The scarlet sun bathed the mountains and rivers in crimson light. The North Peak Cloud Valley, too, lay under the glow of the setting sun.

At this moment, the regular disciples were on the verge of losing control. Lu Yuan, usually low-key and ranked last among the Ten Direct Disciples, had performed astonishingly well this time.

He defeated Situ Zuo in twenty moves. He defeated Situ You in ten moves.

He defeated Sima Wen in five moves. He defeated Sima Huo in two moves.

He defeated Sima Hao in one move. Twenty moves, ten moves, five moves, two moves, one move—there was a clear pattern.

At this point, someone shouted, "It hasn't even been the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn!" The ordinary disciples immediately recalled what Lu Yuan had said at the very beginning: "Fine, Situ Zuo, Situ You, Sima Wen, Sima Huo, Sima Hao—you five, it's not impossible for me to instruct you. Sigh, defeating the five of you can’t be too easy; it’ll require some effort.

Sigh, I'll try to finish within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. After I finish, I can go back to sleep; I didn't sleep well last night." Indeed, only a tiny remnant of the incense stick was still burning, just as he had promised.

The place was in an uproar; it was truly, thoroughly boiling over. Lu Yuan's brilliant performance sent the surrounding common disciples into a frenzy.

Even many Ninth Generation Elders, examining themselves privately, had to admit that their own swordsmanship likely fell short of this Tenth Generation disciple’s. Was this really the Lu Yuan who usually performed so poorly?

Was this truly the Lu Yuan ranked at the very bottom among the Ten Direct Disciples? It was unbelievable.

"Who said Lu Yuan was ranked last among the Ten Direct Disciples?" "Yes, yes, he's so powerful!" For a moment, the North Peak Grand Competition seemed to slip out of control. —————— Lu Yuan, hearing the shouts around him, initially found the cheers quite satisfying.

After all, who among us doesn't care about face? Winning and being cheered by so many people certainly gave him a sense of honor.

But after a while, it all became tiresome, and he casually returned to his designated spot among the Ten Direct Disciples. "Nicely done, you've brought honor to us this time," Ye Fang said, leaning in.

"Sixth Brother, when did you get so strong? You didn't even bother to tell us," said Ye Yuan, who was never far from Ye Fang, and as the tenth among the Direct Disciples, he was naturally present.

Lu Yuan shrugged. "Couldn't help it; I've been training hard recently." "Pah!" Ye Fang and Ye Yuan both snorted in unison.

They didn't believe Lu Yuan had actually been diligently practicing. In their memory, Lu Yuan was always utterly lazy and had never been seen making an effort.

This was the first time. Thus, even his closest confidants didn't understand him as well as his master, Li Yuanbai, who had introduced him to the sect.

In truth, I was indeed working quite hard. The thought only surfaced, and he couldn't help but blush slightly.

It seemed his own skin wasn't thick enough yet. Simultaneously, Lu Yuan sensed a shift in how the fellow disciples beside him were looking at him.

Since he had always been at the lower end of the Ten Direct Disciples' ranking, these peers naturally held a degree of condescension toward him. Now that he had demonstrated a level of skill that placed him in the middle to upper ranks among the Ten Direct Disciples, their gazes had naturally changed, and they now showed him a degree of respect.

At this moment, the Eldest Brother, Yun Yi, spoke up: "Lu Yuan, not bad, well done." He nodded, deeming Lu Yuan's performance satisfactory. There was even a hint of wanting to recruit Lu Yuan.

Yun Yi was vying with the Second Brother, Yun Ping, for the top position among the Ten Direct Disciples, and naturally, he needed to win over those with genuine ability. Previously, Lu Yuan’s strength was at the bottom, and his master was Shou Yuan Wujin (Limitless Lifespan); Yun Yi hadn't placed much hope in Southern Origin (Nan Yuan).

But now, recruiting him seemed necessary. Lu Yuan just smiled.

What a joke. He certainly wouldn't be swayed by Eldest Brother Yun Yi.

Once drawn in by him, he would inevitably be embroiled in the struggle between Yun Yi and Second Brother Yun Ping. If he had that much time, he would much rather take a bath, sleep, eat some barbecue, and drink some wine.

Who had the spare energy to play games of factional struggle with them? So, he merely smiled and shrugged, offering no reply.

To actually answer would be foolish. After sitting there lost in thought for a while, he suddenly remembered the important matter at hand and turned to Sima Bo: "Fifth Brother, now it's time to settle the bet." The previous contest between Lu Yuan and Sima Zuo’s five-man team had been so spectacular that most of the Ten Direct Disciples had momentarily forgotten about the wager.

Before the match, Sima Bo had been certain that Lu Yuan’s position as a Direct Disciple would be seized by his younger brother, Sima Hao. This was understandable; the trap set by Sima Changbai of the Great Sun Sword lineage was truly formidable.

Just look at that five-man team—Situ Zuo, Situ You, Sima Wen, Sima Huo, and Sima Hao—it wasn't something one could easily overcome. Basically, everyone at that time believed Lu Yuan was certain to lose.

Lu Yuan and Sima Bo had made a bet. Sima Bo had been sure he had won.

Who could have guessed things would turn around so dramatically to reach this current situation? Now that Lu Yuan brought it up, everyone immediately recalled the bet.

Ye Fang chimed in from the side: "If you make a bet, you must honor the terms." Ye Yuan piped up mockingly: "Could it be that the dignified Fifth of the Ten Direct Disciples is a man of no integrity?" The two spoke with veiled sarcasm, causing the other disciples to watch. Sima Bo, whose face was already ashen, had no choice but to accept that the bet had to be honored: "Forty low-grade spirit stones.

