The large contingent of people soon reached the very end of the first level of the mining area. To be honest, the zombies inside the mine posed no threat to us at all; even bare-handed, I could take down several with a single move. Perhaps this was what they called overconfidence born of superior skill.

All along the way, Yan Luo kept trying to find clues around the corners of walls or near abandoned mine headframes, but judging by the look of deep frustration on her face, she must have found nothing.

My own objective was much clearer: reach the eastern part of the mining area first. I had roughly marked the zone on the map where that particular zombie, the one I recalled from my past life in Legend, used to appear.

Yan Luo found my clearly defined goal quite unbelievable, yet she didn't press me on why I was so insistent.

By noon, we finally arrived at the eastern sector of the mining zone. However, after scrambling around the entire afternoon, we still hadn't found anything. We circled the eastern area several times without sighting the Earth Zombie clad in a kasaya that I remembered from Legend.

"Are you absolutely sure it’s around here?" Yan Luo sounded a bit deflated.

"Maybe," I admitted. I wasn't entirely confident myself, but despite her complaints, Yan Luo showed no sign of giving up.

"You do make a valid point," Yan Luo conceded.

Thinking about it carefully, it wasn't hard to understand. If there were a secret door nearby, it should have been discovered long ago. After all, this was a mine; people constantly dug along the walls for ore. If a hidden entrance existed in some corner, after so many people had mined there, it was impossible for no one to have found it. Conversely, the ground was easily overlooked—a blind spot.

"But why are you so certain it's in this area?" Yan Luo finally couldn't help but ask.

"I heard someone mention it," I lied smoothly. "Someone claimed to have seen the undead form of a deceased Saint Word Monk around here. They said this zombie monk dug its way up from the earth." I continued, "According to the records in the Chronicles of Mara, over three thousand years ago, all the Saint Word Monks were massacred and buried in some subterranean palace within the mining area. I think this must be the current Hall of the Corpse King."

"Wow, that's incredible," Yan Luo stared at me, astonished. "Now that you mention it, it’s entirely possible. We’ve checked every corner of the mining area, and we haven't found any hidden chambers or underground palaces. If that Saint Word Monk zombie truly emerged from the ground, it likely originated from the Hall of the Corpse King."

"That’s why I said we must keep watch here!"

...................

Just as Yan Luo and I were starting to get bored, we suddenly heard sounds of clamor and panic erupting all around us.

"Run! Run!"

"Shabak is killing people!"

"Boom, crash!" Immediately following, a world-shattering explosion roared, causing the entire ground to shake violently.

"Ah! It's a Magic Grand Explosion!" Yan Luo exclaimed, startled.

Innumerable stones, large and small, along with dust and debris, rained down from the ceiling of the mine, shrouding the surroundings in a thick, hazy grey. Occasionally, a few fist-sized rocks struck Yan Luo and me. Fortunately, neither of us was weak. Yan Luo gave up concealing her identity and immediately erected a Magic Shield, while I activated my Protective Battle Aura.

After a while, the violent rumbling and shaking finally subsided. Soon, a crowd of people rushed toward us—the young Rangers who had entered the mine with us earlier, their faces etched with panic.

"Run! Those people outside are just slaughtering everyone indiscriminately!"

"Damn it, it’s Shabak!" Yan Luo was furious. "They dare cause trouble in Bijie."

"Shabak is conducting business here; the irrelevant must leave immediately," a muffled thunderous roar commanded. "Otherwise, show no mercy."

Following the direction of the voice, I saw a skirmish involving a dozen figures near the exit. Most people scattered in fear, but Yan Luo gasped in shock.

"This is too much! I’ll fight you bastards to the death!"

What! It was Big Fool Niu, Golden Ox! I was utterly shocked.

At that moment, Golden Ox was surrounded by several high-level Warriors; his situation was dire.

"Let's see where you run this time," the leading, burly Warrior snarled fiercely. "Attack together! Kill him first!" Several Judgments and Infernos immediately struck toward Golden Ox.

"Roar!" Cornered, Golden Ox let out a fierce roar and stopped retreating. He violently swung his Judgment, unleashing a massive crescent-shaped wave of Battle Aura in all directions, clearly intending a mutual annihilation.

