As they crossed into the territory of Great Qin, winter had already arrived, and a sudden flurry of light snow began to fall upon their entry.

This white snow, like tiny silver beads, resembled fine rain or willow catkins and poplar fluff, drifting down to drape the world in a vast, hazy curtain of white. Looking through this snowy veil, the distant travelers and houses appeared fundamentally similar to those in the Great Jin Kingdom; the civilizations of the southern three nations, Great Qin and Great Jin, were largely of the same origin, whereas the civilization of Great Yuan was different, and their people were often referred to as Hu.

Through the swirling wind and snow, a sickly middle-aged man with a sallow complexion walked in front, followed closely by a young man clad in plain green robes.

This was Lu Yuan’s first time visiting another country. As he looked around the places they passed, he couldn't discern much difference between the people of Great Qin and Great Jin, save for minor variations in clothing accessories and hairstyles.

Lu Yuan observed with fresh curiosity for quite a while but found nothing truly novel to report.

Yan Cangtian remarked, "There is a saying among scholars: traveling ten thousand miles is like reading ten thousand books. In truth, among us cultivators, we also have a saying: traveling a million li is like forging one's sword for a hundred years. You are naturally inclined toward indolence, but sometimes, you must journey across the world to challenge famous sword masters and forge your own unique sword style."

Lu Yuan nodded in assent, though it was merely a nod. As the saying goes, while mountains and rivers are easily changed, one's fundamental nature is hard to alter.

Perhaps, if the mood struck him someday, he too would embark on a journey of a million li to challenge the famed sword experts... The snow continued to fall, growing heavier, and travelers on the road thinned out in such severe weather.

However, after traversing a bit further, they noticed the flow of travelers had increased again. These travelers were no longer mortals but exclusively cultivators, all heading in the same direction. On this journey, Yan Cangtian had taught Lu Yuan a great deal of knowledge, including the organizational structures of the Four Great Immortal Sects of Great Qin: the Great Fahua Temple, the Carefree Immortal Sect, the Swordless Immortal Sect, and the Scarlet Dragon Sect.

The members of the Great Fahua Temple were the easiest to recognize; most of the bald-headed individuals were likely from the Great Fahua Temple or its branches. The Great Fahua Temple accepted many disciples, but upon initial entry, they were not permitted to learn any true arts. They could only engage in tasks like fetching water, chopping wood, and tending to vegetable gardens—watering them with what was called 'Stillness-Equalizing Water,' chopping wood from 'Hard-Guai Forests,' and cultivating various medicinal gardens, which was quite troublesome.

The Carefree Immortal Sect had very few members. The men were often exceptionally handsome, and the women consistently beautiful. It was rumored that the Carefree Immortal Sect was extremely strict in its recruitment: first, one needed a good temperament, second, good aptitude, and third, pleasing looks—any deficiency in one area was unacceptable, a stark contrast to the Great Fahua Temple’s mission of universal salvation.

The Swordless Immortal Sect also had few members, though significantly more than the Carefree Immortal Sect. Members of the Swordless Immortal Sect generally exuded an air of profound nobility.

As for the Scarlet Dragon Sect, they were the hardest of the four major sects to identify. This sect recruited zealously, boasting over three hundred thousand cultivators. Unlike the Great Fahua Temple, they did not shave their heads, making it impossible to distinguish a Scarlet Dragon Sect member from anyone else.

Aside from these four major sects, Yan Cangtian did not bother listing the other superior or mid-tier immortal sects to Lu Yuan.

Finally, a massive valley appeared ahead.

Yan Cangtian swiftly moved his hand, presenting Lu Yuan with a token. This token was only half the size of a palm, engraved with four characters, and bore four distinct seals on its corners. Yan Cangtian explained, "This is a Four-Immortal Token. Since you are not a native cultivator of Great Qin, you require this token for entry."

The valley floor was completely covered in brilliant white snow.

However, that was the high ground; the snow on the valley floor had long been trampled into blackness, especially near the entrance.

The valley entrance was bustling with activity. Many Great Qin cultivators had already arrived. Lu Yuan observed that they seemed to have to queue for inspection at the valley gate, one by one, so he slipped into the line. Truly, being surrounded by a large group of cultivators from a foreign land felt different from his time in the Great Jin Kingdom.

"Who do you think can reach the end this time in the Water-Fire Sword Tower and grasp the two great Sword Intents of Water and Fire?"

"I doubt anyone can. After eighty attempts, no one has managed to obtain both Sword Intents. Oh, I heard that quite a few cultivators at the ninth level of Body Tempering have arrived this time. Take that group calling themselves 'Sunlight Incense Stove Raising Purple Smoke'—I bet they have no chance." Lu Yuan stood among them, recognizing not a single cultivator, and naturally kept silent, listening quietly.

It seemed the Water-Fire Sword Tower was exceedingly difficult. Held once every fifty years, eighty attempts had yielded no one the two great intents. However, he later overheard that the Water-Fire Sword Tower held some hidden mysteries; even if one failed to gain the Sword Intents by reaching the later stages, other benefits could be reaped. No wonder so many Great Qin cultivators flocked to the Water-Fire Sword Tower as if it were a market gathering.

