Chapter 2929: Reverse and Downward Spiral

The Wind Rises Across the Nine Provinces

While powerful, Lu Ye's strength, without the aid of any external force, was merely on par with a Semi-Saint like Fei. Since his identity as a renegade was confirmed, he had relied entirely on his own internal foundations. The secret cultivation method of the small world, left by the Dragon and Phoenix ancestors within the Ancestral Abyss's restrictions, was distinct from the current mainstream system. It sought no external power, relying solely on internal needs, precisely to guard against situations like the present. That was why he remained unharmed, his strength undiminished, amidst the current upheaval.

But what about Fei? Fei was also affected by that golden light drizzle, as were Blood Weave and other Origin Realm Semi-Saints, even the puppet Semi-Saints—none were spared from being affected, yet they remained unharmed. Even Phoenix Master, Blood Calamity, Ni Chilain, Qin Feng, and others also seemed unaffected. Lu Ye instantly realized that this mysterious restrictive method targeted all dragons present. It was that single drop of Yang Qing's dragon blood! Lu Ye didn't know what methods Yuan used, but this method must have utilized Yang Qing's dragon blood as a catalyst, applying the consequence Lu Ye incurred after becoming a renegade to all dragons present. With this, the strength of all Dragon Clan Semi-Saints severely diminished!

The battle had been raging fiercely, with the Dragon Clan Semi-Saints and the puppets, who were originally evenly matched and unable to gain an advantage over each other, suddenly finding their strength drastically reduced in the midst of the intense fighting. How could they possibly fare well? In this short period, several Dragon Clan Semi-Saints perished on the spot, more were injured, and the rest were in perilous straits. Dragon Sovereign's situation was relatively stable because Phoenix Master and the others were unaffected by the recent change, their strength undiminished. However, among those five, Dragon Sovereign was originally the strongest, and now with his strength altered, the balance in the struggle against Blood Weave was immediately broken. Visibly, Blood Weave began to gain the upper hand in that battle zone.

Rage surged in Lu Ye's heart. Originally, with the Dragon Clan Semi-Saints' numerical advantage and the opening he had created at the start of the battle, victory was virtually certain. However, a small, distant stratagem employed by Yuan immediately overturned the situation. Yang Qing had indeed not descended, but the current situation was even worse than if Yang Qing had. Because even if Yang Qing had truly descended, he wouldn't be able to stay long in Star Abyss. At most, he would heavily injure Lu Ye and kill a few Dragon Clan Semi-Saints before retreating to the Origin Realm. But now, with their overall strength severely compromised, this battle was simply unwinnable. As numerous Dragon Clan Semi-Saints suffered casualties, their hard-won advantage was wiped out in a short time, turning directly into a disadvantage, and with time and increasing casualties, this disadvantage would only grow.

"Return to Dragon City!" Lu Ye growled through gritted teeth. They couldn't fight anymore. If they continued, few Dragon Clan Semi-Saints would likely survive today. Until a way was found to counter the mysterious method, the Dragon Clan powerhouses were no longer qualified to contend with Semi-Saints. "Return to Dragon City at once!" As Lu Ye spoke, Dragon Sovereign also roared, his eyes bloodshot. Those who died were ancestors of the Dragon Clan, who had sealed themselves in the Ancestral Abyss's restrictions for countless years, their consciousness muddled. After finally escaping their confinement, seeing the light of day again, and facing a promising future, they unexpectedly fell here. If they had been killed in a truly fair fight, Dragon Sovereign wouldn't be so enraged. The crucial point was that during a fair battle, Yuan had resorted to petty, underhanded tricks from behind the scenes, and these tricks were deadly to the Dragon Clan.

Dragon roars echoed ceaselessly as numerous Dragon Clan Semi-Saints struggled to break through and surge towards Dragon City. The puppets would not stand idly by, all striking to obstruct them. "Blood Calamity!" Lu Ye suddenly barked, his mind stirring simultaneously. Blood Calamity, who was retreating faster than all the dragons, immediately groaned, his body freezing. Earlier, when Fei abandoned him and turned back for Lu Ye, Blood Calamity had stealthily returned. Seeing the situation turn favorable, he couldn't resist plunging into the puppet battlefield, achieving considerable gains. After the Dragon Clan's strength diminished, he saw the unfavorable situation and, without waiting for Lu Ye or Dragon Sovereign to speak, he fled towards Dragon City. In terms of judging battlefield situations, Blood Calamity truly had keen insight. Thus, at this moment, he was the one charging at the very front! However, when the potent poison in his body suddenly erupted, Blood Calamity immediately realized Lu Ye's intention: he wanted him to cover the Dragon Clan's retreat! "Damn it, meeting your true self was the worst luck of my life!" Blood Calamity roared, quickly turning back, his vast sea of blood unfurling to envelop the chaos ahead. He was utterly unwilling to cover the Dragon Clan's retreat at such a dangerous time, but he knew in his heart that if he didn't, nothing good would await him.

On the other side, as Lu Ye pressured Blood Calamity, he raised his hand and summoned the Skyweaving Needle. Fei, who was entangled with him, instantly looked grave and rapidly retreated. He had no desire to experience the terror of the Skyweaving Needle, especially with this supreme treasure now controlled by a powerhouse like Lu Ye, whose strength was in no way inferior to his own. He knew Lu Ye was using the Skyweaving Needle to intimidate him, but he had no other choice. Seizing this opportunity, Lu Ye took a step; space distorted, and his figure quickly blurred. When he reappeared, he had already entered Blood Calamity's sea of blood, staggering slightly, his throat tasting of blood. This was because Fei had launched a remote attack at him while he was just teleporting. Normally, Lu Ye could have countered such an attack, but eager to aid the Dragon Clan, he could only endure it. Fortunately, the damage was minor.

