The string of continuous attacks felled nine direct disciples, shattering the Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, and Thunder elemental spells, eliciting a collective gasp from the onlookers. However, Lu Yuan had no time to pay attention to them now.

Only one opponent remained—Song Nanshan.

In truth, Lu Yuan had sensed from Song Nanshan’s tone right at the beginning that he desperately wanted a ten-against-one fight—the ten direct disciples of the Qi Sect's West Peak against him alone.

Since he wished for it, so be it.

Now, the other nine direct disciples had fallen beneath his sword, leaving only Song Nanshan.

Yangwu Sword gently rotated.

“Senior Brother Song, take this!” Yangwu Sword shot towards Song Nanshan like an arrow loosed from a bow, executing the technique, Wind Cannot Be Chased—a burst of unparalleled speed. Seeing this, Song Nanshan immediately raised his hand and cast a Wood Barrier spell to block the force of Lu Yuan’s charge. Lu Yuan, upon seeing this, shifted his sword intent just as he reached the barrier, transforming it into the Sword Intent of Rain. The Sword Intent of Rain permeated the barrier spell like spring breeze turning into rain, and with a reverse sweep, his sword struck Song Nanshan’s back.

Wounding Song Nanshan in the very first exchange startled him. Recalling Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship that defeated the nine junior brothers moments ago, it was now abundantly clear: Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship had made a noticeable advance, and he had to proceed with extreme caution. Yet, before Song Nanshan could fully compose his thoughts, Lu Yuan cut back with a reverse slash.

This reverse cut was blindingly fast. Song Nanshan countered with another spell, but Lu Yuan’s Wind Cannot Be Chased had already morphed into Cloud Entanglement Sword Disturbance. Before Song Nanshan could adapt, Lu Yuan’s sword forms shifted again, and again, and again...

Lu Yuan’s current swordsmanship was incessantly switching between the Sword Intent of Wind, the Sword Intent of Cloud, and the Sword Intent of Rain.

The omnipresent speed of Wind, the placid nature of Cloud that neutralized incoming force, the ethereal haze of Rain... the tempestuous fury of Rain... all these intents flowed ceaselessly through his hands and his sword. This style of fighting made Song Nanshan nearly choke on his own blood. Lu Yuan’s swordplay was too variable, leaving him utterly unable to cope.

At this moment, Lu Yuan was not engaging Song Nanshan in a measured exchange; he was launching successive attacks, relying on the constant permutation of various Sword Intents to pressure Song Nanshan. How could Song Nanshan deal with one sword style only to be met by the next in the very next instant? He was continuously being injured under Lu Yuan’s blade.

Complete suppression!

Currently, Lu Yuan held absolute dominance over Song Nanshan.

It was even more exaggerated than in their personal duel.

“Did you see that?” exclaimed an onlooker, full of amazement. “Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship—in that brief span, he broke through the Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Thunder elemental spells!”

“You missed something. There was also the Wind and Earth elemental spells you didn’t notice.”

“Does that mean... he broke through all seven major elemental spells?” remarked a cultivator. While there are hundreds or thousands of spells in the world—perhaps even spells of Cloud, Mist, Ice, Lava, Light, and so forth—ultimately, all spells are categorized into the seven major elemental systems: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, and Thunder. It should be noted here that Wind and Thunder, according to the Five Elements, should technically fall under Wood. However, because Wind and Thunder spells carry such great significance and encompass so much, they were eventually separated from Wood and counted as major elemental systems in their own right, totaling the Seven Major Elements.

“Incredible.”

“This is the legendary divine technique, One Sword Shatters All Laws,” sighed a cultivator from the Sword Sect. Having been in the Sword Sect for a long time, he had heard tales of this divine technique but had never witnessed it. Even the direct disciples of the Sword Sect could not perform it. It was said that renowned Sword Immortals could achieve it, but he had never been privileged to see it. To witness it now in the hands of a direct disciple from the Sword Qi Sect—he scarcely knew what to say.

“They haven’t noticed yet; Lu Yuan is beating Song Nanshan this time even more easily than in their personal match.”

“Yes, his swordsmanship seems to have improved again.”

“His swordplay,” stated an Elder from the Sword Sect, who possessed considerable attainment in the Way of the Sword, his voice deep, “is not just the legendary Sword Intent of Wind and Sword Intent of Cloud. There must be the Sword Intent of Rain involved as well. Even if he hasn't fully mastered it, he is at least beginning to comprehend the Sword Intent of Rain.” Although this Sword Sect Elder was not among the famous Ninth Generation Sword Immortals, his strength was close enough to grant him such keen insight.

The cultivators nearby murmured amongst themselves, some astonished by Lu Yuan’s manifestation of Sword Intents, others by his technique of shattering all laws with a single sword.

Everyone realized: this time, the West Peak had stumbled badly.

Just as Yun Yi had realized that the North Peak had suffered a major setback. All things must come to an end.