I don't have them on me right now; I'll give them to you later. Take this Changhong Sword." Sima Bo looked longingly at the Changhong Sword, whose hilt was inlaid with a scarlet gem.

As one of the Ten Direct Disciples and having Sima Changbai as his grandfather, possessing even a single flying sword spoke volumes about its value. However, this bet could not be reneged upon.

All Ten Direct Disciples were present; if he defaulted, his reputation would be ruined. Thus, he had no choice but to hand over the Changhong Sword.

At this moment, Sima Bo felt the bitter taste of eating a yellow melon while mute—suffering silently, feeling immense pain. But his silent suffering was useless, and Lu Yuan felt no pity for him.

While Sima Bo was still wistfully gazing at his Changhong Sword, Lu Yuan casually flicked his hand and seized the weapon. The moment the Changhong Sword entered his grasp, he felt a pleasant warmth.

With a flick of his wrist, the sword left its sheath. Lu Yuan's own accompanying sword, the Nourishing My Sword, was as clear as a pool of pure water, embodying the righteous energy of heaven and earth.

But now, this acquired Changhong Sword possessed a flow of scarlet across its blade, resembling the rainbow between heaven and earth. It felt warm in hand, perfectly suited for fire-attribute sword techniques like the Great Sun Sword Style.

Lu Yuan gently flicked the blade. "Whirr." The sound was like a flame being stirred.

"A fine sword," Lu Yuan praised. Of course, Lu Yuan’s praise only made Sima Bo’s expression turn even more livid.

Indeed, Lu Yuan was deliberately provoking him. Now that the Changhong Sword was secured, only the forty low-grade spirit stones remained.

Forty low-grade spirit stones were not a trivial amount. Even among the Ten Direct Disciples, the sect only allotted ten low-grade spirit stones annually.

Without other sources of income, it would take four years to accumulate that much. Therefore, it was quite normal for Sima Bo not to have forty low-grade spirit stones on his person; few people would carry such a significant asset with them.

Still, since it would eventually fall into his hands, thinking about the massive wealth of forty low-grade spirit stones made Lu Yuan’s mouth water slightly. Amitabha.

Yes, against Sima Changbai, who coveted his master Li Yuanbai's estate, he had to deliver a crushing blow to the face. Against Sima Hao, who coveted his position as a Direct Disciple, he had to deliver a crushing blow to the face.

And Sima Bo, Sima Changbai’s eldest grandson and Sima Hao’s older brother, must also receive a crushing blow to the face. This was not just about material gain, but also spiritual damage.

Spiritually, he had caused their entire endeavor to fail, severely humiliating Sima Changbai and Sima Hao in front of so many people. He had derailed Sima Changbai’s plans, shattered Sima Hao’s dreams, and even forced Sima Hao to kneel before him in utter humiliation—that was spiritual striking power.

Materially, he had won the bet against Sima Bo, acquiring the Changhong flying sword and forty low-grade spirit stones. This stake was definitely not small; he had made a massive profit.

One could say this was a dual blow, both spiritual and material. This setback would likely take the entire faction aligned with Sima Changbai a considerable amount of time to recover from.

That’s right, I might be lazy, but if anyone takes my laziness for weakness and thinks I can be bullied, then Sima Changbai, Sima Hao, and Sima Bo serve as prime examples. My position as one of the Ten Direct Disciples is not easily taken.

... Following this, came the true highlight of the North Peak Grand Competition—the duels among the Ten Direct Disciples.

Lu Yuan did not take the direct disciples' duels seriously, planning to go through the motions. Given his earlier performance, a casual effort would suffice.

The elders' eyes were sharp; now that they knew he wasn't weak, they had no excuse to strip him of his status. Of course, Lu Yuan also knew that what the numerous elders and visiting guests truly wanted to see during the Direct Disciples' matches was the clash between Eldest Brother Yun Yi and Second Brother Yun Ping.

Since they were supporting characters, he would play his part casually, no need to exert himself excessively. Naturally, Lu Yuan also observed the strength of Eldest Brother Yun Yi and Second Brother Yun Ping.

Their swordsmanship was inferior to his, but their elemental power (mana) reserves were incredibly deep, far surpassing his own—perhaps tenfold, or even more. Even if their swordsmanship lagged behind his, these two senior brothers could easily defeat him solely based on their vastly superior cultivation depth.

These two senior brothers were likely not just at the eighth level of the Qi Condensation Stage—the Subtle Meridian—but perhaps even beyond. Lu Yuan understood his own standing even more clearly: his current strength placed him in the middle-upper tier among the Ten Direct Disciples, still far behind Eldest Brother Yun Yi and Second Brother Yun Ping.

However, he wasn't vying for the top spot among the Ten Direct Disciples, nor did he aspire to become the future Lord of North Peak. He simply desired a leisurely existence.

His strength didn't need to surpass that of the Eldest and Second Brothers. "Haa—yawn—" Before he knew it, sleep was creeping back in.

The evening clouds filled the sky, scarlet light bathing his face, shifting in a thousand fantastical ways. "The North Peak Grand Competition is officially concluded." It was only then that Lu Yuan jolted awake.

Oh, he had slept through half the afternoon again? A sin, a sin.

(Recently, the electrical circuits have been undergoing repairs. Although power returns in the evening, there are still some issues.

I'm posting this saved draft now. If the power stabilizes, there will be a third update; if not, there will only be two updates today.

My apologies.)