Chapter 2701: Unrestrained

The Eight-tailed Demon Fox walked through the eighteenth floor of the Tower of Time. Within her perception, there was no longer any aura of a Harmonized Dao cultivator, save for one distinct, sharp energy signature. The Harmonized Dao cultivators who had previously gathered on this floor had either died or fled. The remaining Integrated Dao cultivators huddled, trembling, in various hiding spots, terrified of becoming entangled.

The Eight-tailed Demon Fox looked up. Although the terrain obscured her view of Lu Ye, she could sense him rapidly approaching the entrance to the floor above. He was actually still intent on pursuing them! How audacious. How utterly unrestrained!

The Eight-tailed Demon Fox’s mind reeled. When she first met Lu Ye, she hadn’t found him particularly remarkable. During their subsequent interactions, she had only found the human utterly detestable. It was only at this moment that she truly recognized his domineering power. Having been forced to flee all the way down to the tenth floor previously, he was now strong enough to immediately turn back and exact his revenge.

The Eight-tailed Demon Fox vaguely felt she was witnessing the birth of a miracle, the rise of a dazzling new star. Her instincts screamed at her to stay far away from Lu Ye at this moment, to let others fight their own battles and avoid getting bloodied herself. However, her innate curiosity compelled her to follow closely behind Lu Ye, eager to witness the unfolding spectacle with her own eyes.

Soon, however, she noticed that Lu Ye had stopped at the entrance to the floor above, remaining motionless for a considerable time. Half an hour later, the Eight-tailed Demon Fox also reached the entrance. Her eye twitched as she saw Lu Ye standing there. She likely understood what Lu Ye intended to do. For at that moment, Lu Ye was not alone; another Lu Ye stood right beside him.

This was clearly a clone! The Eight-tailed Demon Fox had seen it before, but what puzzled her was how many clones Lu Ye had actually cultivated. Hadn't the previous clone already self-destructed using the Blood Explosion Art? That terrifying power was beyond what an ordinary clone could achieve; it must have required immense effort, time, and resources to manifest. It couldn’t be that this clone was identical to the previous one. Lu Ye had only been an Integrated Dao cultivator before; how could he possibly have had the time and energy to create so many clones?

What shocked her even more was that this clone also exuded the aura of a Harmonized Dao cultivator, identical to Lu Ye himself, with even the sharp Dao intent being indistinguishable. How was this possible? It was well-known that even if a cultivator painstakingly created a clone, the clone’s cultivation still had to progress step by step, no different from a normal cultivator’s breakthroughs. Since Lu Ye was an Integrated Dao cultivator previously, his clone should logically only be at the Integrated Dao level. Yet, this clone was now a Harmonized Dao cultivator! If an Integrated Dao clone’s Blood Explosion Art possessed such terrifying power, what about one at the Harmonized Dao level?

The Eight-tailed Demon Fox couldn't help but gulp, her gaze fixed on the entrance. Though she couldn't see what was happening above, she knew, without a doubt, that a large number of Harmonized Dao cultivators must be gathered there, waiting to ambush.

"You mean to..." The Eight-tailed Demon Fox began.

"Shhh!" Lu Ye raised a finger.

The Eight-tailed Demon Fox chuckled. What was with this secretive behavior? The people upstairs couldn’t possibly hear them anyway.

"Almost time!" Lu Ye announced.

In the next instant, the clone’s qi and blood surged violently, and a dangerous aura rapidly intensified. Standing not far behind Lu Ye, the Eight-tailed Demon Fox immediately felt a shiver down her spine. Just as she had anticipated, if an Integrated Dao clone’s Blood Explosion Art was terrifying, then a Harmonized Dao clone’s version would be utterly horrifying. Even though she wasn't the target, the Eight-tailed Demon Fox was filled with an intense sense of peril. The qi and blood grew increasingly restless and turbulent, and the clone transformed entirely into a swirling mass of crimson. It was like a miniature sun, compressed to its absolute limit, poised to explode at any moment.

Just as the Eight-tailed Demon Fox worried the clone would explode right then and there, she saw it take a single step upward and vanish from view.

Moments earlier, at the entrance connecting the eighteenth and nineteenth floors, a large gathering of Harmonized Dao cultivators had formed. Green Mantis and Blood Inverse had also rushed to the scene. As they were both stationed on the twentieth floor, it hadn't taken them long to arrive after receiving the news. Upon arriving and seeing so many Harmonized Dao cultivators gathered, their brows immediately furrowed.

These individuals... knowing Lu Ye's whereabouts, why hadn't they pursued and intercepted him? Instead, they were gathered here, as if waiting for someone to walk into their trap. Furthermore, they were all staring grimly at the entrance, their faces filled with apprehension, as though a monstrous beast might leap out at any moment and unleash a massacre.

"What's going on?" Green Mantis demanded.

Another insectoid Harmonized Dao cultivator stepped forward, cupping his fists. "My lord, that human, Lu Ye, seems to have grown much stronger than before. He killed many of our people on the floor below. They say Lu Ye is pursuing them, so they have set up defenses here."

"Much stronger?" Green Mantis frowned. How much could Lu Ye's strength possibly have improved in such a short time? As he pondered this, the insectoid secretly transmitted to him: "My lord, they say Lu Ye shows signs of having just advanced to the Harmonized Dao realm, and that his extremely sharp Dao intent cannot be restrained."

"Nonsense!" Green Mantis roared. Unlike the Eight-tailed Demon Fox's suspicions, he had already received definitive information from the Blood Lord: Lu Ye was indeed an Integrated Dao cultivator, but his integration was vastly different from others, which explained his immense power and why the Blood Lord coveted him so intensely. It was undeniable that the human possessed extraordinary talent and would certainly advance to the Harmonized Dao realm in the future. However, to suggest he had advanced in such a short time was utterly impossible. The advancement to Harmonized Dao, merely the merging of nine layers of Dao patterns into one, alone demanded a vast amount of time, let alone the subsequent infusion of Dao power and resonance with the external world. No matter how smoothly the process went, it could not be accomplished in such a brief period.

With a stern roar, his authoritative gaze swept across the crowd, and Green Mantis let out a cold snort. These individuals had, after all, been lured by profit. Few were strong; most were lower-tier Harmonized Dao cultivators. Such cultivators truly stood little chance against Lu Ye. He estimated they had been terrified by the slaughter and had fled here to seek safety in numbers. However, now that he was here, he could naturally change the situation.

"Follow me and kill them!" Green Mantis roared lowly, grabbing four war blades with his four arms, and charged downwards, taking the lead. Lu Ye had appeared on the floor below and killed many people, yet he hadn't pursued them further up. This indicated that he likely had suspicions about the situation here and dared not ascend. This was only natural. With so many Harmonized Dao cultivators gathered, let alone Lu Ye, an Integrated Dao cultivator, even he, a Universe-level City Lord, would have to avoid their collective might if he were on the opposing side. Being targeted and besieged by so many Harmonized Dao cultivators was no laughing matter; no matter how strong one’s protective Dao power, it could be shattered in an instant. Therefore, the greatest likelihood was that Lu Ye was blocking the path below, waiting for people to walk straight into his trap. Others might not dare to descend and attack, but he had no such reservations. With his status as a Universe-level City Lord, he could easily suppress them. Afterwards, all he needed to do was prevent Lu Ye’s escape, and with the arrival of numerous reinforcements, success would be assured!