This sudden complication caused Song Shijun’s face to darken. The Twin Withered Daoists of the Blood Sword Sect were notorious; their combat prowess was clearly not to be underestimated. Both possessed cultivation at the eighth layer of the Body Tempering stage, and with that foundation, utilizing their Blood Sacrifice Sword Arts meant each of them could contend equally with cultivators at the ninth layer of the Body Tempering stage.

From any angle Song Shijun considered, he did not believe victory was possible for them.

Blood Withered Daoist was a sinister-looking middle-aged man who cackled incessantly. “Hand over the Battle Spirit Beasts you collected, and perhaps I’ll spare your lives.”

Tear Withered Daoist looked much like his counterpart, also chuckling eerily. “Indeed, indeed. Now, let’s see if you’re willing to cooperate.”

Song Shijun stated in a low voice, “Even if we cooperate, you would still kill us. You two are infamous for your bloodlust. Furthermore, you’ve disguised yourselves to be here; to avoid trouble when exiting the Wusheng Legacy Palace, you’ll likely need to eliminate us.”

Blood Withered Daoist nodded. “It seems you know our style well. Very good. Since you know, prepare to die.”

Damn it!

Song Shijun’s heart sank. He resolved to self-detonate to allow Lu Yuan to escape. After all, Lu Yuan represented the greatest hope for the Northern Peak; his own demise was inconsequential to the future of the Crag Peak, but losing Lu Yuan would be a devastating blow. Song Shijun was not inherently a great man, but remembering the immense kindness bestowed upon him by the sect, he felt compelled to repay some of it now.

The sect, the sect—most people become a ‘sect’ because of their loyalty.

If everyone is engaged in internal strife, with few genuinely devoted to the organization, it will inevitably fracture and collapse.

Of course, this does not apply to Demonic Sects that control their subordinates through iron-fisted tactics and arcane curses.

In that split second, Lu Yuan charged forward, heading straight for Blood Withered Daoist. Song Shijun’s heart clenched: “Junior Uncle Lu, quickly flee!”

“Flee from what?” Lu Yuan’s voice rang out. “Simply kill them both.” Toward cultivators within the Righteous Path who constantly preached brotherhood and mutual support, Lu Yuan naturally would not strike ruthlessly. But when confronting members of a Demonic Sect, where it is either kill or be killed, how could he afford to hold back?

Song Shijun urgently warned, “They are from the Blood Sword Sect and possess the Blood Sacrifice Sword Art, which dramatically boosts their combat strength! If they both use it, their power will ascend to the ninth layer of the Body Tempering stage—it’s beyond what we can handle!” Song Shijun feared Lu Yuan was unaware of this critical detail. He, of course, didn’t know the specifics of Lu Yuan’s past duel with Sima Changbai; Lu Yuan had used the Blood Sacrifice Sword Art multiple times himself and understood it intimately.

“Senior Uncle Song, rest assured. You focus on using your spells from the rear,” Lu Yuan said, his figure already lunging forward. Simultaneously, his Yangwu Sword hissed as it left its sheath, trailing a sword light resembling clear autumn water. “As long as they cannot execute the Blood Sacrifice Sword Art, we will be fine. They are absolutely no match for us.”

Cannot use the Blood Sacrifice Sword Art? What did that mean?

The Blood Sacrifice Sword Art was incredibly simple: just spit a mouthful of vital blood onto their Blood Sword, and the ritual was complete.

Could it be that Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship was so superior that he could prevent them from even spitting out a single drop of vital blood onto their blades?

This was impossible!

Song Shijun felt this was utterly beyond belief.

To achieve that would be truly astonishing.

Hearing Lu Yuan’s words, both Blood Withered Daoist and Tear Withered Daoist burst into laughter. Blood Withered Daoist mocked, “How ridiculously amusing! To think you can stop us from using the Blood Sacrifice Sword Art—ridiculous! I insist. I shall savor your blood first. Let me see how the blood of the supposed number one of the younger generation tastes. I’ve never consumed the blood of a top talent from this generation before.” After speaking, Blood Withered Daoist seemed genuinely exhilarated.

Tear Withered Daoist’s eyes appeared to be welling up with tears. “Before you drain his blood, I want to ensure he cannot shed a single tear. I will exhaust every resource, inflict every torture known to man, until he regrets ever existing in this world!” Tear Withered Daoist also cackled hideously.

Blood Withered Daoist was about to spit a mouthful of blood onto his sword. The opponents across from him were not easy prey; maximizing one’s combat strength to finish the fight quickly was the supreme strategy. Just as Blood Withered Daoist intended this, a chilling glint flashed ahead. He was about to eject the vital blood, but the sword light was already upon him, forcing his head to instinctively duck back.

This strike, like autumn water, sliced horizontally toward Tear Withered Daoist. Tear Withered Daoist had also intended to activate the Blood Sacrifice Sword Art, but facing this incoming blade, evasion meant survival; otherwise, his neck would meet the ground. He was forced to dodge.

The first move: Lu Yuan unleashed a single sword strike.

One sword neutralized the Blood Sacrifice Sword Art for both Blood Withered Daoist and Tear Withered Daoist.

