Only a month remained until the grand event within the Peak. Recently, Mount Hua’s North Peak had been steeped in busyness and tension.

Mount Hua’s North Peak was essentially composed of three types of people: The Elders, the Ten True Disciples, and the ordinary disciples.

The Peak Competition involved almost everyone. The Elders hoped their disciples would perform well and bring them honor. Of course, among them was Sima Changbai, who sought immense benefit from the competition to secure a spot among the Ten True Disciples for his second grandson.

As for the Ten True Disciples, they were mostly focused on presenting their best selves. Each of the Ten was a figure of intense scrutiny; with so many eyes watching, no one wished to disgrace themselves by performing poorly.

Most ordinary disciples hoped to distinguish themselves, perhaps to be taken in as disciples by an Elder. If one could be accepted by a top Elder, such as one of the Six Sword Immortals of the North Peak, it would be a step straight to the heavens. Then there were ambitious individuals like Sima Hao, intent on seizing a position among the Ten True Disciples.

Essentially, the entirety of Mount Hua’s North Peak was mobilized by this upcoming competition.

A palpable atmosphere of tension and industry settled over the entire North Peak.

The only truly idle ones were the master and disciple residing in Changchun Abode. The Sword of Twilight, Li Yuanbai, had little lifespan left, so few visited him; word was that Sima Changbai, the Sword of the Rising Sun, saw his residence bustling with visitors.

Lu Yuan, due to his inherently lazy nature, only truly connected with his Ninth Junior Brother, Ye Fang, and Tenth Junior Brother, Ye Yuan—they shared a kindred spirit. His relationship with the others was merely cordial. Recently, Ye Fang and Ye Yuan had both been pulled away for intensive training by their respective masters, the Gentleman Sword Fang Ru and the Seamless Sword Ye Rongyang. After all, Ye Fang and Ye Yuan were the latest to join the Ten True Disciples and their strength wasn't exceptional, hovering around Lu Yuan's level. Now, they were naturally summoned for special training by their two martial uncles to avoid embarrassment at the Peak Competition.

Of course, their predicament was nowhere near as dangerous as Lu Yuan’s. Lu Yuan’s master, Li Yuanbai, was nearing the end of his natural life, making Lu Yuan’s own situation precarious. Li Yuanbai was the towering tree, and Lu Yuan was the sapling growing beside it. If the great tree falls, can the small sapling withstand the gale?

Enough digression; to summarize, Lu Yuan was currently very idle.

So idle, in fact, that he was contemplating why, despite his consistently good cooking and voracious appetite, he remained slim and never gained weight—a genuine mystery. That he was pondering such a question demonstrated the depth of his current leisure.

He lay stretched out on a branch, lazily basking in the sun.

He really had nothing pressing to do lately.

Perhaps he should practice his swordplay again.

Although comprehending the Sword Intent of Wind and Cloud for the One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud had rendered further practice of the set somewhat redundant, since he was idle, he might as well indulge. At this moment, he practiced casually, and before long, he naturally began executing the One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud. This set he had practiced for six full years; it was ingrained in his very marrow. With nothing particular on his mind, the movements flowed out automatically.

He began with the first move, "Vast Azure Cloud," executing each stance with precise form and rhythm.

Having already grasped the Sword Intent of Wind and Cloud, the focus was no longer on flashiness, but merely on drilling the sword techniques methodically. Though performed in rigid sequence, these movements directly targeted the true essence of swordsmanship. On the surface, they looked the same as before he grasped the intent, but the underlying reality was vastly different.

As he practiced, Lu Yuan faintly realized that this One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud seemed intrinsically linked to the Cloud Dragon Art he practiced, suggesting that mastering this set might actually propel his Cloud Dragon Cultivation Technique a step forward. Lu Yuan’s intuition proved correct; the Cloud Dragon Cultivation Technique and the One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud were originally a single unit, both created by the Second Generation Ancestor of Mount Hua’s North Peak.

The One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud possessed two great Sword Intents: the Intent of Cloud and the Intent of Wind, which manifested as the set's one hundred and eight exquisitely refined moves. Correspondingly, the Cloud Dragon Cultivation Technique was also built upon the accumulation of Cloud Intent—the Nine Transformations of the Cloud Dragon brought ever-shifting forms, and the power of the Cloud was inherently unpredictable.

