Grandmaster, Grandmaster!

As the mark on his arm grew hot, Xie Yuan's mind buzzed, and countless fragments of incomprehensible images flooded into view.

Endlessly burning pages, ever-changing Black Lotus, a continuously spinning Eight Trigrams diagram, weapons appearing in turn, then flames filling the sky, frost stretching for a thousand miles...

Countless images overlapped in his mind, making Xie Yuan's head swell with pain.

His hand tightened, and he instinctively gripped the Treasure Blade he had just acquired at his waist.

The illusory images filling his mind suddenly had something tangible to reference. The Black Lotus and the Eight Trigrams flew higher and higher; the former plunged into the pages, while the latter vanished without a trace. The weapons that had appeared in rotation gradually faded away, leaving only a long saber dancing within Xie Yuan's mind.

Looking closely, the shape of that long saber was precisely the Treasure Blade in his hand!

No one held the saber, yet it danced through the air on its own, elusive and unpredictable. Its movements were like the wind, wheeling endlessly around.

That saber technique seemed like a pack of wild wolves amid the lonely smoke of the great desert. They charged from afar, kicking up vast clouds of dust, then ran faster and faster, like a black line on the horizon suddenly rushing before his eyes. Yet it was an endless wolf pack now close at hand, their grim white fangs clearly visible, freezing the blood in his veins.

The wolves howled, then leapt fiercely, pouncing straight at him. Their jaws were already right before his face!

Xie Yuan jolted awake, gasping for breath, feeling as though something had been added to his mind.

It was a saber technique... but besides the saber technique, there was something else.

Before he could examine it closely, he lowered his head and looked at the fair, tender hand on his left arm.

The jade hand was slender, with faint blue veins visible beneath the skin. Its elegant, long fingers were pale and clean as scallion stalks, resting atop his arm.

A little thin, but not like withered branches, nor like chicken claws...

Xie Yuan stared at that hand, the thought arising inexplicably in his mind. Then the slender hand seemed to sense his gaze and abruptly withdrew, lifting a corner of the carriage curtain with it.

He followed the movement and saw "Lin Zhen" reveal half her chin—pointed, pale, and perfectly shaped. Had her oval face become a melon seed face?

No. This was not Lin Zhen. This was that Black Robed Figure!

That manner of speaking, that way of stirring the mark—only that Black Robed Figure could do it.

She had finally appeared again!

Just as Xie Yuan's spirits rose, he suddenly heard an unusual whistling sound, as if something were tearing through the air at extreme speed, creating a clamorous roar of breaking wind.

At first, the sound was faint, coming from a great distance away. Yet the next moment, it rapidly grew louder and louder, as if that thing were approaching at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, it had become deafening!

Xie Yuan instinctively turned his head and saw a shadow flicker into view on the official road. Within a few breaths, it had arrived before them.

"Hahahaha! Miss Yun, you really can run! But I still found you!"

The figure stopped not far from Xie Yuan, revealing a rugged, scarred face, a body taller than ordinary men, and a Horse Chopping Saber in his hand.

The rugged, scar-faced man wore a leopard-skin vest, baring his chest in the cold early-spring wind and displaying exceptionally developed pectoral muscles. He wore tight cotton trousers below and beastskin boots, looking exceedingly lean and formidable.

Xie Yuan felt that the scar-faced man radiated an utterly undisguised aura. His Blood Qi nearly soared into the heavens, even warping the air before him like a searing heat wave. Though Xie Yuan stood far away, he found it hard to breathe.

What a powerful aura, what terrifyingly oppressive Blood Qi...

Even though the man was not looking at him, Xie Yuan felt as if a massive boulder were pressing down upon him.

Such Blood Qi, such an aura—he had never seen anything like it in his life!

Shen Longteng's Blood Qi had already been tremendously oppressive, often making Xie Yuan feel pressure. But compared to this man, it was like a rock compared to a mountain peak, a stream compared to a great river—entirely different levels.

This man's cultivation far surpassed that of the Chief Escort Leader.

Qi Blood Three Transformations?

No, he was even an expert who had opened the Heaven and Earth Bridge!

Xie Yuan's gaze sharpened. This was actually a Grandmaster.

Though the man casually rested his saber on his shoulder, his eyes remained locked onto the carriage. He had clearly come with ill intent.

Xie Yuan's expression shifted, but he did not dare move in the slightest.

Before a Grandmaster, with his current strength, he had no room whatsoever to resist.

The man's aura faintly blanketed the entire convoy. Xie Yuan feared that any unusual movement would bring a Horse Chopping Saber down upon him.

That Horse Chopping Saber was longer than Xie Yuan was tall. He had no desire to find out what it felt like when it struck his body.

The carriage remained motionless. The guards and coachmen were already trembling so badly that under the man's oppressive aura, they could not merely speak—they could barely remain standing.

The atmosphere was heavy and still. The man narrowed his eyes and laughed again.

