Star Sanzang's Nameless Servant

"Allow me to guide you to enlightenment!"

The Nine-Ringed Vajra Staff in Sanzang's hand transformed, becoming an iron staff with golden bands at both ends!

Is that the Golden Cudgel?

Li Ye, still on guard, raised an eyebrow. He instinctively assumed the iron staff Sanzang held was the Ruyi Jingu Bang wielded by Sun Wukong.

As Sanzang expertly twirled the staff, the Dragon-headed Chimera closed in.

Its sharp claws seemed poised to cleave Sanzang in two!

"Hya!"

The Chimera was as fast as a cheetah, but Sanzang was even quicker!

Sanzang swung the staff, and the two-meter iron rod suddenly grew, expanding to six meters in an instant!

Bang!

A heavy thud exploded in front of Sanzang.

The claws, mere inches from Sanzang's face, paused slightly before rapidly retreating!

The Chimera had been sent flying dozens of meters by a single strike from Sanzang!

Hot on its heels, Sanzang's iron staff changed again, transforming into a nine-toothed rake. Its massive teeth, like dragon claws, tore mercilessly at the Chimera's body!

Splat!

Blood instantly stained the sky!

Sanzang's decisive and fierce combat style astonished Li Ye.

Is this the power a top-tier Spirit Core can contain?

Li Ye knew that Servants varied in strength, not just based on their lives or legends, but also on the Spirit Core that served as their vessel when manifesting. The higher the Spirit Core, the greater the power they could unleash!

The level of the Spirit Core radiating from Sanzang was comparable to the Knights of the Round Table, empowered by the Lion King!

What truly surprised Li Ye next, however, was the Chimera—

Despite being continuously suppressed by Sanzang, it twisted its body in mid-air, its massive claw swatting Sanzang away and turning the tide of the battle!

Such agility was uncharacteristic of a Chimera; it moved with human-like flexibility!

Li Ye's lips curved upwards. Following Aleka's precedent, could he assume that the remnants of the Crusaders had the capability to mass-produce Magus?

And Magus who could control familiar bodies!

"So that's where you are!"

Bang!

Li Ye stomped his foot and shot forward like a cannonball!

Squelch—

Just as Li Ye finally moved, intending to help Sanzang finish off the Dragon-headed Chimera, a massive radiance descended, centered on Li Ye.

A magic spell, affecting an area of dozens of meters, was instantly activated. Yet, Li Ye had detected no warning signs beforehand!

"!"

Li Ye's intuition failed him once again. An endless, blinding white light filled his vision. The yellow sand beneath him turned soft, like quicksand, threatening to swallow him whole!

Li Ye could clearly feel that this light was harmless, like ordinary sunlight, and its only effect was to obscure his vision.

What truly put him on guard was the anomaly happening beneath him.

Not only was there a devouring force like quicksand, but Li Ye couldn't ignore the curse permeating the sand!

Relentless curses seeped from beneath the yellow sand, constantly eroding Li Ye's body!

Is it draining my life force?

Li Ye hadn't expected the curse to be this potent. Even his Magic Resistance couldn't dispel it. As he sank deeper, his life force and magic power were continuously devoured by the curse!

How many Magus are there?!

Li Ye clicked his tongue, his eyes tightly shut.

His senses were now fully extended. Li Ye could clearly feel the alien curses spreading from all directions. Within mere breaths, the curses had covered a radius of dozens of meters around him!

And the source wasn't just the yellow sand beneath him; it was seeping from underground in all directions!

A large-scale curse magic had been inscribed into the underground sand, lying dormant until the moment Li Ye made his move, then activating simultaneously!

It wasn't just the curse magic that activated simultaneously. Li Ye detected several Binding Magics taking effect, and their target was singular!

It was Li Ye!

This made Li Ye frown. As the curses continued to erode his magic power, more and more spells were activated, restricting his actions.

He could sense seventeen spells affecting him, and the number was still increasing.

Within mere seconds, Li Ye felt his body become as heavy as a mountain, his movements sluggish!

This was practically using Li Ye's magic to power the magic's activation, binding Li Ye himself!

The physical impact was secondary; magic depletion wasn't an issue for Li Ye now. The near-infinite magic power provided by the Holy Grail had granted him temporary freedom from mana concerns.

What truly bothered Li Ye was when these magic spells had been set up.

Before he arrived, only Sanzang and the Crusaders were fighting, with no other mages in sight. It was impossible to set up magic spells right in front of Sanzang.

Sanzang Hoshi—

Li Ye's mind flashed back to Sanzang's exasperated posture, and he suddenly felt that setting up magic spells in front of her was highly feasible.

