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Translator: Truth
Editor: Dhael Ligerkeys
Although there was no personal grudge between the two cultivators, Lu Ye was the Grand Sky Coalition’s strongest challenger, and Shi Guang the Thousand Demon Ridge’s last gatekeeper.
The number one spot of the Scroll of Supremacy was both a symbol and a status. Naturally, neither side was going to give it up easily.
For over a decade, the spot had belonged to Feng Yuechan of the Devoted Ones. It could not be helped though. While her peers had already ascended to the Cloud River Realm or even the Real Lake Realm, she was still honing herself at the Spirit Creek Realm. It was ridiculous to expect any rising star to defeat a veteran with at least a decade of training and experience, not to mention that she was a genius in her own right.
Today, the Three Tumors polluting the Scroll of Supremacy were finally gone, and the Thousand Demon Ridge finally managed to put someone at the top of the Scroll of Supremacy of the Spirit Creek Battlefield.
Then, Lu Yi Ye showed up.
It had only been two months since Shi Guang rose to the top, and Lu Yi Ye of the Grand Sky Coalition was already threatening his position. It wasn’t enough that he had a string of unprecedented achievements under his belt, Lu Yi Ye had risen through the ranks so fast that he was actually qualified to challenge Shi Guang for the number one spot already! And that was after they had done everything they could to bog him down!
Shi Guang couldn’t lose. Both his and his faction’s honor were on the line. If Lu Yi Ye actually managed to become the champion as a Heaven Eight cultivator, then the Thousand Demon Ridge would always be seen as inferior to the Grand Sky Coalition in the Spirit Creek Battlefield.
On the battlefield, Lu Ye watched his opponent with a frown because he did not look normal. Shi Guang’s Spiritual Power was boiling erratically as if he had consumed something that temporarily boosted his strength!
Spirit Pills that temporarily boosted one’s strength of course existed in the Cultivation World. Lu Ye had seen something called the Qi Boosting Pill while looking through the Vault of Providence before. For an incense stick, the pill would boost the flow rate of a cultivator’s Spiritual Power by thirty to forty percent. Naturally, that made the cultivator so much stronger in that period of time.
However, Spirit Pills that temporarily boosted a cultivator’s strength generally came with massive side effects. The better the effects, the worse the side effects would be.
It was clear that Shi Guang had consumed a Qi Boosting Pill or something like that prior to entering the battlefield. He would be helpless if he could not defeat Lu Ye within an incense stick.
“Don’t interfere!” Lu Ye whispered suddenly.
He was talking to Yi Yi, of course. The girl had already slipped the underground beforehand and could lend him her assistance at any moment. Logically speaking, he should rely on her so he could take care of his opponent as safely as possible, especially since it looked like he had consumed the Qi Boosting Pill. However, he still did not want Yi Yi to interfere with this battle.
If Shi Guang was boiling with Qi, then he was boiling with frustration. After the pure nonsense he was forced to swallow since he started challenging the top ten rankers, he would be damned if he allowed anyone to interrupt his good time.
Shi Guang did not wait for Lu Ye to come to him despite his declaration. While letting out a battle cry, he charged toward Lu Ye like lightning and channeled his Spiritual Power into his spear.
Lu Ye charged toward him as well.
The hundred-meter gap between the two combatants narrowed in the blink of an eye. Then, they clashed into one another with a resounding bang.
Lu Ye unsheathed the Inviolable and swung down on Shi Guang.
Shi Guang thrust his spear forward like a slumbering dragon suddenly poking its head out of its lair.
There was a brief stand-off before the space between the duo exploded. The compressed Spiritual Powers had turned into a massive explosion that pushed both cultivators away from each other.
Lu Ye’s weapon hand felt numb as he sailed through the air. He hastily caught himself before grabbing Amber by the nape and tossing it to safety. He just barely landed on his feet and had to backpedal a bit before he finally managed to steady himself.
Whether or not Shi Guang had consumed a Spirit Pill beforehand, there was no denying the fact that Lu Ye felt threatened by him. He tossed Amber away because he would not be able to spare the energy to protect it.
On the other side, Shi Guang also landed on the ground. His footsteps were steady, but he skidded for almost thirty meters before the momentum finally petered out.
However, a blur appeared in front of him before he could steady his footing. It was Lu Ye pouncing up to him and thrusting his saber toward him.
Most people would’ve opted to dodge such a deadly attack. Shi Guang merely turned his body sideways before retaliating with a spear thrust of his own.
Metal tore through flesh as the duo passed by one another. A deep wound appeared around Lu Ye’s waist and Shi Guang’s chest at nearly the same time.
This battle was destined to be a violent and bloody one. Both combatants were attacking each other with the intent to kill and no fear. That was why they were already wounded on the second exchange.
That said, Lu Ye’s injury was slightly less serious than Shi Guang’s as he had constructed a Protection right before the spear would impact his body!
Although the Glyph had still shattered under impact, it had turned what should’ve been a major injury into a moderate one.
Shi Guang did not pause for even an instant as he switched his spear to the other hand, spun it a hundred and eighty degrees to the back, and thrust the spearhead straight at Lu Ye’s head.
Right now, Lu Ye’s back was still turned against Shi Guang. It was such a swift and decisive move that most people would have died from this move. Yi Yi nearly screamed out in fear, and even Amber was rushing over to save its master.
However, Lu Ye crouched as if he had eyes behind his head. The attack just barely scraped past his scalp.
The reason Lu Ye was able to dodge an attack he could not see was thanks to his powerful perception. A moment before the attack would’ve connected, the back of his head had throbbed as if he had actually been stabbed in the head. His heart had also raced suddenly in warning.