Standing amidst cultivators from a foreign land, listening to their conversations, Lu Yuan soon completely relaxed, absorbing the information. He realized that the standard of 'Edge Immortals' in Great Qin was indeed superior to that in Great Jin.

For instance, among the four major immortal sects of Great Qin, basically every sect could boast at least one cultivator at the Body Tempering stage around the age of twenty. In contrast, in Great Jin, apart from the anomaly that was Lu Yuan, most sects had cultivators at the Body Tempering stage closer to forty years old.

A glimpse into a corner reveals the whole landscape.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out: "Look, who is that arriving?"

"Even if those people, the 'Sunlight Incense Stove Raising Purple Smoke' group, arrived, it wouldn't be anything special," replied one cultivator. As he spoke, he couldn't help but turn his head, and once his gaze shifted, it never returned. At that moment, many cultivators turned their eyes in the same direction.

All gazes froze.

Lu Yuan, also filled with curiosity, couldn't help but look over.

As snowflakes drifted down, a sweet young maiden in a pristine white fur cloak approached with graceful, flying steps. She moved with minimal body sway, her posture reminiscent of a female immortal—supremely ethereal. Her skin was snow-white, her bright eyes sparkling, her expression coolly detached. Dressed in white fur against the backdrop of swirling snow, she seemed like an exiled celestial descending to the mortal realm.

"Miss Zhong."

"Indeed, it's Miss Zhong."

"I heard Miss Zhong is a genius from the Lifeless Immortal Sect, only nineteen years old yet already at the first level of Body Tempering cultivation."

"What is that? You probably don't know. Miss Zhong is currently the most favored among the Swordless Immortal Sect; even the potential next Sect Master doesn't receive as much favor as her. If one married Miss Zhong, they could save a thousand years of struggle!"

"Hmph, look at your face. Do you think you're worthy of marrying Miss Zhong? Miss Zhong is the most beautiful and noblest figure in our Great Qin Kingdom. Only someone as handsome as I would be fit for her."

"Oh, spare me. Haven't you looked in a mirror lately?"

"You two, stop fooling around. I heard this Miss Zhong holds significant power and commands cultivators at the Longevity stage. If you don't want to die, stop calling out to her. If Miss Zhong hears you, she’ll kill you all. Miss Zhong is never one to show mercy," cautioned a nearby cultivator.

Even the usually slow-witted Lu Yuan, hearing this discussion, realized that the girl he had previously rescued was indeed the Young Miss of the Swordless Immortal Sect—what a coincidence. The flying Miss Zhong seemed to have spotted Lu Yuan as well, a hint of a smile flickering in her beautiful eyes, though she made no move to call out to him. She was the focus of everyone’s attention; calling out to Lu Yuan now would undoubtedly draw countless eyes toward him.

She was slightly startled internally that she should encounter him here.

The queue for entering the valley finally reached Lu Yuan. He had already seen that those ahead had announced their names, allowing the gate inspectors to verify them. Only those on the roster could enter the snowy valley. When it was Lu Yuan's turn, the inspector asked, "Name? Sect?"

Lu Yuan raised his hand and presented the Four-Immortal Token given to him by Ancestor Yan. The inspector paused, took the token, examined it closely, and then nodded. "It is a genuine Four-Immortal Token. Name, and origin?"

"Lu Liu, from the Great Jin Kingdom."

"From the Great Jin Kingdom." The inspector immediately wrote down the six characters: Lu Liu, Great Jin Person. At that moment, the area around him erupted into noise.

"Someone from the Great Jin Kingdom is here!"

"Someone from a small country has come to the Water-Fire Sword Tower."

"Is he here to make a joke? Even our Great Qin cultivators haven't grasped the two great Sword Intents; what use is a mere person from Great Jin coming here?"

"Yes, this is ridiculous." Murmurs of criticism arose, paying no heed to Lu Yuan's feelings. In the eyes of the Great Qin cultivators, Great Jin was a minor state. Indeed, among the three border nations, Great Qin was the largest, and its cultivators naturally possessed immense pride. Even though they now knew that Great Jin had produced an unparalleled Grandmaster like Yan Cangtian, the arrogance of Great Qin cultivators remained undiminished.

Lu Yuan recalled what Ancestor Yan had told him earlier about the Great Qin cultivators’ habit of looking down on everything; it proved to be true now. Lu Yuan listened but made no gesture. To argue with these people—to argue alone against a whole crowd in Great Qin—would be utter foolishness. He certainly couldn't win the argument. However, if he were ultimately to attain the two great Sword Intents, he wondered what expressions those arrogant Great Qin cultivators would wear.

Forget it, I won't pay them any mind. Lu Yuan passed the inspection and entered the snowy valley.

Upon entering the snowy valley, Lu Yuan was abruptly astonished. From the outside, one could not discern that there was a towering edifice within the valley. He could not gauge the building's height at all—what kind of magic was this? How could he not even determine the height of the structure? The building seemed to shift between appearing impossibly tall and suddenly short when he looked away. An incredibly potent spell was clearly layered upon it. He also had a faint, perhaps illusory, feeling that the tower might be separable into two halves.

After a moment, the tower of indeterminate height began to emit firelight, signaling that entry was permitted.