Chapter 568: Broken Arrow

**Winds Rise Across Kyushu**

Inside the grand illusion formation, Wei Que, in a desperate bid for self-preservation, unleashed spells wildly in all directions, regardless of the cost. Even as a ninth-level Cloud River Realm cultivator, he couldn't sustain it for long.

The spiritual energy in his body drained away like floodwaters from a broken dam. Each spell he cast caused a resonant hum in every direction. Though he cried out for help, Tan Sheng and Xia Liang's rescue was slow in coming. He knew deep down that their situation must also be dire; otherwise, there was no reason they would ignore his pleas.

The smell of blood lingered in his nostrils. The pain wracking his entire body made him sweat profusely. The aura of death, like an ocean, engulfed him entirely.

He never imagined that merely coming to kill Lu Yiye would lead him to such a perilous, life-threatening situation. If he had known this, he would never have agreed to accompany Tan Sheng here.

However, regret was useless now. Trapped in this environment, he saw no glimmer of hope for escape.

Just as he was thinking this, an unexpected turn of events occurred.

The formation that had enveloped the surroundings suddenly shifted. Immediately after, the surrounding mist and the colorful illusions quickly dissipated.

Wei Que was stunned for a moment, then overcome with ecstasy!

He had unintentionally broken the grand illusion formation! This truly showed that heaven never closes all doors.

As the mist cleared, he saw several figures gathered not far from him. Among them were indeed Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan, along with Lu Yiye. Besides them, there was also a brawny body cultivator in a burlap shirt, whose large muscles bulged prominently.

A clear look of surprise flashed in Lu Yiye's eyes.

He clearly hadn't expected the formation to be broken in this manner.

Lu Yiye truly hadn't expected it.

The grand illusion formation was set up by him using formation flags. Unlike defensive or trapping formations, it didn't possess much defensive capability. Thus, if a formation flag were destroyed, the formation would be difficult to maintain.

Wei Que's earlier, aimless barrage coincidentally struck a formation flag, leading to the grand illusion formation collapsing on its own.

One could only say that fellow was truly lucky.

With the formation broken and seeing Lu Yiye and the others' true forms, Wei Que immediately roared, "Lu Yiye!"

The more terrified he had been moments ago, the more furious he was now. As a dignified ninth-level Cloud River Realm cultivator, he had been ambushed by several fourth and fifth-level Cloud River Realm cultivators, leaving him almost powerless to retaliate. He had even been forced to cry out for help from his companions, which undoubtedly made him lose face.

As he roared, a fierce spell blasted towards Lu Yiye.

Lu Yiye didn't move, but Ju Jia had already flashed forward. A spiritual light flashed in front of him, blocking the spell. The only cost was being pushed back a few steps, leaving him otherwise unharmed.

This sight made Wei Que's eyelids twitch. He secretly marveled at the giant body cultivator's powerful physique. Earlier, trapped in the mist, he hadn't fully grasped Ju Jia's might. Now, personally witnessing a fourth-level Cloud River Realm cultivator effortlessly block his spell, he was truly astonished.

There was a five-level cultivation gap between them. Logically, even a body cultivator should not have been able to withstand that strike. Yet, in fact, not only did the opponent withstand it, but he barely reacted.

Just as he was about to attack again, an inexplicable wave of weakness surged through him, causing Wei Que to stumble.

He cursed inwardly. He had expended too much energy earlier, and his injuries were not light. How could he possibly fight anymore?

The sound of swords chimed, and a brilliant light surged around Li Baxian. Countless flying swords assailed Wei Que like a deluge. Feng Yuechan stood beside him, her hand seals changing, continuously unleashing exquisite spells, launching them one after another at Wei Que.

Wei Que's expression changed. He hastily urged his nearly depleted spiritual energy to protect his body.

Thud, thud, thud... Ju Jia strode forward, beginning to charge. He weaved through the flashing lights of flying swords and spells, rapidly closing the distance with Wei Que, bringing with him the oppressive feeling of a toppling mountain.

Upon reaching close, he seized the moment while Wei Que was entangled by the flying swords and spells, and delivered a kick.

Feeling the terrifying might of that kick, Wei Que's pupils constricted. In his current state, he would rather be struck by Li Baxian's flying sword or hit by Feng Yuechan's spell than ever allow Ju Jia to land a kick on him.

If that kick landed solidly, he feared he would instantly explode into a bloody mist.

At this critical moment of life and death, his mind was strained to its limit. He displayed a swiftness utterly uncharacteristic of a spell cultivator. While blocking the flying swords and spell attacks, he narrowly dodged Ju Jia's kick.

However, before he could even catch his breath, a figure, concealed behind Ju Jia's towering frame, had already burst forth to attack.

It was none other than Lu Yiye.

A crimson blade flash illuminated the panic on Wei Que's face. Facing this downward cleaving strike, he had no space left to dodge.

Flash!

The blade descended, piercing Wei Que's protective spiritual energy. It carved a massive wound from his shoulder blade down to his waist. Through the gash, his churning internal organs were faintly visible.

The powerful impact sent Wei Que flying backward, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

He struggled to steady himself, his vision dyed crimson, golden stars danced before his eyes, and the river of spiritual energy within him briefly became chaotic.

Already greatly depleted and not lightly wounded, now severely injured again, he was almost at the point of total exhaustion.

Seeing Lu Yiye relentlessly pressing his advantage, dragging his long, fire-burning blade as he rushed towards him, clearly intending to finish him off, Wei Que also turned fierce.

