Chapter 2744: 叁

Lu Ye felt a strange sensation, as if he was completely out of sync with his surroundings. Even the familiar and usually friendly Star Abyss aura, which once lingered close by, was now actively repelling him.

This situation wouldn't have arisen if he had merely been stripped of the threefold blessings of the Star Abyss Son. The crucial point was that even after losing those blessings, Lu Ye did not stop until he had slain Xuan Huai.

This was likely a curse.

If that Will could bestow blessings upon cultivators, it naturally possessed the power to curse them as well.

Lu Ye's heart felt heavy. He had to admit, the cost of his actions this time was substantial. He hadn't even fully understood what the divine iron pillar was sealing until the very end.

Yet, he had no regrets. He had anticipated his current predicament, and since the matter involved the arrangements of the Dragon and Phoenix ancestors, he felt compelled to align himself with them unconditionally.

With Xuan Huai defeated, Lu Ye swiftly gathered his possessions. The Dao artifact of this Cosmic-level City Lord from ten thousand years ago was a valuable subsidiary treasure. Although neither the Talent Tree nor Liao had any further need for such treasures, one could never have too many.

If he couldn't use it himself, his friends and family could, or at the very least, it could be sold for an exorbitant price.

Having completed these tasks, Lu Ye finally raised his head and cast a cold gaze forward.

In the distance, countless streaks of light came to a halt. It was the group of Harmony Dao cultivators who had been pursuing Lu Ye, numbering a substantial one to two thousand.

Lu Ye was no match for such a large contingent of Harmony Dao cultivators. However, he didn't need to engage all of them simultaneously. Previously, his movements were severely restricted by his need to slay Xuan Huai. Now that Xuan Huai was dead, his Void Traversing Art ensured that this disorganized mob, no matter their numbers, would be unable to capture him before forming an effective encirclement.

The Harmony Dao cultivators evidently recognized this issue. After Xuan Huai's demise, they paused, hesitating, unsure whether to continue following the Will's directive to oppose Lu Ye or to retreat.

Indeed, slaying Lu Ye, this 'rebellious son,' would undoubtedly bring unimaginable rewards, but the risks were immense. They had all just witnessed Lu Ye's capabilities; no one was confident they could withstand a single strike from his blade. Engaging him directly carried a very high probability of demise.

Thus, with matters reaching this point, many Harmony Dao cultivators began to consider retreat.

In their eyes, Lu Ye was indeed a highly coveted prize, but one needed to survive to claim it. When the balance between risk and reward shifted unfavorably, their fervor and greed quickly dissipated.

Lu Ye scoffed coldly and turned to depart.

The next moment, he froze, as if struck by lightning.

Not far in front of him, a figure stood silently.

Crucially, Lu Ye had been entirely unaware of the figure's presence, having no idea when it had appeared, which was frankly astonishing.

What captivated Lu Ye's attention even more was the mask worn by the figure.

It was a white mask adorned with a single, large character, "Dragon Soaring, Phoenix Dancing," that glowed with a bloody, dazzling intensity, as if inscribed with fresh blood.

This mask… he had seen similar ones before.

During the Star Abyss Son competition years ago, a figure known as 'Qi' had overseen events. According to Su Yan, 'Qi' was a senior from the Phoenix clan, but during their interactions, 'Qi' had not seemed like a powerful being with independent thought, but rather like a mere puppet.

Lu Ye had speculated back then that if 'Qi' (Seven) existed, there might also be 'Yi' (One), 'Er' (Two), 'San' (Three), 'Si' (Four), and so on.

Today, he personally witnessed the validation of his conjecture!

Indeed, 'San' (Three) now stood before him, appearing silently and without any warning.

Lu Ye's pupils instantly constricted to pinpricks. Even though he detected no hostility or murderous intent from the figure, a voice deep within him screamed:

"Escape as fast and as far as possible!"

Both 'Qi' from before and 'San' now were undeniably puppets of that Will. Lu Ye had ruined Xuan Huai's plans and defied the Will's expectations, so 'San's' appearance here clearly boded ill for him.

Lu Ye's body reacted almost before his mind could process. Spatial power enveloped him as he immediately attempted to flee sideways.

'San' raised the longsword in his hand and leisurely made a soft, decisive cut in Lu Ye's direction.

The spatial power around Lu Ye instantly shattered, as if utterly erased, leaving the teleportation technique he was about to activate without a foundation.

Sword qi, condensed to its absolute peak, surged forward. Lu Ye instinctively drew his blade and struck, unleashing all his power without the slightest reservation.

However, the instant their attacks met, he felt the overwhelming ferocity of the sword. This was a force he simply could not withstand, its power utterly surpassing his comprehension.

His blood boiled, and the right arm holding his blade violently vibrated. His Dao power surged out like floodwaters from an opened sluice gate.

Blood spurted, and the flesh on his right arm ripped open. The Panshan Blade nearly flew from his grasp, yet it remained insufficient to withstand the sword's might.

Temporal power permeated the area, and the flow of time was disturbed.

