Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

’Could a mere Disguise Skill have such an effect?’

’Back at the estate, my arm grew hot. It must have been her. But the sensation vanished afterward. Even when we were separated only by the carriage walls, I didn’t feel a thing until she actively triggered it... Yet, from her words, it’s clear she didn’t want me to know before. That means she didn’t deliberately activate it at the estate. So why did the mark react?’

’This mark—the Black Celestial Book—allows me to comprehend saber techniques, and other things... It contains a Cultivation Technique.’

A thought flickered through Xie Yuan’s mind, and he suddenly discovered something new had appeared within it.

[Celestial Concealment Skill · Novice: (1/1000)]

[Obscure heavenly secrets, seize strokes of fortune, deceive heaven and earth—this is Celestial Concealment.]

’Obscure heavenly secrets?’

’What kind of strange art is this? Not only is the description so mysterious, but just reaching the Novice level requires 1,000 points!’

A realization dawned on Xie Yuan. This was likely the Cultivation Technique recorded in the so-called Black Celestial Book, and the Disguise Skill Miss Yun used was this very art. When he got close to her, the mark on his arm would naturally react!

A cold snort shattered Xie Yuan’s train of thought. Though many ideas had flashed through his mind, it had all happened in an instant.

With a THUD, the large man swung the horse-chopping saber off his shoulder and slammed it onto the ground, its immense weight evident.

His voice grew deep and menacing.

"Miss Yun, it’s only out of respect for my past friendship with your family that I’ve been so courteous. Did that somehow give you the impression that I, Lu the Third, am a pushover? I advise you to surrender without a fight, so we can all maintain some dignity. Otherwise, when I make my move, not only will I take what I came for, but I’ll also cripple your cultivation and sell you to a brothel in the West Desert!"

The carriage remained silent; not a sound came from within.

A look of impatience crossed Lu the Third’s face. He snatched up his horse-chopping saber and roared:

"You refuse to appreciate my kindness! Do you really think you’re a match for me?"

He was still a good distance away, but he unleashed a ferocious horizontal slash with his massive saber.

Just as Xie Yuan thought the blade was far too short to reach from such a distance, a crimson blade gleam shot out from the horse-chopping saber, instantly reaching the convoy!

Several servants were sliced in half at the waist before they could even react!

Xie Yuan watched the nearly unstoppable crimson blade light slash toward him. The chilling, soul-stealing killing intent made the hairs on his body stand on end, rooting him to the spot.

In the nick of time, Xie Yuan’s internal energy roared and his Blood Qi surged. Unleashing his full potential, he dove to the side and hit the ground, dodging the blade gleam.

That blade gleam was like a world-cleaving strike, cutting horizontally through the entire convoy, men and horses alike. Even the carriage was sliced into two halves, revealing its interior—which was completely empty.

Lu the Third frowned. He glanced briefly at Xie Yuan, then ignored him. His large head swiveled around before he suddenly chose a direction. Stomping his foot down, he left a deep crater in the official road and shot off like an arrow into the woods by the roadside.

Xie Yuan’s heart hammered like a drum. The big man’s casual slash had nearly cost him his life. If he hadn’t exploded with his full potential, he would have been sliced in two!

The might of a Grandmaster was truly immeasurable.

Xie Yuan turned his head and saw two shadows flickering rapidly through the woods. They would close in, then separate, endlessly entangled. Just watching them for a moment made him dizzy.

BOOMING rumbles echoed from the forest as large swathes of trees toppled over. The tremors were so strong that Xie Yuan could barely keep his balance on the road.

’A battle between Grandmasters... I can’t even see their movements clearly. The power is just too immense! This isn’t low-level martial arts at all...’

’Is that Miss Yun also a Grandmaster?’

He strained his eyes for a while longer and gradually made out the light, ethereal shadow as Miss Yun, while the figure wreathed in red light was Lu the Third.

One chased, the other fled. Miss Yun’s Body Technique was graceful and erratic, her figure shadowy and indistinct, making her easy to lose track of. Yet, whenever Lu the Third lost her, he would just focus his gaze and immediately find the right direction, bursting forward with incredible speed to catch up.

Every time Lu the Third got close to Miss Yun, he would unleash a terrifying, crimson blade gleam. But each time it seemed about to cleave her slender, tall figure in two, it would inexplicably veer off by a fraction, grazing past her as if he couldn’t aim properly. And whenever Lu the Third pressed too close, a black-and-white ray of light would shoot from Miss Yun’s sleeve, forcing him to dodge hastily, not daring to let it touch him.

