Chapter 2447: Attacking Chen Shuang

By the time the hidden sentry realized it was too late, Lu Ye had already charged within striking distance. At such close range, there was no room to escape, nor enough time to cast a spell. The sentry could only desperately channel his Dao power to protect himself.

Then he saw the approaching enemy suddenly unleash a punch towards him.

This surprised him, as the enemy pursuing him appeared to be a soldier-cultivator based on their attire. But if so, why weren't they using their Dao soldiers? Did they really look down on him that much? The sentry felt a surge of anger at being underestimated.

His consciousness abruptly plunged. Where the fist struck, the sentry's protective Dao power shattered like paper, and his entire body exploded into a mist of blood, leaving behind only a few gleaming golden Dao bones, a Dao soldier, and a storage ring.

Lu Ye's eyes lit up, because in addition to the expected spoils of war, this sentry had also yielded a Star Abyss Coin. Good luck. From the recent encounter, the sentry's cultivation seemed to be at the seventh or eighth stage of the Dao Integration realm. Since Lu Ye himself was now at the seventh stage of Dao Integration, the chance of obtaining a Star Abyss Coin from killing an enemy of this level was actually not very high. This was quite an unexpected bonus.

Quickly gathering everything, Lu Ye constructed a void Dao pattern beneath his feet, and his figure vanished from the spot. When he reappeared, he was back inside Yuanxi City. He had left a mark here as a rendezvous point when he previously departed, thus saving time on the return journey.

You Die looked at him with a speechless expression.

"What is it?" Lu Ye glanced back at her.

You Die whispered, "Brother Ye, did you suppress your strength in the fighting arena?" She had watched that battle from beginning to end, and Lu Ye had won with great difficulty, even sustaining significant injuries by the end. This had led her to believe that was Lu Ye's true strength, but observing his efficiency in killing enemies just now, what she had seen was clearly just the tip of the iceberg. It made sense; even back in Colorful, Lu Ye could kill enemies at the seventh or eighth stage of Dao Integration, and he was only in the Dao Entry realm then. Now that he was in the Dao Integration realm, how could his strength be only what he had shown?

"Guess," Lu Ye replied noncommittally.

You Die understood in her heart; this man was indeed as enigmatic as ever.

"I'll go ahead. You can follow at your own pace."

From the high tower in the center of the city, Yuanxi’s figure blurred and shot forward with incredible speed, her form reduced to a tiny black speck in the blink of an eye. Although the sentry had been dealt with by Lu Ye, the news must have already reached Chenshuang Dao Integration City. Therefore, Yuanxi City's plan to attack had certainly been exposed. Although it was highly unlikely the enemy would flee, Yuanxi still had to guard against it. So, she needed to go ahead and engage them, cutting off any thoughts of escape.

As soon as Yuanxi left, You Die also hurried to the City Lord's Mansion. With the City Lord absent, she, as the Deputy City Lord, held the highest authority in the city. She had to quickly maneuver the Dao Integration City into an appropriate position to provide substantial assistance to Yuanxi.

A moment later, Yuanxi City's speed increased slightly. All the Dao Integration cultivators had taken their positions in the formation. Only Lu Ye leaped to the top of the high tower, looking out into the distance.

After another half day, he suddenly felt faint ripples of combat ahead, realizing that Yuanxi had begun fighting Chenshuang's side. As Yuanxi City drew closer, these ripples grew increasingly intense.

Until a certain moment, Lu Ye finally saw a fierce battle taking place. Several figures moved and dodged within a vast area, sweeping back and forth, and wherever they passed, Dao power surged. Just as Lu Ye had expected, Chenshuang had deployed three Dao Integration cultivators to counter Yuanxi this time. One of them was certainly the City Lord of Chenshuang Dao Integration City, though Lu Ye couldn't tell which one it was yet.

Before Yuanxi City arrived, Yuanxi seemed to be at a disadvantage, as Lu Ye observed her looking somewhat disheveled. It truly confirmed You Die's earlier remark: "Two fists are no match for four hands." However, as Yuanxi City drew closer, the situation quickly changed. The 30% strength increase provided a remarkably significant boost to Yuanxi. She shed her previous disadvantage, and her combat style suddenly became aggressive.

This abrupt shift greatly surprised the three enemy Dao Integration cultivators. Especially the Chenshuang City Lord, who had already sensed Yuanxi's formidable strength. He had also learned from the intelligence sent by the sentry before his death that a Dao Integration City was approaching. However, the sentry's report indicated that the approaching city, from its appearance, was likely a newly established Dao Integration City, as many of its internal arrangements seemed incomplete. If it was indeed a newly established Dao Integration City, it would undoubtedly be only Yellow-grade, and the Chenshuang City Lord naturally wouldn't fear it.

Now he realized it was not Yellow-grade at all, because Yuanxi's strength increase was too evident; this was certainly not the boost a lowest-grade Dao Integration City could provide. He desperately wanted to ask Yuanxi who she was, because a Dao Integration expert of such strength had no reason to target his Chenshuang City, just as an adult wouldn't covet a child's candy. But at this moment, the battle was too perilous, and Yuanxi's relentless attacks made it impossible for him to be distracted, let alone ask. If not for the assistance of two other Dao Integration cultivators, he would have wanted to flee back to his own Chenshuang Dao Integration City right then.

