Chapter 2491: Seemingly Familiar

Raising his eyes, Yun Qianliu frowned. He was actually quite curious about the Nameless One's appearance, but even in the images previously provided by the Battle Arena, he could only make out a blurry figure, unable to distinguish if it was male or female. Now, he finally saw the true face. It was a very young face, showing no fear. Yun Qianliu immediately felt reassured, as the opponent looked just like a reckless youth just starting out.

Such an individual surely possessed strength, but was prone to arrogance. Especially after defeating Que Yue last time and now having advanced another level in cultivation, his confidence would undoubtedly swell. For a moment, he couldn't help but feel that Que Yue had been wronged. If his Dao Weapon hadn't been shattered then, given the trajectory of that battle, he surely wouldn't have been slain by this Nameless One. Que Yue would certainly have been the one to survive.

As his thoughts churned, he suddenly raised his spear. Without warning, he thrust it forward, the spear light flaring violently. Moving with the spear, he reached Lu Ye in an instant. He never underestimated his opponents, even if their cultivation was much lower than his. When facing a life-or-death adversary, he always adhered to the principle of a lion using its full strength to catch a rabbit. Thus, he was certain this sudden attack would catch his opponent off guard. This was no simple attack, but a secret technique. With this technique, he had swiftly killed many enemies, often before they even had time to react.

The glint of a saber suddenly flashed, and his hand jolted. A hint of astonishment flashed in Yun Qianliu's eyes, because his unannounced strike had actually been blocked. "What quick reflexes!" he inwardly marveled. Even many at the eighth or ninth level of Dao Integration had fallen to this move of his; he never imagined it would be blocked by someone at the seventh level today. A fierce power surged from the front. Yun Qianliu discovered that the Dao power unleashed by this Nameless One was only slightly inferior to his own... No wonder he had such an intense battle with Que Yue last time. To possess such strength at the seventh level of Dao Integration was simply unheard of.

His hands didn't stop for a moment. The long spear transformed into a sky full of spear shadows, sweeping forward. Dao Weapons clashed, sparks flew, and their respective Dao powers surged. In an instant, there were dozens of clashes. Then, at a certain moment, both their movements suddenly halted simultaneously, their Dao Weapons held before them as they stared at each other from close range.

Yun Qianliu frowned, glanced at Lu Ye's face, then lowered his gaze to his chest, and said in a deep voice, "Are you injured?" The brief exchange just now had clearly worsened Lu Ye's chest injury significantly. His entire chest was bloody; Yun Qianliu, being no fool, could see it clearly. At the Dao Integration level, ordinary flesh wounds could heal quickly. However, injuries that were difficult to recover from, like this one, were certainly not minor.

So, although Yun Qianliu didn't know why or when Lu Ye had been injured, this made him feel disrespected. His cultivation level was already one tier higher, and the Nameless One's strength was also slightly inferior to his. If the Nameless One had been unharmed, his victory in this battle would be fine, but the Nameless One was clearly severely injured at the moment. Even if he won, it wouldn't be a glorious victory. He had a good reputation in the Battle Arena, but this was already his limit. He wanted to gain more fame so that he could earn more Dao Fish in the future and live up to the Battle Arena's emphasis on equipping him with a bound treasure for this match. Therefore, he absolutely wouldn't allow any flaws in this battle. Originally, this battle was supposed to be a stepping stone for him to greatly enhance his reputation! It was precisely for these reasons that he felt some anger upon discovering Lu Ye was injured and in poor condition.

At the Imperial Battle Arena, numerous spectators eagerly watched the battle. Although it had just begun, many had already seen that the Nameless One's strength was much greater than last time. After all, this opponent was stronger, yet in the brief direct clash just now, he hadn't fallen significantly behind. This gave many hesitant spectators the idea of placing their bets on the Nameless One, because the Nameless One's odds were currently very high. If he could ultimately win, they would also gain a substantial sum. As for whether he would lose... If they lost, they lost. Gamblers who frequented the Battle Arena were no strangers to losses; it would just mean missing an opportunity.

However, as Yun Qianliu's words were uttered, all the spectators were taken aback. "Nameless was injured? What was going on?" Normally, cultivators entering a deathmatch in the Battle Arena would adjust their state to optimal condition beforehand, so they could exert their full strength. In such deathmatches, even the slightest injury could affect the final outcome. The Nameless One's injury couldn't be minor, otherwise Yun Qianliu wouldn't have said what he did. His cultivation was already lower, and now he was severely injured. The Nameless One's chances of winning this time weren't high... In an instant, many cultivators who hadn't yet placed their bets made up their minds. Within a short time, the odds for Yun Qianliu and the Nameless One to win underwent an almost precipitous change.

Yun Qianliu probably hadn't expected that a single sentence from him would firm up countless spectators' confidence in betting on him. This had never happened in the history of the Battle Arena. Mainly, no one like the Nameless One would come to a deathmatch while still severely injured and unhealed... This was simply seeking death.

