Chapter 98 - 97: Unable to Withstand a Single Blow

Chapter 98: Chapter 97: Unable to Withstand a Single Blow

Over a dozen bolts of lightning descended.

CRACK!

The chessboard let out a sharp crack as a fissure appeared on its surface.

PTHOO!

Qiu Ming sprayed a mouthful of blood but continued to desperately sustain the chessboard, protecting Li Ye.

No matter how large the Snake Shadow Sect’s territory was, it only spanned a few mountain peaks, each separated by a distance of over ten li.

With Li Ye’s Divinity Transformation Realm cultivation, a distance of over ten li was covered in an instant. In the blink of an eye, he had closed in to within three li of Mao Xiu.

At that moment, under the heavy barrage of lightning, more and more cracks appeared on Qiu Ming’s chessboard. The golden light protecting Li Ye grew dimmer and dimmer, looking as if it was about to fail.

Despair appeared on the faces of Lei Wenjie and the others.

’It’s over!’

’The Alliance Leader is only at the Divinity Transformation Realm. Without the chessboard’s protection, he won’t be able to withstand a single lightning strike from Mao Xiu.’

’Why did we listen to the Alliance Leader and send him up to take such a risk?’

Taking in everyone’s expressions, Mao Xiu’s lips curled into a cold sneer.

’Is that all they’ve got?’

’A bunch of idiots, pinning their hopes on a Divinity Transformation Realm cultivator...’

But in the next instant...

Mao Xiu suddenly froze. He had lost all perception of Li Ye, as if Li Ye had never existed.

He was a Harmonization Realm cultivator, his Divine Sense covering the entire battlefield. Such a lapse should have been absolutely impossible.

PFFT!

A soft sound.

A sharp pain erupted in Mao Xiu’s chest, and a moment later, the gleaming tip of a sword emerged from his front.

At the same time, his head buzzed as if he had been struck hard on the back of the head by a giant sledgehammer.

Of course, that was just how it felt. An ordinary sledgehammer would have been deflected by his Protective Spiritual Power, but Li Ye’s fist had smashed straight through his Protective Spiritual Qi and landed directly on the back of his head...

’Wait, Li Ye?’

’When did he get behind me?’

’How could he be so powerful?’

’Why was he able to bypass my perception and appear out of thin air behind me?’

’This is impossible!’

A series of questions flashed through Mao Xiu’s mind, but before he could even process them, the sword piercing his chest erupted with a burst of Spiritual Qi. It shattered his heart, and the rampaging Spiritual Qi instantly shredded his internal organs...

Even a Harmonization Realm master could not survive having their internal organs obliterated.

PTHOO!

Mao Xiu opened his mouth, and fragments of his organs, mixed with blood, spewed out more than three meters...

His vision went black, and he lost control of his body.

A golden Nascent Soul burst forth from his body. Panicked, it shot toward the sky like a streak of light.

’Trying to run?’

Li Ye’s Body Attributes had increased—not just his strength, but his agility as well.

The moment Mao Xiu’s Nascent Soul emerged, Li Ye had already reacted, raising his hand to shoot out a beam of Sword Light that struck the Nascent Soul.

After the physical body is destroyed, a Nascent Soul is extremely fragile and can only channel limited Divine Abilities.

Li Ye’s full-power attack nearly split the Nascent Soul in two.

"Mercy!" Mao Xiu’s Nascent Soul let out a shrill scream, crying hysterically, "Alliance Leader, spare me! This old man is willing to submit to the Wenda Alliance..."

The sudden turn of events stunned everyone.

’What happened?’

’Why did Li Ye suddenly vanish, only to reappear behind Mao Xiu?’

’What kind of Divine Ability is that?’

’A Spatial Technique?’

High-level cultivators rarely engage in close-quarters combat.

Admittedly, with the enhancement of Spiritual Qi, they were incredibly fast, and their movements might look like Instant Teleportation to an ordinary person. But their movements still followed a traceable path.

But just now, Li Ye had completely vanished from everyone’s perception...

’Is that the Divine Ability of an Immortal?’

Without Mao Xiu’s control, the Formless Thunder Slaughter Array ceased to function. The dark clouds and black miasma gradually dispersed, revealing everyone.

At this moment, everyone had forgotten to attack, staring blankly as Li Ye captured Mao Xiu’s Nascent Soul...

This included the three remaining Demon Sect Elders.

When Li Ye had charged at Mao Xiu, they too had thought it was a moth flying into a flame. They never expected the situation to reverse in the blink of an eye. Li Ye was completely unscathed, while Mao Xiu’s physical body was destroyed and his Nascent Soul was forced to flee!

