Chapter 2615: Re-Slash

Within the grid square, Lu Ye's body was hunched, as if burdened by immense weight. Gripping his blade with both hands, he struggled to raise it. The spellcaster's techniques assailed him relentlessly, causing him to stagger. Meanwhile, three body cultivators charged in forcefully, rapidly closing the distance, their eyes alight with chilling killing intent.

Yet, in that very instant, the gelatinous substance encasing Lu Ye's body and even his Pan Shan blade melted away as quickly as snow under a scorching sun. His hunched posture straightened.

It must be said that the secret technique unleashed by the spellcaster was quite remarkable. This binding spell might have lacked destructive power, but it was incredibly vexing and troublesome – the very type weapon cultivators like Lu Ye most despised. Once afflicted, one's speed would be severely restricted.

To counter such techniques, one either relies on speed to evade or sheer force to break through. Lu Ye couldn't evade through speed, but his current power, exceeding 2100 Daos, vastly surpassed that of the spellcaster. Therefore, breaking this technique was, in fact, not a difficult feat for him. He merely needed to choose the opportune moment.

This was the perfect moment. Black's turn had just begun, granting him at least twenty breaths to eliminate his enemies. Furthermore, after those twenty breaths, Yuan Xi wasn't obligated to make a move; she could delay a bit longer!

The sudden turn of events stunned the three approaching enemies. The body cultivators and their companions then grasped that Lu Ye's previous actions had all been a feint, designed purely to lure them into a trap. Now that they had charged in, withdrawing would prove a lengthy endeavor.

Recalling Lu Ye's previously demonstrated terrifying power, the body cultivator felt a prickle of fear, instinctively contemplating retreat. He had, after all, narrowly escaped death twice under Lu Ye's blade, leaving him genuinely traumatized. As this thought crossed his mind, his speed involuntarily faltered.

The spear-wielding weapon cultivator keenly sensed the body cultivator's shifting resolve. He immediately bellowed, "On a narrow path, the brave prevail!" He propelled this cry with his Dao power, focusing it into a resonant burst that struck the body cultivator's ears. It was like the resounding peal of a temple bell, shaking his very soul.

The body cultivator's spirit jolted. Right, neither Lu Ye nor they had any path of retreat now. After two rounds of engagement, their side had sustained heavy casualties, and Lu Ye himself was far from unharmed. He had been severely battered while fleeing from the adjacent grid square, not to mention his previous injuries; at present, Lu Ye resembled a blood-soaked gourd. Crucially, within this particular grid square, he had no escape route, even if he wished to retreat.

The fear in his eyes vanished, replaced by a ruthless determination. The body cultivator gritted his teeth and roared. This grid square was where they would either achieve victory and retreat, or perish in battle!

In a flash, the three figures closed in on Lu Ye, each unleashing their distinct abilities. Yet, confronted by this coordinated assault, Lu Ye didn't retreat. Instead, he advanced, stepping forward. With his Dao power surging, he brought his heavy blade down on the central body cultivator.

As the long blade swung, the body cultivator perceived a monstrous beast head vaguely manifesting behind Lu Ye, its blood-red maw wide open, baring its fangs directly at him. The body cultivator was utterly enraged. Lu Ye had targeted him repeatedly; he had narrowly escaped death twice before, and now it was happening again. He was, after all, a tough and resilient body cultivator. If the enemy truly aimed to kill, shouldn't they focus on the frail ghost cultivator? Or at the very least, the other weapon cultivator. Why did he keep singling him out? Did he truly believe he was easy to bully?

However, given his previous two encounters, he knew well that he was no match for Lu Ye in a direct clash; the power disparity was too vast. So, without hesitation, he bit his tongue. As a mist of blood erupted from his body, his aura suddenly surged significantly. This was clearly a desperate secret technique. He didn't aim to slay the enemy, but merely to survive this blade strike. Because he still had his companions!

As the sharp long blade descended, the body cultivator's face twitched with apprehension. He distinctly felt the blade strike his neck, halted by his protective Dao power. Having learned from previous experiences, he knew full well that his protective Dao power couldn't withstand this terrifying blade strike. Barring any unexpected turns, the blade would surely cleave through his defenses like tofu and sever his head.

Yet, at this critical juncture between life and death, his mind was not panicked at all; instead, it was remarkably clear. In his peripheral vision, he saw his weapon cultivator companion's long spear and the ghost cultivator's short blade simultaneously parrying the enemy's blade. Both companions then trembled violently, staggering backward from the direct confrontation with the enemy, sent flying a considerable distance by the blade.

The body cultivator's eyes instantly brightened. His two companions had executed a perfectly coordinated move for him; though repelled by the formidable enemy, their combined efforts had neutralized most of the blade's force. This blade... it absolutely couldn't break through his protective power! Conversely, the enemy's momentum was now spent, presenting him with an excellent opportunity to strike.

The body cultivator dared not hesitate, knowing such perfect coordination was not easily achieved. He raised his fist, Dao power swirling around its edge, and launched a ferocious punch towards Lu Ye's head.

"Die!" the body cultivator roared, envisioning the enemy's head bursting open like a watermelon.

