Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! This rapid succession of sounds gave no hint of a sword. The sword was too fast! So fast, in fact, that the blade itself was utterly invisible. Clang! Ye Xiangzhi’s face was deathly pale; a bloody gash marred her right shoulder. Lu Yuan smiled faintly, beckoning back his Yangwu Sword which hovered in the distance, smoothly sheathing it. At this moment, gasps of shock echoed all around. They had lost. The four known collectively as Rizhao Xianglu Sheng Ziyan were famous masters of the Body Tempering stage in the Great Qin Kingdom. Generally, once a cultivator reached the tenth level of Body Tempering, they would enter deep seclusion, striving to break through to the Longevity stage. Few lingered out in the world at the tenth level, which is why the ninth level cultivators often held greater renown. Rizhao and his three companions carried considerable reputations. This time, although Zhong Ziyan had not engaged, the other three, fighting together, were utterly defeated by this man from Jin. Defeat alone was not the main issue. What truly shocked them was that this man from Jin appeared to be, at most, a little over twenty years old. Furthermore, in defeating Rizhao and the other two, this Jin native had used fewer than twenty moves. This speed of victory was almost unbelievable; how could the surrounding cultivators of Great Qin help but gasp? In truth, as far as Lu Yuan himself was concerned, the speed of victory was unremarkable. His current strength allowed him to triumph even against cultivators at the tenth level of Body Tempering, let alone those at the ninth. “So fast.” “That Jin man is too incredible.” “Indeed. I once sparred with Master Rizhao; he defeated me in three moves. Yet, Master Rizhao was beaten this quickly.” “When did such a figure emerge among the Jin people?” “The prestige of our Great Qin Kingdom will likely suffer greatly from this.” “Still, to think this Jin man can simply take the Sword Intent of Fire away from here—I say that’s impossible.” “Agreed.”

Meanwhile, the young woman in the snow-white fox fur was deep in thought. This benefactor who saved her life was truly formidable. Such a person was… interesting. Moreover, with Lu Yuan possessing such great strength, he was certain to become a pivotal figure in the Huashan Immortal Sect. The Huashan Sect could not be taken lightly, not even by major sects like the Swordless Immortal Sect, especially since it had produced an unparalleled genius like Yan Cangtian. A promising talent like Lu Yuan deserved to be befriended, and the best way to establish that bond was through marriage. Why not offer his sister, Zhong Wan? His sister was gentle as flowing water, graceful and endearing; even he, as her elder sister, felt a protective fondness for her. Since she would marry eventually, it was better to secure a good match for her. Although his sister Zhong Wan was only sixteen, the girl in the snow-white fox fur remained contemplative. Having inherited such immense authority within the Swordless Immortal Sect, her considerations were naturally more complex than those of any ordinary nineteen-year-old girl.

Lu Yuan smiled, noting that none of the surrounding Great Qin cultivators dared to look arrogant or slight the people of Jin any longer. He then stepped into the seventh gate. Behind the seventh gate lay the techniques of an immortal sect from Great Jin. This sect was not particularly outstanding; since Lu Yuan had already overcome the techniques of the Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect, there was no reason he couldn't conquer this one. As expected, just as the many cultivators of Great Qin had predicted, Lu Yuan emerged shortly after. Displayed above his head was the number Seven! Seven! This tied the highest record set in four thousand years—seven! And now, the record had finally been equaled. The Great Qin cultivators were currently debating whether the record would be broken. Naturally, no one expected Lu Yuan to shatter it; seeing a Jin native tie their record was humiliation enough. However, the issue remained: Rizhao and the others had been defeated, and the rest were powerless. Their only hope was that the Jin man would stop there.

The eighth gate. Lu Yuan walked toward the door belonging to the Swordless Immortal Sect. Seeing him approach that specific door, the elder Miss Zhong wore a faint, knowing smile. She was curious to see if the man who could break the Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect's techniques could also overcome those of the Swordless Immortal Sect. What was Lu Yuan’s limit? This would help her finalize the strategy regarding him. As a person in power, maintaining impeccable foresight required understanding every facet of information.

Eight! When Lu Yuan emerged from the Swordless Immortal Sect’s gate, the number had already jumped to eight. The cultivators of Great Qin wailed inwardly, a sound of utter helplessness. It was already eight; damn it! The record had been broken! The sense of shame burning in the hearts of Great Qin was immeasurable. They were a powerful kingdom, a great nation, yet a smaller state had just eclipsed their best achievement. That humiliation felt deeper than the ocean. Many high-ranking figures, comparable in status to Miss Zhong, cursed under their breath. If this had happened outside, they would have already ordered Longevity cultivators to eliminate Lu Yuan. While the cultivation world generally adhered to laws and maintained civility, discordant elements occasionally surfaced. Only Miss Zhong, however, smiled broadly. She was not bothered by the breaking of the record. Her ancestor had long taught her that techniques are static, but people are dynamic. If she reacted like the puffed-up nobles beside her, she would truly lose face and prove herself unworthy of commanding so many Longevity cultivators.

Whoosh!

When Lu Yuan walked out of the gate belonging to the Carefree Immortal Sect, the count had already advanced to Nine. The Great Qin cultivators cried out like defeated dogs. They truly hadn't wanted Lu Yuan to break the record, but now that he had, he kept increasing the count. The record now stood at nine! Could it be that the Sword Intent of Fire truly would be taken by this man? Incidentally, it should be noted that apart from Lu Yuan’s nine, the next highest score was only six, achieved by Rizhao, Ye Xiangzhi, Ao Lusheng, and Zhong Ziyan. The first three had suffered significant injuries, and Zhong Ziyan now realized the elder Miss had been remarkably wise to hold her back.

