There was but an instant left. This was a crucial instant. If Lu Yuan had failed to breach the defensive array in that moment, he would surely have been caught in a heavy encirclement, forever barred from entry. In that case, the War Spirit Beasts would be seized, and he could never reach the sixth level of the Wusheng Relic Palace. And in the preceding instant, the Thirteen Hundred Forms of the Myriad Illusions Cloud Mist technique was shattered, the Gentle Cloud Swordplay was broken, the Rain Beating Flying Silk Swordplay was undone, the Seventeen Paths of Fast and Slow were defeated, and Kunlun’s magic treasure was destroyed—all shattered by a single sword strike.

Those who had just attacked needed time to recover their qi and could not strike again in that same instant, but the other cultivators began their assault.

The cultivators from the South Sea Immortal Sect struck first, unleashing their sect’s sword techniques.

The swordplay of the South Sea Immortal Sect differed greatly from that of the Central Plains. Whether it was the Huashan Immortal Sect, the Wudang Immortal Sect, the Kunlun Immortal Sect, or the Qingcheng Immortal Sect, while each possessed unique characteristics, the sword techniques themselves were ultimately not overly vicious. Generally, they held something back in their strikes.

We who tread the path of immortal heroes naturally should not take too many lives.

Thus, their swordplay tended to be more placid, not sharp or deadly. However, although the South Sea Immortal Sect was one of the Five Great Immortal Sects, being situated far in the South Sea, their swordplay was diametrically opposed to that of the Central Plains. The South Sea style could be summarized as perilous, sharp, sinister, and ruthless—a stark contrast to the Central Plains methods. The South Sea Immortal Sect was often criticized by the other sects for this very reason. Fortunately, as they were distant, they rarely engaged in activities in the Central Plains, allowing the South Sea Immortal Sect to retain the distinct characteristics of their inherited techniques through the ebb and flow of interaction.

Because of this, the South Sea Immortal Sect was frequently overlooked.

The South Sea Immortal Sect's paramount sword technique was the Thirteen Forms of Life Seizing. Merely hearing the name suggested its terrifying nature. Contrast this with Huashan’s Rising Sun Primordial Energy Sword, Wudang’s Taiji Swordplay, Qingcheng’s Rain Beating Flying Silk Swordplay, Seventeen Paths of Fast and Slow, and the Silent and Formless Swordplay. Then look at the South Sea’s ultimate technique: the Thirteen Forms of Life Seizing.

It was immediately obvious which swordplay was peaceful and which was murderous.

Moreover, it was rumored that the South Sea Immortal Sect possessed a supreme technique within their foundational art—a single, ultimate sword move. That one strike, it was said, could grant invincibility across the entire Jin Kingdom once mastered. The name of that strike was “Celestial Being Flying from Beyond the Heavens.” Once realized, this single sword technique was believed capable of shattering all other sword arts.

Naturally, what was being used against Lu Yuan now was neither the Thirteen Forms of Life Seizing nor the unmastered Celestial Being Flying from Beyond the Heavens sword style, but rather the Seven Acumen Heart-Locking Swordplay and the Head-Chopping Sword Technique. The former specialized in targeting the heart, every strike aimed directly at it, while the latter focused solely on severing the head.

The cultivators from the Wuling Immortal Sect employed their Century Swordplay, beautiful sword forms manifesting with every move.

“A hundred years of life, like a fleeting white colt.”

“A century of dreams, ages passing by.”

Cultivators from the other medium-tier immortal sects unleashed their own unique secrets: the Seven Star Seven Absolute Swordplay, the Myriad Flower Swordplay—like a four-character poetic sword—the Yin-Yang Inverted Blade Swordplay, and so on. Various techniques surrounded Lu Yuan, intended to trap him completely.

In the distance, the observing cultivators hurled spells, deploying techniques from all seven primary schools of magic. These were spells of immense power and incredible speed, designed to halt Lu Yuan in the very first moment.

Lu Yuan’s nerves were stretched to their absolute limit; his mind, however, was utterly clear.

With his mind a void, he casually cast a sword movement.

This strike appeared utterly ordinary, yet it seemed to contain the profound mysteries of the entire cosmos. Within this single slash lay endless profundity. As it cut through the void, it obliterated every sword technique arrayed before him, even dissolving the spells flying in from afar.

If the previous strike had been miraculous,

this strike was even more so.

Even that could be broken!

At this sight, everyone froze. No one had ever imagined such a dire situation could be resolved by a single sword from Lu Yuan.

Legend spoke of one sword that could shatter all techniques. While Lu Yuan’s current strike could hardly be called one that broke ten thousand or a thousand laws, to exaggerate slightly, calling it a breaker of a hundred techniques was permissible. In one swing, he had neutralized so many renowned sword arts and a multitude of powerful, high-speed spells!

This single strike transcended the comprehension of most onlookers.

In the next instant, Lu Yuan had plunged into the defensive array.

