Chapter 2612: Against Six Alone

Blackblood focused, carefully observing Yuanxi City. Unfortunately, Yuanxi City was currently enveloped by its defensive array, and Shadow Butterfly had also activated the illusionary techniques of the Mirage to cause interference. Even Blackblood, as the strategist, couldn't get a clear view for a while.

He immediately felt a headache.

Lu Ye and Yuanxi's coordinated move suddenly left him at a loss, as there were too many options. He could even choose to continue attacking the city. But as Yuanxi had previously feared, since he had confirmed Lu Ye was the source of the "surprise," he couldn't possibly make that choice. Killing Lu Ye clearly offered greater benefits compared to breaching Yuanxi City.

Unable to discern the true body, he decided to disregard it. The next moment, under his command, numerous cultivators split into two groups. One group, consisting of only six Dao Integration cultivators, pursued into a specific grid square. The other group, however, included not only six Dao Integration cultivators but also three hundred Dao Assimilation cultivators.

Blackblood had dispatched those six Dao Integration cultivators separately, using up six of his deployment turns. Therefore, he couldn't send more Dao Assimilation cultivators with them; doing so would not only consume more turns but also be largely meaningless. In his opinion, regardless of which side held Lu Ye's true body, the forces he had deployed were sufficient to apprehend him.

"Alas!" sighed the Talent Tree clone in one of the grid squares. Creating this clone was meant to draw fire, and it was destined not to last long, but his luck seemed to be rather poor. This was because the clone was currently facing a lineup of six lone Dao Integration cultivators. Consequently, the main body would be facing a lineup of six Dao Integration cultivators plus three hundred Dao Assimilation cultivators. He actually wished the situation were reversed, as that would put less pressure on his main body. While ordinary Dao Assimilation cultivators were indeed nothing to him, easily cut down like vegetables, three hundred of them together could not be underestimated; this was a force even Dao Integration cultivators could not ignore. Fortunately, he had even given the clone some disguise beforehand, even equipping it with the Mountain-Shattering Blade.

Seeing the six Dao Integration cultivators silently charge towards him, the clone calmly constructed void runic patterns, then tossed the Mountain-Shattering Blade into the patterns. As a brilliant light erupted, an inexplicable mighty power descended. In that instant, all six charging Dao Integration cultivators felt a chill down their spines and their minds unsettled. By the time they recovered, there was no one in front of them. They had no idea what had happened or where that human soldier cultivator had gone.

Blackblood, however, clearly witnessed the clone being obliterated by the will of a supreme treasure. He immediately turned to the grid square where Lu Ye's main body was, sneering, "Let's see how you die now!" A mere Dao Assimilation cultivator actually had the potential to disrupt the grand scheme and grant the opposing strategist the right to deploy four additional grid squares each turn. How could he tolerate this?

What he saw was a void runic pattern appearing beside Lu Ye. Lu Ye reached into it and grasped the Mountain-Shattering Blade. The next moment, a blood-red light spread out, and a vast sea of blood filled the entire grid square.

The six Dao Integration cultivators, leading numerous Dao Assimilation cultivators, were charging towards Lu Ye. Upon seeing the sea of blood unfold, one of them immediately revealed a look of disdain. This was because he was, surprisingly, of the Blood Race. He scoffed, "Blood Sea Technique? Truly laughable!" As he spoke, the Blood Race Dao Integration cultivator's vital energy surged, and he likewise unfurled his own sea of blood. No one could defeat a Blood Race member within a sea of blood! The Blood Sea Technique originated from the Blood Race; though many cultivators of other races practiced it, how could their mastery of this secret art compare to his? In the eyes of this Blood Race Dao Integration cultivator, Lu Ye employing the Blood Sea Technique was simply seeking his own death. The opponent's sea of blood would not only cause him no interference but would instead become his aid. He couldn't understand why this human soldier cultivator was so foolish.

In a flash, the two seas of blood merged, filling the entire grid square with crimson. The Blood Race Dao Integration cultivator immediately sensed Lu Ye's location and promptly pointed the way for his five companions. He didn't bother with the Dao Assimilation cultivators, as there was no need. Within the sea of blood, Lu Ye's gaze was solemn as he charged forward with his blade. He clearly sensed a gaze secretly observing him within the blood sea, undoubtedly from the Blood Race Dao Integration cultivator. Thus, as long as he was in this sea of blood, any of his actions would be completely discerned by the opponent. He had long been mentally prepared for this.

The six opposing Dao Integration cultivators were positioned with the Blood Race member at the rear. Leading them were a Body Cultivator and a Soldier Cultivator, with two Spell Cultivators providing support on the flanks, their spells rumbling and ready to unleash, and a Ghost Cultivator hidden in the shadows.

"Die!" the Body Cultivator roared, being the first to reach Lu Ye. He threw a powerful punch at Lu Ye, his wrist bracers flashing with light, indicating immense force. Lu Ye's long blade descended, its surface radiating brilliant light. The moment fist met blade, the Body Cultivator's expression drastically changed, and he let out a cry of alarm. This single strike had actually pierced his Dao power, cleaving his fist in two, and continued its descent towards his body with undiminished force. The scent of death surged into his mind. The Body Cultivator was aghast and utterly confused. *How... how is this guy so strong?*

Just as he thought he was doomed, Lu Ye's blade momentum suddenly retracted, the blade light deflecting to block a spear attacking from the side. Lu Ye had to defend himself. This spear might not kill him, but if ignored, it would certainly injure him. His enemies were not just these two; there was also the Ghost Cultivator who had already attacked from behind, and the two Spell Cultivators on the flanks also posed a strong threat. In such a situation, if he ignored them, he would surely die. So, even though he had an opportunity to kill an enemy, Lu Ye had no choice but to abandon it.

