A dignified third-rank martial expert had actually been outmaneuvered by a group of players who hadn’t even reached the entry rank.
To Hu Tianlu, it was nothing short of utter humiliation.
Feeling the curse that restrained him weakening with every passing second, Hu Tianlu let out a cold snort.
His inner qi surged violently, and in the very next instant, the binding force wrapped around his body shattered completely.
At the same moment, a terrifying wave of force exploded outward.
The players standing nearby, each holding talismans and maintaining the restraint, were instantly swallowed by the violent shockwave.
Before they even had time to retreat, Hu Tianlu flicked open the folding fan in his hand.
The howling wind condensed into razor-sharp blades.
In an instant, the surrounding players were sliced apart, dissolving into brilliant white beams of death.
The destructive power of a third-rank expert was simply horrifying.
Even heavily armored Iron Guardians looked as fragile as paper before him.
Within only a few breaths, player after player collapsed to the ground without the slightest ability to resist.
Of the more than twenty members brought by Sword Frost, over half were wiped out in the blink of an eye.
“Mu Yu!”
Fenghuo Lunhui’s face turned crimson with rage, as though it had been set ablaze.
He glared viciously across the battlefield.
“I’ll remember this, Shanfeng Lin!”
Mu Yu simply grinned.
“You should worry about escaping first.”
Regardless of what was hidden inside the sandalwood box that Fenghuo Lunhui had risked so much to steal, as long as he could make Sword Frost suffer, Mu Yu considered this trip well worth it.
“Retreat!”
Fenghuo Lunhui clenched his teeth.
He knew perfectly well that there was no longer any chance of snatching the sandalwood box right under Hu Tianlu’s nose.
Cutting their losses now was the smartest decision.
Without another word, he waved his hand and issued the order to withdraw.
Sword Frost wanted to leave.
Unfortunately…
Yin Huaichen, who stood at the very center of the storm, wasn’t nearly so fortunate.
The blinding flash from the Palm Thunder gradually faded.
As Yin Huaichen’s vision slowly returned, the very first thing he saw was Hu Tianlu’s refined face,
Elegant in appearance.
Filled with icy killing intent.
Naturally, Hu Tianlu had no interest in determining whether these players belonged to the same party.
Anyone who dared invade his territory to steal his possessions was issuing the greatest possible provocation.
After casually slaughtering several nearby players, he leaped straight toward Yin Huaichen inside the room.
His folding fan snapped open.
The winds roared to life.
Whoosh,
Furniture and decorations throughout the room trembled violently before being hurled in every direction by the overwhelming gale.
At that very instant, the sense of danger rising within Yin Huaichen reached its absolute peak.
There was no hesitation.
Nor was there any room to evade.
He raised his sword.
Hidden Azure Dragon!
Hu Tianlu sneered.
“A mere trick.”
To someone of his caliber, Hidden Azure Dragon, the most fundamental sword technique of the Cangming Sword Style, was no different from a child’s performance.
He neither dodged nor retreated.
Instead, using the surface of his folding fan as though it were a blade, he swept directly toward Yin Huaichen’s neck.
The moment Hu Tianlu attacked, Xiaoxiao Yuxie immediately widened the distance between them, unwilling to be caught in the crossfire.
Better a dead teammate than a dead me.
The box was in your hands.
Consider yourself unlucky.
Watching the overwhelming power behind Hu Tianlu’s casual strike, Xiaoxiao Yuxie felt lingering fear.
At the same time…
He silently mourned Yin Huaichen for exactly one second.
Yin Huaichen had no attention to spare for what Xiaoxiao Yuxie was thinking.
Every strand of qi around his body had already been completely locked down.
There was nowhere to retreat.
His only option…
Was to draw his sword.
He steadied his breathing.
Focused his mind.
His inner qi circulated in a single instant.
His nerves stretched taut like the string of a fully drawn bow.
Faced with the looming presence of death, Yin Huaichen’s mind emptied completely.
The sword thrust that followed was almost entirely instinctive.
He didn’t even have enough time to adjust the angle or force behind the strike.
Strictly speaking…
This Hidden Azure Dragon was far from textbook perfect.
Yet the instant the sword left his hand, Yin Huaichen felt as though he had entered an indescribably mysterious state.
Everything before his eyes drifted into the distance.
The entire world faded away.
Within his vision remained only…
His sword.
And the direction toward which its tip pointed.
Within the sleeve lies heaven and earth, three inches of chilling steel.
Azure scales split the night, shattering a thousand mountains.
Hidden Azure Dragon!
The sword light shimmered like autumn water.
Its speed became so great that it seemed capable of tearing through the air itself.
Its resonant hum resembled the roar of a dragon.
Against the violent gale stirred up by Hu Tianlu, the sword forcibly ripped open a gap.
【Hidden Azure Dragon Completion Rate: 95%】
【Skill Damage Increased to 405%!】
Without question…
This was the most perfect sword strike Yin Huaichen had unleashed since entering the game.
His sword intent was complete.
His sword heart utterly transparent.
When that strike finally reached Hu Tianlu,
Even the third-rank expert himself couldn’t help but reveal a flash of astonishment.
The sword collided violently with the folding fan.
The raging winds crushed every wooden chair inside the room into splinters.
Yin Huaichen coughed up a mouthful of blood.
His body was blasted backward before crashing heavily onto the ground.
He let out another cough.
It felt as though an enormous truck had rolled directly over his body.
Every meridian trembled violently.
Even the flow of his inner qi threatened to spiral out of control.
Without delay, he hurriedly circulated the Formless Impermanence Mental Art, barely suppressing the chaotic energy.
“Thanks.”
Yin Huaichen turned his gaze toward Great White Shark and Mu Yu.
The instant his sword had been thrust forward, Great White Shark had immediately cast the damage-reduction skill Blood Cry Resonance upon him, reducing incoming damage by sixty percent.
At the same time, Mu Yu continuously layered additional damage reduction and powerful healing skills onto him.