Crash! Crash! Crash! Three men were instantly struck by Golden Ox’s mace, and the others were knocked back by his reckless fighting style. However, Golden Ox also took two heavy blows. Fortunately, he was wearing God of War Armor and had a robust Protective Battle Aura, allowing him to narrowly block the hits. Even so, he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood; serious injury seemed inevitable.

"Quick, save him!" At that moment, Yan Luo and I could no longer afford to hide our identities. Golden Ox and I shared a bond forged in life-and-death situations, and the Divine Moon Palace and Twin Moon Palace were closely allied; there was no reason to stand by and watch him die.

Roar! With a fierce yell, I had already drawn my Hundred Battles Longblade and plunged into the fray. Yan Luo’s Ice Roar followed closely behind and struck first. To describe the sheer power of Yan Luo's magic as terrifying would be an understatement. The whistling Ice Roar slammed fiercely into the Warriors surrounding Golden Ox, exploding like a landmine. Several were thrown far away, crashing to the ground, their fate unknown. This sudden turn of events greatly surprised those attacking Golden Ox.

But what surprised them further was yet to come. As Yan Luo’s magic struck, I rapidly closed in on the battle. With my Hundred Battles Longblade, I executed a Sweeping a Thousand Troops. Years of monster-slaying practice had ingrained the habit of aiming the blade toward the opponent's neck. Coupled with my speed, several Warriors who luckily escaped the Ice Roar attack didn't even have time to react before I cleanly sliced off their heads with one stroke.

Slash, slash!

Dazzling white light traced columns of blood spraying toward the sky; several heads rolled onto the ground without warning.

"Ah! Xingchen!" Golden Ox instantly recognized my sword style and his spirit soared.

"Are you alright?"

"Not dead yet."

"Roar! Who are you people?" the leading brute roared. "How dare you ruin the business of my Shabak!" His tower-like figure lunged toward me like an overloaded semi-truck hitting full throttle. The others simultaneously charged toward Yan Luo.

"What Shabak, Bird-bak? Anyone who dares hurt my brother must die!" My body exploded forward, and the Hundred Battles Longblade flashed out like lightning, aiming directly for the brute’s throat.

Clang! A resounding thud echoed. My hands felt instantly numb. My Hundred Battles Longblade had met the brute’s Judgment head-on.

"Be careful! His Battle Aura is strong!" Golden Ox warned anxiously.

Whoosh! Almost simultaneously, a heavy mace shadow, charged with a fierce, tragic Battle Aura, descended upon my head.

Damn it, this guy has some skill. His Strength Aura and speed are both decent.

But trying to hurt me? Not yet. As the Hundred Battles Longblade was squarely blocked by his Judgment, I used the powerful impact to launch myself backward.

Bang! The unstoppable attack only struck the afterimage I had conjured. Yet, even so, the shockwave generated by the potent Battle Aura striking the ground sent me reeling ungracefully. I was currently wearing a lightweight Magic Robe, which offered little defensive value. The fierce Battle Aura shockwave battered my body relentlessly.

Even with my Protective Battle Aura active, I felt pain like being carved by a knife.

Hmph! Seizing the moment when the brute's attack missed, I lunged forward again. The Hundred Battles Longblade sliced toward his throat like lightning once more.

Roar! The brute reacted quickly, taking a quick step back while raising his mace to guard his throat. It seemed my previous decapitations had instilled a sense of caution in him. He subconsciously protected his vital area.

Unfortunately, my target had changed this time.

Whoosh! Halfway through its arc, the Hundred Battles Longblade suddenly changed direction, carving a strange curve in the air.

Then, thwack! A dull sound was followed by a gray object flying far away, accompanied by a misty spray of blood.

Ah! With a heart-wrenching scream, the large man collapsed in agony. I had cleanly severed his entire thigh.

"Roar!" As he fell, the brute knew he couldn't survive. He violently hurled the Judgment mace at my waist, but I easily evaded it. Then, I casually swept my blade, taking his head.

On the other side, Yan Luo had also finished off the Warriors attacking her. What was the point of being at the peak of the High-Level tier against the likes of her and me? In the blink of an eye, over a dozen had fallen to Yan Luo and me. Only three remained, trembling with fear, not even daring to attempt an escape. Yan Luo and I stood on opposite sides, completely blocking their retreat.

