This lightless subterranean passage had existed for countless years, steeped perpetually in darkness.

The demons residing beneath the earth had long since grown accustomed to the absence of light, able to perceive their surroundings clearly without the need for torches—a necessity, however, for human Cultivators who ventured down.

It could be said that this dark environment, coupled with the unfamiliar routes, was a significant reason why the Five Great Immortal Sects had failed to eradicate the subterranean demons thus far.

But this ancient darkness was suddenly shattered.

Three torches blazed forth, illuminating the immediate vicinity.

Generally, when Cultivators entered the underworld, they carried Ranshistones.

These stones resembled fine gems in their inert state, but they would emit light upon the infusion of magical power.

However, Ranshistones were prohibitively expensive, so most Cultivators opted to use common torches first, saving the precious stones for when the torches inevitably burned out.

The torches flickered brightly.

In their glow, the surroundings were cast into surprising clarity, revealing the figures holding them: three youths, perhaps sixteen or seventeen years old.

The one leading looked utterly languid, while his companions flanking him were one thin and the other shorter but noticeably bulkier.

Each of the three carried a burlap sack slung across their backs.

The sack belonging to the middle youth was the largest, distended and full, whereas the sacks of the two behind him seemed only half-filled, nearly empty.

“Sixth Senior Brother, when do you think I’ll finally achieve a breakthrough and master Sword Intent? I’m tragically stuck on the very first tier of swordsmanship,” Ye Yuan lamented mournfully.

Given his current level of swordsmanship, his master, Ye Yangrong, wouldn't normally have introduced concepts like the tiers of swordsmanship so early.

Some knowledge, imparted too soon, could make a disciple overly ambitious and unrealistic; teaching must proceed step-by-step.

However, due to the prodigious talent of Lu Yuan, and Ye Fang’s good rapport with Ye Yuan, often spending time together and inevitably inquiring about swordsmanship, Ye Yangrong decided to simply reveal the tiers to Ye Yuan.

Indeed, the one in the middle was Lu Yuan, and the two beside him were Ye Fang and Ye Yuan.

The three were currently deep within the underground world.

With Lu Yuan’s strength, surviving in the depths was not overly difficult, especially within territories controlled by the Moon Demon Sect, which was merely a minor faction without many top experts.

For Ye Fang and Ye Yuan, however, surviving in the Moon Demon Sect’s controlled domains would have been immensely challenging, had they not teamed up with Lu Yuan.

As for the burlap sacks on their backs, they were used to store the heads of demons they killed.

Capturing and slaying demons yielded substantial rewards from either Mount Hua or the Great Jin Dynasty's court, and these trophies were packed into the sacks.

Lu Yuan had slain the most demons, thus his sack was fullest.

Ye Fang and Ye Yuan, despite accompanying Lu Yuan, had only managed to secure a few heads each.

Yet, neither complained; after all, had they not been with Lu Yuan, the very first powerful Asura they encountered would have necessitated the use of their protective talismans to withdraw from the trial early.

Of course, the demons encountered later were not as formidable as the first; most were cultivators at the third, fourth, or fifth levels of Qi Condensation.

Even the Moon Demon Sect did not boast many Asuras at the seventh level of Qi Condensation.

During this trial, Ye Fang and Ye Yuan gained an ever-clearer view of Sixth Senior Brother Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship.

Previously, in the North Peak Grand Competition and the Cloud Mist Valley, battles ended swiftly, but now they realized the sheer profundity—and the unsettling precision—of his technique; every strike targeted an opponent's weakness, aiming relentlessly for their vulnerability.

What kind of discerning eye and what level of swordsmanship mastery did that require? On this point, Ye Fang and Ye Yuan could only offer their heartfelt admiration.

—————— As they traversed the dark passage, Ye Yuan muttered aloud, “If only I could have some sudden enlightenment someday.” He was indulging in his grand dream.

Fundamentally, Lu Yuan, Ye Fang, and Ye Yuan shared similar temperaments: fond of good food and wine, possessing a lazy disposition.

It was only Ye Fang who had to maintain the facade of a minor gentleman in front of others because he was apprenticed to the Gentleman Sword Master; otherwise, his master, Fang Ru, would surely lecture him severely.

Swordsmanship Swordsmanship Mastery Suddenly, an Asura leaped out.

Lu Yuan moved his hand, and his Yangwu Sword slid from its sheath, transforming into a sheet of autumn water, instantly thrusting towards the opponent's right flank.

