The Water Sword Tower dissolved into a long, slender stream; the water of this stream appeared clear and blue, but upon closer inspection, it was as ethereal and dreamlike as mist. This illusory sheen of water finally vanished into the snow—into the snow valley. The valley was a vast expanse of pristine white, the snow deep and unbroken, as if the Water Fire Sword Tower had never existed at all.

“Damn these Jin people.”

“How did a Jin person get the Water Fire Sword Tower?”

“A mere Jin person, nothing more.” Curses erupted from all sides. Those cursing recalled past events that made them want to jump with fury—the damned Jin person was too formidable, not only adept at breaking moves, having shattered all ten stances of the Fire Sword Tower, but also devastatingly effective at nullifying magic, dismantling all eight powerful spells.

In the end, even the Water Fire Sword Intent had been seized by him.

In contrast to the vitriol, several powerful and influential figures began issuing commands. Some of these influential persons could even direct cultivators in the Longevity stage. They ordered their Longevity subordinates to ambush and kill the Jin person. Such a person, who would undoubtedly grow immensely strong in the future, dared to steal the limelight; he absolutely had to be eliminated. Miss Zhong stood with her hands clasped behind her back, smiling faintly, a smile so chillingly clear against the ice and snow.

The colder the snow, the clearer the beauty.

Lu Yuan paid no mind to these people. Having successfully obtained the Water Fire Sword Intent, Lu Yuan followed closely behind Yan Cangtian. The Ancestor Yan nodded slightly at the result of Lu Yuan’s endeavor, indicating satisfaction. The two continued their journey. Lu Yuan had assumed the next step would be cultivating the Earth Sword Intent or the Metal Sword Intent; only these two remained to complete the Five Elements Sword Intent.

However, the Ancestor seemed to have no such immediate plans. He merely led Lu Yuan across mountains, through valleys, over rivers, traversing many famous mountain ranges in both the Great Jin Kingdom and the Great Qin Kingdom, observing the undulations of the terrain.

Mount Tai—this range was one of the majestic peaks of the Great Qin Kingdom. Its defining characteristic was its sheer majesty!

Not merely grand; it was awe-inspiring!

What tremendous majesty this mountain range possessed! It stood like a pillar holding up the heavens between the earth and the sky.

In the Great Qin Kingdom, there was another mountain, Mount Heng. If Mount Tai represented majesty, then Mount Heng embodied elegance. It was often said, “Among all the mountains under heaven, I alone possess grace.” Its peaks undulated gracefully, its lines exquisitely beautiful, showcasing its singular, elegant character.

Of course, when discussing elegance, the Great Jin Kingdom possessed a mountain, Mount Emei, whose beauty rivaled, and perhaps even surpassed, Mount Heng. This mountain was ancient and mystical, imposing yet captivatingly lovely. Its terrain twisted and turned, featuring a thousand crags and ten thousand ravines, cascading waterfalls and trickling streams, offering a pure, refined, and exquisite spectacle. Thus, it earned the praise, “Emei is the world’s foremost in beauty.”

Only after arriving in the Great Qin Kingdom did Lu Yuan learn of another mountain, Mount Jiuhua. This mountain simply added a ‘Nine’ to the name of his home mountain, Huashan, making their names quite close. Mount Jiuhua stood towering, shrouded in swirling mists and vapor, commanding a presence that swallowed rivers and mountains—it was undoubtedly one of the kingdom’s imposing peaks.

Then there was the sky-piercing Mount Qiyun, so high that a single stone from its summit could reach the clouds, touching the heavens alongside them, hence its name, Mount Qiyun (Cloud-Reaching Mountain).

When it came to profound tranquility, nothing surpassed Mount Lu. Entering this mountain, one felt an extreme sense of secluded beauty. Its topography was unique, riddled with steep cliffs and sheer precipices that displayed countless forms. The valleys between the peaks were incomparably deep and still.

There was also one particularly strange mountain, from the middle of which a bell tolling sound frequently echoed, thus it was named Stone Bell Mountain.

The famous mountains of the world were countless, each possessing its own distinctive characteristics of majesty, wonder, spiritual aura, or elegance.

Following Ancestor Yan, they passed through several teleportation arrays, allowing Lu Yuan to fully explore these famed locales. Only then did Lu Yuan realize that touring these famous mountains was quite an enjoyable experience; he had gained a new hobby. The biggest problem was the vast distances between them, making the travel exhausting. Otherwise, he would love to wander everywhere, admire the beautiful scenery, and down a large jug of wine—that would be true life enjoyment.

Ten months had passed since Ancestor Yan first spoke to him of the one-year pact. Yet, immersed in these travels, he had almost forgotten the agreement.

One day, Lu Yuan was observing an unnamed mountain. There were so many grand mountains and rivers in the world; the famous ones naturally had distinct traits, but even among the nameless ranges, some were quite worth seeing, like the one before him. It was low and sprawling, resembling a giant turtle about to crawl forward.

“Legend says in ancient times, there was a saying that the turtle is the earth. If the sleeping turtle shifts even slightly, a great earthquake occurs.” Lu Yuan recalled a myth he had once read and smiled, reaching for his wine flask. Just then, a sharp shout pierced the air: “Awaken!”

At that moment, a palm pressed firmly against Lu Yuan’s back.

It was Ancestor Yan; he was aiding Lu Yuan in his enlightenment.

For some inexplicable reason, every mountain range he had viewed over the past year now surged through his mind, shifting and transforming within his consciousness. The transformations accelerated until all the mountains dissolved into one gigantic, unmoving character in his mind: “” (Mountain).

