Chapter 886: Spirit Attack

Lu Ye's journey to the Dragon Ascent Realm not only brought him back from the brink of death by granting him a fragment of a world's origin, but it also bestowed upon him more than just the ability to reflect that origin.

He also possessed an immense, almost unimaginable, life force. Hua Ci had experienced the grandeur and vastness of this life force firsthand. As a medical cultivator aligned with the wood element, Hua Ci was exceptionally sensitive to vitality, and she had immediately noticed that Lu Ye's life force was so potent it nearly rivaled that of a Divine Sea Realm cultivator.

In fact, it surpassed it.

Even in its fragmented state, it was still a world's origin, a power far beyond what any individual cultivator could possess.

Normally, most of this life force remained concealed within the origin, hidden from view. What Hua Ci had sensed was merely a fraction of its outward manifestation, insignificant compared to the entire source.

Yet, even this negligible fraction was comparable to a Divine Sea Realm cultivator's vitality, making the true extent of its power truly terrifying to behold.

Now, under the effects of "Colorful Phoenixes Flying Together," that formidable life force continuously poured from Lu Ye's body into Nian Yuexian's. This influx allowed her, who had been on the verge of unconsciousness due to severe injuries, to regain full awareness. Moreover, her pain became significantly less pronounced.

Deeply shaken, she couldn't comprehend how Lu Ye, a cultivator at the first level of the True Lake Realm, possessed such an immense life force. Even among the demon race, such vitality was unheard of.

The urgency of the situation, however, left her no time for further contemplation. After a quiet word, her eyes turned sharp once more. She raised her sword, and chilling streaks of light erupted as she swung it.

The scene appeared somewhat bizarre.

Lu Ye held his nearly shattered Pan Shan Blade in one hand, while his other arm wrapped around Nian Yuexian's waist, his fingers interlaced with hers, pulling her close against him.

Nian Yuexian continuously swung her sword, crisscrossing light beams as she engaged in a fierce struggle with her two adversaries.

Experiencing the power of a Divine Sea Realm confrontation at such close range, Lu Ye felt his chest tighten, barely able to breathe. This was partly due to him absorbing half of Nian Yuexian's injuries.

Though he could now wield a power not his own, his personal cultivation realm was too low to actively participate in such a battle. Thus, he completely relaxed his body and mind, allowing Nian Yuexian to act unimpeded.

In an instant, he felt his body being tossed and turned, completely beyond his control.

"It's you!"

Amidst the fierce fighting, Wan Zhanggang finally pinpointed the issue, his gaze abruptly locking onto Lu Ye.

A moment ago, Nian Yuexian had appeared on the brink of death; there was no logical reason for her sudden resurgence of vitality. The root of this transformation lay in Lu Ye suddenly raising his blade and piercing through their interlocked hands.

The blood-etched spirit pattern on the backs of their hands was strikingly evident.

Wan Zhanggang hadn't recognized Lu Ye, but he had identified the source of the anomaly.

The moment the words left his lips, Lu Ye suddenly groaned, his mind throbbing as if struck by a massive hammer. Instantly, golden stars exploded before his eyes, blinding him, and his consciousness blurred into a hazy fog.

A soul attack!

While each of the four major cultivation realms represents a significant leap in power, the first three realms primarily involve changes in spiritual energy. It is only upon reaching the Divine Sea Realm that a cultivator develops divine sense, marking another fundamental transformation in their being.

A cultivator at the ninth level of the Cloud River Realm might stand a chance of killing someone at the first level of the True Lake Realm, but a ninth-level True Lake Realm cultivator absolutely cannot defeat a Divine Sea Realm cultivator.

This is because, comparatively speaking, it is incredibly easy for a Divine Sea Realm cultivator to kill a True Lake Realm cultivator.

They only need to employ a divine sense attack, which a True Lake Realm cultivator cannot defend against. While the soul is innate to every individual, divine sense is exclusive to the Divine Sea Realm; cultivators must reach this level of cultivation to manifest their own divine sense.

