Chapter 2853: The Power of Wonder

The Wind Rises in Jiuzhou

Only a handful of people know about Baqiu’s death to this day. This is why Zong Shenliang couldn't make many connections. If he knew that the former strongest expert of the inner realm had died by Lu Ye’s long blade, he would likely understand the origin of that sealing power.

"Liao... is this sealing power?" Lu Ye asked, sensing something and filled with surprise.

Having been injured by Baqiu before, he naturally understood the peculiar nature of the sealing power. That was Shang's power, entirely distinct from Liao's.

It was a power exclusive to the Soldier race.

"Yes, I have inherited Sister Shang's power," Liao said, its voice listless.

If it had a choice, it wouldn't have wished to ascend to a supreme treasure in this way, much less inherit Shang's power. While other members of the Soldier race might exist throughout the Star Abyss, Shang was the only one it had ever encountered.

For a long time, it had regarded Shang as its only kin in the world—a family member, a loved one.

Yet, that day's battle was orchestrated and driven entirely by Baqiu; neither it nor Lu Ye had much choice in the matter.

"So that's how it is," Lu Ye murmured, finally understanding.

Although Liao had previously been able to absorb some mystical essence from various subordinate treasures to fuel its growth, that was merely a process of consumption.

Shang, however, was different; she was also a member of the Soldier race. It now seemed that when one Soldier race member consumed another, they could also assimilate the other's power.

Shang's power, having been nurtured by Baqiu for countless millennia, was especially potent, far surpassing Liao's. Even with some loss during the absorption process, this encounter dealt a severe blow to Zong Shenliang.

Not only was the wound on his neck proving difficult to heal, but the sealing power also caused his strength to plummet by ten percent.

In his confrontation with Lu Ye, it was the first time panic flickered in his eyes.

This was because the power of the Nine Profound Heavenly Thunder Seal had surprisingly little purifying effect on this peculiar sealing energy.

It wasn't entirely useless, but unlike the ease with which it purified poisons, the sealing power and another tearing force were far more resilient. He secretly estimated that simply using the Nine Profound Heavenly Thunder Seal's power would require at least seven or eight attempts to fully cleanse it.

Lu Ye wouldn't give him that time. The moment he sensed Zong Shenliang's aura weaken, he knew it was an opportunity not to be missed. With the Blue Rhyme flowing ceaselessly on the Pan Mountain Blade, which had already ascended to a supreme treasure, he charged forward, brandishing his weapon.

Under normal circumstances, even with his strength reduced by ten percent, Zong Shenliang could have continued to fight Lu Ye. After all, he had been maintaining the power of the Battle Standard; with one power amplified and another diminished, his strength still remained formidable.

However, the sharpness of the supreme treasure Pan Mountain Blade made him extremely wary. One of his subordinate short daggers was already damaged, and the remaining one dared not clash head-on with the Pan Mountain Blade, fearing it would meet the same fate.

He had never encountered such a sharp supreme treasure; it sliced through subordinate treasures as if they were tofu.

Moreover, the wound on his neck continued to send waves of excruciating, tearing pain through him. The agony was so profound it felt as though it pierced his very soul, making cold sweat stream down his body and his limbs tremble.

It was only thanks to his resolute character that he was still able to endure; otherwise, he would have collapsed long ago.

In a clash between experts of this caliber, where one fought without restraint and the other was constrained, and their inherent strength was not significantly different, the constrained party naturally found it difficult to maintain their position.

Just thirty breaths after Liao successfully ascended to a supreme treasure, the situation on the battlefield rapidly deteriorated. All of Zong Shenliang's advantages vanished, and he found himself relentlessly pursued by Lu Ye, with virtually nowhere left to retreat.

Throughout the intense battle, Lu Ye maintained a composed expression, pressing his advantage relentlessly.

He didn't expect to kill Zong Shenliang with a single blow. He merely aimed to wound him again. If he could manage that, with both Liao's and Shang's powers working in tandem, Zong Shenliang's strength would be further diminished.

At that point, he could steadily expand his advantage.

Zong Shenliang, full of apprehension, showed more and more openings during their engagement. Although he managed to patch them up in time, he was clearly flustered.

Lu Ye knew he didn't need to do much more; he simply had to maintain his current offensive!

"You forced my hand!" Zong Shenliang roared, his expression turning ferocious after narrowly avoiding danger once more.

He had initially not wanted to resort to this final measure, as it was far too dangerous—almost a mutually destructive move.

But in his current predicament, if he didn't use it, he would likely just be waiting for death.

Therefore, he decided to fight with all he had.

The Nine Profound Heavenly Thunder Seal was summoned once more. His Dao power surged wildly throughout his body, seemingly pouring entirely into this supreme treasure. Under the tumultuous surge of fierce power, blood gushed even more violently from his neck wound than before, leaving his face noticeably pale.

Lu Ye suddenly felt an intense sense of crisis. His instinct urged him to withdraw from the battlefield immediately, yet his reason compelled him to press forward with his blade.

If he missed this opportunity, he wouldn't find such a good chance to kill Zong Shenliang in the future.

He had painstakingly forced the City Lord of Senluo City into this desperate situation.

The Nine Profound Heavenly Thunder Seal flared with light, and the entire wonder suddenly trembled violently. In that instant, the supreme treasure seemed to resonate miraculously with the wonder that had birthed it.

The Thunder Pool, already teeming with lightning, grew even more turbulent at that moment.

Lu Ye felt a sharp, stinging pain all over his body, as if pricked by needles. The sense of crisis in his heart intensified.

Noticing the changes in the surrounding environment, a sudden realization dawned on him; he understood what Zong Shenliang was about to do.

He was going to harness the power of this wonder!

