Chapter 2449: 獠苏醒

Beneath the crumbled walls, Lu Ye quickly assessed his injuries. A massive gash across his chest had nearly split him in two; through the wound, he could clearly see his heart beating powerfully. He felt a silent relief. Fortunately, he had witnessed Que Yue's methods before, so the moment he sensed something was wrong, he began to retreat. Otherwise, the blow might indeed have been fatal. Although his injuries were severe, at least his life wasn't in danger.

He raised a hand, gripped both sides of the gash, and forcefully pulled them together, closing the wound. His flesh began to writhe, and the edges sealed shut. The injury wouldn't heal quickly, but he couldn't allow it to hinder his upcoming battle. Without daring to delay, Lu Ye immediately moved to get up. If he gave his opponent any leeway, the Dao Orb in the Central Great Hall would surely be lost.

"I just took a nap. How did you end up in such a miserable state, kid? Tsk, tsk, it's really rare to see you like this." Suddenly, a voice entered Lu Ye's ears.

Lu Ye froze for a moment, then was overcome with joy. Liao… had awakened!

On the other side, the Green Field clan Harmonizer swayed slightly after repelling Lu Ye. Just like Que Yue, any secret art that could instantly unleash greater power inevitably came with side effects, their severity depending on the degree of the burst. The Green Field clan Harmonizer had not unleashed an overly powerful burst just now because, during his confrontation with Lu Ye, he had already assessed Lu Ye's true strength. Thus, he had only boosted his power to around 800 Dao. He had thought such power would be enough to finish off his opponent, but Lu Ye was too cautious and narrowly escaped.

He was certain Lu Ye was severely wounded. He had to finish him off. Only then would there be no one to hinder him from destroying the Dao Orb. He believed dealing with a severely wounded Fuser wouldn't take long. Once his opponent was dispatched, he could proceed to shatter the Dao Orb.

His body shot forward, flying directly towards the crumbled walls that had engulfed Lu Ye. Reaching them, his divine sense locked onto Lu Ye's location, and he thrust his spear downwards! As a crashing sound echoed, the Green Field clan Harmonizer suddenly saw a brilliant saber light burst forth from the ruins. Immediately after, a blood-soaked figure charged out of the debris, saber in hand, to meet his spear. The Green Field clan Harmonizer was startled, having never imagined such a turn of events.

A clang rang out, sparks flew, and the Green Field clan member was forced back dozens of feet before he could regain his footing, staring at the blood-soaked figure with surprise and uncertainty. In fact, he had felt some doubt from the beginning. Lu Ye's attire suggested he was a typical blade cultivator, yet he had shown no intention of using his long saber Dao weapon throughout their encounter, merely keeping it sheathed at his waist. Even when he had been so badly beaten, he hadn't used his Dao weapon. Yet, somehow, he had brought it out now. Though Lu Ye appeared extremely disheveled, with the saber in hand, the man seemed completely revitalized!

"Come!" Lu Ye raised his Pan Shan Saber and slowly declared, "Now, let's have our second match!" As he spoke, the long saber's aura pulsed, as if breathing with life.

His body leaped forward. Knowing his enemy had used a secret art, Lu Ye naturally wouldn't give him any breathing room, intent on striking while he was weakened. However, he soon realized he had been mistaken. As their clashes continued, Lu Ye keenly perceived that the Green Field clan Harmonizer's strength hadn't been significantly affected. From this, it seemed his secret art's burst earlier hadn't been complete, leading to minor side effects and a quick recovery. But it didn't matter. Previously, he couldn't use the Pan Shan Saber, and there was a slight disparity in their strengths. Now, with the Pan Shan Saber's enhancement of forty-nine Dao of power, that gap was negligible. Now, the strength of both sides could almost be called evenly matched!

Lu Ye was looking for an opportunity. His opponent had a burst secret art, and so did he, but his secret art was different from others. The "Blade Quiver" secret art had always been for overcoming stronger opponents, but its side effects were severe, especially against a Harmonizer-level opponent. It couldn't be used lightly. Therefore, Lu Ye needed to find the perfect moment to eliminate his opponent in one fell swoop, or he would be the one in danger.

While he was contemplating, the Green Field clan Harmonizer was also deliberating. The blade cultivator with his Dao weapon was like a completely different person. Continuing to fight like this wouldn't benefit either of them. Therefore, he still had to rely on a secret art burst. And with the previous lesson learned, this time he couldn't hold back. With his current foundation, if he truly unleashed his full power without reservation, he should possess nearly 900 Dao of strength. He believed this level of power would be enough to overwhelm the blade cultivator.

The stalemate of their clash, the fierce struggle, was like two beasts meeting in the wild, each baring fangs and claws, searching for vulnerabilities amidst the intense battle, awaiting that foolproof opportunity. In such a dance between life and death, neither dared to let their guard down. Because any single slip-up could lead to irreversible doom.