By the narrowest of margins…
They managed to keep him alive.
Otherwise…
No matter how perfect that sword strike had been…
Facing Hu Tianlu, the only possible outcome would have been death.
After knocking Yin Huaichen flying, Hu Tianlu casually withdrew his fan.
Only then did he notice…
A small notch had appeared along the edge of the fan.
His expression froze.
Xiaoxiao Yuxie had originally remained on the sidelines, waiting for Yin Huaichen to die before looking for an opportunity to steal the box.
But after witnessing Yin Huaichen exchange a move with Hu Tianlu,
And survive,
The shock in his eyes could no longer be concealed.
Just…
Who exactly was this martial artist?
Yin Huaichen wiped away the blood at the corner of his mouth.
Using his sword as support, he slowly forced himself back to his feet.
The gap between them amounted to an entire three cultivation ranks.
No amount of mastery could erase such a difference.
Even though Hidden Azure Dragon had reached a staggering ninety-five percent completion rate…
Even though its damage multiplier had climbed to four hundred and five percent…
It still wasn’t enough.
Yin Huaichen understood that perfectly.
From the very beginning…
He had never intended to confront Hu Tianlu head-on.
His only concern was how to escape.
“Seeking death.”
Having failed to kill him in a single strike, Hu Tianlu’s expression darkened.
His eyes landed upon the sandalwood box still clutched tightly in Yin Huaichen’s arms.
With another flick of his folding fan,
He attacked again.
Yin Huaichen turned around and ran without hesitation.
“Brother Wuchang!”
Seeing Yin Huaichen being pursued, He Shi Yue Bu Que immediately wanted to rush over and help.
Yin Huaichen shot them a quick glance.
“Split up.”
Hu Tianlu’s objective couldn’t have been clearer.
Whoever held the sandalwood box…
Would become his target.
Under those circumstances, Mu Yu and the others joining the fight would accomplish nothing.
Looking toward the direction Yin Huaichen had fled, Mu Yu seemed to vaguely understand what he intended to do.
He raised one hand.
Several Clear Heart Universal Blessing Talismans descended onto Yin Huaichen, restoring his health back to full.
Then he turned toward his teammates.
“We leave first.”
Alone, Yin Huaichen presented a much smaller target.
His chances of escaping were significantly higher.
If they insisted on helping now, they would only become additional burdens.
Splitting up was unquestionably the wisest choice.
Whoosh!
An arrow whistled through the air behind him.
Instinctively, Yin Huaichen tilted his head.
The arrow narrowly grazed past him before embedding itself deep within the wall ahead.
A quick glance from the corner of his eye told him everything.
The nearby bandits had already arrived.
Several bandits wielding black iron longbows had taken aim at him.
A rough estimate revealed multiple first-rank captains comparable to Li Yongnan among them.
Yin Huaichen rapidly calculated possible escape routes.
But before he could make a decision,
Hu Tianlu had already caught up once again.
His appearance remained that of an elegant scholar.
Even the folding fan in his hand exuded refinement.
Yet the ruthlessness behind his attacks couldn’t have contrasted more sharply.
The paper fan was incomparably sharper than any sword.
With a casual sweep of his arm, a terrifying wave of force surged outward.
Without even thinking, Yin Huaichen bent backward in place,
Nearly ninety degrees.
Boom!
The tangible blast of wind swept directly over his body.
The entire wall behind him exploded into rubble.
Fortunately…
His reaction had been just fast enough.
Had he been even a fraction slower…
His head would already have parted ways with his body.
There was no time to think.
Using his sword to brace himself against the ground, he executed a nimble handspring before landing cleanly on his feet.
Once again, he narrowly avoided Hu Tianlu’s attack.
The moment he landed, Dragon Roaming Steps activated.
His body seemed to melt into the night wind itself.
Like a swallow skimming across the darkness, he swiftly retreated.
Using the smoke and dust from the shattered wall as cover…
He vanished into the darkness beyond.
Naturally, Hu Tianlu had no intention of allowing him to escape.
“After him!”
Without waiting for anyone else, he immediately took the lead, charging after Yin Huaichen.
Nearly half of Blade Wind Stronghold’s bandits had already been alarmed.
For a time, footsteps echoed from every direction.
Like countless beating war drums…
They converged from all sides, surrounding Yin Huaichen.
Fortunately…
He had studied the layout of Blade Wind Stronghold beforehand.
At the very least, he wasn’t running around like a headless fly.
Otherwise…
Given the fortress’s maze-like network of twisting pathways…
Hu Tianlu would have caught him within less than a minute.
Meanwhile, Mu Yu and the others successfully withdrew from the courtyard.
Since everyone’s attention remained focused on Yin Huaichen, only a handful of scattered bandits pursued them.
They were still manageable.
“What a huge commotion…”
While continuously casting skills, He Shi Yue Bu Que clicked his tongue as he listened to the chaos surrounding them.
“Do you think Brother Wuchang can escape?”
“Hard to say.”
Mu Yu shook his head.
“Let’s just pray he makes it out safely.”
At this point…
There was little else they could do besides hope Yin Huaichen could rely on his own abilities.
Still…
One question lingered stubbornly in Mu Yu’s mind.
What exactly was inside that sandalwood box?
Judging from Hu Tianlu’s reaction…
It had to contain something extremely important.
…
Boom!
Another deafening explosion erupted.
The stone wall beside Yin Huaichen was once again pulverized into dust by a blast from Hu Tianlu’s fan.
Broken stones flew everywhere.
A sharp fragment sliced across Yin Huaichen’s cheek, leaving behind a trail of blood.
A burning pain spread across the wound.
Yet Yin Huaichen couldn’t spare even a single thought for it.
Behind him…
Hu Tianlu pursued like the King of Hell himself.
If his reactions slowed by even the slightest fraction…
He would be sent straight back to the city as a corpse.
Not only did he have to evade Hu Tianlu’s relentless attacks…
He also had to avoid the bandits converging from every alley.