Just as we were about to finish them off—

Whoosh! Whoosh! Two sharp whistling sounds pierced the air, arriving at our chests in an instant.

Ah! So fast! A scorching breath containing astonishing Battle Aura energy. I never imagined anyone could condense the power of outward-projected Battle Aura to this degree. What was even more terrifying was the speed, which offered absolutely no chance to react. Yet, the scorching breath carried an indescribably cold and tragic killing intent.

Roar! Almost instinctively, in that split second of electric light and flint, the Hundred Battles Longblade flashed out. The Protective Battle Aura within my body was instantly pushed to its maximum state.

Bang! Bang!!

Two thunderous impacts met the two sharp streams of energy, which were precisely intercepted by the Battle Aura contained within my Hundred Battles Longblade. However, the hands gripping the blade vibrated intensely. I could distinctly feel the crisp sound of bone friction caused by the powerful Battle Aura impact. My entire body felt nearly paralyzed—such terrifying force.

"Huh?" A surprised exclamation sounded as swift footsteps rapidly approached. That icy killing intent, like snowflakes in deep winter, made me feel as if I had fallen into an ice cellar, my scalp tingling with dread. Almost as soon as I blocked those two streams of Battle Aura, two more piercing, whistling sounds tore through the air.

Stronger than before, these Battle Aura swords arrived like lightning.

So fast! I didn't even have time to determine the enemy’s position. I could only desperately use my Quick Step to sidestep. Whoosh! The two sword lights grazed past my waist, but I felt no relief, as two more sharp whistling vibrations immediately followed, enveloping me in scorching heat.

Hmph! As my body retreated, I abruptly sank low—it was the Iron Bridge Plank maneuver I used previously to evade Chi Yan's attack. The two Battle Aura arrows shot past my upturned chest, flying far into the distance.

Boom! Boom!

The missed Battle Aura arrows blasted two large holes into the solid wall.

Only then did I manage to adjust my stance, stop my movement, and finally identify the enemies attacking me.

He wore standard ZUMA Set equipment. His weapon was not a Judgment, commonly used by Red Moon Warriors, but a standard Freezing Frost Sword. He wore no helmet; his long, brown hair hung loosely behind him, complementing his chiseled, sharp features, giving him an air of wild, unrestrained freedom. He appeared to be around twenty-eight or twenty-nine, but he exuded a soul-shaking, sharp killing intent, like a demon descended from the heavens. Behind him followed a Warrior, a Mage, and a Taoist, all similarly equipped with standard ZUMA gear—Red Moon experts. It was clear they were also extraordinarily powerful masters.

A top-tier master; this was definitely a battle-hardened pinnacle expert. That palpable, sharp murderous aura was something only those who had killed countless people possessed—no less intense than Lu Zhao’s. I instinctively glanced at Yan Luo, only to see her face turn ashen, scrutinizing this newly arrived youth with grim intensity.

"Huayu," Yan Luo almost ground out the two words from between her teeth. Clearly, Yan Luo and this person named Huayu shared some deep, mutual hatred.

"Young Master!" The three men we had cornered instantly cried out in jubilation.

"Who are you people?" The newcomer stopped about ten meters in front of me. My successful evasion of his two Battle Aura attacks seemed to have surprised him as well, and now he regarded me with an equally serious expression.

"Hey! I say, you’re being pretty dishonorable, ambushing people from behind—what kind of hero does that make you?" At this moment, Golden Ox had managed to stand beside Yan Luo. It seemed his injuries had somewhat improved, which was a relief to me.

"Waste no more words! Hand over the map, and we’ll spare your life!" one of the three former Warriors instantly became arrogant, the previous look of fear completely gone.

What map? Yan Luo and I exchanged confused glances, instinctively looking toward Golden Ox. But we both understood that this wasn't the time to investigate that; the priority was figuring out how to escape.

"Hmph! The map is on me. Come and take it if you have the guts."

"Moke, you two handle those two!" The young man named Huayu kept his eyes fixed on me, seemingly deep in thought.

"Yes!" The Taoist, Warrior, and Mage behind him immediately moved to surround Yan Luo, while I dared not move an inch, forced to watch them block off both ends of the passage.

"I recognize you," Huayu stared at my Hundred Battles Longblade. "The world says your blade is fast, but your sword is even faster."

