He Changfeng immediately unleashed the Xi Yi Sword Technique, ranked second among the Eastern Peak of the Sword Sect. This technique was incredibly swift.

The Tao Te Ching states: "To see and not see is called Xi; to hear and not hear is called Yi." This sword style was so fast it rendered the blade's image invisible to the eye and its passage inaudible to the ear. At the outset, He Changfeng employed the move from the Xi Yi Sword Technique called 'Sharpness like Xi, Slowness like Yi.' Once this strike was launched, the sword seemed to vanish instantly in mid-air.

A fine display of the Xi Yi Sword Technique. Seeing this, Song Polang inwardly praised, He Changfeng's Xi Yi Sword Mastery had improved again; dealing with him would not be easy. Song Polang raised his hand and executed a move from the Seventeen Forms of Quick and Slow called "Unpredictable Tempo." Once deployed, this technique achieved extreme speed, yet its essence was the seamless, instantaneous transition between fast and slow, utterly devoid of inertia.

When He Changfeng and Song Polang made their moves, both were certain that Lu Yuan was doomed.

A year ago, Lu Yuan could not best either of them. Back then, they were confident that any one of them could defeat Lu Yuan within twenty moves.

Now, a year had passed.

A single year was brief.

Their combined strength would surely overcome Lu Yuan now. In fact, even one of them ought to be enough to prevail, but they preferred to eliminate the seemingly weaker Lu Yuan first before engaging each other.

Lu Yuan smiled.

A combined assault from two grandmasters—a year ago, he would certainly have been outmatched. But now? Not even close.

The Seventeen Forms of Quick and Slow was something he had broken through countless times. Instead, he smoothly rotated his Yang Wu sword and thrust it precisely into the empty space ahead of Song Polang. This single stab caused Song Polang immense discomfort. The sword hadn't struck Song Polang's blade, yet it made him feel agonizingly uneasy.

Indeed, this was more than just discomfort—it was utter agony!

The Seventeen Forms of Quick and Slow relied on fluctuating between speeds, being sometimes fast, sometimes slow, to confuse the opponent until they inevitably failed within that rhythm.

But Lu Yuan’s strike hadn't connected with Song Polang’s sword; it pierced empty air, as if stabbing a void. Yet, Song Polang knew Lu Yuan’s thrust had struck the interval between fast and slow, preventing him from going fully fast or fully slow, leaving him paralyzed and helpless. Most of his planned sword moves were utterly dismantled by this single thrust, causing a feeling so nauseating he wanted to vomit blood.

He reversed his grip for a backhand slash, a strike of extreme subtlety.

'Subtlety beyond naming, hence called Wei.'

Lu Yuan's second strike was aimed at He Changfeng. He Changfeng used the Xi Yi Sword Technique—'To see and not see is called Xi, to hear and not hear is called Yi.' Lu Yuan's move employed 'Subtlety beyond naming, hence called Wei.' The concepts of Xi, Yi, and Wei were intrinsically linked; the Xi Yi Sword Technique had melded the first two perfectly. By unleashing this single strike emphasizing Wei, Lu Yuan shattered the original combination.

The structure of the Xi Yi Sword Style was instantly broken.

Having disrupted the Xi Yi Sword Technique, Lu Yuan pressed his advantage, his Yang Wu sword flashing rapidly, lunging directly at He Changfeng.

Both He Changfeng and Song Polang felt so distressed they were close to vomiting blood. Their proud techniques, the Xi Yi Sword Style and the Seventeen Forms of Quick and Slow, had been completely annihilated in a single exchange—how was this possible? They immediately tried to organize a new offensive, but Lu Yuan’s attack arrived like a surging river.

A surging river—this was not merely a metaphor.

It was literally like moving water.

Lu Yuan commanded both the Sword Intent of Rain and the Sword Intent of Water, weaving them together to form an offensive rush as easy as unleashing a torrential river. Faced with this flood, He Changfeng and Song Polang could only desperately parry, feeling the whirlwind of swords opposite them, leaving them with almost no capacity to counterattack.

The second move landed.

The third.

The fourth.

They had never imagined that simply enduring a single move would be so difficult—it was nearly a nightmare encounter. The seventh move landed, and with a sharp crack, the long swords of both He Changfeng and Song Polang drooped simultaneously. As they struggled to reform their stance, Lu Yuan smiled, "Dearest Martial Uncles, why don't you examine your collars?"

He Changfeng and Song Polang both looked down at their necklines, and shared a look of profound horror.

On each of their collars were three identical scratch marks, identical in length—not a hair longer, nor a hair shorter.

Such precise incisions were startling enough, but what was truly terrifying was the realization that their collars lay flush against their skin. Yet, the three identical slashes on the fabric had left no corresponding white mark on their skin, not even a sensation.

Such swordsmanship!

He Changfeng and Song Polang understood that if Lu Yuan had not held back, they would both have died by his hand.

The two fell silent. A year ago at the Wusheng Relic Palace, either one of them could have defeated Lu Yuan within thirty moves. Now, only twelve months later, their combined strength had been defeated in just seven moves. It was utterly unbelievable; and it was only seven moves!