Not to mention the occasional arrows streaking toward him from unexpected directions.
Dragon Roaming Steps never stopped moving.
The moment its cooldown ended, he activated it again immediately.
His already limited inner qi drained away like floodwaters released from a broken dam.
As long as he could hold on a little longer…
That was enough.
Ignoring the relentless consumption of his inner qi, Yin Huaichen feigned a turn to the left.
Then, with a sudden twist of his waist, he abruptly shifted right instead.
Hu Tianlu’s fan strike missed once more.
In terms of pure speed…
Yin Huaichen was actually slower than Hu Tianlu.
The problem was…
He was simply too good at running.
He constantly weaved left and right.
Every movement was filled with deceptive feints.
Whenever there was a side path, he darted into it.
Whenever there was cover, he immediately used it.
His entire body slipped through every opening like an eel.
For the time being…
Even Hu Tianlu couldn’t catch him.
A frosty expression spread across the third-rank expert’s face as the fury in his heart intensified even further.
But…
This couldn’t continue forever.
Blade Wind Stronghold was filled with countless bandits.
Sooner or later…
He would inevitably be surrounded.
Most importantly…
Yin Huaichen simply didn’t possess enough inner qi.
Using Dragon Roaming Steps so extravagantly was rapidly emptying his reserves.
Once his inner qi ran dry…
Being caught by Hu Tianlu would only be a matter of moments.
While Yin Huaichen was desperately trying to evade pursuit, a friend request suddenly popped up before his eyes.
[Xiaoxiao Yuxie has sent you a friend request. Accept?]
Xiaoxiao Yuxie?
Yin Huaichen paused for a moment. After thinking it over, he accepted the request.
“The feeling of being hunted down by a third-rank expert isn’t very pleasant, is it?”
The instant the request was accepted, Xiaoxiao Yuxie’s message came through. His voice was that of a young man, deep, pleasant, and carrying a faint trace of teasing amusement.
“They’re being a little too enthusiastic. If you like it so much, why don’t you try it yourself?”
Yin Huaichen curled his lips before asking, “What do you want?”
Surely the other party hadn’t added him just to mock him for a few sentences.
“Let’s make a deal.”
Xiaoxiao Yuxie chuckled.
“How about you hand the item over to me?”
“You can shake off Hu Tianlu’s pursuit?” Yin Huaichen asked in return.
“I naturally have my own methods. Anyway, if you keep running around like this, you’ll be out of inner qi in less than two minutes.”
Xiaoxiao Yuxie continued calmly,
“Instead of dying and losing experience, you might as well give the item to me. At least you’ll keep your life.”
“Oh? I have my own method too.”
Xiaoxiao Yuxie blinked.
“What method?”
“I’m still thinking about it.”
The corner of Xiaoxiao Yuxie’s mouth twitched.
“…”
“Anything else? If not, I’m hanging up. Kind of busy running for my life.”
“Alright, then.”
Xiaoxiao Yuxie quickly changed tactics.
“I’ll help you escape, and we’ll split whatever’s inside the box.”
“How?”
“Seventy-thirty. I take seventy.”
“Ninety-ten.”
Yin Huaichen replied without hesitation.
“I take ninety.”
“…”
“Fine. Sixty-forty?”
“I’m hanging up.”
“Then… fifty-fifty?”
Xiaoxiao Yuxie reluctantly took another step back.
“Tell me what’s inside the box first.”
Seeing an opening, Xiaoxiao Yuxie immediately pressed on.
“I can tell you, but then I get one extra share.”
“Go cool off somewhere else.”
Yin Huaichen ended the call without another word.
On the other end, Xiaoxiao Yuxie stared blankly for a moment, clearly not expecting Yin Huaichen to hang up so decisively.
Hidden atop one of the nearby buildings, he could vaguely make out Yin Huaichen still being chased around like a helpless chick by Hu Tianlu.
He simply couldn’t understand it.
He would rather die to the boss than agree?
Fine.
Then I’ll just pick up the leftovers after you’re dead.
Xiaoxiao Yuxie gave a soft snort, silently making up his mind.
Yin Huaichen naturally had his own plan.
As he dodged Hu Tianlu’s relentless pursuit, he rapidly reconstructed the map in his mind.
If he remembered correctly…
There would be a fork ahead.
That…
would be his opportunity.
Dragon Step!
The moment Dragon Step came off cooldown, Yin Huaichen activated it without hesitation.
The burst of speed instantly widened the distance between them. Twisting his body, he narrowly dodged another gale from Hu Tianlu’s folding fan before diving around the corner.
Just as expected,
Two branching alleys appeared before him.
Making full use of the blind spot created by the corner, Yin Huaichen leaped lightly into the air, landing silently behind the wall beside one of the alley entrances.
The next second, he slowly drew in a breath.
The aura surrounding his body abruptly sank into complete stillness.
Breath Concealment Technique.
The Breath Concealment Technique he had purchased from the Trade Plaza had finally found its chance to shine.
His qi settled into the Yongquan Acupoints, sealed the Triple Burners, gathered at Baihui, and closed the seven apertures.
Besides reducing inner qi consumption, the Breath Concealment Technique possessed another crucial ability,
It placed its user into a state akin to partial hibernation, dramatically lowering their sense of presence.
Almost the instant his aura vanished…
Hu Tianlu rounded the corner.
“Hm?”
Hu Tianlu frowned.
He had suddenly lost all trace of Yin Huaichen’s presence.
Only the faintest remnants of residual qi lingered in the air.
Ahead of him stretched two separate paths.
Unable to determine how Yin Huaichen had managed to disappear, Hu Tianlu contemplated for only a brief instant before waving his hand.
“You lot take the left.”
“Yes!”
Knifewind Stronghold was filled with his men.
As long as a single subordinate found that martial artist, there would be no possibility of escape.
After issuing the order to split up, the bandits rushed toward the left path while Hu Tianlu personally headed down the right.
