That was the ultimate destination coveted by every cultivator. Before ascending, no matter how immense a cultivator's divine abilities, they remained human—plainly put, they were always just cultivators. But once one ascended, they would no longer be human, but an Immortal!

An Immortal!

A white horse is not a horse! An Immortal is not human!

It was rumored that Immortals were an entirely different form of life, capable of consuming immortal dew to achieve eternal life, unlike cultivators who were still bound by lifespans. Indeed, the greatest benefit of becoming an Immortal was gaining immortality, being able to change alongside heaven and earth, living forever without death! However, all of this, in the end, was merely legend.

Yes, just legend.

Too few people managed to ascend. While the contemporary peak cultivators were numerous, in the entire Great Jin Kingdom, only Yan Cangtian was said to have even brushed against the edge of ascension. The Demon Lord Dongfang Yao, and the Five Immortals Alliance Master, Lie Qianqiu, couldn't even touch the fringe of it. The title of the foremost figure in the Great Jin Kingdom was well-earned.

Of course, he was only brushing the edge. Throughout the history of the Great Jin Kingdom, the number of ascenders was extremely small. Therefore, although Yan Cangtian was the foremost figure in the Great Jin Kingdom, whether he could actually ascend was something no one knew for certain.

And now, it was being said that Yan Cangtian was about to ascend. Yes, ascend!

For a moment, Lu Yuan’s mind felt utterly blank.

Naturally, Lu Yuan immediately recalled what his Master, Li Yuanbai, had said. His Master had stated that the reason the Huashan Immortal Sect remained the foremost sect was entirely due to Ancestor Yan. Once Ancestor Yan was gone, given the internal strife and external pressures facing Huashan, maintaining that premier status would be incredibly difficult.

Lu Yuan’s brain was a mess.

With his mind in turmoil, Lu Yuan headed straight for Heaven Peak. Elder Yuan Yuan had told him that Ancestor Yan was about to ascend, and Ancestor Yan wished for him to go to Heaven Peak.

The Five Peaks of Huashan excluded Heaven Peak. However, the successive Sect Masters of Huashan resided atop Heaven Peak, symbolizing impartiality towards the Five Peaks and the Three Sword Qi Sects. Heaven Peak rose perfectly vertical, possessing no slope whatsoever; meaning, without the ability to fly, reaching it was impossible. Lu Yuan immediately shot upward.

Heaven Peak was towering and sheer. The ridges seemed to be completely plunged into the clouds already.

Passing through layer upon layer of mist and cloud, Lu Yuan finally beheld Ancestor Yan.

Was this Ancestor Yan Cangtian? Before Lu Yuan stood a middle-aged, strikingly handsome man whose lips were thin as a sword, eyebrows sharp as a sword, eyes keen as a sword, and nose bridge straight as a sword—whose white robes were like a sword, whose white shoes were like a sword; everything about him resembled a sword. This handsome man smiled faintly: "You have finally arrived." His voice carried a captivating resonance.

Lu Yuan immediately bowed deeply: "Tenth generation disciple Lu Yuan pays respects to the Ancestor."

Yan Cangtian chuckled: "It seems Yuan Yuan has informed you. It is highly probable I will ascend, though it is still only highly probable, not certain. In one year, I will clash with the grandmaster of the Great Qin Kingdom, the Sect Master of the Carefree Immortal Gate, Carefree Zi. Perhaps in that battle, we can both shatter the Void and ascend in broad daylight… but we shall see." Despite saying this, Yan Cangtian appeared quite confident.

And Carefree Zi was the Sect Master of the Carefree Immortal Gate, one of the four great immortal gates of the Great Qin Kingdom, and also its universally acknowledged foremost grandmaster.

Yan Cangtian and Carefree Zi held no deep animosity towards each other; it was simply that having reached their level, taking that final step was incredibly difficult, impossibly difficult. The final step: shattering the Void—a mystery so profound that while countless cultivators had striven for it throughout history, anyone who managed that last step would surely be recorded in history for posterity.

