Sage of Humanity

The Talent Tree Avatar had swept in from the side, trying to intercept, but ultimately was a little too slow. If Mann Shan achieved his escape momentum, it would turn into a chase, and all previous efforts might come to nothing.

However, at that moment, Lu Ye suddenly shook the Boulder Mountain Saber in his hand.

Invisible ripples spread out, brushing across the surrounding Void.

Mann Shan, who was about to escape, suddenly felt an intense pain at the wound on his severed arm and chest, as if some dormant power within had erupted, transforming into invisible hands ripping open the injury he had painstakingly suppressed.

Blood spurted wildly.

Mann Shan, wracked with pain, couldn't help but pause.

The eruption of the barghest's power achieved wonders, as it was this moment of delay that finally allowed the Talent Tree Avatar to catch up.

Without weapons, the Avatar wielded its fists and unleashed a flurry of wild assaults against Mann Shan.

"Get lost!" Mann Shan furiously retaliated, throwing a punch back.

Based on previous encounters, this punch would surely repel Lu Ye's Talent Tree Avatar, giving him room to continue his escape.

Nevertheless, he miscalculated or underestimated Lu Ye's determination to kill him.

When the fists collided, their Dao force clashed and extinguished, but the disparity in power made the Avatar suffer a significant loss; one of its fists instantly became bloody and torn, and its body trembled violently as if struck by lightning.

Yet the Avatar did not retreat; it didn't even bother defending, continuing to channel Dao force aggressively, recklessly attacking without regard for its own life.

In the instant exchange, after multiple violent clashes, both arms of the Avatar shattered completely, and even its body cracked open with countless fissures like porcelain.

This was the gap in the power of the 4th Dao; in a head-on clash with no retreat, Mann Shan could actually kill the Avatar without much effort.

With Mann Shan enraged, just as he was about to deliver the final strike, Lu Ye's true form arrived.

Feeling the danger behind him, Mann Shan was greatly alarmed and had no choice but to face the Avatar hastily. What greeted him was a brilliant flash of saber light.

However, at that moment, the Avatar, now armless, leapt onto Mann Shan's back, its legs wrapped around his body, and it bit down ferociously on his neck.

This savage scene made Qing Yu and the others watching nearby twitch their eyelids.

The pincer attack from Lu Ye's true form and Avatar left Mann Shan struggling to cope and finally aware that unless he eliminated one Lu Ye first, he would have no chance to escape.

He had just ascended to Dao Fusion, with a bright future ahead; how could he die here?

Even if it meant letting Lu Ye strike him once more, he only used Dao force to protect himself, grabbing backward and clutching the Avatar's head, yanking it off his back.

A piece of flesh bitten by the Avatar came away with it.

"Pah…" The Avatar spat the piece of flesh toward Mann Shan, while using its legs to deliver a powerful kick forward.

"Die!" Mann Shan roared, squeezing the Avatar's head with force, while his other hand formed a tight fist and ferociously struck the Avatar's abdomen as it kicked him.

Blood Rain scattered across the sky, leaving no remains of the Avatar!

Lu Ye felt a wave of dread.

Because of the special nature of the Talent Tree Avatar, he never wanted to let it enter any dangerous situation, and this was the first time the Talent Tree Avatar had perished.

The sensation of its death was much stronger than when the Treasure Blood Avatar died.

Lu Ye even felt as if he had truly died once.

However, he quickly steadied his resolve and mercilessly brought down the long saber in his hand.

The blade sliced into Mann Shan's shoulder, cleaving all the way to his chest before stopping its momentum.

Lu Ye felt no joy but rather a jolt of anxiety.

Because he sensed that Mann Shan's Dao force hadn't depleted, yet this strike had succeeded, which was suspicious, as he knew that if Mann Shan's Dao force wasn't exhausted, he shouldn't have been able to break his defense.

Everything he had done so far, including the Talent Tree Avatar's death, had been for one purpose, and that was to furiously deplete Mann Shan's Dao force. Only by exhausting his Dao force would Lu Ye have the chance to kill him.

Desperate counterattack!

This thought suddenly flashed in Lu Ye's mind, and he immediately tried to pull back, but Mann Shan's flesh squirmed and clamped down on the Boulder Mountain Saber, then raised a hand to grab Lu Ye's wrist holding the saber.

"You want to kill me? You'll die too!" Mann Shan appeared frenzied. Until today, he had been high-spirited, feeling that after years of effort he finally had the credentials to establish himself in the Star Abyss, but today's battle shattered all his hopes.

He too had grown through a path of rivalry and vicious fights; in a desperate situation, what fear did he have of death?

Of course, before that, he would make it hard for anyone who made it hard for him.

Summoning the last of his Dao force, he gathered it beneath his fist and punched forward!

This should have been a fatal punch, but it didn't hit Lu Ye at all. As the punch blasted out, Lu Ye's form floated backward.