And almost the moment the odds for both sides changed, the two stalemated figures in the deathmatch arena suddenly separated. It was clear that the Nameless One had been sent flying by Yun Qianliu, his body tumbling uncontrollably. This scene instantly ignited the emotions of countless spectators. A cheer erupted throughout the Battle Arena, as if everyone was anticipating Yun Qianliu to seize the opportunity, pursue, and quickly dispatch the Nameless One.

Yun Qianliu indeed did so. While he was furious at the Nameless One's attitude towards this deathmatch, which he held in high regard, he would certainly not treat it carelessly. Since the opponent didn't even care about his own life or death, then he would grant him his wish! He raised his hand and gripped the spear's butt. The long spear swept out fiercely, a massive spear light streaking forth and sweeping towards Lu Ye.

Lu Ye had just managed to steady himself when the crisis arrived. Not daring to show any slack, he activated his Soaring Movement Technique, barely dodging the attack. Recently, he had encountered three opponents wielding bound treasures. Needless to say, the time with Que Yue, he had suppressed his own cultivation, so there wasn't much risk involved. When facing Pelin, he was wounded by Ba Qiu, and his cultivation sealed. The fight was extremely difficult, and he repeatedly faced life-threatening situations. But compared to this time, that was nothing. Because this time, Shang's seal on him was even stronger than before! This meant that the basic Dao power he could wield was much weaker than last time. As a result, his defensive capabilities were even worse! Although Yun Qianliu's strength was not as great as Pelin's, the difference between them was mainly due to the Dao Weapon's enhancement. Now, Lu Ye's own defense was weaker, which meant if he took a blow from Yun Qianliu, he wouldn't fare well, at least suffering severe injury. Therefore, Lu Ye dared not directly confront Yun Qianliu's attacks. At such a critical juncture, his Soaring Movement Technique played a crucial role. As he moved about, he consistently avoided the strongest points of the enemy's attacks. Occasionally, he was swept by residual energy, but it caused no significant harm.

The more Yun Qianliu fought, the more infuriated he became. He had originally planned to finish this farce quickly, but who knew Lu Ye would jump around like a rabbit? Only when he could ensure his own safety would he suddenly rush forward to attack for a bit, and then be repelled again. By now, he had to thank the Battle Arena for not making the combat area too large this time. If it had been truly vast, with the Nameless One's strange movement technique, he would truly have had no good way to deal with him.

Such a struggle was truly dull to watch. Compared to the Nameless One's previous fight with Que Yue, it had little spectacle. Fortunately, most of the spectators had placed their bets on Yun Qianliu, so they were still quite expectant of the battle's outcome. Moreover, given the current situation, Yun Qianliu would most likely survive. As long as they could win Dao Fish, nothing else mattered.

The battle in the arena continued. Although Lu Ye's Soaring Movement Technique was impressive, his opponent was no pushover. Eventually, an opportunity was seized, and a spear swept across Lu Ye's abdomen. In an instant, Lu Ye felt his protective Dao power shatter. His body was sent flying uncontrollably, blood continuously spilling from his mouth.

Before he could steady himself, the threat of death pursued him like a shadow. In a hurry, he looked up, only to see Yun Qianliu, filled with murderous intent, closing in and thrusting his spear viciously. Lu Ye raised his saber to block, but still couldn't fully parry the attack. He hurriedly twisted his body, his shoulder throbbing with pain, as the spear pierced directly through his shoulder.

"Die!" Yun Qianliu roared. With a shake of his long spear, it suddenly began to spin ferociously, enveloping boundless killing intent. Excruciating pain surged through him, and flesh and blood flew everywhere. In just an instant, the flesh on one of Lu Ye's arms vanished without a trace, leaving only a patch of gleaming golden bones.

The dazzling golden light made Yun Qianliu freeze in surprise. After entering the Dao, cultivators would refine their Dao Bones, usually five of them. However, generally, very few cultivators would choose to refine Dao Bones in their shoulders; most would opt for the ribs in the abdomen, as these were generally vital locations. He had never seen anyone refine Dao Bones in their shoulders like Lu Ye. The key was... were there too many Dao Bones? There were definitely more than five!

And just as he was momentarily stunned, Lu Ye suddenly raised his hand and gripped the spear shaft. Yun Qianliu was enraged, and quickly tried to pull his spear free. At that very instant, Lu Ye raised his saber and slashed diagonally. It was a feather-light strike, with no discernible trace of Dao power being activated. Yun Qianliu had no idea what he was doing. He instinctively thought it was a sign of his opponent's Dao power being exhausted, and that this weak strike was just a final desperate stand in the battle. He was, after all, a respectable foe. Then his pupils contracted to the size of a needlepoint, because he clearly saw that the moment the opponent's long saber touched his Dao Weapon, the long spear in his hand suddenly disintegrated into countless fragments!

This sudden turn of events left Yun Qianliu stunned on the spot, unable to believe his own eyes. Mainly, this scene was all too familiar. In the previous battle between Que Yue and the Nameless One, it had ended exactly like this: Que Yue's Dao Weapon was shattered, leading to his death and the dispersal of his Dao.