In past records, quite a few individuals had shattered the Void and taken that final step precisely during a duel between two masters of their caliber.

And now, Yan Cangtian was set to confront Carefree Zi to take this final step. One step ahead was Man; one step behind was Immortal.

Of course, this was still a matter for a year hence.

Lu Yuan did not know why Yan Cangtian had summoned him, but he voiced the concerns that troubled him. Yan Cangtian let out a wry, self-deprecating laugh: "The current situation of internal strife and external threat in Huashan, how can I put it? Five thousand years of accumulated resentment cannot be easily dissolved by me, even if I am the God of Swords. Five thousand years of enmity must be settled with a conflagration of iron and blood—destruction preceding rebirth, the Phoenix’s Nirvana. I have long seen this clearly. The reason this destruction and rebirth hasn't occurred yet is simply because I remain. While I am here, the Huashan Immortal Sect is the foremost sect of the Great Jin. Even if that premier status is somewhat illusory."

"If that is the case, why not let the destruction and rebirth, the Phoenix’s Nirvana, come about directly? If the sect cannot survive this trial and vanishes, then so be it. History flows on, time rolls by, and countless immortal sects have dissolved. What is one more Huashan Immortal Sect?" A faint smile touched the corner of Yan Cangtian’s lips, the look of one who has seen through the vanities of the world. "However, as the Sect Master of the Huashan Immortal Sect, there are certain things I must attend to, such as: what follows destruction? How can the Phoenix truly be reborn? This is what I need to examine, and that is why I have called you here."

Lu Yuan started: "Me?"

"Yes, you." Yan Cangtian nodded. "Among the previous generations, figures like Master Yuan Yang, Master Yuan Yuan, and Master Zixia possessed some talent, but merely some talent. They could not inherit my sword arts. And among the tenth generation, you are the only one who possesses the potential to inherit my sword arts."

"Twenty-two years old, Body Tempering Stage Eighth Level, proficient in five Sword Intents, and have mastered three transformations of the Cloud Dragon Heart Method's ten transformations." Yan Cangtian smiled. "You certainly have some capability, which is why I chose you. Ordinarily, I would let you grow slowly, but given the current circumstances—my impending ascension and the necessary destruction and rebirth of the Huashan Immortal Sect—you will serve as the seed for that rebirth. I must cultivate you further."

Lu Yuan finally understood. His Master had been thinking more conservatively, hoping he could preserve the seed of the Huashan Immortal Sect in the future. But Ancestor Yan saw things with extreme clarity; he was awaiting the inevitable destruction and rebirth, the Phoenix’s Nirvana, and for that, he had prepared by selecting Lu Yuan as the seed.

"Of course, the matter of my selecting you for inheritance is known only to Master Yuan Yuan, to you, and to me. No one else must know, otherwise…" Yan Cangtian left the sentence hanging, but Lu Yuan understood perfectly. What kind of figure was Yan Cangtian? How many powerful figures had he defeated? If it became known that Lu Yuan was his successor while he was still weak, a flood of assassins would descend. At that point, even the Huashan Immortal Sect, deprived of Yan Cangtian’s presence, might not be able to protect him.

Lu Yuan wasn't sure what expression he wore. The recognized foremost grandmaster of the Great Jin Kingdom, Yan Cangtian, was going to personally instruct him.

"The cultivation method you practice is the Cloud Dragon Heart Method. The Cloud Dragon Heart Method of the North Peak is divided into ten transformations. Reaching the tenth transformation, the Cloud Dragon Transformation, is already exquisitely profound, ranking as a top-tier contemporary method. Regarding the method itself, I won't elaborate much; you must practice it yourself," Yan Cangtian stated. "What I will teach is the sword arts."

