This was a dormant volcano of red earth, jutting up like a phantom from the depths, its crater aimed directly at the heavens, displaying a mysterious and formidable majesty. Vast quantities of incandescent lava flowed sluggishly within the crater, gurgling softly, suggesting an unimaginably high internal temperature.

And from the mouth of the crater sprouted a tree of deep crimson, stretching to an unknown height, adorned with a single yellow Longevity Fruit whose color was irresistibly alluring.

The Lava Swordsman, Nan Qiu, whose face was utterly bare of eyebrows, cackled menacingly as he advanced upon Lu Yuan, intent on murder.

Fang Qingzheng couldn't help but interject, "Senior Brother Nan, we are all from the Northern Peak of Mount Hua. While Senior Brother Sima and Junior Nephew Lu may have some friction, there is no need for a fight to the death." Fang Qingzheng considered himself to be in a state of healthy rivalry with Lu Yuan, so he naturally stepped in at this moment.

A cold sneer flickered across Nan Qiu's smooth, browless face. "And what if I insist on killing him?"

Fang Qingzheng stated, "Then I will have no choice but to intervene."

"Actually," Nan Qiu let out a sinister chuckle, "I’ve long wanted to kill you as well. If I kill Lu Yuan, the future seed of Mount Hua, it will certainly be a capital offense, so I must kill you too, then stage it as if we were slain by demons. Otherwise, I’ll surely face a dead end, hehehe."

Nan Qiu moved abruptly. He drew his Blazing Flame Flying Sword, and simultaneously, with his left hand, he infused the sword with a blast of scorching True Fire.

Here, it is necessary to briefly categorize the three methods cultivators use in combat.

The first is the pure sword cultivator, like Lu Yuan—one who pursues the power of the sword and concentrates solely on the Dao of the Blade.

The second is the spellcaster stream. This type fears close combat most, constantly bombarding opponents from a distance with spells. Of course, if one is closed upon, the ability to instantly shift away using a spatial teleportation spell can be crucial. Spellcasters, thanks to instant movement, can contend with sword cultivators. Furthermore, the greatest strength of the spellcaster stream—when multiple spellcasters unite, the barrage of forbidden-level spells unleashed can sweep clean any space.

The third is the half-spell, half-sword stream. This blending of swordsmanship and magic enjoys the subtlety of the blade and the power of spells, and for a time, it was highly favored by some. However, it was later discovered that this hybrid style, frankly, amounted to something mediocre. While decent, it lacked the singularity of pure swordsmanship or pure spellcasting, and losing that focus diminished its overall potential.

The Sword Qi Sect of Mount Hua's Northern Peak did not mandate this mixed style; the Northern Peak's principle was simple: whether you preferred the sword or the spell was entirely up to you.

Returning to the present moment—Nan Qiu, browless and unrestrained, unleashed his merged sword techniques, flames soaring high, striking toward Fang Qingzheng.

Fang Qingzheng retaliated instantly, executing a move called 'Sealing the Gate As If Shut,' a superb defensive technique designed to lock down all openings.

In the time it took a hare to leap and a falcon to alight, Nan Qiu had already exchanged several blows with Fang Qingzheng. No, merely five blows—and Fang Qingzheng was already pierced through the chest, his entire body engulfed in flame. He gasped in shock, "Your magical power has increased again? How could you become so strong?" He found it almost impossible to believe that Nan Qiu’s strength had grown so much; defeating him should not have been so easy for someone at the tenth level of the Body Tempering stage.

Nan Qiu chuckled lewdly, "Don't forget, between the tenth level of Body Tempering and the Longevity stage, there exists the Half-Step Longevity. I achieved a breakthrough recently. Though I haven't reached Half-Step Longevity, my magical power has certainly grown. Why would defeating you in five moves be difficult?" Nan Qiu cackled strangely.

As he laughed, a weight settled in Fang Qingzheng’s heart.

He hadn't anticipated that Nan Qiu had progressed significantly beyond the normal foundation. Even without reaching Half-Step Longevity, he was already superior to the average cultivator at the tenth level of Body Tempering. The current situation was dire: Fang Qingzheng was gravely wounded, and Lu Yuan was certainly no match for Nan Qiu. Bad! This was disastrous! His own death was terrifying, but Lu Yuan's death would be far more horrifying.

Lu Yuan was the future seed of Mount Hua!

This one must not die!

Despite their rivalry, Fang Qingzheng knew Lu Yuan could not perish. He instantly shouted, "Lu Yuan, run!"

Nan Qiu’s lewd laughter was the only reply. "Run? Where can you run to? Under my Heaven-Piercing Fire Claws, no one escapes." He spoke of his spell, the Heaven-Piercing Fire Claws. This technique was no trivial matter; in the cultivation world, anything prefixed with "Heaven-Piercing" was considered exceptionally profound. The term held great significance in Taoism, and some legends even equated it with the names of the Three Pure Ones.

Nan Qiu’s Heaven-Piercing Fire Claws were actually a supreme technique inherited from Sima Changbai’s lineage. Once unleashed, the Claws pursued the enemy with electric speed, struck with the intensity of fire, and possessed the ability to lock onto the target—these three characteristics alone made the technique formidable. Most impressively, the power of the Heaven-Piercing Fire Claws increased with the caster’s magical strength, and it worked effectively both at close and long range—its destructive power was astonishing!