"Miss Yun, you should hand it over. As long as you do, I guarantee I won't make things difficult for you."

"Dream on."

A cold voice came from inside the carriage. Several servants turned back in surprise.

Why did Miss's voice sound different?

What was going on now?

The people of Lin Family Estate were completely bewildered. Only Xie Yuan's thoughts raced as he realized that this Black Robed Figure—Miss Yun—had likely assumed Lin Zhen's identity to escape with some treasure, only to be intercepted by this man.

Come to think of it, when he had first seen her in the mountain forest behind Small Stone Village, she had also seemed rushed and flustered, as though she were fleeing and hiding.

No wonder "Lin Zhen" had taken so long to get ready at Lin Family Estate half a day ago. It now seemed that Miss Yun had been disguising herself and changing her appearance!

But Miss Yun and Lin Zhen differed completely in face shape and build, and their voices were worlds apart. Yet after the disguise, not only had he noticed nothing strange—even Staff Lin had failed to see through it! She had even imitated Lin Zhen's personality in speech and behavior. Her skill was truly extraordinary.

Could a Disguise Technique really have such an effect?

When he had been at the estate, the heat in his arm should have been caused by her. Yet it had vanished afterward; even separated only by the carriage, he had sensed nothing until she deliberately activated it... But judging by her words, she clearly had not wanted him to know earlier. So she had not deliberately activated it at the estate. Why, then, had the mark reacted?

This mark—the Black Heaven Book—could let him comprehend saber techniques, and other things besides... There were cultivation arts within it.

A thought stirred in Xie Yuan's mind, and he immediately discovered something more in his head.

Heaven Concealing Art · Beginner: (1/1000)

Conceal the workings of Heaven, steal fortune and destiny, deceive Heaven and hide from Earth—this is Heaven Concealment.

Conceal the workings of Heaven?

What sort of strange art was this? The description alone was so mystical, and merely reaching Beginner required 1,000 points!

Understanding dawned on Xie Yuan. This was likely a cultivation art recorded in the so-called Black Heaven Book, and the Disguise Technique Miss Yun had used was this very strange art. Once she was close enough, the mark on his arm would naturally react!

A cold snort interrupted Xie Yuan's thoughts. Though countless thoughts had flashed through his mind, it had only taken an instant.

With a bang, the man removed the Horse Chopping Saber from his shoulder and smashed it into the ground, revealing its immense weight.

His voice sank.

"Miss Yun, it is only out of consideration for my past friendship with your family that I have repeatedly shown you courtesy. Have you really come to think that I, Lu Lao San, am easy to talk to? I advise you to surrender without resistance and leave everyone a shred of dignity. Otherwise, once I make my move, I'll take the item—and as for you, I'll cripple your cultivation and sell you to a brothel in the Western Desert!"

The carriage was utterly silent. No sound came from within.

Impatience appeared on Lu Lao San's face. He grabbed the Horse Chopping Saber and shouted harshly.

"You don't know what's good for you. Do you really think you can stand against me?"

From a great distance away, he swept his massive saber savagely sideways.

Just as Xie Yuan thought that at such a distance, the long saber could not possibly reach them, a blood-red Saber Light suddenly extended from the Horse Chopping Saber and touched the convoy in an instant!

Before several servants could react, they were all cut in two at the waist by that single strike!

Xie Yuan watched the nearly irresistible crimson saber light slash toward him. Its killing intent was bone-chilling, seizing his soul. Every hair on his body stood on end, and he could barely move his feet.

At the critical moment between life and death, Xie Yuan's Inner Breath roared and his Blood Qi boiled. He erupted with every shred of his potential, throwing himself sideways to the ground and dodging the Saber Light.

That Saber Light was practically capable of splitting Heaven and Earth. It sliced horizontally through every person and horse in the convoy, even cutting the carriage into upper and lower halves, revealing nothing but emptiness inside.

Lu Lao San frowned and glanced briefly at Xie Yuan, but paid him no attention. His large head swiveled in every direction before he suddenly chose one. He stomped hard enough to leave a deep pit in the official road, then shot away like an arrow, pursuing into the woods beside the road.

Xie Yuan's heart pounded like a drum. That man's casual saber strike had nearly taken his life. Had he not erupted with all his potential, he would already have been cut in two!

The might of a Grandmaster was beyond all measure.

Xie Yuan turned to look and saw what seemed like two shadows flashing rapidly through the forest. At times they drew close, at times they separated, tangling endlessly. After watching only briefly, his vision began to swim.

Thunderous booms erupted from the forest. Great swathes of trees fell, shaking the ground so violently that Xie Yuan could barely stand on the official road.

"Grandmasters fighting—I can't even see their movements clearly. This power is too great! This isn't low martial arts at all...

"That Miss Yun is actually a Grandmaster too?"

He forced himself to watch a while longer and gradually made out that the light, drifting shadow was Miss Yun, while the figure wreathed in crimson light was Lu Lao San.

