Chapter 2576: There Are Still Contingencies

A burst of blood mist exploded, and Ying Fei's speed surged. Even so, the threat of death at his back clung to him like a parasite, impossible to shake off.

In his panic, the Star Abyss aura around him intensified. Ying Fei's expression drastically changed as he instantly realized that Yuan Xi's strength seemed to have significantly increased, a fact evident from the traces of power she drew upon.

At that moment, Yuan Xi unleashed a punch at Ying Fei's back. A surge of white light condensed on her fist as she struck, erupting with the force of a dragon.

The white light struck Ying Fei's back from a distance, exploding into a blinding radiance that enveloped him.

Inside the white light, Ying Fei's aura rapidly diminished.

When the white light dispersed, Ying Fei stood unharmed, yet his body was rigid, his face filled with disbelief and terror.

On the surface, he appeared unscathed, but internally, he had been reduced to dust, Yuan Xi's ferocious Dao power wreaking havoc throughout his body.

He couldn't comprehend why, despite having barely enough power to contend with his opponent just moments ago, the gap in strength became so immense after the enemy's Dao Soldier form transformed.

Did this not mean that the enemy had the power to instantly kill him from the very beginning?

How ludicrous. He suddenly realized that years of effort and perseverance had been a complete joke. No matter how high he climbed or how much his cultivation improved, before certain absolute powerhouses, he would always be nothing more than an ant, easily crushed.

Yuan Xi had caught up, sweeping past him. With a casual flick, Ying Fei exploded into a pool of blood, leaving behind only his Dao bones, Dao soldier, and storage ring.

In Ying Fei City, the young man hidden in the shadows watched, his eyelids twitching, still softly muttering, "Twilight Heart's White Radiance."

Treasures come in myriad forms, and few know that some possess more than one manifestation.

Such was the case with the one his wife possessed.

Normally, it takes one form, but it also has another.

However, nurturing such a treasure to its second form is exceedingly difficult, and he had never known his wife had achieved this.

In its initial form, his wife's strength was already formidable, beyond Ying Fei's capacity to contend. After it transformed into its second state, Ying Fei was utterly outmatched.

Under normal circumstances, Ying Fei might not have been so easily overwhelmed.

But this was the Snowfield, and this particular area retained its most pristine environment. Here, Dao Harmonizers found it difficult to draw upon power, and even their own Dao power was suppressed. Consequently, they could only unleash six or seven tenths of their peak strength.

Yet, the second form of his wife's treasure could, to a certain extent, resist the erosion of this unique environment.

This meant that when she activated this second form, her own strength not only saw a normal increase but also recovered a portion that had been suppressed by the environment.

With these two effects combined, Ying Fei naturally stood no chance against her attack!

An Arid-level City Lord, even with the amplification from a Dao Harmonization City, was so easily slain. The scene was utterly absurd.

Lu Ye, who had been observing, watched his eyes brighten. He secretly admired, "The City Lord is indeed the City Lord; she proves reliable at crucial moments."

Immediately, he saw Yuan Xi turn and rush towards Lian without a moment's hesitation.

Lian was currently engaging the two Dao Harmonizers she had kept at bay. When Ying Fei fell, both of their expressions shifted dramatically. Seeing Yuan Xi approaching with such ferocity, they dared not linger and began to retreat, attempting to escape back to the Dao Harmonization City.

However, Yuan Xi's speed at this moment was astonishingly swift. With just a flash of white light, she had already entered the fray, unleashing a punch to her left and another to her right, and both Dao Harmonizers perished instantly.

From the transformation of Yuan Xi's Dao Soldier form to her successive elimination of three enemy Dao Harmonizers, including Ying Fei, a mere ten seconds had elapsed.

Only then did the seven or eight enemy reinforcements finally arrive, belatedly!

Lu Ye's heart settled. In such a situation, even with the arrival of enemy reinforcements, they could not accomplish much, as the number of enemy Dao Harmonizers present was now roughly the same as at the beginning.

Overall, their strength was even slightly diminished. After all, they had initially possessed Ying Fei, a City Lord-level powerhouse, but now they lacked any such figure.

Given the formidable power Yuan Xi had just demonstrated, she could easily dispatch all of them within a very short time.

As Lu Ye was thinking this, he suddenly noticed that Yuan Xi's snow-white armor was rapidly receding, replaced by black petals that reappeared and gathered into a black lotus beneath her feet.

Lu Ye blinked, wondering to himself, "It seems the City Lord's Dao Soldier transformation cannot be sustained for long?"

However, this was no issue. Given the enemy's current formation, their side could easily defeat them one by one. He promptly raised his blade and rushed into the fray.

Meanwhile, in the central hall of the enemy's Arid-level city, before the Dao Harmonization Orb, the young man addressed a Dao Harmonizer standing before him: "Ying Fei is dead. You are now the City Lord. Quickly refine the Dao Harmonization Orb!"

Yuan Xi's power was utterly overwhelming for this battlefield, necessitating a City Lord-level powerhouse to engage her and keep her in check.

Although Ying Fei was dead, the Dao Harmonization City remained intact, and the Dao Harmonization Orb was still present. Thus, whichever Dao Harmonizer refined the orb would become the next City Lord.

This particular Dao Harmonizer was the resident guardian of the city and also Ying Fei City's Vice City Lord.

