NOVPUBThis time, Heaven's Augury played no tricks; Lu Ye calmly waited for a moment until he felt a sensation from the mark on the back of his hand, then he pressed his hand onto the Heaven's Augury Pillar.
With a blur before his eyes, he appeared in the combat field.
Looking around, he immediately spotted a figure swiftly moving away towards the edge of the combat arena.
Such quick reflexes!
Moreover, by distancing himself from the enemy right from the start, it was clear that his opponent this time must be a magic cultivator.
Lu Ye did not even have time to take in his surroundings when a glaring spell was already hurtling towards him.
This was the Cloud River clash, not a friendly sparring or teaching session between cultivators. Regardless of whether they were from the same camp or not, everyone here was an enemy. It wasn't necessarily about fighting to the death, but since they were all ranked within the top three thousand, every battle would undoubtedly be fought with all-out effort to vie for the top hundred slots.
The strength of cultivators ranked in the top three thousand was indeed remarkable. The ripples of spirit force emanating from the opponent clearly indicated a cultivator at the Cloud River Level 9!
You should know that in the previous hundred battles Lu Ye fought, he had only encountered a few at Level 8, and not a single one at Level 9.
But in this second round of combat, his first battle was against a Level 9.
The opponent's strikes were fast and firm, clearly indicating a profound foundation. It was also obvious from his approach that he was not one to underestimate his opponents.
While the spell was still mid-flight, the opponent launched another spell, followed quickly by a third spell, all different, intent on taking down Lu Ye in one fell swoop.
The fierce aura surged towards him, but Lu Ye raised his hand, with spirit force swirling in his palm. The Yin-Yang Dual Origins rapidly outlined and interlocked, creating a triangular spirit force barrier swiftly in front of him, looking as though he was holding a spirit force shield in his hand.
It was the Defense Spirit Runes.
The various spells struck against the shield of defense, causing successive ripples across it, but the shield only dimmed slightly without sustaining any significant damage.
Immediately after, Lu Ye began his counterattack.
As spirit force surged around him, a lifelike fire dragon appeared, weaving and roaring towards the enemy's position.
Behind the fire dragon came a soaring Fire Phoenix, followed by a burning Fireball as massive as a small sun, along with many other forms of fierce spells.
The magic cultivator was startled, facing the onslaught of numerous spells bearing down on him, a clear sign he had met a formidable opponent.
The speed at which his opponent cast spells was obviously faster than his own, and the power of those spells seemed stronger than the ones he cast himself.
With bitterness in his mouth, he hadn't expected to face such a tough opponent in the first battle of the second round, a truly unfavorable start!
What made it even harder for him to accept was that he could clearly sense his opponent's cultivation was a level lower than his own.
A Level 8 magic cultivator... could be this strong?
He did not give up but instead mobilized his magic and spells to intercept Lu Ye's attack.
For a time, the combat arena was a hive of activity with their spells crisscrossing in mid-air, colliding with each other, and the chaotic surges of spirit force resembling tsunamis and landslides.
The confrontations of all clashing factions were a sight to behold, with battles between magic cultivators being the most splendid and entertaining.
In just a short span of ten breaths, the magic cultivator's defense constructed through spells completely collapsed...
Unable to match Lu Ye's speed and effectiveness of spellcasting, even being a level higher in cultivation was of no help.
Having witnessed the Origin of the Soaring Dragon World, accompanying Qin Zhao through his eventful life, the essence of Qin Zhao's cultivation became Lu Ye's boon.
Putting down his Boulder Mountain Saber, when Lu Ye began to cast spells, he was a bona fide magic cultivator, and his mastery in the way of magic and spells even far surpassed his skill in saber techniques.
It was only because his current level of cultivation limited him from casting many of the more powerful spells.
The reason he persevered with saber skills instead of switching to magic cultivation or other faction's paths was largely due to the exceptionally high compatibility between combat cultivation, and in particular saber techniques, and his own nature.
For a cultivator, this was very important.
Of course, if he were to switch to magic cultivation or use other Spiritual Artifacts now, he would surely be able to demonstrate combat power not inferior to when wielding a saber. However, he would never surpass the likes of Qin Zhao in their lifetimes.
The proficiency he had in magic cultivation or other paths was acquired through an extremely special method, siphoning from others, and his potential was already fixed.
Yet, if he continued to cultivate saber techniques, the future was uncertain. Perhaps he might not reach the heights of Qin Zhao and others, or maybe... he could surpass them.
Given the choice between a predestined future and an unknown one, Lu Ye chose the latter.
But regardless, at the Cloud River Realm level, no one could surpass Lu Ye's prowess in the way of magic and spells, not even those cultivators who had followed the path of magic cultivation from the very beginning of their training.
The Level 9 magic cultivator surely hailed from a big sect, with strength that did not concede to Xia Liang in the slightest. Had he not encountered Lu Ye, he would have had a considerable chance of victory in this battle.
However, facing Lu Ye's counterattack, he only held on for ten breaths.
Seeing his defense broken, with great danger looming over him, the magic cultivator no longer dared to dawdle and promptly shouted, "I concede!"