Since the creature lunged from his left, its right side presented a perfect opening.

The Asura, which had intended to charge forward, found its right rib cage threatened by the sword point; unless it shifted course immediately, it risked being impaled.

Helplessly, it brought its sharp claws up to clash directly against the Yangwu Sword.

Clang! The opponent possessed the magical power equivalent to a fifth-level Qi Condensation practitioner, Lu Yuan judged instantly: “I will handle this Asura.” With a casual stroke, he pierced the creature’s weak spot.

Lu Yuan, however, felt no urgency to finish off this Asura, which was weaker than him in power and vastly inferior in technique.

His mind drifted into deep contemplation.

He thought he had just grasped a fleeting spark of inspiration, but what exactly was it? Inspiration, by its nature, is a flash of insight; miss it, and it vanishes.

At that moment, another light dawned.

Lu Yuan understood.

In his current state of swordsmanship, he could instantly direct a strike to an opponent's weakness, but could he control the opponent? Simply put, could he use his blade to effectively lock down certain movements, forcing the adversary into a predefined sequence of actions? Every step the opponent took would be entirely within his calculations.

This meant moving beyond merely targeting weaknesses; now, it was about using the longsword to dictate the opponent’s movement, forcing them down a specific path.

This required an even higher level of swordsmanship, yet he felt a profound certainty that he could achieve it.

He immediately began practicing this new discipline, still striking at the opponent’s vulnerabilities, but now with a twist.

He began deliberately forcing the opponent toward directions he desired.

For instance, if a strike blocked the path to the left, the only viable retreat was to the right.

If a sword thrust aimed high, the opponent was forced to drop low.

Of course, initial practice proved far from smooth.

The transition from merely exploiting weaknesses to controlling every move via the sword—the difficulty was self-evident.

It was like playing chess: previously, he could win; now, he needed not only to win but to dictate how he won, the precise method, and the margin of victory.

This presented a staggering level of difficulty.

When he first trained this way, errors were inevitable.

Fortunately, the opponent was merely a fifth-level Qi Condensation Asura, weaker than him; even when he erred, he could quickly correct the flow.

Gradually, Lu Yuan became engrossed in the intricate possibilities of swordsmanship variation.

This fifth-level Asura had never experienced such a humiliating style of combat.

His opponent could clearly dispatch him but chose instead to toy with him, frequently employing sword strokes so excruciatingly precise they were sickening.

But as the fight dragged on, the Asura finally succumbed to excessive blood loss and collapsed beneath Lu Yuan’s blade.

Lu Yuan remained steeped in thought, looking profoundly contemplative.

At this juncture, Ye Fang could no longer restrain himself.

“Sixth Senior Brother, what were you doing? That fight was completely different from your previous style.” “I was practicing my sword,” Lu Yuan replied absently, still lost in thought.

“My former technique targeted weaknesses, ensuring my opponent would lose.

Now, what I aim for is to make the opponent move according to my thinking; I dictate how they lose.

This might be difficult to grasp, so think of it like chess again: before, I could beat the other player.

Now, I want to win, yes, but I also want to guide, or rather, force them along the path I set.

How much I win by, and by what means—in any case, beneath my sword, the opponent must move like a puppet.” Ye Fang and Ye Yuan were stunned, finding such a realm of mastery almost unbelievable.

...

Unbeknownst to Lu Yuan at this moment.

There were Three Thousand Sword Intents in this world, and each Intent possessed stages: Initial Comprehension, Mid-Comprehension, and Complete Comprehension.

Initial Comprehension was akin to his state before the North Peak Grand Competition.

Mid-Comprehension was when one could instinctively locate and strike an opponent’s weakness with any casual strike, demonstrating mastery over the Intent.

Complete Comprehension was what he was striving for now: using the Sword Intent to exert perfect control over the opponent, leaving them no choice in their actions—your body might want to move right, but the sword forces you left.

Naturally, mastering the first type of Sword Intent to completion was the most difficult.

Once the first Intent was fully comprehended, the subsequent Intents became far easier to master, benefiting from the foundational guidance of the first.

What Lu Yuan was currently attempting was the Complete Comprehension of his first and second Sword Intents.

Wind Sword Intent, Cloud Sword Intent.

(A note to some readers: Some of you mentioned the fight scenes are a bit sparse.

I acknowledge this; the initial chapters were written too hastily.)