The massive brawl this time was, in truth, exactly what the demons had planned. They had stealthily brought in the forces from another branch lodge, positioning four branches to attack the existing three. Of course, against the Seventh Branch, the demons merely maintained a deadlock, ensuring neither victory nor defeat. The main thrust of the attack was directed at the Tenth Branch. The Tenth Branch was the weakest of the three, and according to the demons' strategy, they would use the strength of two branches to swiftly eliminate the Tenth Branch. Once that was done, they would turn their combined force of four branches against the remaining two—the Fourth and Seventh Branches—resolving them in a lightning strike. This way, all three branches of the Five Immortals Alliance would be defeated, and the demons would acquire the flesh and blood of the four branches as a birthday gift for the Radiant Demon Emperor. This birthday offering was indeed prepared with meticulous care. A single offering for the Demon Emperor could stir up countless disturbances. But that was unavoidable; the actions of great figures invariably stir up immense ripples. Otherwise, why would they be called great figures?

The Tenth Branch was currently in absolute peril. Not only were the various Incense Sanctuaries in danger, but the headquarters of the Tenth Branch itself was extremely vulnerable. The demons were pressing the attack with overwhelming force. The situations everywhere were little different from what had just transpired at the Tenth Incense Sanctuary—all exceedingly dangerous.

“The current situation is precarious,” Gu Chenzi stated. “It seems we have no choice but to fight our way out…” Lu Yuan nodded. Hiding inside the Tenth Incense Sanctuary meant certain death. If the demons finished quelling resistance elsewhere and turned their attention here, they would bring even greater, crushing might. At that point, even with Lu Yuan’s ability, there would only be room for regret. Naturally, the only ones preparing to fight their way out were Gu Chenzi, Gu Yunzi, and Lu Yuan. The others lacked the strength to break through; their power was too meager to make much difference in this large-scale melee. Immediately, Gu Chenzi, Gu Yunzi, and Lu Yuan burst forth from the Tenth Incense Sanctuary. The moment they emerged, they drew the attention of the demons. It was inevitable. In the territory governed by the Tenth Branch, the demons held such a massive advantage that they were crushing the cultivators of the Five Immortals Alliance everywhere. Any lone cultivator who appeared was a rare sight, and naturally, several demons immediately charged toward the trio of Lu Yuan, Gu Chenzi, and Gu Yunzi.

Lu Yuan’s sword fell in a swift arc, and soon many demons lay slain beneath his blade. What marvelous swordsmanship! Even while engaged in combat, Gu Chenzi and Gu Yunzi couldn't help but admire Lu Yuan’s skill! This swordsmanship was truly extraordinary. As practitioners of the Way of the Sword themselves, Gu Chenzi and Gu Yunzi were involuntarily captivated by this exquisitely refined technique. They couldn't fathom how someone so young as Lu Yuan had managed to acquire such mastery.

Lu Yuan’s rapid dispatching of demons naturally attracted the notice of the demon forces. Seeing his formidable strength, a pack of Earth Demons advanced. This group of Earth Demons numbered around ten. Earth Demons were quite similar to Sand Demons in that they both possessed the ability to temporarily burrow beneath the ground. However, Sand Demons leaned toward combat roles, while Earth Demons favored magical arts. As one Earth Demon unleashed a Sand Vortex—and Lu Yuan’s experience surged—he immediately leaped into the air. Correspondingly, Gu Chenzi and Gu Yunzi also took flight.

Here, a clarification is necessary: this location was underground. Underground was precisely where Earth Demons excelled. The surroundings were soil and stone walls, and the Earth Demon’s signature spell, the Earth Spike Technique—spikes erupting from the earth—would be largely ineffective if not underground. After all, once cultivators reached the Body Tempering stage, they could fly, making evasion of this spell quite easy. But here, underground, surrounded by soil and stone walls, Earth Spikes could erupt from the ground, from the east, west, north, and south, and even from directly overhead. The Earth Spike Technique was quite formidable. Erupting from the earth, the spikes shot out with incredible speed, making them extremely difficult to dodge. In the subterranean world, one Earth Demon was not frightening; a pack of them was terrifying. When a group of Earth Demons gathered, each one employing the Earth Spike Technique, the continuous barrage from every direction—sides, above, and below—left one with no room to hide or evade. If one were to ask what the most vexing demons to encounter in the underworld were, a pack of Earth Demons would certainly be the answer. A group of Earth Demons was truly headache-inducing.

At this moment, Earth Spikes were constantly erupting around them. Gu Chenzi and Gu Yunzi sustained injuries in quick succession. As expected, it was futile against a pack of Earth Demons. Earth Demons were already among the most troublesome subterranean foes. It was normal for Gu Chenzi and Gu Yunzi to be overwhelmed by a dozen or so; not losing would have been abnormal. With Gu Chenzi and Gu Yunzi severely wounded by the Earth Spikes, unable to move, they turned their gaze toward Lu Yuan. They had expected Lu Yuan to face the same helplessness against the Earth Demons, whose reputation for this technique was widely known!