The most intensely contested moment had concluded. Those who had attacked to stop Lu Yuan stood stunned. Lu Yuan had broken through! Furthermore, that earlier sword strike was astonishingly marvelous; every sword art and spell directed at him had been annihilated by it.

The elders of the Body Tempering Ninth Stage, who stood within the defensive array and had witnessed Lu Yuan’s move, now had drastically changed expressions. That single strike! What manner of swordsmanship was that? With their level of insight, they had barely seen anything comparable! Body Tempering Ninth Stage cultivators were practically touching the edge of the Longevity Realm, yet even they could only gasp in awe at Lu Yuan’s move. There was nothing but astonishment!

Lu Yuan paid no heed to the stunned, gasping faces both inside and outside the array. He was lost in deep contemplation: what exactly was that strike he had just executed?

In that critical instant, nothing conscious crossed his mind; his body reacted purely by instinct. Yet, this instinctive reaction produced a sword strike superior to anything he usually devised through careful thought. Moreover, it seemed as if myriad sword intents had been unleashed simultaneously in that one blow.

Had he somehow reached the realm of merging multiple sword intents?

Lu Yuan pondered, once more brandishing his Yangwu Sword. But alas, no matter how he tried, he could only summon a single sword intent. He could not unleash two intents in one strike, let alone five. It seemed he had only vaguely brushed against the edge of sword intent fusion but failed to complete it. It was only in a moment of extreme peril that his body had erupted spontaneously, allowing him to break through.

Nevertheless, he had to try and recapture that feeling. Lu Yuan immediately began to move his Yangwu Sword while simultaneously sinking back into contemplation.

After an unknown period, a light returned to Lu Yuan’s eyes.

Yes, he had finally roused himself from the trance of sword practice. Regrettably, this attempt at probing had failed once more. Forcing the fusion of multiple sword intents into a single strike was monumentally difficult—it was virtually a technique reserved for the Celestial level, one that few cultivators even in the Upper Tier Immortal Sects understood.

He quickly accepted the reality of his failed practice session.

This was not the first time his sword practice had met failure. A cultivator’s life is never a smooth path; setbacks are inevitable. Lu Yuan had endured countless frustrations during his training.

Looking back now, he realized there were only thirty-five people inside the defensive array. Only thirty-five? This meant that of the six cultivators who attempted to enter with him, five had failed—only he had succeeded. Indeed, entering the array had been easy at first, but it grew exponentially harder later on. By the time Lu Yuan and Song Shijun arrived, the number of cultivators waiting outside who had yet to secure a top-forty spot swelled to over a hundred. The difficulty of breaching the array then reached an extreme zenith, requiring Lu Yuan’s sudden burst of swordplay far exceeding his normal limits just to squeeze through.

It was entirely normal that the other five cultivators did not make it.

For instance, Song Shijun, seeing the situation turn dire, unleashed many War Spirit Beasts to create chaos, allowing his own name to vanish from the top-forty rankings, thereby safeguarding the remaining Spirit Beasts. Song Shijun felt a touch of regret this time; having managed to enter the top forty, he fell short right at the finish line.

However, it was good enough that Lu Yuan had managed to enter the defensive array.

Song Shijun smiled. His haul this time was immense; by sacrificing some War Spirit Beasts, he still possessed a great many. Lu Yuan waved to Song Shijun, noting that he didn't seem overly dejected.

Thirty-five individuals.

Standing at the center were exactly thirty-five cultivators. Yet, apart from Lu Yuan, the other thirty-four were all at the Body Tempering Ninth Stage. There wasn't even a single cultivator at the Eighth Stage among them. Lu Yuan, at Body Tempering Sixth Stage, was an absolute anomaly.

The others observed Lu Yuan with curiosity. Was this young man truly the foremost of the younger generation? It was surprising that someone so young already possessed the strength to contend among the Ninth Generation elites. At the center, the teleportation array shimmered with a faint luminescence, indicating they were about to proceed to the sixth level of the Wusheng Relic Palace.

What awaited them in the sixth level of the Wusheng Relic Palace?

After a period of dizziness, Lu Yuan found himself in an unfamiliar landscape, a region entirely unlike the previous five levels.

Outside the Wusheng Relic Palace, the Sect Master of the Wuling Immortal Sect, Venerable Hai Ling, was casting the Unfathomable Heaven-Mirroring Grand Technique. After performing the ritual, he observed the waiting crowd and smiled: “Currently, a total of thirty-five individuals have entered the sixth level of the Wusheng Relic Palace. The Huashan Immortal Sect has seven entrants; Wudang, six; Kunlun, five; Qingcheng, five; South Sea, five. The remaining seven medium-tier sects each have one person entering.” He detailed the distribution, noting it was remarkably even and generally reflective of the power dynamics within the Great Jin Kingdom.

Venerable Hai Ling’s expression then shifted oddly: “However, among Huashan’s seven entrants, there is one junior.”

“Lu Yuan?” asked Fang Ru.

Venerable Hai Ling nodded silently.

Instantly, the atmosphere turned distinctly bizarre. Many people were unsure what expression they ought to wear.