The four sword techniques surged like tides and waves, truly like the ocean itself descending. All who dared to oppose the sea were destined to be swallowed whole.

Uncle Song, despite possessing the cultivation of the seventh tier of the Body Tempering stage, was instantly and gravely injured. And such a wave of sword energy rushed straight toward Lu Yuan, intending to consume him as well.

Under such an attack, everyone—both friend and foe—believed Lu Yuan was surely doomed; by all logic, he had no way to survive. Lu Yuan moved his hand, and the Yang Wu Sword flashed as it left its sheath.

The fastest attack to arrive was Nangong Bai’s Single-Stroke Electric Sword. The Single-Stroke Electric Sword inherently focused on extreme speed, yet Lu Yuan thrust out with a sword strike that was even faster than Nangong Bai’s longsword.

Although Nangong Bai had drawn his blade earlier, Lu Yuan’s sword speed was superior! Nangong Bai shuddered suddenly.

He could never have imagined that his usually most powerful Single-Stroke Electric Sword would actually prove slower than Lu Yuan’s strike. Seeing Lu Yuan’s sword about to pierce his throat, Nangong Bai ducked low to the right, but his left ear was nevertheless sliced clean through by the Yang Wu Sword, causing him to lose the ear.

Though Nangong Bai narrowly evaded the killing blow, he was utterly stunned; his Single-Stroke Electric Sword had actually been slower! Shangguan Qing had already closed the distance.

Shangguan Qing’s Azure Gauze Swordplay was similar to the Thirteen Hundred Forms of the Ever-Changing Illusory Mist, though naturally less profound. Still, it was an intricate style, one of which Shangguan Qing was immensely proud.

Once this swordplay was unleashed, few could locate the true body of the sword. Engaging Shangguan Qing was like plunging into a gathering fog; you could never find an opportunity to counter before he resolved the fight.

The Azure Sword Guest, Shangguan Qing, held considerable renown in the cultivation world. Shangguan Qing paid little mind to Nangong Bai’s injury, believing Nangong Bai’s Single-Stroke Electric Sword technique too monotonous—a direct thrust with no variety, making it unsurprising that it could be broken.

He firmly believed his Azure Gauze Swordplay was nearly impossible to defeat. The next instant, Shangguan Qing’s expression warped drastically.

He had just executed the move, "Sky-Shrouding Azure Gauze Net"—a technique so dense it obscured the sun and sky—yet Lu Yuan had shattered it in a blink. How could his signature move be broken so easily?

Shangguan Qing immediately switched tactics to his other proud technique, "Sun-Obscuring Azure Gauze Net," only for that move to be broken as well. Simultaneously, Lu Yuan’s cold sneer echoed: “I have broken the Thirteen Hundred Forms of the Ever-Changing Illusory Mist; what is your swordplay in comparison?” Fire Sword Master Cheng Zhongkuan had never encountered anything like this.

He unleashed his favored sword style, only to find Lu Yuan seemed to transform into a sudden, torrential downpour, extinguishing the fierce flames on his sword. His technique became agonizingly constrained under such deluge, almost suffocating him.

Yin Wuji’s Silver Serpent Swordplay was inherently strange and swift, but against Lu Yuan, her sword strokes inexplicably slowed down. The Silver Serpent Swordplay lost most of its power when its speed diminished, while Lu Yuan’s Yang Wu Sword moved with blinding velocity, effortlessly shattering the Silver Serpent Swordplay to pieces.

The exchange had not taken long, yet the assault that had moments before threatened to swallow everything like a tide had completely dissolved. Shangguan Qing, Nangong Bai, Yin Wuji, and Cheng Zhongkuan all turned ashen-faced.

They had never conceived of such a possibility. These four were experts in their own right; surely, the combined might of four would be enough to handle a mere Lu Yuan?

His strength had been gauged six months prior, and for cultivators, such a short span usually yielded negligible combat improvements. Yet here he was, astonishingly powerful now.

As for why all four appeared to be defeated individually, the reason was simple: if even one could hold Lu Yuan back, the others could press their advantage in a four-on-one, but under Lu Yuan’s onslaught, no one could pin him down. They were defeated too swiftly, too quickly, affording no time for coordinated effort.

This… This… This… How is this possible! How could the defeat be so swift!

Once the shock subsided, Shangguan Qing, Nangong Bai, Yin Wuji, and Cheng Zhongkuan found the speed of their dismantling unbelievable. No matter the angle, it defied logic.

They resolved to try once more. A new wave of attacks commenced, and Lu Yuan’s Yang Wu Sword lashed out again with terrifying speed.

The Sword Intent of Speed, the Sword Intent of Veil, the Sword Intent of Wind, the Sword Intent of Cloud, and the Sword Intent of Rain—five great intents were unleashed at the precise moments required, while his internal magical power spun ceaselessly. Since his opponents had failed to learn from their initial defeat, he would grant them another failure, forcing them to confront the reality of the gap between them.

Failure, and then more failure. Several successive defeats made the disparity in power clear to Shangguan Qing and the others, even if they could not fathom how Lu Yuan had become so formidable.

Shangguan Qing muttered in disbelief, “Impossible, impossible! How can you be this strong!” He had suffered too great a shock.

His seemingly perfect, flawless plan had met Lu Yuan, whose execution was equally perfect, except for the single, catastrophic flaw: the four of them combined could not defeat him. Shangguan Qing found this incomprehensible.