"Your swordsmanship is quite good, having reached the Sword Intent level and comprehending five Intents. Unfortunately, you likely have no idea how to cultivate Sword Intent or what the Three Thousand Sword Intents truly represent." Yan Cangtian's tone was sharp and utterly uncompromising. Lu Yuan, who earned praise for his 'exquisite sword arts' wherever he went, was dismissed by the Ancestor as knowing 'absolutely nothing.'

Lu Yuan could only feel resignation. There was no arguing; given Ancestor Yan’s own mastery, he was indeed qualified to speak that way.

"Your Master, Li Yuanbai, must have told you about the Three Thousand Sword Intents." Yan Cangtian frowned. "Your Master has a good character, but his aptitude is quite ordinary. What he told you about the Three Thousand Sword Intents was likely based on old conventions, as his own sword mastery would not surpass yours now."

"Mastering one Sword Intent makes one a Sword Dao Master."

"Mastering ten Sword Intents makes one a Sword Dao Grandmaster."

"Mastering one hundred Sword Intents makes one a Great Sword Dao Master."

"Mastering one thousand Sword Intents makes one a Sword Dao Titan, also known as a Sword Saint."

"Mastering all three thousand Sword Intents earns the title of Sword God."

"As for the method of cultivation, your Master likely couldn't tell you. Must one truly practice each one individually? To cultivate three thousand different Intents—wouldn't one be worn out and exhausted to death?" Yan Cangtian scoffed. "Of course, the Huashan Immortal Sect has taught it this way throughout history; what he told you wasn't wrong."

"However, I have researched a method that bypasses the need to cultivate so many Intents to reach the level of Sword Saint or Sword God," Yan Cangtian continued. "There has always been the concept of the Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth. These five elements cycle, and all things in the universe are contained within them, making it hard to escape."

"If that is the case, why not develop a singular Sword Dao that encompasses the Five Elements, borrowing from the Five Elements to contain all Sword Intents between heaven and earth?" Yan Cangtian explained. "This is the Sword Dao of Five Emperors Reincarnation that I created. The Sword Dao of Five Emperors Reincarnation is subdivided into five paths: The White Emperor Gold Sovereign Sword Dao, the Azure Emperor Wood Sovereign Sword Dao, the Black Emperor Water Sovereign Sword Dao, the Scarlet Emperor Fire Sovereign Sword Dao, and the Yellow Emperor Earth Sovereign Sword Dao."

"The Five Elements Sword Dao, the Five Elements, the Five Emperors, the Five Sovereigns—it encompasses all things under heaven and earth. As the Five Elements cycle, all Sword Intents, all Three Thousand Great Daos, reside within this Sword Dao of Five Emperors Reincarnation."

"To this day, I have mastered ninety-nine Sword Intents, but having formed the Sword Dao of Five Emperors Reincarnation, I can already be called a Saint of Swords, only a single step away from becoming the ultimate Sword God."

"What I intend to pass on is this Sword Dao of Five Emperors Reincarnation, the supreme achievement of my life. Naturally, before you can learn the Sword Dao of Five Emperors Reincarnation, you must first master the Five Elements Reincarnation Sword Dao: the Sword Intent of Metal, the Sword Intent of Wood, the Sword Intent of Water, the Sword Intent of Fire, and the Sword Intent of Earth. You must learn the Five Elements Reincarnation Sword Dao before you qualify to slowly evolve it into the Sword Dao of Five Emperors Reincarnation."

"And for the coming year, before I depart to fight Carefree Zi, you will follow me and learn this Five Elements Reincarnation Sword Dao."

The Cloud Dragon Ten Transformations allowed one's magic power to transform into any nature.

The Sword Dao of Five Emperors Reincarnation—enveloping the Three Thousand Sword Intents within it.

Yan Cangtian nodded with satisfaction. Having confirmed his choice of Lu Yuan as the seed, he intended to cultivate him diligently over the next year. Lu Yuan was the spark for the Huashan Immortal Sect’s rebirth after destruction.