Chapter 518: The Strongest Secret Technique of the Beast Taming Sect

The battle resumed, but this time, He Bing's expression was no longer as composed, simply because he had genuinely felt Lu Ye's increase in strength.

Just as Lu Ye had anticipated, if their combined efforts could barely ensure their survival moments ago, now the three of them had the means to truly fight their opponent, though this advantage might not last long.

The boost Lu Ye received from 'Bloodstain' was not without cost; it was draining his own strength.

For instance, at his current third-level cultivation, unleashing fourth-level strength, with faster slashes and greater power, naturally entailed a heavier burden.

Under normal circumstances, Lu Ye could engage an enemy for an hour, but in this state, he could only fight intensely for half an hour, or even less. Once the time limit passed, he would be completely exhausted.

However, in the current situation, if they didn't even have the means to fight the enemy, there was no point in considering anything else.

He Bing sensed Lu Ye's increased strength, and Li Baxian naturally did too. Although he wasn't sure what method Lu Ye had employed, it was undoubtedly beneficial to their side, so he immediately altered his previous strategy.

Previously, Li Baxian had been the primary attacker with Lu Ye assisting. Now, he let Lu Ye take the lead in offense, while he fully supported him, covering weaknesses and exploiting openings. With Feng Yuechan simultaneously distracting He Bing, the scene became incredibly intense.

The sight of them being repelled immediately upon clashing with the enemy, as before, no longer occurred. With Lu Ye leading the assault, he could now exchange several blows with He Bing.

Moreover, as time passed, his own strength grew even further.

He Bing felt extremely uncomfortable. Any one of these three cultivators had a much lower cultivation level than him. In a one-on-one fight, he was confident he could end the battle within ten breaths. Even if there were only two of them, he would have killed them long ago.

Yet, there were three of them: two kept him entangled, while one cast spells, making it difficult for him to break free for a time.

Initially, these three were no match for him at all, but with their coordinated efforts, he failed to kill any of them. Now, they had barely gained the ability to fight him.

Especially that third-level soldier-cultivator—he didn't know what was going on, but the more intensely he fought, the stronger he became.

Now that they had the means to fight him, if this continued, wouldn't they truly be able to stand as equals against him?

He Bing was incredibly frustrated. If he had known this would happen, he would have risked serious injury to kill one of them earlier; it would have been better than this endless entanglement.

But now, the opportunity to do so was gone. Before, they could only survive his onslaught, and he could exchange injury for a life. Now, if he dared to try that, it would likely be a life for a life.

There was no way he would make that choice.

Regardless of what secret art that soldier-cultivator used to unleash such powerful strength at the third-level cultivation, it certainly came at a cost. All He Bing could do now was wait until the soldier-cultivator could no longer hold on, and victory would naturally be his.

With this thought, He Bing brandished his spear, shifting from offense to defense. It was a true humiliation for a dignified seventh-level cultivator like him to be forced into such a choice. Yet, there was nothing else to do. As long as he won, the process didn't matter. After all, these were the renowned Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan, two of the Spirit Creek's 'Three Great Scourges'.

With a seventh-level cultivator like He Bing determined only to defend and not attack, Lu Ye and Li Baxian were completely helpless. All their attacks were parried by He Bing, unable to injure him in the slightest.

Amidst the rocky forest, magical light flashed continuously, and sword aura and saber glints crisscrossed. He Bing, holding his ground, constantly swung his spear, blocking incoming spells and blade attacks. He stood there like an eternal, unyielding block of ice, leaving them with no way to gain an advantage.

The Bloodstain Spirit Mark continued to exert its effect. Lu Ye's strength had increased even further than before, subtly reaching the level of a fifth-stage cultivator within himself.

This was evident from the change in He Bing's demeanor when parrying Lu Ye's attacks. Moments ago, his expression had been somewhat relaxed, but now it was noticeably more serious, with every parry executed with full power.

Lu Ye's fifth-stage strength, in terms of actual combat effectiveness, was clearly not inferior to that of an average seventh-stage cultivator. If he genuinely possessed fifth-stage cultivation at this moment, even in a one-on-one fight, he could contend equally with He Bing and perhaps even have a chance to win.

However, this increase in strength was ultimately brought about by the Bloodstain Spirit Mark, and there was still some disparity compared to a true fifth-stage cultivator.

Moreover, Lu Ye could feel that he had reached his personal limit.

The Bloodstain's boost couldn't be limitless. After all, it was just a spirit mark. The fact that it could forcibly elevate his strength by two minor levels was proof of its power. Of course, this was also related to the prolonged duration of the battle.

More than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn had passed since they entered the formation and began fighting, which allowed the Bloodstain Spirit Mark to continuously exert its effect.

At this moment, with the three of them working together, Lu Ye was truly qualified to stand on equal footing with He Bing, but this was far from enough.

He Bing felt immensely fortunate that he had shifted from offense to defense earlier, saving a significant amount of energy. Otherwise, his current situation would undoubtedly be very awkward.