"..............." I was slightly stunned. To be seen through so quickly—who exactly was this person? The Young Master of Shabak?

"Let me witness your swift sword! Blue Lightning!" Huayu's brown pupils gradually narrowed, contracting like a viper fixing its gaze on prey, radiating an aura of wildness and coldness.

Although I didn't know his identity, I was certain he wasn't some nobody. It was just that during my cultivation period in the outside world, I spent most of my time leveling up in the Centipede Cave, so I wasn't well-informed about external affairs. However, just the title of Shabak Young Master was enough to fill me with dread.

Ugh! Blue Lightning—what a cliché name. I wonder who gave me that moniker.

"Xing, be careful! He is the Fourth Swift Sword, the Huayu Sword, Longyuan Huayu!" Yan Luo warned anxiously.

What? The Fourth Swift Sword? At that moment, I suddenly remembered the seven top Swift Sword Masters of the Mara world that Yan Luo had just introduced to me yesterday. I never expected to run into one today.

Not daring to be careless, I drew my Fencing Sword and inserted the Hundred Battles Longblade back into the spatial pouch on my back.

The three Red Moon experts surrounding us didn't seem eager to attack immediately. Instead, they watched with interest as Yan Luo and Huayu faced off. It was clear they were quite entertained by this duel.

"Xing!" Huayu looked enlightened. "So your name is Xing. I didn't expect the Seventh Swift Sword to be so young."

Xing! I was momentarily confused, but quickly understood. Yan Luo and I were currently using the names Lan Xing and Lan Yue. Yan Luo calling me Xing was not wrong. Clearly, he hadn't recognized Yan Luo’s identity and still considered her just an ordinary Red Moon expert.

But none of that mattered now; defeating the opponent before me was the crucial thing.

The current Huayu stood quietly, like a towering mountain, without a single flaw in his posture. For a moment, I didn't know where to begin. However, I adopted the standard fencing stance, keeping my body as relaxed as possible, moving irregularly—forward, back, left, and right—like a balloon filled with air, light and agile.

Huayu's eyes brightened; he seemed highly intrigued by my peculiar footwork.

This was the first time I displayed my fencing footwork and movement in front of an enemy. I knew well that facing an opponent like Huayu, holding anything back or concealing skills would be courting death. I had to give it my all now.

"Interesting!" Huayu suddenly moved. A faint, bright afterimage flashed through the void, and a snow-white edge stabbed toward my throat at the most terrifying speed, stopping just three inches short.

Ah! So fast! Instinctively, I used Quick Step to retreat, my body drifting five or six meters in that flash of light. But that deadly Freezing Frost Sword chased after me like a phantom, stabbing down toward my chest, abdomen, face, and throat—one sword strike aimed at each vital spot.

Swish, swish, swish, swish! The four lightning-fast strikes shocked me. This attack method was exactly similar to my "One Sword, Three Lines," but the opponent was clearly superior—he had manifested four swords from one, and the speed was astonishingly fast. Besides retreating rapidly, I couldn't conceive of any way to resist. Facing such astonishing sword speed and frequency, any attempt to block was futile. This was my understanding of Swift Swordsmanship.

Whoosh! Whoosh! At this point, I had retreated over thirty meters in one continuous sequence. But Huayu’s swift sword attacks were like the ceaseless, rolling waves of the Yangtze River, unbroken and without pause. What was even more terrifying was that these sword shadows were not only continuous and relentless but also frighteningly fast, and every single strike targeted my vital points. For a moment, I felt like I was trapped in a violent storm. It was hard to imagine what kind of sustained breath and powerful physique were required to maintain such a high-frequency striking speed for so long. Fortunately, in training with Brother Tian Long in my previous life, I had grown accustomed to dealing with Swift Sword attacks. My body managed to miraculously evade one sword strike after another in the blink of an eye. The furious barrage of swift attacks lasted a full ten seconds, but no one could count how many swords Huayu had thrust during those ten seconds.

Swish, swish! Finally, as I retreated to the fortieth meter mark, Huayu's offensive showed a slight hesitation.

Roar! And this was the moment I waited for. Amidst the countless sword shadows, a sliver of emptiness appeared—the only weak point Huayu currently possessed.