Lu Yuan smiled, naturally ignoring the defeated wails of these cultivators, and headed toward the tenth gate, the one marked for the Great Fahua Temple. This door bore an inscription: “The Great Fahua Temple possesses seventy-three ultimate techniques; each technique can rival the supreme arts of other immortal sects. The Great Fahua Temple is unsurpassed in its breadth and depth. It is a profound pity that one cannot master all seventy-three ultimate skills.”

Lu Yuan glanced at it, pushed the door open, and stepped inside. Once he passed this final trial, he would finally obtain the Sword Intent of Fire. Behind the tenth door stood another black iron automaton. This black automaton attacked, not with a fist, a sword, or a palm, but with its fingers. Had Lu Yuan been familiar with the martial arts of the Great Qin’s Great Fahua Temple, he might have recognized this as the Doluoye Finger. This finger technique attacked continuously, the ten fingers flicking non-stop. Its most distinctive feature was that all ten fingers could move in concert, unlike other methods that usually focused on perfecting only one finger.

Lu Yuan was in no rush to defeat this black automaton. He had long heard of the Fahua Temple’s abundance of techniques and now allowed himself a taste of them. Facing the Doluoye Finger, Lu Yuan responded with a swift sword counter. The Doluoye Finger was extremely fast, but Lu Yuan’s sword was faster.

Still using fingers, this next move was no longer the versatile Doluoye Finger, but the Zen of One Finger, imbued with profound compassion and the aura of Buddha. Within that single strike was rich Zen intent. Against this one-finger Zen method, Lu Yuan countered with the Free and Unfettered Wandering Crane Sword—What has your Buddha-nature to do with my carefree wandering cloud? Then, with another shift, came an entirely different technique. Still a finger art, it transformed into the Formless Tribulation Finger. Formlessness, in Buddhism, means transcending the manifold appearances to realize ultimate truth. The Formless Tribulation Finger struck without visible form or presence, inviting disaster upon the target. Fortunately, Lu Ke’s sensitivity to the wind was extraordinary.

Another technique followed—still a finger art. This time it was the Tianzhu Buddha Finger. A distant sound of Buddhist chanting resonated with this strike, involuntarily inspiring a sense of psychological worship in the observer. It differed from the Imperial Fist and Emperor Sword, yet it was also a form of mental attack. Good thing that Lu Yuan, having survived the baptism of the Imperial Fist and Emperor Sword, had already begun to learn how to counter such psychological assaults.

He switched techniques again—still a finger art. This one was the Tiring of Worries Finger. This strike seemed to draw together all boundless emptiness and endless distress, condensing them into one point. This finger art appeared to possess little brute force, yet it was a technique of immense power. Facing it, Lu Yuan’s expression visibly changed. What a formidable finger technique! Facing such an art, Lu Yuan immediately unleashed the One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud, no longer relying on any specific sword intent, but on the set of techniques most familiar to him. Wielding the Yangwu Sword, he focused not on external intent, but on the seamless unity between man and sword, thereby evading the attack.

Still another finger art! The Mahā Finger. Mahā signifies Great Wisdom; this was a finger technique embodying great insight, fluid and difficult to evade.

The Nianhua Finger. The Buddha had the saying of the ‘Plucking of a Flower and a Smile.’ However, the black automaton clearly failed to utilize the true power of this finger strike. The Nianhua Smile is either understood instantly or never understood at all.

Finger techniques! There were seven distinct finger arts alone!

Lu Yuan was genuinely shaken this time. He had long heard that the Great Fahua Temple’s ultimate skills surpassed any other immortal sect, even the Swordless Immortal Sect, Carefree Immortal Sect, and Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect. He had only heard the rumor before, but now he experienced it firsthand. It was too exaggerated—seven different finger arts alone! All seven of these finger arts were formidable, each one potent. Even he himself was in extreme peril. If he were careless, he might not survive.

Lu Yuan now felt profoundly bored. Perhaps others here would find this interesting, but Lu Yuan simply found it tedious. If the Fahua Temple possessed seventy-odd ultimate skills and half of them involved swordplay, Lu Yuan might have been interested. He was naturally drawn to the sword; unfortunately, the Fahua Temple’s techniques were mostly fingers, palms, or sabers—they rarely used swords. How could this interest Lu Yuan? Still, he had no choice. For the sake of the Sword Intent of Fire, he had to endure this once. There were thousands of ultimate skills and myriad cultivation methods in the world, but alas, he was only fond of the sword. He had zero interest in other methods like fingers, palms, or fists. Only the sword held fascination. Amidst his busy engagement, Lu Yuan took a swig of wine to refresh his spirit. This was the tenth test, the tenth gate—the final challenge.

(Uh oh, I promised three updates yesterday, and indeed there are three updates today. It looks like this month we’ve firmly secured a spot in the top six for monthly tickets. Huge thanks to everyone—to those who voted with monthly tickets, those who subscribed, those who rewarded, and those who urged for more releases. I offer my most sincere gratitude here. Without your support, how could I continue writing? Next month, I will certainly maintain quality and stable updates to thank you all for your continued support. Tomorrow should bring three or more updates.)