Sage of Humanity
Chapter 887 - 885: Twin Flying Phoenixes

Consciousness drifted. In Nian Yuexian's blurred vision, an indistinct face came into focus. Despite her effort, she couldn't see clearly, but the resolute expression perfectly matched a scene from her memory.

In a daze, it seemed like she had returned to decades ago.

At that time, someone had also rescued her from danger like this, holding her in their arms. The warmth of that moment had lingered in her heart for decades, never forgotten.

She gently reached out a hand, trying to touch that blurry face, as if she had truly returned to those years.

"Wow..." Suddenly, a mouthful of blood sprayed out, drenching Nian Yuexian's beautiful face. Her pupils contracted abruptly.

The dream was interrupted...

Decades ago, after that person saved her, they killed all around. Her enemies, whom she could not contend with, were as fragile as paper in his hands, capable of suppressing an era.

Decades later, the person who rescued her in a similar crisis was merely at True Lake Level 1...

Her other hand, which had loosened its grip on the sword hilt, suddenly clenched tight. She attempted to activate her spirit force, but the excruciating pain from all over her body made her groan softly, and the strength she had just gathered dissipated mostly.

"Courting death!" Wan Zhanggang roared, throwing another punch. But this punch was much weaker than the previous one.

The prior punch was a premeditated strike, while this one was hastily delivered.

Moreover, although Nian Yuexian was severely injured, Wan Zhanggang himself was also heavily wounded. The sword array was not something easy to break.

But it was enough. In his perception, Nian Yuexian had almost lost the ability to resist, and the True Lake Level 1 who had appeared out of nowhere could not possibly withstand this blow.

Even a hasty strike from a Divine Sea Realm cultivator wasn't something a True Lake cultivator could block.

However, in the next moment, Wan Zhanggang witnessed a scene he would never forget.

Lu Ye, who was fleeing hastily, seemed to sense the crisis behind him. He turned around in a rush, holding his long saber in front of him, pouring his entire spirit force into the blade.

The dark Boulder Mountain Saber ignited. In the next instant, the fiery spirit force enveloping the Boulder Mountain Saber spread out like a living entity, twisting and transforming into countless Yin-Yang Dual Origins, quickly fitting together and outlining a formation.

In the blink of an eye, a circular spirit rune formed with the Boulder Mountain Saber at its center. The complexity of this spirit rune surpassed even that of the Void.

Lu Ye had spent considerable time at the volcano crater of Cangyan Mountain, and aside from the Pseudo-Might rune, he had unlocked another six runes, each requiring dozens of Talent Tree leaves to bear.

You could say he had hit the jackpot after three years of inactivity.

He had meticulously studied the specific effects of these seven new runes, but had not tested them himself due to being with Ying Wuji and others during this time.

But at this moment, the only means he could employ were one of these runes.

Moon Return!

This was the core rune of the anti-array, capable of reflecting the enemy's attack to a certain extent, especially effective against magic and spells that attack from a distance.

Though not as effective when used alone compared to within an array, it was still a means to turn the tide.

Moreover, to increase the rune's stability, Lu Ye specifically used the Boulder Mountain Saber as the carrier for Moon Return, ensuring it wouldn't shatter upon contact.

The fist shadow formed of blood Qi and spirit force struck the rune. The fierce and unstoppable force swept over.

Lu Ye's heart was in his throat, his spirit force surging wildly into the Moon Return rune to maintain its stability.

The Boulder Mountain Saber emitted a strained sound. Fortunately, he had upgraded it to a Magic Artifact level with help from Feathered Master. Otherwise, the saber might have shattered under this strike.

Lu Ye felt as though he was standing before a tsunami capable of destroying everything. Under intense focus, the Moon Return rune did not shatter immediately.

This calmed him.

The rune, which required dozens of leaves to bear, truly was extraordinary. As Wan Zhanggang's attack landed, he could clearly sense the rune's function activating swiftly, reflecting part of the attack back to nullify some of the fist shadow's power.

In that brief moment, which felt like an eternity, the Moon Return rune shattered!

The gap in their strengths was too vast. Even though the Moon Return rune had performed a miracle, it couldn't truly save Lu Ye from danger.

Fortunately, Lu Ye had foreseen this. He quickly constructed Defense Spirit Runes before him. In the blink of an eye, three layers of runes appeared in succession.

Yet, the Defense runes couldn't withstand Wan Zhanggang's attack. As they shattered, just when Lu Ye was about to use his last resort, a longsword suddenly gleamed, slicing through the fearsome fist shadow.

Lu Ye quickly looked down, seeing Nian Yuexian in his arms with unfocused eyes, on the verge of passing out from her severe injuries.