As they watched, Gu Chenzi and Gu Yunzi could barely keep their eyes open. They instantly froze as if turned to wood—wait... wait! Lu Yuan was still holding on, and moreover, he was rapidly advancing toward the dozen or so Earth Demons! Countless Earth Spikes flew toward him. How fast were those spikes? Yet, Lu Yuan’s sword speed was like lightning, swiftly severing every single spike just before it could strike him. The Earth Spike Technique from a single Earth Demon was not terrifying, though it was certainly vexing. But the combined Earth Spike Technique from over a dozen Earth Demons was absolutely terrifying. Innumerable cultivators had met their doom buried under the Earth Spikes from a pack of Earth Demons; their very name made cultivators blanch. Cultivators had even imitated this tactic, using groups of earth-elemental mages to perform the feat. Although the Earth Spike cast by an earth mage was slower than that of an Earth Demon, its destructive power was immense.

Gu Chenzi and Gu Yunzi stared in stunned silence as Lu Yuan, with lightning speed, severed every incoming Earth Spike. This was possible? This was actually possible! They were utterly shocked. They had never imagined such a countermeasure existed. What level of sword speed and reaction speed was required to achieve this feat?

Yet, Lu Yuan had done it. Having spent many years in the Five Immortals Alliance, Gu Chenzi and Gu Yunzi had never witnessed a method to break through the Earth Spike Technique like this, because the required reaction speed and drawing speed were too high! Now, they witnessed it, and this style wasn't displayed by some renowned master, but by a mere youth. Gu Chenzi and Gu Yunzi were left speechless.

The pack of Earth Demons was equally astonished. They had initially thought this was a simple task. In the subterranean world, a group of Earth Demons was inherently powerful; the saying, "One Earth Demon is an ant, a pack of Earth Demons is a dragon," held significant truth. They had indeed managed to wound Gu Yunzi and Gu Chenzi with their Earth Spikes, but this young man had managed to shatter their signature technique with such an unbelievable method. Speechless, how could they bear it? These Earth Demons didn't typically have well-developed tear ducts, but they now felt the urge to weep streams of tears! They truly had not expected their ultimate skill to be countered this way. Of course, they didn't get much chance. Earth Demons were primarily strong in long-range attacks using Earth Spikes; once closed in, even a pack of them was mere trash. Other demons tried to assist, but they were too slow. These Earth Demons were quickly dispatched by Lu Yuan in just a few moves.

Spoils. Lu Yuan dared not openly search for loot. He quickly rummaged through casually, managing to find a small space-type magical artifact and collecting some other spoils. There was no time to examine them closely; he tossed everything into his Minor Sumeru Pouch and immediately plunged back into battle. After all, this was the middle of a massive chaotic fight. Of course, Lu Yuan did not forget the spikes from the Earth Demons; the spikes on their necks were proof of their identity, which could be used to claim a reward, so that could not be forgotten.

Flame Yakshas were quite numerous among the subterranean demons. Flame Yakshas were a branch of the Yaksha clan, formed by absorbing the intense heat from deep within the earth. Some Flame Yakshas would even venture into underground magma flows to cultivate. They were also among the powerful figures of the subterranean demons, highly proficient in fire-elemental magic. To be precise, with a casual wave of their hands, they could unleash a continuous barrage of flames.

More than ten Flame Yakshas spewed fire at Lu Yuan. Surely, Lu Yuan couldn't escape under these circumstances? Lu Yuan immediately activated the Cloud Dragon’s First Transformation, converting all his vital energy into water-elemental magic to counter the fire with water. He channeled the water-elemental energy into his long sword, seemingly slicing a perfect trail through the void. If Lu Yuan’s performance against the Earth Demons demonstrated his extreme speed, what he showed the gathered demons now was exquisite swordsmanship. Illuminated by the firelight, every arc and movement of his long sword was even more striking. So much flame, so much magical energy, yet none of it could penetrate the range defined by the arcs of Lu Yuan’s sword. It was as if his sword possessed a mystical power that no flame could breach. Moreover, under the influence of that mysterious power, the Flame Yakshas and other demons found themselves involuntarily mesmerized.

Shock followed by more shock! Numbness followed by persistent numbness! Shock and numbness flickered before Gu Chenzi and Gu Yunzi. Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship was too miraculous. One move defeated numerous Earth Demons, another defeated numerous Flame Yakshas. The demons seemed utterly weak beneath his sword, yet Gu Chenzi and Gu Yunzi, having lived underground for years, knew how terrifying these demons truly were. The reason they appeared weak was simply because Lu Yuan was stronger.

As mentioned earlier, Gu Chenzi and Gu Yunzi were both disciples of the Kunlun Immortal Sect and naturally knew that Zhao Qiankun held a grudge against Lu Yuan. Gu Chenzi then spoke with a bitter tone, “He is truly powerful.” Gu Yunzi nodded, “I feel now that even if Junior Brother Zhao is the top direct disciple and the future head of the Kunlun Sect, if he provoked Lu Yuan, he is doomed.” Gu Chenzi nodded, “Yes, I feel the same way.” Though both were from the Kunlun Immortal Sect, they felt the gap between the sect's foremost direct disciple and Lu Yuan was immense, nearly as vast as the gap between a direct disciple and an ordinary outer disciple. “I feel like we are witnessing the emergence of the next Yan Cangtian…” Gu Chenzi murmured. This was the highest praise he could muster; there was nothing higher to compare it to.

(It’s the third update. I have things I want to say, but I find myself speechless, how miserable. Has this network repair taken three days? The characters in the book like to weep, and now I am weeping too. Telecom service is too unreliable. I should be able to update more tomorrow.)