On the Eastern Peak of Mount Hua, the Immortal Palm Plateau lay flat. It was the height of summer, and everything that rushed into the eye was a riot of green, with only the faintest touches of red, so pale they bordered on lonely, especially when nestled amidst the surrounding, profound verdure. Looking further, the green layered upon layer, boundless, unconsciously spreading as if to cover the heavens and earth—deep green, somber green, lush green.

So bright it was like clear water, for a moment, it seemed even the sky had been dyed green. It was a fine view. However, it was overwhelmingly hot.

Fortunately, cultivators are unafraid of extreme cold or heat, so they could comfortably enjoy this beauty without minding the intense summer blaze. The seventeenth match of the first stage of the Five Peaks Grand Competition was about to begin. Lu Yuan, the sixth true disciple of the Northern Peak, against Zhao Nan, the third true disciple of the Western Peak.

Before stepping onto the stage, those nearby patted Zhao Nan’s shoulder, offering mock commiseration. Though the external assessment placed Lu Yuan slightly below Song Nanshan, he was still considered one of the top contenders for the championship. Matched against Lu Yuan, Zhao Nan’s luck was truly abysmal.

His fellow disciples could only manage a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. Just as Zhao Nan was about to ascend the platform, he saw his master approaching, and his heart sank. Damn it.

Master Zhao Cangzhi, the Azure Qi Sword, was a rival, an adversary, to Lu Yuan’s master. Zhao Cangzhi's greatest lifelong ambition was to defeat Lu Yuan. The last time he visited the Northern Peak for Elder Yuan Yuan’s five-hundredth birthday, he had instructed Zhao Nan to defeat Lu Yuan to bring him honor, but that confrontation ended in defeat.

Would he demand the same thing now? Lu Yuan had reached the Sword Intent level; Zhao Nan had absolutely no confidence in surpassing him. Zhao Cangzhi approached, remained silent for a moment, then clapped Zhao Nan on the shoulder: “Fight well.

Even if you cannot win, do not lose too disgracefully, or I will flay the skin off you.…” Zhao Cangzhi felt deeply despondent; was his disciple truly inferior to Li Yuanbai’s student? As Zhao Nan stepped onto the stage, he felt countless gazes sweep over him—renowned Ninth Generation Sword Immortals, various Elders, true disciples, and ordinary disciples were all focusing their attention in this direction. Zhao Nan knew they weren't watching him, but Lu Yuan; he was merely a foil, a secondary character.

How pathetic. He was, after all, the dignified third true disciple of the Western Peak of the Qi Sect—the third true disciple! To be reduced to a mere backdrop was truly sorrowful.

This time, even if he were to lose, he resolved to lose beautifully. On the martial stage, Lu Yuan and Zhao Nan stood separated by about two zhang. Both held their swords downward in front of them, palms pressed together—this was the Sword Salute.

The Mount Hua Immortal Sect was a prestigious Orthodox sect, and as such, it adhered to a strict set of formalities. Only after completing the salute would the contest officially commence. The match began, yet Zhao Nan made no move; he was deep in thought about what to use to fight.

Swordplay? That was laughable. Last time at the Northern Peak, Lu Yuan had defeated him while eating with his right hand and fighting with his left.

To rely on swordsmanship now was suicidal. And as for spells, Lu Yuan had countered those effectively the last time as well. After much deliberation, Zhao Nan decided he had no choice but to use magic again—the same repertoire: “Leaf Thorn…” “Leaf Burst…” “Leaf Technique…” Zhao Nan hurled the spells significantly faster than before, but Lu Yuan had already broken through these same techniques once.

What difference would repeating the feat make now? Lu Yuan spun his Nourishing Sword lightly, already parrying the wood-elemental spells. Wood spells required actual wood manifestations, making them blockable—this was the greatest weakness of wood magic.

Simultaneously, he closed the distance rapidly. Spellcasters feared nothing more than a sword cultivator closing in. Last time, Zhao Nan had been defeated by Lu Yuan closing the gap and using his long sword sheath.

This time, Lu Yuan’s footwork was vastly quicker than before. The increased speed came from recently practicing the Ten Thousand Li Solitary Stride movement technique of Tian Zhong, a technique that truly possessed unique merits, making it one of the fastest forms of footwork while walking. In truth, unleashing the full power of his Body Refining stage cultivation could secure victory even faster.

But was that necessary? Moving with astonishing speed using the Ten Thousand Li Solitary Stride, Lu Yuan continued to block while rapidly advancing. Before Zhao Nan could even unleash his signature Earth Spike spell, Lu Yuan was beside him, immediately launching a relentless flurry of attacks.

His sword strikes were like lightning. In just five moves, his long sword was already held horizontally against Zhao Nan’s neck. With the Nourishing Sword held thus, a slight forward push would pierce Zhao Nan’s throat.

If Zhao Nan’s previous defeat at the Northern Peak had been fast, this time, it was even swifter. Including the initial parries Lu Yuan used, he had employed only seven moves in total. Seven moves!

Zhao Nan was, after all, the third true disciple of the Western Peak of the Qi Sect. The title of third true disciple carried significant weight, unlike those ranked lower. Generally, the third true disciple was among the top three strongest on their peak.

Yet now, under Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship, he was defeated by the seventh move. It was impossibly fast. Everyone knew Lu Yuan was powerful, one of the favorites to win this individual competition, despite the eventual loss to the Body Refining stage Song Nanshan—he was exceptionally strong nonetheless.