Separated only by a wall, Yin Huaichen could clearly hear the thunderous footsteps echoing past him.
Suppressing his breathing to the absolute limit with the Breath Concealment Technique, he quietly lifted the sandalwood box beneath the moonlight and examined it carefully.
The entire box was a muted black, its surface engraved with pale patterns that shimmered faintly beneath the silver moonlight.
He tried forcing it open.
It didn’t budge.
Turning it over repeatedly, he quickly realized that the box was protected by a spell restriction.
Well…
Another blind spot in my knowledge.
Yin Huaichen twitched the corner of his mouth.
Still unwilling to give up, he continued inspecting it closely.
Fortunately, the restriction wasn’t particularly complicated.
It consisted of nothing more than a simple dual-layer seal.
Its construction resembled the techniques employed by the Mirage Law Sect, albeit modified and improved.
Breaking it wouldn’t be overly difficult.
Listening to the sounds of the pursuing forces gradually moving farther away, Yin Huaichen slowly infused his inner qi into the restriction.
He was just as curious.
What exactly was inside this box that could make Hu Tianlu so anxious and desperate to recover it?
Not far away, Xiaoxiao Yuxie watched as Yin Huaichen somehow used an unknown technique to completely evade Hu Tianlu’s pursuit.
He immediately grew anxious.
Seriously?
A dignified third-rank expert actually lost track of a mere martial artist?
The moment he saw Yin Huaichen beginning to fiddle with the sandalwood box, Xiaoxiao Yuxie could no longer remain seated.
…
His inner qi cautiously followed the intricate pathways woven throughout the restriction.
Breaking magical seals required extreme precision.
Restrictions like this functioned much like a lock requiring a specific key.
Only by circulating one’s inner qi through the exact designated route could it be opened.
Fortunately, Yin Huaichen cultivated the Formless Everchanging Heart Art.
Its greatest strength lay in its compatibility with virtually every martial art, particularly its ability to control even the slightest fluctuations of inner qi.
For him, this process was relatively simple.
After several careful attempts…
He finally discovered the correct circulation path.
Click.
A crisp, almost inaudible sound echoed from within the box.
The sandalwood box finally opened.
The moment Yin Huaichen saw what lay inside…
He froze for a split second.
Whoosh,
A sharp sound sliced through the air beside his ear.
His instincts exploded into action.
His figure flashed sideways.
A Miao saber crashed down exactly where he had been standing a heartbeat earlier.
It was Xiaoxiao Yuxie.
Meanwhile, Hu Tianlu, who had already pursued some distance away, suddenly frowned.
The farther he advanced…
the weaker the martial artist’s remaining aura became.
Just as suspicion arose in his mind,
A burst of inner qi suddenly erupted from the direction he had just come from.
Hu Tianlu narrowed his eyes.
Without the slightest hesitation, he spun around and shot back at full speed.
Clang!
Yin Huaichen raised his sword, intercepting Xiaoxiao Yuxie’s saber.
Moonlight flowed across the polished blade, illuminating the eyes visible beneath Xiaoxiao Yuxie’s mask.
“So persuasion didn’t work, and now you’ve decided to rob me by force?”
Yin Huaichen’s eyes curved into a smile as he spoke cheerfully.
“Didn’t you rob it too?”
Xiaoxiao Yuxie snorted.
“Whoever gets it keeps it.”
The two immediately clashed within the narrow alley.
The instant Yin Huaichen mobilized his inner qi, the Breath Concealment Technique’s semi-hibernation state was instantly broken.
Almost simultaneously,
Both Yin Huaichen and Xiaoxiao Yuxie sensed Hu Tianlu rapidly approaching from the distance.
The aura of a third-rank expert was overwhelmingly powerful.
Before the man himself had even arrived, the tsunami-like pressure pouring ahead of him was already enough to send danger alarms screaming through their minds.
“Hu Tianlu’s almost here.”
Certain that victory was already within his grasp, Xiaoxiao Yuxie smiled faintly.
“The cooldown on that concealment skill of yours shouldn’t be over yet, right?”
“You can either hand the item over to me and walk away unharmed…”
“…or let Hu Tianlu send you back to the city for free.”
As fellow martial artists, Xiaoxiao Yuxie naturally understood Yin Huaichen’s condition.
After that lengthy chase, his inner qi had to be nearly exhausted.
If Hu Tianlu arrived now, there was absolutely no way Yin Huaichen could survive another round of pursuit.
“You’ve got a point.”
Yin Huaichen nodded.
“Then here.”
With that, he casually tossed the sandalwood box toward Xiaoxiao Yuxie.
Xiaoxiao Yuxie instinctively caught it.
“Huh?”
His face filled with surprise.
He’s giving up just like that?
The next instant, he saw Yin Huaichen raise his hand.
His instincts immediately sounded the alarm.
Whoosh!
A black throwing knife shot past him.
Xiaoxiao Yuxie merely tilted his head slightly, effortlessly avoiding the blade.
The pitch-black knife streaked across the night sky, blending seamlessly into the surrounding darkness before disappearing from sight.
“Your aim is terrible.”
The corners of Xiaoxiao Yuxie’s lips curled upward as he mocked him.
“You should worry about yourself first.”
Yin Huaichen grinned mischievously.
“Remember to let me know you’re still alive.”
As Xiaoxiao Yuxie watched, Yin Huaichen waved lightly before his entire body dissolved into a streak of black ink, vanishing without a trace.
“…?!”
Xiaoxiao Yuxie’s pupils shrank.
He immediately lowered his head toward the sandalwood box in his arms.
Without the restriction sealing it anymore, the lid opened effortlessly.
It was empty.
“Damn it.”
He couldn’t help cursing aloud.
At that exact moment,
The overwhelming pressure of an ocean-like aura surged toward him.
Hu Tianlu’s murderous figure appeared before him.
Clad in spotless white robes, Hu Tianlu could no longer suppress the fury raging inside him.