Lu Ye's increase in strength didn't panic him; rather, it filled him with astonishment. He had never known of any method that could boost a cultivator's strength so dramatically.

However, great power increases also meant great costs. He Bing could perceive that the opponent's strength had reached its limit, with no signs of further ascent. Therefore, as long as he continued to hold on, perhaps in the very next moment, or the one after, that soldier-cultivator would collapse.

Clanging sounds echoed incessantly as Lu Ye and Li Baxian's figures crisscrossed, yet they couldn't budge He Bing even slightly.

Li Baxian thought to himself, 'This is bad.' Their current situation might seem favorable, but in reality, danger was surging.

Against He Bing, seventy percent of the pressure rested on Lu Ye. Once Lu Ye couldn't hold on, their defeat would be swift and overwhelming.

If they could finish the battle quickly, there would be no major concern. But He Bing, a seventh-level cultivator, was defending himself impenetrably, clearly determined to prolong the fight.

If they couldn't deal with their opponent before Lu Ye's strength waned, then this place would be the burial ground for the three of them today.

He still possessed a secret sword technique, but it was his last resort. Once used, he would undoubtedly be exhausted, so he absolutely couldn't use it without the right opportunity.

During the fierce battle, Li Baxian turned his head to look at Lu Ye, and his eyebrows raised at what he saw.

Lu Ye's expression remained unchanged: no impatience, no panic. Every slash and every move was executed with full power. This calm composure infected Li Baxian.

'Right,' he thought, 'if his junior brother could be like this, what was he still worrying about? Having cultivated for so many more years than his junior brother, was his mindset truly inferior? At worst, they would die here. What did it matter?'

His thoughts became clear, free from all distractions.

At the same time, he wondered if he was imagining things, but for some reason, there was a hint of bestial quality in his junior brother's aura, and his attacks were noticeably wilder than before.

At that very moment, Lu Ye had fallen into a peculiar sensation.

The feeling was indescribable and hard to explain, as it was his first time experiencing it. As the fierce battle progressed and time elapsed, his vital energy and that of Amber, who was crouched on his shoulder, continuously intertwined and merged, creating a unique resonance.

This resonance was not only a fusion of vital energy but also a clash and amalgamation of his own spiritual power and Amber's demonic power.

This resonance slowly gave him the illusion that Amber was a part of his own body, and this illusion grew increasingly real.

He immediately understood what was happening.

He hadn't expected a breakthrough at such a time, but it was understandable. After all, he had been fighting for so long, accumulating sufficient experience and insights, and he was facing an opponent who allowed him to fully utilize his abilities. Unlike last time, in the Myriad Beast Domain secret realm, where the opponent's strength far surpassed his, leaving him no room to maneuver.

Lu Ye's eyes brightened, for he saw the hope of victory.

His attacks became increasingly wild.

It must be said that the Beast Seal technique obtained in the Myriad Beast Domain secret realm was a great help in this battle. Ever since he acquired the Beast Seal technique and forged a Life Origin Art connection with Amber, even if Amber did nothing but crouch on his shoulder during combat, it could still provide him with immense assistance.

Just like this time, if not for Amber, Lu Ye estimated he would be nearing exhaustion. But precisely because of Amber, he could persevere longer, as with every slash he unleashed, he could draw strength from Amber, thereby reducing the burden he had to bear.

And as the battle progressed, his vital energy continuously merged with Amber's, slowly allowing the Beast Seal technique to undergo a metamorphosis.

From this perspective, the Bloodstain Spirit Mark and the Beast Seal technique were indeed a perfect match.

The resonance with Amber grew deeper and deeper until, at a certain point, it reached an extreme. In that instant, Lu Ye distinctly perceived an inseparable connection forming between himself and Amber; Amber had truly become a part of his body.

Beneath his clothes, the tiger-head beast seal on his chest erupted with light, and a profound drawing force emanated from it.

Under the pull of that force, Amber suddenly transformed into a stream of light and surged into the beast seal.

An abundant surge of power erupted from the beast seal, rapidly flowing through Lu Ye's limbs and bones, replenishing his consumption. After fighting for so long, especially under the Bloodstain Spirit Mark's enhancement, Lu Ye had been utterly exhausted. But with this powerful surge, all fatigue vanished, and he instantly felt invigorated.

Numerous pains disappeared, his trembling right hand steadied, and the crimson glow that had enveloped Lu Ye's body transformed into an orange-yellow light.

It was a fusion of blood-red and golden hues: the blood-red was the glow of vital energy and Lu Ye's spiritual power, while the golden was the glow of Amber's demonic power.

This light solidified and thickened, forming a pair of tiger ears on both sides of Lu Ye's forehead. Even behind him, a tiger tail, formed from spiritual power and vital energy, swayed slightly, vividly lifelike.

The strongest secret art of the Beast-Taming faction from the Myriad Beast Domain: Beast Transformation!