Chapter 2665: Fighting for Life

Novel Excerpt:

Lu Ye and Zhu Yin were both stunned by this scene. They had never encountered anything so strange before; even the Phoenix Clan's ancient texts contained no record of it.

The Void Beast, now merged into one, didn't show any significant changes, only its color became slightly more condensed. It turned and charged at another Void Beast, and with a swift touch, it rapidly absorbed that one as well.

"Senior Brother Lu..." Zhu Yin's expression changed.

How could Lu Ye not know the situation was dire? He darted after the Void Beast, his long saber repeatedly striking, but this special Void Beast was largely unaffected by the temporal force field and was incredibly agile. For a moment, Lu Ye couldn't catch up to it.

During this pursuit, one Void Beast after another was absorbed.

Lu Ye immediately sensed trouble and changed his strategy, attacking the Void Beasts that hadn't yet merged. These Void Beasts, slowed by the temporal force field, naturally couldn't evade his attacks.

A moment later, the scene cleared. The many Void Beasts had vanished, leaving only a final, distorted, viscous mass of black.

Compared to its initial state, this final Void Beast was only one size larger, but as it twisted and writhed, it slowly transformed into the shape of a bird.

Although it wasn't perfectly lifelike, both Lu Ye and Zhu Yin immediately recognized that the form the Void Beast had taken was that of a Phoenix!

A pair of scarlet eyes stared coldly at Lu Ye and Zhu Yin, and an astonishing malevolence permeated its entire being.

At that instant, Lu Ye took a step forward. The space around him twisted, and his figure rapidly blurred.

When he reappeared, he was already behind the Void Beast, his Panshan Saber imbued with potent spatial energy, slashing fiercely at its neck.

Almost simultaneously with his attack, Zhu Yin also transformed into a streak of white light, charging towards the Void Beast. As her small fist exploded forward, the void itself collapsed.

Saber light spread, and fist shadows raged.

Immediately, Lu Ye and Zhu Yin's pupils contracted to pinpricks. Despite being attacked from both front and back, the Void Beast remained perfectly still, enduring the relentless barrage. Yet, their furious assaults had little effect on it; both Lu Ye's slashes and Zhu Yin's powerful punches were blocked by the dancing blackness on its surface!

Lu Ye quickly withdrew his saber and stepped next to Zhu Yin. She simultaneously turned, and both rapidly fled outwards.

They were no match for it!

This Void Beast, having merged with over twenty of its kind, possessed spatial power that was shockingly formidable. In comparison, their combined strength simply couldn't penetrate its defenses. Such an enemy was clearly beyond their ability to fight.

Perhaps only the elders of the Phoenix Clan would have the ability to deal with it.

Both Lu Ye and Zhu Yin were decisive individuals. Knowing they were outmatched, they wouldn't dither.

However, the very next moment, Lu Ye felt a chill run down his spine. An incredibly sharp killing intent swiftly assaulted him from behind, making his skin prickle with pain.

No matter how fast he ran, he couldn't shake off that killing intent.

He suddenly spun around. In his sight, several sharp black spikes pierced through the void and struck. Potent spatial energy undulated on these sharp spikes, giving him the feeling that no matter how he tried to dodge, he wouldn't be able to escape them.

What weighed even heavier on his mind was the extreme speed of these attacks; by the time he saw them, the spikes were already upon him!

He couldn't dodge them, and probably couldn't block them either. At that instant, the aura of death enveloped him. Faced with the great terror between life and death, Lu Ye instinctively swung his saber.

Within his Origin Spirit Aperture, the power of his Dao Seed was unleashed to its fullest potential at that moment.

With one saber strike, space itself was stretched. Although the several sharp spikes that had been upon them were still coming, the distortion of space rendered them no longer a fatal threat.

Lu Ye had no time to savor the sensation of that last strike. His long saber rapidly wove into a cascade of blades, and at the same time, Zhu Yin turned and attacked.

Amidst a series of thunderous impacts, blood splattered. Both Lu Ye and Zhu Yin were thrown back dozens of meters before finally steadying themselves.

Thanks to that miraculous saber strike, the two had escaped the brink of death, though they were still inevitably wounded.

Zhu Yin looked at Lu Ye with a strange glint in her eyes. She knew this Phoenix Clan outsider's mastery of spatial arts had surpassed her own, but she hadn't realized by how much.

Because that last saber strike clearly bore traces of the Phoenix Clan's secret art, 'Heaven's Edge Within Reach' – a level she currently couldn't achieve.

It seemed no Phoenix Clan outsider had ever cultivated spatial power to such an extent, not even the revered predecessor who originally created the Dao Seed method.

They had no time to ponder further. The Void Beast's relentless attacks continued, forcing them to respond hastily.

Instantly, the cave became a chaotic flurry of activity. Lu Ye and Zhu Yin's figures flickered and shifted, while the Void Beast stood motionless, its black spikes ceaselessly lashing out with extreme agility, battering the two into a sorry state.

If that were all, it might have been manageable, but what truly worried Lu Ye was that under such an onslaught, he and Zhu Yin had no room to escape.

If it were just him, he might have been able to escape using the Void Skimmer Art, but if he fled, Zhu Yin would be left without assistance and would surely die.