Both Withered Daoists were momentarily stunned. They hadn't expected Lu Yuan’s casual strike to disrupt their ritual. After a slight flicker of surprise, their expressions remained unchanged. Could Lu Yuan prevent them from using the Blood Sacrifice Sword Art continuously? Once they succeeded in boosting their power, destroying Lu Yuan would be trivial.

The second move: Blood Withered Daoist positioned himself above, and Tear Withered Daoist below. Both attempted the Blood Sacrifice Sword Art simultaneously, challenging Lu Yuan to disrupt them again. Lu Yuan thrust out another sword stroke, seemingly quite casual—a sweeping upward counter-flick. Yet, this casual motion forced both Withered Daoists to involuntarily shift their heads, making the Blood Sacrifice Sword Art impossible to execute.

The third move: Blood Withered Daoist was near, and Tear Withered Daoist was farther away, the distance between them exceeding the reach of a single sword. How would Lu Yuan manage this? To everyone’s astonishment, Lu Yuan suddenly stabbed out two swords in rapid succession—one toward Blood Withered Daoist, one toward Tear Withered Daoist. Such speed! Undeniably, under such pressure, the Withered Daoists’ pre-planned movements were completely shattered.

How was this possible! In the subsequent exchanges, no matter how the Blood Withered Daoist and Tear Withered Daoist attempted to position themselves, they could not successfully perform the Blood Sacrifice Sword Art. Lu Yuan’s Yangwu Sword, wielding skill bordering on the divine, relentlessly disrupted nearly every action they undertook. Technically, both Withered Daoists could have kept their swords positioned at a distance, using them for remote control while they retreated. However, if they kept their blades fixed afar, how could they possibly use the Blood Sacrifice Sword Art?

At this moment, Song Shijun was utterly dumbfounded. He had never imagined one could fight members of the Blood Sword Sect this way. The Blood Sword Sect had always been a headache; encountering their cultivators meant endless trouble precisely because they could instantly enhance their combat power mid-battle. No one had ever conceived of Lu Yuan’s approach: overwhelming them with pure swordsmanship until they could not initiate the Blood Sacrifice ritual.

After a period of shock, Song Shijun realized he needed to deploy his spells. Without hesitation, he cast Water Binding Technique to restrict their movement speed, followed immediately by Water Bubble Art, Water Arrow Art, and Water Whip Art—all remote-controlled spells launched one after another.

Blood Withered Daoist and Tear Withered Daoist were now deeply miserable. They had initially assumed they were only dealing with ordinary cultivators. They believed Song Shijun posed little threat, and while Lu Yuan was famed and rumored to have defeated eighth-layer cultivators, the two of them, once powered by the Blood Sacrifice Sword Art to the ninth layer, should have made short work of him. They never anticipated Lu Yuan being so formidable, forcing them to abandon their crucial technique with nothing more than a single long sword. Coupled with Song Shijun’s Water Binding Technique slowing their pace, they were increasingly trapped within Lu Yuan’s circle of swords.

Both Withered Daoists simultaneously felt the urge to retreat. If they didn't leave now, they would certainly perish beneath the sword of a junior. A mere junior! They were completely unwilling to die by a junior’s blade.

If they had attempted to flee at the beginning, it would not have been difficult. They were both eighth-layer cultivators capable of controlling their swords remotely, using them to block Lu Yuan while their bodies swiftly departed. But now, ensnared by the Water Binding Technique and deeply caught within the sword net, escaping was no easy feat.

A crimson streak appeared—Lu Yuan’s Yangwu Sword slashed across Blood Withered Daoist’s right arm. Simultaneously, Tear Withered Daoist was struck heavily by Song Shijun’s Water Explosion Art. Both sustained grievous injuries. At this point, the two Withered Daoists finally understood: they had missed the window for escape.

Just moments before, they could have retreated, accepting some loss, like sacrificing an arm.

But after suffering these heavy blows, escaping became impossibly difficult.

Unacceptable!

Both Blood Withered Daoist and Tear Withered Daoist were veterans famous in the cultivation world. They absolutely refused to believe they were about to lose so disastrously to a junior. They screamed “Impossible!” in their minds, yet reality was fact, and grievous wounds continued to be inflicted upon them.

Victory!

When Lu Yuan’s Yangwu Sword pierced Blood Withered Daoist’s throat, and Song Shijun’s Water Cone Art struck Tear Withered Daoist’s heart, Song Shijun himself could hardly believe they had won this battle. Before the fight, he had prepared for his own death to ensure Lu Yuan, the hope of the Northern Peak, survived.

He never expected such a stunning reversal.

Song Shijun couldn't believe it himself. Reflecting on the process, he couldn’t help but sigh with admiration: Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship had once again surpassed his imagination. He suspected that among the Northern Peak’s Six Immortal Swordsmen, only Senior Brother Yuanyuan might possess a skill surpassing that of this junior nephew.

Lu Yuan shrugged. In truth, their success today was largely thanks to the Sword Intent of Speed. Previously, when facing Blood Sword Sect Daoists, he needed time to weave a net before his opponent couldn’t execute the Blood Sacrifice Sword Art. Now that he had mastered the Sword Intent of Speed, his blade was faster from the outset, allowing him to perfectly suppress the enemy and prevent them from employing their own fast techniques.

Right, time to collect the spoils of war.

This haul should be quite valuable.