The sea of blood continuously vibrated, swaying precariously. Even though Blood Calamity was a Semi-Saint, who among those enveloped by his sea of blood right now wasn't a Semi-Saint? The numerous attacks from over a hundred Semi-Saints collided within the sea of blood; he simply couldn't hold on, showing signs of imminent collapse after only two breaths. Fortunately, Lu Ye had arrived. Another sea of blood unfurled, quickly merging with Blood Calamity's. Furthermore, a phantom of a crimson battle flag appeared behind Lu Ye, seemingly unfurling in the wind, flapping loudly. The Boundless Battle Flag! With the appearance of this flag, Blood Calamity's aura rapidly increased. Not only that, but the auras of many Dragon Clan Semi-Saints also slightly strengthened. The Boundless Battle Flag was a supreme treasure Lu Ye had seized from Zong Shenliang, and one of the very few existing supreme treasures that could affect others. This treasure itself was an artifact for large-scale warfare. However, although its power was considerable, the strength it could boost was limited. For Blood Calamity, it increased his strength by roughly a few hundred units. This wasn't a huge boost for Blood Calamity, but at such a critical moment, any increase in external power could potentially influence the battle's outcome. However, Lu Ye used the Boundless Battle Flag not to boost Blood Calamity's strength, but to stabilize the sea of blood. Even with his assistance, the sea of blood remained violently turbulent. After three breaths, the sea of blood shattered. Both Lu Ye and Blood Calamity simultaneously spat out a mouthful of blood, clearly suffering from backlash. Fortunately, during these three breaths, the Dragon Clan Semi-Saints had approached Dragon City, and under the interference of the sea of blood, the mindless puppets quickly lost their targets. By the time the puppets reacted and resumed their pursuit, it was too late.

"Escort them into the city!" Lu Ye instructed Blood Calamity, then twirled his long saber, fixing his gaze on Fei, who was hot on their heels. With a raise of his hand, the Skyweaving Needle transformed into a golden light and shot towards Fei. Fei's expression changed, and he swiftly moved. However, he soon realized that Lu Ye wasn't targeting him at all; after launching the Skyweaving Needle's attack, Lu Ye darted towards Blood Weave's battle zone. Fei was enraged but dared not ignore the Skyweaving Needle, so he could only watch helplessly as Lu Ye plunged into that battle group. "Fei!" Blood Weave also raged. Dragon Sovereign's strength had greatly diminished, and she was finally gaining an advantage, but she didn't expect Lu Ye to rush back again. What was that Fei fellow even doing? Fei was filled with grievances he couldn't express. If the initial collapse of the battle due to his focus on Blood Calamity was his responsibility, now, intimidated by the Skyweaving Needle, how could he act recklessly? "Go!" Lu Ye called out, then, joining Dragon Sovereign and the others, forced Blood Weave back with a single saber strike. Dragon Sovereign, Phoenix Master, and the others did not hesitate, immediately turning and fleeing into the distance. They did not flee towards Dragon City, because the numerous Dragon Clan Semi-Saints had already entered the city one after another, and the pursuing puppets would naturally gather there. Now, the area outside Dragon City was full of puppets. Fleeing in that direction would be like walking into a trap. They could only flee in the opposite direction.

Seeing this, Fei no longer dared to hesitate, immediately turned and pursued, quickly regrouping with Blood Weave. As they pursued and fled, the eight figures continuously employed various methods in their ceaseless battle. However, under these circumstances, how could Blood Weave and Fei possibly contend with Lu Ye and his companions? A moment later, seeing an opportunity, Lu Ye and Phoenix Master combined their efforts to activate a Void Teleportation technique, instantly widening the distance between them by a significant margin. Blood Weave and Fei, who had been like maggots clinging to bone, finally slowed to a stop, gazing with palpable reluctance at Lu Ye and his companions' fading figures.

"Let's go!" Blood Weave gritted her teeth and growled, then turned and flew towards Dragon City. In the current situation, they were unlikely to catch up. Furthermore, even if they did, Blood Weave wasn't entirely confident in what she could do to Lu Ye and the others. Her and Fei's strength was indeed formidable, but Lu Ye and his group numbered six. Given this, it would be better to deal with another major enemy. As long as that one was resolved, today's battle would yield significant gains. However, a moment later, when she returned with Fei near Dragon City and found Xing Zhou, she saw that the Origin Realm's foremost Semi-Saint was standing quietly there. His clothes were neat, and not a single strand of hair was out of place, as if he hadn't been in a major battle just now. "Where is Si Shengya?" Blood Weave asked in astonishment. While she and Fei were pursuing Lu Ye and his companions, she had clearly sensed that a struggle was still ongoing here, but upon her return, Si Shengya was nowhere to be found. This instantly foiled her original plan. "He saw the situation was unfavorable and fled," Xing Zhou replied calmly. "Fled?" Blood Weave's face showed disbelief. "How could you let him get away?" With Xing Zhou's strength, if he truly intended to intercept, Si Shengya should not have been able to escape.