Chapter 2741: You Are an Unfilial Son

Lu Ye could tell at a glance that Xuan Huai could manipulate external forces more easily than ordinary cultivators.

After ten thousand years, Xuan Huai's efforts were not without reward. Although he was not a Son of the Star Abyss at this moment, having toiled for that will for so many years, it was impossible for him to gain absolutely no benefits.

If his current plan succeeded, the identity of a Son of the Star Abyss would undoubtedly be his, and perhaps even more benefits would follow. Otherwise, how could a figure like him be willing to endure ten millennia in such a place?

Now, with success within reach, someone suddenly came to obstruct him. How could he tolerate that?

Arriving in a furious rage, his power surged, holding nothing back. The tip of his spear concentrated an extreme point of cold light.

Then he saw the human standing still, raising the long saber in his hand and slashing it down fiercely.

The moment the saber and spear clashed, both Xuan Huai and Lu Ye felt a jolt through their bodies, their eyes flashing with surprise, each marveling at the other's formidable physical strength.

Lu Ye's physical strength came from his recently acquired Dragon Vein body, while Xuan Huai's was the result of countless years of accumulation and refinement. He was originally a tree spirit, the first槐 tree to gain sentience in a certain realm. His long years of cultivation had made his physical foundation extraordinarily powerful.

However, in a fight between cultivators, physical strength was merely supplementary. The true determinant of victory or defeat lay in the relative power of their respective abilities.

On this point, Xuan Huai was utterly confident.

Ten thousand years ago, he was already a powerhouse at the Universe Lord level. Although his Concord City was shattered in that battle and he currently lacked the amplification of a Concord Orb, his strength was still far beyond that of ordinary Concord cultivators.

Therefore, he believed he could easily crush this unknown enemy before him.

However, the next moment he knew he was wrong. Despite the accumulated power of his countless years, his spear thrust failed to gain any advantage.

He was momentarily incredulous because the opponent's strength was surprisingly on par with his own.

This human... was also a Universe Lord level powerhouse?

But... at a time like this, why would a Universe Lord level powerhouse, who should be staying in their own Concord City, be summoned here?

Moreover, this human looked far too young.

While it was true that cultivators' ages often didn't match their appearances, Xuan Huai had encountered countless individuals and could usually discern the true age beneath a youthful facade.

This human's youth was genuine; his lifespan certainly did not exceed a thousand years.

As his thoughts shifted, Xuan Huai was suddenly filled with dread.

Only now did he realize something he had overlooked.

There was no sign that the enemy was using external forces!

The power the opponent was displaying seemed to be entirely from their own foundation!

Not good!

Realizing the gravity of the situation, he immediately tried to retreat. However, at that very moment, the Star Abyss aura around Lu Ye began to boil, and his power surged dramatically.

Not only that, but Xuan Huai also felt that his ability to draw upon external forces seemed to be suppressed, weakening the power he could exert.

An irresistible force emanated from the saber. Xuan Huai felt the aura of death engulf him in that instant.

Knowing that eliminating Xuan Huai would resolve the current problem at its root, how could Lu Ye hold back? So, as Xuan Huai unleashed his full power, Lu Ye did the same, seeking only to slay his enemy in the shortest possible time to prevent any unforeseen complications.

He had initially refrained from using external forces to lull his enemy into a false sense of security, intending to catch him off guard with a sudden burst of power.

As expected, with his sudden eruption of power, Xuan Huai's spear momentum crumbled. Lu Ye's long saber, tracing the shaft of the spear, swept towards Xuan Huai's neck.

Even if this Universe Lord from ten millennia ago possessed a Dao Body, this single strike could decapitate him.

The panic in Xuan Huai's eyes vanished at that moment, replaced by absolute resolve. He neither dodged nor retreated, fiercely thrusting his spear towards Lu Ye.

It was clearly a move intended to perish alongside Lu Ye.

In the past, he had fought evenly with the Ancient City and survived defeat at the hands of Xiao Qianchen. How could he possibly suffer an unexpected downfall here?

He was naturally fierce and ruthless, having fought many powerful enemies to the death during his journey, always forcing them back and protecting himself.

He was certain Lu Ye would make a wise choice.

To his disappointment and shock, however, the spear truly pierced Lu Ye's chest. Unlike Xuan Huai's savage ferocity, Lu Ye's expression remained as calm as still water.

The spear tip penetrated only three inches into the flesh before being halted by an invisible barrier.

Battle Heaven Holy Dragon Guard! His continuous cultivation these past days had finally yielded some results.

Lu Ye, however, shuddered, and a bloody hole burst open on his back, flesh scattering.

Xuan Huai's spear thrust was indeed blocked by Lu Ye's power, but the opponent's Dao intent was extremely penetrative, surprisingly injuring his internal organs through his multiple layers of defense.

If that were all, it would have been fine, but critically, another unexpected change occurred to Lu Ye at that very instant.

As his long saber descended, his movement paused imperceptibly for a fraction of a second, yet Xuan Huai seized this almost unnoticeable hesitation with precise timing.

Xuan Huai forcefully unleashed his own power, leaning his body backward.

Flesh flew.