It was perfectly normal for direct disciples from different peaks to spar; they were young and full of vigor, often holding differing philosophies and having received different upbringings. Fights breaking out within a peak were commonplace—it would be stranger if they didn't. A skirmish between a few direct disciples was negligible.

But a full-scale brawl involving twenty direct disciples from two peaks required some form of conclusion.

Having won this fight and vented their frustrations, Yun Yi, Yun Ping, and Lu Yuan felt considerably relieved. However, upon reflection, this was a massive brawl involving twenty direct disciples, and the opposition had been injured. They decided to report the matter upwards, informing their Martial Uncles so that if any resolution or cleanup was required, their Martial Uncles could handle it.

When they returned, Martial Uncles Ye Yangrong, Dugu Ye, and Fang Ru were present. Upon recounting the events, Ye Yangrong burst into laughter: “Good! Why worry? Cleanup? What cleanup? Fights among direct disciples like this—if we lost, we lose face; if we win, we gain face. They lose face.”

Dugu Ye giggled: “Actually, I think we need to go apologize. A fight between the direct disciples of two peaks, and we won, leaving them all injured and combat ineffective. Imagine the expression on Venerable Zixia’s face when we go to apologize...” Dugu Ye wasn't suggesting an apology; she was suggesting a slap in the face. If they actually went, Venerable Zixia would likely be livid, as purple as her own name implied.

Ye Yangrong laughed heartily: “Ah, Junior Sister Dugu, you are quite the face-slapper. Slapping face all the way up to Venerable Zixia? Never mind, I will go apologize.” These three Martial Uncles had all suffered some indignity at the hands of Venerable Zixia before, and now they were eager to deliver a satisfying blow, even under the guise of an apology.

“Pardon me, my disciples accidentally injured all of your disciples to the point of incapacitation. I am truly sorry.” Imagine delivering such a statement; it would drive anyone mad! Just contemplating the scene of that apology was immensely satisfying, and both Dugu Ye and Ye Yangrong vied to be the one to deliver it.

“Nonsense. You two are joining the youngsters in their antics,” Venerable Yuanyuan entered, a smile playing on his lips. “If you truly did that, Venerable Zixia wouldn’t let me off either. This battle—you all fought very well.” The first part was for Dugu Ye and Ye Yangrong, the latter for Lu Yuan and the others.

“However, you must also conduct a post-battle review...”

Conducting a post-battle review was not unusual in the Huashan Immortal Sect, or indeed in any of the Five Great Immortal Sects. Only through better analysis and identifying shortcomings could one achieve better growth. Venerable Yuanyuan sternly commanded: “Yun Yi, what have I taught you? Act with composure; never engage unless you have over seventy percent certainty. What did you do? You entered this fight with very little certainty. If Lu Yuan hadn't intervened, we might have suffered a great humiliation today.”

“Yun Ping, your duty was to assist Yun Yi, yet you too lost your head.” Venerable Yuanyuan continued sternly: “Of course, you two also performed well. It is rare for you to cooperate like this; even though you lost to Song Nanshan, the fact that you cooperated is commendable...”

“Ling Yuzhu, Fang Dan, Sima Bo, An Zhi, Ye Fei, Ye Fang, Ye Yuan—the seven of you—I have nothing to say. Fighting persistently until the end, even in defeat, was very good. Our sect needs cooperation; even if individual strength is slightly weaker, cooperation allows us to overcome stronger opponents...”

“And Lu Yuan—you performed excellently this time. But your biggest issue is the lack of cooperation with the other direct disciples. Of course, this is your nature, and I will not force the issue,” Venerable Yuanyuan concluded. “As for the rest, as I did not witness the battle details, I cannot say much. You must realize the rest yourselves...”

Speaking of realization, Lu Yuan had indeed grasped a great deal.

This realization stemmed from his clashes with Song Nanshan and the others—it concerned the current state of his swordsmanship.

Originally, he only possessed the Sword Intent of Wind and the Sword Intent of Cloud.

The Sword Intent of Cloud excelled in defense, able to dissipate the opponent's magical power by borrowing the force of the clouds.

The Sword Intent of Wind specialized in speed; when the great wind rises, its speed is absolute.

These two—one focused on offense/defense, the other on speed—worked together to great effect.

Now, he had added the Sword Intent of Rain. The Sword Intent of Rain possessed the subtle, unpredictable nature of a misty drizzle, as well as the overwhelming intensity of a torrential downpour. Simply put, the Sword Intent of Rain served two functions: unpredictability and a significant increase in attack power, though perhaps not matching Fire or Thunder.

With the addition of the Sword Intent of Rain, the element of bewildering subtlety in Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship increased dramatically, and his offensive capability saw a major boost.

The current Lu Yuan excelled in defense, possessed high offensive speed, featured unpredictable and elusive attacks, and had significantly enhanced his overall striking power.

Naturally, this led to a massive leap in his combat prowess.

(The Five Peaks Grand Competition arc should conclude within the next two or three chapters; preparations are underway to commence the next storyline.)