The Nine Profound Heavenly Thunder Seal was born from the Thunder Pool wonder itself, and this supreme treasure could control and manipulate the lightning power within it.

It could be said that within this Thunder Pool, the supreme treasure's power was virtually limitless. This was precisely the basis of Zong Shenliang's previous confidence in fighting Baqiu here.

"Lu Ye, retreat now, or it will be too late!" Zong Shenliang roared.

If Lu Ye truly retreated now, he wouldn't need to take this risk. However, in Zong Shenliang's sight, Lu Ye completely ignored his words, instantly charging forward as the dark long blade, enveloped in a blue halo, slashed down fiercely.

At the same time, a shiver went down his spine. This Sky Mirror had not been so formidable in Xuejiu's hands; how had it become so powerful with Lu Ye? The supreme treasure's might was significantly greater than it had been before.

"Die!"

As Zong Shenliang roared, the Thunder Pool boiled, and massive lightning dragons blasted towards Lu Ye, engulfing and shrouding his figure in a single breath.

A faint, mirror-like brilliance flashed, and the lightning dragon was deflected, hurtling back towards Zong Shenliang.

The Sky Mirror still possessed a formidable counteracting power against the Nine Profound Heavenly Thunder Seal.

However, Zong Shenliang had suffered from this before, so he was well aware. Since he had chosen to make his move, he naturally had a countermeasure ready.

The supreme treasure gathered the wonder's lightning power, and more lightning dragons materialized out of thin air, surging relentlessly towards Lu Ye. They were densely packed, continuous, and seemingly endless.

Zong Shenliang was entirely enveloped in dazzling lightning. Even as the master of the supreme treasure, such a forceful activation of its power resulted in a degree of backlash, with lightning flickering across his body, causing him unbearable pain.

Lu Ye had initially closed in on the City Lord of Senluo City, but under the relentless onslaught of the continuous lightning dragons, his body was forced to retreat. Even wielding the power of the Sky Mirror, he found it impossible to deflect all of the attacks.

This was undoubtedly Zong Shenliang's strategy. Both were wielding the power of a supreme treasure, but one's strength was finite, while the other's, drawn from the wonder, was endless. In such a direct confrontation, Lu Ye naturally found it difficult to withstand.

Lu Ye retreated repeatedly. Even as he continuously activated the Sky Mirror's power, under the relentless impact of the lightning dragons, he still coughed up blood, his Dao bones cracking, and his internal organs violently shaken. Despite possessing a Dragon race body, the lightning rendered him numb all over, and even his spiritual senses felt rigid.

He was unwilling to give up.

Yet, he knew that in such a situation, he could hardly achieve anything more. He could only withdraw from this wonder for now and devise a new plan. If they continued this stalemate, even if Zong Shenliang could somehow endure, Lu Ye certainly couldn't.

However, even if he retreated, Zong Shenliang wouldn't have an easy time of it. Unless he stayed hidden within this wonder indefinitely, Lu Ye would surely pursue him relentlessly the moment he left.

He secretly marveled, confirming that the power of a supreme treasure drawing upon the wonder that birthed it was indeed terrifying.

Just as Lu Ye resolved to leave the Thunder Pool, he suddenly heard a strange, crisp sound.

This startled him slightly, because at that moment of intense combat, the surrounding commotion was immense; even significant sounds shouldn't have reached his ears.

Yet, when the sound emerged, it was incredibly clear.

Not only Lu Ye heard it, but Zong Shenliang did as well.

Every living being throughout the entire starfield heard it!

"Crack... crackle crackle..."

The crisp sounds continued without end. Lu Ye's gaze sharpened as he looked at a winding, pitch-black line that appeared in his vision.

That black line seemed to split the Thunder Pool wonder in half, rapidly spreading to both sides, stretching endlessly.

In that instant, countless such winding, pitch-black lines materialized across the entire starfield. Suddenly, the starfield resembled an egg that had fallen to the ground, with countless cracks appearing on its shell.

The starfield... was about to shatter!

This thought immediately surged into Lu Ye's mind.

As early as his initial entry into this starfield, he had noticed its extreme instability, teetering on the brink of collapse. Such a starfield, without external interference, would likely shatter within fifteen or twenty years.

His battle with Zong Shenliang today had undoubtedly accelerated this process.

The battle between the two of them alone might not have had a significant impact, but Zong Shenliang, using the supreme treasure's power to mobilize the wonder's energy, became the final straw.

For the shattering of the starfield had begun right within this Thunder Pool!

Crackle crackle...

The continuous sounds of shattering resonated within the minds of all living beings in the starfield, causing countless eyes to tremble.

Few had ever witnessed the shattering of a starfield firsthand; it was undoubtedly a terrifying spectacle. Not only the native creatures of the starfield but even outsiders like Lu Ye and Zong Shenliang couldn't help but feel an inexpressible fear and unease in their hearts.

It felt as though an apocalypse had arrived, as if everything was on the verge of destruction.

Yet, even so, their fierce struggle did not cease.

Mirror light still flashed around Lu Ye, deflecting the incoming power of the lightning dragons as much as possible. Zong Shenliang continued to frantically urge his supreme treasure, his face crazed, roaring, "Why aren't you dead yet?"

He was already bruised and bleeding all over from the backlash of the Thunder Pool's power, yet his malevolent aura was boundless.

He knew clearly that there could not be another Baqiu in this world.

Baqiu had failed in his previous attempt at ascension and had no chance of a comeback in this lifetime. But if Lu Ye were to master the same sealing power as Baqiu, he would become a second Baqiu, still capable of trampling them, the Ten Great City Lords, firmly underfoot.

Zong Shenliang was absolutely unwilling to witness such a scenario. What's more, this struggle had already become a fight to the death.