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The dance of blades continued unabated within the clutter of the stone column sprawl. Lu Ye, in his Beast Form state, unleashed each slash with unprecedented speed and power.
He Bing valiantly defended himself with his long spear, but the back of his hand was beginning to split open from the force of Lu Ye’s relentless assault. His Spiritual Power surged tempestuously, yet his situation was growing increasingly precarious.
Amidst the chaos, Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan provided steadfast support from the sidelines, skillfully distracting He Bing’s attention and creating openings for Lu Ye. It was in one such moment that Lu Ye’s long saber homed in at He Bing’s chest with the intensity of a serpent lunging at its prey.
Fear and panic flickered in He Bing’s eyes as he desperately leaned back, leaving himself perilously exposed. As much as he wished to deflect the imminent blow, there was no way his movements could make it in time.
Lu Ye’s current strength had soared to unprecedented heights, rendering He Bing’s protective aura too weak to keep him safe against this attack.
If struck, it would surely result in a fatal wound that could even mean his death.
But just as death seemed inevitable, He Bing defiantly mustered an unexpected surge of spiritual power.
A luminous triangular-shaped energy barrier materialized out of thin air, interposing itself before him and thwarting Inviolable’s lethal advance.
But the fear of death was real. He Bing was genuinely terrified; anyone who saw his face could read that clearly.
Surprise and curiosity etched across Lu Ye’s countenance as he observed the intricate patterns adorning the impromptu defensive shield. He swiftly recognized what it was: Glyph: Protection!
Was He Bing a Glyph Warlock too?
No.
If He Bing really was a Glyph-caster, then he should have used Glyphs during the battle. But he didn’t and that only meant one thing—He Bing did not know Glyph-casting, but he must have Glyphs tattooed on his body.
Even for Cultivators, tattooed Glyphs remained a true rarity. Few possessed the knowledge and skills, plus the resources needed to cast tattooed Glyphs. In fact, the physical constitution of most Cultivators in the Cloud River Realm could only allow them to carry only a single tattooed Glyph, as any more would prove unbearable.
He Bing’s tattooed Glyph must be on his chest and the burst of Spiritual Power he just released must be what activated it. That was what saved his life just now.
Therefore, Lu Ye was sure that being He Bing’s hidden ace, the Glyph must be something he would only use only in the most desperate moment.
But it was a very surrealistic sensation. Until now, Lu Ye had always been the one using Glyph: Protection, not the other way around. To see firsthand how his attack—a fatal blow that would have ended this skirmish—was thwarted by the same Glyph was something new.
Undeterred, Lu Ye prepared to press on and attack once more. Yet, even before he could act, Li Baxian, who had been providing auxiliary support, sprang into action. The scattered shafts of light that had been circling around him converged and melded into a single, formidable blade Li Baxian held aloft, his countenance solemn and his aura a steely-cold presence. freёweɓnovel.com
A frigid miasma of impending death swept across the site of the battle and Li Baxian vanished, assuming the form of a gigantic sword of light himself, unsheathed and poised for slaughter.
Ever since Lu Ye’s Beast Form transformation, Li Baxian had relegated himself to a supporting role, never aiming to harm or kill the adversary. Instead, he sought only to distract and divert his attention. But now that He Bing had activated his final ace, Li Baxian evidently thought it was finally time for him to unleash his full might.
The radiance of the sword shining with a resplendent illumination upon all reached even the eaves of the cavern as the sword of light struck at the luminescent shield like a thunderbolt in full wrath. The blinding-light-engulfed Li Baxian reappeared before He Bing the moment the gigantic sword of light made contact with He Bing’s Glyph: Protection, its tip hovering unyieldingly at just a mere hair’s breadth from the Glyph.
The cascading din of metal twisting followed before an eruption of power ensued.
A thunderous boom reverberated through the air as the invincible Glyph: Protection burst into pieces of energy dregs like fragile glass.
Such was the terrible strength of Sword Cultivators. Despite being three tiers lower than He Bing in cultivation level, Li Baxian had managed to destroy the final bulwark that he relied upon for dear life.
But that sapped Li Baxian of the entirety of his strength, leaving him open for He Bing to retaliate with a belligerent swing of his spear, viciously lashing aside the pallid, drained Sword Cultivator like a ragdoll.
Lu Ye sprang into action. Seizing this opportune moment that Li Baxian had created by putting his own life on the line, Lu Ye descended upon his adversary with Inviolable ready for the kill.
His special move: Flash!
Terror surged in He Bing’s eyes as he desperately sought to reactivate his Glyph: Protection using his Spiritual Power, but he was too slow, too late.
The saber swept down in a deadly arc and all He Bing saw was the phantom of a tiger materializing behind Lu Ye with a roar that echoed across the entire length and breadth of the cave.
The frenetic chaos abruptly succumbed to stillness.
Lu Ye maintained his frozen pose with his blade held before him as if Time stood still in stasis, although blood dribbled down the sharp edges of Inviolable in a steady stream.
Drip…
A faint sound shattered the newfound tranquility.
Feng Yuechan pursed her ruby lips together, her gaze fixed upon He Bing and her spell warily poised for release.
Three yards away from Lu Ye, He Bing stood there, petrified with his spear still thrust forward. The Glyph: Protection he activated quietly dissipated away, vanishing into the air like dust.
His eyes twitched as he glanced at the figure who had just attacked him, his visage contorted with disbelief and unwillingness.
Next second, He Bing fell backward, landing flat on his back as the impact separated his severed head and his torso, his gaze wide-eyed and unblinking with lingering unwillingness and disbelief.
“Whew…”
It was only at that moment that Feng Yuechan finally exhaled, retracting her spiritual power. Hastily, she rushed towards Li Baxian with distress and concern etched upon her features as she assessed his condition.
Meanwhile, Lu Ye sank to the ground, limbs sprawled haphazardly, his gaze fixated upon the expanse above shifting magically.
His vision blurred momentarily, and he found himself once again within the confines of the underground cavern. The battle had concluded and they had triumphed.
“Lu Ye, are you all right?”
Yi Yi cautiously approached, her gaze filled with trepidation as she observed Lu Ye, who looked like he had just been dunked face-first into a vat of blood. Her voice trembled, tinged with the threat of tears.
“I’m all right. What about Brother Baxian?”
Li Baxian weakly croaked in response, “Right here. I’m fine!”
Li Baxian, though in better condition, still showed signs of exhaustion after unleashing his secret sword technique. The final blow had drained him entirely.
Lu Ye was relieved to hear that everyone had survived.
Just as the tension eased, a sudden eruption of crimson stained the air, revealing the figure of Amber. Yet, the creature appeared disheveled, indicating the toll that Beast Form had taken on it.