Chapter 2823: Farewell to the Senior

The Dragon Lord’s reaction made the Phoenix Lord subtly feel that something was amiss. This feeling was as if the Dragon Lord was intentionally trying to delay her here.

Her expression suddenly changed. She turned her head towards the direction she had come from, vaguely sensing intense fluctuations of battle emanating from there, wave after wave, ceaseless, like an incoming tide.

Gu Mingyue was originally in a precarious situation under their combined assault. If she hadn't been strong enough, and if the Dragon Lord hadn't intentionally held back, she would have likely been severely injured. The moment the Phoenix Lord was distracted, Gu Mingyue seized the opportunity, her form suddenly dispersing into dozens of streams of water that shot off in all directions.

By the time the Phoenix Lord recovered and tried to intervene, it was too late.

As things stood, the Phoenix Lord no longer had the intention to interfere. Instead, she turned to return the way she had come, spatial power surging around her, distorting the void.

However, the Dragon Lord stepped forward, blocking her path. With a wave of his hand, temporal power permeated the area, and in a brief moment, endless time flowed, restoring the distorted space-time to normal.

The Phoenix Lord’s premonition grew clearer. Staring at the Dragon Lord, she asked, "Who is Ba Qiu fighting?"

The ripples of battle sweeping in from afar were definitely Ba Qiu fighting someone, but the distance was too great for her to perceive clearly.

"Alas!" the Dragon Lord sighed, his brows furrowed with hesitation, unsure how to explain.

"Move aside!" The Phoenix Lord grew angry. She had no more patience to confront the Dragon Lord here.

The Dragon Lord knew he could no longer conceal it and stated truthfully, "It's Lu Ye."

"Lu Ye?" The Phoenix Lord was astonished. She sensed again more carefully, vaguely confirming that only Ba Qiu's and Lu Ye's presences seemed to be emanating from that direction.

She couldn't help but say in annoyance, "Given Ba Qiu's current condition, couldn't he rest for a while first? Does he really have to spar with that brat at this time?"

"And you!" The Phoenix Lord glared at the Dragon Lord again. "They're fighting, why are you stopping me? And you let Gu Mingyue escape!"

That was definitely a good opportunity to eliminate Gu Mingyue. With their combined strength, if they had genuinely worked together, Gu Mingyue would most likely have been kept there.

The Dragon Lord's lips trembled for a moment before he finally said, "It's not a sparring match; it's a battle to the death!"

"What nonsense!" The Phoenix Lord snapped. "They have no grudges against each other, why would they fight to the death? Move aside, I'm going to see!"

The Dragon Lord did not move, merely staring into the Phoenix Lord's eyes. "You've already figured it out; you just don't dare to admit it."

The Phoenix Lord’s face had turned pale. Biting her red lips tightly, she said in a cold voice, "Yang Fengxian, I'll say it again: move aside. I don't want to fight you!"

The Dragon Lord shook his head. "It's already too late. Can't you feel it? Ba Qiu is burning his life essence. Whether he wins or loses this battle, he will die. This is his fate!"

The Phoenix Lord's eyes turned scarlet. "Did he ask you to stop me?"

"Yes!" The Dragon Lord nodded. "Ba Qiu said that his life was coming to an end anyway, but at least at the last moment, he could be a stepping stone. In this world, only Lu Ye can inherit his will, not only because they are both human, but also because of the legacy of the Dao Soldiers. You should understand!"

The Phoenix Lord’s body swayed slightly. She never imagined that the encounter just now would be their last.

In a daze, the Dragon Lord had already moved aside. "If you insist on going, then so be it, but Ba Qiu probably wouldn't want to see you at a time like this."

The Phoenix Lord clenched her fists, her expression filled with struggle.

It was a long time before she finally raised her head and opened her mouth. A mournful phoenix cry echoed deeply into the universe.

Outside Yifu City, two figures continued to clash, wildly swinging their blades. Each move seemed rigid and stiff, yet every strike contained an enormous burst of power.

The small Yifu City had long since drifted away amidst the lingering shockwaves of the battle. Within the city, Fu Wei was crying, kneeling before Ba Xia, who was stooped over, gently patting his head with a joyful smile on his face.

Suddenly, the two warring figures clashed violently once more, but this time, they did not separate as before.

Lu Ye held his blade with both hands, its tip pressed against the flat side of the great blade, which in turn was held horizontally across Ba Qiu's chest. They were close, their respective Dao powers surging wildly, aura erupting.

Ba Qiu smiled. "It's almost time! With such profound potential, you will surely go further than me in the future. Perhaps you'll even have a chance to break through that final barrier."

Lu Ye's expression, however, was filled with sorrow, and his hands holding the blade trembled slightly.

Seeing his appearance, Ba Qiu's smile slowly faded. He said gravely, "What, don't you even have the courage to see me off for the last time? Or do you intend to just watch as my life force slowly dissipates?"

The blood flames around him had long lost their towering intensity. After this great battle, the flames were now on the verge of extinguishing, a faint, thin layer enveloping his body like a candle flame in the wind, liable to go out at any moment.

His life force was almost depleted, his body filled with deathly energy.

"Do it now!" Ba Qiu roared softly.

Lu Ye clenched his teeth, closed his eyes, and roared towards the sky, "Junior Lu Ye respectfully bids farewell to Senior Ba Qiu! May you rest well, Senior!"

His hands, gripping the blade, stopped trembling. With ferocious power, the Panshan Blade thrust forward.

