Chapter 2702: Backhanded Attack

Across the entire Inner World, Azure Mantis stood out among Universe-rank City Lords, precisely because his Dao Weapon was not a spirit treasure. Yet he firmly retained his position, a testament to the profound strength of his own foundation. Compared to a spirit treasure, which he considered dispensable, these four battle sabers truly allowed him to unleash his full power. He had nurtured them for countless years, investing countless precious materials into their refinement. It could be said that while these four sabers were still not as strong as a true spirit treasure, their power surpassed even a cultivator's Dao bones!

Weapons of such formidable strength, yet they sustained damage upon first contact? Who would believe it?

Azure Mantis didn't pursue because he realized that a few more clashes between his four sabers and Lu Ye's long blade would certainly result in their destruction! How could the opponent's Dao intent be so incredibly sharp? Indeed, Lu Ye at this moment was like a drawn sharp blade, his entire being exuding an unrestrained Dao intent, yet it shouldn't have been this sharp. Unless the long blade in his hand was no ordinary weapon!

Azure Mantis's mood immediately soured. He had planned to capture Lu Ye in one swift strike, but instead, he had suffered a loss. The damage to his Natal Dao Weapon deeply pained him; he couldn't even guess how much time and effort its repair would demand. What vexed him even more was Lu Ye's undeniable advancement to the Harmonization Realm! This human, in such a short span, had ascended from the Integration Realm to the Harmonization Realm, his strength seemingly transformed beyond recognition.

He finally understood why Blood Lord Blood Guilt remained fixated on this human. Such a physical body, if captured, could easily be fashioned by the Blood Lord into a blood puppet of immense potential. Furthermore... it was one thing for this human to inexplicably possess a powerful Blood Race bloodline, but now, how could he even wield temporal power? And that temporal power was exceptionally potent. Could he possibly possess a Dragon Race bloodline as well? Wasn't he an outsider of the Phoenix Race?

As thoughts churned in Azure Mantis's mind, several more Harmonization Realm cultivators fell to Lu Ye's blade. After being repelled, Lu Ye had turned and fled, cutting a path as he went, and those who perished were merely unfortunate individuals who had inadvertently blocked his way.

Azure Mantis's expression shifted, and he urgently shouted in that direction, "Quick, retreat!" Simultaneously, he surged forward in pursuit.

In that direction, Blood Reversal's face drained of color as he activated his Blood Escape Art, transforming into a streak of crimson light and fleeing. The reason was simple: Lu Ye was after him! He strongly suspected this detestable human was doing it on purpose; otherwise, with so many possible directions to take, why had he chosen this one? He was also a formidable Universe-rank City Lord, his true strength not far behind Azure Mantis. Yet, while Azure Mantis could repel Lu Ye, even injuring him, Blood Reversal's only option now was to flee at the mere hint of his presence. He knew that if Lu Ye caught him, the holy nature suppression would ensure a grim outcome. He had always stuck close to Azure Mantis precisely to avoid the predicament he now faced. But despite his vigilance, a single oversight had allowed Lu Ye to seize an opportunity.

The intensely sharp aura pursued him from behind. Initially, Blood Reversal felt a flicker of relief, dimly sensing that Lu Ye wasn't known for his speed. This individual's sharp Dao intent was terrifying. Blood Reversal strongly suspected that all nine layers of his Dao patterns, formed during the Integration Realm, were related to sharpness, which aligned with his system as a weapon cultivator. Naturally, his speed was considerably lacking. His own speed was undoubtedly much greater than Lu Ye's.

But in the blink of an eye, Blood Reversal realized his mistake. While this human truly wasn't known for speed, he was an outsider of the Phoenix Race — he cultivated the Dao of Space! Sure enough, the aura pursuing him from behind was closing in with a series of blinks, each blink bringing it significantly closer. Spatial Displacement!

Blood Reversal was only grateful for the complex terrain here, unlike the vast, boundless void; otherwise, he would surely be overtaken swiftly. Yet even so, despite weaving and winding through the terrain, he found it difficult to shake his pursuer. Ultimately, after more than ten breaths, as Lu Ye flickered into view once more, an intense holy nature abruptly descended.

Blood Reversal's figure suddenly froze, his face contorted in horror. Although he had heard from the Blood Lord that Lu Ye's Blood Race bloodline was exceptionally powerful, he had found it difficult to truly believe, until now, that anyone in this world besides the Blood Lord could possess such potent holy nature. He, a dignified Universe-rank City Lord, whose bloodline ranked among the top ten in his clan, now felt a terrifying dread emanating from his very essence, his suppressed body and mind trembling. His strength plummeted by more than thirty percent!

He abruptly halted, turned, and, gazing at the figure charging with the blade, gritted his teeth and transformed into a streak of crimson light, meeting the assault head-on. Escape was futile; his only option was to fight. If he could just breach Lu Ye's defenses, he might survive. He already sensed Azure Mantis rapidly approaching. He only needed to hold out for three to five breaths, and Azure Mantis would be there.

The crimson light abruptly expanded, forming a sea of blood. In the void, this sea of blood would undoubtedly be vast. However, being confined within a labyrinthine passage, the sea of blood was reduced to a mere river. Blood Reversal desperately suppressed his aura, hiding within the blood river, seeking nothing more than to buy time. It was futile, however. A figure flickered before him, and Lu Ye had already precisely pinpointed his location within the blood river.