A Divinity Transformation Realm cultivator had killed a Harmonization Realm one in a single exchange.

The feeling was as absurd as watching a three-year-old child stab a fully armed giant to death in a fighting ring.

And yet, this absurd event had happened right before their very eyes.

’What on earth just happened?’

The three Elders felt their entire worldview being overturned.

"Alliance Leader, mercy!" Trapped by Li Ye’s Spiritual Qi and unable to escape, Mao Xiu’s Nascent Soul kowtowed to Li Ye in the air, begging for its life in terror.

If his Nascent Soul remained, he might have a chance to possess a new body and start his cultivation over. If the Nascent Soul dispersed, everything would be gone.

Looking at the naked, fist-sized infant that looked exactly like Mao Xiu, Li Ye couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion. ’So this is a Nascent Soul. What a pure Energy Body!’

’I wonder... if I hit it, will a pure Energy Body even level up?’

In this world, if a Nascent Soul, having lost the protection of its physical body, did not possess a new one in the shortest time possible...

...it would be eroded by sunlight and Gangfeng. Once its Spiritual Power was depleted, it would naturally dissipate. Even if a Nascent Soul succeeded in possession, there was a high chance it would lose its original memories and become a simpleton.

Unless it was a last resort, no cultivator was willing to undergo possession with their Nascent Soul.

Of course, in battle, very few Nascent Souls ever managed to escape.

To eliminate any future trouble, most cultivators would destroy the Nascent Soul on the spot. Many Evil Cultivators would even treat it as a tonic...

Mao Xiu watched Li Ye uneasily, awaiting his reply.

If Li Ye refused, his only remaining option was self-detonation, but even that would be unlikely to harm a Divinity Transformation Realm cultivator!

’I can’t accept this!’

...

The one-minute cooldown passed in a flash.

Li Ye’s figure abruptly vanished before everyone’s eyes.

A second later, he appeared behind another Demon Sect Elder and repeated the process, destroying his body and forcing out his Nascent Soul.

This sudden scene scared the two remaining Demon Sect Elders witless, and they immediately tried to flee.

Lei Wenjie and the others also reacted, blocking their escape routes.

"Whoever runs, dies," Li Ye said coldly.

The two remaining Elders stiffly turned to face Li Ye. They wanted to attack, but they didn’t have the nerve.

He took out a Harmonization Realm expert in one move, then insta-killed a Void Refinement Realm one in the next. This impossible-to-defend-against Divine Ability was too bizarre. No wonder Lei Wenjie and the others had protected him in their midst—he really was the Alliance Leader of the Wenda Alliance.

"Are you two Elders willing to join the Wenda Alliance?" Li Ye asked as he walked through the air, controlling the two small Nascent Souls with two strands of Spiritual Power.

’Three li?’

’His Divine Ability has to be used within three li?’

The two Elders recalled Li Ye’s earlier words. Seeing him get closer and closer, their hearts went numb with fear.

They were at the Void Refinement Realm, while Li Ye was at the Divinity Transformation Realm. Normally, putting three li of distance between them would be as easy as flipping a hand.

But now, they were being obstructed by Lei Wenjie and the others.

Even if Lei Wenjie and his group’s cultivation was inferior, they only needed to hold them back for a moment. That would be enough time for Li Ye to close within three li and land one of his phantom-like attacks, and it would all be over for them.

The two exchanged a look and lowered their heads. "We are willing to join the Wenda Alliance."

As long as the green hills remain, there will be no shortage of firewood.

Lei Wenjie and the others had said this phrase at least three times. Now that they realized they couldn’t defeat Li Ye, the words echoed involuntarily in their minds.

Although it was ironic, it perfectly suited their situation. They would feign surrender for now and find a chance to escape later.

Li Ye’s Divine Ability was formidable, but its range was only three li. Elder Mao had paid the price for underestimating his opponent, which was the only reason Li Ye had succeeded.

Defending against it would be easy. They just had to return to the Demon Sect, gather more masters, and take them down in one fell swoop.

’The Wenda Alliance doesn’t have some thousand-year legacy at all; it’s just a small organization thrown together by some upstart kid...’

With Elder Mao’s Nascent Soul beaten out of him and the remaining Elders having surrendered, how would the leftover Divinity Transformation cultivators dare to resist? They all cried out, "We are willing to join, too!"

