"Who’s there?"

Without a second thought, Zhang Xuanfeng whipped his elbow back, striking at whatever was behind him.

He didn’t know when the person had appeared, but he was the Little Madman, after all.

Arrogance and wild pride were etched into his very being.

How could he let himself be put on the back foot for no reason?

But his elbow struck nothing but air.

There was nothing behind him.

’Was that hand on my neck just a fleeting dream?’

He turned back to look at Wu Hui.

Wu Hui hadn’t seen anyone either...

As the two stood there in confusion, the voice spoke again:

"That is not the answer I was looking for."

SQUELCH!

Without any warning, a hand suddenly burst through Zhang Xuanfeng’s chest.

It gripped his still-beating heart, ripping it clean out of his chest cavity.

A spray of fresh blood spattered all over Wu Hui. His pupils contracted violently. With no time to think, he ducked and lunged, appearing at Zhang Xuanfeng’s side in an instant.

He saw an extremely short figure clinging to Zhang Xuanfeng’s back.

One of its hands was plunged through Zhang Xuanfeng’s chest, while the other hung over Zhang Xuanfeng’s shoulder.

Seeing Wu Hui looking, it turned and gave him a wide, toothy grin.

Its teeth were a sickly yellow, its face a mask of insolence.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Wu Hui thrust his Qimei Stick forward.

The space was too tight. Swordsmanship could still be utilized, but he couldn’t bring the full power of his Staff Technique to bear.

He could only rely on moves like jabs and sweeps.

But as the staff descended, the figure, agile as a monkey, used Zhang Xuanfeng’s body like a tree, scrambling from his back around to his chest.

Before Wu Hui could retract his weapon and adjust his stance, a hand shot out from under Zhang Xuanfeng’s armpit, reaching for the Qimei Stick.

Wu Hui snorted coldly. He retracted and thrust his Qimei Stick, jabbing once before sweeping it sideways.

But the man was clinging to Zhang Xuanfeng’s chest, with both arms reaching out from under the armpits. Not only was his vision seemingly unobstructed, but it was as if he had eyes in the back of his head; every one of his moves was exquisitely precise.

Wu Hui, however, was baffled by something.

’That man’s frame is as small as a monkey’s,’ he thought. ’How can his arms reach out from under Zhang Xuanfeng’s armpits and still have such a wide range of motion?’

A sudden thought struck him. ’Bone Shrinking Technique!?’

’But what kind of Bone Shrinking Technique in this world could be so powerful?’

In that moment of hesitation, he saw Zhang Xuanfeng’s body suddenly split open down the middle.

The short figure shot out from inside him. A series of CRACKING sounds, like popping beans, erupted from its body as its right hand rose high. Its frame instantly grew larger, and it brought a palm viciously down.

The attack was sudden and unexpected. Even though Wu Hui had guessed the man was using the Bone Shrinking Technique, he never would have imagined he would burst right through a corpse.

By the time he tried to defend himself, it was already too late.

Just as he was about to be struck dead by the palm, he heard a strange vibration from the empty air.

Before he could even process what was happening, there was a low HUMMM.

A wave of Sword Qi, over a foot wide, shot out from the side, aimed directly at the man before him.

This sword strike was even more sudden. The man clapped his hands together, actually catching the incoming Sword Qi between his bare palms.

The force of the blow, however, still sent him flying backward.

BANG BANG BANG, BANG BANG BANG!!!

The power contained within the Sword Qi seemed endless. It drove the man backward through wall after wall, creating a continuous series of thunderous crashes.

Having escaped death, Wu Hui couldn’t help but peer through the holes in the walls.

Just as he was about to say something, a SWOOSH cut through the air, and a longsword flew out from the opening, landing in someone’s palm.

He turned to see Xiao Ruofeng, dressed in green robes, staring intently at the sword in his hand and murmuring:

"No blood on the blade. He’s not dead...

"Just who in the world was that?"

Wu Hui quickly cupped his fists.

"Thank you for saving my life, Elder Xiao."

Xiao Ruofeng waved his hand dismissively.

"That man is still alive. His methods are so vicious—clearly not the work of someone from the righteous path. I must go see who he is.

"If he’s some demonic cultivator, I’ll just cut him down while I’m at it."

"Sect Leader!!"

A voice called out from behind him, followed by the sound of rushing footsteps.

It was a group of Cangwu Sword Sect disciples.

One of them said:

"Sect Leader... we’ve already been delayed for many hours. Please don’t forget our purpose here."

"Yeah, especially since if you get lost again, we’ll have no idea where to find you."

The disciples all chimed in.

Xiao Ruofeng’s brow furrowed.

"All of you, stop your nonsense. How could I possibly get lost? That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard."

Wu Hui also felt that this was improper.

’How could the great Sect Leader of the Cangwu Sword Sect possibly get lost?’

’How dare the disciples of the Cangwu Sword Sect speak of their Sect Leader like that? Is there no respect for rules and order anymore?’

However, Xiao Ruofeng glanced in the direction the man had fled, but ultimately shook his head.

"But you have a point. We should take care of killing Ye Wucheng first.

"Best not to delay, lest more complications arise..."

With that, he turned and strode off, every step filled with confidence.

Infected by his confidence, Wu Hui hurried to follow.

But he took one look and paused. ’Isn’t this the way we came from?’

He glanced again at Xiao Ruofeng, whose green robes fluttered as he strode with his sword, and mentally slapped himself twice.

’How could I possibly distrust Sect Leader Xiao?’

’This place is full of traps and confusing paths. It’s entirely possible that the path Sect Leader Xiao is taking is the correct one. As for me... if I had found the right way, would I still be trapped here after all this time?’

"Sect Leader, this way."

A Cangwu Sword Sect disciple suddenly called out from behind them.

Wu Hui froze. ’Why are they shouting again?’

Back when he was at the Nianhua Zen Temple, although he hadn’t yet had the chance to participate in the tournament of the Seven Sects, he had interacted with people from the Cangwu Sword Sect before. They had never been this disrespectful of decorum.