Having the sandalwood box stolen,
Then being toyed with by an unranked martial artist,
Both humiliations together had pushed his patience far beyond its limit.
Following the disturbance in the inner qi, he had rushed back immediately.
Yet the martial artist who had mocked and deceived him was nowhere to be seen.
Instead,
The person now holding the sandalwood box was the very same masked martial artist who had tried to seize it back in the courtyard.
At the time, numerous people had attempted to steal the box.
To Hu Tianlu, they were all part of the same group.
Seeing Xiaoxiao Yuxie holding the box, he naturally assumed he was Yin Huaichen’s accomplice.
Xiaoxiao Yuxie arrived at the same realization almost instantly.
“Wait, I’m not, “
He instinctively tried to explain.
Unfortunately…
Hu Tianlu, consumed by rage, had no intention of listening.
His folding fan snapped open.
The immense inner qi of a third-rank expert erupted violently.
A hurricane-like blast roared straight toward Xiaoxiao Yuxie.
Wherever it swept across, shattered stones flew into the air, while cracks rapidly spread across the ground beneath it.
…
Within the darkness of the night, the throwing knife sliced through the air as it continued flying forward.
The next instant,
A streak of black ink appeared exactly where the flying knife was.
It instantly condensed back into Yin Huaichen’s figure.
Yin Huaichen raised a hand and caught the still-flying throwing knife, using its momentum to land lightly atop a rooftop with effortless grace.
Heaven never seals off every path.
He lowered his gaze to the blade in his hand, the thought crossing his mind.
The throwing knife was as thin as a cicada’s wing, measuring roughly seven and a half inches long, just slightly longer than the length of his palm. There were no ornate engravings decorating its surface. It was a dull, matte black that reflected no light, and viewed from the side, it resembled a raven’s feather frozen solid.
The instant he had opened the sandalwood box and seen the blade inside…
Yin Huaichen had recognized it.
He knew this throwing knife all too well.
Because in his previous life, he had seen it countless times within the Impermanence Palace. Whenever Yin Yuan wasn’t around, he would secretly sneak it out to play with for a while.
Although…
He had inevitably been beaten soundly by Yin Yuan afterward.
Xuanyu Flying Blade · Flash (Purple): Rare Attribute, Flash Law.
Flash Law: Active Skill. After activation, the user may instantly teleport to the location of the Xuanyu Flying Blade.
Cooldown: Six hours.
Note: This is a special piece of equipment. It cannot be bound to its owner and will automatically drop upon death.
Despite being a Purple-grade item, it possessed only a single attribute.
It didn’t even have the basic core stat that every piece of equipment normally came with.
And yet…
That lone rare attribute alone was more than enough to demonstrate its extraordinary value.
Moreover…
The origin of this throwing knife was anything but ordinary.
It was one of the seven components of the legendary Xuanyu Flying Blades, a weapon renowned throughout the Divine Armament Registry.
There were seven Xuanyu Flying Blades in total.
They had been the proud masterpiece of Grandmaster Li Ye, one of the greatest blacksmiths in history.
Later, during the era of endless turmoil throughout the martial world, the seven blades had been scattered across the land.
By Yin Huaichen’s generation, his master, Yin Yuan, had managed to recover only two of them.
One was this blade,
Flash.
The other was called,
Break.
Both had been preserved within the Impermanence Palace.
The equipment rarity system in Eternal Universe was divided into White, Green, Blue, Purple, Gold, and Red (Peerless).
Although Flash was merely Purple-grade on its own…
According to the game’s settings, if all seven Xuanyu Flying Blades were reunited into a complete set…
They would undoubtedly be Red-grade.
A true Peerless weapon.
No wonder Hu Tianlu had become so furious…
Yin Huaichen’s fingers shifted slightly, and the Xuanyu Flying Blade danced between them like a fluttering butterfly.
If he remembered correctly…
This blade should have been stored safely within the Impermanence Palace.
How had it ended up here?
And how had it fallen into the hands of Knifewind Stronghold?
Second Brother had once told him that Eternal Universe was a virtual world reconstructed by the Central Intelligence from fragmented information left behind by the original world.
Its timeline differed from the era Yin Huaichen had lived through.
This world existed…
One hundred years after his own.
If the Xuanyu Flying Blade had appeared here…
Then…
Did the Impermanence Palace still exist?
At that thought, Yin Huaichen’s heart grew noticeably heavier.
Ever since learning the true origin of Eternal Universe from his second brother, he had secretly held onto a sliver of hope.
If this world had truly been built upon the foundation of the original world…
Then surely the Impermanence Palace should still exist as well.
After all…
The Impermanence Palace had been one of the oldest surviving powers throughout the history of the Four Continents.
It had long been hailed as the Holy Land of Martial Arts.
Even during the most chaotic ages, it had remained standing without ever falling.
A mere hundred years…
Should have meant almost nothing to an existence like the Impermanence Palace.
But now…
He wasn’t so certain anymore.
After a long silence, Yin Huaichen let out a quiet sigh and gently shook his head, forcing those thoughts aside.
There had been two items inside the sandalwood box.
One was the Xuanyu Flying Blade.
The other…
He had never seen before.
Blood Fiend Fragmented Token: Unknown Item.
It was half of a broken command token, roughly the size of a palm.
Its entire surface was blood-red, crisscrossed with countless vein-like patterns.
Yin Huaichen could faintly sense an ominous aura radiating from the fragment.
Although it was merely an inanimate object…
The moment he held it in his hand, it felt strangely alive, as though a beating heart were pulsing within it.
Hiss…
The instant the fragment touched his palm, a searing pain spread through his hand as though it had been burned.
At the same time…
His health bar began steadily dropping.
You are being corrupted by an ominous object.
Yin Huaichen frowned slightly and immediately infused his inner qi into the fragment.
Hidden within it were intricate spell formations.
Judging from their structure, it appeared to be some kind of ritual artifact originating from a demonic sect.
Fortunately…
The Formless Everchanging Heart Art possessed astonishing adaptability and compatibility.
