Chapter 2743: Cursed

Inside the grand formation, the many Harmonization cultivators had been restless since the conflict erupted, wanting to leave but fearing to act rashly due to the unclear situation.

Now, with Lu Ye's warning preceding his slaughter, they dared not remain. They transformed into streaks of light, fleeing in all directions.

Not only Harmonization cultivators, but some Integration cultivators also made the same choice.

"You insolent wretch!" Xuan Huai roared, his anger flaring.

The more people who entered his grand formation, and the higher their cultivation, the greater its power. Without this, it wouldn't be strong enough to destroy the seal on the divine iron pillar.

Yet now, a large number of cultivators were leaving due to their fear of Lu Ye's rampage. How could he tolerate this? This was practically destroying his foundation.

He looked up and saw Integration cultivators falling continuously wherever Lu Ye passed. Carried by this ferocious momentum, the hesitant Integration cultivators scattered from his path.

Lu Ye himself was like an indestructible arrow, wreaking havoc within the wonder. Although many pursuers were behind him, none could catch up.

In a short time, the grand formation within the entire wonder was riddled with holes, as if pierced by his sharp arrow.

Xuan Huai's heart grew cold. He knew that if he didn't act now, he might never get another chance. The Integration cultivators summoned here were nothing more than scattered sand, utterly unable to form any cohesive power.

Since that was the case, he had only one choice: to stake everything!

He suddenly stood firm, his vital energy surging. His slightly stooped body straightened at that moment, his aged face rapidly rejuvenated, and even his thinning hair grew thick again.

In the blink of an eye, the old man who had appeared on the verge of death transformed into a distinguished-looking middle-aged man.

Holding a formation plate, he spat a mouthful of vital blood onto it. Immediately, his power surged wildly as he raised his hand and reached out toward the divine iron pillar.

A phantom hand appeared in the void, grasping the divine iron pillar. The seemingly silent contact caused the phantom hand to waver, as if it could collapse at any moment.

Even Xuan Huai himself began to bleed from all seven orifices at that moment.

Yet, he gritted his teeth and forcefully exerted his power.

Boom!

The entire wonder shook for an instant, as a terrifying might emanated from the divine iron pillar.

At this moment, both Lu Ye and the other Integration cultivators couldn't help but feel as insignificant as ants.

Lu Ye turned his head toward Xuan Huai, and upon seeing his current state, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Xuan Huai had previously stated that the sealing power on the divine iron pillar had been worn away, and the next step was to extract the object. Originally, with the combined efforts of many cultivators present, his plan could have been considered foolproof.

However, at this point, he was forced by Lu Ye to act prematurely. Crucially, the cultivators within the grand formation were dispirited, with an unknown number killed and even more having fled.

With the situation as it was, he had no other option.

As he continued to exert his power, the phantom hand, gripping the divine iron pillar, began to move inch by inch, making the entire wonder even more turbulent.

Suddenly, Xuan Huai's expression changed as he looked in one direction.

At that very spot, Lu Ye's figure simultaneously appeared.

"Die!" Xuan Huai roared, mustering his remaining strength and channeling the power of the grand formation to press down on Lu Ye.

Just as before, the grinding force enveloped him, and Lu Ye again felt like a soybean caught in a millstone. But this time, he did not flinch.

This was because the grinding power of the grand formation at this moment was incomparable to before.

The formation itself was the same, but the cultivators within it were in disarray, with most having fled. Naturally, the formation's power had significantly weakened.

Lu Ye's cultivation power surged as he resisted the grinding force surrounding him. He looked calmly at Xuan Huai and asked, "What exactly is sealed here?"

He had asked this question once before, but Xuan Huai had seemed equally clueless.

Lu Ye didn't know if Xuan Huai was genuinely clueless or pretending, but it was unlikely he knew nothing after scheming here for ten millennia.

"You want to know?" Xuan Huai cackled wildly, his mouth stained with blood.

When he saw that Lu Ye could withstand the grand formation's grinding power, he knew he had no chance of winning this time. Although he was using his remaining strength to try and extract the divine iron pillar, with the current power of the formation, it would still take him ten to fifteen days, even without interference.

Not to mention whether he could last that long, Lu Ye certainly wouldn't make it easy for him.

Yet, he still didn't give up.

"You'll find out later!" Xuan Huai laughed maniacally, appearing somewhat deranged.

Ten millennia of scheming and waiting had been ruined at the final hurdle. If his will hadn't been exceptionally strong, he would surely have gone mad.

"Sigh," Lu Ye slowly shook his head, knowing there was no point trying to extract any information from Xuan Huai.

He didn't have much time either, as numerous vital energies continued to lock onto him, and the Integration cultivators were still in pursuit.

With a slight tremor of the Panshan Saber in his hand, Xuan Huai suddenly cried out in alarm, his vital energy momentarily becoming chaotic.

The flesh on half of Xuan Huai's face had been severed by the Panshan Saber, and the wound still carried residual fangs power, which Lu Ye had not previously activated.

It was already arduous for Xuan Huai to extract the divine iron pillar with the grand formation's power. This momentary disruption in his vital energy rendered all his previous efforts useless.

The phantom hand dissipated.

Xuan Huai roared, lunging at Lu Ye: "Since you are a Son of the Star Abyss, why don't you cherish this favor? Why must you act so rebelliously? Do you know how many in this world long for such a blessing and never receive it?"

He was one of them!

If he had received this favor back then, his assault on the Eternal City might not have been without hope of success.

Lu Ye raised his hand and struck repeatedly, his saber glinting several times.

Xuan Huai stood rigidly before Lu Ye, gazing at him coldly: "You will pay the price for what you have done today. From this day forward, though the Star Abyss is vast, there will be no place for you to hide. Wherever you go, you will be watched by ultimate malice. You will be unable to cultivate, unable to heal, and all who are close to you will be implicated. One day, you will die in endless solitude!"

Lu Ye's expression remained unchanged.

After speaking these words, Xuan Huai suddenly disintegrated into pieces, his body becoming mere fragments. The premier formation master of the inner realm had been severely wounded by Lu Ye earlier, and injuries to his Dao bones were no minor matter, so he was completely unable to exert his full strength.

That final struggle was merely the manifestation of his unyielding will.

What caught Lu Ye's attention slightly were Xuan Huai's words. They sounded like dying resentment, but more like a curse.

In fact, Lu Ye could already feel the dense malice surrounding the void, as if a pair of invisible eyes were coldly watching him from the shadows.