While bending his body like a bow, Lu Ye did not forget to reverse his grip and perform a back slash. The saber cut through Shi Guang’s chest at the same time he was smacked flat on the ground. Shi Guang had brought his spear down like a whip the second he missed the killing blow.
Shi Guang took a moment to check his chest after Lu Ye had driven him away. The armor he was wearing could protect him from most attacks, but Lu Ye’s saber had still cut through it like it didn’t exist. The two ugly wounds on his chest were spewing blood and drenching his clothes right now.
That said, he would’ve died if it wasn’t for his armor.
Meanwhile, Lu Ye was hastily climbing back to his feet. His right cheek was throbbing painfully and uncontrollably because that was where Shi Guang had whipped him. To be accurate, the wound stretched all the way from his face to his right abdomen…
“You are incredible!” Shi Guang praised loudly and from the bottom of his heart.
Lu Ye remained silent for a second before responding, “You too!”
Although Lu Ye could not wait to stomp the sonuvabitch to the ground and cut him into a thousand tiny pieces, he had no qualms accepting praise from his enemy and feeling good about it. After all, there was no acknowledgement that was more genuine than the one coming from your enemy.
“We’re not the same.” Shi Guang shook his head slowly. “It has been months since I became champion, and I’ve received the Heavens’ reward several times before fighting you. Before I entered the battlefield, I even consumed a Qi Boosting Pill to massively increase my strength. You, on the other hand, are fighting me without using any performance-enhancing pills. Not only that, you are one cultivation level below me…”
The more Shi Guang spoke, the more he started questioning reality itself. [Is this real? Does Lu Yi Ye exist, or is this just a very long dream?]
He was one minor realm above his opponent, he had been empowered by the Heavens’ reward multiple times, and he had even consumed a Qi Boosting Pill prior to entering the battlefield. Despite this, he had only managed to fight Lu Yi Ye to a draw.
Just how strong would the young man be if he had cultivated for as long as him?
Lu Yi Ye would become the nightmare of the Thousand Demon Ridge if he was allowed to live.
“Are you done talking?” Lu Ye replied a little impatiently.
“Just one last thing.” Shi Guang grinned maliciously. “It’s a little dishonorable, but I’m really glad I consumed a Qi Boosting Pill before coming in. Otherwise, I would be no match for you!”
The second he finished speaking, both men charged forward and engaged one another in the life-or-death struggle once more. Saber flashed, spear overshadowed, and bloodlust drove them all into madness. Spiritual Power was being tossed all across on the battlefield, and sometimes it would be mixed with a shower of blood. At the same time, metallic clangs shook the eardrums again and again.
Usually, a close-range cultivator would kick off a fight with telekinesis unless their enemy’s attack range was longer than theirs. The reason neither man had done so was because Lu Ye needed to vent his frustration, while Shi Guang knew he was no match for Lu Ye in telekinesis.
As time passed, Lu Ye began growing stronger and stronger. Both his strength and speed were much improved compared to the beginning.
The Inviolable drew blood at the same time Shi Guang kicked Lu Ye in the shoulder. Despite Protection, the kick was powerful enough to launch Lu Ye into the air and hit the ground hard. He even rolled across the floor for a bit before he finally managed to climb back to his feet. Blood was dripping from his lips, and his left arm was hanging limply beside his body. The kick had dislocated his shoulder.
“So you have consumed a performance-enhancing Spirit Pill as well,” Shi Guang said with a cold hmph.
His misunderstanding was understandable. He had felt with his own body Lu Yi Ye growing stronger and stronger as time passed. If it wasn’t the fact that the boost was gradual, he would’ve thought that the young man had consumed a Qi Boosting Pill just like him. In his opinion, Lu Yi Ye must have consumed a less volatile version of the Qi Boosting Pill.
Lu Ye could not be bothered to tell Shi Guang the truth. Of course he hadn’t consumed a performance-enhancing Spirit Pill. he had just constructed a Bloodrage on his body.
It had been a long time since he obtained this Glyph, but he had never used it except that one time during the Battle of the Legates. Afterall, he rarely met an opponent who was his match or just a tad stronger than him.
The Glyph’s main effect was to absorb Lu Ye’s blood to improve his strength. To put it simply, the worse his injuries, the more effective the Glyph became.
As of late, most of Lu Ye’s combat encounters were cat-and-mouse games where thousands and thousands of people tried to chase him down. Naturally, he did not have the chance to use Bloodrage.
This duel against Shi Guang was one of those rare times where it was actually usable.
While gritting the Inviolable with his teeth, Lu Ye took out a bandage from his Storage Bag and wrapped it randomly around his limp arm to secure it.
Of course Shi Guang wasn’t just going to wait for Lu Ye to finish, but the young man was just too fast. By the time he reached him, Lu Ye was already done with the emergency treatment.
When Shi Guang attempted to spear his face, Lu Ye swung his saber and knocked the spear just enough that it skidded past his face. Blade still pressed against the shaft, he swung the Inviolable straight at Shi Guang.
Shi Guang blanched. He immediately withdrew his spear to block the attack.
There was a loud bang. The next moment, Shi Guang found himself sailing across the air.
Now that he was empowered by Bloodrage, Lu Ye’s attack speed and strength were completely different from what they were at the beginning. What should’ve been an evenly-matched battle had become very one-sided.
Lu Ye activated Windwalk and leaped after Shi Guang. He then brought down his saber in one mighty swing.
Although Shi Guang still managed to block the attack, he was launched toward the ground at high speed.
In the air, Lu Ye spun once before kicking Shi Guang on the side of his head, causing him to trail an arc across the sky before he could even hit the ground. There was enough force behind the blow to make him see stars.
