Chapter 2333: Senior Brother, You Must Survive

On the white jade platform, the four Dao pools were occupied by numerous puppets. There were twenty-three of them. Lu Ye and Su Yan were nowhere to be seen.

This situation clearly indicated that a recent conflict had occurred, costing the Jellyfish Star Beast several puppets and forcing Lu Ye and Su Yan to escape from the area. Ri Yan, hiding nearby with Wu Yue, watched secretly, his expression gradually turning resolute.

Given the current circumstances, he knew he had to act, even if he preferred not to. After occupying the Dao pools, the puppets were rapidly recovering. The longer they delayed, the more disadvantageous the situation would become for them. While they could choose not to intervene, could they really expect Lu Ye and Su Yan to do so? Twenty-three Integration puppets! Dealing with them was no simple task. He and Wu Yue had struggled to contend with a dozen previously, let alone over twenty. However, with the addition of Xue Xiao, they could at least attempt it. At worst, they could retreat in time. If the puppets dared to pursue, that would play right into their hands.

With this thought, Ri Yan no longer hesitated. His spiritual sense surged as he sent a quick message to Wu Yue, then he dashed with her towards the white jade platform. The moment he moved, the many puppets immediately sensed their presence. Almost simultaneously, all twenty-three puppets turned their heads, their empty, vacant gazes fixed on them. The scene was incredibly eerie, and even Ri Yan, despite his strength, felt a chill. But there was no turning back once the arrow was loosed. As he moved, his body quickly became covered in a layer of golden armor, completely encasing him. Beside him, a full moon suddenly rose behind Wu Yue, hovering above her head and casting down its moonlight. Two figures, one tall and one short, charged directly towards one of the Dao pools. Within that pool, six puppets swiftly retreated. Simultaneously, puppets from the remaining three Dao pools quickly rushed to provide support. Although the white jade platform was large and the four Dao pools were located at its corners, the speed of integration was immense. Such support would take less than a breath, allowing the many puppets to converge. At that point, with over twenty of them attacking together, Ri Yan and Wu Yue would stand no chance.

Just then, another figure, shrouded in a crimson glow, darted out from the side. A point of blood-red light exploded, and a vast sea of blood unfurled with a roar! "Well done!" Ri Yan would have praised Xue Xiao if time had allowed. The Blood Clan's timing for this attack was perfect; a moment earlier would have exposed them prematurely, a moment later would have been too late. The sea of blood stretched across the entire white jade platform, engulfing it completely. Only where Qi was located remained untainted, but she seemed indifferent to it all. In an instant, all the puppets became lost within the sea of blood, their figures bobbing and sinking.

Ri Yan and Wu Yue were also disoriented, but under Xue Xiao's guidance, they quickly discerned the situation ahead. Not far in front of them were the six Integration puppets who had previously gathered at one Dao pool—the very ones they had targeted. Originally, these puppets were retreating to link up with the reinforcements from the other three Dao pools, but now, under the interference of the sea of blood, their formation instantly dissolved into chaos. It was at this moment that Ri Yan and Wu Yue charged in. Ferocious Dao power erupted, and life forces were annihilated one after another. Ri Yan's efficiency in eliminating enemies was terrifying; if these puppets hadn't acted in concert, none could have withstood a single punch from him in a one-on-one fight, given the immense disparity in their strength. Furthermore, Wu Yue also displayed formidable power. Though she had always served in a supporting role beside Ri Yan, she was in fact an Integration realm peak cultivator. How could someone who had cultivated to such a degree in the Star Abyss lack the means to kill enemies? From the full moon hovering above her head, moving with her, streams of moonlight swords swiftly coalesced, striking in all directions. In just two breaths, these six puppets were completely annihilated.

Ri Yan and Wu Yue quickly changed direction, delving deeper into the sea of blood. Guided by Xue Xiao, they easily tracked their enemies within the crimson expanse, taking their lives by surprise. Meanwhile, Xue Xiao himself moved through the sea of blood, soon reaching a spot where he saw a graceful figure obscured by the crimson mist. He sighed inwardly, then reached out to grab her. Although trapped in the sea of blood, with her perception and vision severely impaired, the Integration puppet's instincts remained. The moment Xue Xiao reached out, she retaliated with a sharp sword thrust. This strike was blocked by Xue Xiao's protective Dao power. Xue Xiao's large hand grasped the jellyfish-like cap on her head, and Dao power surged! The transparent jellyfish vibrated violently, seemingly sensing danger. It controlled the puppet to furiously swing its sword, while its tentacles writhed, extending from the puppet's body like whips, striking at Xue Xiao. His protective Dao power shattered after several attacks, and blood splattered from Xue Xiao's body. But as he exerted sudden force with his hand, the transparent jellyfish was crushed.

