Chapter 14: Robbing a Thief!

A flash of sword light, a roar of thunder.

In an instant, Zhao Xuhe's head was severed by the sword light. However, before his head could even hit the ground, his body abruptly exploded, turning into a heap of scattered bones.

"I wonder which fellow sect member is waiting for me here."

After the bones shattered, a wisp of Yin energy flew out, eventually reforming into Zhao Xuhe's likeness a hundred meters away, his face still bearing traces of panic.

Yet, before he could finish his sentence, the sword light arrived like a shadow.

*Swish—!*

In the next second, Zhao Xuhe's head soared into the sky once more, only to transform into a sky full of bones. The Yin energy retreated another hundred meters, manifesting his figure once again.

"I—"

*Rumble.*

"You—"

*Crack!*

"Enough!"

Dozens of sword lights filled the space. After killing Zhao Xuhe more than ten times in succession, he finally managed to regroup and seize an opportunity to dodge the sword light.

Though it was only for a brief moment, Zhao Xuhe grasped it with precision. He flung his wide sleeves, causing a rolling cloud of blood-colored dust to erupt instantly, shielding his entire body in the center. He then swallowed several medicinal pills in rapid succession to recover his injuries and true qi before finally diverting his attention to look in all directions.

"Lü Yang, it's you!"

Zhao Xuhe's eyes burned like torches; he recognized at a glance that the sword light that had killed him over a dozen times was the *Divine Firmament Sword Control Technique*, and immediately called out Lü Yang's identity.

Even so, his heart was filled with unspeakable shock.

He had experienced the power of that sword light firsthand; it was not something a Qi Refinement practitioner in the early stages could achieve. In just a few short days, Lü Yang had actually reached the middle stage of Qi Refinement.

"This person must possess a great opportunity!"

Thinking this, Zhao Xuhe suppressed his anger, replaced by an inexplicable joy: "Good, good, good! Today is truly a day of double blessings. I shall take this opportunity for myself!"

Outside the Maze Formation, Lü Yang's expression was solemn.

"This is truly troublesome..."

He believed he had been ruthless enough, yet Zhao Xuhe had still managed to grasp a sliver of life and avoid being killed by a single combo.

He had even had his identity exposed.

However, with the Maze Formation confusing the surroundings and his true body hidden in the shadows, using only his flying sword for long-range attacks, he still held a slight advantage in a real fight.

At the same time, Zhao Xuhe had also discovered the presence of the Maze Formation. Although it was merely a crude trapping formation that he could easily break with a little time to deduce its patterns, Lü Yang's interference, combined with the fact that his true qi was currently at only fifty percent of its peak, left him momentarily helpless.

Thinking this, Zhao Xuhe's eyes darted around, and he suddenly spoke

"Brother Lü, if you think about it, you and I don't actually have any enmity..."

"Go!"

Taking advantage of his enemy's weakness to strike a killing blow, Lü Yang certainly had no intention of reminiscing with Zhao Xuhe or giving him a chance to heal. He immediately performed a sword seal and continued his assault.

"Tsk! Refusing the easy way and choosing the hard way!"

Seeing this, Zhao Xuhe's gaze turned cold. He abandoned the idea of stalling and instead performed a hand seal, summoning a metallic imperial seal into mid-air.

This object was called the "Primordial Magnetic Gold Seal." It could attract all metallic objects in the world and was a specialized counter to flying swords. It was Zhao Xuhe's ultimate secret treasure, intended for use against the disciples of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion during the future Great War between Righteous and Demonic paths. Now, however, he brought it out early to suppress Lü Yang's sword light.

"Settle!"

Zhao Xuhe drove the precious seal, accurately catching a descending streak of sword light. As the seal descended, it instantly subdued the sword light, making it impossible to move or shift.

Lü Yang's expression, however, remained unchanged.

He was still at his peak, while Zhao Xuhe was at his lowest ebb. This kind of war of attrition regarding true qi actually favored him, so he was not panicked at all.

"My greatest advantage right now is hiding in the shadows. With the formation masking me, Zhao Xuhe cannot find my location. Even if he has some method to turn the tide, as long as I don't show myself, it will be useless. As long as I keep consuming him, the winner will surely be me."

Thus, Lü Yang made up his mind: I will not show myself.

Flying swords? I don't need them!

In any case, you won't be able to refine my flying sword for a while, and you'll have to waste true qi to suppress it. That suits me perfectly. Let's see how long you can last!

*Rumble!*

Standing outside the formation, Lü Yang circulated his true qi. A misty white vapor drifted from his crown, transforming into a massive hand several yards wide that slammed into the formation from above.

This technique wasn't particularly powerful; it was purely a display of overwhelming force.

Zhao Xuhe's face darkened instantly, knowing his scheme had been seen through by Lü Yang.

"You dog!"

