Translator: TheBrokenPen Editor : Dhael Ligerkeys The embers of battle rekindled once again. Only this time, He Bing was no longer as confident and calm as he was before, for he was now certain of Lu Ye’s growth in his prowess. It was as Lu Ye expected. The earlier onset of the battle was a struggle for their survival. But now, they possessed the means to turn the tables, even if the means were short-lived… The elevation in Lu Ye’s power did not come without its cost. It was fueled by his own vitality that Bloodrage tapped into. Wielding the strength and power of a Fourth-Order, Lu Ye could deliver strokes faster and stronger than before. All of that would naturally inflict a certain degree of strain on his body. In this state, he could only keep on fighting for less than half his normal duration. Once the time limit expired, he would be depleted. But if they lacked the means to put up an equal fight, then all other considerations would be futile. The heightened strength and speed Lu Ye was showing did not go unnoticed by He Bing; Li Baxian was equally aware of it. He did not know what had Lu Ye done, but it undeniably helped to tilt the scales in their favor and that called for an immediate alteration in their previous strategy. The battle against He Bing started with Lu Ye in a supporting role. But now, Lu Ye would be leading the attack with Li Baxian rotating into the supporting role to rectify any gaps in their defense. Additionally, with Feng Yuechan to help divert He Bing’s attention, the battle has effectively transformed into anyone’s game. This time, they would no longer be easily repelled by He Bing like before. With Lu Ye at the forefront, they now had the capability to exchange blows with the Seventh-Order on almost equal grounds. Especially, since the scales were tipping more in their favor with each passing second. In the meantime, He Bing was growing increasingly despondent. His enemies possessed cultivation ranks far lower than his own. He had every confidence of winning them all in single combat—it would take only ten seconds. In fact, he would have done that if it were just two enemies. But there were three. The two would ceaselessly rain hails of attacks on him in close range while the third would pepper him relentlessly with spells while maintaining her distance. All that was putting him in quite a fix. What should have been a one-sided beatdown presided by him was thwarted by their seamless collaboration. Instead of killing at least one of them, they were now slowly gaining up on him. Especially the Third-Order Combat Cultivator. He Bing did not know what really happened, but somehow, the Third-Order was getting stronger the longer the fight went on. At present, they possessed the capability to threaten him. Before too long, they might even be able to truly defeat him! He Bing seethed with frustration. Had he known about this, he would have rather risked severe injury just so that he could kill or incapacitate one of the three at least. That would have spared him the fate of being ensnared in this stalemate that could very well end up in his defeat. But the opportunity no longer presented itself. The gambit of risking injury just to kill one of them would never work now. Doing so would be tantamount to suicide at this juncture, He Bing believed. Hence, it was one option that he would never undertake. Whatever the Combat Cultivator had done to generate such a surge in his power had to come with a price. Therefore, He Bing was confident that all he needed to do was wait—wait for the moment when the Combat Cultivator could no longer endure the price that sustained the enhancement in his power. That would mark the moment of his final victory. With that in mind, He Bing brandished his spear, forsaking offense for defense. The fact that he, a formidable Seventh-Order, was compelled to make such a choice proved an immense humiliation. Nevertheless, a beggar could not be a chooser; so long as he emerged victorious, how he clinched that victory would hold little significance. At any rate, he was fighting against the two of the most famous Cultivators ever to walk the Spirit Creek Battlefield: the renowned Li Baxian and Feng Yuechan. By He Bing only defending and not attacking, Lu Ye and Li Baxian would find their attacks useless. Neither of them would be able to penetrate his defenses, let alone deal any significant damage. The streaking radiance of spells being fired flickered incessantly in the dimly-lit rocky sprawl, plus the occasional scythe-like energy projectiles and glowing shafts that crisscrossed the area. He Bing steadfastly stood his ground, swinging his polearm to parry and deflect whatever attacks that came his way, his presence looming like an eternal and indomitable iceberg that was impervious to any external threats. With Glyph: Bloodrage continually operating, Lu Ye’s power was nearing the levels of the Fifth-Order. He had been observing He Bing’s countenance. The Seventh-Order was not looking flustered at all when the fight began. But now, He Bing was sporting a visibly more serious expression—he was investing his full power into defending every blow they were dishing his way. He could now more-or-less pose a credible threat to He Bing. In fact, if Lu Ye were a real Fifth-Order, he might have been able to go toe-to-toe against He Bing and perhaps even win. But what he possessed right now was just the artificial power of the Fifth-Order, which was inferior if compared to the might of a real Fifth-Order. In fact, Lu Ye could feel that he had reached the limits of what enhancements Bloodrage could afford him. Which was understandably reasonable; there was no way the Glyph had no limitation, especially after it had elevated his power by two ranks. That alone discounted any doubt as to Glyph: Bloodrage’s potency, despite its weakness that it needed time to channel before its enhancement could be significant enough to make any