Nangong Bai, Yin Wuji, and Cheng Zhongkuan had lost all interest in philosophical reflection; they wanted to flee. They no longer possessed the courage to face Lu Yuan again.

But escaping was not so simple; they were trapped within the Bronze Wall Iron Barrier Formation, the very array they had planned to use to ensnare Lu Yuan. Without the Bronze Wall Iron Barrier Formation, a cultivator at the Sword Control stage could have left their sword behind and escaped using their own means.

Damn it! The formation meant to complicate matters for Lu Yuan had instead trapped themselves.

Lu Yuan laughed aloud: “You previously said that if I suddenly vanished here, you would escape. Well, now, you shall vanish here, and I, needless to say, will not.” Lu Yuan’s killing intent flared.

A good temper did not mean he could be bullied without consequence. Shangguan Qing and Nangong Bai had first conspired to seize his assets, and then attempted to take his life—crimes deserving of death.

Lu Yuan’s Yang Wu Sword danced through the air, executing various maneuvers. Shangguan Qing and the others tried to resist, but their efforts against Lu Yuan’s swordplay seemed ludicrously futile.

They had never realized that cultivators like themselves, at the ninth tier of the Body Tempering stage, could be so utterly powerless against Lu Yuan! “The three factions allied against me—I will show you that even united, you are no match for me.” Lu Yuan’s Yang Wu Sword thrust, killing Nangong Bai in an instant.

He then flicked his wrist, another sword strike killing Shangguan Qing, dispatching both traitors who had served under him. With two swift, decisive thrusts that claimed their lives, he flicked his wrist again, capturing Yin Wuji and Cheng Zhongkuan.

He intended to hand these two over to the Northern Peak’s Heavenly Prison. Lu Yuan believed Yin Wuji still held value; perhaps he could extract intelligence on Venerable Yuan Ling from her.

As for Cheng Zhongkuan, being Sima Changbai’s subordinate, Lu Yuan entertained the thought of using him to strike at Sima Changbai. Though that was difficult, as Sima Changbai could easily claim he had only recently recruited Cheng Zhongkuan and was unaware of his sinister intentions; by pinning all the blame on Cheng Zhongkuan, Sima Changbai would surely remain untouched.

Sima Changbai, a ninth-generation Sword Immortal, was not so easily toppled. The onlookers—whether the gravely injured Uncle Song or the subordinates of the unharmed Shangguan Qing and Nangong Bai—were utterly aghast, their mouths hanging open, unable to close.

What was Lu Yuan’s true cultivation level now? Three cultivators at the ninth tier of the Body Tempering stage and one at the eighth tier had been so cleanly dispatched by Lu Yuan alone.

Initially, Shangguan Qing and the other four had seemed overwhelmingly fierce, but now it was clear the truly formidable figure was this young man in green, for he was terrifyingly powerful. In truth, the explanation was straightforward: Lu Yuan was at the seventh tier of the Qi Refining realm.

His sword skill allowed him to leap two tiers in victory, making defeating an ordinary ninth-tier Body Tempering cultivator no great challenge. Furthermore, due to his mastery of the Sword Intent of Rain, any attempt at encirclement was extremely difficult to execute; an additional ninth-tier cultivator made little difference to Lu Yuan.

Otherwise, such a victory would be impossible. Of course, if someone at the peak of the tenth tier of the Body Tempering realm appeared, Lu Yuan would still be outmatched.

At the Northern Peak of Mount Hua, within the Hall of Central Harmony and Peace. “What!” Venerable Yuan Yuan exclaimed, slapping the desk.

“What did you say!” Ye Yangrong could only repeat the events he had just described. Indeed, Ye Yangrong himself had been as shocked as Venerable Yuan Yuan upon first hearing the news.

Venerable Yuan Yuan paused for a long time after listening, his reaction slower than normal, though he had weathered storms far greater than most: “You mean Lu Yuan’s current strength surpasses that of ninth-tier Body Tempering cultivators? Shangguan Qing, Nangong Bai, Yin Wuji, and Cheng Zhongkuan—Yin Wuji can be kept for interrogation, but as for Cheng Zhongkuan, attempting to use this to attack Junior Brother Sima is impossible.

Junior Brother Sima will certainly distance himself completely; he is not a simple opponent to handle.” He spoke while deep in thought. “Of course, these matters are minor for now.

In the near future, the focus shifts to the Longevity Dao Fruit,” Venerable Yuan Yuan stated. “That is the true major affair.” “The Longevity Dao Fruit,” Ye Yangrong said, his expression laced with nostalgia.

“Indeed, the Longevity Dao Fruit. Normally, Lu Yuan need not hide his strength, but with the contest for the Longevity Dao Fruit approaching, you must suppress the news of his current power for now.

Let others believe he is still at the level he demonstrated in the Wusheng Relic Palace: the sixth-tier magic power of the Body Tempering stage with the combat strength of the eighth tier. This will benefit his pursuit of the Longevity Dao Fruit.” “As for the affairs of Shangguan Qing, Nangong Bai, Yin Wuji, and Cheng Zhongkuan, spread the word that one of our ninth-generation Elders handled the matter,” Venerable Yuan Yuan commanded.

Ye Yangrong nodded repeatedly in agreement. The Longevity Dao Fruit!

(This is the fourth update. Seeking monthly passes.

It’s the end of the month; please check if you have any available.)