Chapter 2620: Not a Match

Sparks flew. Lu Ye felt a violent tremor in his arm, and his eyes instantly narrowed.

Lord Mayor truly didn't deceive me. This Jiao is indeed stronger than I am right now, much stronger!

Because at this moment, he had already activated his Holy Nature, creating a certain degree of bloodline suppression against Jiao. Yet, the power feedback from Jiao's short blade was still incredibly immense. The crucial point was the physical strength; due to the disparity in cultivation realm and physical body, Lu Ye was clearly outmatched.

"Bound artifact, bound artifact, Lu Ye, this is a bound artifact!" Liao's voice rang out excitedly beside his ear.

Since the battle began, it had sensed the aura of numerous bound artifacts. To it, this was like a cat encountering the smell of fish. However, neither it nor Lu Ye could pinpoint the location of these artifacts or who possessed them, making it impossible to target them.

Moreover, even if they could determine the bound artifacts' locations, it was hard to gauge the strength of their wielders. Someone like Black Blood, for instance, very likely possessed bound artifacts, but how could Lu Ye possibly be their match?

Now it seemed Jiao's Dao weapon was also a bound artifact.

The instantaneous clash confirmed this for Liao.

Lu Ye paid no attention. As a Scion of the Star Abyss, how could Jiao not possess bound artifacts? What's more, he didn't just have one bound short blade, but two!

The one blocking Lu Ye's blade was a golden short blade. Suddenly, a silver short blade appeared in Jiao's other hand. At first glance, the two blades looked almost identical, differing only in their orientation, as if one were a mirror image of the other.

The silver short blade, with lightning speed, sliced towards Lu Ye's lower abdomen!

Lu Ye's hair stood on end. In that instant, he had only two choices: continue to press his attack on Jiao and sever his head, or retreat to evade Jiao's strike.

Dao power surged like a tide. Lu Ye's right arm, holding the blade, vibrated violently and subtly. Each vibration was a full burst of his strength.

Blade Vibration!

How could he miss such a heaven-sent opportunity!

Blood splattered. The flesh on Lu Ye's arm tore, and pain surged through him, yet he remained oblivious.

This strike could be said to have caught Jiao off guard. His pupils constricted. He felt the enemy's power assail him like waves, one after another, and for a moment, he found himself unable to resist.

The golden short blade was forced down, and the sharp edge of Lu Ye's blade pressed against Jiao's neck. Lu Ye, with an overwhelming momentum, chopped down fiercely!

However, the next moment, Lu Ye frowned. The anticipated scene of Jiao's head being severed did not occur. He clearly felt a tremendous obstruction as the Pan Mountain Blade cut into Jiao's neck bone. This obstruction was so great that even with the Pan Mountain Blade's current sharpness, it couldn't cut through.

A sharp pain flared in his lower abdomen – Jiao's counterattack had arrived. That silver short blade was also a bound artifact, so its sharpness went without saying. Moreover, Jiao's strength at this moment was considerably greater than Lu Ye's.

As the two fiercely attacked each other, neither bothered with defense.

The short blade nearly tore open Lu Ye's entire abdomen. Fortunately, he sensed something was wrong and slightly pulled his body back.

The next instant, a golden flash rapidly expanded in his vision. It was Jiao, who had pulled out the golden short blade previously blocking Lu Ye's attack and thrust it towards Lu Ye's face.

Jiao had brazenly abandoned all self-protection, relying solely on the toughness of his neck bone to withstand the blade, intending to use the momentum to deliver a killing blow to his powerful enemy.

This was a life-for-life fighting style, and his daring to do so indicated his certainty that Lu Ye couldn't sever his head.

Faced with such a brutal strike, Lu Ye had no choice but to swiftly retreat.

Standing firm, he raised a hand to his waist and abdomen, tensing his muscles to seal the wound.

When he looked up again, blood flowed freely from Jiao's neck, drenching his lower body in crimson. Yet, in that brief moment of delay, Jiao had already "pulled" half of his body out of the restraint.

He finally stood within Lu Ye's "grid." He shook his head slightly, and blood gushed out like a fountain…

Jiao paused, surprised. He had originally intended to use his own power to seal the wound, just as Lu Ye had, which would have been an easy task for him. But to his astonishment, a peculiar power now lingered around the wound, preventing him from doing so.

This made his head-shaking motion appear rather foolish…

"You've got some skill, after all!" Jiao nodded slightly, showing an expression of approval towards Lu Ye. However, almost as he spoke, he transformed into a streak of bloody light and charged at Lu Ye.

Blackie's turn had already begun. It had taken him three breaths to get from his position to Lu Ye, leaving him only seventeen breaths to contend with Lu Ye. If he couldn't kill his enemy within seventeen breaths, he would have to wait until the next turn, as the enemy would surely escape.

He naturally wouldn't waste precious time.

The sudden attack arrived. A speck of golden light rapidly expanded in Lu Ye's vision, almost consuming all light.

Lu Ye dared not be negligent. His long blade slashed out diagonally, narrowly deflecting the strike. However, the short blade in Jiao's other hand was already attacking from below.

He hastily parried, transforming the Pan Mountain Blade into a blur of shadows.

Jiao's offensive was extremely fast, forcing Lu Ye to respond with equal speed. However, such a response was an immense burden for him at this moment.

Because after using Blade Vibration, the flesh on his right arm was torn and had no time to recover.

While it was true that at his current cultivation level, physical injuries weren't difficult to recover from, it still required some time. Jiao had noticed this and wouldn't give him the opportunity.

With each clash, Lu Ye's body continually retreated. His full strength was impossible to exert due to his injuries, and the tears on his right arm continuously cycled between healing and re-tearing.

What troubled Lu Ye most was that in the contest of Dao power, he was also no match for Jiao.

Those who had achieved Dao Integration could borrow power, exerting strength far beyond their inherent foundation. As a Scion of the Star Abyss, Jiao's affinity for Star Abyss aura and Dao power surpassed that of ordinary Dao Integration cultivators. Therefore, even if he shared the same inherent foundation as another Dao Integration cultivator, he could borrow more and stronger external power.

This was the greatest advantage of a Scion of the Star Abyss after advancing to Dao Integration.

Lu Ye, currently at the Dao Fusion cultivation level, couldn't enjoy this advantage, but he was experiencing it firsthand now.

"Yes, exactly! Hahahahaha!" Liao laughed maniacally. Its own weapon master engaging in such a life-and-death struggle with an enemy was precisely what it yearned for. With every clash against the opponent's bound artifact, it could devour a bit of its mysterious essence.

Therefore, as long as Lu Ye could keep fighting, it could completely devour the mysterious essence within Jiao's bound artifacts. At that point, Jiao was sure to lose, just like the enemies in the arena before. And by doing so, Liao could overcome its second hurdle!

Amidst Liao's clamor, Lu Ye's body spurted blood.

Jiao's assault was too rapid; with both blades striking simultaneously, Lu Ye could only parry seven or eight out of ten blows, with the rest landing squarely on him.

In just a few breaths, Lu Ye had scarcely a single uninjured spot on his body. The most severe wound was visibly located at his neck bone, where flesh was now ripped open and mangled, presenting a truly gruesome sight.