Even among Divine Sea Realm cultivators, Wan Zhanggang was considered a formidable expert. When he unleashed his divine sense to attack Lu Ye, Lu Ye had no means of defense or resistance. The very next instant Lu Ye groaned, Wan Zhanggang let out a simultaneous grunt of pain.

While Wan Zhanggang's use of divine sense to overpower a weaker opponent left Lu Ye defenseless, Nian Yuexian seized this precise opportunity to retaliate, severely injuring him with her own divine sense.

But immediately afterward, Nian Yuexian's expression changed. She distinctly felt Lu Ye's consciousness behind her beginning to fade, and the large hand that had been firmly gripping her fingers showed signs of loosening its hold.

Nian Yuexian quickly tightened her grip, refusing to let him slip away. As if a sacred taboo had been violated, her usually enchanting face contorted with a fierce grimace. Gritting her teeth, she roared, "I will have you dead!"

Holding her sword upright before her, she sprayed a mouthful of blood mist onto the blade. The long sword instantly transformed into an endless array of sword shadows, fanning out in layers.

She was clearly fighting with desperate abandon.

"Then let's see who dies first!" Despite his damaged divine sense and the agonizing pain that threatened to drive him mad, Wan Zhanggang refused to yield even an inch. He knew this was his closest opportunity to kill Nian Yuexian, and if he missed it, he might never get another.

Both combatants fought with fierce determination. Witnessing this, Wan Zhanggang's ghost cultivator companion had no choice but to risk his own life to join the fray, muttering silently that these two were truly lunatics.

Just then, however, an ominous aura swiftly approached from a distance.

And it wasn't just one, but two. Wan Zhanggang's expression shifted, and he abruptly looked up in that direction.

"Quick, leave!" the ghost cultivator urgently whispered. This formidable aura could only emanate from high-level Divine Sea Realm cultivators. Judging by its intensity, the two approaching individuals appeared to be at least at the second or third level of the Divine Sea Realm.

Furthermore, their direction of approach clearly indicated they were reinforcements from the Vast Heaven Alliance.

Although the cultivation of the approaching individuals wasn't exceptionally high, they possessed the undeniable ability to alter the current battle.

With the four combatants having fought to this extent, one was so severely wounded they were almost incapacitated, and the other three also sustained significant injuries. If they didn't retreat now, once the two Divine Sea Realm cultivators from the Vast Heaven Alliance arrived, they would likely find themselves unable to escape.

Wan Zhanggang's expression was twisted with ferocity, but finally, he gritted his teeth and spat out, "Go!"

The moment he spoke, the ghost cultivator immediately changed direction and rapidly fled, not forgetting to carry his severely wounded companion with him.

Wan Zhanggang covered their retreat, forcefully blocking Nian Yuexian's boundless sword shadow assault before dragging his battered body away into the distance.

Nian Yuexian chose not to pursue, primarily because the nature of the approaching reinforcements seemed peculiar.

Wan Zhanggang had assumed these were Vast Heaven Alliance reinforcements summoned by her, which prompted his hasty retreat. However, she had sent no messages to anyone throughout the entire ordeal.

Whether the approaching individuals were allies or enemies remained uncertain. After watching Wan Zhanggang depart, Nian Yuexian finally turned and looked back along the path. A moment later, her eyes widened in surprise, for the arrivals were not Divine Sea Realm cultivators, but Yiyi and Amber.

At this very moment, both Yiyi and Amber were surrounded by surging spiritual energy, their entire beings radiating the formidable aura of the Divine Sea Realm. The spirit and the tiger had pushed their power to its absolute limit, their expressions strained, clearly indicating they couldn't maintain this state for much longer.

