Chapter 2645: This Life Without Regrets

"What's your name?" Huang Shiniang suddenly turned to look at Lu Ye again.

"Lu Ye, of the Human Race!" Lu Ye quickly cupped his fists, a belated but necessary gesture of respect.

Huang Shiniang scrutinized him from head to toe, her eyes unreadable. After a long moment, she nodded and motioned for him. "Come here!" she commanded.

No sooner had she spoken than Lu Ye found himself unable to resist her summons. It felt as if space itself was compressed, and he was instantly transported to stand before the Phoenix Lord.

She then raised her hand, fingers spread wide, hovering it over Lu Ye's head. Spatial energy permeated the air, causing the void around Lu Ye to warp slightly.

Though he didn't know what the Phoenix Lord intended, Lu Ye felt no tension. While her attitude clearly indicated she wasn't fond of him, there seemed to be no malice or killing intent, just a simple dislike.

Soon, Lu Ye understood her purpose. As the Phoenix Lord acted, Lu Ye distinctly felt the residual power of the supreme treasure in his wounds rapidly receding. No, not disappearing, but being stripped away.

During the previous battle, when Blood Calamity had taken control of his body to fight Yun Shiwang, Lu Ye had sustained considerable injuries. The wounds were imbued with the supreme treasure's power, which he couldn't remove on his own. Even his Talent Tree couldn't incinerate it in a short time.

But now, with the Phoenix Lord's actions, Lu Ye clearly felt his wounds improving. He was secretly astonished. The Phoenix Lord's mastery of the spatial dao was simply unparalleled. She was undoubtedly using the path of space, with threads of spatial energy enveloping and extracting the treasure's power. Tiny tendrils of power drifted away, transforming into sword glints that vanished into the depths of the void. These were the stripped-away Intents of the Heavenly Revolving Sword.

"Thank you, Phoenix Lord!" Lu Ye expressed his gratitude. Although his Talent Tree could eventually incinerate these lingering effects, it would take time. The Phoenix Lord's method was far more convenient.

Huang Shiniang paid him no mind, her gaze fixed on the distant battlefield, a deep worry in her eyes.

"Phoenix Lord, you said Blood Calamity wouldn't give up. Does he dare to return?" Yuan Xi had been pondering Huang Shiniang's words, and an uneasy premonition began to form in her heart.

Furthermore, Blood Calamity had indeed shown signs of tearing through the void earlier. Though merely a probe, it had revealed his intent. This individual truly wouldn't give up.

The Phoenix Lord stated calmly, "Alone, of course, he wouldn't dare."

Yuan Xi's heart sank. No wonder the Phoenix Lord had just advised them not to wander off. If things were as she suspected, then this very spot was the safest place. No one knew from which direction Blood Calamity might reappear, and leaving now would risk encountering him without any means of self-defense.

This conflict in the snowy plains was escalating, potentially even triggering the greatest upheaval the Inner Realm had ever seen. She turned her head, looking in a direction where Yuan Xi City was concealed. After the game of chess had concluded, You Die had immediately steered their city far away.

Their city was currently still at the Hong-tier level, but with the numerous Dao Integration Orb fragments Lu Ye had sent back earlier, it could ascend to the Zhou-tier simply by integrating them. How many Zhou-tier Dao Integration Cities were there in the entire Inner Realm? And under normal circumstances, how much time would it take for a Dao Integration City to progress from nothing to the Zhou-tier? Yet, with Lu Ye's assistance, Yuan Xi City had the opportunity to achieve this goal in a very short time.

Composing herself, she looked towards the battlefield. A battle of this magnitude was not something one witnessed every day. Ba Qiu and Yun Shiwang's battle was incredibly fierce, many times more intense than Lu Ye's duels in the death arena. This was, after all, a clash between two top-tier powerhouses wielding supreme treasures, each collision unleashing turbulent shockwaves.

Moreover, Yun Shiwang seemed to grow stronger with each passing moment. Compared to his previous fight with Blood Calamity, his strength had increased by almost double. Lu Ye looked up to see the battlefield scarred and fragmented, portions of the void shattered like mirrors fallen to the ground.

Neither side in the battle employed elaborate secret techniques or flashy moves; it was a pure, brutal clash of strength. A long sword against a greatsword, almost every strike drawing blood. Ba Qiu was covered in wounds, and Yun Shiwang was in no better state. The battle had reached a point where both were severely injured.

"It's too late!" At a certain moment, the Phoenix Lord suddenly sighed softly and removed her hand from Lu Ye's head.

What was "too late" was not her healing of Lu Ye. Through her recent efforts, almost all of the supreme treasure's residual power had been stripped from Lu Ye's wounds. The remaining small amount could be incinerated by his Talent Tree.

What was truly too late was the battle between Ba Qiu and Yun Shiwang. If all went well, once Ba Qiu shattered the Heavenly Revolving Sword, she could immediately take him away, preventing ill-intentioned individuals from seizing an opportunity. However, Shang's assimilation of the supreme treasure required a process.

The Phoenix Lord keenly sensed fluctuations of spatial energy at a location a million *li* away. Blood Calamity had returned to kill! He had left more than one contingency in this void. The Phoenix Lord had been able to stop him earlier because she was close enough, but for a contingency a million *li* away, she was powerless. She couldn't help but feel annoyed, thinking how cunningly Blood Calamity had timed his moves.

