Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

However, the sheer grace of that one axe strike outshone everyone present.

Everyone couldn’t help but wonder, ’If I were the one to receive that blow, could I withstand it?’

And if this mysterious man’s cultivation were one level higher—if he were in the Second Transformation Realm—could Roto and Lu Tianyong still have blocked it?

That’s right. In their minds, the question was no longer whether Xie Yuan could withstand their attacks, but whether the two of them could withstand his axe.

"That man looks somewhat familiar..."

one of the masters from Great Li said with a frown.

"I think so too... Could he be the Xie Yuan from the wanted posters?"

"Yes! That’s him!"

Murmurs rose from the crowd. Xie Yuan had a bit of a reputation in Yunzhou—though not a good one, it was still enough to be memorable.

Just now, while focusing all his strength on countering the duo’s attack, Xie Yuan had been unable to maintain his Celestial Concealment Skill. His true face was revealed, and now he had been recognized.

"Xie Yuan?"

Qin Zhenyang mused for a moment, recalling the once-infamous wanted criminal, and said with some amazement:

"No wonder he’s so powerful. Rumor has it he can even interfere in a fight between Grandmasters, and that his concealment arts are so profound that not even the Divine Catchers of the Spring Rain Building can see through them. It seems the rumors were true. His axe skills are unparalleled, and his stealth abilities are truly marvelous..."

As he said this, Qin Zhenyang paused, lost in thought.

"To think such a hero exists among the vagrants of Yunzhou?"

Yuan Zhenying’s eyebrows shot up in interest as she listened:

"He can interfere in a Grandmaster’s battle? That sounds absurd, but given the strength he just displayed, it might not be impossible."

Huie Jue also chanted the Buddha’s name and nodded slightly.

"I heard other patrons refer to him as a ’peerless fiend’... That’s quite an imposing moniker, but it’s fitting for a master of his caliber."

Xie Yuan had used the force of the two Third Transformation masters’ attacks to put some distance between them, though he had sustained significant injuries in the process.

Lu Tianyong and Roto, on the other hand, never expected Xie Yuan to escape. That last clash had even left a lingering fear in their hearts, and their minds were in turmoil.

’To think I’ve cultivated this far, yet I can’t even catch a mere Qi Blood First Transformation practitioner?’

The distant murmurs of amazement, all praising their opponent, made the two men’s faces contort with shame and anger.

Roto’s face was grim. He snorted a puff of white mist from his flaring nostrils and barked impatiently:

"This ends now! Lu Tianyong, you take the left, I’ll take the right."

Lu Tianyong nodded with a grim expression. With a single movement, they split up, each blocking one side of the path.

Seeing them completely cast aside their rivalry and start coordinating with actual tactics, Xie Yuan cursed inwardly:

’Two Third Transformation Realm experts ganging up on me, and they’re using teamwork? Shameless bastards with no martial pride!’

But the two Third Transformation masters had cast aside all pride, focused solely on capturing Xie Yuan. Under their full-powered assault, Xie Yuan’s room to maneuver vanished instantly. He was hard-pressed, struggling to fend them off, and on the verge of being cornered.

"In the end, the difference in strength is just too great,"

someone lamented.

Two experts of the Qi Blood Third Transformation Realm cornering a single First Transformation practitioner in such a confined space—the outcome was inevitable.

As for what fate awaited Xie Yuan after he was caught, one look at the duo’s expressions made it self-evident.

Sure enough, a moment later, Xie Yuan was trapped. Flanked from the left and right, he was pinned against a stone pillar, all his escape routes cut off.

Many of the spectating experts showed looks of regret, Yuan Zhenying included. Even Huie Jue put his palms together and silently chanted the Buddha’s name.

Qin Zhenyang’s feet shifted and he took a step forward. His brow furrowed as he recalled his earlier speculation.

’Still, Xie Yuan is a wanted criminal, a known fiend,’ he thought. ’Even if those two capture him, it’s not really a big deal...’

Roto glared at Xie Yuan, who now had his back to a stone pillar, and roared:

"You bastard! Run! Why don’t you keep running!"

Lu Tianyong’s expression, by contrast, was cold and sinister.

"Finally caught you."

Xie Yuan sighed and then, out of the blue, asked:

"Why are you chasing me?"

Lu Tianyong didn’t understand the point of the question, but he answered grimly anyway:

"Because of that thing in your hand. And also because... heh heh. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you alive after I capture you. I’ll take you out of here with me. Don’t even think about being stubborn. I have many ways to make you spill everything—all your secrets, and even the ones you don’t want to tell."

A hidden excitement and desire burned in his eyes, a craving that seemed even stronger than his desire for the Profound Weapon in Xie Yuan’s hand.

Hearing this threat, Xie Yuan understood his true intentions. Any hint of relaxation vanished as he gave Lu Tianyong a cool, placid look.

Lu Tianyong frowned, unsettled by that gaze for some reason. Just as he was about to ask if he had any last words, he saw Xie Yuan turn toward Roto and begin to fiddle with the Profound Weapon in his hand.

"Hey, big fella, let me show you what this treasure can do."

Roto instantly tensed up, but he only saw Xie Yuan hold up the Profound Weapon and begin to rapidly change its shape.

It transformed through all manner of weapons in the blink of an eye, as if he were simply demonstrating its capabilities.

Then, Xie Yuan picked up a discarded saber and tapped it against the Profound Weapon. The saber snapped cleanly in two without the slightest resistance, demonstrating that the Profound Weapon’s material was far harder than any ordinary metal.

After this little demonstration, Xie Yuan smiled like a salesman and said:

"How about it, big fella? Isn’t this thing a real treasure? Don’t you want it?"

Seeing how incredible the Profound Weapon truly was, Roto’s eyes narrowed. He was now determined to possess it.

Still, he looked down on Xie Yuan with contempt and sneered:

"Once I kill you, this treasure will be mine anyway. Foolish man of the Central Plains. If you think a little display like this can trick me into fighting that guy for you, you’re far too naive."

He wore a mocking expression. Though he was violent and arrogant, he had fought his way up from the slave pits and could see through such petty schemes with perfect clarity.

The experts watching from a distance all shook their heads. Xie Yuan’s ploy was obvious, but also crude. Even Roto had seen right through it.

Trying to use his only bargaining chip to negotiate... but he was already in a hopeless situation. Since they could get everything by killing him, what right did Xie Yuan have to make a deal? A true expert understood priorities; they weren’t some short-sighted bandits.

Only a few onlookers seemed thoughtful. Huie Jue’s eyes were clear, holding a gaze that seemed to penetrate all deception as he watched Xie Yuan with keen anticipation.

Xie Yuan just smiled faintly, gave the Profound Weapon in his hand a little toss, and grinned at Roto.

"No, you’ll definitely help me."

With that, he stared at Roto, and with a flick of his wrist, tossed the Profound Weapon straight toward Lu Tianyong.