Yet, as their gazes met, he found Lu Ye's eyes perfectly calm, devoid of any panic. Within that stillness, there was even a strong undercurrent of mockery.

The Pan Shan blade vibrated subtly.

The body cultivator suddenly grunted in pain. In that precise moment, the wound at his waist felt as if it were being violently torn open by an invisible hand. Blood spurted forth, and a searing pain shot through him. The body cultivator was utterly terrified.

Truthfully, while the pain from the wound was intense, it was nothing he couldn't tolerate. He had endured countless battles throughout his life, suffering far more grievous injuries on numerous occasions. What was this minor wound and discomfort? The crucial point was that this injury flared up without warning, precisely as he was channeling all his strength into an attack, effectively catching him completely off guard.

Most importantly, his previously bisected waist wound had been sealed by Dao power, which had maintained his body's integrity. Now, with the wound suddenly torn open and under his vigorous exertion, his entire upper body became unstable. Consequently, his Dao power also became unstable. This punch, originally aimed at Lu Ye's head, lost all accuracy due to the body cultivator's upper body imbalance. Furthermore, the instability of his Dao power severely diminished his protective strength. He hastily tried to stabilize himself, but then felt a sudden sting and coolness at his neck. His eyes widened in alarm...

Then he distinctly felt the very scene he had just foreseen: the sharp long blade cleaving through his protective Dao power like tofu, slicing into his flesh, then into his neck. His vision spun and inverted.

He had been decapitated... The body cultivator understood this with chilling clarity, yet he truly couldn't comprehend why. He and his companions had coordinated flawlessly; this had been their prime opportunity to kill the enemy, but they had ultimately failed.

Ah, yes. The wound at his waist had always been enveloped by a peculiar power that he couldn't dissipate, making the injury impossible to heal. Now, it appeared that this peculiar power didn't merely impede wound recovery; it could even be manipulated by the enemy to produce unexpected effects at crucial moments.

His consciousness sank, and his vision faded to black.

"Ah…" The spear-wielding weapon cultivator and the ghost cultivator cried out in unison. They had never imagined that the body cultivator would be slain just as the two of them were repelled by Lu Ye! How could he be so utterly useless? Panic seized them. In an instant, one of their trio had been eliminated by Lu Ye. Now with only two remaining, what were they to do? Even the spellcaster nearby, utterly stunned, momentarily halted his relentless assault.

As the body cultivator died, a mass of black light floated from his corpse, entered Lu Ye's body, and vanished. A faint glow was left behind where he had fallen. Lu Ye immediately reached out to grasp it. A surge of delight filled him. Since the glow contained no physical object, it implied the 'surprise' it offered would directly enhance his strength. This would undoubtedly facilitate his subsequent elimination of enemies.

The glow vanished, but Lu Ye frowned. Things weren't quite as he had expected; the 'surprise' within the glow wasn't a direct power boost, but a different kind of benefit.

At this juncture, the spear-wielding weapon cultivator and the ghost cultivator had already regrouped with the spellcaster, their eyes fixed on Lu Ye with deep apprehension.

"What do we do?" the ghost cultivator asked, at a loss.

Of the six Dao-Harmonizing cultivators, only three remained. Moreover, there were no Fusion Dao cultivators to assist them in this grid square, as Black Blood had not deployed the surviving Fusion Dao cultivators when he sent them here. He likely believed those Fusion Dao cultivators would be ineffective, perhaps even boosting Lu Ye's power, which is why he left them behind.

Now that the body cultivator was dead, there was no one to lead the charge. Neither the weapon cultivator nor the ghost cultivator dared to directly face Lu Ye's formidable edge. Even their combined efforts had just failed to block a single one of his blade strikes. The sheer, savage power of that long blade still sent shivers down their spines when they recalled it. Not to mention that their opponent had just killed the body cultivator, gaining dozens of additional Dao power points.

"Delay!" the weapon cultivator stated concisely. Since they were no match, their only option was to delay. As for whether this would displease their own player, he couldn't afford to care. If they engaged Lu Ye again, they would surely lose their lives; nothing else would matter then.

The ghost cultivator understood immediately. What they called 'delaying' was merely a polite term; in harsher words, it was fleeing. Fortunately, these recent engagements had shown them that Lu Ye wasn't particularly fast. So, as long as they avoided direct confrontation, they could still survive. At worst, they would simply circle within this grid square, assuming a weapon cultivator wouldn't possess strong long-range attacks. As long as they could delay until the next turn, Black Blood would likely either move them or dispatch other reinforcements.

"He's coming!" the spellcaster whispered. In his vision, Lu Ye charged toward them with his blade raised. Despite his evident severe injuries, his bloodied form and tangible killing intent, as if he had returned from purgatory, made the three Dao-Harmonizing cultivators afraid to meet his gaze.

"Scatter!" The weapon cultivator declared, already darting in one direction. The ghost cultivator was even more decisive, activating a secret technique that made his figure suddenly vanish from the spot. The spellcaster, meanwhile, fled in the opposite direction from the weapon cultivator.

At this point, only a little over five breaths had passed since the four of them had charged into this grid square.