As soon as his cultivation technique began circulating, the Blood Fiend Fragmented Token gradually settled down.
The force corroding his palm also slowly subsided.
Objects like these, which required specialized cultivation methods in order to control…
Were precisely what the Impermanence Palace excelled at.
The Formless Everchanging Heart Art was like an exquisitely crafted master key.
No matter how complicated the lock might be…
It could always adapt.
Had it been anyone else…
They most likely wouldn’t have been able to control it at all.
After suppressing the fragment’s corrosive aura, Yin Huaichen lifted it before his eyes and examined it more closely.
Wait…
For some reason…
It looked strangely familiar.
At the same time, memories surfaced of the skull wind chimes he had seen while traveling toward Knifewind Stronghold.
An ancient name slowly emerged within his mind.
Rakshasa Alliance.
Back in the old era…
Hardly anyone in the martial world hadn’t heard of that name.
Throughout history, countless earth-shaking wars and periods of chaos had all borne their shadow.
Only now, after seeing the fragmented token in his hand, did Yin Huaichen finally remember the name of the alliance that had once spread fear throughout the entire martial world.
Although he still had no idea what relationship the Rakshasa Alliance had with the “Purification Sect” Gu Xingxiu had mentioned…
He had a faint feeling…
This was likely connected to the hidden storyline buried within Knifewind Stronghold.
Just as Mu Yu had said,
For a mere bandit stronghold to contain so many interconnected story quests…
There had to be far more hidden beneath the surface.
Just then, his communicator rang.
Looking down, he saw it was Mu Yu calling.
“How are you?”
Mu Yu’s voice was filled with urgency.
“I heard a huge commotion outside. Are you still being chased?”
“I got away.”
“You escaped?”
Mu Yu froze.
“How did you manage that?”
Being hunted by a third-rank expert and still escaping unharmed…
Mu Yu had already thought highly enough of Yin Huaichen’s abilities.
Now it seemed…
He had underestimated him all over again.
“Ahem…”
Yin Huaichen coughed lightly.
“I found someone else to take the blame.”
“How are things on your side?”
“Most of the bandits went after you, so we’re under almost no pressure now.”
Mu Yu laughed.
“That idiot Fenghuo Lunhui is practically furious. He’s shouting that he’s going to slaughter every last one of us.”
“Heh… Serves him right.”
Even Yin Huaichen felt a little sorry for Fenghuo Lunhui.
After putting in so much effort…
He had ended up making someone else’s wedding dress.
Of course, Yin Huaichen felt absolutely no guilt.
Competition between players had always been like this.
Besides…
The First Sword Frost Guild spent most of its time bullying others anyway.
One could even call this a public service.
“What are you planning to do now?” Yin Huaichen asked.
Mu Yu thought for a moment.
“Since Knifewind Stronghold is in complete chaos right now, we’re taking the opportunity to finish our quest first.”
“What about you?”
Only then did Yin Huaichen remember.
All the chaos had nearly made him forget his own mission.
“I need to finish mine too.”
“I’m heading to the Knifewind Stronghold dungeon to find my quest NPC.”
If he delayed any longer…
There was a good chance the bandits would kill his quest target before he even arrived.
“So you’re not coming with us?”
Mu Yu sounded somewhat disappointed.
Yin Huaichen’s strength had already proven itself beyond question.
Anyone capable of escaping from the hands of a third-rank expert was practically a monster.
With someone like him helping, completing their quest would be effortless.
“I’m still being hunted.”
Yin Huaichen smiled helplessly.
“If you stick with me, you’ll only end up getting dragged into it.”
That wasn’t merely an excuse.
Although he had shifted the blame onto Xiaoxiao Yuxie…
Hu Tianlu wasn’t an idiot.
Sooner or later, he would figure everything out.
If Mu Yu’s team became innocent collateral damage because of him…
That would be troublesome.
Thinking it over, Mu Yu could only sigh.
“Then be careful.”
Before ending the call, Mu Yu sent him a screenshot of Knifewind Stronghold’s map.
With a proper map in hand, navigating the stronghold immediately became much easier.
After discovering that the treasure had been stolen, Hu Tianlu flew into a thunderous rage.
He mobilized bandits from every corner of Knifewind Stronghold, sending them to search for Yin Huaichen throughout the entire fortress.
The patrols along every road became even tighter than before.
Yin Huaichen silently thanked his luck for purchasing the Breath Concealment Technique before entering Knifewind Stronghold.
Originally, he had bought it merely because it increased his maximum inner qi.
Who would have imagined…
Its concealment ability would become the very key to breaking this deadlock?
Without the Breath Concealment Technique…
Hu Tianlu would have caught him long ago.
“Any sign of him?”
“No… We still haven’t found him.”
“What exactly did Third Boss lose? Why is everyone making such a huge fuss?”
“If it’s none of your business, don’t ask.”
“The Third Boss gave the order.”
“Anyone inside the stronghold who’s an outsider, regardless of which sect they’re from, is to be killed on sight.”
“Understood!”
“Search over there again.”
Only after the voices and footsteps gradually faded into the distance did Yin Huaichen deactivate the Breath Concealment Technique.
Slowly poking his head out from the corner, he couldn’t help feeling a little sympathetic toward the other players still inside Knifewind Stronghold.
His team wasn’t the only one infiltrating the stronghold.
There were also numerous elite squads from other guilds, including groups like First Sword Frost.
Originally, the stronghold’s security hadn’t been nearly this strict.
But after he stole Hu Tianlu’s treasure…
The level of vigilance throughout the entire fortress had increased severalfold.
It wasn’t difficult to imagine…
Those other teams still inside were probably having an absolutely miserable time by now.
After confirming there were no nearby guards, Yin Huaichen followed the route marked on the map.
He darted through narrow side paths, turned corner after corner, carefully avoiding every patrol along the way.
At long last…
He arrived outside Knifewind Stronghold’s prison.