The earlier strike had been a reflexive counterattack.

This wouldn't do. Although he had other life-saving methods, they could only protect himself. His speed was far inferior to a Divine Sea Realm cultivator, meaning Nian Yuexian would undoubtedly die.

Yiyi and Amber hadn't made a move yet. The time was too short; they likely hadn't reached their designated positions, so relying on them for rescue was unrealistic.

At this critical juncture, he had to take a gamble.

"Master, don't resist!" Seeing Wan Zhanggang about to launch another strike, Lu Ye steeled himself, grabbed Nian Yuexian's hand, and in the next instant, their fingers interlocked. Raising his Boulder Mountain Saber, he stabbed forward.

The dazed Nian Yuexian didn't know what Lu Ye was doing, but she could sense his anxiety and sincerity. Despite her instinctive resistance, she didn't pull away.

A sharp pain in the back of her hand, as the Boulder Mountain Saber pierced through their clasped hands.

Blood flowed, mixing together. At Lu Ye's mental command, the blood transformed into a crimson glow, climbing up their hands like it had a life of its own, swiftly forming a small spirit rune.

The rune design, though miniature, resembled the shining rune tattoo from his master, looking like a pair of wings.

At this moment, the wings appeared on the backs of their hands.

The wing on Lu Ye's hand was the left, while the wing on Nian Yuexian's hand was the right.

Twin Flying Phoenixes!

Spirit runes came in many forms: standard runes like Defense and Sharpness, divine runes like Bewitchment driven by mental consciousness.

If strictly classified, Twin Flying Phoenixes would be a blood rune, as it required blood to activate.

Previous Bloodstain Spirit Runes utilized by Lu Ye could also be considered a type of blood rune.

A corresponding rune to Twin Flying Phoenixes was also unlocked.

Telepathy.

Twin Flying Phoenixes was a blood rune, and Telepathy was a divine rune. Both were extraordinary and were two of the seven new runes Lu Ye had recently unlocked.

They could be used separately or together, making them the most unique runes derived from his Talent Tree, seemingly able to combine perfectly.

Telepathy allowed two people to connect mentally, requiring absolute trust as once established, no secrets remained between them.

If Telepathy connected minds, then Twin Flying Phoenixes connected bodies.

The two people marked with the rune shared everything physically!

The moment this rune was formed, Lu Ye clearly sensed the terrifying depth of the woman in his arms, and more acutely, her severe injuries.

It was worse than it appeared.

Instantly, Lu Ye felt chest tightness and shortness of breath. His already injured body felt much more gravely harmed.

A sudden gust of wind signaled Wan Zhanggang's relentless advance, hurling another fist from close range.

Lu Ye raised his saber to strike. In that instant, Wan Zhanggang looked as if he had seen a ghost, for the power in Lu Ye's strike was beyond what a True Lake Level 1 cultivator could muster.

As the saber and fist collided, Wan Zhanggang was pushed back. The Boulder Mountain Saber emitted a clear sound, showing several visible cracks along its blade that had fought alongside Lu Ye since Spirit Stream Level 3.

The trembling blade seemed likely to shatter with one more strike.

Moreover, the flesh on Lu Ye's right arm burst open, blood gushing out.

By leveraging Twin Flying Phoenixes, he had delivered a strike beyond his own cultivation, causing his body to suffer as a consequence.

While forced back, another ghost cultivator attacked from the flank.

Among the two ghost cultivators, one was heavily injured by Nian Yuexian and almost out of the fight. But the other was still combat-ready!

Lu Ye, gripping his saber, fixed his cold gaze on the elusive ghost cultivator, suppressing his ailments, and pouring his spirit force into the Boulder Mountain Saber.

The dark long saber sang, as if bidding a final farewell to its master.

"Let me!" A cool voice unexpectedly sounded in Lu Ye's ear.

Looking down, he found Nian Yuexian's clear eyes meeting his, their complex expression filled with myriad emotions.

In just a brief span, she had undergone an experience beyond even the understanding of a Divine Sea Realm cultivator like herself.

Though aware of Lu Ye's proficiency in the Path of Spirit Runes, she had only considered him a prodigious True Lake cultivator, questioning how advanced his rune crafting could be.

Until Twin Flying Phoenixes emerged.

The moment the rune formation completed, Lu Ye could feel her injuries clearly, and she perceived the immense vitality within Lu Ye, beyond imagination.

Unbelievable that a True Lake Level 1 cultivator could harbor such vast vitality. In her perception, it resembled a sun radiating relentless light and heat—vitality flowing consistently.

At this moment, under the influence of Twin Flying Phoenixes, the incredible vitality flowed into her, allowing her to regain some strength despite her blurred consciousness.