On the other side, Yuanxi City, under You Die's command, stopped at a suitable position. In the distance, the outline of another Dao Integration City could be vaguely seen—that was undoubtedly Chenshuang. The two Dao Integration Cities stood in opposition, each providing strength assistance to its City Lord. However, relatively speaking, Chenshuang was Heavenly-grade, one rank higher than Yuanxi City, so its assistance, both in range and magnitude of boost, was stronger than Yuanxi City's. But as Lu Ye had said, in the face of truly formidable individual strength, such boosts could still be nullified.

From within Chenshuang City, numerous streaks of light suddenly shot out, at least a hundred at first glance. These streaks flew directly towards Yuanxi City, clearly intending to attack the city. Leading them was a strange, humanoid creature with green, semi-transparent skin, and long, pointed, slender ears. Lu Ye vaguely identified it as belonging to a race called the Green Wilds. This one must be one of Chenshuang's five Dao Integration cultivators.

Events unfolded exactly as Lu Ye had initially predicted: of Chenshuang's five Dao Integration cultivators, three were besieging Yuanxi, one remained stationed in the city, and another led a large number of Dao Integration cultivators to attack the city. From Chenshuang's perspective, as long as they could break through Yuanxi City and shatter its Dao Integration Orb, Yuanxi would undoubtedly be defeated. Then, Chenshuang could not only rout the invading enemy but also have a chance to annihilate them completely.

On the high tower, Lu Ye looked up at the leading Green Wilds Dao Integration cultivator, feeling a strong urge to act. Since this individual wasn't participating in the siege on Yuanxi, their strength within Chenshuang probably wasn't too high, likely in the mid-to-lower tier. Lu Ye felt he might have a chance to contend with a Dao Integration cultivator of this level. If the opponent were alone, Lu Ye would certainly have met him head-on. But with hundreds of Dao Integration cultivators accompanying him, it wasn't wise to take such a risk.

Yuanxi City's only chance of victory lay with Yuanxi herself. As long as Yuanxi could break through the siege of the three Dao Integration cultivators and kill one or two of them, the battle against Chenshuang would be won. If Yuanxi failed to do so, they would undoubtedly return empty-handed this time. From their interactions over this period, Yuanxi, though impetuous, was ultimately trustworthy. So, there wasn't much need to worry about her battle; it just required some time. What Lu Ye and You Die needed to do now was to protect their city until the outcome of that battle was determined.

The enemies soon arrived, and under the leadership of the Green Wilds Dao Integration cultivator, they fiercely attacked Yuanxi City's protective formation. Dao power surged, and the attacks were dense. Countless ripples cascaded across the protective formation's light barrier. Lu Ye observed carefully and felt a little relieved. The formation Yuanxi had set up was truly impressive; with only a handful of people in the city, it still maintained a seemingly robust defense. However, he couldn't judge whether it could last an hour, as the enemy was clearly not exerting their full strength yet. Chenshuang's side also didn't understand Yuanxi City's overall foundation, so everything they were doing was merely a test.

Suddenly, sharp eyes fell upon him. When Lu Ye looked back, his gaze met the Green Wilds Dao Integration cultivator's eyes, which were filled with undisguised killing intent. Immediately, Lu Ye saw a sneer form at the corner of the Green Wilds cultivator's mouth. He instantly understood that the enemy's probing was over. Yuanxi City's true foundation was actually quite easy to discern, primarily due to its severe lack of personnel. If there were ample cultivators, a Dao Integration City under attack wouldn't simply huddle here like a tortoise. Currently, within Yuanxi City, the only individuals visible were Yuanxi, who was battling elsewhere, and Lu Ye, who stood atop the high tower observing their surroundings. The Green Wilds Dao Integration cultivator was also experienced; how could he not recognize the apparent strength but underlying weakness of the Dao Integration City before him?

He slowly raised his hand. As his Dao soldier brandished, Dao power surged all around. As if receiving a command, the Dao Integration cultivators dispersed around them simultaneously ceased their attacks, each secretly channeling Dao power, poised to strike. Three breaths later, as the Green Wilds Dao Integration cultivator's ferocious assault swept forth, the numerous Dao Integration cultivators also moved in unison.

Lu Ye suddenly turned his head to look in one direction. Among the many Dao Integration cultivators at that spot, one individual's movements seemed off! However, before Lu Ye could properly discern, a furious tide of Dao power crashed down. The Yuanxi City protective formation, which had appeared relatively sturdy, drastically caved inward at that moment, its glow rapidly dimming.

You Die's alarmed cry rang out in Lu Ye's ear: "Brother Ye, quickly, help! They have another Dao Integration cultivator!"

Lu Ye also reacted. His earlier feeling was correct: among those Dao Integration cultivators, one person's movements were indeed off, because that was no Dao Integration cultivator at all, but a Dao Integration expert! Chenshuang Dao Integration City had no Dao Integration cultivators left to guard it, or was Yuanxi's intelligence flawed, and Chenshuang actually had six Dao Integration cultivators?