But the target?

Li Ye could sense that these spells were all designed to target his body. Their effect on Sanzang was even less significant than on him.

This was a premeditated ambush!

As the conclusion formed in his mind, Li Ye felt no fear, only a slight upturn of his lips.

If it was truly a premeditated ambush, it meant the remaining Crusaders had tracked his movements, even using Sanzang as bait to lure him in.

As for whether Sanzang was the bait for this ambush, Li Ye didn't know, nor did it matter to him.

What mattered was the entity behind this ambush—

The true remnants of the Crusaders!

As time passed, Li Ye's lower body was already swallowed by the yellow sand, rendering him immobile.

More than forty spells were cast upon him, almost making Li Ye lose all sensation in his limbs!

Three minutes—

Hoshi Sanzang still hasn't dealt with the Chimera?

Choosing not to resist, Li Ye allowed the yellow sand to consume him, closing his eyes and silently counting the time.

At this moment, the surrounding magic spells seemed to enter a buffer period. For a full ten seconds, no new spells were activated, relying solely on the existing forty-plus spells to maintain the restraint.

This was even with Li Ye not resisting.

Still no attack—

Seeing that no attack was coming, Li Ye understood that the group of mages wouldn't make a move. These spells were genuinely just for restraint—

Or did the remaining Crusaders think these tricks were enough to capture Li Ye?

Li Ye didn't know. He had lost his patience.

Screeech—

Li Ye moved his body, wisps of crimson lightning dancing on his skin.

As Li Ye unleashed his magic power, his body felt lighter. All the spells cast upon him were completely cleared!

BOOM!!

Starting from Li Ye, the sudden burst of crimson lightning blew away all the yellow sand within a ten-meter radius!

The towering pillar of crimson light was magnificent, and the terrifying heat it unleashed melted all the yellow sand within its range!

Crack.

When Li Ye landed, a shimmering sheet of glass appeared beneath him. It was the yellow sand completely melted by the terrifying heat!

Li Ye surveyed his surroundings. Centered on him, a circular pit seven meters deep had appeared!

Buried this deep?

Li Ye raised an eyebrow. It took him this much effort to break through and disrupt the curse spells and other magic hidden in the sand.

Even though he had destroyed all the magic beneath the yellow sand, Li Ye felt something was missing.

Before Li Ye could ponder further—

"!"

Almost instinctively, Li Ye twisted and dodged to his side.

Bang!

A pitch-black arrow silently pierced through the spot where Li Ye had been, leaving a crater as thick as a bowl.

Li Ye could even sense a profound curse on the crater.

"Who is it?"

Even without looking back, Li Ye detected the undisguised magic fluctuations dozens of meters away—

A Servant?

Attacking at this moment?

Crack!

Realizing the attacker's identity, Li Ye's figure flickered, and he shot out like an arrow released from a bow.

In an instant, he burst out of the pit and charged directly towards the attacker!

The moment Li Ye burst out of the deep pit, he also saw the figure of Master Sanzang, who was struggling with the Chimera.

The Chimera's body seemed different from before, as if it had shrunk by half, becoming more slender and much faster!

With no time to pay attention to Master Sanzang's situation, Li Ye didn't think Master Sanzang would be defeated by the Dragon-headed Chimera.

"Don't leave me behind!!"

Ignoring Sanzang's shout, Li Ye flew straight past Master Sanzang.

Whoosh!

Black arrows flying towards him blocked Li Ye's path forward.

Clang!

Li Ye held his sword in one hand and swept it horizontally, blocking all the arrows—

Puff!

The moment the sword edge touched the arrows, they suddenly exploded, and rolling poisonous gas engulfed Li Ye in an instant!

'Poison?!'

The previous arrow had made Li Ye wary of the arrow's composition. After all, arrows with poison were common, but Li Ye hadn't expected exploding arrows—

The poison, which almost enveloped Li Ye, seemed to penetrate his body from all directions!

Before Li Ye could dispel the poisonous gas, the arrows that followed interrupted his actions!

Almost the instant the previous volley of arrows exploded, causing Li Ye to lose focus, sharp arrows aimed at Li Ye's limbs and face seemed to pierce him completely, leaving no room for survival!

'So fast?!'

Under the warning of his intuition, Li Ye discovered the nine arrows immediately.

With almost no time difference and completely synchronized trajectories, Li Ye had no room for choice!

'One at the head, six at the limbs, two at the torso!'

At this moment, Li Ye's guard was wide open due to his previous actions. Even if he defended, he only had one chance!

