It was a vast expanse of verdant grassland, seemingly without end or boundary. The sky above seemed impossibly distant, as if he were standing alone in the middle of an immense prairie, permeated by a faint mist that obscured anything beyond a short distance. This must be the effect of some spatial spell, creating this illusion. The Wusheng Relic Palace was supposed to be an underground structure; the first layer could not possibly be this vast. It must be the work of spatial magic, or perhaps it formed a world unto itself—both possibilities were conceivable, given the extraordinary divine abilities Old Man Wusheng possessed in his prime, abilities far beyond Lu Yuan's current comprehension.

Just then, several sharp tearing sounds pierced the hazy mist. Lu Yuan flicked his hand, and the Yangwu Sword was drawn.

The moment the Yangwu Sword left its sheath, its light shot forth, intercepting every incoming sound of passage.

It was birds.

A strange species of bird.

Lu Yuan looked closer and saw that these creatures were even smaller than ordinary birds, moving with incredible swiftness. Their cultivation levels seemed varied; the stronger ones appeared to be at the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refining. Lu Yuan swiftly judged them and sent out a sword strike, creating several blossoming sword flowers that instantly dispatched the birds.

Bang! Upon death, one of the birds actually exploded, revealing a spirit stone.

What was happening? Normal monster birds didn't usually drop spirit stones. This first level of the Wusheng Relic Palace was truly peculiar.

Since there were spirit stones, Lu Yuan naturally wouldn't be polite, tucking them into his Little Sumeru Pouch as he went.

After walking for a while longer, he encountered two more waves of these strange birds. Such creatures were incredibly numerous in the fog; they basically sought him out rather than needing to be hunted. Furthermore, the rule for them dropping spirit stones was sporadic: sometimes, after killing three birds, each would drop a stone; other times, after slaying over a dozen, not a single one would yield a stone.

The harvest here wasn't significant, Lu Yuan mused, lowering his head in thought.

If he were still in the Qi Refining stage, these spirit stones would have some use. But now, his power had advanced to the sixth level of Body Tempering—his bones and skin thoroughly refined. The number of spirit stones was too small to make a difference to him.

However, this was to be expected. The Wusheng Relic Palace supposedly had seven levels, each more perilous than the last, and consequently, each offering greater rewards. It seemed perfectly normal for the first level to be like this.

After a few more steps, he noticed what looked like a stone tablet ahead. He approached it cautiously. The fog was too thick; only up close did he realize that characters were inscribed upon the stele. He began to read them aloud, one by one: "I wandered everywhere and finally settled here to live out my days in the Great Jin Kingdom. While my knowledge was not the greatest in the entire nation, it certainly ranked among the absolute pinnacle. Alas, I passed away without ever taking a disciple. I leave a portion of my learning here in this Wusheng Relic Palace. This is the first level. I have calculated using the Heavenly Secrets Astrometry that nearly ten thousand cultivators will enter this place in the future, so I have laid down successive trials to test those who follow."

"The first level harbors two types of monstrous fowl: the Crimson Fire Birds and the Cold Toxin Birds. I sealed these two types here with my great magical power thousands of years ago. After these millennia, the birds in the first level will multiply incessantly, becoming extremely numerous. Furthermore, I have condensed spirit stones within some of these birds using my great power as a small gift for the bored, to bestow upon later entrants."

"At the center of the first level, there is a teleportation array leading to the second level of the Wusheng Relic Palace. Simultaneously, a stele, condensed by my great power, exists at the center of the first level. Three days from now, only the top two thousand cultivators who have slain the most monstrous birds on this first level will be permitted to enter the second level of the Wusheng Relic Palace."

The inscription ended there.

Lu Yuan understood: the reason these monstrous birds harbored spirit stones was due to Old Man Wusheng's great power condensing them into existence.

Moreover, to proceed to the second level of the Wusheng Relic Palace, one needed to rank among the top two thousand in the number of birds slain.

About ten thousand cultivators—ranking in the top two thousand.

No difficulty at all.

Three days, then?

Lu Yuan smiled. Time to get to work.

Another wave of tearing sounds emerged from the fog—this time, more than ten birds. Many of these possessed the strength of the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refining, and their numbers posed a significant obstacle for the average disciple. Even seasoned True Disciples would likely find such a gathering quite troublesome.

But what did it matter to Lu Yuan?

The birds' flight speed was naturally extreme, but could it possibly outpace Lu Yuan's longsword?

One sword strike, several birds down, vanishing into nothingness.

Lu Yuan was now intrigued. He danced his sword, wielding the Sword Intent of Wind, and carved a path through the flock. Unhindered, countless birds fell beneath his blade, accompanied by the occasional, pleasing sound of a spirit stone hitting the ground.

Lu Yuan realized he had been mistaken. He had initially assumed the spirit stones dropped rarely and sparingly, but he soon discovered that because the birds were so incredibly abundant, even occasional drops resulted in a considerable accumulation of spirit stones.

The spoils from the first level of the Wusheng Relic Palace, it seemed, were quite satisfactory.

This only heightened his anticipation for the remaining six levels.