But before the fight, nobody anticipated Lu Yuan would win in just seven moves against Zhao Nan. The renowned Ninth Generation Sword Immortals watching from the stands were thoroughly disappointed. They had hoped to witness Lu Yuan's mastery of the sword—they had long heard that this young disciple's sword control was exceptional, far surpassing his peers in the Sword Sect, reaching the Sword Intent level typically only achieved by Ninth Generation renowned Sword Immortals—a truly legendary feat.

This was why they had intently focused their attention upon hearing Lu Yuan was competing. But who expected Lu Yuan’s opponent, Zhao Nan, to collapse after enduring only six moves, failing on the seventh? The duration was too brief.

Sword Intent level—that was a profound and mysterious concept. Once one grasped Sword Intent, they immediately entered the ranks of Sword Masters. However, even if one had comprehended Sword Intent, it wasn't something observable in just a few glimpses; one needed to see several exchanges of moves to truly appreciate Lu Yuan’s Sword Intent level, to see it clearly.

Instead, Zhao Nan was defeated so quickly, leaving the renowned Ninth Generation Sword Immortals deeply unsatisfied. They inwardly lamented that this third true disciple of the Qi Sect was truly useless, losing so fast. They had fully intended to observe the Sword Intent level but were thwarted by such a quick finish, only catching a vague, indistinct impression.

If Zhao Nan knew that many renowned Ninth Generation Sword Immortals were currently displeased with him, believing he should have held out for a few more exchanges to allow them a clearer view of Lu Yuan’s Sword Intent, he would surely be overwhelmed with sorrow. The first round was a cut from fifty participants down to twenty-five. In this stage, Sima Bo, An Zhi, and Ye Fang from the Northern Peak were regrettably eliminated.

The second round narrowed the field from twenty-five to the top thirteen. In this round, Yun Ping was unlucky enough to draw Song Nanzhi and was eliminated; the fourth disciple, Fang Dan, was also eliminated; Ye Fei and Ye Yuan were both eliminated in this stage. The third round narrowed the field from thirteen to the top seven.

In this round, Yun Xuan and Ling Yuzhu were eliminated. That Ling Yuzhu managed to last until this round before being eliminated was already quite remarkable, and Yun Yi’s elimination in this stage was also expected, as they had reached the third round; passing this meant entering the top seven. By the end of the third round, only Lu Yuan remained among the top seven from the Northern Peak.

The top seven spots were fixed, and with five peaks participating, having only Lu Yuan left after the third round essentially reflected the Northern Peak’s current standing. Of course, if it weren't for Lu Yuan, the Northern Peak, despite being one of the Five Peaks, would have failed to secure even a single spot in the top seven, which would have been somewhat embarrassing. No major upsets occurred among the final seven, as everyone was a true disciple, and their cultivation progress was generally well-known.

Under such circumstances, upsets were truly difficult. The figures who advanced to the top seven included: Shi Chaoyang, the first true disciple of the Eastern Peak of the Sword Sect; Duan Yang, the second true disciple; Mo Qianbian, the first true disciple of the Southern Peak of the Sword Sect; Liu Mu, the second true disciple; Lu Yuan, the sixth true disciple of the Sword Qi Sect; Song Nanshan, the first true disciple of the Western Peak of the Qi Sect; and Tang Jing, the first true disciple of the Central Peak of the Qi Sect. Among the current top seven true disciples, three stood out most prominently.

One was Song Nanshan, who reigned supreme with his Body Refining stage cultivation, making him the overwhelming favorite to win the championship. Many stated that the competition’s first place was predetermined for Song Nanshan. The second was Tang Jing, the first true disciple of the Central Peak of the Qi Sect.

Tang Jing was the only female among the top seven, and she was stunningly beautiful, quite tall, wearing robes of snowy jade, with long, elegant legs, and deer-skin boots—presenting an image of utter composure. Her sword was a pale pink, Jade Powder Sword. And the third, naturally, was Lu Yuan.

How could the only one among the top seven true disciples to have achieved the Sword Intent level not stand out? Furthermore, the other top seven true disciples were either first or second on their respective peaks. Lu Yuan was the only one ranked sixth.

Could he possibly not be conspicuous? The third round of the individual competition thus concluded. Up to this point, the top seven true disciples had been determined.

If the greatest dissatisfaction among the watching Ninth Generation Sword Immortals during the previous three rounds concerned any single battle, it was Lu Yuan’s. They had long known Lu Yuan had reached the Sword Intent level and were immensely excited; someone achieving Sword Intent at such a young age was unprecedented, perhaps not quite breaking the earliest history of the Mount Hua Immortal Sect, but close enough. Therefore, they were eager to witness Lu Yuan’s Sword Intent in action.

However, up to this point, the strongest opponent Lu Yuan had faced was Zhao Nan in the first match. The others were lower-ranked true disciples. Consequently, Lu Yuan had swept through, often dispatching opponents in three or four moves, never even needing seven.

Defeating them so swiftly meant there was no opportunity to clearly perceive the profound nature of Sword Intent. Thus, the numerous famous Sword Immortals, eager to see Lu Yuan’s Sword Intent, waited and waited. Now, finally, the competition moved to the stage of seven advancing to the top four.

Every one of the remaining seven true disciples was formidable, and surely now, they could force Lu Yuan’s Sword Intent to manifest. The renowned Sword Immortals held immense anticipation for Lu Yuan's Sword Intent.