Chapter 2614: 功亏一篑

Yuan Xi's only regret was that the surprise generated when Lu Ye ambushed and killed the ghost cultivator was bestowed upon the chess player. This surprise differed from the previous two, not granting her the ability to move an additional two squares, but rather a different kind of benefit. While the surprise was excellent and would undoubtedly prove useful in a crucial moment, Yuan Xi wished more for Lu Ye to enhance his own strength, as that would significantly aid his current predicament.

Inside the chess square, Lu Ye had already slain nearly fifty Fusion Dao cultivators when he suddenly sensed a killing intent from behind. Without a second thought, he shifted his body to evade. Yet, the killing intent was relentless and incredibly swift. Unable to fully evade, he could only turn hastily, swinging his long saber to cut through a beam of light that surged towards him. That was clearly an attack from the last remaining Spell Cultivator. This explained why he had chosen to target a distant opponent earlier, foregoing a sneak attack on the Body Cultivator or Soldier Cultivator to instead strike one of the Spell Cultivators. His lower cultivation realm already put him at a significant speed disadvantage compared to the Harmony Dao cultivators. If he didn't quickly eliminate the Spell Cultivators, creating distance would inevitably lead to serious trouble. Unfortunately, time was short, and the enemies were not to be underestimated, so he only managed to kill one. The remaining Spell Cultivator was proving to be a problem.

Distracted by the Spell Cultivator, the three formidable enemies had already closed in. Lu Ye's expression sharpened. He met the Body Cultivator's gaze, and his saber light ruthlessly descended upon him. In that very instant, the Body Cultivator was gripped by terror. Having experienced Lu Ye's fearsome strength before, he knew he was no match. Fortunately, he was not alone; he had allies. He immediately raised both arms. The two armguards on his wrists shifted in color, turning a dark, seemingly incredibly heavy black. As the armguards struck each other, Dao energy coalesced into a protective barrier before him.

The next instant, a sharp pain shot through his waist! How was this possible? The Body Cultivator's eyes widened. Only then did he belatedly realize that, in a moment of life and death, he had misjudged the direction of the enemy's blade. No! It wasn't his misjudgment; the enemy had used some technique to interfere with his perception. The sharp long saber sliced into the Body Cultivator's flesh. He distinctly felt himself being cut open, and no matter how much power he channeled, he couldn't slow the blade's progress.

The Soldier Cultivator and Ghost Cultivator's attacks struck Lu Ye from both sides. Their combined might only caused his body to sway slightly, failing to even breach his protective Dao energy. Just as the Body Cultivator believed his end was certain, Lu Ye's movements abruptly faltered. The Spell Cultivator's attack had landed! This was Lu Ye's chance to press on and eliminate another enemy Harmony Dao cultivator. Naturally, he wasn't willing to miss such an opportune moment. In their first engagement, this very Body Cultivator had narrowly escaped his blade, and Lu Ye certainly wouldn't allow that to happen a second time. Therefore, he was prepared to withstand the Spell Cultivator's attack. He estimated that while the Spell Cultivator might be able to breach his protective Dao energy, he would at most sustain minor, non-fatal injuries. Trading an injury for an opponent's life was undoubtedly a worthwhile exchange. If he could eliminate just one more enemy Harmony Dao cultivator, the rest would be much simpler.

To his surprise, when the Spell Cultivator's attack landed, Lu Ye felt no impact. The attack was soft and lacked force, yet it enveloped his Pan Mountain Saber like a layer of gelatinous substance, impeding his blade's momentum. Not only that, but the numerous surviving Fusion Dao cultivators had finally recovered and simultaneously launched their attacks at him. A strong sense of crisis immediately welled up within Lu Ye. If he continued this strike, the Body Cultivator would undoubtedly perish, but Lu Ye himself would likely suffer a grim fate.

Without hesitation, he immediately pulled back his saber and slashed towards the Ghost Cultivator. The Ghost Cultivator shrieked, was sent flying a considerable distance, and both his arms trembled violently. The spear-wielding Soldier Cultivator, however, seized the opportunity to thrust his spear into Lu Ye. His protective Dao energy was finally shattered as the spear pierced his right chest and emerged from his back. Before Lu Ye could retaliate, the Soldier Cultivator swiftly withdrew his spear and retreated, leaving a spray of blood mist on the weapon.

As several more beams of light struck, Lu Ye was about to dodge when he suddenly felt his Pan Mountain Saber become as heavy as a mountain, causing him to stumble. This was undoubtedly the Spell Cultivator's technique. The gelatinous light, whatever its mysterious properties, could seemingly alter its weight at will under the Spell Cultivator's control. Lu Ye was caught off guard as several beams of light accurately struck him, causing blood to spray. Furthermore, one of these beams transformed into the gelatinous substance, completely enveloping his entire body. The sensation of extreme weight now extended beyond his Pan Mountain Saber; his entire body felt as heavy as a mountain. Lu Ye abruptly looked up at the Spell Cultivator. A miscalculation. Had he known this Spell Cultivator possessed such peculiar abilities, he should have eliminated him first!

"Kill him quickly!" The Spell Cultivator's heart jolted as he met Lu Ye's fierce gaze. He yelled, his secret art having taken effect, making this an ideal moment to slay the enemy. Before his words fully left his lips, the three Harmony Dao cultivators jointly lunged at Lu Ye, while the Fusion Dao cultivators also employed their various techniques. Lu Ye awkwardly dodged and evaded, but it was futile. In moments, he was covered in wounds. Although he currently commanded roughly 2,100 units of Dao power, with his movements restricted, even a fierce tiger could not withstand a pack of wolves.