His foundation was indeed not as deep as Tan Sheng's and Xia Liang's, but he had, at least, cultivated to the ninth-level Cloud River Realm. Having experienced numerous life-and-death crises over the years, he was not lacking in the courage to fight desperately against an enemy.

He knew in his heart that his chances of survival on this trip were slim. He secretly regretted being blinded by greed. But with things as they were, what good was regret?

However, even if he died, he would never let his enemies off easily!

He raised a hand and reached into his storage bag, pulling out an object.

It was a broken arrow shaft. From its appearance, the arrow shaft seemed ancient, and it was unknown where Wei Que had obtained it.

But an item retrieved at such a moment was undoubtedly Wei Que's most precious possession and his last resort.

He bit the tip of his tongue, spraying a mist of blood onto the broken arrow. The ancient broken arrow immediately glowed with brilliant light. Simultaneously, an aura of extreme danger rapidly spread.

Lu Yiye, who was charging towards him with his blade raised, immediately halted and decisively retreated. In that instant, a massive warning sign arose in his heart. He focused his gaze on the broken arrow in Wei Que's hand, clearly understanding that the danger originated from that very arrow!

Wei Que's spiritual energy surged wildly into the broken arrow, making the arrow's light shine like a great sun. With blood staining his mouth, he gave a sinister laugh and declared, "Lu Yiye, even if I die, you'll be buried with me!"

Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan both sensed that something was amiss. The broken arrow was clearly a treasure that surpassed even spiritual artifacts, perhaps even magic tools. Such an item, even if damaged, would undoubtedly possess immense power. If Wei Que successfully unleashed it, no one knew what kind of devastation it would cause.

Therefore, both of them frantically channeled their power, wanting to kill Wei Que before he could unleash the treasure. However, the cultivation gap was significant. Even with their combined efforts, they could only make Wei Que's body tremble violently and spray blood, unable to take his life immediately.

In a mere three breaths of time, the broken arrow in Wei Que's hand suddenly transformed into a streak of light and shot out like lightning.

At that instant, the hair on Lu Yiye's entire body stood on end. A sense of crisis unlike any he had ever experienced surged within him.

Without thinking, he sprinted in one direction, attempting to widen the distance between himself and Wei Que. However, the streak of light was incredibly fast, reaching him almost in the blink of an eye.

Amber, crouching on Lu Yiye's shoulder, also sensed the danger. Its fur stood on end, it arched its back on Lu Yiye's shoulder, growled lowly in its throat, and its vital energy pulsed in sync with Lu Yiye.

Lu Yiye raised his blade, and the muscles in his right arm instantly bulged.

Flash!

Consecutive Slashes!

A dense series of sounds merged into one. To an outsider, it would sound like a single strike, but in reality, within that extremely short time, Lu Yiye had executed five consecutive slashes.

With each blade strike, Wei Que's body trembled as if the Mountain-Shattering Blade had struck him. Blood gushed from his mouth as if freely flowing, and his face visibly paled at an alarming rate.

His full-power slashes were not without effect. The streak of light charging towards him paused slightly. This fleeting opportunity allowed Lu Yiye to fall backward and land awkwardly.

The streak of light flew past, grazing his nose. The turbulent wind it stirred up stung Lu Yiye's face.

However, before he could catch his breath, his peripheral vision caught sight of the retreating streak of light changing direction and assailing him once more.

This object was clearly under Wei Que's control. Despite Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan desperately attacking him, he ignored them, focusing solely on killing Lu Yiye. This precisely matched his earlier roar: even if he died, Lu Yiye would be buried with him.

Lu Yiye didn't know what kind of treasure this was, but its destructive power was so great that even with his full might, he could only impede it for a fleeting moment. Unless Wei Que was killed, it would be endless.

As it assailed him again, Lu Yiye had just managed to get up from the ground and was too late to dodge.

Just as he prepared to strike again, his shoulder suddenly sank, and a large hand gripped him. Immediately after, Lu Yiye felt himself being thrown away.

While airborne, he saw Ju Jia's towering figure standing in his original position.

Spiritual light burst forth, and a turtle-shell-like defense suddenly appeared in front of Ju Jia.

The streak of light struck.

Boom...

A thunderous roar erupted. Ju Jia's body trembled violently, and the seemingly impregnable turtle-shell-like defense suddenly developed dense cracks. The next instant, it shattered with a resounding crash.

The streak of light pierced through Ju Jia's body, leaving a spray of blood. A muffled groan escaped him, and Ju Jia knelt on one knee.

Lu Yiye's gaze turned sharp and cold. The fire-like glow of his Mountain-Shattering Blade burned even more intensely.

On the other side, Li Baxian had merged with his sword light, transforming into a terrifying sword gleam. He assailed Wei Que, his long sword flickering like a spiritual snake flicking its tongue, leaving behind gushing wounds on Wei Que's body. He had intended to kill Wei Que then and there, but was pushed back by one of Wei Que's spells.

At this moment, Lu Yiye descended from mid-air like an eagle, the streak of light that had wounded Ju Jia closely following him.

Even as he felt the bone-deep killing intent clinging to his back, Lu Yiye's gaze did not waver in the slightest. Wei Que was clearly at the end of his tether; with this blade strike, he would surely die!

Now, it was a race to see if his blade was faster, or if the opponent's treasure was quicker. (To be continued)