These two elements were meant to be one. Normally, combining the Cloud Dragon Cultivation Technique with the One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud resulted in a few extra degrees of power compared to any other pairing. Conversely, if the One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud were mastered to the Great Perfection, it would cause the Cloud Dragon Cultivation Technique to advance. Likewise, if the Cloud Dragon Cultivation Technique reached Great Perfection, it would similarly facilitate progress in the One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud. Otherwise, this accompanying Heart Technique and Sword Art wouldn't merit the title of a matched pair. Among the Five Great Immortal Sects of the Jin Dynasty, there existed similar sets of co-dependent techniques where using both together dramatically amplified power.

Now, Lu Yuan earnestly performed the One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud. Having already grasped the Sword Intent of Wind and Cloud, he perceived the true nature of the set. Practicing it seriously this time naturally stimulated the Cloud Dragon Cultivation Technique within him, causing it to surge and relentlessly pound against existing bottlenecks. Lu Yuan's current magical power resided in the Fourth Stage of the Qi Refining Realm: the Eight Marvelous Meridians. As the Cloud Dragon Cultivation Technique flowed with the movements of the One Hundred and Eight Swords, it continuously shattered one barrier after another.

The sword moves continued to be executed. The spiritual power flowed ceaselessly, breaking through layer after layer of resistance.

Finally, with a sharp crack, the last barrier shattered.

After breaking the final barrier, the spiritual power formed a miniature circulation within his body’s Twelve Primary Meridians and Eight Marvelous Meridians—a cycle commencing only to return again. At this point, even Lu Yuan, dense as he was, understood: he had ascended to the Fifth Stage of the Qi Refining Realm, the Minor Heavenly Cycle, gaining a full level of cultivation.

Certainly, this particular hurdle was notoriously difficult to cross; many fellow disciples were stuck precisely here. Who would have thought he would surge past it so unexpectedly?

Now, his swordsmanship surpassed that of the tenth-generation disciples, having comprehended the Sword Intent of Wind and Cloud. In terms of spiritual power, he had reached the Minor Heavenly Cycle of the Fifth Stage of Qi Refining. Not bad; quite commendable.

If he recalled correctly, among the current Ten True Disciples, the strongest were Senior Brother Yun Yi and Second Senior Brother Yun Ping. These two joined the sect very early, and their spiritual power had reached the Eighth Stage of Qi Refining: the Subtle Veins and Fine Meridians. However, their great strength wasn't due to superior innate talent but simply because they had joined earliest; among the Ten True Disciples, only Yun Yi and Yun Ping were in their forties; the rest were around twenty.

Aside from the two senior brothers, the strongest was likely Third Senior Sister Ling Yuzhu, whose spiritual power was rumored to have reached the Minor Heavenly Cycle of the Fifth Stage of Qi Refining. Beyond her, the others generally remained stuck at the Fourth Stage, the Eight Marvelous Meridians, unable to make further headway.

Advancing from the Eight Marvelous Meridians of the Fourth Stage to the Minor Heavenly Cycle of the Fifth Stage was no easy feat. He hadn't expected to reach this level unintentionally, catching up to Third Senior Sister Ling Yuzhu.

With this breakthrough, there was significantly less cause for worry regarding this Peak Competition.

Martial Uncle Sima Changbai, Sima Hao—bring out whatever tricks you have, I welcome them all. Heh heh, this time, I will surely deliver a stinging retort.

After a moment of contemplation, he resumed his sword practice. It was still the One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud, but this time his spirit flag was low, his gaze vacant. After running through a few sequences, a wave of weariness washed over him. He immediately lay down on the branch fully clothed and drifted off to sleep. Nourishing My Sword returned to its sheath, the scabbard serving as a pillow as he gazed at the sky and thus slowly, languidly, fell asleep. (The recent line repairs have resulted in frequent power outages during the day; electricity only returns around six in the evening. Once dinner is finished and things settle down, it’s this late. Fortunately, I have drafts saved now, so no need to panic. Three chapters tonight.)