And amidst this tense yet fierce confrontation, a faint "crack" sound suddenly echoed. When the sound occurred, both Lu Ye and the Green Field clan Harmonizer were startled. In such an intense battle, a sudden, unpredictable change naturally drew their alarm. However, Lu Ye's expression quickly turned strange, while the Green Field clan Harmonizer looked as if struck by lightning. Because that faint "crack" sound had actually come from the short spear in his hand! And the cracking continued. Visibly, he saw numerous fine cracks appearing on his short spear, rapidly spreading outwards.

The Dao weapon was damaged! How could a Dao weapon be damaged? A Harmonizer's Dao weapon was the most crucial part of their foundation, playing a vital role during the harmonization process. While it was true that weapons were an extension of a blade cultivator's body—a characteristic determined by their faction—for all Harmonizers, their Dao weapon was equally an indispensable part of their body. Moreover, after a cultivator's harmonization, Dao weapons were fundamentally indestructible. Even clashing with a spirit treasure, they should not sustain damage. Unless the cultivator died in battle and their Dao power within the weapon was refined away as spoils of war. Yet now, the Dao weapon that had accompanied the Green Field clan Harmonizer throughout his battles was damaged. How could he not be shocked?

He had no time to ponder further, as his opponent's assault suddenly became relentless, raging like a tide. He had no choice but to meet the attack with his short spear. After another collision, with a shattering sound, the short spear… broke! Lu Ye's brows rose. This scene reminded him of when he shattered the Heaven-Measuring Ruler spirit treasure with his Pan Shan Saber in the deathmatch arena. Though the opponents were different, the outcome was strikingly similar. Could it be that Harmonizers' Dao weapons also contained mysteries that Liao could devour?

The Pan Shan Saber slashed down with the momentum! "Argh!" The Green Field clan Harmonizer cried out in agony. This brutal saber strike carved a long gash across his chest, mirroring Lu Ye's own injury—a taste of his own medicine. He stumbled back, his face a mask of panic. It wasn't that his resolve was weak; the impact of his Dao weapon shattering was simply too profound.

Lu Ye wouldn't miss such a golden opportunity. He darted forward, closing in, his saber light a continuous blur. After a brief moment of panic, the Green Field clan Harmonizer brought out another Dao weapon very similar to the short spear he had just used. But even if the new Dao weapon was similar and cultivated to its peak, Lu Ye clearly felt that his opponent's strength had plummeted significantly. This had nothing to do with the secret art he had used earlier; it was entirely because his Dao weapon had been shattered.

When a cultivator underwent harmonization, they needed to choose a Dao weapon to be their primary Dao weapon. Once harmonization was successful, this primary Dao weapon was akin to an external Dao bone for the cultivator, and even more useful than a normal Dao bone. How much external power a Harmonizer could borrow depended entirely on their own capacity limit, and the level of this capacity limit was directly related to their Dao bones and Dao weapon. Simply put, when a Harmonizer borrowed power, they used their own foundation and their Dao weapon together to leverage the ambient Dao power, making it available for their own use.

Now that the Green Field clan Harmonizer's primary Dao weapon was shattered, even bringing out a similar Dao weapon was useless. His foundation for leveraging external power was damaged, so relying solely on his own foundation, his strength was naturally far inferior compared to before. Lu Ye felt it clearly: if the Harmonizer's strength had been around 700 Dao just moments ago, it was now only about 550. A drop of over twenty percent in strength was undoubtedly the difference between life and death in such a battle. The tables had turned; Lu Ye now held a decisive advantage.

Under Lu Ye's powerful suppression, after several fierce clashes, the Green Field clan Harmonizer's second Dao weapon also suddenly shattered. His face immediately turned ashen. The Inner Realm was perilous, and he had considered the possibility of dying in battle somewhere one day. But he had never imagined he would die at the hands of such a monstrous opponent. Even now, he still hadn't figured out whether this being was a Fuser or a Harmonizer. But regardless of his cultivation level, there was no denying that this being's strength was outrageously powerful!

Without his Dao weapon, the Green Field clan Harmonizer's strength plummeted again, barely able to maintain a level of 500 Dao. The outcome of facing the current Lu Ye with such strength was easily imaginable. Had he had a chance to flee, he naturally wouldn't have just waited for death. But he was currently in the city, and if he wanted to escape, he'd have to ask if Lu Ye was willing to let him go.

A dozen breaths later, the extensively wounded Green Field clan Harmonizer could no longer hold on. Lu Ye severed his head with a single saber strike. Hardly any blood gushed from his neck, as he had already bled almost dry.

The Green Field clan Harmonizer, killed in battle!

Lu Ye exhaled a long breath, a complex feeling in his heart. This wasn't the first Harmonizer he had killed; he had slain Harmonizers back when he was still in the Starry Sky. But those Harmonizers hadn't been able to unleash their full power. This one, however, was the first Harmonizer he had personally killed in the Inner Realm, fighting alone.