Chapter 2568: Another One Appeared

**Winds Stir the Nine Provinces**

Unlike the apprehension of the numerous spectators, Lingyan was brimming with confidence at this moment. Having exchanged blows, he had fully grasped his opponent's capabilities. It was indeed abnormal for a Dao Integration realm cultivator to be this strong, but no matter his strength, he would ultimately be no match for Lingyan. Lingyan alone would emerge victorious from this battle.

His only confusion was that this ‘Nameless Visitor’ seemed to have some issues with his mind. His attacks were incredibly simple and direct, devoid of any variation or skill, making them the easiest to defend against.

“A brute! This was nothing but a brute!” Lingyan thought. After he raised his sword to block one of Lu Ye’s heavy strikes, he had already formed his judgment. To counter such an enemy, he only needed to wait for an opening and strike after. His long sword twitched slightly, like a nimble snake, probing forward along the back of the Cragblade, resembling a serpent's tongue flicking out. When he withdrew his sword, it was already stained with blood.

Lu Ye's injuries mostly came this way: his frantic assaults were repeatedly blocked, and Lingyan capitalized on the openings to counterattack. Even with Lingyan suppressing his own strength, Lu Ye couldn't guarantee his safety. But as long as no vital points were hit, minor flesh wounds were inconsequential. However, with each injury, his momentum visibly waned, and his movements lost their previous fluidity, leading to an increasing frequency of wounds. Yet, he seemed oblivious, maintaining his earlier wild and reckless fighting style.

Another heavy blade strike was unleashed. Lingyan used its force to drift backward. Lu Ye slightly raised an eyebrow, unsure of his opponent's intention, as previously, at such moments, Lingyan would always counterattack and inflict injury.

“Enough!” Lingyan stopped, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes. “I truly don't know how someone like you has survived until now.” With such a reckless personality and straightforward fighting style, it was a miracle Lu Ye had survived this long in the perilous inner realm. Logically, someone like him should have died in some forgotten corner long ago. “It’s a wonder he's even made a name for himself in the fighting arena.”

Lingyan found it utterly boring; for someone of his Dao Fusion realm, being entangled with such an opponent until now was a disgrace. As he spoke, a slit on his forehead slowly parted, revealing a vertical eye. This eye was completely unlike his normal two, glowing with an eerie blue light. With the activation of this third eye, an extreme chill began to twist around Lingyan's body, and even his Spring Radiance Sword shimmered with a cold, eerie light.

Seeing this, Lu Ye immediately understood that Lingyan intended to fight to the death. Otherwise, he wouldn't have activated his Spirit Eye. Once a Spirit Eye of the Three-Eyed Clan was opened, it meant holding nothing back.

“I originally thought you had some skill, but you're nothing special. With this next sword strike, you either block it and live, or fail and die!” Lingyan continued to prattle on. He was undoubtedly cunning. The difficulty of his previous entanglement with Lu Ye had seemed to diminish his Dao Fusion prestige, so now, seeing Lu Ye heavily injured, he began his incessant chatter. This was clearly an attempt to mislead others, making the numerous spectators outside believe he had only been testing Lu Ye until now, and was only just getting serious. This also meant he had immense confidence in his upcoming sword strike.

Lu Ye, however, couldn't be bothered to listen to his chatter, as Liao was already urging him on. His body darted forward, raising his blade to attack.

Lingyan slowly shook his head, a look of regret on his face. “What a waste of your potential!” he thought. “A Dao Integration cultivator with such profound reserves, if not for such a reckless personality, would surely achieve great things in the future. This was something Lingyan had never possessed, filling him with envy, jealousy, and a strong urge to destroy it!”

As he finished speaking, Lu Ye's long blade, trailing a formidable streak of power, slashed obliquely. Lingyan casually parried it with a single sword stroke. The instant their Dao artifacts clashed, sparks flew, and both bodies jolted slightly. Lu Ye immediately felt an endless chill emanating from his opponent's long sword, making him shiver involuntarily.

“Die,” Lingyan whispered softly. His Spring Radiance Sword twitched slightly, about to bypass Lu Ye's Cragblade as it had done before. At this very moment, his opponent was under the influence of his Spirit Eye secret technique, with no chance to react. He could almost foresee the scene of his opponent's demise.

Suddenly, his hand felt light, and the sound of shattering echoed in his ears. Fragments flew everywhere in his vision, and Lingyan was momentarily dazed, unsure of what had shattered. Some fragments flew past his sight, grazed his cheek, piercing his skin, causing a slight sting. Lingyan was horrified, belatedly realizing that his protective Dao power... had been broken!

Immediately, his vision inverted and spun. He caught a glimpse of the weapon master standing beside a headless corpse, holding a long blade. He saw the headless corpse clutching a long sword without a blade, and then he saw the multitude of flying fragments. The last image he saw was the weapon master looking at him askance, his eyes full of indifference.

In the fighting arena, as the Nameless Visitor beheaded Lingyan with a single blade strike, almost all the viewing areas erupted in an instant.

“It happened again!”

