Chapter 2693: The Strongest Slash

The power of this spear strike was utterly ferocious, yet incredibly contained. This showed how perfectly the Sun Clan cultivator had mastered his Dao power. This single spear strike contained over 1,800 units of power!

Even before the spear reached him, Lu Ye felt a tremendous threat. This Sun Clan member was an enemy he absolutely could not contend with at the moment. If he took a direct hit from just this one spear strike, even if he miraculously survived, he would still lose his combat ability. Yet, facing such a spear strike, he neither dodged nor avoided it.

The Sun Clan Dao Integration expert instinctively felt something was wrong. If this middle-aged man was truly Lu Ye of the Human Race in disguise, there was no reason for him to act so foolishly. Then he discovered that another figure suddenly appeared in front of Lu Ye.

A second Lu Ye!

However, this Lu Ye wore no disguise, showing his true appearance. His aura was incredibly violent, his vital energy surged, and his entire being was like an erupting volcano. A dense, bloody scent instantly filled the surroundings upon his appearance.

"Blood Burst Art!" The Sun Clan Dao Integration expert exclaimed in alarm.

They had long since learned from Xue Jiu that Lu Ye, for unknown reasons, possessed the bloodline of the Blood Race. Given that, performing some of the Blood Race's secret arts was well within his capabilities. What the Blood Race was famous for was not just the Blood Escape Art, but also the Blood Burst Art. It was a desperate strike from the Blood Race when in dire straits, not seeking survival, but only to perish with the enemy—the final blossoming of life.

The Sun Clan Dao Integration expert instinctively felt something ominous. He immediately tried to withdraw his power to protect himself. However, Lu Ye's Talent Tree clone had already completed its preparation beforehand; the moment it appeared, its body instantly burst apart.

A massive impact erupted from where the clone perished, spreading in all directions. Even though Lu Ye himself was prepared, retreating the instant the clone appeared, he still couldn't avoid the force of this impact. He swiftly unleashed a Sky's End Blade strike forward, dissolving the residual impact within the spatial extension.

The Sun Clan Dao Integration expert, who bore the brunt of the attack, was not so lucky. He had previously unleashed his spear with full power and, in his haste, was simply unable to fully withdraw all his strength. Moreover, this time, Lu Ye's Blood Burst Art was far more terrifying than ever before. This was not only because his Blood Race sacredness had improved, but also because he had received the true teachings of Xue Jiu!

In the Starry Sky Chessboard, Xue Jiu personally taught him many subtle uses of Blood Race secret arts. That was one thing, but later, the soul crystal formed from Xue Jiu's separated soul was also refined by him. His attainment in the Blood Dao had achieved an unimaginable improvement. Perhaps not equal to Xue Jiu himself, but looking across the entire Blood Race, there was no one who could surpass him.

A roar of rage was heard, and the dazzling light dimmed considerably. The Sun Clan cultivator was sent sprawling by the impact, the great sun hovering behind his head disintegrated, and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. Not only him, but his three companions were also in the same state, each of them flustered and disoriented.

Lu Ye had already charged forward with his saber, and Eight-Tails gritted her teeth, following closely behind him. So by the time the Sun Clan Dao Integration expert regained his footing, he saw one of his companions being slashed apart by Lu Ye and falling on the spot. It wasn't that this companion was weak; he also possessed over a thousand units of power. However, he was so impacted by Lu Ye's Blood Burst Art that he couldn't counterattack in time and was caught off guard, losing his life.

Lu Ye reached out, collecting the spoils of war and retrieving the roots of the Talent Tree, then charged directly towards Eight-Tails. At this moment, Eight-Tails was suppressing another Dao Integration expert. Her strength was considerable, but unfortunately, the Fox Race did not have very powerful killing techniques, so she couldn't be as decisive and swift as Lu Ye. If given a little time, she could also kill her opponent, but what they lacked most now was time.

Before the battle erupted, they had already sent a message to Qing Tang, asking him to gather forces towards this location. After the battle erupted, nearby Dao Integration experts were also swarming towards this area. So Lu Ye had to leave quickly.

When he reached Eight-Tails' side, her opponent was already struggling to hold on, and with Lu Ye adding pressure, he couldn't resist at all. If he hadn't retreated fast enough, he would likely have followed his companion's fate.

"Let's go!" Lu Ye growled.

Eight-Tails did not hesitate, rushing directly downwards, with Lu Ye following closely behind.

"No escape!" The Sun Clan Dao Integration expert was enraged. He had led his people to guard this place, which was supposed to be foolproof, but he hadn't expected the enemy to have such an absurd technique, directly using the Blood Burst Art to clear a path and open a breach in their defense. At this moment, he re-charged his power and thrust his spear with full might. When he withdrew his spear, there was a streak of blood on its tip, but he gritted his teeth and roared, "Pursue!"

He had indeed stabbed Lu Ye and wounded him, but failed to take his life. In such a situation, he was naturally unwilling to give up. Moreover, the opportunity was rare. If they didn't pursue now, Lu Ye would surely disappear without a trace in a moment. If he entered the next level, they would have to redeploy their defenses.

At the staircase leading to the next level, Lu Ye suddenly stopped. There was a massive spear wound in his lower back; blood streamed out, staining his clothes red.

"Run!" Eight-Tails cried out in alarm. She had no idea what Lu Ye was thinking. The strength of that Sun Clan Dao Integration expert just now was simply something they couldn't contend with. It was already a stroke of luck to have entered this level. If they didn't escape now, were they just staying here to die?

