Chapter 959: If I Want to Kill You, It’s Just One Strike

Winds Stir the Nine Provinces

In the great hall, Liu Yuemei laughed triumphantly, while Xiao Xinghe, heartbroken and despondent, stared blankly at the spot where Lu Ye had vanished, filled with self-reproach and remorse. In the current situation, he was powerless to intervene. Once an artifact like the Battle Arena activated its power, not even a Divine Sea Realm cultivator, let alone a True Lake Third-Layer cultivator like himself, could interfere. His junior martial brother and Chen Ke had entered the Battle Arena's confined space; the outcome was already predictable.

He suddenly looked up, glaring at Liu Yuemei: "Aren't you afraid of a backlash from the Heavenly Secret, Sect Master, given such despicable conduct?"

Liu Yuemei's laughter ceased. She coolly scoffed, "A backlash from the Heavenly Secret? This Sect Master has not violated any clause in the Heavenly Secret Pact, so how could there be a backlash?"

Xiao Xinghe suddenly realized, "You tampered with the Heavenly Secret Pact!"

"So what?" By now, Liu Yuemei no longer needed to hide anything. Once inside the Battle Arena, only one could emerge alive, and she was certain it would be Chen Ke.

Xiao Xinghe was furious and reached for his saber hilt. Just then, Lin Yinxiu grabbed his arm. Xiao Xinghe looked back, and Lin Yinxiu subtly shook her head. Xiao Xinghe was merely a True Lake Third-Layer cultivator. If he were to draw his saber against Liu Yuemei, it would be an act of insubordination, disregarding proper hierarchy. Liu Yuemei would have every right to strike him down on the spot. Xiao Xinghe was well aware of this, but Liu Yuemei, a Divine Sea Realm cultivator, had repeatedly schemed against his junior martial brother, who was only at the True Lake Third-Layer. This truly made his chest erupt with volcanic rage.

"Anything is possible until the outcome is known," Lin Yinxiu whispered, trying to calm him.

Xiao Xinghe paused, nodded slightly, and forced himself to calm down. Liu Yuemei sneered, looking at Xiao Xinghe with a hint of disappointment. She had wished Xiao Xinghe would attack her just then, which would have given her a legitimate opportunity to kill him. However, it was no great matter. The thought that Lu Yiye was sure to die by Chen Ke's hand dispelled much of the frustration she had felt for days.

Inside the Battle Arena's small space, two figures abruptly materialized, standing on opposite sides. Lu Ye's face still bore the startled expression from before, but it quickly settled into calmness. Across from him, Chen Ke had been ready to savor the moment but was surprised to see Lu Ye compose himself so swiftly. "Your temperament is quite good, what a pity," he remarked. "Tell me, how do you wish to die? I'll try my best to fulfill your request." As he spoke, he summoned his spirit weapon, which was a long spear. Chen Ke possessed an extraordinary appearance. With the long spear in hand, his demeanor was profound and steady, exuding an aura of deep wisdom and towering presence.

Lu Ye remained silent, slowly drawing the Mountainfall Saber from his waist. In his mind, he quietly calculated that this battle shouldn't be won too easily. He needed to engage Chen Ke in a tough fight. If he won too easily, it would only make Liu Yuemei suspicious later, possibly stirring up unnecessary trouble. The best outcome, naturally, was a narrow victory, killing Chen Ke while appearing utterly battered himself. Therefore, he couldn't use his divine sense or certain trump cards. It wouldn't be too difficult.

Lu Ye's silence displeased Chen Ke, who immediately snorted coldly: "In that case, don't blame me for being merciless." As he finished speaking, his figure blurred, and he rushed towards Lu Ye. Lu Ye also moved in an instant. The two figures charged at each other, clashing in the blink of an eye. The long saber slashed down, and the long spear thrust out. With a clang, spiritual power surged, and visible shockwaves spread outwards from their point of collision.

Chen Ke's expression became somewhat astonished in that instant, as the anticipated scene of his opponent collapsing didn't occur. Lu Ye's saber strike, in both speed and power, was no less than his own, resulting in an evenly matched initial clash. "This guy... he's this strong?" At that moment, Chen Ke secretly rejoiced that Liu Yuemei hadn't sent Qi Wu into battle. Based on the opponent's strength revealed in this brief exchange, Qi Wu might not actually have been his match. "No wonder he dared to willingly take out the Battle Arena; he clearly had something to rely on."

Clang, clang, clang, clang... Many thoughts swirled in Chen Ke's mind, but his hand movements were relentless. His long spear parried, thrust, and struck, continuously clashing with Lu Ye. However, the more he fought, the more alarmed he became. The first spear thrust he made wasn't with full power, because in his opinion, there was no need to exert full strength against an opponent four minor cultivation layers beneath him. Each subsequent spear thrust was more powerful than the last. After six or seven strikes, he had held nothing back, yet Lu Ye still parried flawlessly. This made him feel somewhat incredulous.

Unable to believe it, yet forced to accept it, Chen Ke roared in fury, fiercely channeling spiritual power throughout his body, making his attacks even more ferocious. With a metallic clang, as saber and spear met, Chen Ke felt his hand go numb, and his long spear involuntarily jerked upward, nearly flying from his grasp. Startled, he quickly tightened his grip, but this exposed an opening. A sharp killing intent surged towards him. Chen Ke's eyes narrowed, for in that instant, Lu Ye's saber thrust directly towards his heart.

