Chapter 2785: Human Half-Saint Si Career

Lu Ye's last use of the Drawing Blade Secret Art was in the Tower of Time, and he hadn't employed it since then. Including the time spent within the Tower of Time, at least a century had passed. Throughout this long period, he had been nurturing it without interruption.

Even when confronting Xue Jiu, he hadn't considered using it, as the disparity in their strengths was too vast then. Employing the secret art offered no hope of victory, and he had instead relied on the power of the Starry Sky Chessboard to continually buy time. This situation, however, was different. Fei Heng was poisoned, and his strength was now nearly on par with Lu Ye’s, making him a truly evenly matched opponent. Defeating such an opponent would not be easy; only a decisive technique like this could secure victory.

As the blade light flashed, a swathe of seven-colored radiance suddenly swept out from Fei Heng. Lu Ye's eyes narrowed. The Heavenly Origin Star Disk! Fei Heng had long since retrieved this supreme treasure, and Lu Ye had been wary of it, yet he hadn't anticipated witnessing its power again until this very moment. As the seven-colored radiance swept past his blade light, Lu Ye clearly sensed that the power of his strike had been significantly weakened. Even so, this terrifying blow could not be entirely nullified.

As a muffled groan escaped Fei Heng, blood spurted from his body, and he was sent flying backward like an arrow shot from a bow. He quickly steadied himself, looked down, and his face paled dramatically. A wound nearly a zhang long had appeared on his body, deep enough to expose bone. Had he not swiftly sealed the flesh with his power, his internal organs might have spilled out. Fei Heng was utterly terrified. What a horrifying strike, what an astonishing technique! If he hadn't promptly activated the Heavenly Origin Star Disk's power to weaken the attack, he feared that single strike would have instantly killed him.

Though he had miraculously survived this time, the situation was far from optimistic. Such an injury, compounded by Zhaoming's previous sneak attack, constituted a severe blow, greatly impairing his ability to exert his full strength. Furthermore, he was still gravely poisoned, making his situation precarious. Before he could even catch his breath, he saw Lu Ye charging at him once more.

By this point, he no longer dared to underestimate Lu Ye in the slightest. With a slight tremor of the Heavenly Origin Star Disk in his hand, a streak of seven-colored radiance enveloped Lu Ye. The radiance moved incredibly fast; even though Lu Ye detected it, he found it impossible to evade and was hastily caught squarely within its reach. Instantly, the circulation of Dao power within his body became sluggish, as if an invisible barrier had formed. Lu Ye was secretly alarmed. The Heavenly Origin Star Disk truly deserved its reputation as a supreme treasure. Though it possessed no direct destructive power, this single application reduced his strength by almost thirty percent. In such an intense battle, a sudden reduction in strength could prove fatal.

Yet, showing no intention to retreat, he advanced with his blade, closing in on Fei Heng, and an endless array of blade light descended upon him. Fei Heng gritted his teeth and met the assault, activating the supreme treasure’s power intermittently. Both combatants were hindered, with their strengths diminished, leading to yet another evenly matched stalemate. Relatively speaking, Lu Ye was more composed, being unharmed. Moreover, Fei Heng had to continuously channel the supreme treasure's power to maintain their current stalemate; if the Heavenly Origin Star Disk's influence were to waver, allowing Lu Ye to regain his original strength, Fei Heng would undoubtedly be no match.

Fei Heng had already begun to contemplate retreat. By this point in the battle, his army had suffered devastating losses, and the plan to attack Changyun Island had utterly failed. If he were to perish here, the Heavenly Origin Star Disk would also be seized, which would be an unbearable blow to the Feather Race. Therefore, he had to protect this ancestral treasure at all costs. But how could Lu Ye allow him to escape so easily?

As they pursued and evaded each other, the two figures darted across the Cage Sea. Fei Heng attempted to escape underwater several times, but each time Lu Ye forced him back. During the intense battle, Lu Ye was also seeking a way to counteract the interference of the seven-colored radiance. He had even resorted to secret arts like Drawing Blade, fearing prolonged complications. The Cage Sea harbored more than just this foreign army and Fei Heng wasn't the only foreign expert. Given his desperate situation, Fei Heng had undoubtedly already called for external assistance. Therefore, this battle had to be concluded as quickly as possible.

The burning power of the Talent Tree was effective against the erosion of the seven-colored radiance. However, Fei Heng consistently activated the supreme treasure's power; before Lu Ye could burn away the radiance that had invaded his body, he was again enveloped by its renewed power. Unless there was a means to completely isolate himself from it.

Lu Ye's thoughts stirred, and he once more activated the power of the Talent Tree. Instantly, countless invisible roots spread out from his body, enveloping him completely. His spirit was instantly invigorated! This was because the stagnated Dao power within him had, at that moment, surprisingly resumed its flow, no longer subject to any interference. The Talent Tree, having evolved to this stage, could actually block the erosion of such divine light! Back in Kyushu, Lu Ye had suffered considerably from the dimensional magnetic divine light. He had attempted a similar method then, but it had been ineffective. Its current effectiveness was undoubtedly due to the Talent Tree's higher quality, as it had now also reached the level of a supreme treasure.