Lu Yuan remained unaware that while he was slaughtering the birds, many others were discussing his name.

The center of the first level of the Wusheng Relic Palace.

A massive defensive barrier protected this central area; even the monstrous birds could not penetrate it.

Inside, several ordinary disciples lay recovering.

While these monstrous birds were simple for Lu Yuan, they were far from easy for average True Disciples. Even those of Meng Bai, Ye Fang, and Ye Yuan's caliber struggled to navigate the area successfully, managing only barely. Ordinary disciples, therefore, faced an even greater challenge. Some, injured by the birds, had discovered this central area where the great defensive barrier offered sanctuary from attack, and they huddled within it.

In the center of the first level, they now noticed that the Mana Ranking Stone, mentioned by Old Man Wusheng, was beginning to pulse with a faint, crystalline light. According to the old man's instructions, a list detailing enemy kills would soon materialize, clearly showing who had slain the most birds and who had slain the fewest. Naturally, it would only display the top hundred, not all two thousand.

Of course, everyone understood that even if only a hundred names were displayed, the tally for two thousand would still be kept. They marveled at the power Old Man Wusheng must have possessed to utilize some technique that could automatically track kills across millennia—such sublime artistry was truly formidable.

In truth, Old Man Wusheng had made his name by imitating the unique skills of others. Having studied countless cultivation methods throughout his life, it was not surprising he possessed such an unusual technique.

Everyone waited with eager anticipation.

"Who do you think will take the top ten spots this time?"

"It should be those elders at the ninth level of Body Tempering, like those few most famous ones. 'When the time comes to break the waves, hoist the high sail across the boundless sea.'" This quote referred to five particularly renowned cultivators at the Body Tempering ninth level. Generally, those at the tenth level of Body Tempering entered deep seclusion aiming for the Longevity Stage, so famous figures in the Longevity Stage were often overshadowed by these ninth-level elders. Among these elders, five were exceptionally famous, referenced by the couplet: He Changfeng, Song Polang, Zhong Youshi, Jiang Yunfan, and Mao Canghai.

Of course, this didn't mean there were only five cultivators at the ninth level of Body Tempering in the entire Wusheng Relic Palace; there were quite a few at that stage. It simply meant these five were the most famous. Each of these five possessed formidable, unparalleled unique skills.

"If you ask me, He Changfeng should take first place. He Changfeng's Huashan Sword Sect sword techniques are said to be supreme."

"He Changfeng is impressive, but I think Song Polang is superior. The Qingcheng Immortal Sect's Seventeen Paths of Fast and Slow Swordsmanship—it’s incredible, shifting between fast and slow, leaving you utterly disoriented."

"Wrong. Kunlun Immortal Sect's Zhong Youshi possesses numerous magic treasures and powerful spells; it's only normal for him to take first."

"Jiang Yunfan is the strongest, perhaps. Jiang Yunfan cultivates in the Wudang Immortal Sect, and it's rumored... he mastered the Wudang Finger-Winding Soft Sword Style—a sword form that shifts between fast and slow, supple as winding silk."

"Mao Canghai is the most impressive. He is the most mysterious, a figure from the South Sea Immortal Sect who cultivates both sword techniques and magic spells, and whose hidden cards have always been unfathomable." These ordinary disciples, despite their low status, were relatively well-informed and had certainly heard of the five famous figures at the ninth level of Body Tempering.

Each had their own champions; some favored He Changfeng's Sword Sect mastery, others Song Polang's dynamic swordplay, some believed Zhong Youshi's vast arsenal of treasures secured victory, while others lauded Jiang Yunfan's inscrutable Soft Sword Style, or Mao Canghai, given the consistent mystery surrounding the South Sea Immortal Sect.

Various opinions filled the air.

The crystalline Mana Ranking Stone glowed brighter and brighter, then flickered suddenly before finally displaying the full list. The ordinary disciples, many of whom were heavily injured, rushed to look at the first position, eager to see which of the five famous figures had claimed the top spot.

However, the first entry seemed somewhat indistinct.

"Sixth place revealed: Mao Canghai." Hearing this, Mao Canghai's supporters suffered a blow; they had expected him to be first, yet he was only sixth.

"Fifth place: Zhong Youshi of the Kunlun Immortal Sect." Zhong Youshi's supporters immediately lost their bravado.

"Fourth place: Song Polang of the Qingcheng Immortal Sect." Song Polang was only fourth.

"Third place: He Changfeng of the Huashan Sword Sect." He Changfeng's supporters became visibly crestfallen. At this point, the most boastful were the supporters of Jiang Yunfan from the Wudang Immortal Sect, or perhaps members of the sect itself. Four of the five famous figures were accounted for, occupying positions three through six.

This meant Jiang Yunfan had no competition left for the top spot—he was guaranteed first place.

"Second place: Jiang Yunfan of the Wudang Immortal Sect." This entry was clearly visible, and everyone froze. If the five most famous figures ranked from second to sixth, who on earth was in first place? Who could possibly surpass these five highly renowned cultivators at the ninth level of Body Tempering and suddenly emerge supreme?

"First place: Lu Yuan." The announcement stunned everyone into silence.