"You killed so many people from the Wenda Alliance. Who gave you permission to surrender?" Li Ye took in the scene below and snorted coldly. "All members of the Wenda Alliance, prepare for battle! Annihilate everyone who remains."

"Yes, sir!"

The Divinity Transformation cultivators of the Wenda Alliance naturally knew what Li Ye was up to. They hadn’t even gotten to the most important part of the battle yet—increasing their Skill Level. How could they run out of enemies?

Even if he was going to recruit them, he had to let his own people raise their Skill Level first.

...

Since their surrender wasn’t accepted, the Demon Sect’s Divinity Transformation cultivators fell into despair. They summoned their Magical Treasures one after another. "We’ll fight them to the death! Every man for himself!"

The great battle erupted once more.

Without the protection of the Formless Thunder Slaughter Array, the two sides were evenly matched...

Li Ye, dragging the two Nascent Souls behind him, flashed into the battle formation and unleashed a shower of Sword Light—only to aim it at his own people.

The cultivators struck by the Sword Light not only showed no resentment toward Li Ye but actually thanked him one after another.

This bizarre scene left the two Demon Sect Elders dumbfounded. They had seen Li Ye stab Lei Wenjie and the others with his sword earlier, but at that critical moment in the battle, no one had given it much thought.

Now, as outsiders, watching this scene unfold again, it was utterly bizarre.

’Attacking their own people on the battlefield... what kind of twisted organization is the Wenda Alliance?!’

After a round of striking his teammates, Li Ye’s Skill Level had greatly increased. Satisfied, he returned to Lei Wenjie’s group and looked at the two newly joined Elders with a smile. "You two Elders, are you truly willing to join the Wenda Alliance?"

"Of course," the two Elders said, steeling themselves as they glanced sideways at the two Nascent Souls being towed behind Li Ye.

"Please, join the battle and help us eliminate the remnants of the Demon Sect. And while you fight, please lower the defenses on your lower back. It will make it more convenient for me to strike," Li Ye said with a smile.

GULP!

One of the Elders swallowed hard and asked with a dry laugh, "Alliance Leader, may I ask why?"

The other Elder asked, "Is this some kind of initiation ceremony for joining the Wenda Alliance?"

Exposing a vital spot on their backs—they were afraid Li Ye would deliver a fatal blow!

’What if Li Ye’s Divine Ability can only be used twice a day, and this is all a trick to lure them into a trap?’

"Fourth Elder, Sixth Elder, if the Alliance Leader tells you to do something, you just do it," said Lei Wenjie. "Countless people wish for the Alliance Leader’s blessing and never get the chance!"

Li Ye saw their hesitation. With a SWOOSH, his figure suddenly vanished, reappearing behind Qu Hao.

He walked out from behind Qu Hao and said, "Elders, killing you would be simple for me. There’s no need for such an elaborate scheme. Just do as I say. If you don’t, it will prove your heart isn’t sincere about joining the Wenda Alliance, and then you can’t blame me for what happens next."

The two Demon Sect Elders glanced at each other, their hearts filled with bitterness, but they were helpless. They both said, "We ask the Alliance Leader to be merciful."

With that,

the two of them dropped the defenses on their backs and threw themselves into the attack.

PFFT! PFFT!

A sharp pain shot through their lower backs, but before they could even react, they felt their Skill Level surging.

For a Void Refinement Realm cultivator, a twenty-percent increase in Skill Level was an astronomical figure.

The two of them shuddered violently. They suddenly understood why the people of the Wenda Alliance would thank their Alliance Leader after being hit, and why Lei Wenjie had said they had reached the Void Refinement Realm in just a few days.

’What he said was actually true!’

’This...’

’This method of cultivation is simply heaven-defying!’

’If one’s cultivation can increase this quickly, who would ever want to go back to the Demon Sect?’

Li Ye smiled and turned to the two Nascent Souls behind him. "Elder Mao, are you two also sincere about joining my Wenda Alliance?"

Mao Xiu and the other Nascent Soul looked at Li Ye, remaining silent for a long time.

They had been constantly tethered by Li Ye’s Spiritual Power. When Li Ye had used his Time Acceleration just now, they had experienced it firsthand.

The feeling of abruptly vanishing and then reappearing was unprecedented, as if a slice of space had been cut away.

"Alliance Leader, did... did you just use a Spatial Technique?" Mao Xiu asked, his voice trembling.

Li Ye paused, just now remembering that when he used Time Acceleration, he had forgotten to release the restraints on Mao Xiu and the other Nascent Soul, and had brought them along for the ride.

’So, an Energy Body can be affected by my Time Acceleration too?’