Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

When the men from the Escort Agency saw Xie Yuan charge out ahead of everyone, they were stunned.

’What is this new chief doing? There are dozens of men on the other side, led by a Third Training master. Is he trying to get himself killed?’

’A young man really can’t be an escort chief. He’s too impulsive!’

’This is a suicide mission...’

The escort members had various thoughts, but all of them were dejected. Niu Dachun’s eyes widened as he cursed inwardly:

’Why is he so reckless? If he wants to get himself killed, fine, but how am I supposed to fend off a Third Training enemy?’

’I just thought this guy was methodical, and now he’s gone crazy!’

’Being so reckless... can he really fight a Third Training master?’

’No! He’s only been here for a short time. He must be riding on Zhao Xingyang’s coattails, mistaking his backer’s influence for his own strength!’

Niu Dachun hesitated for a moment. Seeing that Xie Yuan had already charged far ahead, he stomped his foot in frustration but didn’t follow.

’This guy is going to get us all killed. The only thing to do is try to hold our ground.’

It wasn’t just the Escort Team that thought Xie Yuan was crazy; the bandits felt the same way.

Dozens of men watched Xie Yuan charge at them alone. They didn’t find his presence particularly menacing; they just looked at each other, finding the situation rather amusing.

’Is he scared stupid? Does he think he’s the hero of some story?’

A few of the more muscular bandits exchanged glances, sneering with disdain. They figured this mission would be a piece of cake.

The leader, dressed in a tiger-skin vest, saw Xie Yuan charging on his horse and adopted a slightly more serious expression.

’They said this guy was only at the Second Training, yet he dares to charge us. He must have a trick or two up his sleeve. I can’t afford to get careless and screw this up.’

Still, he didn’t think he would lose.

He drew his long saber, roared, "You’re courting death!" and charged forward to meet him.

When Xie Yuan saw the Third Training leader draw his saber and step forward, his eyes narrowed slightly. He unstrapped the long wooden box from his back, tossed it aside, and vaulted off his horse, facing the long saber bare-handed!

The onlookers instinctively held their breath, feeling even more certain that Xie Yuan was a fool. ’Why would he abandon his horse and his weapon?’

Fist and saber clashed. Before they even made contact, the large man felt a massive wave of energy surge from the fist, making it impossible for him to bring his saber down!

’Something’s definitely off about him!’

He no longer hesitated. Gritting his teeth, he put his full strength into the blow!

Xie Yuan felt the pressure on his fist increase instantly. ’A Third Training master is not to be underestimated,’ he thought. He increased his output by ten percent, adding more Blood Qi and Inner Strength, raising his power from fifty to sixty percent.

The force of the punch completely stopped the large man’s saber in mid-air, rendering it immobile. Seeing the fist about to connect, alarm bells screamed in his mind. At the critical moment, he twisted his body and angled the saber away, dodging the attack.

Xie Yuan’s punch missed, but he immediately threw another, unleashing a tremendous wave of energy at his opponent.

The large man felt the air pressure seal his mouth and nose, nearly suffocating him. He instinctively tried to block with his saber. But no matter how much strength he mustered, his blade would stop an inch from the fist, unable to advance, and was even pushed back by the overwhelming force.

Helpless, he had no choice but to dodge again and create some distance.

For a moment, the scene was a blur of motion: Xie Yuan would throw a punch, the large man would swing his saber, stop, retract his blade, and dodge. After a few exchanges, the onlookers were left completely baffled.

Although the spectators hadn’t fully processed what was happening, they were utterly astonished to see that Xie Yuan was actually trading blows with his opponent without losing any ground.

No, it wasn’t even an equal exchange. His fists were overwhelming the saber—he had the complete upper hand!

’Those Fist Skills... that Cultivation Technique... is it really that powerful?’

’Can he really go toe-to-toe with a Third Training master?’

The men from the Escort Agency were instantly invigorated, and they began to cheer.

Even Niu Dachun’s blood boiled with excitement, a far cry from the man who had just been inwardly cursing Xie Yuan as a reckless fool.

On the bandits’ side, however, seeing their leader being completely suppressed, their faces filled with shock and doubt. Their jeers died instantly.

