At the Li Family Villa, numerous Mei-Green Bamboo were planted; the stalks resembled those of Xiangfei bamboo but were more slender, lacking the characteristic spirals on the skin, and possessing a darker hue.

The emerald bamboo leaves drifted down lightly.

They settled upon the youth’s cyan robe.

The youth in the cyan robe wore a look of defiance, flipping his wine gourd into his Asura Pouch in one swift motion, even as his hand settled on the hilt of his Yangwu Sword: “Very well, do you wish to come one by one, or all at once? It makes no difference to me either way.”

If the onlookers hadn't clearly heard him before, now every person present heard him with perfect clarity.

This youth in cyan truly intended to challenge the two hundred cultivators present.

Two hundred cultivators, no less.

At this moment, Wang Hongtu, the head of the Wang family, Huang Fengbo, the head of the Royal family, and Qian Leng, the head of the Qian family, all fell into deep thought. Sun Tiangang had already been suppressed by Lu Yuan to the point of losing all his fighting spirit; naturally, the decision now rested with these three. They exchanged glances and finally reached a resolution.

They would first send their subordinates to test the skill of this youth in cyan, at the very least to drain some of his magical power.

The three of them waved their hands, and their subordinates immediately charged out. Dozens of cultivators, each clutching their long swords, assailed Lu Yuan. Various swordsmanship styles unfolded as they attacked him in groups of three or five, moving with calculated order rather than a reckless swarm. These cultivators were well-trained, surrounding Lu Yuan and trapping him within their formation.

The corner of Lu Yuan’s mouth involuntarily curved upwards. If these cultivators, primarily at the second, third, and fourth levels of Qi Refining, could manage to overcome him, it would truly be bizarre.

His hand slid, and the brilliant blade of the Yangwu Sword was drawn.

As the Yangwu Sword flashed out of its sheath, exquisite sword techniques were immediately unleashed.

Fēng Kuáng Guò Jìng (Fierce Wind Passes By) served as his opening move, instantly whipping up a gale around him. Lu Yuan's Cloud-elemental magic was never famed for its raw dominance, but being at the ninth level of Qi Refining, facing those at the second, third, fourth, or even fifth levels, the sheer disparity in cultivation meant his magical energy could indeed be considered overwhelming.

One strike of Fēng Kuáng Guò Jìng disrupted every arrangement the surrounding cultivators had made.

With the rhythm now entirely in his grasp, he hesitated no longer, and his long sword struck out.

The preceding gale had thrown the surrounding cultivators into chaos. Their sword skills were already mediocre, and now, in disarray, they were utterly finished. Lu Yuan's long sword darted forth, each casual thrust targeting the vulnerabilities of several cultivators simultaneously. These cultivators could neither evade nor block.

Under Lu Yuan’s blade, cultivators fell one after another. Even the occasional cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining proved no match for Lu Yuan in a single exchange.

Lu Yuan’s feet shifted constantly; wherever he moved, his sword followed, and where his sword struck, someone fell.

...

The ground was soon littered with bodies.

Lu Yuan had already sheathed the Yangwu Sword.

This...

Was this some kind of joke? There were dozens of cultivators, most at the third or fourth level of Qi Refining, yet none could withstand a single clash against Lu Yuan, constantly routed and collapsing. Though none were killed, the meridians in their arms were severed, rendering them combat ineffective.

Wang Hongtu, Huang Fengbo, and Qian Leng all showed subtle changes in expression. They had witnessed major confrontations before. Their strategy in sending dozens of subordinates this time had two goals: first, to test Lu Yuan's skill and examine the nature of his swordsmanship; second, to exhaust as much of Lu Yuan's magical power as possible.

The result was that their subordinates couldn't even last a single exchange, revealing nothing about the subtlety or weakness in Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship. As for the second objective, looking at Lu Yuan now, standing there appearing completely relaxed, he showed no sign of having expended significant magical power.

It was as if the dozens of subordinates they sent had served absolutely no purpose.

No, they had served a purpose.

From one angle, they only served to highlight Lu Yuan's immense strength, crushing their own side's morale. This was a direct counter-effect. Wang Hongtu, Huang Fengbo, and Qian Leng felt utterly tragic; they had sent subordinates to achieve specific goals but failed, instead damaging their own spirit.

——————

The entire field was silent, save for the heavy sound of labored breathing and the faint zhi of a long sword sliding back into its sheath.

As the Yangwu Sword returned home, Lu Yuan gently shook his head: “There’s no need to bring out these under-skilled subordinates; they are utterly useless against me. Now, it’s time for the three of you to step up yourselves.” Having gone this far, it was impossible for Wang Hongtu, Huang Fengbo, and Qian Leng to refuse.

Qian Leng stepped forward: “I’ll go first to test his abilities.” Qian Leng approached until he was about three zhang from Lu Yuan, his fingers weaving a hand seal: Bàoyǔ Jiàn (Storm of Arrows)! Instantly, hundreds of rain-like arrows materialized, shooting straight toward Lu Yuan. The Bàoyǔ Jiàn technique was famous for its swift projectile speed and overwhelming number, making it difficult to block. As the head of the Qian family, Qian Leng was a cunning individual. Having watched Lu Yuan easily handle the weaker cultivators, he immediately recognized Lu Yuan’s exquisite swordsmanship. He thought using direct magic might yield an unexpected effect, and Qian Leng specialized in Water element spells, making Bàoyǔ Jiàn his opening choice.

As soon as his Bàoyǔ Jiàn launched, Lu Yuan’s hand moved, and the Changhong Sword shot out, perfectly deflecting every single arrow.