As his words fell, he vanished from the combat arena, inwardly shaken. Since when did another formidable figure like Lu Yiye from the Righteous Blood Sect emerge on the Cloud River battlefield?
He had been confident about competing for a place in the top ten, but this battle had inevitably dented his morale.
The vast Nine Provinces indeed teem with talented individuals; while he was certainly powerful, he must not underestimate the heroes of the world!
After the battle ended, Lu Ye also left the combat arena. Without delay, he once again lifted his hand to press it against the Heaven's Augury Pillar.
However, after waiting for quite a while, there was no response.
He suddenly realized that the second round of battles was different from the first round.
During the first round, nearly all cultivators of the Cloud River Realm across the Nine Provinces had participated, and with such a large base number, it was very easy for him to be matched with other opponents.
But only three thousand people participated in the second round, and each of them was either at Level 8 or Level 9, with considerable strength. The fights were bound to be fiercely contested, and it was unlikely that victory would be decided in a short time.
Since he had finished his battle too quickly, naturally there was no one who could be matched up with him.
Without feeling anxious, he sat cross-legged in front of the Heaven's Augury Pillar, taking out a book he had brought from his master and started reading while he waited.
About two hours later, the battlefield marking suddenly transmitted a strange sensation.
Lu Ye understood in his heart, raised his hand to press it against the Heaven's Augury Pillar, and in the next instant, he was on the combat arena.
...
Battle after battle, he swept through the ranks unbeaten.
No matter whether they were Level 8 or Level 9, hardly anyone could withstand ten breaths under Lu Ye's hands.
Standing at the center of the combat arena, he was like an unceasing fountain of magic and spells, casually casting various exquisite techniques. Often his opponents would concede and leave the field without even understanding what had happened.
Gradually, a shocking piece of news began to circulate among the circles of Cloud River Realm cultivators.
No one knew where this Level 8 magic cultivator had sprung from, but his formidable strength was alarming. Even those powerful individuals from 1st grade sects, who had painstakingly prepared for one or two years without advancing to the True Lake just to vie for supremacy in the Cloud River, were beaten to the ground, unable to fight back.
Nobody knew what he looked like, for according to some cultivators who had fought against him, the man wore a mask that concealed his true face.
Many had not even seen his figure before they were engulfed in the brilliance of his boundless techniques.
A Level 8 cultivator of the Cloud River Realm with unreasonably strong abilities, and wearing a mask...
One couldn't help but think of a certain individual...
Someone who had caused the side of Ten Thousand Demons Ridge to suffer setbacks time and again.
But a magic cultivator's identity didn't seem to match that person, who was known to all as a combat cultivator that wielded a saber. How could that person possibly be so proficient in such a wide range of profound techniques?
Soon, new speculations arose.
If this masked magic cultivator were to encounter Lu Yiye, who would be stronger?
It would certainly be a titanic battle!
After all, the strength that these two had displayed so far was beyond what an ordinary Cloud River Realm cultivator could contend with. It was difficult to imagine just how formidable they would be if they advanced to Cloud River Level 9.
As numerous rumors were afloat in the Cloud River battlefield, Lu Ye stood unyielding as a mountain in the combat arena, bombarding with one spell after another.
In that space crisscrossed and interwoven with countless spells, a figure moved like lightning, seemingly in a tight spot but still managing to avoid most of the magical assaults. When unavoidably cornered, he shattered them with the long spear in his hand.
The scene was incredibly intense!
The initial purpose of Lu Ye wearing a mask was not to reveal his identity, so he could clash with the many elite Cloud River cultivators of the Nine Provinces to expand his horizons and validate his own strength.
But by some twist of fate, the "masked Level 8 magic cultivator" had become famous.
As the continuous battles wore on, and faced with such a formidable opponent, naturally, no one dared to take him lightly. Many would state their own affiliations upon entering the field to seek guidance.
This Fong Rulie was one such combat cultivator.
It must be said that the Cloud River Realm of the Nine Provinces really did abound with talent; though most of the battles Lu Ye fought in recent days were won with ease, there were a few individuals who commanded his respect.
This Fong Rulie was the strongest Lu Ye had encountered so far, even stronger than Xia Liang.
Lu Ye knew that he must be one of those Sect Disciples who had purposely refrained from advancing to True Lake in order to wait for the Cloud River competition, to gain fame for themselves and their sect while also seeking the favor of Heaven's Augury, waiting for one or two years, with some even longer.
Although they couldn't advance their cultivation, their means of confronting an enemy were far richer than an ordinary Cloud River Realm cultivator.
With a single spell, Lu Ye's usual opponents couldn't last ten breaths.
Yet Fong Rulie held on for thirty breaths. Though in a somewhat sorry state, he continued to narrow the distance between them, seizing every possible chance to attack. Even in an absolutely unfavorable position, he never showed any intention of giving up.
This showed the man's tenacity, and only such individuals could go further in the future.
After another ten breaths amidst the fierce battle, Fong Rulie found a great opportunity. Braving the strike of one of Lu Ye's spells, he broke through multiple obstacles. His long spear thrust forward like a dragon, boldly attacking Lu Ye at close range.
He had struck!