Facing this extreme choice, Li Ye's only option was—

Boom!!

The suddenly blooming Crimson Lightning was like a blazing heavenly thunder, and the extreme heat instantly vaporized all the poisonous gas around Li Ye!

And those deadly arrows, before they could even touch Li Ye's body, were turned to dust by the magic power!

Li Ye bent his knees, his entire body leaning forward—

[Thunderclap Flash]

The fleeting Crimson Lightning tore through the yellow sand, and the rolling sand waves, as if crushed by a giant bulldozer, constantly exploded to the sides!

Absolute divine speed, a power Li Ye could be proud of!

Ding!

A crisp sword chime tore through the sandstorm, clearing the sky!

"Since you are a Heroic Spirit, and a renowned hero from history, may I ask who you are?"

Li Ye held his sword in one hand, steadily blocking the sword edge of the person before him.

After Li Ye used his strongest Thunderclap Flash and swung his sword, this unknown archer was able to block Li Ye's fierce sword strike with just one hand!

If Li Ye's sword strike had landed on the Chimera fighting Sanzang, it would have at least sent its nearly ten-ton body flying!

'In terms of sheer strength alone, he can match me, or even surpass me—'

Li Ye showed no fear, instead smiling as he sized up the Servant before him.

White bandages were wrapped around his dark skin, highlighting his muscular physique, exuding an almost visible sense of power.

He wore chainmail that seemed to fit the era, its style reminding Li Ye of the Crusaders.

There was no reply.

The nameless Servant, his face tightly wrapped in bandages, stared intently into Li Ye's eyes, remaining silent.

The next moment, Li Ye felt a surge of immense power erupt, directly knocking his sword away!

"!"

Li Ye countered and pressed forward again, saying, "If you are a Crusader, why do you not even dare to reveal your name?"

Sword edges began to clash, and rapid, rain-like chimes echoed over the yellow sand.

In less than a few seconds, Li Ye had swung his sword nearly a hundred times, but he had not gained the upper hand once.

Every time he found an opening, Li Ye had no way to attack, only because the Servant's more ferocious offensive forced Li Ye to defend and parry!

After a round of exchanges, Li Ye could feel that this Servant was a battle-hardened hero, with both swordsmanship and archery skills at a master level.

'Very strong!'

Based on Li Ye's impression of the one hundred and twenty-seven registered Heroic Spirits in the Grand Order of Fate, he couldn't find any matching Servant—

"So where did this Archer come from?!"

Not only was his archery superb, but he also possessed top-tier swordsmanship that Li Ye couldn't even dream of matching!

During the fight with this Servant, Li Ye actually had the illusion of facing Lancelot!

Every move he made was seen through; his unrefined swordsmanship was completely useless against this Servant!

Currently, Li Ye's skill level was no match for this Servant, nor could he even draw even. To gain an advantage in battle, there was only one way—

Screech—

Crimson Lightning flared, and Li Ye's movements changed.

He abandoned the versatility of swordsmanship and relied on absolute power to destroy everything!

As if swinging a normal sword, the ferocious crimson light erupting from the blade was Dragon's Breath, which devoured all things and burned the world!

Boom!!

A torrent of red swept across the desert, and everything in its path turned into transparent crystals!

"Hand, over, the, Holy Grail."

After the torrent dissipated, the unharmed, nameless Servant spoke word by word.

'He's fine?!'

Li Ye's expression turned serious. To say that this sword strike didn't use his all would be false, but its power was comparable to the Mana Burst he used during the battle in the Spirit Tomb. Yet, it hadn't even caused a single scratch on this Servant?

'Does he have a special skill?!'

'Or is it the presence of Mystery?'

Li Ye's mind raced, listing all the skills he could think of that would fit this situation.

'Does he possess a passive skill like Siegfried's "Armor of Fafnir," which can defend against B-rank normal attacks and B+-rank Noble Phantasm attacks?'

'Or is he wearing a Noble Phantasm, like Karna's Golden Armor, a similar passive defensive Noble Phantasm?'

'Or is it a boost from Mystery?'

While Li Ye was thinking, he didn't stop talking: "Sorry, I'm just borrowing this. I'll return it sooner or later."

With no further words needed when their intentions clashed, the nameless Servant seemed about to attack again.

Li Ye, with his full power unleashed, was not one to back down. He gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands, staring intently at the nameless Servant's every move.

'If Mana Burst isn't effective—'

'I can use Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, but I only get one chance—'

Li Ye knew his swordsmanship was inferior. If he missed with Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, and the opponent became wary, he wouldn't get another chance!

"Unknown hero, are you still unwilling to reveal your name!"