This single action stunned the entire crowd.

To flawlessly intercept a magic attack as dense and swift as Bàoyǔ Jiàn was terrifyingly impressive. Just how fast was this sword? Qian Leng, indeed proficient in Water magic, instantly switched to another Water spell: Shuǐ Lóng Pù (Water Dragon Waterfall). This move was quite similar to the previously encountered Shuǐ Zhī Nùtāo (Rage of the Water Waves); it was a large-scale, area-of-effect attack, seemingly impossible to defend against.

Qian Leng had just executed Shuǐ Lóng Pù expecting Lu Yuan to suffer at least minor injury, but after only a moment, a cold glint sliced through his Water Dragon Waterfall and swiftly lunged toward him. Qian Leng was completely dumbfounded. How could his omnidirectional spell, Shuǐ Lóng Pù, be broken? And broken with such speed? What a joke.

But Qian Leng was the head of the Qian family, seasoned in countless battles. Though he couldn't believe his signature move, Shuǐ Lóng Pù, was shattered so easily, he reacted instinctively. He shifted his body sideways just as the Changhong Sword cleaved across his right rib, leaving a slightly long but shallow wound.

To break Qian Leng’s Water magic so quickly was formidable. Those with insight among the onlookers knew how tricky Qian Leng’s Water spells were; they were shocked that Lu Yuan broke through so swiftly.

In truth, Lu Yuan could shatter Qian Leng’s Water magic so rapidly because, during the conspiracy surrounding Yuan Yuan Shangren’s five-hundredth birthday celebration, he had fought a middle-aged man surnamed Dao who also used Water magic similar to Qian Leng’s, and Lu Yuan had already mastered the method to counter Water magic.

If this were a one-on-one fight, Lu Yuan could have pressed the attack and killed Qian Leng, but this was currently a three-against-one scenario.

“My turn,” the Royal Family Head, Huang Fengbo, announced, his wide sleeves fluttering. His opening move was his Wind spell, Jífēng Lìrèn (Swift Wind Blades). This spell condenses air into invisible, intangible blades that attack the opponent, making it nearly impossible to block. Another one—a Wind element spell?

Lu Yuan mused. He had used his sword to break Wood and Water magic but never Wind magic. This time, he could witness a Wind technique firsthand, which piqued his interest. He sensed a subtle magical fluctuation ahead—was this a Wind spell? He sidestepped and avoided it.

He dodged it? Huang Fengbo was momentarily stunned. His Wind magic was renowned for being formless and undetectable. How was it so easily evaded by Lu Yuan? It must have been an accident. Thinking this, Huang Fengbo attacked again with Jífēng Lìrèn, using the sweep of his flowing sleeves to mask the attack aimed at Lu Yuan.

This strike, just as it was about to reach Lu Yuan, was again evaded.

What was happening? If one time was an accident, two times could not be coincidence. Huang Fengbo was jolted. How was the opponent dodging it again?

He had no choice. Huang Fengbo took a deep breath and unleashed his ultimate technique, the Bǎi Fēng Rèn Zhèn (Hundred Wind Blade Formation). This spell was Huang Fengbo’s unique masterpiece: it could launch a hundred Swift Wind Blades into the air in an extremely short time, making evasion virtually impossible for the opponent. With this array of a hundred blades, he refused to believe Lu Yuan could still dodge it; if he could, then truly, something supernatural was at play.

Huang Fengbo attacked with his strongest technique, supremely confident. Yet, he watched Lu Yuan effortlessly weave through the Bǎi Fēng Rèn Zhèn, as if he could actually see the blades, perfectly evading the entire formation.

This...

This...

This...

Evading a master technique of the caliber of Bǎi Fēng Rèn Zhèn—Huang Fengbo could not believe his eyes. His eyes were wide open, as were those of Qian Leng and Wang Hongtu. This spell was recognized by cultivators in the Eastern Prefecture as one of the hardest to avoid, yet Lu Yuan had dodged it. How did he do it?

“Oh, is that all your Wind magic amounts to? Do you have anything stronger?” Lu Yuan asked casually after perfectly dodging the Bǎi Fēng Rèn Zhèn. Lu Yuan felt a slight frustration; he had eagerly anticipated a powerful Wind spell, but this level of technique was disappointing.

At this, Huang Fengbo felt like spitting blood. His Bǎi Fēng Rèn Zhèn was a famous ultimate skill, yet Lu Yuan considered it too easy to avoid. How could he bear such a slight? Huang Fengbo currently felt an urge to vomit blood and weep quietly in a corner. Lu Yuan's comment was deeply wounding.

At this point, Lu Yuan had also realized something: he had unknowingly mastered the means to break Wind magic.

Having forged the Sword Intent of Wind, he could detect the slightest ripple in the surrounding air. Thus, Wind magic became a joke in his presence.

By using the sword to break the spell, the magic he could counter now included not only Wood and Water techniques but also Wind techniques.

When, oh when, would he truly achieve the ability to break all magic with a single sword strike? (I was quite anxious when my work was set to go on sale today, wondering how the subscriptions would fare. Unexpectedly, the response has been so strong! I am now, in my style, likely weeping with gratitude. All I can do is write even better novels to repay everyone’s support, while balancing quality—ensuring every chapter maintains the atmosphere of classical Xianxia—and speed; good quality is useless if the pace is slow. Let the subscriptions surge, let the monthly votes increase! Rush, rush, rush! Oh, and tomorrow there will be at least four chapters, each over three thousand words, as I push myself this hard. Keep the monthly votes coming, as tomorrow is the last day for double monthly votes—if you save them any longer, they won't be doubled.)V