His offensive suddenly turned ferocious. Fei Heng was aghast, utterly bewildered as to why his opponent seemed to be suddenly revitalized. Just moments before, the Heavenly Origin Divine Light had weakened the enemy's strength, yet in the blink of an eye, it had fully recovered. Under the fierce blade light, Fei Heng gradually found himself unable to resist. Blood spurted, chunks of his flesh were peeled away, and even several of his Dao bones were severed. Had he not dodged in time, he might have been cut in half. In just ten breaths, this Grand Elder of the Feather Race had reached his limit, his face filled with despair.

Just as Lu Ye felt his spirits lift, preparing to seize victory in one swift move, a streak of red light suddenly descended from the sky. Its power was awe-inspiring, like a celestial fire falling, and it swept directly into the battle zone. Sensing the peculiar aura, Lu Ye's heart jolted. He immediately pulled back, simultaneously activating his Dao power with full force to protect himself. Looking again, he saw a crimson scimitar suspended in mid-air. Red light flowed across its blade, resembling burning flames, and as the fiery glow diffused, the scimitar slowly rotated. A figure clad in black, light as a feather, gently floated down from above, landing on the scimitar.

Lu Ye's gaze sharpened, and he frowned. When the sudden change occurred, he had initially thought Fei Heng had summoned reinforcements, but now it appeared otherwise. The newcomer wore black clothes and had black hair, save for his stark white eyebrows. His aura was formidable, yet his appearance was remarkably plain—the kind that would go unnoticed in a crowd. Observing his build and features, Lu Ye realized with a start that he was human! Who was this? What puzzled Lu Ye even more was why this human had just obstructed him from slaying Fei Heng. His battle with Fei Heng was already in its final stages; if this human expert had arrived even a step later, he would have been able to cut Fei Heng down. He didn't care about killing a Feather Race Grand Elder, but he could have seized the Heavenly Origin Star Disk. After this treasure was absorbed by the Talent Tree, it would be incredibly useful, whether by bearing fruit or by providing vital nourishment to the Myriad Poison Bead fruit.

Furthermore, another detail greatly concerned Lu Ye. It was the scimitar, shaped like a crescent moon, which exuded the aura of a supreme treasure! While Lu Ye was still speculating about the newcomer's identity, Fei Heng, who had narrowly escaped death, cried out in alarm, "Shattered Heaven Blade, are you Si Shengya, the Human Half-Saint?"

A Human Half-Saint? Lu Ye raised an eyebrow. When he had previously conversed with Xia He, Xiao Man, and others, he had indeed heard that there was a Half-Saint among humans, but that individual seemed to have long since retired from worldly affairs, living in seclusion somewhere in the Cage Sea. Among the countless humans in the Cage Sea, only a handful had ever seen him, as he hadn't appeared for many years. The human race didn't even know if he was alive or dead. Lu Ye had never imagined that this Human Half-Saint would appear before him like this, at such a critical juncture, and in such a manner.

If Fei Heng had been immensely wary when facing Lu Ye, then facing Si Shengya now, his face was filled with terror. Even though Si Shengya kept his back turned to him, after shouting that realization, Fei Heng's eyes were filled with despair. Against Lu Ye, no matter how dire the situation, he still held a sliver of hope for escape. But facing a Half-Saint, he possessed no power to resist, even at his peak strength. A bitter taste filled his mouth, worse than eating bitter herbs, and he felt that death was certain today.

Since his appearance, Si Shengya had been watching Lu Ye. At this moment, he spoke softly, "Since you know it's me, begone!" Lu Ye's expression instantly darkened. After a moment of stunned surprise, Fei Heng was overjoyed. He cupped a fist and said, "Many thanks, Venerable Saint, for sparing my life!" Even though humans held a lowly status in this Origin Realm, consistently used as sacrificial material by the various foreign races, and even though all foreign races regarded humans as mere pigs and dogs, in the presence of a Half-Saint, Fei Heng still dared not show the slightest disrespect. This was not about race, but rather respect for strength and cultivation. As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and fled.

Lu Ye's gaze swept past Si Shengya, thick with chilling killing intent. Just as he was about to give chase, Si Shengya sighed, "Young friend, let him go." Lu Ye's hand on the blade loosened, then tightened, but ultimately, he returned the blade to its sheath. Looking at Si Shengya, he asked, "Venerable Saint, what are your concerns? Why let him go?"

Si Shengya sighed again: "People can be killed, but treasures cannot be seized! If you take the Heavenly Origin Star Disk, you will only invite greater disaster. After all, it is the Feather Race's ancestral treasure. If it is lost, those few from the Feather Race will not let it rest. Young friend, you wouldn't want to be targeted by powerful individuals like me, and by several of them!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Ye suddenly understood. This was something he hadn't considered. Just as Si Shengya stated, the Heavenly Origin Star Disk was crucial to the Feather Race. If he truly seized it, would the Half-Saints of the Feather Race simply let it go? At that point, not just the Cage Sea, but the entire vast Origin Realm would offer him no refuge. Although his current strength was formidable, having nearly killed Fei Heng, he still had no chance of victory against a Half-Saint expert like Si Shengya. This was evident simply from Fei Heng's attitude towards Si Shengya.

"Has Venerable Saint been here all along?" Lu Ye asked again. If he hadn't been there all along, how could he have arrived so coincidentally to stop him at such a crucial moment? Si Shengya replied, "The Feather Race's use of the Heavenly Origin Star Disk piqued my curiosity, leading me to pay close attention to this area."