Though he had anticipated it, the reality of the situation was still difficult for Blood Reversal to accept. In the Dao of Blood, this human's mastery was indeed terrifyingly high; no blood technique could hide from him. Blood Reversal, however, was unaware that Lu Ye's current mastery in the Dao of Blood was entirely thanks to Blood Guilt. Had it not been for the soul crystal left by Blood Guilt's separated soul, discerning the blood techniques employed by an expert of Blood Reversal's caliber would have been truly challenging for Lu Ye.

Within the crimson, a wisp of cyan mist emanated as the long blade struck, and the sea of blood was cleaved apart in that instant. Blood Reversal roared, gathering his entire qi and blood to form a blood shield before him. The next instant, the blood shield was shattered, and the sharp blade sliced down along his shoulder blade, cutting his body diagonally in two.

The sea of blood dispersed, and Lu Ye frowned. Blood Reversal's form vanished, transforming into a single drop of blood, radiant as a ruby, imbued with profound Dao charm. Lu Ye's expression instantly shifted to one of realization. He had wondered why this powerful Blood Race expert didn't even possess a Dao Weapon. It turned out this wasn't his true body at all. This was his Dao body! Just like the Dao body he himself had left in Kyushu years ago. And the drop before him was undoubtedly that Blood Race's Dao blood. He casually retrieved it!

Though he hadn't managed to slay this Blood Race member, the loss of a Dao body was an agonizing blow for any Blood Race expert. Cultivating a Dao body required countless hours and immense effort. Even if this Blood Race member could condense Dao blood again, he would have to start completely anew. Furthermore, condensing Dao blood was no simple feat. Lu Ye casually refined it, vaguely sensing his own holy nature elevate ever so slightly...

The Blood Race bloodline, having reached his current level, was no longer simple to improve. Other Blood Race members required painstaking comprehension for any chance to elevate their bloodline. While he relied on the power of the Talent Tree to bypass these complexities, he was now approaching his limit. Unless... he could slay Blood Guilt and refine Blood Guilt's bloodline.

When this Blood Race Dao body perished, it didn't even have a storage ring. As for its true body, its whereabouts remained unknown.

Lu Ye turned. In that direction, Azure Mantis charged furiously. He had pursued all the way here, practically witnessing Blood Reversal's Dao body tragically perish beneath Lu Ye's blade. That sense of powerlessness fueled his extreme rage. He had a vague premonition that this entire scheme might end in failure, but he was utterly unwilling to accept it. Even if he couldn't capture Lu Ye alive, he would at least bring his corpse to the Blood Lord. With the Blood Lord's methods, even a corpse would undoubtedly prove highly useful.

"You won't escape!" Azure Mantis roared. From their brief encounter, he had already gauged Lu Ye's approximate strength, which was considerably weaker than his own. Only the long blade in Lu Ye's hand presented a real problem. He secretly resolved that in their next clash, he would absolutely not allow Lu Ye to strike his Dao Weapon.

Gazing at the charging Azure Mantis, Lu Ye merely offered a dismissive smile. The smile was profound, sending a jolt through Azure Mantis's heart and filling him with a strong sense of foreboding. Then he watched as the space around Lu Ye twisted, and his entire figure rapidly blurred and faded.

"Spatial Displacement?" Azure Mantis frowned deeply. Not daring to delay, he fiercely swung his two battle sabers forward, unleashing massive saber auras that slashed through the air, attempting to disrupt Lu Ye's technique. The two saber auras passed through Lu Ye's previous location, but achieved nothing. He swiftly expanded his divine sense, probing for Lu Ye's whereabouts. This was a straight passage. If Lu Ye used spatial displacement, he wouldn't leave; he would merely appear further away or behind him. He had initially assumed Lu Ye intended to displace behind him for a sneak attack. However, when he perceived Lu Ye's actual location, his expression abruptly shifted to one of shock.

The human... hadn't appeared in this passageway at all, but rather somewhere else entirely. It was precisely at the entrance from this level to the next, the very spot where he had just emerged! What kind of technique was this? How had he achieved it?

No time for contemplation, Azure Mantis already sensed trouble. He had just pursued Lu Ye all the way here, only for Lu Ye to evade him and launch a counter-attack. Now, a considerable number of injured Harmonization Realm cultivators were gathered back there. All of them had been impacted by the recent Blood Explosion Art. Those Harmonization Realm cultivators who were unharmed had just followed him in pursuit. In essence, his forces were now split into two groups, one of which was facing a fatal threat!

Azure Mantis didn't dare hesitate. He immediately turned back, and as he passed, the Harmonization Realm cultivators who had been following him closely all retreated.

Just moments earlier, amidst the devastation, Eight Tails had quietly appeared. She always entered the previous level ten breaths after Lu Ye, a strategy that allowed her to avoid most unexpected situations. Previously, whenever she entered the upper level this way, the exit was always empty. This time, however, the situation was different. The moment she appeared, she heard wails of pain, as if someone was injured, and the strong scent of blood lingered in her nostrils. What met her gaze were scattered corpses and fragmented flesh covering the ground. With just a quick glance, Eight Tails knew that no fewer than ten Harmonization Realm cultivators had fallen to Lu Ye's blade in such a short time!