Lu Yuan arrived before the third gate. Above the third gate was the assessment of the Azure City Immortal Sect by the Azure City Immortal Sect itself. The Water and Fire Daoist from four thousand years ago had this to say: "The swordplay of the Azure City Immortal Sect leans towards agility and speed. It lacks the profound depth of the Wudang Immortal Sect or the completeness of the Huashan Immortal Sect, but it possesses its own unique merits."

At this moment, Lu Yuan had already stepped through this door.

The Azure City Immortal Sect possessed six ultimate sword techniques.

Here, Lu Yuan witnessed four of these ultimate sword techniques. Although the Water and Fire Daoist was affiliated with the Murong family, he still had limitations, only ever seeing four of the six ultimate techniques and only managing to copy those four.

One of the six ultimate sword techniques was the Rain Beating Flying Silk sword style. This style championed agility; the sword movements resembled raindrops splashing, beautiful, nimble, and utterly unpredictable. With every sway of the stance and technique, it was like the sorrowful flutter of rain-splashed blossoms, striking down upon you between moves.

Another of the six ultimate sword techniques was the Seventeen Forms of Fast and Slow. It alternated between rapid and slow speeds, with absolutely no discernible transition between the two. It wouldn't ease into it; it would suddenly speed up, or suddenly slow down, catching you completely off guard. Just as you managed to counter an extremely slow move, it would instantly accelerate, leaving you unable to react in time.

Lu Yuan had encountered these two techniques before. The third was the Splashing Ink and Hanging Hemp sword style. Once unleashed, this style was like throwing down ink, both fiercely fast and ruthlessly potent. There was nothing beautiful about this technique; hidden within a single sword move lay countless killing intentions, demonstrating its inherent difficulty.

The fourth was the Silent and Colorless sword style, which was even more intriguing. When executed, this style erupted with blinding light, making it impossible to precisely locate the sword’s position. The intense light could confuse the senses, while simultaneously, a unique method was employed to completely cancel out the sound of the blade cutting through the air.

Lu Yuan managed to break the first three sword styles without too much difficulty, but the fourth was the hardest to overcome. How could one counter what could neither be seen nor heard? Fortunately, Lu Yuan had a sudden realization: he could suppress it with the sheer force of a torrential downpour. Even if you couldn't see or hear it, sheer power could still locate the physical reality of the sword. With a physical target identified, a counter was possible.

After breaking through these four techniques, Lu Yuan was anticipating the fifth and sixth when, with a snap, a token fell out, inscribed simply with the words "Azure City."

He had passed another trial.

In truth, Lu Yuan understood that his current ability to break these sword styles did not guarantee victory against anyone wielding them.

Different sword styles possessed different levels of power depending on the wielder. Even the basic seventy-two forms of Huashan, when performed by Yan Cangtian, could exert an effect greater than other people using the Peak-Suppressing or even the Sect-Guarding sword techniques. The sword style itself had inherent quality, but the user mattered just as much.

With this thought, Lu Yuan emerged from the gate and reached the central area of the Fire Sword Tower. On the condensed Mana Ranking displayed there, Lu Yuan's avatar was now followed by a '3'. The number of people who had reached '3' was dwindling rapidly; most were at '0', a few were at '1', a very small contingent at '2', and an exceedingly small fraction at '3'.

"Hey, isn't that the cultivator from the Jin State?" A cultivator from the Great Qin State exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the number '3' following Lu Yuan's avatar.

"The number following him is three."

"That means he has already broken through the techniques of three Immortal Sects in this short time."

"Incredible."

"How can a cultivator from the Jin State be this powerful?" The cultivators of the Great Qin State began to discuss animatedly. They naturally couldn't comprehend how a cultivator from Jin could be so formidable. In their eyes, Jin was merely a minor state, incomparable to the Great Qin, lagging far behind in cultivation standards.

"I saw this person earlier," someone remarked. "It seems he just went through the trials for the Wudang Immortal Sect, the Huashan Immortal Sect, and the Azure City Immortal Sect."

"Oh, so that’s it. He only broke through the techniques of his own Jin State. The techniques from Jin must be very weak for him to clear them so easily. If he tried to break through the techniques of our Great Qin Immortal Sects, it wouldn't be so simple." Immediately, another cultivator chimed in agreement.

In reality, many cultivators knew that the techniques of the three Jin State Immortal Sects were not easy to overcome.

However, fueled by the inherent superiority complex of the Great Qin cultivators, how could they pass up an opportunity to deflate Lu Yuan?

The volume of these voices was quite significant, clearly intended for Lu Yuan to overhear.

Lu Yuan glanced at them, smiled, pointed toward them, and then pointed toward the door marked with the insignia of the Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect nearby. "Actually, I can break not only the sword qi of the Great Jin State but also the sword techniques of the Great Qin State. For instance, the technique of your Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect. I will break it for you right now."

This statement caused a massive shockwave.

Indeed, that statement was outrageously arrogant.

Did he know what he was referring to?

The Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect! That was one of the four great Immortal Sects!

