Amidst the booming thunder and pouring rain, the youth clad in green lightly rotated the cool, smooth hilt of his sword.

Yangwu spanned three feet, three inches long, one inch wide, forged primarily from Nine Nether Profound Iron and the stars of the Heavenly River, weighing a total of eighteen catties, eight taels, and eight qian.

His sword energy, a spectral white, stretched an entire zhang long. Having deflected Song Nanshan's spell-net, Lu Yuan surged forward at speed, rapidly closing the distance. Song Nanshan, realizing his opponent possessed Sword Intent-level power, dared not engage in close combat and sought desperately to retreat. Lu Yuan, however, pressed the advance relentlessly, one retreating, the other closing in.

One faded back while the other surged ahead; the one falling back continuously unleashed arcane arts, while the one advancing persistently parried with his blade. A series of aerial exchanges unfolded between the two True Disciples.

Song Nanshan cast his spells with great speed and unwavering stability. Now in his forties, he was the foremost True Disciple of the Qi Sect’s West Peak. Cultivated from childhood, his training far surpassed Lu Yuan’s, granting him deep and varied experience. His hand movements remained remarkably steady, virtually free of error.

In contrast, Lu Yuan’s movements appeared utterly mundane. He relied only on the most fundamental sword techniques: slice, stab, jab; sweep, collapse, intercept, wipe, pierce, lift, twist, slash, and draw. They seemed intensely ordinary, yet the famed Sword Immortals of the Ninth Generation watched with grave expressions.

Though Lu Yuan’s attacks appeared simple on the surface, they possessed a profound natural quality. His draws resembled water seeking its lowest course, or clouds drifting across the sky—utterly unforced. Compared to Song Nanshan’s rigid stability, Lu Yuan’s natural flow was far more terrifying.

When he was still a zhang and a bit beyond Song Nanshan, Lu Yuan unleashed his full swordsmanship: every movement and posture of the One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud.

Everyone was intimately familiar with Lu Yuan’s One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud. After all, every True Disciple of the North Peak practiced this set, and having witnessed it employed time and again, familiarity had bred a sense of mundane acceptance in many.

Yet, the One Hundred and Eight Strokes of Wind and Cloud Lu Yuan employed now seemed fundamentally different from those executed by the other True Disciples.

Lu Yuan’s sword strokes were tightly interwoven, the power flowing continuously, ceaselessly, like a silkworm spinning its thread. When the sword light moved, it was like a divine dragon snatching prey or a white serpent flicking its tongue—a display of transcendent mastery.

The complete execution of the technique encompassed vertical, horizontal, stillness, motion, slenderness, solidity, dryness, and moisture. The sword lights connected in motion, truly a lavish splash of ink, swallowing mountains and rivers with its sheer presence, unrestrained and vibrant, characterized by grand ascents and sudden falls, coalescence and dispersion—a spectacle that stirred the soul.

The greatest impression Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship left was sheer beauty. He had completely grasped the marrow of this technique, its very intent.

Lu Yuan was still using the One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud, but the famed Sword Immortals of the Ninth Generation knew that this iteration had truly attained the true Intent of Wind and the Intent of Cloud, which explained the breathtaking aesthetic of his movements.

Compared to Lu Yuan’s unfolding hundred and eight sword forms, the torrential downpour and Song Nanshan’s dazzling spell-casting were mere embellishments.

The Ninth Generation’s renowned Sword Immortals had anticipated Lu Yuan’s sword performance since his very first bout in the Five Peaks Grand Competition. Now, they finally witnessed it: two distinct Sword Intents intertwined upon Lu Yuan’s Yangwu blade, while Song Nanshan, the former foremost True Disciple of the Five Peaks, was reduced to a mere backdrop.

Indeed, this was Sword Intent-level swordsmanship. The celebrated Sword Immortals of the Ninth Generation admired Lu Yuan’s artistry. To witness such swordsmanship was a genuine pleasure.

As for Song Nanshan, he finally experienced what Sword Intent-level swordsmanship truly meant. While observers found Lu Yuan’s movements valuable for appreciation, Song Nanshan, caught within the maelstrom, felt only suffocating discomfort. First, a casually aimed strike exposed his flaw; then, the Yangwu sword enclosed him within its arc. Once trapped in the circle of the sword, his life and death rested entirely in Lu Yuan’s hands.

The general Elders, True Disciples, and ordinary disciples could not fully comprehend the nuances, but the renowned Sword Immortals of the Ninth Generation, whose insight was unparalleled, immediately recognized that Lu Yuan’s current sword skill had reached the level of complete realization of Sword Intent. They had only heard rumors that Lu Yuan had reached the Sword Intent level; they had not expected him to have achieved complete realization.

The initial dawning of Sword Intent and its complete realization were, naturally, worlds apart.

If these observers knew that Lu Yuan’s skill level was not merely realized Intent, but the supreme Transcendent Intent—which was infinitely more difficult to attain than mere realization—they would likely be so shocked they would tumble from their seats.

“Lu Yuan wins…” Finally, the officiating judge announced the victor. Song Nanshan was defeated. Anyone could see that against Lu Yuan’s Sword Intent-level mastery, Song Nanshan possessed no conceivable path to victory. Even Song Nanshan himself felt a small measure of relief upon hearing the verdict; fighting Lu Yuan’s sword skill was truly demoralizing.