At this critical moment of life and death, Chen Ke displayed the deep foundation of a major sect disciple. Facing such a strike, he didn't lose his composure. As he slightly shifted his body, he simultaneously thrust his spear forward, adopting a desperate, life-for-life fighting style. He was fierce, but Lu Ye was no less so. With two tearing sounds, both were wounded, and blood splattered. Neither retreated, continuing to fight in close quarters.

The battle intensified rapidly, reaching a fever pitch in a very short time. Both focused solely on offense, defending only minimally when facing a fatal threat. As a result, the fight became extremely brutal. In just a short while, both Lu Ye and Chen Ke were drenched in blood, as if sculpted from it. As injuries accumulated and he continued to exert full strength for an extended period, Chen Ke's aura subtly showed signs of weakening. In contrast, Lu Ye's demeanor remained consistent from beginning to end, his aura unwavering.

After another life-and-death struggle, Chen Ke dared not continue. He took a direct saber blow from Lu Ye, then swiftly retreated, quickly widening the distance between them. He looked up to see Lu Ye standing calmly in place, showing no intention of pursuing. Even his breathing was perfectly steady. Although he appeared somewhat disheveled, Chen Ke knew his injuries were not severe. Moreover, from beginning to end, Lu Ye's actions gave Chen Ke a strange feeling. He suddenly realized, "You were toying with me!" A chilling realization swept over him: this opponent... was actually stronger than him, which was why he had controlled the battle's rhythm from start to finish. He couldn't even imagine that a four-layer cultivation gap could be so utterly meaningless. "What kind of monster is this?"

Without daring to delay, he quickly took a spiritual pill from his storage bag, swallowed it whole, and circulated his spiritual power to refine it. Taking the spiritual pill now was not for healing, but to forcefully tap into his own potential. He already felt that if this continued, he would surely die. So, even though the pill was precious and had severe side effects, he didn't care. Once the Battle Arena was activated, only one person could walk out alive. During this period, no one could interfere. To survive, he had to give his all and kill the enemy before him. Lu Ye merely watched him calmly, showing no intention of stopping him. The more Lu Ye did this, the more uneasy Chen Ke felt.

Three breaths later, the spiritual glow on Chen Ke's body suddenly intensified significantly. His spiritual power seemed to boil, and his aura surged. Feeling the surging power within him, Chen Ke's heart settled slightly.

"Do you know..." Lu Ye suddenly spoke, his Mountainfall Saber sweeping into a stance, his aura instantly becoming profound and weighty. Chen Ke, however, felt as if he was facing a formidable foe. Under the pull of Lu Ye's aura, he couldn't help but feel an illusion of insurmountable power. He knew this was not the best time to attack, but he couldn't suppress the terror in his heart. Knowing that any further delay would leave him without the courage to strike, he immediately darted forward, channeling all his strength into his long spear. His entire being almost transformed into a streak of rainbow light, merging with the spear. Bolstered by the spiritual pill he had just swallowed, this was undoubtedly his strongest strike to date. He didn't know if he could kill his opponent, but he knew that if this strike had no effect, he would surely die.

In the blink of an eye, he was within striking distance.

"If I wanted to kill you..." Lu Ye's long saber thrust out. In that instant, Chen Ke's pupils constricted. He inexplicably saw a starry sky rise behind Lu Ye, filled with twinkling stars. Stars fell, and an overwhelming radiance engulfed him. Each point of starlight was a flash of saber light. An inexplicable power swept through his mind, causing sudden, sharp pain in his head. His spiritual power dissipated, and the spear thrust he had poured all his effort into became soft and powerless.

The two figures passed each other. Lu Ye stood still, lightly flicked his Mountainfall Saber, and sheathed it. "...it would only take one saber strike!"

Several yards behind him, Chen Ke remained in his spear-thrusting posture, as if frozen by a spell, rigid and unmoving. His face was ashen, his expression twisted in pain and ferocity, and his entire body trembled slightly. As Lu Ye's words fell, countless tiny blood streams suddenly burst forth from Chen Ke's body, most violently from his heart. "Divine sense..." Chen Ke murmured, his long spear clattered to the ground, and he toppled forward, crashing to the floor. As Chen Ke's life force faded, the Battle Arena's confined space quickly became illusory.

In the great hall, Xiao Xinghe waited restlessly. Abruptly, the void twisted, and a faint figure appeared where the Battle Arena had vanished. Several pairs of eyes quickly turned towards it. Xiao Xinghe's eyes were bloodshot, fearing he would see what he dreaded most, while Liu Yuemei's expression was one of delirious joy, eagerly watching, ready to welcome her desired outcome.

However, her delight soon turned to astonishment, because the faint figure about to appear did not seem to be Chen Ke, but rather Lu Yiye. In the blink of an eye, the blurry figure solidified. Lu Ye, covered in blood, appeared in the great hall, breathing lightly. He looked at the worried yet stunned Xiao Xinghe and offered a small smile: "I won."

*Crack*... The table in front of Liu Yuemei shattered into pieces.