The sword-wielding figure instantly froze as if struck by lightning. Her vacant eyes slowly regained a hint of clarity, and she finally realized what had happened to her. Her expression shifted slightly, and she looked up at Xue Xiao, meeting a pair of eyes that felt somewhat familiar! "Senior Brother Lu?" she blurted out almost instinctively. Xue Xiao nodded. Song Weiwei smiled. It was good! Senior Brother Lu was still alive. Indeed, that golden-haired woman was the most suitable companion for him. If she had been his companion, they surely wouldn't have made it this far. She knew she couldn't offer Lu Ye much assistance; in the face of a strong enemy, she might even become a burden. But that golden-haired woman was different. Their strengths might be similar, but her partnership with Senior Brother Lu was a match made in heaven.

With those thoughts, Song Weiwei's figure slowly retreated. "Senior Brother, farewell. You must live." Lu Ye frowned, about to ask, but his expression suddenly changed. Enveloped by the crimson glow, Song Weiwei's figure became increasingly hazy, making it difficult to see clearly. However, this sea of blood was created by Lu Ye's clone, and he could sense everything within it distinctly. Song Weiwei's life force... was rapidly dissipating. Not only that, her once delicate features and vibrant body were withering, like a fragile flower in decline! She clearly knew what her fate would be, and so she didn't want Lu Ye to see her final moments. She intended to use the crimson mist to conceal these changes... The clone lowered its eyes. At this moment, he also realized what had truly happened to Song Weiwei. One could say that all of the Jellyfish Star Beast's puppets, once controlled by it, essentially had no hope of survival. They were indeed still alive, but they were also already dead. Because the moment the jellyfish cap was removed from a puppet, they would instantly perish! Lu Ye hadn't known this; he had assumed that destroying the jellyfish cap would save Song Weiwei. But her regaining freedom simultaneously meant the end of her life. This was the Jellyfish Star Beast's malicious contingency for controlling its puppets.

There was no time for sentiment. The sea of blood was shaking violently. With over twenty Integration realm cultivators trapped within, including peak experts like Ri Yan and Wu Yue, even the sea of blood conjured by Lu Ye couldn't withstand the impact for long. Furthermore, to escape as quickly as possible, the Jellyfish Star Beast had, almost immediately after the sea of blood unfurled, controlled all its puppets to attack frantically, shaking the surroundings. Almost at the same moment Song Weiwei's life force dissipated, the vast sea of blood also collapsed.

Figures emerged, one after another! The situation had drastically changed! Ri Yan and Wu Yue exuded fierce killing intent. Of the Jellyfish Star Beast's twenty-three puppets, only thirteen remained. In such a short time, Ri Yan and Wu Yue had jointly slain nine of them, demonstrating their terrifying strength. What was most unbearable for the Jellyfish Star Beast was that Song Weiwei, its strongest puppet, had also fallen in battle! Thirteen puppets was still a considerable number, but considering that an equal number of puppets had previously pursued Ri Yan and Wu Yue only to be thoroughly defeated, it was clear the Jellyfish Star Beast's chances of victory were now almost nonexistent. However, in this situation, it had no other choice. It couldn't escape. With thirteen puppets combined, there might still be a chance to fight, but if they fled, they would be picked off one by one. Therefore, after the sea of blood shattered, the thirteen puppets unhesitatingly charged towards Ri Yan and Wu Yue, ready to fight to the death!

These thirteen puppets represented various factions, and all were under the control of the Jellyfish Star Beast, allowing them to coordinate effectively. Ri Yan and Wu Yue found themselves somewhat strained. After all, they hadn't fully recovered. Since the four Dao pools appeared on the white jade platform, they had endured several major battles, each significantly depleting their strength. Wu Yue no longer even used her 'Sea and Sky Bright Moon' secret art, as it consumed an enormous amount of Dao power. She needed to conserve her energy. Although Xue Xiao was still assisting, his sea of blood secret art had been broken, and he was clearly suffering a severe backlash. He was now hiding in the distance, spitting up blood, looking dispirited and extremely disheveled.

Seeing his condition, Ri Yan knew he couldn't rely on him for the time being. He could only coordinate with Wu Yue, defending while looking for opportunities to strike.

One hundred thousand li away, on a floating landmass, Lu Ye's main body and Su Yan stood quietly, focusing their gazes on the battlefield. Lu Ye's expression was calm, while Su Yan's eyes held a complex mix of emotions. She had never expected the final stage of this contention to unfold in such a manner. Of course, she knew that the so-called Xue Xiao was merely Lu Ye's disguised clone, as she had personally witnessed Lu Ye's clone transforming into the deceased Xue Xiao. Even she couldn't discern any flaws in the disguise, let alone Ri Yan and Wu Yue. When chosen to participate in this contention, Su Yan hadn't been very confident, as her strength wasn't exceptional among Integration realm cultivators. Her only reliance was the innate divine abilities from her bloodline inheritance. However, these only allowed her to escape, not to kill enemies. She had naturally wanted to find a powerful companion but had consistently failed to do so. The two companions she had finally found who barely met her requirements were successively killed by Lu Ye. She had been truly furious about that. The binding of the 'Concentric Knot' had linked her life and death with Lu Ye, leading them step by step to this point. And now, was the final victory so within reach? She felt fortunate, but also a hint of torment.