With this declaration, the top two positions among the True Disciples were settled: Shi Chaoyang, the first True Disciple of the Sword Sect’s East Peak, and Lu Yuan, the sixth True Disciple of the Sword Qi Sect’s North Peak.

As for Song Nanshan, his fate was sealed tragically. Though his cultivation had reached the Body Tempering Stage and he had claimed first place in the previous Five Peaks Grand Competition, facing Lu Yuan this time relegated him to a battle for third place.

Of course, although the sixth and final round of individual competition had yet to commence, everyone assumed that the ultimate winner of the individual contest would invariably be Lu Yuan.

The True Disciples and ordinary disciples of the North Peak erupted in celebration. First place in the individual division of the Five Peaks Grand Competition was an honor of such rarity that joy was universal and overwhelming. The Ninth Generation Sword Immortals of the North Peak sat calmly, their expressions unmoving, yet those familiar with them could sense the profound satisfaction radiating from them.

Naturally, among the joyous, Sima Changbai was conspicuously absent. Outside of Lu Yuan, Song Nanshan was likely the strongest among the Five Peaks True Disciples. Since even Song Nanshan had fallen, it was virtually certain that no other disciple among the Tenth Generation True Disciples could match Lu Yuan.

His final opponent in the individual competition was Shi Chaoyang.

Shi Chaoyang was an extraordinary figure. In his forties, he was close to grasping Sword Intent. Give him another decade or two, and he would surely achieve it. Such a talent would not be inferior to the former foremost True Disciple of the Sword Sect’s East Peak, and his progress was significantly faster than Li Yuanbai’s, who grasped Sword Intent closer to a hundred years old.

He had also mastered the Chaoyang One Qi Sword. This technique was profoundly peculiar, possessing no fixed forms; it was like the changing hues of dawn, infinitely variable. Yet, as the sun ascended, all those variations coalesced into the blazing solar disc, striking directly at the opponent—the moment of the sword qi’s highest surge and its peak destructive power.

In every aspect, Shi Chaoyang was nearly perfect. It was simply his misfortune to encounter Lu Yuan.

The current Lu Yuan had already been labeled a prodigy by many prominent Ninth Generation Sword Immortals: a prodigy who reached Body Tempering cultivation at nineteen while simultaneously achieving Sword Intent-level swordsmanship. Shi Chaoyang’s defeat was a foregone conclusion, an inevitable consequence of meeting Lu Yuan.

On the other side, the battle for third and fourth place saw Mo Qianbian’s Thousand Variations of Thousand Illusions in Cloud and Mist, Thirteen Hundred Forms. This was indeed somewhat remarkable, but only somewhat remarkable. Facing Song Nanshan’s tactic of retreating into the air to cast spells, Mo Qianbian could only concede with resignation, allowing Song Nanshan to secure third place in the individual competition.

Thus, the final rankings for the individual contest were established:

First Place: Lu Yuan, Sixth True Disciple of the Sword Qi Sect’s North Peak. Second Place: Shi Chaoyang, First True Disciple of the Sword Sect’s East Peak. Third Place: Song Nanshan, First True Disciple of the Qi Sect’s West Peak. Fourth Place: Zhen Qianbian, First True Disciple of the Sword Sect’s South Peak. Fifth Place: Duan Yang, Second True Disciple of the Sword Sect’s East Peak. Sixth Place: Tang Jing, First True Disciple of the Qi Sect’s Central Peak. Seventh Place: Liu Mu, Second True Disciple of the Sword Sect’s South Peak.

With the top seven set, Song Nanshan felt the most aggrieved. Given his strength, he should have secured second place. But running into Lu Yuan prematurely meant his tragic drop to third. The Sword Sect’s East and South Peaks were relatively unconcerned with the ranking; even without Lu Yuan’s sudden emergence, Shi Chaoyang was likely destined for second. Pushing Song Nanshan to third while Shi Chaoyang took second was still a respectable result. Furthermore, the Sword Sect claimed four spots among the top seven, clearly demonstrating the prowess of the foremost among the Five Peaks, the Sword Sect, even without securing first place.

The most elated group was undoubtedly the Sword Qi Sect’s North Peak. In the previous competition, no one from the North Peak had even made the top seven; this time, they secured a spot and claimed the top honor.

The Qi Sect felt a measure of frustration. The strength of the Qi Sect’s two peaks—West and Central—was considerable, yet only two of their disciples made the top seven. They had been almost certain the first place would remain within the Qi Sect, only to have Lu Yuan suddenly emerge and bump Song Nanshan down to third.

Regardless of elation or frustration, the individual competition concluded. Rewards would not be distributed yet, pending the conclusion of the team competition. Everyone was advised not to dwell on the individual prizes, but to focus on the team battles set to occur in fifteen days. Within this fortnight, the injured must fully recover, those whose mana was severely depleted must restore their reserves, preparing to fight the team competition, which offered substantial rewards as well.

Of course, if one remained uninjured and low on expended mana, the next fifteen days were theirs to do as they pleased. The East Peak offered many scenic spots, providing ample diversion for those fifteen days.