Sage of Humanity
Chapter 81 Attack and Defense

With Luo Ji's current strength, killing those ordinary Level 3 cultivators took at most two or three Dao techniques, but after the exchange with Lu Ye, he had deployed countless techniques.

What especially surprised him was that this mountain tiger could fight using spirit runes!

Studying spirit runes was several times harder than delving into magic and spells, because constructing spirit runes was a very delicate task. A slight mistake could lead to failure, let alone invoking spirit runes in battle.

Generally, only quite seasoned spirit runes masters had such capability.

But how old was Lu Ye?

Through observation, he confirmed that Lu Ye mastered a Defense Spirit Rune, which could block his Icicle Technique attacks and could be activated at will...

This realization made Luo Ji put away his contempt. The senior brothers were right before he left; one mustn't be careless or underestimate any enemy outside. Others might not have as many spiritual orifices as he did, or methods as plentiful as his, but just that one spirit rune technique was not something ordinary people possessed.

However, Luo Ji didn't shrink back but instead his fighting spirit soared. During these days of experience in the outer circle, he had met many that couldn't arouse his fighting spirit. How could he miss out on a fight with such a worthy opponent?

While his thoughts were turning, suddenly a bright slash of light appeared in front of him, accompanied by a cracking sound, a huge block of ice burst apart, and through the gap, a figure charged like the wind.

The Ice Prison Technique was broken just like that? Luo Ji wore a face of surprise, knowing that it was not ordinary ice, but a Dao technique based on the Ice Spike Technique. Although it did not trap Lu Ye, it should not have been broken so easily.

This made him realize one problem: the Spiritual Artifact longsword in Lu Ye's hands was extraordinary, and he definitely couldn't withstand such a slash!

Spirit force surged and magic and spells rose again, one after another, striking towards Lu Ye.

Lu Ye charged forward boldly, this time not slashing through the spells with his sword or dodging them but forcefully pushing through, blocking all incoming spells with his Defense Spirit Runes.

In the dark tunnel, light constantly burst forth, rapidly closing the distance between them.

Luo Ji's eyelids twitched, cursing Lu Ye as a reckless fool under his breath.

But undeniably, this fool's approach made him a bit panicky.

In the confrontation between a combat cultivator and a magic cultivator, keeping distance was the realm of the magic cultivator, but once it came to close-quarters, magic cultivators generally met a grim fate.

In just three breaths, Lu Ye had closed to within two zhang of Luo Ji, his longsword glowing with a flash, and with his figure nearing, he swung it down in a slash.

Luo Ji hastily retreated, but just then, Yiyi emerged once more from behind him, her form swiftly solidifying as she raised her palm and struck Luo Ji's shoulder.

Luo Ji was scared out of his wits, but he quickly realized that this palm strike was not very harmful, as his protective spirit force easily blocked it.

Suddenly, intense spirit light illuminated from behind him, sharp as spikes, as if stabbing into his back. Yiyi, upon delivering another palm strike, immediately cried out in pain and retreated with a flash.

However, her intervention meant that Luo Ji had no escape!

If it were an attack from another Level 3 cultivator, Luo Ji would still be confident in blocking it with his protective spirit force, but having witnessed Lu Ye's ferocity in breaking the Ice Prison Technique, how could he dare to take it lightly?

"Mist Shield!" he shouted lowly, spirit force swirling, immediately enveloping him in a foggy layer of protective force.

Lu Ye's slash came down, even the Sharpness-enhanced slash couldn't break through the Mist Shield's protection. It felt to him as if he were chopping into rubber — the longsword slashed in but got stuck.

Luo Ji retreated while lifting his hand to point at Lu Ye, gritting his teeth, "Golden Arc!"

Now it was Lu Ye's turn to have no escape. A golden crescent-shaped slash struck right at Lu Ye's chest, but before that, he had already activated a Defense Spirit Rune in front of him.

Lu Ye struck again, chopping fiercely.

"Ice Spike!"

"Wind Saber!"

"Thunder Halberd!"

In the corridor, Luo Ji's angry shouts echoed continuously. With his repeated cries, different element sign magic and spells were constantly stimulated, striking Lu Ye's chest with a thudding sound.

He seemed full of momentum, yet he was forced to step back, all because Lu Ye was pressing forward with each slash, and the Mist Shield on his body began showing signs of collapsing.

"I refuse to believe you can maintain those spirit runes indefinitely!" Luo Ji roared as he clashed with Lu Ye, although he was shocked that Lu Ye could fight using spirit runes, the depletion from activating spirit runes was significant, and as long as Lu Ye's spirit force was exhausted, he could win!

His opponent, like a mute, didn't speak a word, slashing even more fiercely.

A moment later, Luo Ji's eyes twitched involuntarily; he felt that the situation was not good.

While Lu Ye had depletion from activating spirit runes, Luo Ji also had depletion from employing magic and spells. Indeed, his spirit force reserve was greater than Lu Ye's, but he used more spells, and because he had to be wary of Yiyi, he maintained the Mist Shield Technique, which even further increased his depletion.

Continuing to attack like this, it was honestly hard to say who would falter first.

As his thoughts raced, Luo Ji bellowed, "Scorching White!"

When he raised his hand, a Spirit Talisman appeared on his fingertips, into which spirit force was poured...

Lu Ye felt he was about to falter, his engagement with Luo Ji hadn't been long, at most the time it took for half a cup of tea, yet in such a short time, eighty percent of his spirit force was gone...

This was the most intense battle he had encountered so far, and the opponent was just a Level 2 cultivator.

So when Luo Ji cried out "Scorching White," Lu Ye knew there was trickery involved and immediately leaped backward while reaching into his storage sack, pinching a Spirit Talisman between his fingers.

As their eyes met, both were momentarily stunned, and as spirit force surged, two Spirit Talismans simultaneously burst into light.

Water spears appeared abruptly, three water spears moving in a '品' formation towards Lu Ye, while a fire serpent surged and darted towards Luo Ji.

There was a huge explosion, and the corridor shook violently, with small stones falling down.

The collision of water and fire created a vast amount of high-temperature gas instantaneously within the corridor, causing both Lu Ye and Luo Ji, as a forceful impact flung them both flying.

Both cursed silently and got up, covered in dirt and grime.

By the time Lu Ye chased down the corridor with his saber, Luo Ji had already escaped it and turned back to throw a Spirit Talisman at Lu Ye.

Lu Ye ducked his head, and the Spirit Talisman exploded into a sky full of golden light, cratering the ground around it.

Looking again, Luo Ji was far off. Lu Ye hastened his pursuit, and Amber also caught up from behind; Lu Ye leapt onto the tiger's back, and his speed increased sharply.

Seeing this, the fleeing Luo Ji felt his nose twist with rage. Seeing that escape was futile, he stopped running, turned to face Lu Ye, clasping a Spirit Talisman in each hand, and slapped one onto himself, immediately enveloping himself in a solid layer of golden light.

This was a Golden Body Talisman, and its quality was quite good. He then launched the other Spirit Talisman at Lu Ye.

Lu Ye leaped off the tiger's back, chopping at the incoming attack, and cautioned Amber, "Stay back."

The huge impact forced him to the ground, his body sore, and as he was getting up, he saw Luo Ji boldly standing there, provocatively curling his finger at him, "Come!"

Lu Ye, without uttering a word, took a Golden Body Talisman from his storage sack and slapped it onto himself...

Luo Ji couldn't help but sigh. The opponent's financial resources... seemed to rival his own.