Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

On the sand between them and Lu the Third, a vibrant green Bamboo Sword was embedded, having blasted out a crater several yards across.

Huang Zifeng froze for a moment before a look of ecstasy spread across his face. He threw his head back and yelled:

"Master! You’re finally here!"

Xie Yuan and the other four looked up to see a green-robed figure hurtling toward them from the distant sky, accompanied by a fierce roar. Its speed was hardly any slower than the sword that had just flown in!

In mere moments, the newcomer was upon them, flashing into position directly above Xie Yuan and the others. He had the lean, refined face of a middle-aged man.

He was tall and slender, with a three-pronged beard that flowed down to his chest, giving him the air of a middle-aged scholar.

But despite his scholarly appearance, he carried seven scabbards on his back. Arranged in an imposing, fan-like spread, they gave him a majestic air.

Standing below and slightly behind him, Xie Yuan looked closer and realized the seven scabbards weren’t being carried at all—they were floating behind the man’s back. They rose and fell with his every movement, arranged according to some profound principle, perfectly ordered yet never touching, each held at a unique angle.

One of the seven scabbards was empty—it had to be for the sword currently stuck in the sand.

Just as Xie Yuan had this thought, the lean man beckoned with his hand. With a SWISH, the Bamboo Sword shot up from the sand, flying backward to slide perfectly back into its scabbard.

This move alone was enough to silence the thousand-plus horse bandits, none of whom dared to even twitch.

They all feared that the slightest unusual movement would bring that flying sword shooting toward them for a swift decapitation.

Seeing this, Xie Yuan quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Of course, he recognized this man. Even if he’d never met him, everyone in the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect knew of the only Grandmaster in the sect who practiced the Flying Sword Skill.

Lu Pei, the master of Bamboo Sword Peak.

With a Grandmaster elder here to reinforce them, the anxious hearts of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect disciples finally settled.

And the fact that it was Lu Pei in particular made them feel all the more secure.

Although the level of a Grandmaster was far beyond their reach, it was rumored among the disciples that Lu Pei’s power was second only to that of the Sect Leader, Li Xingtuo.

It was said that Lu Pei spent his days on Bamboo Sword Peak assiduously practicing the Flying Sword Skill and rarely fought outsiders. In truth, his power was already formidable enough to earn him a spot on the Flying Dragon List; all he lacked was a defining battle.

During the last sword competition against the Sword Storage Pavilion, everyone had expected Lu Pei to face off against Song Qingping. The way things actually unfolded, however, came as a huge surprise, giving everyone plenty to gossip about and making them admire Li Xingtuo’s unconventional thinking.

Huang Zifeng’s face was wreathed in smiles as he looked at his master.

Lu Pei stroked his long beard and spoke indifferently, without turning his head.

"Zifeng, are you injured?"

"Master, I have some minor injuries, but nothing serious," Huang Zifeng replied respectfully.

Lu Pei nodded.

"Not bad. To have kept yourself safe and protected your fellow disciples in the midst of so many bandits... it seems your training has paid off."

An embarrassed look crossed Huang Zifeng’s face upon hearing this praise.

’In truth, I didn’t face any strong opponents. Xie Yuan drew the attention of virtually every expert at the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm. I was just fighting a mob of horse bandits who’d only done External Training, so of course it was hard for me to get hurt.’

But he couldn’t very well contradict his master in front of everyone, so he could only say sullenly,

"You’re too kind, Master."

Watching Lu Pei lecture his disciple, Lu the Third’s cautious expression was tinged with impatience. He said coldly,

"Lu Pei, your Sword Sect and I have always stayed out of each other’s way. Why have you come to my territory to wreak havoc?"

Lu Pei looked at Lu the Third and said coolly,

"You are bandits who have committed countless evil deeds. Our Sword Sect exists to punish the wicked and protect the innocent. When we see villains like you, it is our duty to eliminate you. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"Bah! How tyrannical! Lu Pei, do you really think I’m afraid of you?!"

Lu the Third spat on the ground, his face a mask of fury.

"This isn’t your Cloud Mountain! You dared to come to my territory, so don’t even think about leaving!"

With that, he swung his enormous horse-chopping blade, launching a ferocious attack at Lu Pei!

Lu Pei’s eyes narrowed. He pointed a finger forward. SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! Three emerald Bamboo Swords shot from their scabbards, slashing toward Lu the Third like flashes of lightning!

Lu the Third swung his great blade. In a flash of light, he deflected all three Bamboo Swords. However, they only flew a short distance before whipping around and stabbing down again with incredible speed!

Lu the Third’s expression darkened. He swung his horse-chopping blade in a frenzy, constantly batting away the seemingly weightless Bamboo Swords, preventing them from getting near. Yet the swords seemed to dance on the air, always reversing course to relentlessly harass him.

The power of a single Bamboo Sword wasn’t much to a Grandmaster, but with three attacking at once, even Lu the Third couldn’t afford to ignore them.

He had no choice but to whirl his horse-chopping blade in a defensive frenzy. He was safe for the moment, but he had no way to break the stalemate.

Lu Pei hovered in the air like a true Sword Immortal. With a wave of his hand, he directed the three Bamboo Swords to assail his foe from a distance. Lu the Third was completely helpless against him, placing Lu Pei in an unassailable position.

Furthermore, neither the onlookers nor Lu the Third himself had forgotten that Lu Pei still had four more Bamboo Swords on his back, still sheathed.

The threat of those four unsheathed blades put even more pressure on Lu the Third than the three currently attacking him. Beads of sweat were already starting to form on his brow.

Xie Yuan watched with his mouth slightly agape, a mixture of admiration and envy in his eyes.

’So this is Elder Lu’s true power? He’s truly worthy of being called a Grandmaster on the level of the Flying Dragon List. He’s completely suppressing Lu the Third with just three swords. His Flying Sword Skill is simply divine!’

’And it looks so damn cool!’

For a moment, a single thought consumed him: ’I have to learn that technique.’

However, while the Flying Sword Skill was powerful and elegant, its strengths were immense, but its weaknesses were a source of controversy within the sect.

First, it was incredibly difficult to master. Even in the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect, renowned for its diverse and complex Swordsmanship, its difficulty was second to none. Very few could learn it, as it relied heavily on innate talent.

Second, it consumed an enormous amount of energy. To practice this art, one needed an exceptionally deep well of Inner Power to exert the fine control needed to manipulate the flying swords and attack enemies from afar.