Escape and Counterattack

All around him lay crumbling palace complexes; scattered roof tiles and fallen walls testified to the merciless erosion of time.

Wei Zhong was about to continue fleeing when the second-order magic sword pursuing him from behind arrived.

Wei Zhong turned and controlled his own magic sword to collide with it, risking the destruction of his sword to hold it back.

The First-Order Magic Items on either side were already damaged. Repairing them would leave clues behind, so he might as well destroy them here.

He had no idea what method that Azurewood Sect disciple behind him was using, but his escape speed was actually on par with Wei Zhong's master-level Soaring Cloud Art.

Alas, the rank of the Soaring Cloud Art is still too low. Once I get out, I must grind the Soaring Cloud Art up to grandmaster level, or even peerless level.

And that Azurewood Sect disciple in white robes with a paper fan—why does he look so much like the rumored Second True Disciple, Lu Yibin?

Ever since Luo Mingyan's Foundation Establishment banquet, Wei Zhong had thoroughly inquired into the Azurewood Sect's seven true disciples.

Without exception, all seven were extraordinarily gifted. They had achieved Foundation Establishment at very young ages and were the sect's highly anticipated seeds for Core Formation.

They had been granted profound cultivation arts and even had suitable Second-Order Magic Items forged for them. Their strength was such that they could utterly sweep aside cultivators of the same rank.

But Lu Yibin had achieved Foundation Establishment more than thirty years ago. How could he enter this Qingchuan Secret Realm, where cultivation was restricted to Qi Refining?

No, that man was at most at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining, roughly equal to himself.

Could he have suppressed his cultivation?

Hiss, that really is possible. With a Spirit Stone Mine in the secret realm, even if I were one of the Azurewood Sect's higher-ups, I would send a top-tier fighter to ensure the mining operation went smoothly.

In less than two breaths of thought, Wei Zhong understood what kind of person he was facing.

He could already feel the pressure radiating from the Second True Disciple.

Wei Zhong grabbed a handful of Magic Item fragments and hurled them into the mine tunnel.

Flying Throwing Art · Master (67%)

It was as though a meteor shower had fallen from the sky. Magic Item fragments wrapped in spiritual energy rained down with a crackling clatter.

The ferocity of the attack even caught Lu Yibin, who had just emerged from the tunnel, slightly off guard.

His white robe swelled as though inflated, transforming into an enormous white cloak that wrapped around him.

The Magic Item fragments struck it like raindrops battering a thick rain tarp, leaving only tiny dents and inconspicuous stains behind.

Another Second-Order magic robe.

Wei Zhong's eye twitched.

Equipment advantage. There's no way to fight this.

With another volley of Magic Item fragments following close behind, Wei Zhong leaped and plunged deep into the crumbling palace complex.

Once the lingering force subsided, Lu Yibin dispelled his robe's defensive state, his expression somewhat grim.

The thief's figure was no longer nearby. He could only barely sense the man's aura as it descended into the buildings and gradually moved farther away, until it was now almost impossible to detect.

Lu Yibin put away his magic sword, hesitation clouding his face.

The matter of the Spirit Stone Mine had already been exposed, yet mining was still underway below. If he rashly gave chase, he worried that other Rogue Cultivators might seize the opportunity to slip in.

Moreover, that man might have companions. He could be trying to lure Lu Yibin away and create an opening for his allies.

The sect had assigned him the task of protecting the Spirit Stone mining operation and, unless absolutely necessary, keeping the mine's existence hidden.

Now that the news had leaked, the safety of the mining operation should still take priority.

After a moment's consideration, Lu Yibin decided to return.

Looking over his robe, he found it covered in dense black scorch marks. The magic robe had already suffered some damage.

Though it was merely cosmetic damage and did not affect its power, it still left him shocked and enraged.

"What kind of method was that? A spell? What kind of spell could possibly be this outrageous? Not even Junior Sister Lin from my own sect has ever shown me anything like it."

He wanted to find one of the objects that had attacked him, but among the nearby dirt and broken stones, he found only tiny grains of unknown metal.

With a light pinch between two fingers, they turned to black ash. How could such fragile material damage my Second-Order magic robe?

"Hmph!"

Lu Yibin gave a cold snort, committing Wei Zhong firmly to memory before turning and returning to the mine tunnel.

Next time we meet, I definitely won't let this man go.

Inside the mineral vein, seeing Lu Yibin return, the Azurewood Sect disciples all gathered around him.

"Senior Brother Lu!"

Seeing the black specks on his magic robe, the disciples assumed that their senior brother had gone through a fierce battle with the thief—one in which he had not held an absolute advantage.

At the same time, they wondered what sort of person could force Senior Brother Lu, one of the sect's true disciples, into such a state.

Lu Yibin, however, had no interest in what the disciples were thinking. With a sweep of his hand, he said,

"I have driven off the thief. Continue working, and set up more sentry posts. Don't let the enemy walk right up to you before you even notice."

"Yes!"

No one wanted to provoke this senior brother at such a time. After he waved them off, the leading senior brothers assigned everyone their tasks, and the mining work resumed in orderly fashion.

Lu Yibin returned to the place within the mineral vein where he usually stayed, sat cross-legged, and began calming his aura.

This time, he had relied entirely on a strange artifact issued by the sect to suppress his cultivation and enter the secret realm.

Although this strange artifact could suppress his cultivation from Foundation Establishment to the peak of Qi Refining, it also allowed him to strike with full force and display the power a peak Qi Refining cultivator should possess.

But there was also a risk that the suppression would fail. If he attacked too frequently, he might break through the suppression and reveal his Foundation Establishment cultivation within the secret realm. He would then quickly be expelled by it, and this mission would be considered a failure.

This was something Lu Yibin's pride would never permit.

After spending a moment clearing the clutter from his mind, Lu Yibin closed his eyes and began adjusting himself.

He had finally given up. Hiding within the palace, Wei Zhong sensed that aura departing and let out a breath of relief.

The master-level Flying Throwing Art was still reliable. It was just difficult to use inside the mine tunnel, where the surrounding rocks easily obstructed it.

The other party's Second-Order magic sword, on the other hand, had no such concerns. Its formidable power could practically ignore most rocks. For Wei Zhong, fighting within the mine tunnel had been exceedingly unwise.

That was why he had launched his counterattack only after leaving the mine tunnel. His unbroken barrage had actually suppressed that true disciple for a brief moment.

But the other party had been overly cautious. In truth, he had not needed to unleash the full power of that Second-Order magic robe. So long as he used his flying sword to protect his vital points, he could have endured that wave of attacks and counterattacked me.

Cherishing his life? No, he was probably afraid Rogue Cultivators would rob his home base.

Compared with Wei Zhong, that Spirit Stone Mine was more important.

That was also one reason the other party had abandoned the pursuit.

Remembering the spiritual light in that mine tunnel, so dazzling that it had nearly blinded him, Wei Zhong felt his heart bleed.

Damn it. So many Spirit Stones, and they're all going to be mined by the Azurewood Sect.

Wei Zhong could not help feeling utterly heartsick.