The sword measured three feet and three inches long, its blade roughly half an inch wide, gleaming bright as autumn water.

The hands were fair and slender.

The sword was steady, and so were the hands.

Lu Yuan held the sword, which did not waver by so much as a thread.

However, Sun Tiangang could not remain steady, for the blade rested against his throat. One more inch forward, and his life would be forfeit—how could he possibly remain composed? At this moment, Li Fang’s eyes were wide open; he rubbed them repeatedly, suspecting he had misjudged the scene.

Sun Village Master Sun Tiangang, after all, was at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining.

How was he so easily subdued by the Young Master, defeated with such swiftness?

Li Fang slapped his own thigh; the pain was sharp—it wasn't a dream.

The cultivators witnessing this spectacle at the doorway could barely conceal their surging joy. He quickly retreated, needing to rush back and report this news to every soul in the Li Family Manor: the Young Master had defeated Sun Tiangang, the Master of the Sun Estate! Such marvelous tidings must spread throughout the entire manor, letting everyone share in this good news.

“Did you hear? The Young Master defeated Sun Tiangang.”

“Sun Tiangang? You mean the Sun Village Master?”

“Yes, the very Sun Village Master who recently wounded our own Master.”

“The Young Master is mighty!”

“Hmph. Didn't you just say that even if the Young Master could defeat the Thirteen Eagles of the Sun family, he still wouldn't stand a chance against Sun Tiangang? Didn’t you just insist, time and again, that Sun Tiangang is one of the top cultivators in Dongdao Prefecture, not so easily dealt with?” a nearby cultivator reminded him sharply.

“Did I say that? Did I really say that?” Clearly, this particular man was feigning ignorance with shamelessness.

“Finally, our good days are about to dawn.”

“Indeed. These past two years, damn it all, have been utterly unbearable for anyone. Forces from every quarter have come knocking, some openly plundering, others snatching resources in the shadows.” The cultivator speaking suddenly felt grit blow into his eye, and he rubbed it vigorously, absolutely certain it was just wind-blown sand.

“The hard times have reached their end.” The cultivators of the Li Family Manor rushed to share this monumental piece of news. These last two years had indeed been agonizing. Thankfully, the Young Master had arrived, possessing such formidable strength and transcendent swordsmanship that he had subdued Sun Tiangang himself. The bitter era was finally over.

Even though these cultivators understood that the overall trend favored the lineage of the Setting Sun Sword Immortal—that ultimately, they were destined to fall—and that the Young Master was too young to prop up the entire edifice of that lineage alone, being able to secure a temporary respite where they could live a little easier in the territory of Dongdao Prefecture was certainly a blessing.

Tomorrow’s worries could wait until tomorrow.

For today, they would drink while they had wine.

——————

This was a secret chamber within the Li Family Manor.

The candlelight flickered dimly.

In the gloom cast by the sparse illumination, the scene within the chamber was revealed.

Sun Tiangang and the Thirteen Eagles of the Sun family—fourteen men in total—were bound tightly by cold iron chains, making even the slightest movement difficult. On the other side, Li Fang stood watching while Lu Yuan sat back, completely at ease.

Lu Yuan was sighing to himself. He had to admit, severing meridians had become a habit. He had just subdued Sun Tiangang, yet he had carelessly brought his sword down again, severing his wrist tendons. With a slight movement, he slid the Yangwu Sword back into its sheath. “Alright, we can begin. Let’s settle the final accounts.”

Hearing the phrase "settle the final accounts," Sun Tiangang shivered involuntarily. “You cannot kill me. Behind me stands Qingyin Sword Immortal Sun Qingyi, the Ninth Generation Sword Immortal of Qingcheng. If you kill me, it will trigger a war between two Sword Immortals.”

Lu Yuan smiled, raised his hand, and took out his wine gourd, carefully twisting off the stopper. “How can we so easily speak of fighting and killing? It’s so discordant. We five Great Immortal Sects are all Daoist sects, dedicated to fighting the subterranean demons. We should be united by shared purpose. Why would I kill you?”

Hearing Lu Yuan say this, Sun Tiangang couldn't help but straighten his back. Haha, it seemed this young man was still wary of the forces behind him.

Lu Yuan toyed with the gourd stopper in his hand. “My master above, and the forces behind you—both are Ninth Generation Sword Immortals. If we truly resort to bloodshed, wouldn't we only be benefiting the subterranean demons? As members of the Five Great Immortal Sects, we must maintain solidarity and affection.”

Sun Tiangang’s back grew even straighter. He now felt certain that Lu Yuan would see him out respectfully.

Lu Yuan continued speaking. “Oh, yes. Among the Five Great Immortal Sects, there ought to be an Elders Council, established specifically to adjudicate various disputes between the sects. I imagine, with my master’s standing, it wouldn't be difficult to bring the matter before the Council. Let me think: you and your men came to disrupt our mining operations, and then you stormed the Li Family Manor to try and murder me. If both these incidents were reported to the Elders Council, what consequences would you face? Let me consider…”

Only then did Sun Tiangang realize something was deeply wrong. If his men had been caught raiding their mines, and he himself had broken into the Li Family Manor seeking a fight, and these matters were truly brought before the Elders Council, even his superior, the Qingyin Sword Immortal Sun Qingyi, might not be able to protect him. At that point, he would face certain death.

“Now we have caught the culprits red-handed,” Lu Yuan said with a smile.

Sun Tiangang suddenly remembered: “Wait—you captured me and the Thirteen Eagles outside. You only seized our persons; where is the evidence?” Sun Tiangang, clearly accustomed to navigating storms, had immediately spotted a loophole in Lu Yuan’s plan—a loophole that could be exploited in the Council hearings for endless debate.

Lu Yuan merely smiled, a teasing, mocking smile, and raised a dark object resembling iron or stone in his hand. “Ah, yes. This is called a Lodestone. You wouldn't be unfamiliar with it, would you? In the mine shaft, and just now, I employed the Mirroring Magnetism Art. That is one of the ten common universal techniques in the Cultivation World. You can’t possibly not recognize it.” In the Cultivation World, there were ten such frequently used spells.

These ten spells were not necessarily the most powerful, but they were undeniably the most common.

For instance, the Art of Distant Sound Transmission ranked first among them; this spell could convey voice directly into a target’s ear, and those with high cultivation could transmit sound over a thousand li.

And the Mirroring Magnetism Art ranked quite high among them. This spell, cast using a Lodestone, could record images over a period of time. Lu Yuan had recorded the events in the mine shaft and those that just transpired. This constituted true apprehension with evidence—nothing was missing.

If Lu Yuan truly brought forth the culprits and the evidence before the Elders Council, Sun Tiangang would be in catastrophic trouble.

After all, the Council had regulations stipulating that the Five Great Immortal Sects must maintain unity, not engage in constant internal strife. Fighting was permitted, but getting caught with irrefutable evidence was not; most people were not foolish enough to allow themselves to be caught so completely. But this time, Sun Tiangang had been ruthlessly outmaneuvered.

Sun Tiangang now recognized his mistake, and it was a colossal one.

He had initially assumed that even though the North Peak of Mount Hua had sent the Young Master of the Setting Sun Sword Immortal lineage, the Young Master was only eighteen years old—how formidable could he truly be?

But now he understood: this Young Master was not only peerlessly skilled in swordsmanship but also astonishingly cunning, managing to trap him without him realizing it until it was too late.

How could such a little fox exist? This was completely contrary to the rumors of a lazy, indifferent figure.

Sun Tiangang knew, with chilling certainty, that he was utterly ruined.