After a long pause, He Changfeng could only state with resignation, "Very well, we lose this time. We will not contest this Red Longevity Fruit with you." They had initially assumed Lu Yuan was the weakest link they should eliminate first, never suspecting he was the strongest, far surpassing them both.

Song Polang chuckled, "Old He, you are of the Sword Sect, and Lu Yuan is of the Sword Qi Sect. How is it that you, a Martial Uncle of the Sword Sect, possess inferior sword skills compared to your Martial Nephew from the Sword Qi Sect? Tsk, tsk." Being old friends, Song Polang felt comfortable teasing He Changfeng, much to the latter's mild vexation.

Meanwhile, hidden nearby, a cultivator of the Body Tempering Stage Eight from the South Sea Immortal Sect was suppressing his breathing so deeply he dared not inhale too much. His original plan was to wait until Song Polang and He Changfeng were sufficiently exhausted to reap the benefits. He never imagined Lu Yuan was this terrifying.

Damn it!

Unaware of the hidden observer's thoughts, Lu Yuan moved, producing a porcelain vial. He approached the Longevity Fruit, cleanly severing it with a sweep of his sword. He shifted the vial forward, catching the fruit. This kind of fruit was mutually wary of the Five Elements, so planting it required extreme care.

Watching the red Longevity Fruit drop into the vial, he sealed the opening and tucked it into his small Sumeru Pouch.

The first Longevity Fruit was secured—a stroke of luck, all things considered.

Alright, time to leave and find the second fruit. One fruit wasn't immensely beneficial; he hoped to find more, acknowledging that the later fruits would undoubtedly be harder to contest. The first one should have been the relatively easiest prize.

"Got it."

The cultivator of the Qingcheng Immortal Sect, Body Tempering Stage Ten, laughed triumphantly. He had been quite lucky, finding no powerful competitors vying for the fruit. After inspecting it from every angle, he carefully hid the Longevity Fruit away—wealth should never be flaunted, lest others discover it.

"Ha, secured it." This was another Body Tempering Stage Ten cultivator. He had also obtained a Longevity Fruit. Nearby, several figures lay already sprawled on the ground, grievously injured, including one Body Tempering Stage Ten cultivator whose skill had proven inferior. He lay immobile, his injuries appearing severe.

"Ha, secured it." Jiang Yunfan, a Body Tempering Stage Nine cultivator from the Wudang Immortal Sect, laughed heartily. He had been lucky enough to acquire a Longevity Fruit. Just as he placed the fruit into the porcelain vial, a swift sword strike flashed by, and a hand snatched the vial containing his prize.

Jiang Yunfan was instantly cleaved in two, his blood dyeing the ground crimson, yet he hadn't quite expired. "You..."

The attacker was a middle-aged man with a look of unrestrained arrogance. Before entering the Longevity Cave, he had stood among the crowd from the South Sea Immortal Sect, clearly identifying himself as one of them.

Jiang Yunfan, being a powerful cultivator of the Body Tempering Stage Nine capable of regenerating severed limbs, watched his flesh and blood pulse and attempt to mend the wounds. "The Five Great Immortal Sects share a common bond. Are you going to kill me?"

"And what if I do?" the leering middle-aged man chuckled. "The people of the South Sea Immortal Sect have always been bloodthirsty. Besides, the Longevity Cave is different from other places. Here, blaming your demise on demons and monsters is far too easy. Oh, and I want everything good you possess—not just your Longevity Fruit, but all your magical treasures as well."

The sneering man laughed again, his thin sword erupting with terrifying sword energy, completely obliterating Jiang Yunfan.

Zhong Youshi was relentlessly pursuing someone. The one he chased was a Body Tempering Stage Ten cultivator. Zhong Youshi’s strength naturally lagged behind the Stage Ten expert, but currently, at least a dozen people were chasing that Stage Ten cultivator, including others at the same stage. The majority overwhelmed the minority, and Zhong Youshi pressed on.

He had no choice; the fleeing cultivator held a Longevity Fruit.

Possessing a Longevity Fruit meant accepting the risk of being hunted.

Initially, everyone managed to maintain a veneer of peace, but once Longevity Fruits appeared, if anyone was discovered carrying one, being pursued was the inevitable consequence.

Furthermore, Zhong Youshi understood that the Longevity Cave differed from other realms. Killing was rare elsewhere, but here, in pursuit of the chance to ascend to the Longevity Stage, with demons lurking to take the blame, constant killing for personal gain was entirely normal. One had to be exceptionally cautious in such a place, lest one lose their life inadvertently.

A faint scent of blood was already beginning to drift, though large-scale clashes with the demonic forces had yet to occur.

It is often the way of people: when governed by laws and bound by the rules of the Elder Council, they generally adhere to propriety. But when cast into a lawless domain where blame can easily be shifted onto demons, many, driven by self-interest, abandon their former constraints. Human nature is, after all, incredibly complex.

(Why are there still only two chapters today? Not delivering enough power. I've been writing slowly recently. Gods, grant me motivation.)