The techniques of each of the four major Immortal Sects were exceedingly difficult to master. Over the past four thousand years and eighty sessions, the techniques of the Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect had only been broken once—and that was by a renowned genius in the history of the Great Qin cultivation world. No one else had managed it.

He was insane. Just a man from the Jin State, attempting something that even a Great Qin cultivator had only achieved once in four millennia—he was truly mad. Those who hadn't noticed this area before were incensed by Lu Yuan's words; they felt the very dignity of the Great Qin cultivation world had been challenged.

"Hahaha—this man from Jin is crazy."

"Yes, a mere cultivator from a small state daring to attempt the techniques of our great state's great Immortal Sects."

"Utterly laughable."

"Perhaps he has been cooped up in a small state for too long and simply doesn't grasp the power of a great nation. It’s not surprising he speaks such nonsense when he’s never seen the world."

Amidst the laughter, the young woman in the snow-white fox fur coat smiled faintly. Based on the intelligence she had gathered, this man usually appeared lethargic, but when provoked, he was this incredibly audacious. However, this level of arrogance suited her taste perfectly. The young woman had never cared for the local cultivators of the Great Qin State: the monks of the Great Fahua Temple, or the members of the Carefree Immortal Sect, who were anything but carefree. Her own sect, the Swordless Immortal Sect, was too close, allowing her to see through these people. The cultivators of the Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect, one and all, liked to act like emperors and kings, which was repulsive to her.

In contrast, this languid young man from the Jin State's Huashan Immortal Sect felt rather agreeable. The young woman allowed a slight, almost imperceptible sigh. As for Lu Yuan, he was already walking toward the gate marked with the Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect insignia. This time, he would thoroughly slap the faces of the arrogant Great Qin cultivators. Logically, the cultivation standard of the Great Qin State was superior to that of the Great Jin State, and moreover, they were currently on Qin soil; Lu Yuan should have been discreet. After all, one is often belittled when far from home. Many Jin people, when slighted in Qin, chose to endure it.

But there was no helping it; Lu Yuan was inherently someone who dared anything once provoked.

The Water and Fire Daoist's assessment of the Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect: "One of the Four Great Immortal Sects of the Great Qin State. Emperor's Absolute Techniques... possessing an innate suppression over people."

Lu Yuan had already entered the domain of the Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect. His opponent was still a black iron automaton. Lu Yuan took a deep breath. He knew this battle would not be easy. The techniques of the Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect were likely a tier above those of Huashan and Wudang; it would be strange if they were easy to break.

However, since they insisted on mocking him, he would use facts to silence them—to thoroughly silence them. Otherwise, wouldn't that make him a joke? So what if the Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect possessed the Emperor's Absolute Techniques? He would break them too. That was simply his nature.

The black iron automaton instantly shifted to a deep crimson-gold color. When the Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect’s ultimate techniques were utilized, they tended to turn the entire body this color, as if the black iron man had transformed momentarily into a shining golden deity. The crimson-gold automaton charged violently toward Lu Yuan, launching a punch straight at him.

Imperial Fist!

Fist Overthrows the World! Displayed as one move, it surged forth like an endless, relentless river rushing toward Lu Yuan. Of course, the most terrifying aspect was not the technique itself, but the intent within the punch. Lu Yuan subtly felt an urge to bow down in reverence to this Imperial Fist. What was this? He had been with Patriarch Yan for months, and Patriarch Yan had mentioned that the true martial essence of the Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect lay in influencing the mind, inducing an involuntary desire to prostrate oneself. Once the mind surrendered, the body would follow. He had never encountered such a technique before, but now he finally had.

The Jin State possessed no such technique—one that struck directly at the heart. Lu Yuan was not panicked; he met the attack with his sword, simultaneously using the Sword Intent of Cloud to shield himself. Following his usual habit, he intended to observe the opponent's moves first, gauge the intention behind their Great Dao, and only then launch a counterattack.

The crimson-gold automaton initiated a continuous barrage of attacks. One Imperial Fist followed another, pressing in. Suddenly, Lu Yuan felt as if he had reverted to being a mere mortal encountering an Emperor. What is the feeling of a mortal meeting an Emperor? It is absolute, mandated reverence—the Emperor’s word alone can strip you of everything and annihilate you completely.

Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Kin, Teacher!

If the ruler commands death, the subject must obey.

If the ruler commands extinction, the subject must perish.

Lu Yuan now understood the six sword intents he possessed: the Sword Intent of Wind, Cloud, Rain, Twilight, Speed, and Wood. However, at this moment, because his mind was being affected by the Imperial Fist, none of the six sword intents felt entirely fluid. This damned technique! Lu Yuan now realized that the Four Great Immortal Sects were indeed top-tier; every single one was a level above the Huashan Immortal Sect.

But even if you are the Imperial Fist, even if you are one of the Four Great Immortal Sects, even if you are superior to Huashan, making him yield would not be so easy. This time, he was determined to properly humiliate these arrogant cultivators of the Great Qin State; there was no way he could lose. At this point, an extremely intense battle will erupted from Lu Yuan.