The prison entrance was astonishingly well concealed.
From the outside, the area appeared to be nothing more than a barren wasteland.
The true entrance lay hidden inside an abandoned dry well tucked away in one corner.
Without the map…
Yin Huaichen estimated he could have spent quite some time searching for it.
Rather than entering immediately, he leaped onto a nearby tree branch.
Concealing himself beneath the cover of darkness, he waited silently.
After some time…
A figure finally approached from the distance.
It was a bandit carrying a basket filled with food.
Knock.
Knock.
Climbing down into the depths of the dry well, Yin Huaichen found no water below.
Instead, the bottom was solid ground.
He reached out and tapped lightly against the stone wall.
The hollow sound echoed through the passage.
Not long afterward, a suspicious voice came from inside.
“Who’s there?”
“The food delivery.”
Yin Huaichen adjusted the ill-fitting bandit uniform on his body, lowered his voice, and answered.
The stone wall slowly slid open.
The guard inside casually waved him in.
Beyond the wall lay an entirely different world.
A vast underground prison had been excavated beneath the earth.
The dim lighting cast deep shadows throughout the cavern, making the atmosphere feel particularly eerie.
As Yin Huaichen stepped inside, the torchlight illuminated the side of his face.
The guarding bandit paused for a moment.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”
“Something happened inside the stronghold. The Third Boss pulled everyone away, so they shoved me over here to cover the shift temporarily.”
Yin Huaichen shrugged, looking completely at ease.
“Damn it. I was sleeping perfectly fine, and they just had to drag me over for this lousy job.”
“So something really did happen.”
The guard didn’t seem particularly surprised. Instead, realization dawned on his face.
“No wonder the Boss came by earlier and transferred everyone guarding the prison…”
He leaned in curiously.
“Hey, brother, what happened outside?”
Hearing that, Yin Huaichen tilted his head ever so slightly, letting his gaze slip past the bandit’s shoulder and into the prison beyond.
Just as he’d expected.
The place was practically empty.
Aside from the guard standing before him, only two other bandits remained inside, casually sitting around a table playing cards.
“What happened out there?”
The guard looked increasingly curious.
“Come on, tell me.”
Yin Huaichen smiled as he casually walked farther inside.
“It seems the Third Boss had something extremely important stolen by a group of little thieves. Right now, everyone’s searching all over the stronghold trying to find them.”
“…The Third Boss?”
The guard froze.
Hu Tianlu held tremendous prestige within Knifewind Stronghold.
Ordinarily, his subordinates would never address him like that.
They all respectfully called him “Boss Hu.”
The way Yin Huaichen had referred to him immediately planted a seed of suspicion.
“Hold on.”
The guard reached out, blocking Yin Huaichen’s path.
“What is it, Brother?”
Yin Huaichen looked up and blinked innocently with a pair of bright, guileless eyes.
The youth before him looked far too young.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of a bandit’s rough demeanor about him.
The guard became even more suspicious.
“Are you new?”
“Yep.”
Yin Huaichen nodded honestly.
“I just got transferred over from another camp last week.”
The guard rested a hand on the hilt of the saber at his waist before quietly giving a coded phrase.
“When you live with blood on the edge of your blade…”
“…which way does the wind blow?”
The hand hidden behind Yin Huaichen’s back flashed forward.
A streak of sword light flickered.
The concealed strike of Azure Dragon Hidden Within the Sleeve pierced straight through the guard’s throat.
At the same instant, Yin Huaichen’s other hand clamped tightly over the man’s mouth.
With a sharp twist of his wrist,
Crack!
The crisp sound of bones snapping echoed softly.
The bandit’s body instantly went limp.
Yin Huaichen calmly caught him by the shoulder, preventing him from collapsing, before muttering quietly,
“Honestly… why be so curious?”
“What was that?”
The two bandits playing cards heard the disturbance and turned around in confusion.
Yin Huaichen continued supporting the dead guard by the shoulders.
From their angle…
It looked as though the two men simply had their arms around each other’s shoulders while chatting.
Without changing expression, Yin Huaichen called out loudly,
“Nothing, brothers! We’re just catching up.”
“Oh…”
The card-playing bandits immediately lost interest.
“Hurry up.”
“It’s your turn.”
“Don’t rush me.”
“I’m still thinking.”
“You’ve been thinking forever already! Hurry up! What, can’t stand losing?”
“The hell you mean I can’t stand losing!”
The next instant, sword light burst forward from behind them.
One bandit’s chest was instantly pierced clean through.
The other had only just managed to stand before Yin Huaichen’s sword greeted him as well.
The few bandits guarding the prison were only Level Five.
Yin Huaichen, already Level Seven, dispatched them as effortlessly as chopping vegetables.
Thud.
Thud.
The two bodies collapsed one after another.
Yin Huaichen glanced at the cards scattered across the table and clicked his tongue.
“Tsk.”
“You actually hesitated over playing Heaven and Earth Trump?”
“Do you have any sense at all?”
“Why would that move even require thinking?”
After offering his disdainful critique of their card skills, Yin Huaichen crouched down, removed the prison keys from one of the bandits’ waists, and continued inward.
A few steps later, he unlocked the heavy iron gate.
The prison beyond wasn’t particularly large.
Black iron bars divided it into ten separate cells.
Only a handful of prisoners were scattered throughout them.
Hearing the commotion, everyone instinctively looked up.
Seeing only a young man dressed in bandit clothing entering…
They silently lowered their heads again.
Sweeping his gaze around the prison, Yin Huaichen raised his voice.
“Which one of you is Li Mingrui?”
The prisoners stared at one another in confusion.
No one answered.
“Which one is Li Mingrui of the Cangming Sword Sect?”
Yin Huaichen repeated, this time speaking a little louder.
Silence filled the prison.
Only after several moments did someone from a cell tucked away in the corner timidly raise a hand.
“I… I am…”
Yin Huaichen turned toward the voice.
The speaker was a young man dressed in coarse prison clothes.