Nan Qiu was currently reveling in his display of might.

He felt deep satisfaction watching Fang Qingzheng’s face contort in terror. Nan Qiu had always enjoyed torturing others, deriving intense pleasure from watching his opponents tremble in fear. He was psychologically warped; a prime example was his lack of eyebrows, which he had painstakingly burned off himself, bit by agonizing bit, purely to savor the sensation of pain.

Some time ago, in pursuit of the Longevity stage, he had entered secluded cultivation for years, even decades. Going so long without tormenting an enemy had left him deeply restless.

Now, he finally had the chance to inflict suffering, and what was better, it was on a genius. This made it all the more interesting.

He glanced at Lu Yuan, expecting to see fear, but when he looked, Lu Yuan showed no sign of alarm; instead, a faint smile played on his lips.

"Indeed, I don't need to flee. It is you who is supposed to die today," Lu Yuan stated calmly. This remark only infuriated Nan Qiu further. How absurd, this junior genius clearly had no grasp of the immensity of heaven and earth. Very well, he would make the boy understand what 'heaven' and 'earth' truly meant.

The browless Nan Qiu raised his hand and sent forth the blazing Blazing Flame Flying Sword. The long sword roared like a pillar of fire, surging toward Lu Yuan. This move was a merger of sword techniques, derived from the 'Sun Rising' within the Great Sun Sword Art!

Simultaneously, it was enveloped by the True Fire of the One Mind spell!

The True Fire of the One Mind encased the 'Sun Rising,' perfectly combining spell and sword technique. As Nan Qiu delivered this strike, he believed this single move was enough to injure the junior Lu Yuan. "Break!" Lu Yuan suddenly struck with a sword move, radiating a dark, curtain-like intent that pressed down. This black mist not only suppressed the 'Sun Rising' swordsmanship but also extinguished the blazing flames. In an instant, Nan Qiu's proud ultimate technique was shattered.

Nan Qiu visibly flinched!

It was broken!

It must have been a fluke! Nan Qiu refused to believe this junior truly possessed the strength to counter his move. He immediately unleashed another ultimate technique, the Great Sun Inferno. This move embodied the spirit of the celestial sun; a mere evening curtain of mist could only suppress the rising sun, not the vast, blazing sun itself. Great Sun Inferno!

"What an excellent Great Sun Inferno!" Nan Qiu concurrently deployed the spell 'Seven Moon Flowing Fire.' The activation of the Seven Moon Flowing Fire further amplified the power of the Great Sun Inferno. This was the Great Sun Inferno within the context of the Seven Moon Flowing Fire.

"Fine skill, fine swordplay, fine spellcasting, but it will still be broken by me," Lu Yuan declared with overwhelming dominance. He discarded the Dark Curtain Sword Intent, instead flashing the 'Raging Storm' Sword Intent and pressing it against the Seven Moon Flowing Fire. With the Raging Storm, he utterly pulverized all of Nan Qiu’s sword techniques.

Broken again! Nan Qiu was truly stunned; he genuinely hadn't expected this second counter.

How could this be! Nan Qiu mentally screamed the impossibility, preparing to unleash yet another secret skill.

Lu Yuan laughed heartily, "You have finished your offensive moves. Now it is my turn to attack. You declared today that you would kill me. Let’s see whether it is you who kills me, or I who kills you." Lu Yuan swiftly counter-attacked with his Yang Wu Sword, launching a series of thrusts faster and faster toward Nan Qiu.

As these moves unfolded, Nan Qiu was beaten into a state where he could barely parry. Nan Qiu attempted to strike back several times, but he lacked the exquisite sword maneuvers of Lu Yuan; under Lu Yuan’s relentless assault, he could barely hold his ground.

A sword struck home! A blossom of crimson blood sprayed forth! This was merely the beginning. In the next moments, Nan Qiu was continually wounded, bursts of scarlet erupting across his body. Fortunately, the fourth stage of Body Tempering, Blood Tempering, allowed one to cultivate blood, preventing death from sheer loss of fluid; however, the constant regeneration of blood required an immense amount of spiritual power.

Fang Qingzheng, lying on the ground, could hardly believe his eyes. Lu Yuan was actually pressing Nan Qiu into a disadvantageous fight, and it looked like he would win quickly. Heaven! Fang Qingzheng had always believed his own strength surpassed Lu Yuan’s; he had viewed Lu Yuan as a competitor.

Yet, inexplicably, he had been dealt with in mere moves by Nan Qiu, while Nan Qiu himself was now being thoroughly beaten by Lu Yuan, seemingly unable to muster even a defense.

This! Fang Qingzheng was so shocked he couldn't utter a word, though a slight smile touched his lips. At least this meant he wouldn't die. He had long heard tales of the ruthless, browless Nan Qiu.

"Detestable, detestable!" Nan Qiu’s rage suddenly boiled over. He had never imagined being so completely dominated by a junior. He had assumed the boy was merely an upstart, yet he proved so troublesome. "Junior, damnable little whelp, I will make you die! I will utterly eradicate you!"

He roared, "You should curse fate for choosing this volcano as the site of our duel! On this volcano, my strength is greatly enhanced! I must kill you!" He shouted repeatedly, his fury directed at Lu Yuan soaring toward the heavens.

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