The intense battle allowed the cultivators observing from the shadows to experience the might of the Stone Race up close, and it left them in awe of the profound foundation of Lu Yiye from the Nine Heavens World. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they couldn't have believed that a cultivator at the Divine Sea Level 8 could unleash such terrifying power. Each of them had ascended from the Level 8 themselves, being able to defeat enemies beyond their level within their respective domains, with pride in their hearts. Yet, upon comparison, they realized they had been viewing the world from the bottom of a well. Before coming here, they carried a hint of doubt, questioning whether there had been some error with Lu Yiye's astonishing feats. After all, there were only a few thousand cultivators participating in the struggle for the Divine Sea, and yet he had slain over two hundred by himself, which seemed somewhat unreasonable. It wasn't until witnessing Lu Yiye's explosive power did they understand there was reason to his achievements. But who would emerge victorious in today's battle remained unseen by anyone, for from all appearances, neither side had a noticeably distinct advantage. Each clash was earth-shattering, full of imposing might. The formidable physique of the Stone Race was breathtaking, and Lu Yiye's ferocious saber skills were equally terrifying, with the sense of aggression from his slashing long blade conjuring the feeling of an ancient ferocious beast in a fit of rage. Even those watching from the shadows felt their skin prickle, as if tusks and claws loomed overhead, ready to strike at any moment. Each slash of the long blade shimmered with radiant brilliance, each maneuver of his body was an extreme response, every inch exuding danger. The only feeling Lu had towards Bao Shi was: hard! This was undoubtedly the advantage brought by his opponent's physique. The layered muscles on this guy's body didn't just look like rock; the feedback from the Boulder Mountain Saber told Lu Ye that what he was cutting through was solid stone. And it was a stone as hard as they come. Thus, Bao Shi only needed limited defense to completely neutralize his frenzied onslaught. Conversely, facing Bao Shi's counterattacks, Lu Ye found himself constrained, after all, he was but flesh and blood, and enduring an attack from Bao Shi wasn't without consequence. The Tyrannical Saber 3rd Movement had failed to secure a hit, so Lu Ye simply ceased employing any complex blade techniques, resorting instead to the simplest chopping, stabbing, and swinging, occasionally supplemented with small tricks like Repeated Slashing and Single Flash. His speed and strength sufficed; even without employing blade techniques, every chop wielded immense impact and lethality. Against an opponent like Bao Shi, solely relying on the sharpness of the Boulder Mountain Saber was unrealistic. The Boulder Mountain Saber wasn't known for sharpness anyway, and even with the Sharpness Spirit Runes, the effect was negligible. Creative strategies were necessary. He firmly believed in one principle: there's no defense that can't be broken. Bao Shi was still just a Divine Sea cultivator. However great his physique advantage over other races, his defense, provided the attack strength was enough, could still be shattered. So his current task was simple: find a way to control the tempo of the battle, to make the opponent dance to his tune. Only by doing so could he swiftly eliminate this foe. For a spirit runes master, especially Lu Ye, who was most familiar with close combat, controlling the pace of the battle wasn't very difficult. "Exhilarating, exhilarating!" Bao Shi was evidently fighting passionately, continually throwing punches to counter Lu Ye's long blade while shouting out. In the Taichu Realm, he had encountered many opponents, but never had any been able to persist for long under his attacks. The few with strength simply avoided entanglement altogether. This led to over two months without a satisfying battle. Today's encounter with Lu Ye undoubtedly filled the void in his heart, and made him even more grateful for following the guidance of the Reincarnation Tree to arrive here. Yet, his elation didn't dampen his fighting intent and killing spirit, but rather intensified them. Such a worthy opponent naturally called for all his effort to slay right here and now, ensuring the duel would end in Perfection. In his cultivation journey, he adhered to one principle: a dead opponent is the best opponent! A piercing flash of the saber passed by, another swift slash descended, so fast that Bao Shi had nearly no time to respond. Yet still, he instinctively raised an arm to block the ferocious strike. The sound of metal against metal rang out, accompanied by an intense glow erupting with the surging spirit force. Bao Shi was about to counterattack leverage, but suddenly realized something was off, as the weight carried by this strike was far greater than before. The heaviness of the blade strike made even one from the Stone Race widen their eyes, and Bao Shi's body sank sharply, nearly forced to one knee. What was happening? A flicker of uncertainty passed through Bao Shi's eyes. Although the time spent exchanging blows wasn't long, he thought he had already gauged Lu Ye's strength. Undeniably, this human kid possessed power mismatched with his size, yet not enough to exert genuine pressure. But suddenly, the overwhelming weight of this strike was peculiarly formidable. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝙣𝙚𝙩 It wasn't just suppression from physical strength, but seemed like an outburst of another kind of mysterious energy. It must be said, Bao Shi's senses were incredibly sharp, because as Lu Ye struck with his saber, it wasn't just his power erupting; he also incorporated the Hefty Weight Spirit Runes into the Boulder Mountain Saber following the motion. To ensure a successful strike, Lu Ye evolved the Hefty Weight Spirit Runes into three layers, which was his limit to evolve in an instant. Any more would destabilize the restriction formed by the spirit runes. His strength was already overwhelmingly fierce, and with the explosion of the Hefty Weight Spirit Runes, Bao Shi suffered a hidden disadvantage. Exclamations of surprise echoed from all sides. Since the battle began, Lu Ye had been suppressed in terms of power comparison, but now the cultivators watching saw Bao Shi being suppressed, which was truly inconceivable. Bao Shi was furious. To a race that prided itself on great strength, being suppressed was intolerable. With a roar, he suddenly stood up. However, at that instant, the immense pressure suddenly vanished without a trace; his planned counterattack struck only air, leaving Bao Shi feeling incredibly frustrated, stumbling despite forcing himself upright. Lu Ye was already prepared, advancing swiftly, and his aura abruptly heightened significantly, surrounded by a faint red mist on his side. On his chest, the Bloodstain Spirit Runes had already spread out, and as a drop of Essence Blood exploded, the Boulder Mountain Saber wrapped in continuous blade light bore down on Bao Shi. Sounds of sharp intakes of breath came from various locations, as everyone was stunned by this scene. They thought Lu Yiye's previous performance was his limit, but unexpectedly, he had hidden tricks. The situation changed in an instant, breaking the balance of the previously evenly matched battle, with no one expecting the Stone Race to be at a disadvantage. For Lu Ye, once he had control of the combat rhythm, Bao Shi was merely a target to be struck; despite his physique being terrifyingly strong, his shortcomings were equally apparent - not agile enough. Each race has its own advantages, but not all advantages can be concentrated in one race. While the Stone Race possesses an almost indestructible physique, their agility is inevitably compromised, albeit only relatively. True combat warriors need to find ways during battle to avoid the enemy's strengths and magnify the enemy's weaknesses. Lu Ye managed this by employing the evolution of the Hefty Weight Spirit Runes and relying on his own rich combat experience. A round of frenzied offensives pushed Bao Shi back step by step; despite his exceedingly powerful body, it certainly had its limits. He couldn't withstand Lu Ye's relentless slashes indefinitely. When Bao Shi finally steadied his stance and wanted to regroup, Lu Ye evolved the Hefty Weight Spirit Runes again, immediately disrupting Bao Shi's rhythm, causing him extreme vexation. He suddenly realized that this Nine Heavens World's Lu Yiye was no good person. He thought he was encountering an opponent worthy of excitement, allowing full exertion, but found himself facing numerous crafty tricks from his adversary, showing no martial ethics. Yet he understood that this was Lu Yiye's skill; in life-and-death battles, anything goes. Just as Bao Shi could leverage his physical advantages, Lu Yiye utilizing some ingenious tricks in combat was no fault of his own. If he couldn't adapt, it was Bao Shi's own inadequacy. The more this happened, the angrier Bao Shi became, and the more furious he was, the more stretched his responses were. Often, what he thought was a powerful strike was merely a feint, and what he deemed to be a harmless slash was, in fact, Lu Ye's all-out burst. Hence, no matter how he defended, he couldn't block a single slash; he completely became a target for strikes. The cultivators secretly observing the battle were dazzled, each intrigued by the spectacle. It must be said, watching such a battle benefited almost everyone greatly, making them acutely aware of the vast gap between themselves and these leading geniuses. Originally, many had come with skepticism, believing there must be some problem with Lu Yiye's achievements, but after witnessing this stunning fight firsthand, they realized his ranking was well-deserved, even if there had been issues. The fierce battle raged on, with Bao Shi already thoroughly defeated, despite his strenuous resistance being futile; everyone could see he was fighting desperately like a trapped beast. At this moment, his entire being appeared like a porcelain doll that had fallen to the ground, covered in spiderweb-like cracks, even his bald head seemed somewhat shattered. If this continued, he feared being smashed to pieces, but he still refused to retreat, relentlessly entangled in combat with Lu Ye, swinging his fists and turning every part of himself into a deadly weapon, indicating he wouldn't make things easy for Lu Ye even in death. This tenacity and perseverance commanded the respect of all cultivators watching!