"What kind of ability is this?" Nian Yuexian pondered, utterly bewildered. She was certain that Yiyi and Amber could not possibly be Divine Sea Realm cultivators; after all, they had spent several days together recently, and she was quite familiar with the spirit and the tiger. It made no sense for their strength to have skyrocketed so dramatically in just a few days. Yet, how could the Divine Sea Realm aura they exuded be explained? As Nian Yuexian was lost in thought, Yiyi and Amber, seeing only Nian Yuexian and Lu Ye from a distance, rejoiced, realizing their enemies had been scared off.

However, their relief was short-lived, immediately replaced by apprehension as they noticed that Lu Ye's condition was clearly amiss.

"Sister Immortal, what happened to Lu Ye?" Yiyi asked anxiously, rushing forward, her aura returning to its original state as she stopped channeling spiritual power into the simulated might.

Amber also widened its tiger eyes, scrutinizing the scene with suspicion.

*What's happening? What exactly transpired earlier? Why is Master in such an intimate posture with this seemingly cold woman?*

*If they're fighting, they should just fight! What's with all this hugging and embracing? It's scandalous!*

What puzzled Amber even more was that the seemingly cold woman in front of them didn't appear to be particularly resistant to the embrace.

Amber's peculiar gaze jolted Nian Yuexian back to reality, but she did not immediately release Lu Ye's hand. She wasn't sure if Wan Zhanggang and his companions might stage a surprise return, and she still needed to draw upon the immense life force within Lu Ye.

"Let's return first," Nian Yuexian instructed. She then channeled her spiritual energy to envelop Yiyi and Amber, and swiftly flew towards Cangyan Mountain Pass, carrying Lu Ye with them.

From a distance, it appeared as though she was carrying Lu Ye on her back.

The flight speed of a Divine Sea Realm cultivator was exceptionally fast. In just the time it took an incense stick to burn, they arrived at Cangyan Mountain Pass. Inside the bamboo building, Nian Yuexian carefully laid Lu Ye down. Only then did she release his hand, place her fingers on his chest, and concentrate on examining him.

Yiyi and Amber stood nervously by the bed, holding their breath in anticipation.

Every subtle shift in Nian Yuexian's expression caused the spirit and the tiger's emotions to fluctuate with anxiety.

A moment later, Nian Yuexian withdrew her hand.

"Sister Immortal, is Lu Ye alright?" Yiyi quickly inquired.

Nian Yuexian paused for a moment before speaking, "While his physical injuries are severe, his vast internal life force means he would recover even if left alone for some time. The real problem, however, is the injury to his soul..."

Even for a high-level Divine Sea Realm cultivator, a soul injury is an extremely vexing matter, let alone for someone below that realm.

That dishonorable Wan Zhanggang, upon realizing that Lu Ye's intervention was behind the sudden shift in the battle, brazenly attacked him with divine sense. Lu Ye had no means of defense, which is why he fell unconscious.

"You two stay here and guard him. If there's any change, use the guard token to notify me. I'll go find some healing items for him."

"Oh, alright," Yiyi nodded somewhat distractedly, but then suddenly realized, "Sister Immortal, are you looking for a treasure that can heal the soul?"

Nian Yuexian nodded. "Such items are exceedingly rare, and I may not be able to find one. I've already messaged Shui Yuan; she should be on her way."

Yiyi then stepped forward, picked up Lu Ye's storage bag, opened it, and rummaged through its contents. Soon, she held up a small bottle. "Is this useful?"

Nian Yuexian raised her hand, and the bottle was instantly drawn into her grasp. She opened the stopper, took a gentle sniff, and a look of profound surprise spread across her face. "Soul Cleansing Water!"

Yiyi nodded.

"Where did he get so much Soul Cleansing Water?" Nian Yuexian asked, utterly bewildered.

This substance was a treasure even high-level Divine Sea Realm cultivators envied. It was simply not available for purchase in the Heavenly Mystery Treasury. When cultivators occasionally acquired it by chance, they invariably treated it as an invaluable treasure, carefully safeguarding it.

She had never before heard of anyone obtaining such a large quantity of Soul Cleansing Water all at once.