With a crisp, shattering sound, a noise echoed from deep within his soul.

The great blade, which had accompanied Ba Qiu for countless years, shattered into countless fragments with this thrust. The sharp edge pierced Ba Qiu's body, piercing his heart, and the explosive, violent power instantly extinguished Ba Qiu's remaining life force.

Amidst that crisp sound, another voice emerged.

"Senior Sister Shang, farewell!"

The fragments of the great blade spiraled back like phosphorescence, all surging into the Panshan Blade in Lu Ye's hand. A radiant white stream of light suddenly flowed across the dark blade.

Lu Ye withdrew his blade, but not a single drop of blood came out. The blood within Ba Qiu's body had long since burned away. He stood there with his head bowed, his figure still robust and tall, his back straight, and a slight curve at the corner of his mouth, as if he had simply fallen into a deep sleep, dreaming of something pleasant.

In this battle, Ba Qiu, the foremost powerhouse of the Inner Realm, failed in his advancement and was severely weakened, leading four of the Ten Great City Lords to jointly besiege him. The Dragon Lord and Phoenix Lord came to his aid, with Xiao Qianchen providing support.

During the great battle, Lu Ye of the human race and Fu Wei of the Divination Clan entered the fray, forcing Xuan Wuzong to retreat.

Later, Ba Qiu engaged in a battle to the death with Lu Ye and fell by Lu Ye's hand.

The top powerhouse, who had dominated the Inner Realm for countless years, had fallen!

In the silent void, Yifu City stood still.

Lu Ye sat on the throne, his emotions unsettled for a long time.

The battle to the death with Ba Qiu seemed like the most dignified way for Ba Qiu to depart, but Lu Ye knew that this senior was paving the way for his own future.

He knew that Ba Qiu only wanted to die by his hand, and he also knew that such a death was a release for Ba Qiu.

Yet, despite knowing all this, having personally killed such a senior still left Lu Ye feeling unwell.

Not long after Ba Qiu's death in battle, the Dragon Lord and Phoenix Lord returned together.

The Phoenix Lord did not say much, merely collected Ba Qiu's body in silence and took him away.

The Dragon Lord, unable to leave the Phoenix Lord, departed with her.

Lu Ye sat on the throne, gazing at the dilapidated city, and a sense of desolation and loneliness instantly welled up within him. It was hard to imagine how Ba Qiu had persevered alone for so many years.

Perhaps only those who could endure solitude, like Ba Qiu, could become so powerful, single-handedly suppressing all other powerhouses in the Inner Realm.

He slowly rose and walked a short distance, stopping before Fu Wei.

Fu Wei was still kneeling where he was. Sensing the movement, he looked up at Lu Ye.

His eyes were swollen and red from crying, like ripe peaches, and he was clutching a man-sized turtle shell. The shell was covered with intricate patterns and even exuded an aura similar to that of a supreme treasure.

At the same time Ba Qiu fell in battle, Ba Xia's body also slowly dissipated, as if he had never existed.

These two shared a single fate, living and dying together. With Ba Qiu's demise, Ba Xia could not live on alone. This was the sole drawback of the Divination Clan's entanglement with destiny.

After Ba Xia disappeared, the only thing left behind was this turtle shell.

This was the Divination Clan's protective treasure, and also their inherited artifact from ancient times.

Nurtured and refined by generations of Divination Clan powerhouses, this treasure, though not an innate supreme treasure, was now almost comparable to one in quality.

The intricate patterns on the turtle shell were the threads of destiny left by generations of the Divination Clan.

"Senior Brother..." Fu Wei looked at Lu Ye, his voice choked with emotion.

Lu Ye sighed and patted his shoulder, unsure how to comfort him.

He then casually asked, "What's going on with your power level?"

His own power had increased greatly due to the Secret Art of the Small World, but what was the situation with Fu Wei? How did his power increase so unusually?

To be honest, when Fu Wei suddenly charged into the battlefield to assist earlier, it startled him, but Fu Wei's performance left him greatly surprised.

Fu Wei smiled bashfully at Lu Ye. "I haven't had a chance to tell Senior Brother yet, but this is an innate divine ability of our Divination Clan."

He then explained.

Lu Ye listened in amazement.

Only then did he realize that Fu Wei's strength was directly linked to his own.

He immediately felt envious. The feeling of constantly getting stronger without diligent cultivation was surely something every cultivator dreamed of.

His expression suddenly stiffened. "So, the death of Senior Ba Xia..."

Although he didn't kill Ba Xia, Ba Qiu died by his hand, and in a way, Ba Xia also died because of him.

"Senior Brother, there's no need to blame yourself." Fu Wei raised a hand to wipe his eyes. "Our Ancestor foresaw this very scene many years ago, and Senior Ba Qiu also knew that this would be his fate."

Lu Ye's feelings grew even more complex.

He didn't know how to comfort Fu Wei; instead, he was comforted by him.

However, he finally understood why Ba Xia had suddenly died.

"So, if something happens to me in the future, you won't be able to live either?" Lu Ye asked.

"That is correct," Fu Wei nodded.

Lu Ye said seriously, "Then I must live well from now on."

He possessed a Dao pattern of the Life Chain, which could link two unrelated individuals in life and death, even allowing them to share their cultivation achievements. This was somewhat similar to the innate divine ability of the Divination Clan.

Of course, it was merely similar; in terms of effect, the Divination Clan's innate divine ability was undoubtedly much stronger.