Mann Shan's eye twitched as he looked down to see the saber still stuck inside his body, the hand gripping the sword's hilt tightly, while he was clutching that hand's wrist.

But this hand... was already severed at the elbow.

It was clear that when Lu Ye sensed something was amiss, he cut off his own arm and withdrew.

"Hehe..." Mann Shan laughed, unsure of his own feelings and why he could still laugh under such circumstances.

He only knew that he was truly defeated this time, by a bizarre and strange freak, and he couldn't even confirm if the opponent was truly in Dao Fusion.

The momentum was lost!

He let out a slight sigh, exerted a little force, and pulled the long sword, still attached to the severed arm, out of his body, resulting in another spray of blood.

His expression unchanged, he lifted his hand and threw the severed arm and the Boulder Mountain Saber forward.

"Come and kill!" Mann Shan lifted his eyes, staring at Lu Ye, his voice like thunder.

Although he hadn't died, his Dao force was exhausted, leaving him with no chance of escape even if he was in Dao Fusion; thus, it was better to seek a swift end.

Lu Ye reached out to catch it, his gaze flickering, and placed the severed arm over his own wound.

Only then did he sweep beside Mann Shan, holding the saber in his left hand, the blade flashing as Mann Shan's head was severed from his body.

The Dao Fusion is dead!

Not far away, Qing Yu and others watched this scene in a daze, no one speaking, only a deep shock lingering in their hearts.

This was the first time they'd seen a Dao Fusion being killed.

And Lu Ye, who could slay a Dao Fusion so decisively, suddenly seemed towering and unapproachable in their eyes.

With the battle over, Lu Ye should have immediately cleaned the battlefield or calmed himself, yet he remained in place, his brow furrowed.

Because almost at the moment of Mann Shan's death, he felt as if something was about to descend.

The feeling was strange and indescribable, yet his Mental Consciousness detected nothing.

Just when he thought it was his imagination, above the place where he stood, a cloud-like mass suddenly formed.

Lu Ye looked up sharply, and within the churning cloud, a vortex formed, followed by a beam of light crashing down and enveloping his body.

Lu Ye was startled, dodging swiftly, but the beam, as if sentient, pursued relentlessly, striking into his body with lightning speed.

Lu Ye froze, his brow furrowing tighter.

Inside, a tingling sensation spread, and even the severed arm's wound itched terribly, as if some mystical power was swiftly repairing his damaged body.

In the battle with Mann Shan, his injuries were actually severe; on the surface, only the severed arm seemed significant, but in truth, battling against a stronger foe had left his internal organs and flesh and bones damaged to varying degrees.

Yet, in this moment, nourished by that mystical power, his injuries were healing at a bizarrely rapid pace.

This was undoubtedly good news.

However, what disquieted him was that his Talent Tree was swaying wildly, with black smoke rising from its crown.

This made Lu Ye realize that the beam that had entered him wasn't just healing him but seemed to contain something ominous.

Within mere moments, his injuries were as good as new, even the severed arm leaving no trace, and moreover, Lu Ye sensed his body becoming lighter and tougher.

The swaying of the Talent Tree had not ceased, and the black smoke was growing denser.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist, on defeating the powerful with the weak, and receiving the Star Abyss Blessing!" a voice reached Lu Ye's ears.

Lu Ye opened his eyes to see Qing Yu standing not far from him, with a group behind her gazing at him with newfound awe and reverence.

They had presumed him to be a newcomer under Qing Yu's wing due to her kindness, but who knew he was a raging tiger; without Lu Ye, they would have faced inevitable peril today, and aside from a few female cultivators, all others would likely have died.

"Star Abyss Blessing?" Lu Ye frowned. "What is that?"

Qing Yu blinked, momentarily unsure if Lu Ye was truly new to the Star Abyss.

Her earlier judgment was based on Lu Ye's pure aura, but if that were true, it wouldn't explain his terrifying strength.

Yet his ignorance of the Star Abyss Blessing seemed to confirm her initial assessment.

Not pressing for too much, if it was unknown, explaining shouldn't be an issue.

"Fellow Daoist, within the Star Abyss, its will is omnipresent, and killing a sufficient number of enemies or defeating the stronger with the weaker can grant the Star Abyss Blessing, a reward generally considered a reward for us cultivators. Those who receive such rewards are usually the elites among their peers, destined for great accomplishments."

This was Lu Ye's first time hearing of such a thing; Uncle Duan had never mentioned it. Though to be fair, Uncle Duan wasn't particularly fond of him, always feeling that his lady was manipulated, so Lu Ye didn't ask, and Uncle Duan naturally didn't say much.

"By killing enough enemies or defeating the strong with the weak, one can receive this blessing?"

"It's only a possibility!"

"What benefits do we gain from such a blessing?" Judging by the current events, the benefits seemed certain, yet there seemed to be downsides, though without the Talent Tree's reaction, Lu Ye wouldn't have discerned this.

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