Yuan Xi also sensed something amiss and turned to look in that direction, but unfortunately, the distance was too great for her to see anything. A moment later, even Lu Ye, who had been watching the battle, vaguely felt that something was wrong. An inexplicable, hidden killing intent seemed to be accumulating around them. Though not directed at him, it still sent a chill down his spine.

Huang Shiniang snorted coldly, "A bunch of cowards hiding in the shadows!" When Ba Qiu was at his peak, no one dared to challenge him directly. Now that he was injured, these individuals were like cats scenting fish, eagerly leaping out, a truly nauseating sight. They continued to lurk in the shadows, holding back, patiently waiting for the opportune moment.

Just then, a sound emanated. It wasn't loud, almost imperceptible compared to the clashes between the two powerhouses, yet it was exceptionally clear, resonating deep within everyone's hearts. Lu Ye's eyes narrowed as he watched. The sound was none other than the shattering of the Heavenly Revolving Sword. This supreme treasure sword, which originated from the same starfield as him, had finally had its mysteries completely devoured by Shang. Its supreme treasure form broken, it disintegrated into countless fragments that scattered in all directions.

Then Lu Ye watched as Ba Qiu, drenched in blood, swung his greatsword towards Yun Shiwang's neck. Unless something unforeseen happened, that single strike would surely decapitate Yun Shiwang, granting him complete release.

However, just as Ba Qiu's greatsword was about to touch Yun Shiwang's neck, he suddenly halted his motion, uttered a soft "Oh," took a serious look at Yun Shiwang, and then withdrew his greatsword. Yun Shiwang, now devoid of his supreme treasure, slowly lowered his head. His rigid eyes moved slightly, and a flicker of expression appeared on his pale, bloodless face.

From a distance, Lu Ye witnessed this scene, his pupils constricting. Without hesitation, he flashed towards Yifu City.

"Great Commander!" Yuan Xi exclaimed in alarm, quickly chasing after him. The Phoenix Lord hesitated for a moment, then also followed closely.

The figures soon landed in Yifu City. The already dilapidated small city now appeared even more ravaged, as the two powerhouses had clashed within it. The entire city, except for Ba Qiu's throne, had been razed to the ground. This showed that even during his life-and-death struggle with Yun Shiwang, Ba Qiu still had enough power to protect his throne. The throne itself wasn't important; what mattered was the Cosmic-tier Dao Integration Orb embedded in its armrest. This orb provided a powerful enhancement to Ba Qiu's overall strength.

The Inner Realm's strongest expert, whose essence and blood were now surging, paid no attention to the intruders. His cold gaze swept across the surrounding void.

Lu Ye walked straight past him and stood before Yun Shiwang. Yun Shiwang was still looking down at his hands, his eyes filled with a dazed expression. It was only when he sensed Lu Ye's arrival that he slowly raised his head. Lu Ye's blurry reflection shimmered in his cloudy eyes. He focused intently to distinguish the figure, and then his eyes brightened slightly. He opened his mouth, "Junior Brother Lu?"

His voice was hoarse, like porcelain grinding together, a sound that grated on the ears. Lu Ye, however, seemed oblivious, only managing a strained reply, "Senior Brother Yun..."

He hadn't expected Yun Shiwang to regain his sanity at the very end. Ba Qiu had refrained from delivering that final strike precisely because he sensed this. There was no animosity between him and Yun Shiwang; Ba Qiu had only come because he was drawn by the supreme treasure. Now that his wish was granted, there was naturally no need to utterly destroy his opponent.

Yun Shiwang smiled, but cracks like shattered porcelain appeared on his cheeks. The brief exchange between the two left both Yuan Xi and Huang Shiniang utterly astonished, neither having known that these two were acquainted. However, Yuan Xi finally understood why Lu Ye's emotions had seemed off earlier. It turned out that this sword slave was actually her Great Commander's senior brother.

Lu Ye stepped forward, supporting the swaying Yun Shiwang and helping him to slowly sit down. Although Yun Shiwang had regained some consciousness, he was clearly not fully lucid. After a moment of regaining his composure, he suddenly asked anxiously, "Junior Brother, how are things in the starfield?"

Lu Ye gently patted his hand, which was also covered in cracks. "Senior Brother, don't worry. Thanks to your vigilance in guarding the Star Abyss Gate back then, I've used the power of Mount Fangcun to seal it. Although the other Star Abyss Gates still exist, our starfield now has the means to cope. The starfield is safe!"

Yun Shiwang instantly showed a look of profound relief. "That's good, that's truly good! At least no great mistake was made!" Even now, he was still preoccupied with the mistake he had made all those years ago.

He then looked carefully at Lu Ye again. "Junior Brother, your cultivation has progressed so rapidly; you've even made it to the Inner Realm! This is truly wonderful. To be able to see an old friend one last time... Heaven has been kind to me, Yun Shiwang. I have no regrets in this life!"

"Senior Brother!" Lu Ye's eyes reddened. In his vision, Yun Shiwang's smile froze, and his entire being suddenly disintegrated like a pile of sand, turning to dust that slipped through Lu Ye's fingers.