After a moment, the character “” suddenly trembled, slowly disintegrated, and reformed, resolving into the character “” (Earth).

The character “” was, in a way, even closer to the fundamental essence of the Great Dao than the character “.” In a flash of realization, Lu Yuan understood. This was Ancestor Yan using a special technique to help him grasp the Earth Sword Intent. According to the theory of the Three Thousand Great Daos, this was the Earth Great Dao. The transformation of the character “” into “” signified the successful completion of this stage of training; he had comprehended the Earth Sword Intent.

After a long time, Lu Yuan awoke. Turning back, he saw Ancestor Yan sitting nearby, gazing at the sky. “Thank you, Ancestor, for your assistance.”

Yan Cangtian smiled faintly and nodded.

Lu Yuan spoke, “Ancestor, I’ve calculated—the one-year pact is now over ten months gone, leaving just over a month remaining. Currently, I understand the Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth Sword Intents. Now, only the Metal Sword Intent remains. I implore you, Ancestor, to instruct me.” Lu Yuan was finally feeling a touch anxious. The usual Lu Yuan was laid-back and never rushed; however, on the verge of mastering the Five Elements Reincarnation Sword Dao, he genuinely wished to test its power, hence his hurried question.

After all, Lu Yuan was only a twenty-two-year-old young man; occasionally showing impatience made him seem more like his age.

Yan Cangtian chuckled, “Metal Sword Intent? Don’t you already know it?”

“I do?” Lu Yuan was momentarily stunned, genuinely not understanding when he had mastered the Metal Sword Intent.

Yan Cangtian laughed softly: “The very essence of ‘Sword’ is born from Metal among the Five Elements. Having followed me, one who can at least be called a Sword Saint, for so long, constantly feeling the strongest sword qi and the strongest Metal Sword Intent under heaven, coupled with your innate genius for the Way of the Sword—your comprehension of the Metal element was already far superior to that of ordinary cultivators. Now, Enlighten!”

His command this time used the Great Prajña Roar technique, similar to the one used before to awaken Lu Yuan’s Earth realization. Prajña means wisdom; this Great Prajña Roar could shake the spirit awake toward realization, and within the roar, there was a trace of the esoteric secret teachings of the Esoteric Sealing Art, resulting in this effect.

With a single roar, it seemed as if boundless wisdom emanated forth.

Following Ancestor Yan’s command to ‘Enlighten,’ Lu Yuan truly felt something shift. He held his long sword level, then slowly drew his Yangwu Sword. He focused intently on this blade, gazing at the Yangwu Sword for what felt like an immeasurable period, simply watching it.

“The Sword is Metal. The Way of the Sword is the Way of Metal.”

“The Way of the Sword holds the unyielding sword, the sword as soft as it is hard, the free and unrestrained sword. Amidst ten thousand forms, ten thousand methods, ten thousand reasons, and ten thousand changes, one thing remains immutable: the Sword is the Sword. All other external techniques are merely external objects.”

“I have comprehended it,” Lu Yuan roared to the sky. This shout soared upward until it vanished into the heavens. Lu Yuan had now truly grasped the essence of the Metal Sword Intent. The Yangwu Sword spun lightly, and he executed a single strike. This move appeared utterly simple, yet upon careful observation, one could clearly see that this strike was purer, more uniquely his.

He thrust the sword towards the azure sky, then drew it back, returning it to its sheath.

In that single strike, he had expressed the realization born from comprehending the Metal Sword Intent. It was a strike executed with absolute freedom.

Thus, the Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth Sword Intents were all completely mastered. Achieving this mastery was certainly partly due to Lu Yuan’s exceptionally high talent in the Way of the Sword, but even more so, it was thanks to Ancestor Yan’s guidance, a fact Lu Yuan understood perfectly.

Lu Yuan was also well aware that while his talent was indeed high, without the guidance of the seniors of the Huashan Immortal Sect and the meticulous teaching of his masters, he would never have achieved what he had. Of course, his own efforts were also crucial; otherwise, those like Song Nanshan, who received even more resources, would have surpassed him.

Yan Cangtian smiled faintly: “Very good. Now, I shall transmit to you the Grand Formula of the Five Elements Reincarnation Sword Dao.”

“The Way of Heaven: the Limitless gives birth to the Ultimate, the Ultimate gives birth to the One, the One gives birth to the Two, the Two gives birth to the Three, the Three gives birth to the Four... the Four transforms into the Five, and the Five transforms into all myriad things. The Five Elements cycle five times, encompassing all living beings within the Five Elements. One can then use the Way of the Five Elements to reverse-derive the Ultimate into the Limitless. The division of the Five Elements, the concept of the Five Elements, transforms into the prime origin…” A passage, not excessively long nor overly esoteric, was recited.

Listening to this lengthy formula, Lu Yuan sank into profound contemplation. It was as if, at that moment, an invisible door had been pushed open for him. Previously, he had grasped several sword intents, but they were like isolated corners of a vast ocean—he had only seen fragments.

Now, he held the master outline.

Although the sword intents he had grasped were few, this master outline encompassed all Three Thousand Sword Intents.

Viewing the world from a higher vantage point naturally changed one’s perspective and scope.

Yan Cangtian smiled, gazing up at the heavens.

The heavens are like a sword! The earth is like a whetstone! Yuan’s Five Elements Reincarnation Sword Dao was complete. Adding the one on the Repentance Cliff, the Huashan Immortal Sect would have no worries. He could finally rest easy.