Yet Lu Ye actually sheathed his long saber, stood still, and adopted a drawing-saber stance with a bow stance and lowered waist. Eight-Tails' pupils suddenly constricted. Because at this instant, she felt Lu Ye's entire being was permeated with an extremely dangerous aura! This was something she had never felt before.

A light flashed, as if a great sun had risen, and the Sun Clan Dao Integration expert, spear in hand, pursued them downwards. Immediately, he was astonished. He had never expected Lu Ye to be standing there, waiting for him. He had thought this fellow had already run away. This person currently held the identity of an Outer Minister of the Phoenix Race and cultivated spatial power, so escaping was actually not without opportunity.

As the thought crossed his mind, a clang rang out, and as the dazzling saber light flashed, the power of time and sequence permeated the air. At this instant, a dense pattern of lines lit up on the scabbard of the Mountain-Shattering Saber.

Drawing Saber Slash!

This saber strike could be said to be the strongest Lu Ye could unleash at the moment. This saber strike had been nurtured for decades! This saber strike tore through space and time, dimming the very world. The instant the saber light flashed, it had already landed on the Sun Clan Dao Integration expert.

The impact of the power of time and sequence made the Sun Clan Dao Integration expert's eyes dim for an instant, but his strength was ultimately considerable, and he broke free in the blink of an eye. Almost instinctively, he activated his Dao power to protect his body, but it was instantly shattered. The Sun Clan Dao Integration expert's pupils suddenly constricted to pinpricks, and a huge question arose from the depths of his heart.

How could this saber strike... be so powerful?

The sharp blade sliced into the gleaming armor without any resistance. Blood splattered as half of his body was torn open, and it was only when it hit a Dao bone that it finally became stuck!

"You... have a death wish!" The Sun Clan Dao Integration expert roared in fury. With his power, a single careless move had almost led to him being instantly killed by Lu Ye. As he roared, he raised his spear, intending to thrust.

Precisely at this moment, a remarkably seductive moan emanated from behind Lu Ye. As the sound entered his ears, it was like invisible little hands scratching at his heart, and along with this sound came numerous fragmented images that flashed before his eyes.

Illusion!

It was Eight-Tails, standing behind Lu Ye, who had lent a hand at this moment. She had also been stunned just now, never having imagined that the power Lu Ye unleashed would be so terrifying. Seeing that Lu Ye failed to kill the enemy with one blow, she almost instinctively made her move.

Her illusion art was exquisite, but there was a considerable gap in power compared to the Sun Clan Dao Integration expert. So, under normal circumstances, this illusion art wouldn't have had much effect on the Sun Clan Dao Integration expert; in fact, if the opponent had been prepared, it wouldn't have worked at all. But at this moment, the Sun Clan expert had just suffered a severe injury, his body and mind were shaken, and he was filled with rage. This illusion art unexpectedly played a greater role than anticipated.

The spear raised by the Sun Clan Dao Integration expert clearly paused for a moment. After a slight pause, terrifying power erupted from the long saber in Lu Ye's hand, slicing in all directions. The Sun Clan Dao Integration expert's body trembled violently internally, his entire being split into pieces, turning into fragmented remains.

Only a brief instant passed from the moment Lu Ye unleashed his Drawing Saber Slash until the Sun Clan Dao Integration expert fell. At this very moment, the other two Dao Integration experts had just rushed down from the upper level. What met their eyes was the scene of the Sun Clan Dao Integration expert's body breaking apart. Both of them were startled, and seeing Lu Ye holding his long saber with a murderous expression, they didn't dare to hesitate at all and quickly retreated.

Hissing sounds...

Streams of blood spurted from Lu Ye's body; his entire skin was like a shattered porcelain doll, cracking open with numerous fissures. The power of a saber strike cultivated for decades was so immense that not only could the Sun Clan Dao Integration expert not have anticipated it, but even Lu Ye himself hadn't expected it. This saber strike completely exceeded his current endurance.

He had killed a powerful enemy, but he himself was not in a good state; his internal organs were all cracked. Quickly clearing the battlefield, Lu Ye flew directly downwards, "Go!" He dared not stay any longer. In fact, if those two Dao Integration experts just now hadn't been too timid and had come to fight, he would have had no choice but to flee.

A moment later, Eight-Tails, who was following behind Lu Ye, spoke up, "Where are we going?"

"Downwards!" Lu Ye said.

Given the current situation, even if he stayed on this level, it would be useless. Once the enemy resealed the entrance and exit, he might not be able to repeat his previous actions, and would truly become a turtle in a jar. He could only continue downwards.

"But if we can't leave the Tower of Time, going down won't help either," Eight-Tails said with a panicked expression. "Eventually, there'll be nowhere left to run."

There was no way to leave the Tower of Time. Once one entered, one could only leave when the Tower of Time closed. Only the Dragon Venerable had the right to take people out. So even going downwards was merely delaying the inevitable.

"There will be a way," Lu Ye replied in a deep voice, then suddenly turned to look at her. "I thought you would betray me!"

When he was approaching the exit to this level earlier, he had been on guard against Eight-Tails. If she had any ill intentions, he would definitely kill her at the first opportunity. After all, Eight-Tails had been forced to cooperate with him, so it was inevitable she would harbor resentment. What surprised him was that not only did Eight-Tails not betray him, she even helped him just now. Although even without Eight-Tails' illusion art, Lu Ye had other means, once she made a move like that, the two of them were then tied to the same rope.