Whoosh! The Fencing Sword shot out instantly.

Ah! Clink! A crisp sound rang out—it was Huayu's Freezing Frost Sword, which had snapped back to guard his chest in that instant.

Ding! With just a slight flick, the inherent suppleness and elasticity of the Fencing Sword performed a miracle. As it was deflected, I instinctively flicked my wrist, and the blade of the Fencing Sword miraculously straightened again, its speed undiminished, aiming directly for Huayu’s throat. It was as if the blade Huayu had blocked was merely the sword's afterimage.

This sudden change caught Huayu completely off guard; he didn't have time to raise his sword to parry again. But what an incredible reaction Huayu had! Just as he was about to be struck, he side-stepped sharply to the left, narrowly avoiding the sword’s edge. However, my next thrust instantly sealed off his leftward retreat. At this point, it was as if he were presenting his own throat to my blade. This was the optimal dead angle deduction derived from the terrifying mathematical calculations inherent in fencing. My first thrust had deliberately skewed slightly to his right. Under these circumstances, Huayu would naturally choose to move left, backward, or downward to evade, as this minimized the distance needed to escape the fencing attack. But this path played right into my trap. My subsequent two thrusts were aimed precisely at these evasion angles, meaning that no matter which direction he chose to dodge, he would be locked down by my follow-up combo.

Actually, the angle of my One Sword Three Lines is far more subtle and piercing than Huayu's fast swordplay. If Huayu’s quick sword is like a heavy machine gun sweeping in a torrential downpour, destroying the opponent with astonishing frequency and speed, then my fencing sabre is more like a sniper rifle, specializing in precision and powerful penetration, built for a single, fatal strike. Although I cannot sustain rapid attacks like Huayu, in fact, my strongest One Sword Three Lines takes less than 0.3 seconds to execute, those 0.3 seconds are the razor's edge between destiny and death.

Perhaps over the span of a full second, my rate of attack cannot match Huayu’s, but within that crucial 0.3 seconds, Huayu's drawing speed is absolutely slower than mine—this is a difference of quality versus mere quantity.

Whoosh! The second sword, thrust out like lightning, aimed once again for his throat—his vital point.

Roar! With nowhere left to retreat, Huayu bellowed in desperation, contorting his body sideways in a life-or-death maneuver, his protective Dou Qi surging to the surface.

Clang! It was like striking a solid slab of steel. My sabre slammed against the plate armor covering Huayu’s collarbone. The blade, already infused with Dou Qi, bent into a distinct arc before being violently repelled.

What formidable protective Dou Qi. Taking advantage of that brief moment of recoil, Huayu had already sprung back three meters.

"Such a fast sword!" Huayu stared at me, his face etched with disbelief, examining me as if I were some kind of monster. "Your blade… it couldn't penetrate. " The incredible elasticity displayed by my sabre had clearly left him shaken. This completely shattered his understanding of combat, because even though he managed to block my first strike, he still couldn't halt the momentum of the attack.

"Hmph! What a hard shell," I muttered instinctively. If his protective Dou Qi hadn't been so overwhelmingly potent on that final strike, my sabre would have pierced right through him. Even now, where I made contact with his War God Armor, a small, finger-sized puncture mark was visible.

The first exchange seemed to lean in my favor.

"What hard shell?" Huayu blinked in confusion but quickly caught on, realizing that aside from a tortoise, what else in this world wears a natural shell: "Insolent! How dare you slander me."

"It's the truth, don't deny it," I pressed maliciously. "So, you can't hit me, and I can't pierce you. How about we call it a draw?"

The others nearby were completely bewildered by my suggestion. In truth, those three flashes of lightning-fast swordsmanship were invisible to anyone but Huayu himself. To them, it looked as if Huayu had unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes upon me, only to be forced back by a single sword from my side. On the surface, I clearly held the advantage, so why suddenly propose a truce?

But both Huayu and I knew the unspoken truth: when masters clash, the true capability is immediately apparent. Given the strengths displayed just moments ago, neither of us could decisively overcome the other. Huayu's fast sword was astonishingly swift; against anyone else, no one could possibly withstand his barrage. It was simply bad luck for him to face me, someone whose mastery lay in footwork and speed, and more importantly, the person in the world most adept at countering rapid sword techniques.