Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

The Ming King, despite being based in the heart of the Western Regions, had also arrived with incredible speed.

Several more Grandmasters arrived, some from the Western Regions and some from the Great Li. The two factions, led by the Ming King and Li Xingtuo respectively, faced off. They soon realized their forces were evenly matched. It was impossible to determine a victor just by looking, so a temporary peace settled between them.

But the ancient ruins lay below. The entrance was of a moderate size, clearly not large enough for all the experts from both sides to enter at once—

and even if it were, a place like this was one where every extra person was an unwanted rival.

The tall, plump Ming King glanced at the phantom of the Treasure Tower. A glint in his eye, he chuckled.

"Amitayus Buddha. The entrance appears somewhat unstable, but these ruins are truly extraordinary. It should open within three days at most."

Li Xingtuo stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He watched the Ming King, who had been the first to speak, and said coolly,

"What is it you want to say, Ming King?"

"Sect Leader Li, you’ve seen it yourself. The outward form of these ruins is a Slaughter Tower, which is clearly a Buddhist relic. Furthermore, it is located within the West Desert, not the territory of your Great Li. In my opinion, you should all withdraw and avoid provoking a needless conflict."

The Ming King’s smile was serene as he pressed his palms together.

Seeing this, Li Xingtuo arched an eyebrow.

"Ming King, what does being Buddhist have to do with anything? Are you saying only Buddhist disciples are allowed inside Buddhist ruins?"

"But of course. The Slaughter Tower shines with a myriad of lights. Those without a Buddha-nature will only become lost within, falling into eternal damnation. I advise you not to make such a mistake, Sect Leader Li," the Ming King said, his face a mask of solemnity.

Li Xingtuo burst out laughing.

"In that case, I’ll just have to believe in Buddha for a day! I can be a temporary disciple. Chanting ’Amitabha’ isn’t so hard."

"AHEM..."

Master Kongming, standing behind him, cleared his throat twice. Only then did Li Xingtuo remember that he had Buddhist practitioners among his own allies.

"Master Kongming, I misspoke. It was just a joke, please don’t take it to heart."

He turned and clasped his fist in his palm as a sign of apology, then turned back and continued,

"Ming King, your disciples from the Great Vajra Temple run rampant across the Western Regions. I’ve never seen them show the slightest courtesy, even when non-Buddhist sites are involved. Besides, we have eminent monks from the Golden River Temple and the Prajna Temple right here. They are Buddhist disciples, too. Prajna Temple is the foundation of Zen in this world, and Golden River Temple is a renowned monastery. Aren’t their pedigrees far nobler than your Great Vajra Temple’s? As long as they agree, that’s all that matters. There’s no need for you to interfere."

The Ming King sighed.

"Sect Leader Li, why must you be so stubborn? If a war breaks out, death and injury will be inevitable. Could you truly bear to watch your followers and friends wail in agony beneath my Ming King Manifestation?"

His words were laced with a veiled threat.

"You’re welcome to try. Enough talk. One of my sect’s disciples is in there. I *am* going into these ruins, no matter what."

Li Xingtuo was utterly fearless, his tone resolute.

Seeing that he couldn’t be persuaded, the Ming King frowned slightly.

In terms of power and status, he was among the absolute elite of the Western Regions. Not long ago, he had held a clear advantage over Li Xingtuo.

But this year, rumors spread that Li Xingtuo had achieved a breakthrough, and a recent tournament had proven his newfound strength. Now, seeing him again, the Ming King could sense that Li Xingtuo was indeed his equal. The brief, probing exchange of a palm and a sword when they first arrived had confirmed his opponent was on the same level, making him hesitant to act rashly.

Li Xingtuo’s attitude was now extremely firm; he was clearly prepared to fight if denied entry. This left the Ming King momentarily unsure of how to proceed.

He mulled it over for a moment, then sighed.

"My Buddha is merciful. Since you are so concerned for your disciple, Sect Leader Li, and so insistent... very well. It is not out of the question to let you enter."

Li Xingtuo gave a slight smile.

"My, what a merciful Ming King."

The Ming King seemed not to notice the sarcasm, merely pressing his palms together and lowering his eyes.

"However, since no one is willing to yield, we must first establish some rules for the exploration."

When ruins couldn’t be monopolized by a single party and several evenly matched powers were involved, this was the usual outcome: everyone would reach an agreement.

In the initial stages of exploration, everyone would follow the rules to avoid suffering heavy losses before any real treasures were even found.

But when the time came to seize the ultimate prize, rules would be thrown aside. It would all come down to individual strength.

Li Xingtuo was familiar with this custom and had expected this outcome all along. He simply asked calmly,

"What rules do you have in mind, Ming King?"

"First, let’s have Patron Lu tell us what the situation is inside these ruins."

With a wave of his large hand, the Ming King beckoned. Lu the Third stepped forward, bowed to him, and began to speak in a low voice.

"Ming King, I came here by chance many years ago and was caught in a sandstorm. I had never seen a storm so fierce; it was strong enough to blow a person away, and the sand was like a solid wall. All of my companions died... I was the only one lucky enough to survive. Afterward, I saw that the storm had uncovered the ruins of a city, with the entrance to a temple in the center. That was the ruin’s entrance.

"I entered the ruins. Inside was a Treasure Tower, just like this phantom, divided into seven layers. When I was here before, only the first three layers were accessible. I couldn’t go any higher, nor did I dare try, because those first three layers were filled with many dangerous traps. I nearly died on the 3rd Layer. However, there were indeed some treasures inside. I made some gains and then left. My strength improved a bit after that."

Lu the Third’s account was vague and evasive.

But those who knew him understood what "improved a bit" really meant. He had gone from being a minor chieftain at the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm to a full-fledged Grandmaster in a single leap.

The Ming King dismissed him with a wave and turned to Li Xingtuo.

"Well, Sect Leader Li? You see, am I not being impartial?"

In reality, other than explaining how he got in and stating the obvious fact that it was a Treasure Tower, Lu the Third had revealed basically no useful information. He might as well have said nothing at all.

But Li Xingtuo knew better. ’Of course Lu the Third wouldn’t tell us everything. He probably didn’t even tell the Ming King the full story. Besides, the two of them were whispering to each other from the start. Even if he did say more, I wouldn’t dare believe all of it.’