The two exchanged dozens of blows in the blink of an eye, circling the forest by the road. The constant booming and rumbling, mixed with flying trees, earth, and stones, had nearly flattened the woods to the left of the official road.

Xie Yuan watched for a few moments, his heart racing.

’So this is what a fight between high-level Martial Artists looks like.’

The power was beyond imagination. At his current level, just getting caught in the aftershocks would mean severe injury, if not death.

’I can’t get involved at all...’

Xie Yuan cast one last glance at the two Grandmasters locked in their fierce chase, then turned and ran in the opposite direction, ducking into the woods on the right side of the road.

He had no heroic notions of saving the damsel in distress. Instead, he followed Miss Yun’s instructions to the letter, running as far away as he could. He was nothing if not a good listener.

Although his fleeting glimpse suggested that Miss Yun possessed breathtaking beauty, all Xie Yuan could do was wish her well in silence.

There was nothing else he could do. Besides, this whole affair had nothing to do with him in the first place.

Having been inexplicably dragged into a conflict between Grandmasters—a conflict that was likely over the so-called Black Celestial Book—Xie Yuan felt completely lost.

Thinking of the servants who had been cut in half, he felt that his survival was merely a matter of slightly better luck and strength. This thought spurred him to run even faster.

He ran headlong for a long time until he could no longer hear the tremendous commotion behind him. Only then did Xie Yuan pause briefly to get his bearings, intending to head back to Yunzhao.

He turned north and had only been walking for a short while when he suddenly heard a tremendous whistling sound cutting through the air once more.

Listening as the sound grew louder and closer, heading straight for him, Xie Yuan’s heart skipped a beat.

He spun around and saw a streak of red light rush before him in the blink of an eye.

Lu the Third, wreathed in Blood Qi, stopped in front of Xie Yuan. He swept a cold gaze over him and asked:

"Where’s the woman?"

Xie Yuan once again felt the pressure of a Grandmaster. The first time, it was just the aftershocks, and it had been enough to make his chest tighten.

This time, it was directed straight at him, making it incredibly difficult for Xie Yuan to even speak!

Enduring the unconcealed aura, he gritted his teeth slightly, cupped his fist, and said:

"Senior, this junior fled far from your battle. I do not know her whereabouts."

"You don’t know? Weren’t you two together?"

Lu the Third snorted.

Xie Yuan shook his head.

"I was merely assigned to escort a young lady, but it seems she was replaced by this person... I don’t know her."

Lu the Third stared at Xie Yuan, then suddenly grinned.

"You’re lying."

Xie Yuan was startled, wondering how he had given himself away, when the man continued:

"She tied me up for half a day, running me in circles. But the moment you got far enough away, she vanished without a trace. If you two don’t know each other, why would she be so concerned with your safety?"

Lu the Third chuckled darkly, brandishing his long saber and pointing it at Xie Yuan.

Hearing this, Xie Yuan felt the reasoning was a bit flimsy. He frowned and said:

"Senior, you must be mistaken. I truly have no connection to her. Why would she be worried about my safety?"

"Mistake or not, I’ll find out once I cut you down. If it’s not a mistake, she’ll come to save you."

Lu the Third bared his teeth in a sinister grin and slowly raised his saber.

Xie Yuan tensed up, his voice hoarse.

"Senior, what if it really is a mistake?"

"Then that’s just your bad luck. Be more careful in your next life."

Lu the Third grinned, and his horse-chopping saber came slashing down!

Xie Yuan felt as if time had slowed. The great saber grew larger and larger in his vision, the glint on its edge becoming crystal clear.

The mark on his left arm began to burn, but he was completely oblivious to it.

Under the pressure of life and death, Xie Yuan’s eyes flew wide open as his right hand shot to the saber at his waist.

’Fuck it, I’ll fight!’

’Even if the enemy is a Grandmaster, even if the gap in our strength is as wide as heaven and earth, I will draw my saber!’

’Who the hell does he think he is, killing anyone he pleases?’

’Damn it, even if I can’t win, I’ll make sure you lose a piece of flesh before you kill me!’

Xie Yuan drew his saber with a sudden, explosive sound like a vicious wolf’s roar that echoed through the forest.

The woods plunged into darkness for an instant. Only a single, brilliant line of saber light remained, carrying the ferocity of a wolf pack from the great desert as it slashed down without hesitation!