However, its effect on the sword qi was negligible. Yet, even this slight disturbance allowed Lu Ye to shift his body marginally, avoiding a fatal blow.

Blood splattered as a deep gash suddenly appeared, running from his shoulder blade to his lower abdomen, nearly cleaving Lu Ye in two. He was sent flying backward uncontrollably, as if struck by the entirety of the Starry Abyss.

Excruciating pain coursed through his entire body, and his blood and Dao power were in disarray.

Lu Ye, however, let out a slight sigh of relief.

Because just moments ago, from the corner of his eye, he had clearly seen a chain-like construct suddenly appear around 'San' after the sword qi was unleashed, dragging him into some unseen depths, where he vanished in an instant.

A torrent of thoughts churned in his mind.

The moment he saw 'San,' Lu Ye knew he was in grave danger. His previous actions had undoubtedly enraged the Will, prompting it to dispatch 'San' to deal with him.

However, he had also been puzzled: if 'San' could appear here, why hadn't he shown up earlier to assist Xuan Huai? With 'San's' capabilities and methods, Xuan Huai should have easily removed the divine iron pillar long ago.

Only now did he understand that 'San' could not simply appear at will, or rather, his power could not be casually employed.

Just as Harmony Dao cultivators refrain from casually unleashing their power after entering the manifest world, 'San' was also subject to certain restrictions. Once he used his power, those restrictions would be triggered.

Lu Ye didn't know the nature of these restrictions; he only knew that he had survived.

'San' had gravely wounded him with a single sword stroke. Had there been a second, Lu Ye would have been utterly defenseless, left only to yield to his fate.

However, his troubles were far from over.

As Lu Ye was sent flying backward, he felt countless divine senses surge from behind. The Harmony Dao cultivators, who had previously deemed the situation unfeasible and were preparing to disperse, now descended like sharks scenting blood, launching ruthless attacks, seizing the opportunity while Lu Ye was vulnerable.

Lu Ye's body remained uncontrollable, continuously propelled backward by the sword qi's furious strike. Sensing the numerous attacks converging from behind, he could only frantically channel his protective Dao power to shield himself.

It was futile. His formidable protective Dao power swiftly shattered under the barrage of attacks, only to re-form, then shatter again, and re-form once more…

During these brief intervals between shattering and reforming, he was utterly unprotected, and his body was battered and torn, losing flesh.

Fortunately, the Battle Heaven Saint Dragon Guard continued to function, and with his Dragon Vein Body, his physical resilience had significantly increased. Thus, while the current situation appeared dire, it remained within Lu Ye's capacity to endure.

A full five breaths passed from the moment 'San' unleashed his earth-shattering strike. Lu Ye, still propelled by the furious force, finally slammed into the midst of the crowd.

The impact sent people sprawling, further escalating the already chaotic scene.

It was only then that Lu Ye finally regained control over his body.

“Roar!”

An earth-shattering dragon's roar echoed, as a colossal dragon shadow coiled behind Lu Ye, emanating a terrifying and palpable dragon's might.

The Harmony Dao cultivators closest to Lu Ye were momentarily stunned. In their vision, the dragon shadow grew larger and larger until it blotted out the sky, plunging them into darkness.

Dragon's Might was a soul-based secret art, and one of the Dragon race's most frequently employed combat techniques, often achieving miraculous results.

Accompanying the Dragon's Might was a circular arc of blade light.

Three such arcs of blade light erupted in an instant. Wherever the arc passed, bodies were sliced in half. Not only were the Dao bones within cultivators unable to withstand its edge, but even the Dao weapons in their hands shattered upon contact.

Lu Ye stood amidst the chaos, mercilessly swinging his blade, his eyes alight with killing intent.

He couldn't defeat 'San,' but surely he could handle these individuals? He hadn't initially intended to harm them, but they had unforgivably chosen to kick him while he was down.

Admittedly, they were incited by the Will to oppose him, but people die for wealth and birds for food. If their own wills were truly resilient, how could they have been so easily swayed?

Most of the tens of thousands of Harmony Dao cultivators who had gathered here had, in fact, already departed.

Figures around him fell like straw, yet more continued to surge forward. Lu Ye's severe injuries seemed to ignite a desperate hope in them, magnifying their greed to the extreme and utterly drowning their reason.

Three breaths later, Lu Ye unleashed Dragon's Might once more. Taking advantage of the brief deterrence of his surrounding enemies, he took a step, vanished from his spot, and reappeared in a different location.

In such circumstances, even with his formidable strength, two fists were no match for four hands. After a brief engagement, he sustained new injuries, though these were minor compared to the sword wound inflicted by 'San'.

Activating his Void Traversing Art, Lu Ye moved swiftly, attempting to break through the encirclement.

For him, the most critical task at hand was not to slay enemies. He harbored no personal grudge against these Harmony Dao cultivators, and without the Star Abyss Son's blessing, killing more of them was meaningless, beyond simply seizing their abandoned belongings.

His most urgent priority was to heal quickly, as the sword wound left by 'San' was strangely peculiar.