The saber strike ultimately failed to kill Xuan Huai outright, only slicing off the other half of his face.

Xuan Huai retreated with the momentum, his eyes wide with horror: "Who on earth are you?"

He had never encountered such a Concord cultivator; the power the opponent displayed in that instant was utterly unreasonable.

Even if the opponent truly was a Universe Lord level powerhouse, they couldn't possibly be this strong without the amplification of a Concord Orb.

Moreover, the opponent seemed to possess a method to interfere with his ability to draw upon external forces.

Son of the Star Abyss!

He was, after all, well-traveled and experienced, and in an instant, he grasped the truth: the opponent was actually a Son of the Star Abyss.

Had the opponent's Dao power not suddenly faltered for some unknown reason just now, he would likely be dead!

Upon realizing Lu Ye's identity as a Son of the Star Abyss, he finally understood why Lu Ye's Dao power had become unstable moments before.

The panic on his face vanished without a trace. Standing there, with the flesh stripped from both sides of his face, he burst into loud laughter under the astonished gaze of the surrounding cultivators: "You actually dare to commit an act of rebellion here! You are a rebellious son!"

Lu Ye stood in place, frowning, and remained silent.

In fact, when he had previously struck down Xuan Huai's clone, he had already sensed something, because with the clone's demise, the surrounding Star Abyss aura had suddenly conveyed a faint sense of anger towards him.

It was as if he had done something he shouldn't have.

That anger became even clearer after his engagement with Xuan Huai.

And just as he delivered that fatal blow, the distinct anger materialized, unleashing punishment upon him!

He was stripped of one layer of the Son of the Star Abyss's blessing.

That was why, for that brief moment, his Dao power had become unstable, giving Xuan Huai an opportunity to seize and narrowly escape death.

The events here, seemingly Xuan Huai's ten-thousand-year scheme, were in reality the expectation of that will. All of Xuan Huai's efforts were merely following the will's guidance.

Any person or thing that interfered with this process was not permitted by that will.

Therefore, in a sense, Xuan Huai's calling Lu Ye a rebellious son was not incorrect, because by killing Xuan Huai and destroying everything here, he was defying that will.

What else could he be but a rebellious son?

Lu Ye was not unaware of the consequences of his actions; he just hadn't expected the will to be so pragmatic and react so swiftly.

But it didn't matter anymore.

Earlier, outside the Giant Spirit Starfield, he had already mentally prepared himself when he decided to strike down the Star Abyss Blight Mosquito. That serendipitous opportunity allowed him to complete his task.

But such good fortune would not appear a second or third time.

As long as that will had other tasks for him, he would eventually defy it.

"Still want more?" Xuan Huai challenged him, his gaze provocative.

He didn't know what Lu Ye had encountered, but having been intimately connected with that will for ten millennia, he naturally understood its profound and terrifying nature.

Never had a Son of the Star Abyss dared to act so presumptuously!

His answer was a roaring dragon's cry.

The roar was almost corporeal, striking Xuan Huai's forehead and making him momentarily dizzy.

His face changed drastically. He finally understood why Lu Ye's strength was so immense.

This fellow... was actually a Dragon Descendant!

And judging by the terrifying power of this dragon's might, his dragon lineage was undoubtedly very high.

Almost the instant the roar sounded, Lu Ye had already lunged behind Xuan Huai, his long saber imbued with sharp Dao intent, slashing diagonally.

This strike, still holding nothing back, combined a single resonance with the borrowed power of two layers of Son of the Star Abyss blessings, supplemented by Lu Ye's own foundation, unleashing an explosion of over six thousand three hundred units of power.

A massive illusory image of a槐 tree suddenly appeared behind Xuan Huai, its branches and leaves lush, swaying slightly, forming a barrier to protect him.

Xuan Huai, sensing danger, had activated his strongest defensive secret art.

This was a secret art he cultivated based on his fundamental essence; once activated, it made him impregnable. It was this very technique that had saved his life from Xiao Qianchen's soul-locking arrows years ago.

However, the illusory槐 tree lasted only for a breath before being shattered. Lu Ye's long saber continued its momentum, but Xuan Huai had now recovered, launching a spear thrust that blocked the attack while simultaneously spitting blood and retreating.

He stared in disbelief at Lu Ye, who was relentlessly pursuing him: "Madman, you are a madman!"

He had never seen anything like it. Knowing full well he was defying the will, Lu Ye didn't stop but instead escalated his actions. There was no personal grudge between them, so Xuan Huai simply couldn't understand why Lu Ye was doing this.

This was a completely thankless task.

In his vision, a flash of saber light suddenly struck, disregarding the spatial barrier. Amid Xuan Huai's cry of alarm, the saber sliced into his shoulder blade.

His Dao bones shattered one by one, all the way down to his abdomen, where the saber's momentum finally dissipated.

Xuan Huai was almost split in two, yet his expression was one of wild ecstasy: "You've grown weaker again!"

Lu Ye frowned.

He had indeed grown weaker.

In his first exchange with Xuan Huai, he had lost one layer of the Son of the Star Abyss's blessing.

When he shattered the illusory槐 tree, he lost another layer.

And now, all three layers were gone!