Just like the previous two deathmatches, the Nameless Visitor had once again shattered his opponent's Dao artifact, seizing that fleeting moment to cut them down with his blade. Almost everyone wore a look of disbelief. In the first two deathmatches, it was somewhat understandable for the Nameless Visitor to shatter his opponents' Dao artifacts, as his opponents were only at the Dao Integration realm. But in this match, his opponent was at the Dao Fusion realm! Could a Dao Fusion cultivator's Dao artifact be shattered so easily? Even in conflicts between Dao Fusion cultivators, their Dao artifacts wouldn't shatter just like that. How long had the Nameless Visitor and Lingyan been fighting? How could a Dao Integration cultivator shatter a Dao Fusion cultivator's Dao artifact?

Lingyan's performance, from beginning to end, could be described as steady. If not for that final unexpected turn, he would undoubtedly have won after activating his secret technique.

“There's a problem, definitely a problem!”“The fighting arena is cheating, give me back my hard-earned money!”“Tsk tsk, who would have thought even this grand fighting arena would stoop to such tactics? Truly a marvel.”“Arena Master Qin's lifelong reputation is ruined!”

In the various viewing areas, countless spectators clamored, some with ashen faces, others shouting, and some with scornful expressions.

In a private room, Jing Lei was leisurely enjoying the service of several beautiful women. Witnessing Lingyan's miserable death at the Nameless Visitor's blade, he immediately slammed the table. “Impossible!” Having rarely visited the Concord Realm and encountering such a grand event, he had wagered most of his fortune on Lingyan, expecting to gain something. But Lingyan had just died? That good-for-nothing was dead, but he had caused Jing Lei to lose so much... Thinking of the Dao Fish he had wagered, Jing Lei's heart ached with spasms. That was his family's accumulated wealth for many years, and now most of it was gone in an instant!

In a hidden chamber, Gong Mao, who had been anxiously following the deathmatch's progress, finally let out a long breath. Although Lu Ye had always shown great confidence, and his previous two deathmatches had also been brutal victories like today's, the frequent moments of peril during the fights still left Gong Mao trembling with fear. Fortunately, the outcome was good. Lu Ye had won this match, which meant Gong Mao could give an explanation to the Arena Master. Most importantly, this deathmatch brought enormous profits to the fighting arena, which would undoubtedly assist the Arena Master's upcoming plans.

“Sir, the spectators are causing a disturbance!” a subordinate reported.

Gong Mao sneered, “Who dares cause trouble in the Concord Realm? They're merely losers of Dao Fish, shouting nonsense. Ignore them.”

The subordinate hesitated, “But they are questioning our integrity.”

Gong Mao turned. “Can they just casually question the fighting arena's reputation, which has been maintained for so many years? A bunch of ignorant gamblers! Since they participated, they must accept their losses!”

A moment later, in another hidden chamber, Gong Mao pushed open the door and immediately saw Lu Ye changing his clothes.

“Fellow Daoist, your power is divine! That mere Lingyan was indeed worthless!” Gong Mao said with a chuckle, cupping his hands in a salute.

Lu Ye quickly put on the windbreaker Qin Feng had given him, concealing his figure and appearance. “Brother Gong, after this battle, the fighting arena might face some turmoil. Does Brother Feng have a strategy?” Although he hadn't seen the spectators' reactions in the viewing areas, he could imagine what they were like. Even though he had won fairly and honorably, there was always darkness in the world. His only fear was that his three deathmatches might damage the fighting arena's reputation.

Gong Mao shook his head. “I've already contacted the Arena Master. He anticipated the current situation and simply told me to ignore it and wait for things to calm down.”

Lu Ye nodded. Since Qin Feng had anticipated it, there was no problem. Some commotions were merely ripples on the wind; if left alone, they would soon dissipate.

“I'll take my leave!” Lu Ye said hurriedly.

Gong Mao said, “Fellow Daoist, leaving already? Today's battle is different from before; some people might be watching for you outside. Why not rest a bit longer? The spectators will be leaving soon, and you could blend in with them, drawing no attention.”

“I'm in a hurry!” Lu Ye knew perfectly well that leaving now would attract attention, but the war in the Snow Plains must have already begun, and he was eager to return and kill enemies.

“Then safe travels, Fellow Daoist. Regarding your earnings, will you come to collect them yourself, or shall I send them over?” This time, the betting pool had yielded immense profits, and Lu Ye would certainly receive a large sum. However, tallying the accounts would take some time. If Lu Ye was willing to stay for an hour or two, Gong Mao would naturally handle everything.

Lu Ye thought for a moment. “Give it to someone named Fu Wei. He's currently at the fighting arena; he'll contact you later.”

Gong Mao nodded. “Very well. I'll see you off, Fellow Daoist!”

A short while later, Lu Ye exited the fighting arena. As expected, many people were openly and discreetly watching the exit. The fighting arena had many entrances and exits; if it was like this here, it would surely be the same at the others. His secretive appearance meant that as soon as he emerged, he was immediately spotted by many watchful eyes.

The Nameless Visitor had appeared three times so far, but aside from a few individuals within the fighting arena, no one knew his true identity, naturally sparking interest. Especially today's feat of a Dao Integration cultivator defeating a Dao Fusion one was an unprecedented miracle in the entire inner realm. Anyone could guess that this Nameless Visitor surely harbored a great secret.