Moreover, they could barely withstand the Void Beast's attacks, and Zhu Yin's temporal force field played a crucial role. While its effect on the enemy wasn't significant, this subtle influence was precisely what prevented them from being instantly overwhelmed.

"Senior Brother, kill it!" Zhu Yin exclaimed in a low voice. Suddenly, dragon scales appeared all over her body, making her look as if she was clad in dragon scale armor. She charged fearlessly towards the Void Beast.

Always being on the defensive like this would lead to their inevitable demise. To survive, they had to fight with all their might!

She charged ahead, and the numerous attacks rained down. Even her sturdy dragon scales couldn't withstand them. In just a moment, Zhu Yin was covered in blood, riddled with punctures. Fortunately, the Dragon Clan possesses powerful physiques, and these gruesome puncture wounds were rapidly recovering and healing.

Zhu Yin once again reached the Void Beast, just as another spike shot towards her forehead. It was clear that if this strike connected, Zhu Yin would surely die.

Yet, she seemed oblivious, her expression resolute as she threw a punch.

From an angle, a long saber slashed out, striking the deadly black spike. Though the blow didn't sever the spike, it deflected its trajectory, causing it to graze Zhu Yin's temple, tearing off a piece of flesh and a strand of white hair.

Her small fist landed on the Void Beast, and to their surprise, the Void Beast shuddered.

Lu Ye was greatly surprised, as initially, even their combined efforts couldn't penetrate the Void Beast's defenses. Why had Zhu Yin's punch been effective now?

As Zhu Yin delivered her second punch, he finally understood the reason, and his spirits lifted.

After taking two hits from Zhu Yin, the Void Beast seemed to realize her threat, and numerous attacks simultaneously assailed her.

Seeing the situation worsen, Zhu Yin immediately retreated.

Seizing the opportunity, Lu Ye drew his saber and unleashed a fierce strike.

This ferocious saber strike landed on the Void Beast. The dancing blackness on its surface showed no ripple, but the Void Beast's form subtly faltered. Affected by this, the many spikes aimed at Zhu Yin lost their momentum, finally allowing her to escape danger.

Lu Ye's second saber strike landed. Just like before, this strike also caused no ripples on the surface, but it genuinely inflicted some damage on the Void Beast.

The Ox-Striking Secret Art!

He had practiced this art with Su Yan during the Star Abyss Scions' contention, but he hadn't mastered it well, only grasping the basics, rendering it unusable in combat.

Now, however, things were different. His mastery of spatial arts was far beyond what it had been previously, allowing him to execute this secret art with great ease.

Still, he owed it to Zhu Yin. If she hadn't used it just now, Lu Ye wouldn't have remembered he had also practiced this secret art.

Zhu Yin had undoubtedly also practiced this art.

And this art was undoubtedly the best method for dealing with this Void Beast.

They exchanged glances, instantly gaining confidence, and immediately braced themselves to engage the Void Beast in battle.

They were frequently wounded. Not to mention Zhu Yin, after donning her dragon scales, she completely disregarded the Void Beast's attacks, unless a vital spot was targeted, adopting a stance of trading blows.

As a Dragon Clan member with a powerful physique, she had the means to do so.

While Lu Ye wasn't as reckless as Zhu Yin, he too fought with a desperate resolve.

In their current situation, it was either the enemy's demise or their own here; there was no other option.

After a moment of fierce combat, Lu Ye's expression grew serious.

It wasn't enough, far from it! Although he and Zhu Yin could cause some interference and damage to the Void Beast using the Ox-Striking Secret Art, slaying it still seemed a distant goal.

The crucial point was that Zhu Yin's face was gradually turning pale.

This was the strain of maintaining the temporal force field, which constantly consumed a great deal of Zhu Yin's energy. After their two previous major battles, she had needed time to recover.

Now, she was likely reaching her limit.

Just as Lu Ye was thinking this, Zhu Yin suddenly let out a soft cry and spit out a perfectly round, jade-white, smooth, and flawless pearl from her mouth.

Within the pearl, a faint white dragon shadow could be seen swimming.

A Dragon Pearl!

All Dragon Clan members possess a Dragon Pearl. Unlike cultivators of other races, the Dragon Clan doesn't require any Dao artifacts, as their Dragon Pearl serves as their Dao artifact. Their cultivation and advancement are all based on it. The Dragon Venerable, currently the strongest in the world, has a Dragon Pearl of quality comparable to a supreme treasure, which is why he possesses such immense power.

Therefore, when a Dragon Clan member unleashes their Dragon Pearl, it undeniably signifies a last resort, a desperate move.

Lu Ye knew why Zhu Yin had brought out her Dragon Pearl: she was nearing her limit in maintaining the temporal force field. Combat was already arduous, and without the temporal force field, all their previous efforts would be in vain, and the situation would likely take a sharp turn for the worse.

So, she had to maintain the temporal force field, no matter what.

With the emergence of her Dragon Pearl, the temporal force field pervading the area visibly intensified by a level. As a result, the Void Beast's attacks were affected, becoming slightly slower than before.

This slight difference might not seem like much, but in such a fierce battle, it proved extremely crucial.