Generally, Dao Harmonizers tasked with guarding their Dao Harmonization City are quite powerful; if their strength were insufficient, Ying Fei would not have dared to leave him in charge.

Under normal circumstances, he would have been ecstatic. Although he was a Vice City Lord, he was merely 'vice,' and such a chance to gain an Arid-level city for free was rare.

However, with Ying Fei's demise as a stark precedent, he dared not entertain any other thoughts. His face contorted into a bitter grimace as he said, "My lord, by custom, when a City Lord perishes, the First Vice City Lord inherits the position. I am merely the Second Vice City Lord..." The implication was clear: the City Lord's position was not yet his to claim.

The young man, impatient with his excuses, glared at him menacingly: "Either refine the Dao Harmonization Orb and join the battle, or I will kill you right now!"

The Second Vice City Lord's face twitched. Daring no resistance, he said bitterly, "But my lord, even if I refine the Dao Harmonization Orb now, it will likely be too late..."

While refining the Dao Harmonization Orb wasn't difficult, it still required a process and some time. By the time he finished refining it and joined the battle, he feared it would already be too late.

"There's still time!" the young man declared. He produced an unknown object and sprinkled it onto the Dao Harmonization Orb before them. Instantly, the gleaming orb was veiled in a bloody hue. He then turned to the Dao Harmonizer beside him.

"This is..." The Dao Harmonizer's eyes widened in alarm, evidently recognizing the substance. He let out a sigh, knowing he could no longer refuse. Biting the tip of his tongue, he spat a mouthful of vital blood onto the Dao Harmonization Orb and began to refine it with his Dao power.

Seeing his worried expression, the young man reassured him, "Don't worry, City Lord Yuan Xi's secret technique has a flaw; it's impossible for her to use it a second time within a short period. Although your strength is slightly less than Ying Fei's, as long as you are careful, your life will absolutely not be in danger."

The Second Vice City Lord remained silent, for he had observed earlier that City Lord Yuan Xi's power was absolute. Even without employing that secret technique, facing her would pose a significant risk to him.

He couldn't understand what reservations this individual before him held. With his own strength, if he could refine the Dao Harmonization Orb and become the City Lord, it would be far better than engaging in battle himself. Yet, this person consistently remained hidden within the city, allowing others to risk their lives. But knowing this individual's formidable background, he dared not question him further.

The young man's methods proved highly effective. Moments later, the Second Vice City Lord transformed, becoming the new City Lord of Ying Fei City.

Empowered by the amplification of the Arid-level Dao Harmonization City, he felt his strength surge. Finally gaining a sense of security, he darted out of the city to join the fight.

At this juncture, the entire battlefield had erupted into chaos.

Initially, the enemy had lost six Dao Harmonizers in quick succession, destined for a decisive defeat. However, with the arrival of reinforcements, the situation on the Dao Harmonizer battlefield stabilized.

Even so, ordinary Dao Harmonizers could not withstand Yuan Xi's devastating power. Before the new City Lord entered the battlefield, she, working with Lian, had already slain two more.

Only when the new City Lord arrived and joined forces with others was her momentum barely reined in.

Lu Ye, however, found himself in a bit of trouble.

He was targeted by a spellcaster among the enemy reinforcements. This spellcaster was formidable, and despite Lu Ye's agile movements and swift maneuvering, he remained at a disadvantage.

Crucially, this individual was extremely cautious, consistently maintaining a distance from Lu Ye, which left him with few options.

In terms of speed, he was inferior to any Dao Harmonizer, allowing his enemy to easily create distance.

This sparked a quiet resentment in his heart; he needed to advance to Dao Harmonizer as soon as possible, or he would continue to face such helplessness.

He was not impatient. During the initial engagement, he had been the one to create the opening. Although he was currently unable to act decisively, and Yuan Xi also seemed to be making no immediate breakthrough, their side had more than just him and Yuan Xi capable of turning the tide.

There was also the Golden Stamen Pavilion Master!

Lian's strength was equally immense; she possessed the full capability to break the stalemate. As soon as she dispatched one or two opponents, she could establish their advantage and progressively dismantle the enemy, and Lian was already in the process of doing so.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he heard You Die's warning from Yuan Xi City: "Two enemy Dao Harmonization Cities are rapidly approaching!"

Lu Ye's eyes narrowed. Did the enemy have another card to play?

An Arid-level city used as bait, with over a dozen Dao Harmonizers ambushing within it, and another seven or eight Dao Harmonizers on standby in the Dao Harmonization Realm, ready for support. Such a formation would normally be more than sufficient to deal with Yuan Xi City and Ling Feng City. Had Yuan Xi's Dao Soldier not suddenly transformed and swiftly slain the enemy's Dao Harmonization City Lord, their side would certainly have been forced to retreat by the time those seven or eight reinforcements arrived on the battlefield.

Lu Ye had assumed that was the extent of the opponent's forces. Who would have thought that two more Dao Harmonization Cities would suddenly emerge at this moment?

Who was secretly orchestrating all of this? And who had targeted Yuan Xi City?

Judging solely by the forces the opponent had deployed, it was clear they intended to annihilate Yuan Xi City.

Lu Ye surmised that he himself wasn't significant enough to attract such a formidable enemy, meaning their true target could only be Yuan Xi!