One pursued while the other fled. Miss Yun's movement technique drifted and swayed, her figure shadowy and indistinct; with the slightest lapse in attention, one would lose track of her. Yet whenever Lu Lao San lost her trail, he merely focused his eyes and found the correct direction, bursting forth with extreme speed to catch up.

Whenever Lu Lao San drew near Miss Yun, he would slash out a blood-red Saber Light that made the heart tremble. Yet each time it seemed about to sever that slender, tall figure, it would inexplicably veer a few inches away and graze past her, as if he simply could not aim properly. And whenever Lu Lao San pressed too close, a black-and-white light would fly from Miss Yun's sleeves, forcing him to evade hastily, not daring to touch it in the least.

In an instant, the two exchanged dozens of moves, circling through the forest beside the road. Thunderous booms rang without end as trees, earth, and stones flew everywhere, nearly leveling the forest on the left side of the official road.

After watching a few times, Xie Yuan's heartbeat accelerated.

"So this is how high-level martial artists fight."

Such power was simply beyond imagination. At his current realm, even being grazed by the aftermath would leave him dead or gravely wounded.

There was no way he could interfere...

Xie Yuan cast another distant glance at the two Grandmasters pursuing each other fiercely, then turned and ran in the opposite direction, plunging into the woods on the right side of the official road.

He had no thoughts of playing the hero and saving a beauty. He was merely following Miss Yun's instruction to run as far away as possible—taking advice when it was offered.

Though in that fleeting glimpse, Miss Yun had seemed to possess peerless beauty, Xie Yuan could only silently wish her well.

Beyond that, there was nothing he could do. Besides, this matter had nothing to do with him in the first place.

Having somehow been dragged into a conflict between Grandmasters, perhaps over the so-called Black Heaven Book, Xie Yuan felt completely at a loss.

Thinking of the servants who had been cut in half, he felt that compared to them, he had only been a little luckier and stronger in such a situation. He could not help running even faster.

After sprinting with his head down for a long time, until he could no longer hear the tremendous commotion behind him, Xie Yuan finally slowed slightly and identified his direction, intending to return to Cloudshine.

After turning north, Xie Yuan had only walked a short while when he suddenly heard that enormous whistling roar of breaking wind again.

Hearing it approach from far away, growing louder and louder, coming directly toward him, Xie Yuan's heart skipped a beat.

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

Lu Lao San, his body wrapped in Blood Qi, stopped before Xie Yuan. He swept him with a cold glance and asked,

"Where is that woman?"

Xie Yuan once again felt the pressure of a Grandmaster. Last time, it had merely been the aftermath, yet it had already made his chest feel tight.

This time, however, the pressure was directed straight at him, making even speaking immensely difficult for Xie Yuan!

Bearing that undisguised aura, he clenched his teeth slightly and cupped his fists.

"Senior, this junior fled far from where you were fighting and does not know her whereabouts."

"You don't know? Weren't you together?"

Lu Lao San snorted.

Xie Yuan shook his head.

"I was merely ordered to escort a Miss, but it appears this person had long since replaced the target... I do not know her."

Lu Lao San stared at Xie Yuan, then suddenly grinned.

"You're lying."

Xie Yuan was startled. Just as he wondered where he had revealed a flaw, Lu Lao San continued.

"She tangled with me for half the day, circling around the same place. But the moment you ran far away, she vanished without a trace. If you didn't know each other, why would she need to make sure you were safe?"

Lu Lao San gave a sinister chuckle, his long saber swaying as he pointed it at Xie Yuan.

Hearing this, Xie Yuan felt the reasoning was rather far-fetched and frowned.

"Senior, I fear you are mistaken. I truly have no connection to her. Why would she worry about my safety?"

"Mistake or not, won't we know after I cut you down? If it isn't a mistake, she'll come save you."

Lu Lao San revealed a row of grim white teeth and slowly raised his saber.

Xie Yuan's entire body tensed as he said hoarsely,

"Senior, what if it truly is a misunderstanding?"

"Then you're unlucky. In your next life, pay more attention."

Lu Lao San grinned, and the Horse Chopping Saber suddenly cleaved down!

Xie Yuan felt as though time had slowed. That massive saber gradually enlarged in his eyes, and even the gleam reflected from its edge became crystal clear.

The mark on his left arm began to burn, but he was wholly unaware of it.

Under the pressure of life and death, Xie Yuan's eyes flew wide open, and his right hand gripped the saber at his waist.

Fuck it, I'm going all out!

Even if his enemy was a Grandmaster, even if the difference in their strength was as vast as Heaven and Earth, he would still draw his saber!

What gave this man the right to kill whoever he wanted?

Damn it, even if I can't beat you, before you cut me down, I'll make you lose a piece of flesh!

Xie Yuan violently drew his saber, and a sound like a vicious wolf's howl exploded through the forest.

The forest darkened in an instant. Only a single gleaming line of saber light remained, carrying the charge of a desert wolf pack as it slashed down with fierce resolve!