Chapter 2516: Fourth Supreme Harmony

To seize the initiative in the current situation, they must break through the enemy's Harmony City.

Based on their previous battlefield experience, the three of them could only withstand the enemy by joining forces. However, this strategy meant that relying solely on their Fusion Dao cultivators for the siege would drastically reduce efficiency.

Fortunately, they had a fourth Harmonizer, Daoist Zhou, who had previously stayed behind to manage their city's defenses, much like You Die's role in her own city.

Now, however, defense was no longer an option. They had to launch an all-out offensive and destroy the enemy's Harmony Pearl as quickly as possible to secure victory.

This approach was extremely risky, yet it was their best option.

The City Lord, no fool, immediately nodded upon hearing this. "Follow me!" he commanded.

Turning quickly, he moved to intercept Yuan Xi, who was rushing back in a hurry. Two other Harmonizers followed closely, precisely blocking her path.

Yuan Xi was furious. These Harmonizers, though not individually powerful, buzzed around her like annoying flies. Crucially, their sheer numbers allowed them to interfere with her movements, preventing her from returning to provide timely support.

Her city's grand defensive array wouldn't last much longer...

Fortunately, Lu Ye was still there. She had just worked with him to dispatch another group of opponents, and this current group seemed no different, so dealing with them shouldn't be difficult.

Lu Ye thought the same. Just as he was about to charge forward to assist Yuan Xi, he suddenly saw a figure fly out from the enemy's Harmony City, soaring directly towards Yuan Xi's city.

A fourth Harmonizer!

Lu Ye immediately realized this must be the Harmonizer typically tasked with city defense. The fact that even he was now actively engaging meant the enemy was making a desperate, all-or-nothing push for a swift victory.

Generally, in conflicts between Harmony Cities, Harmonizers with roles similar to You Die do not easily abandon their city.

Because once such a Harmonizer leaves, the city's defenses are effectively nonexistent and easily breached. No Harmony City would willingly take such a risk.

But now, it was clear the enemy was being pushed to desperation.

Upon seeing this fourth Harmonizer emerge, Lu Ye didn't hesitate. He darted forward, directly confronting the incoming foe.

While he could have joined Yuan Xi to deal with the three opponents, the advantage of surprise was gone, and it likely wouldn't be as smooth.

Meanwhile, his own city's grand defensive array was in dire peril. Even without the fourth Harmonizer joining the attack, the hundreds of Fusion Dao cultivators alone wouldn't take long to breach it.

After all, three Harmonizers had already been attacking it with full force for some time.

Therefore, this fourth Harmonizer absolutely could not be allowed to approach their city!

If Huan Qing hadn't been severely injured, this enemy could have been entirely left to her. However, after using the Brahma Eye, Huan Qing was critically weakened; though she retained the Harmonizer cultivation, she could not actualize its power and was completely unfit for combat.

As for Yuan Xi... there was no need to worry. She would only gain an advantage, never suffer a loss.

Yuan Xi's evasive maneuver created an opportunity for Lu Ye to intercept the enemy. In a flash, he advanced, sword in hand.

Although Daoist Zhou had been stationed within the city, he had a clear view of the situation on both battlefields. Thus, the moment he saw Lu Ye approaching, he dared not be complacent.

Subconsciously, he believed Lu Ye was a Harmonizer of comparable power to himself; otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to coordinate with their City Lord in battling the enemy.

He immediately summoned his Dao Artifact—a small, seven-story tower that spun rapidly, each level radiating a different color.

A beam of light suddenly shot from the tower towards Lu Ye, moving so swiftly that he had no time to dodge. He could only frantically channel his cultivation power to protect himself.

When the light struck him, Lu Ye's body jolted, and his brow furrowed subtly.

This enemy's strength seemed slightly greater than the one he had just ambushed, and even slightly surpassed his own current power, allowing his attacks to pierce through Lu Ye's protective cultivation.

Fortunately, because the opponent's strength advantage was limited, the residual force after breaching his protective cultivation could not inflict significant damage.

If that were the only concern, it would be fine. In battles between cultivators, strength isn't always the sole determining factor; otherwise, the notion of the weak overcoming the strong wouldn't exist.

However, this individual was clearly a spell cultivator, which proved to be a major headache for Lu Ye.

Ever since he first entered the cultivation world, he had despised spell cultivators because they never engaged in close-quarters combat. They would always cast spells from a distance, fighting if they could win, and fleeing if they couldn't.

He hadn't expected to encounter such an awkward situation again after so many years.

What frustrated Lu Ye most was that his cultivation realm was inferior to his opponent's, and if the opponent chose not to engage him directly, he wouldn't be able to pursue them at all.

It could be said that speed was Lu Ye's biggest current shortcoming. While he could have compensated for this by engraving movement-enhancing Dao patterns during his Fusion Dao advancement, he had consistently chosen the "Divine Blade" pattern instead.

The scene suddenly became comical. Lu Ye pursued fiercely with his blade, while Daoist Zhou, an elusive blur, dodged everywhere, merely activating his Dao Artifact to attack Lu Ye. However, because their strength difference wasn't significant, neither could gain a decisive advantage over the other. Both were rapidly expending their cultivation power.

Lu Ye realized this approach wouldn't work. His opponent was unafraid of a prolonged fight, but Lu Ye couldn't afford to wait. Once Yuan Xi's city's grand defensive array was breached, the Harmony Pearl would likely be lost, Yuan Xi's strength would severely diminish, and the entire situation would instantly reverse.