Fortunately, he soon realized he was being moved. Without hesitation, he fiercely channeled power to protect himself and surged forward. Blood spurted along his path, leaving him in a disheveled and desperate state. A moment later, the four enemy Harmony Dao cultivators and numerous Fusion Dao cultivators watched with visible frustration as Lu Ye retreated into an adjacent chess square.

"We still didn't kill him!" the Body Cultivator exclaimed, touching the wound on his waist with resentment. A peculiar energy now lingered around the wound, impeding its healing. Consequently, even a slight movement caused blood to gush from his waist, forcing him to expend energy just to maintain his body's stability.

"What exactly is going on with this guy?" The Ghost Cultivator's brow furrowed deeply. "He seems like a Fusion Dao cultivator, but his strength is far too immense." It was almost comical that after two rounds of combat, they still had no clear idea of Lu Ye's cultivation level.

"Regardless of his state, we must kill him in the next round," the spear-wielding Soldier Cultivator scoffed. As he spoke, he turned to the Spell Cultivator: "Can your binding technique last for twenty breaths?" Lu Ye's body and long saber were still encased in the gelatinous substance, and he appeared unable to dispel it. The Spell Cultivator replied, "As long as I'm alive, I can maintain it, but..."

"But what?"

"He might genuinely be a Fusion Dao cultivator! If he were a Harmony Dao, he should have been able to easily dispel my secret art." His secret art typically didn't achieve such a profound effect, at most only briefly entangling an enemy. Yet, its application on Lu Ye had proven remarkably effective. This was clearly a benefit stemming from realm suppression.

"A Fusion Dao cultivator this strong? Impossible, absolutely impossible!" The spear-wielding Soldier Cultivator vehemently shook his head. While he harbored similar suspicions, he would never admit them. The thought of six Harmony Dao cultivators leading three hundred Fusion Dao cultivators, only to lose two Harmony Dao and half of their Fusion Dao cultivators in just two rounds to one opponent, was utterly humiliating.

"Regardless of his cultivation level, he must die in the next round!" The Ghost Cultivator idly twirled the short blade in his hand, his expression dark and grim.

"Beware of him unleashing the Blood Sea again, and that inexplicable potent poison," the Body Cultivator warned. They had been caught off guard by that move before; having suffered from it once, they certainly needed to be wary. What reassured them, however, was that Lu Ye was currently undergoing urgent healing and showed no signs of deploying the Blood Sea. The main reason was that it would be difficult to unleash it again. He had deployed the Blood Sea twice in quick succession, and both times it had nearly been broken. His vital energy was unsettled, and forcing another deployment would not benefit him.

Yuan Xi's voice entered his ears: "Commander, can you still fight?" Observing Lu Ye's hindered movements and unfavorable situation, she couldn't help but feel concerned. Prior to this, she could only watch helplessly. However, when Lu Ye slew that Spell Cultivator, she received a surprise. If she used this surprise on Lu Ye, she could move him to a safe position.

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, the next round will be their end!" Lu Ye lowered his gaze and quietly responded. Yuan Xi's eyes lit up. She immediately realized that Lu Ye's situation was not as dire as she had imagined. He likely possessed a method to dispel the Spell Cultivator's secret art but was feigning helplessness to lure them into a trap. In fact, he could have dispelled it even before retreating into this chess square, but he deliberately chose not to. Had he dispelled it then, Black Blood would undoubtedly have moved the enemies away during his turn, and Lu Ye might not have been able to eliminate all of them in a short timeframe. However, starting a new round presented a different scenario. Lu Ye would not only have time to recover slightly but also more time to slay his enemies. Yuan Xi felt a great sense of relief, though outwardly she maintained an appearance of deep anxiety.

Black Blood, who had been observing her expressions, snorted coldly. "This child is certainly doomed. Without him, what will you use to contend with me?" When the chess game began, the black pieces held a significant advantage, which had given him considerable leverage in the exchanges between the chess players. Yet, in this short period, those advantages had been nullified. This entire shift originated from the White side's ability to move four additional squares each round. Although both players could now move an increasing number of squares as the game progressed, the advantage of those four extra squares could still accumulate significantly and was not to be overlooked. Fortunately, his side had responded swiftly enough. Despite incurring some costs, they could ultimately suppress this threat.

As he spoke, Black Blood swept his hand, his thoughts racing as he moved the black pieces across numerous squares, simultaneously unleashing a fierce attack towards Yuan Xi. Following his command, the four Harmony Dao cultivators, led by the Body Cultivator, surged into Lu Ye's location like fierce tigers descending from a mountain. The Spell Cultivator immediately summoned his Dao artifact, remaining in place as he unleashed beam-like attacks towards Lu Ye. The Body Cultivator led the charge, flanked by the Soldier Cultivator and Ghost Cultivator, rapidly closing in. Lu Ye stumbled to his feet, his aura seemingly weak. The three approaching enemies were reflected in his eyes. He gripped his saber with both hands, raising it with great effort, as if preparing for a final desperate resistance. Witnessing this, the three Harmony Dao cultivators, led by the Body Cultivator, no longer hesitated and sharply increased their speed.

"Kill!" the Body Cultivator roared, Dao energy surging around his body and vital essence condensing.