Zhao Xuhe couldn't help but curse inwardly. Even though they were both in the middle stage of Qi Refinement, the other was so cautious that it made it impossible for him to turn the tables.

Although he still had enough strength to fight to the death, even if he killed Lü Yang, he himself would struggle to survive. How could Zhao Xuhe, who had finally obtained a great opportunity, be willing to accept such an outcome?

Seeing his true qi being depleted more and more, Zhao Xuhe finally lost his patience and shouted loudly: "...Brother Lü, do you know what opportunity I have obtained here on Dragon Spiral Island? A third-grade true cultivation technique that leads directly to the Great Dao of the Golden Core! If Brother Lü stops now, I am willing to share the technique with you!"

"A third-grade true technique?"

Outside the Maze Formation, Lü Yang suddenly stood up. True qi was divided into nine ranks and thirty-six stages; below the seventh rank, there was no path to Foundation Establishment, and below the third rank, there was no door to the Golden Core.

And now, Zhao Xuhe was actually offering a technique that could allow one to refine third-grade true qi, offering hope for the Golden Core in the future!

What a massive opportunity!

"No, wait..."

Lü Yang took a deep breath, suppressed his greed, and sat back down. "This person is offering heavy rewards to lure me out. If I go out, I'll fall into a trap."

"How about it? Brother Lü, can we make peace?"

Inside the Maze Formation, Zhao Xuhe continued to attempt persuasion, only to hear a voice suddenly echoing from all directions: "Fool! Even if I kill you, the technique will still be mine!"

"Brother Lü, you are mistaken." Zhao Xuhe shook his head and smiled. "They say opportunity is predestined. This third-grade technique is an opportunity I obtained through three lifetimes of bitter cultivation and exchanged for merit. You have no fate with it. Even if you kill me, the technique will simply fly away; it will not belong to you."

"What?"

Lü Yang was momentarily stunned, and his expression became unpredictable. Predestined opportunity? No fate with the technique? Even if obtained, it would automatically fly away?

But Lü Yang quickly reacted, sneering, "In that case, why should I make peace with you for the sake of this technique?"

Zhao Xuhe hurriedly explained, "Brother Lü, you originally had no fate with the technique, but if I take the initiative to share it with you, then 'no fate' becomes 'destined'."

"...Fine."

After a moment of silence, Lü Yang said, "Let me transcribe a copy of the technique, and then I will let you out."

"It's a deal." Zhao Xuhe agreed decisively. He then took out a jade box and opened it, revealing two volumes of Daoist texts inside.

"The upper volume, *The Nine Transformations Dragon Ascension Art*, is a Qi Refinement stage technique. It can refine a 'True Dragon Malice,' making one's combat power peerless within the same realm. The lower volume, *The Myriad Chariot Dragon-Governing Ascension Scroll*, is a Foundation Establishment stage technique. It can refine the 'Myriad Chariot Dragon-Governing' foundation, offering hope for the Great Dao of the Golden Core in the future."

After introducing the techniques, Zhao Xuhe suddenly changed his tone

"However, Brother Lü, I am currently injured and my true qi is weak. If I give you the technique like this, what if you turn on me and break your promise?"

"...That is simple."

Lü Yang's eyes darted around as he proactively suggested, "You can give me the *Myriad Chariot Dragon-Governing Ascension Scroll* first, and keep the *Nine Transformations Dragon Ascension Art* for yourself."

"I am only in the Qi Refinement stage right now; even if I have a Foundation Establishment technique, I cannot practice it. You don't need to worry about me turning on you and taking your life." At this point, Lü Yang's face was filled with sincerity. "Once I let you out, you can give me the *Nine Transformations Dragon Ascension Art*. How about it?"

Zhao Xuhe thought about it and felt that Lü Yang's reasoning was sound.

"It's a deal!"

Zhao Xuhe took the *Myriad Chariot Dragon-Governing Ascension Scroll* out of the jade box. Lü Yang, still refusing to show himself, condensed a massive hand of true qi to grab it from a distance.

Seeing this, Zhao Xuhe could only sigh inwardly, suppressing his last shred of doubt, and obediently handed the technique to Lü Yang.

Lü Yang took the technique, memorizing every word and sentence in his heart, and then grinned.

"Goodbye!"

In the next second, Lü Yang sank his qi into his dantian and directly activated the *Life-Ending Curse*, violently self-detonating!

*BOOM!*

A moment later, the swirling dust dissipated, revealing Zhao Xuhe's face, which was filled with utter bewilderment.

"My technique... is gone?"

Why self-detonate?

Self-detonation is one thing, but why did he wait until after receiving the technique to do it? He hadn't even had the chance to look at the technique himself!

"Lü Yang..."

Standing in the wind, watching the *Myriad Chariot Dragon-Governing Ascension Scroll* turn into flying ash, Zhao Xuhe muttered Lü Yang's name, his expression gradually twisting

"You beast!"