His face was somewhat dirty, yet his sharp brows and bright eyes gave him an upright, heroic appearance.
Seeing Yin Huaichen look over, the young man shrank back slightly.
“…Is it my turn already?”
The other prisoners immediately cast sympathetic looks toward him.
Walking over to the cell, Yin Huaichen cupped his fists politely with a smile.
“Senior Brother Li, greetings.”
“I’m Yin Wuchang, a newly accepted disciple of the Cangming Sword Sect.”
“Martial Uncle Gu Xingxiu sent me here specifically to rescue you.”
“…Huh?”
Li Mingrui blinked blankly.
He looked completely bewildered.
“Y-you… you’re from the Cangming Sword Sect too?”
“…Junior Brother?”
Bang!
Li Mingrui hadn’t even finished reacting before the other prisoners exploded into action.
Everyone rushed toward the iron bars.
“So you’re from Thousand Mechanism City!”
“Wonderful!”
“I’m a disciple of Taiyun Sect! We’re fellow righteous cultivators too!”
“Little brother, hurry and let us out!”
“I’m from Biguang Sect!”
“Our sect has always been close allies with the Cangming Sword Sect!”
“We’re all on the same side!”
“As expected of the Cangming Sword Sect!”
“Even one of their newest disciples possesses both courage and intelligence!”
“What a remarkable young hero!”
The moment Yin Huaichen revealed his identity, everyone immediately tried to establish connections, hoping he would rescue them as well.
Li Mingrui looked rather nervous.
Carefully, he asked,
“Junior Brother…”
“Did you come alone?”
“Martial Uncle Gu asked me to deliver something to you.”
“I happened to encounter Chi Bantu of Knifewind Stronghold near the Sand Sea. After learning that Senior Brother had been captured, I was worried something might happen to you, so I hurried here without stopping.”
Yin Huaichen explained briefly before turning toward the rest of the prisoners.
“Please don’t worry, everyone.”
“Since I’ve come here, I’ll definitely rescue all of you.”
“We’re all people of Thousand Mechanism City.”
“If fellow disciples are in danger, how could I possibly stand by and do nothing?”
Everyone immediately beamed with delight.
Words of praise echoed throughout the prison.
[You have earned the admiration of disciples from multiple sects. Thousand Mechanism City Reputation +50.]
“However…”
Yin Huaichen suddenly changed the topic.
“I rushed here alone because I was worried about Senior Brother’s safety.”
“Although I managed to overcome countless hardships and finally reach this place…”
“…I did sustain a few injuries along the way.”
The prisoners collectively froze.
Looking at how energetic you are…
You don’t seem injured at all…
“Little brother!”
One prisoner immediately called out.
“I have medicine!”
“I’m from Qingyun Apothecary.”
“Our secret healing medicine can recover even minor injuries in no time.”
“Then I’ll gratefully accept it.”
Yin Huaichen smiled before looking toward everyone else.
“What about the rest of you?”
“Uh…”
Someone nearby scratched his head awkwardly.
“We… don’t have any medicine to give you…”
“Injuries to the body are injuries.”
“Injuries to the heart are injuries too.”
Yin Huaichen curled his lips upward and gently wagged a finger.
“It doesn’t matter what you give.”
“No matter how much, it’s the thought that counts.”
“The kindness and sincerity shared between people…”
“…is the greatest medicine for healing the heart.”
Everyone:
“…”
Only now did it finally dawn on them.
This brat was trying to extort them.
[You have been despised by disciples from multiple sects. Thousand Mechanism City Reputation -40.]
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Cresvynia
[Translator]
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Remember to keep a positive moodChapter 2 · Have fun playing the gameChapter 3 · Skill completion rateChapter 4 · Strange and malevolent creatures roam outside the cityChapter 5 · 90% complete!Chapter 6 · Serving the sect is my dutyChapter 7 · First meetingChapter 8 · Fang LecangChapter 9 · A prestigious and righteous sect!Chapter 10 · Kill Chi BantuChapter 11 · Spoils of warChapter 12 · We’ve made a fortune!Chapter 13 · Thunder and fire extinguish goldChapter 14 · You found it?Chapter 15 · The so called degree of freedomChapter 16 · The secrets of life and deathChapter 17 · A minor leader of the first rank.Chapter 18 · What kind of luck do you have?Chapter 19 · Let’s Do itChapter 20 · The BOSS escapedChapter 21 · “A wound to the heart is also a wound.”Chapter 22 · Good people are always blessed.Chapter 23 · The Old Man of the Valley of BonesChapter 24 · It’s me, young master!Chapter 25 · Take it slow and steadyChapter 26 · The older they get, the stingier they becomeChapter 27 · You know this person tooChapter 28 · I saw Wei Wanzhou againChapter 29 · You’d better keep having this kind of luckChapter 30 · “Password lock” crackedChapter 31 · We’ve come to punish you!Chapter 32 · A boorish country bumpkin who knows no manners.Chapter 33 · You have crossed the lineChapter 34 · Now that we’re here, do you think we can leave?Chapter 35 · A trivial skillChapter 36 · Actually, I was just kiddingChapter 37 · Upgrade mission complete, rating: SSS!Chapter 38 · AwardChapter 39 · I have always been law-abiding and law-abidingChapter 40 · Are you coming back for dinner tonight?Chapter 41 · Purple Lightning Square Seal.Chapter 42 · A money-grubberChapter 43 · BetChapter 44 · Four Continents Chamber of CommerceChapter 45 · This was my third meeting with Wei WanzhouChapter 46 · Oh, you want to hit on me.Chapter 47 · The angry drizzle has stoppedChapter 48 · Thunder SpearChapter 49 · “Are you a devil?”Chapter 50 · The Impermanent Lord!?Chapter 51 · Loot everywhere..Chapter 52 · His identity remains a mystery.Chapter 53 · Why not show yourself?Chapter 54 · He confronted Li Mingrui.Chapter 55 · Auction