Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

In terms of strength, the Black Wind Elder was one of the most powerful unorthodox Grandmasters in the West Desert. His reputation, built over a century, was no exaggeration.

Lu Pei glanced at the Black Wind Elder, then at Lu the Third, and said coolly:

"Is this the helper you invited?"

Lu the Third pressed his lips together and didn’t answer.

Seeing his expression, Lu Pei grew thoughtful.

The Black Wind Elder cackled strangely:

"How could Xiaosanzi have invited me? With a commotion this big, he was probably trying his best to hide it from me.

"I never would’ve thought... To think that a little nobody like you, Lu the Third, could be sitting on such a huge secret! Hiding ancient ruins, of all things!"

He had ridden the wind to get here, so he had naturally gotten a clear view of the scene in the pit.

Lu the Third gritted his teeth and cupped his hands in a fist.

"Black Wind Elder, this junior only happened upon it by a fortunate coincidence..."

"Cut the crap. I’ll deal with this swordsman first, then I’ll settle things with you."

The Black Wind Elder’s face was full of impatience. With a wave of his hand, he whipped up a black whirlwind and sent it flying toward Lu Pei.

Lu Pei snorted coldly.

"Go on and try!"

He waved his hand, and five Bamboo Swords flashed in unison, slashing through the astral wind and stabbing toward the Black Wind Elder.

The two Grandmasters instantly clashed. A black wind howled and flying swords glittered. The sky became a chaotic mess of screaming wind and ringing steel, making it impossible to see clearly.

Hearing the Black Wind Elder’s strange cackles coming intermittently from the fray, Lu the Third’s face paled and flushed.

Although the Black Wind Elder was engaging Lu Pei, the last thing Lu the Third wanted was for him to be there to help.

He might have been able to drive Lu Pei away; at the very least, Lu Pei wouldn’t stay long. But with the Black Wind Elder’s arrival, this place was no longer his.

’It’s all that damn Xie Yuan’s fault for causing such a huge commotion. Who knows where he’s hiding now.’

’If I find him, I’ll tear him to shreds...’

He thought viciously, gritting his teeth.

His eyes swept over the pale-faced Sword Sect disciples in front of him. He snorted and waved his hand.

"Tian Yong, seize them."

Then Lu the Third stamped his foot and shot up into the battle in the sky.

He would have loved to sit back and reap the rewards, but the Black Wind Elder wouldn’t allow it.

’First, I’ll go up and help drive Lu Pei back. Besides, once I’m in the fight, if an opportunity arises...’

Lu the Third would never have guessed that the very Xie Yuan he’d been "thinking of day and night" was trapped right in front of him by a strange twist of fate. They had even made eye contact, but he had failed to recognize him and turned his attention elsewhere.

Otherwise, he would never have flown up to join the fight.

While the Grandmasters fought in the sky, the bandits on the ground saw Lu the Third’s signal and slowly began to close in again.

Xie Yuan exchanged a look with his fellow disciples. He knew that Lu Pei was facing two opponents and couldn’t spare a moment for them, let alone help them. He couldn’t help but shout:

"Run!"

The group turned and fled, but the horde of bandits was already closing in. Among them were several Second Transformation experts, as well as the predatory Lu Xiaosan—whose real name was Lu Tianyong. "Xiaosan" was just a nickname Xie Yuan had given him, not knowing his real name.

Lu Tianyong snorted, stomped his foot hard, and kicked up a cloud of sand as he rapidly closed in on them.

Just then, a Bamboo Sword suddenly shot down from the sky like a green streak, cutting the fastest pursuing bandits in half at the waist!

Lu Tianyong’s soul nearly fled his body. He screeched to a halt, stopping just a hair’s breadth from the Bamboo Sword’s edge.

An angry shout came from the sky:

"Lu Pei, you still have the mind to worry about those below? Worry about yourself!"

The Black Wind Elder also sneered:

"Five swords against the two of us, and you still sent one away? You’re courting death!"

Although he was of a higher generation and possessed profound power, he had no intention of fighting one-on-one. A lack of martial ethics was precisely the secret to his century-long dominance.

The Bamboo Sword on the ground hadn’t yet returned, and his four flying swords were being steadily pushed back by his two enemies. Lu Pei remained expressionless and calmly thrust his hand forward.

CLANG! Another sword emerged from his back. Together with the Long Sword that had swiftly returned from the ground, his six flying swords danced, filling the sky with a light that neither the black wind nor the saber shadows could suppress.

The five on the ground fled quickly and had already reached the edge of the dunes.

Huang Zifeng heard the commotion from above, gritted his teeth, and said:

"Six flying swords is Master’s full power. He probably can’t maintain this state for long, and he definitely won’t have time to worry about us again."

Xie Yuan nodded.

"We’re on our own. Let’s get down there first and get away from what’s behind us—"

He didn’t finish his sentence, suddenly freezing in place.

As they neared the edge of the dune, they saw that the recent earth-shattering movements had changed it. It was no longer a steep, cliff-like rise, but a smooth depression. The entire basin had transformed into a uniform funnel.

And at the lowest point, the center of the funnel, the city ruins were gone. Only the broken stones and remnants of the temple could be vaguely seen.

Where the temple gate should have been was now the exact center of the funnel-shaped basin. A large hole had opened in the ground there, and all the sand in the basin was rustling down into it, like a real funnel, or perhaps an hourglass.

But it wasn’t this sight that made Xie Yuan freeze. It was the towering, illusory Treasure Tower that had appeared at some point above the great hole!

The Treasure Tower was seven layers high, its body inlaid with colored glaze, gold, and seven-colored gemstones. It was exquisitely beautiful and shone with a brilliant light.

However, this Treasure Tower was merely a phantom. Xie Yuan looked at the hole in the sand and had the strange feeling that the entrance must be there—that the real Treasure Tower was hanging upside down underground, and this phantom above ground was merely its symmetrical reflection.

’Just like a real hourglass?’

Xie Yuan was lost in a daze for a moment, but when he turned to look back, he saw a large group of bandits surging toward them.

He exchanged a glance with Lin Zhen and the others, seeing that all four of them were pale and hesitant.

After all, with the basin in its current state and a relentless quicksand pit in the middle, none of them were sure if they should jump in.

"Let’s go! If we stay here and get caught by these bandits, it’s certain death. If we go in and take a look, at worst we can charge into those ruins. There’s still a sliver of hope!"