difference. More than fifteen minutes had elapsed since they entered the pocket dimension of the Nine Realm Scroll and that was what helped Bloodrage to reach its full potential. The collective might of all three of them could now resist He Bing. But they would still need more than that… He Bing was grateful for his own patience. Rather than succumbing to his panic, his decision to focus on defense had paid off and he still had a lot of strength left. He was not surprised that Lu Ye had methods that could enhance his power. But what amazed him was the extent of growth in his power because of this unknown method. Yet, He Bing knew very well that the enhancement would not be without its cost. The higher the growth, the greater the cost must be. In fact, he could see that the enhancement had reached its limit. Lu Ye appeared to be at his peak at the moment and all he had to do was just hold on. The clangor of steel reverberated through the air as Lu Ye and Li Baxian’s figures intertwined like a pair of wraiths yet nothing they did could penetrate He Bing’s defenses. A sense of unease crept over Li Baxian. The current status quo might appear favorable, but he knew that perils still lurked unseen. More than seven-tenths of the offense was now being shouldered by Lu Ye. Once Glyph: Bloodrage had reached its time limit, their defeat would become inevitable. If only they could conclude this battle quickly. But with He Bing now choosing to defend rather than attack, he clearly intended to prolong the fight. But if they failed to end this battle before Lu Ye’s power plummeted, then this would become their final resting place. Li Baxian still had one little trick hidden up his sleeve, but the final ace could only be used if he was absolutely sure that employing it would seal their victory, or else, using it would only cause more harm than good. Amidst the ferocious combat, Li Baxian cast a glance toward Lu Ye and found himself taken aback. Lu Ye looked completely unfazed, his countenance utterly devoid of any hint of impatience or panic. Every strike he made emanated focused effort, and Li Baxian felt inspired with the same calmness and composure. Indeed. If his junior brother could keep his cool despite the dire situation, why should he panic? As a more experienced Cultivator than Lu Ye, he should be stronger than his junior. So what if they were to die here? Such was the life of being a Cultivator. The revelation helped to restore a sense of peace and clarity in Li Baxian. At the same time, Li Baxian wondered if his senses were deceiving him. He was picking up a tinge of bestial power mingling within Lu Ye’s aura. Even his movements betrayed a never-before-seen quality comparable to an untamed ferocious beast. Meanwhile, Lu Ye’s mind was beginning to experience a change. Whatever sensation he felt, it defied description. Never had he experienced this surrealistic feeling before. The protracted duration of this battle and the passage of time had deepened his blood energy link with Amber, intertwining and resonating inexplicably. This resonance exceeded the mere amalgamation of their blood energy; it entailed the fusion of his own Spiritual Power with Amber’s mutant powers as a Spirit Beast. Gradually, this resonance left a vague and peculiar impression that Amber was a part of him and this impression grew increasingly tangible… That was when he realized what was going on… He had never anticipated a breakthrough at this juncture. But the battle had dragged on for an extended duration, allowing him to accumulate ample confidence and experience and reach a point where he could unleash his true potential. The opponent he encountered in the Myriad Beast Domain was very, very powerful, but the battle did not last long enough for Lu Ye to reach his full potential. A gleam of hope for victory glimmered in Lu Ye’s eyes. And his attacks grew more ferocious. Undeniably, it was the Beast Pact Art that he acquired from the Myriad Beast Domain that proved instrumental in this struggle. Since forming a bond with Amber through the Life Energy Art, the tiger’s mere presence alone could grant him tremendous assistance. Lu Ye would have long succumbed to exhaustion if it had not been for Amber. The power he drew from Amber allowed him to swing his weapon without worrying about any strain and exertion. As the battle continued, the mingling of their blood energy and Spiritual Power propelled the Beast Pact Art toward breakthrough and evolution. That came with the realization that Glyph: Bloodrage and the Beast Pact Art could work in synergy. The resonance with Amber grew stronger and deeper until a particular point when Lu Ye distinctly felt it: an unbreakable connection between him and Amber; Amber was now an integral part of his very corporeal existence. Both man and tiger have become one. Beneath the folds of his tunic, the tiger head mark on his chest burst with a sudden radiant brilliance, followed by a beckoning, mysterious force. That was when Amber pounced off Lu Ye’s shoulder and transformed into a stream of light that surged down his chest and into the mark. Waves of energy pulsed from the mark, its power coursing through every fiber of Lu Ye’s being and revitalizing what strength he had spent, plus the soreness and pain that came with using Glyph: Bloodrage. Like an invigorating shower of magic, the waves of energy eradicated all fatigue from him, restoring him with renewed vitality. Every gash and bruise was gone. Even his throbbing right arm had ceased its trembling. The macabre-red glow that engulfed him was replaced by a resplendent orange radiance. Orange. The fusion of red—Lu Ye’s blood energy and his Spiritual Power—and gold—Amber’s mutant energy. This newfound source of power manifested as a pair of ethereal tiger ears on his head and a tiger’s tail at his back. The new appendage swayed gently, lifelike. The mightiest secret technique of the Myriad Beast Domain—Beast Form!