Jiangnan Huadiao, a renowned spirit wine from the province bordering Baikuang Province, commands a hefty price at its origin. Transporting it into the Demon-infested Baikuang Province, the "Desert Province," multiplies that cost tenfold, making it a vintage even the Helmsmen of the Tenth Hall might not afford frequently.

The taste of Jiangnan Huadiao is remarkably smooth; drinking it in the vast desert enhances its pleasures.

Spicy Sandworm is a dish perfectly matched to this wine. Sandworms are minuscule creatures native to the desert, thriving near water sources, and their flesh is surprisingly delicate. When stir-fried explosively ("huobao"), the dish transcends mere deliciousness—it is exquisitely mouthwatering, the very thought of it summoning saliva.

Vinegar-Marinated Sand Shrimp is another desert delicacy. If the Spicy Sandworm is slightly dry, the Sand Shrimp is incredibly fresh and succulent, famed for its flavor and tender meat.

The wine is fine wine, and the dishes are fine dishes.

Ordinarily, a feast like this would have the Helmsmen of the Tenth Hall indulging heartily. But now, the Helmsman of the Tenth Hall has lost all appetite.

The Tenth Hall Competition has finally reached its climax.

On one side stood the young elders from the consistently dominant First Branch Hall. Their lineup boasted four cultivators at the fourth level of Body Tempering, four at the second and third levels, one at the first level of Body Tempering, and one at the tenth level of Qi Refining—an absolutely killer, virtually invincible combination for the Tenth Hall showdown.

It could be said that more than half of the absolute top talents within the Tenth Hall were concentrated in this single group.

When this group was assigned, even the Helmsman of the First Branch Hall didn't know what to say—they were impossibly lucky; over half the best fighters were under his command.

Everyone was already aware of the First Branch Hall's overwhelming strength this time.

Even Song Jianjiu understood this reality, yet he chose silence, unwilling to crush the confidence of the Tenth Hall members, though he himself lacked any confidence.

On the other side stood Lu Yuan, the dark horse rising rapidly. Though calling him a complete dark horse might be inaccurate, as Lu Yuan was the foremost true disciple of the Huashan Immortal Sect, the sheer strength he was currently displaying slightly surprised everyone. This should be the final match.

Naturally, this last confrontation wasn't expected to be spectacular.

No one believed Lu Yuan could win; the combined strength of his ten opponents was simply too formidable. Still, this final battle was worth watching closely.

At this moment, everyone forgot their wine and their food.

The many Helmsmen watched the Water Mirror Technique intently, focusing on the impending clash. But just as they watched, the Water Mirror shattered with a bang! The Water Mirror was broken? The Helmsmen looked up, exchanging bewildered glances, unsure who could have shattered it.

The Water Mirror was hidden in an exceedingly discreet location and had been personally reinforced by the Hall Master; shattering it would not be easy.

So, who broke the Water Mirror?

This world is rife with conspiracies, and when the Water Mirror breaks at such a critical juncture, the likelihood of foul play is high. Cao Qiu immediately roared, "Gongyang Sanguang, you and I will venture into Mount Cang's interior to see who is causing trouble..." Earlier, it was mentioned that Gongyang Sanguang ranked first among the ten Branch Hall Helmsmen. He possessed the strength to be a Vice Hall Master but was demoted due to his excessive gambling habits.

To hold a Vice Hall Master position within the Five Immortals Alliance meant immense power, equivalent to the Six Sword Immortals of the North Peak.

Thus, Cao Qiu called upon Gongyang Sanguang to join forces.

The two of them, allied, were unlikely to suffer major setbacks unless they encountered figures of the level of Venerable Yuanyuan. And how many individuals of Venerable Yuanyuan’s caliber existed in the Great Jin Kingdom?

Of course, Lonely Lamp in the Night Rain, Cao Qiu, was always cautious: "Gongyang Sheng, Xuanyuan Zhong, Song Jianjiu, you few hurry to notify the Hall Master—a variable has occurred..."

The Five Immortals Alliance had only ten Hall Masters, each possessing unfathomable power, not significantly weaker than Venerable Yuanyuan.

Mount Cang, Sixth Sector.

Originally, the elites of the strongest First Branch Hall were about to engage Lu Yuan.

On Lu Yuan's side, he was close to slipping away, preparing to use his Myriad Mile Lone Walk movement technique to fight while retreating, when a silver-haired youth with narrow, handsome, and wickedly charming eyes emerged from the darkness. Strangely, the mere presence of this youth exuded overwhelming malice, stirring a profound sense of terror in the deepest parts of the heart. Lu Yuan’s spirit shuddered violently.

He recognized this sinisterly handsome silver-haired youth: this was Yuan Ling, the greatest traitor the North Peak had seen in a millennium, an immortal cultivator whose personal strength was absolutely not inferior to Venerable Yuanyuan. Venerable Yuanyuan had always been deeply wary of him, guarding against this man except during the Five Peaks Grand Competition.

The only reason he didn't need to be wary during the competition was that it operated under the banner of the peerless Yan Cangtian; if Yuan Ling dared to cause trouble then, the inevitable consequence would be pursuit by the peerless Yan Cangtian.