After some thought, he realized the only tool he could deploy right now was his Talent Tree clone. Yet, even with it, if his speed was still inferior to the opponent's, a single clone wouldn't be very effective. He'd probably need several more to form a proper blockade.

With a sudden decision, Lu Ye turned and charged to the side.

This move left Daoist Zhou utterly bewildered, as Lu Ye's charge was directed precisely at the small tower that served as his Dao Artifact.

His Dao Artifact was not kept by his side but rather deployed at a certain distance. This allowed him to cast spells personally while simultaneously leveraging the Dao Artifact's power, launching attacks at Lu Ye from two directions, thus wearing him down. This was a common tactic used by many spell cultivators against their foes.

For a moment, he couldn't fathom what madness had seized this combat cultivator, but he did not cease his attacks on Lu Ye.

From the small tower, beams of variously colored light continuously shot out,bombarding Lu Ye's body. His protective cultivation was breached layer after layer, almost constantly in a cycle of breaking and re-forming.

Judging purely by the battle's immediate outcome, this engagement was highly disadvantageous regardless of any potential gains. In this short period, Lu Ye had already expended over ten thousand units of cultivation power, whereas his opponent, by leveraging his Dao Artifact, had consumed far less.

However, compared to the vast reserves of cultivation power stored within his Talent Tree, Lu Ye could well afford this expenditure.

The opponent's carelessness presented him with an opportunity. If he couldn't catch the enemy, he would simply target the Dao Artifact instead.

His long blade descended, striking fiercely.

Although Daoist Zhou maneuvered the small tower to dodge, it was ultimately not as swift as he himself, and thus completely failed to evade the strike.

Under the force of the blow, the small tower was sent flying. Lu Ye, clinging to it like a shadow, followed closely behind.

At such close range, the attacks unleashed from the small tower struck him almost incessantly. Even though he continuously repaired his protective cultivation power, his chest became a bloody, mangled mess in a very short time, a truly miserable sight.

Yet, his expression remained perfectly calm. Completely disregarding his own injuries, he continued to swing his blade.

From a distance, Daoist Zhou felt that this combat cultivator must have truly lost his mind. Who in the world would chase down an opponent's Dao Artifact during battle? Even a Fusion Dao cultivator's Dao Artifact, let alone a Harmonizer's, was not so easily destroyed. He simply couldn't fathom what Lu Ye was trying to achieve.

Ironically, Lu Ye's approach played right into his hands, as, at this rate, it wouldn't take long for him to dispatch this opponent.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, Daoist Zhou's expression suddenly changed drastically, and he cried out in surprise, "What?!"

At the same time, he hastily beckoned, and the small tower Dao Artifact, drawn by his will, immediately flew towards him—still accompanied by a murderous Lu Ye, who relentlessly hacked away at it.

Daoist Zhou's face grew even more panicked, for just moments ago, he had suddenly realized that his Dao Artifact was actually damaged!

Although he was a spell cultivator, and his Dao Artifact was not as inherently sturdy as those of other cultivators, he had, after all, been a Harmonizer for many years. This Dao Artifact was the very foundation upon which his harmony was built; how could it be so easily damaged?

In an instant, he suddenly understood, finally realizing why the combat cultivator had acted that way. It turned out his opponent possessed some means to counter Dao Artifacts—a rare, but not unprecedented, ability. It was truly laughable that he had believed victory was already in his grasp.

The damage to his Dao Artifact was like a dam breaking: irreversible and spiraling out of control. It was one thing when he hadn't noticed it, but once he became aware of the damage, the situation rapidly deteriorated.

Lu Ye, who had relentlessly pursued the Dao Artifact, struck only two more times, and the small tower-shaped Dao Artifact shattered with a resounding crash!

Daoist Zhou grunted in pain, his face suddenly paling. His natal Dao Artifact had been destroyed, and the very foundation of his Harmony was damaged. The blow nearly made him black out.

The Star Abyss aura around him, which had been resonating and boiling, suddenly calmed as if swept by an invisible hand.

Then he saw Lu Ye, gritting his teeth, charging fiercely towards him.

Lu Ye hadn't expected this individual's Dao Artifact to be shattered so easily. While Liao, after being upgraded to a sub-artifact, had indeed gained the ability to shatter Harmonizer Dao Artifacts, the last time it wasn't nearly this effortless.

Looking at it now, this likely had to do with his opponent being a spell cultivator, whose Dao Artifacts were not as sturdy. Furthermore, after Liao had been upgraded to a sub-artifact, it had absorbed some of the mystery of a Primal Chaos Spear, which likely enhanced its ability to shatter Dao Artifacts.

With the Dao Artifact dealt with, the next target was the enemy himself.

Daoist Zhou clearly understood the dire situation, so he immediately turned and fled, his escape route leading directly back to his own Harmony City.

Lu Ye pursued for a short distance, but realizing the opponent was still quite swift, he immediately stopped. Gripping the Pan Shan Blade with both hands, he raised it high, holding it vertically above his head.

His cultivation power surged furiously. Along the blade's surface, a radiant aura flickered like a snake's tongue.

Then, as he violently swung the blade downwards, the flickering aura erupted like a divine dragon emerging from the sea, roaring forth and instantly streaking across the void.

Giant Blade Slash!