A loud clang rang out. The spear-wielding Soldier Cultivator staggered, forced back by a flash of Lu Ye's blade light, and exclaimed, "This guy... he's incredibly powerful!" As he spoke, the Ghost Cultivator had already struck, delivering a heavy blow to Lu Ye's back. Furthermore, two spells simultaneously crashed down, enveloping Lu Ye. Even with Lu Ye's current strength, after enduring this series of attacks, his protective Dao power was breached. He couldn't help but shudder, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Yet, he used the Ghost Cultivator's attack to propel himself forward, instantly breaking free from the encirclement of the three enemies around him.

Directly ahead was the Blood Race member positioned at the rear. Seeing this, his eyes immediately lit up. Their combined assault had just injured the enemy, and this enemy seemed to be panicking and rushing blindly, heading directly towards him. Now was the perfect opportunity to kill, while the enemy's protective Dao power was broken. He reached out and clawed towards Lu Ye, roaring, "Die!"

In a flash, sharp fingertips dug into Lu Ye's forehead, tearing open five bloody holes. His Dao power surged, ready to instantly annihilate the enemy before him. However, at that very moment, a sense of dread suddenly descended. An invisible aura of power surged from all directions, causing his vital energy to freeze for an instant. Not only that, but the flow of Dao power within his body also became sluggish. He had experienced this feeling before: when facing Blood Race members with a stronger bloodline than his own. This was the sacred bloodline suppression among the Blood Race!

But... how could there be sacred bloodline suppression? Where was it coming from? Before he could finish his thoughts, he saw the seemingly panicking enemy's expression turn calm and cold. As a flash of blade light passed, his vision spun and inverted. In that instantaneous clash, the Blood Race Dao Integration cultivator was slain.

As the black light from the slain cultivator flew out and imprinted into Lu Ye's body, a cluster of shimmering light also appeared before him. Lu Ye reached out and grasped it, and the light immediately surged into his arm and vanished. Lu Ye immediately felt invigorated. This kind of "surprise," which directly enhanced his strength, was precisely what he craved at the moment. One could say that killing this Blood Race member instantly increased his power by 250 Dao, and his target had been this Blood Race Dao Integration cultivator from the very beginning. Because of the sacred bloodline suppression, he could catch the opponent off guard, making the kill easier. Of course, if given the chance, he would have liked to kill the Body Cultivator he first engaged with, but doing so would have been too risky.

No sooner had he succeeded than two more spells slammed into him, making Lu Ye stagger. Fortunately, he had already gathered some Dao power for protection, otherwise, those two blows would have been much harder to bear. Without pause, he continued to charge forward. Within the grid square, not only were the remaining five Dao Integration cultivators, but also three hundred Dao Assimilation cultivators! Even if killing a single Dao Assimilation cultivator only provided a minor power increase, eliminating all of them would be an enormous gain.

"Xue Che is dead!" the Body Cultivator exclaimed in horror. In that momentary clash, he had truly felt Lu Ye's strength. By himself, he was no match for a single strike, yet Xue Che was even stronger than him and had even unfurled his own sea of blood, effectively having the ultimate home advantage. How could he have died? He couldn't comprehend it, nor could the other Dao Integration cultivators; they simply felt Xue Che had died in a bewildering manner.

This was no time for further contemplation, as Lu Ye had already charged into the ranks of the numerous Dao Assimilation cultivators and was now slaughtering them. Wherever he went, streams of black light, like meteors chasing the moon, followed behind Lu Ye, imprinting into his body and continuously increasing his power. The five Dao Integration cultivators pursued closely from behind, each employing their own methods of attack. Xue Che's death had undoubtedly made them extremely wary, so these five were now tightly clustered together, not seeking merit when attacking Lu Ye, but merely aiming to make no mistakes.

Lu Ye could not shake them off. Not only was he slower than the Dao Integration cultivators, but his actions were also delayed by his need to slaughter the Dao Assimilation cultivators. Thus, after only a moment, he found himself somewhat disoriented from the relentless attacks. His protective Dao power had been breached and reformed countless times. He was also looking for an opportunity to kill another Dao Integration cultivator, but unfortunately, the enemy's formation was too tight, giving him no opening whatsoever. In a short time, Lu Ye felt as though his entire being was somewhat fragmented. Had it not been for the concealment of the sea of blood, he wouldn't have been able to continue much longer.

At this point, the enemies finally realized something was wrong. The Body Cultivator shouted, "Quick, break the sea of blood!" Originally, while the Blood Race Dao Integration cultivator was alive, this sea of blood could have been an aid to them. However, with the Blood Race Dao Integration cultivator's death, the sea of blood became an obstacle. Under the crimson shroud, they found it difficult to accurately track Lu Ye's movements.