No one dared to face Yan Cangtian’s three-foot long sword.

The Blood Sword Gate Master, Patriarch Blood Sword, whose power was comparable to Venerable Yuanyuan and Yuan Ling, was utterly destroyed when he encountered Yan Cangtian.

No matter how daring Yuan Ling was, he would not act rashly during the Five Peaks Grand Competition, lest he be hunted down to death by Yan Cangtian.

Venerable Yuanyuan was constantly concerned about Yuan Ling and had displayed Yuan Ling’s image to Yun Yi, Yun Ping, and Lu Yuan—the three true disciples—via Magnetic Mirror Technique. Lu Yuan had certainly seen it. Back then, he was puzzled by how young Yuan Ling appeared. Venerable Yuanyuan had sighed deeply then, replying, "That is a forbidden art. Yuan Ling has always enjoyed researching various forbidden arts, and his natural talent surpasses mine. He can master many of them." Forbidden arts are numerous in the cultivation world, but each is immensely difficult to learn, yet Yuan Ling seemed to master them with alarming speed.

Returning to the present, when Lu Yuan saw Yuan Ling emerge from the shadows, his heart suddenly hammered rapidly. He couldn't fathom why the North Peak's greatest traitor of the millennium would appear here.

Yuan Ling smiled faintly: "Greetings everyone. Perhaps only the little fellows from Huashan North Peak recognize me. My former name was Venerable Yuan Ling, and I should rightfully belong to the ninth generation of the Huashan Immortal Sect. Of course, as a traitor, you might not have heard my name. As for my purpose today, when I was establishing my own faction, Beiling Mountain, I realized my subordinates lacked sufficient power and aptitude. I intend to build a new set of the Ten Great True Disciples, and thus, the Tenth Hall Competition of the Five Immortals Alliance caught my eye. I shall allow you all to fight, and those who prove superior will be allowed to join my ranks as members of Beiling Mountain..." His voice was remarkably resonant.

"To become a part of Beiling Mountain is your honor..." Though forcefully poaching them, Yuan Ling presented it as an undeniable right.

Lu Yuan immediately understood the scheme: Yuan Ling needed talented individuals for his new force, Beiling Mountain, and decided to select them from the winners of the Tenth Hall competition. He had already substituted one competitor using a transformation technique, waiting until the superior fighters were decided before making his grand entrance.

Lu Yuan’s heart tightened. He had long heard of Yuan Ling’s infamous reputation and now finally faced him. Confronting the man who had been famous for centuries while opposing the North Peak sent his heartbeat racing.

After all, Lu Yuan was still a normal young man.

Encountering Yuan Ling, renowned for centuries and an enemy of the North Peak, naturally filled him with tension.

Ye Pingxi, a young elder originating from the Qingcheng Immortal Sect, struck first. Ye Pingxi was quite young, barely a hundred years old, yet already possessed the cultivation of the fourth level of Body Tempering. Many believed he held the potential to emulate Chu Fei of the North Peak—a cultivator who rose from an ordinary disciple to a renowned Sword Immortal.

Ye Pingxi was characterized by his aggressive drive; everyone possesses a distinct nature, and Ye Pingxi was all about pushing forward. His flying sword, the Seven-Colored Dissonance Sword, was unlike typical flying swords, which usually possessed a single color; this one was a confusing medley of seven hues.

He launched immediately with the Seventeenth Way of Fast and Slow, one of the Six Absolute Swords of the Qingcheng Immortal Sect. This sword technique’s status within Qingcheng was no less significant than the One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud. Normally, a regular elder like Ye Pingxi would never gain access to it; he had only earned the right to learn it through exceptional merit.

The Seventeenth Way of Fast and Slow, paired with the Seven-Colored Dissonance Sword, caused the sword's seven colors to shift, making the sword moves abruptly fast and then suddenly slow, as if space and time itself were being violently distorted. Lu Yuan had long hoped to witness the Seventeenth Way of Fast and Slow and inwardly conceded that if he faced Elder Ye, victory would likely be exceedingly difficult.

Just as the Seven-Colored Dissonance Sword neared Venerable Yuan Ling’s throat, Yuan Ling remained still. Only when the sword tip was one inch away did Yuan Ling finally move, flicking a single finger. The movement precisely struck the bewilderingly complex sword body. Ye Pingxi’s entire body violently convulsed, and he was flung hurtling backward.

With a mere flick of a finger, he had injured Ye Pingxi, a cultivator at the fourth level of Body Tempering.

How formidable.

Everyone present were elites; they naturally understood that fighting was the only option, as fleeing was useless. All the remaining combatants struck simultaneously, but Yuan Ling dealt with each one using just a gentle flick of his finger. He faced no one who could last a single exchange. Furthermore, he didn't even seem to intend to draw his sword, the Spirit Overlord Sword.

To reign supreme over all—that was Yuan Ling.

Having neutralized the others, Yuan Ling finally turned his gaze to Lu Yuan: "I reserved you for last to defeat because you are the one I value most. Your potential is the greatest among these people, and your aptitude is quite good. I am genuinely curious what Venerable Yuanyuan’s reaction will be if I abduct the true disciple with the highest potential among the tenth generation of the North Peak."

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