Those few burly men who looked different from the common bandits frowned and began to slowly move forward.

After reaching the Third Training, Xie Yuan’s fists could generate powerful gusts of force. This was especially true for his Eight Trigrams Mountain-Shaking Fist, whose immense energy could rival a physical weapon. Before, even if his strength had surpassed his opponent’s, he couldn’t have achieved this.

After a few exchanges, he had already gauged his opponent’s strength. If he had used a saber or an axe, Xie Yuan was confident he could take the man’s head within three moves. But now, he decided to take this opportunity to practice his Fist Skills.

The Eight Trigrams Mountain-Shaking Fist was incredibly powerful, and its synergy with his Body Nourishment Technique was exceptional. It would be useful even in the future, so Xie Yuan valued this Cultivation Technique highly.

Thus, his fists struck like mountains. He passed up several opportunities to kill his opponent, instead using the man as a punching bag to continue his practice.

However, practicing his technique was only one of his reasons. Xie Yuan was a cautious person, not someone who would be careless or frivolous in a real battle.

The more important reason he didn’t go for a one-hit kill was to lure out those men from the Vajra Sect.

They thought they were well hidden, but Xie Yuan—who had dealt with bandits extensively and possessed exceptional eyesight thanks to his Body Nourishment Technique—had spotted them in the crowd at a single glance.

’They’re coming...’

As he continued to throw punches, Xie Yuan watched them out of the corner of his eye, confirming that the men were slowly approaching.

He remained impassive, continuing to control the force of his punches to suppress the bandit leader. He waited until the much more muscular "bandit" was right behind him, drew an iron-core cudgel, and raised it high.

"Xie Yuan! Don’t get arrogant!"

The man’s cudgel whistled through the air as he brought it down on Xie Yuan’s head!

Niu Dachun, watching from the side, stared with wide eyes, his heart leaping into his throat.

’He’s done for!’

’There was another Third Training master hidden among the enemy!’

Several shouts erupted from the Escort Team, trying to warn Xie Yuan, but just as their cries began, the cudgel was about to land. How could they be in time?

A sense of despair washed over them; some even closed their eyes, unable to watch. It was already astonishing that Xie Yuan could fight one Third Training master. How could he possibly handle a sneak attack from another?

Feeling the rush of air at the back of his head, Xie Yuan’s eyes flashed, and his movements suddenly accelerated.

With his left hand, he threw a punch that sent the bandit leader flying. At the same time, his right hand shot to his waist, drawing his saber in a blur of motion as he spun around, too fast for anyone to see clearly.

The drawing technique of the Rushing Wolf Saber Skill—*Wolf’s Assault!*

A cold glint of light flashed through the forest, and time seemed to slow down.

The ambusher never could have imagined that Xie Yuan not only knew he was coming but could also react so quickly, with a blade that was impossibly fast.

He watched helplessly as the saber slowly sliced through his cudgel, its momentum unchecked. He watched it slowly approach his throat, slowly cut into his flesh... and then he was slowly rising, the world slowly turning upside down, as if spinning endlessly.

It was only when he saw his own headless body hanging in the sky, where the ground should be, that a slow realization dawned on him:

’I’m dead?’

THUD. The head fell from the sky and rolled across the ground, its confused expression frozen for eternity.

’What just happened?’

Question marks appeared in countless minds. One moment, Xie Yuan was being ambushed, caught in a fatal trap. The next moment, the ambusher himself was dead?

It all happened too fast, so fast that no one present could react. Even those with sharp eyes only saw Xie Yuan draw and sheathe his saber, and a Third Training master was decapitated.

The onlookers were just as bewildered as the ambusher had been, staring at Xie Yuan in a daze.

Just then, a terrified shout shattered the silence:

"He’s a Third Training... No, he’s at the Fourth Training!"

The bandit leader finally had a moment to catch his breath. Watching the man sent from the county get beheaded, he could no longer contain his terror.

After being suppressed for so long as if he were a mere training dummy, only he truly understood Xie Yuan’s real strength!

Xie Yuan glanced at him, ignoring the commotion in the crowd. He just looked at the few burly men who were frozen in place before him and chuckled.

"You lot...

"You’re from the Vajra Sect, aren’t you?"