Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

The horse-chopping saber in Lu the Third’s hand paused. It then suddenly changed direction, abruptly appearing in the path of the advancing blade light. With a DING, it solidly blocked the ferocious strike that carried the momentum of a stampeding wolf pack.

He raised an eyebrow, stroking the stubble on his chin as he chuckled.

"Interesting. Again."

Xie Yuan said nothing. He drew his saber back halfway, then suddenly slashed forward horizontally. The piercing, swift blade light shot straight for his opponent’s throat.

The strike was a feint—a retreat that was actually an advance. It came without warning, as fast as lightning. In a mere flash of cold light, the long saber was at Lu the Third’s neck. An ordinary person would have had no time to react.

Yet, just as the long saber was about to sever his enemy’s neck, the massive horse-chopping saber reappeared, blocking Xie Yuan’s slash right against Lu the Third’s skin.

Lu the Third wielded the long horse-chopping saber as if it were a nimble dagger. It seemed as light as a feather, its movements as swift as the wind, showing no signs of being cumbersome.

Lu the Third blocked the strike but didn’t counterattack. A peculiar glint flashed in his eyes as he smiled.

"Again."

Xie Yuan took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and unleashed a ferocious, storm-like assault with his saber.

The Treasure Saber he had just obtained unleashed immense power in his hands. He chopped vertically and slashed horizontally, the fierce wind from his blade felling the surrounding trees.

Xie Yuan’s attacks were incredibly swift and varied. At times, they were like a wolf pack charging straight for an army’s commander, their ferocious momentum overwhelming to the senses. At other times, he was like a lone wolf on the hunt, circling his enemy erratically with a flurry of feints, only to pounce with the speed of lightning the moment an opportunity arose, aiming for a killing blow.

His Rushing Wolf Saber Skill had reached Perfection!

At some point, his Rushing Wolf Saber Skill had flown past hundreds of proficiency points and reached the Perfection realm!

It was likely that during the Black Celestial Book’s strange activity, the martial intent from that saber had granted him immense enlightenment, resulting in this great leap forward.

Reaching Perfection in a saber art meant that one’s understanding of it was at its absolute peak, free of any flaws. It was doubtful that even the creator of the Rushing Wolf Saber Skill, or anyone from the Escort Agency—including Shen Longteng—had ever trained it to this degree.

Now that the Rushing Wolf Saber Skill had reached Perfection, its power was immense, surpassing even the Eight Trigrams Mountain-Shaking Fist and the Moon-Cutting Axe art that Xie Yuan had mastered. But there was more. Perfecting a saber art had given Xie Yuan a unique understanding of the saber’s Martial Dao, allowing him to execute ingenious and advanced moves. It was this that had piqued the interest of a Grandmaster like Lu the Third.

However, no matter how fast Xie Yuan swung his saber, how fierce his slashes, or how unpredictable his moves, his opponent effortlessly blocked every one of them, revealing not a single opening.

If it were any other Martial Artist of the same rank, or even a Fourth Training Martial Artist one realm higher, they would likely find it difficult to defend against Xie Yuan’s saber techniques. But his opponent was a Grandmaster of the Heaven and Earth Bridge Realm.

Between a Grandmaster and an External Training Martial Artist lay the Qi and Blood Transformation Layer. This gap of two full major realms created a chasm between their strengths, as vast as the heavens and the abyss.

If Lu the Third hadn’t been so astonished by Xie Yuan’s perfected saber art, the fight would have been over with the very first strike.

BANG!

With a casual swing of his horse-chopping saber, Lu the Third once again effortlessly parried Xie Yuan’s long saber. He raised an eyebrow and asked:

"Let me ask you, where did you learn this saber technique?"

Xie Yuan remained silent, answering only with an upward diagonal slash.

Lu the Third tsked. He gently swept Xie Yuan’s saber aside and continued speaking.

"Your saber art is quite interesting. Your cultivation is so pitifully low, yet you’ve managed to train your saber art to such a level—even managing to manifest its martial intent. Many Martial Artists several realms higher than you can’t accomplish that."

Astonishment was evident in Lu the Third’s voice, and his eyes narrowed as he stared at Xie Yuan.

"If you weren’t guided by a master, then you’d have to be a true genius of the saber.

"Who is your master?"

Xie Yuan’s heart sank.

That last flurry of attacks represented the peak of his skill since he’d first stepped onto the Martial Dao. In terms of lethality, it was only slightly weaker than his all-out three-strike finishing move.

But that was a one-shot killing technique. He had just performed the perfected Rushing Wolf Saber Skill from start to finish, each strike unleashed with peak power, yet before Lu the Third, it was like a child swinging a toy sword, casually deflected with ease.

’The gap in our realms is just too vast. No matter how brilliantly I execute my moves, in a Grandmaster’s eyes, they’re just slow motion—not even worthy of a scoff.’

Despair inevitably began to creep into Xie Yuan’s heart. He knew victory was unlikely, but he couldn’t accept being so outmatched that he couldn’t even touch the hem of his opponent’s clothing.

He stared intently at Lu the Third and sneered.

"What’s the matter? Afraid I have a powerful master and you’ve picked a fight with the wrong person?"

Having his thoughts laid bare, Lu the Third looked a bit embarrassed. He huffed.

"Tell me your lineage. If it’s someone I know, perhaps I’ll let you go."

Xie Yuan looked at Lu the Third, his mind racing. Suddenly, a faint smile touched his lips.

"My master? Given your limited experience, you probably wouldn’t have heard of him even if I told you his name.

"His secular surname is Liu, and he’s known as Liu the Monk. Have you heard of him?"

Lu the Third frowned, wracking his brain upon hearing the name.

’Surname Liu... a Buddhist master? And skilled with the saber? Why have I never heard of anyone like that in Yunzhou...’

His preconceptions got the better of him. He was convinced that someone of Xie Yuan’s age and cultivation couldn’t possibly have trained his saber art to such a level on his own. If he had a master, that person had to be a formidable expert.

But no matter how hard he wracked his brain, he couldn’t recall hearing of any Buddhist master with the surname Liu. He couldn’t help but ask cautiously,

"And on which mountain does this Master Liu cultivate?"

"Master Liu once had some dealings with Prajna Temple..."

"Prajna Temple!"

Lu the Third was startled. Before he could even react, he heard Xie Yuan roar with laughter.

"He uses that story as a gimmick to recruit loads of disciples in town and make a killing. He taught me my introductory skills. Mmm, yes, ’Master Liu’ is a Second Training expert. You’re right to be so cautious."