The list materialized by condensed magic power displayed not names, but rather the visages of those recorded.

Yet, the figures ranked near the top possessed such immense popularity that recognizing them was immediate upon seeing their faces.

And the first on the list, Lu Yuan, was already a figure of some renown, recognized instantly by several.

Initially, the large number of ordinary disciples were quite astonished that Lu Yuan could overpower five extremely famous elders, all at the ninth stage of Body Tempering. However, their surprise quickly faded. Of course, this wasn't because they truly believed Lu Yuan's strength could match five such renowned ninth-stage elders; compared to a typical ninth-stage cultivator, Lu Yuan still held a definite gap and would not truly be his match in a real confrontation.

The reason these ordinary disciples ceased their astonishment was their discovery that, moments later, another person occupied the very top spot on the magic power list. The assembled common disciples had now figured it out: the first level of the Wusheng Relic Palace was, quite simply, too easy for anyone above the Body Tempering stage, especially those above the fifth stage. Whoever managed to kill the most monster birds, regardless of rank, would naturally claim the top spot, as the opponents were too weak to truly showcase their might.

Sometimes, it was about executing a technique with more precision.

PS Sometimes, it was about the sword being faster.

Sometimes, it was just good fortune, stumbling upon a dense flock of monster birds.

In any case, this list forged from magic power revealed very little true strength; individuals at the seventh, eighth, or ninth stages of Body Tempering could all potentially appear at the apex.

Lu Yuan’s immediate dash to first place was entirely accidental.

This was due to the low difficulty failing to highlight significant discrepancies.

Essentially, cultivators at the seventh, eighth, and ninth stages of Body Tempering formed the first major legion; they generally pulled ahead of those trailing, but their monster-slaying tallies weren't vastly different from each other—sometimes one would edge higher, sometimes another. Lu Yuan, however, was the sole true disciple to break into this primary legion.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth stages of Body Tempering constituted the second legion.

The first, second, and third stages of Body Tempering formed the third legion.

The eighth through tenth stages of Qi Condensation made up the fourth legion.

Following them was the fifth legion.

Among the other true disciples, the best achievements only managed to scrape the bottom ranks of the third legion. Lu Yuan was the only one to burst into the first legion, and occasionally even claim the very top position within it. Naturally, Lu Yuan had always been an anomaly among the true disciples, so this performance didn't cause excessive shock.

Still, the Huashan disciples injured and resting here felt a surge of pride on his behalf.

Especially the disciples from the North Peak; when discussing their Sixth Senior Brother, some claimed he had three heads and six arms, possessing astonishing divine might; others described him as having the bearing of an immortal; still others insisted he was exceptionally handsome and refined. This left their audience quite perplexed, as they truly could not envision what a person possessing three heads, six arms, immortal grace, and extraordinary handsomeness might look like.

A question mark hung in the air.

However, the North Peak disciples found it difficult to answer this query themselves. Alas, the truth was that most of them had barely seen Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan was habitually lazy, usually residing in Changchun Residence or finding some quiet, undisturbed corner, rarely appearing in public.

Lu Yuan had, in fact, once instructed common disciples on swordsmanship, but the session was so brief that everyone’s memory had blurred. They were essentially generating Lu Yuan’s image in their minds based on their own scattered impressions.

Lu Yuan took a slow sip of wine.

He now understood the true intention behind the first level of the Wusheng Elder’s Relic Palace. Put plainly, it was designed to test one's speed in employing a technique, or the speed of one's spellcasting. If your sword swing was too slow, if your spellcasting speed lagged, you wouldn't even be able to land a hit. His own sword speed had absolutely met the standard set by the Wusheng Elder for this first level.

But, how to become even faster?

Lu Yuan wanted a faster sword.

Yet, how could he achieve greater speed?

The Gale from the Sword Intent of Wind could make the sword quicker; the Downpour could also quicken the sword. Both Gale and Downpour represented extreme velocity. Lu Yuan had long considered fusing these two intents, unleashing several strands of intent with a single swing, but he had repeatedly failed—fusing sword intents was just too difficult, too profoundly difficult.

Perhaps, he reflected, he didn't necessarily need to cultivate a sword intent to increase his sword speed.

Years ago, atop the North Peak, beneath the waterfall, he had practiced his sword speed against the cascade without grasping any sword intent, yet his speed had increased significantly.

Why couldn't he do the same thing now? Lu Yuan thrust his hand out—a single stab in the void produced over a dozen sword blossoms, felling a dozen monster birds. Another thrust materialized over ten sword blossoms, downing ten more creatures. While executing these strikes, Lu Yuan continuously pondered how to incrementally increase his sword speed.

When striking, minimizing the ancillary movements of his hand, or making every necessary motion as fast as possible—this was undoubtedly one method.

Another approach involved seeking out weaknesses in the ambient space. Normal air was uniformly distributed, but when clashing with an enemy created violent drafts, the air wouldn't remain uniform. Striking at areas where the vital energy was weakest during such turbulence could also enhance sword speed.

