing the murderous intent on her face now, Lu Ye knew it wouldn't happen.

It made sense. With two of her companions killed by Lu Ye, any woman with a shred of temper wouldn't possibly want to team up with him again.

With so many cultivators in the Starry Sky Fragment, Lu Ye wasn't her only option.