As Lu Yuan struck, he ceaselessly tested both methods. The movements of his draw and thrust were repeated over and over, revised again and again, until the entire motion flowed like water, streamlined and elegant—this saved a tiny fraction of time. Overlooking these minuscule gains, in a true engagement, even a hair's breadth of difference could mean a vast chasm. Simultaneously, he practiced finding the weak points in the enemy's kinetic currents, testing it repeatedly, feeling he benefited immensely.

Moreover, subtly, Lu Yuan sensed something forming in the vague periphery—a nascent sword intent. This intent seemed to share something with the Gale within the Sword Intent of Wind, and the Downpour within the Sword Intent of Rain. Both Gale and Downpour shared the concept of speed. At this moment, enlightenment dawned upon Lu Yuan.

The Sword Intent of Speed!

Precisely, what he was on the verge of grasping was the Sword Intent of Speed.

In this world, there existed sword arts comprising seventeen paths of speed and slowness, and since the Qingcheng Six Ultimate Swords included the Sword Intent of Speed, it was perfectly natural that a Sword Intent of Slowness also existed.

Naturally, although he knew he was realizing the Sword Intent of Speed, and sensed connections to the Sword Intent of Wind and Rain, claiming he could grasp it fully right now would be dreaming too big. Realizing a single sword intent was not easily accomplished; it required gradual accumulation over time, culminating in a sudden breakthrough.

Out of ten thousand cultivators, eight thousand were eliminated, leaving two thousand to enter the second level of the Wusheng Relic Palace.

The second level of the Wusheng Relic Palace was not drastically different from the first. The environment was similar, the rules comparable, except now, out of two thousand cultivators, only five hundred would advance to the third level.

Oh, yes, the second level of the Wusheng Relic Palace featured a change in monster type. The most frequently encountered beasts on the second level were the Mammoth Demons and the Great Earth Bulls. These creatures, especially the Mammoth Demons, possessed profoundly deep magic power; the most formidable among them reached the strength of the tenth stage of Qi Condensation. Furthermore, the most troublesome aspect of these monsters was their incredibly high defense. Even a cultivator at the tenth stage of Qi Condensation striking them elicited almost no reaction.

Fortunately, the other type, the Great Earth Bulls, while several times larger than ordinary oxen and possessing deep magic, were not as terrifying as the Mammoth Demons, allowing cultivators at the eighth and ninth stages of Qi Condensation to put up a somewhat effective fight.

If the first level of the Wusheng Relic Palace was designed to eliminate ordinary disciples,

Then the second level was intended to weed out the average true disciples and some of the lower-ranked elders, all being purged at a furious rate.

Furthermore, everyone understood that the Wusheng Relic Palace tested the entrant's speed and precision; the second level tested their offensive power. Insufficient attack power meant they could never breach the defense, and failing to breach the defense naturally led to tragedy.

And naturally, some people turned their attention to the leaderboard of the second level, discovering that the kill counts of other true disciples had largely stagnated, while Lu Yuan remained within the first major legion, competing favorably with those at the seventh, eighth, and ninth stages of Qi Condensation—truly remarkable!

In fact, while these cultivators were observing the rankings, Lu Yuan remained utterly absorbed in his own sword practice.

The first level tested the precision and speed of swordsmanship; the second tested the attack power of the sword. Lu Yuan’s offensive power was absolutely sufficient, given his sixth-stage Body Tempering magic power.

However, Lu Yuan was also contemplating that he could suppress a portion of his attack power and continue refining his speed swordplay.

The Mammoth Demon's defense is high, true. If I suppress my magic power and strike once, you might not be heavily injured, but if multiple swords strike the exact same spot, and they do so at extreme speed, then no matter how ferocious the Mammoth Demon's defense, it would be severely challenged by such an assault.

Lu Yuan executed strike after strike. Initially, forcing every blow to be both swift and precise, landing on the same point, was incredibly difficult. But as time passed, he gradually grew accustomed to delivering several successive, lightning-fast stabs to the identical location. Oh, and incidentally, the required duration in the second level of the Wusheng Relic Palace was six days—twice as long as the first level.

Having this longer duration was actually beneficial; Lu Yuan now had ample opportunity to practice his sword.

After all, mastering a sword intent was extremely difficult to rush.

Lu Yuan delivered one form after another.

Now, Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship grew increasingly simple. All the fancy flourishes and intricate movements were stripped away, leaving only direct, straightforward sword forms.

Vaguely, he grasped the edge of the Sword Intent of Speed once more.

But it was only the periphery of the Sword Intent of Speed; attempting to realize it fully this quickly was almost impossible.

The green-robed youth’s Yangwu Sword swayed gently as he searched through the dense mist for his next opponent.

If another cultivator were nearby observing, they would clearly notice Lu Yuan's sword speed incrementally improving. Slowly, yes, but increasing nonetheless, bit by bit.