Inside the Cave of Longevity. Day Seven. Sometimes, luck can turn sour. Take, for instance, on the fifth day, when I reached the Great Perfection of the Tenth Level of Body Tempering. My entire physical form became faintly translucent, achieving a true Immortal Body. I considered myself utterly unrivaled within the Cave of Longevity; even a Half-Step Longevity realm cultivator wouldn't stand a chance.

Feeling quite invincible, I wanted to find someone for a proper spar—preferably someone in the Half-Step Longevity stage. However, after searching for ages, I found absolutely nothing. In the past day and more, I hadn't encountered a single formidable opponent, nor had I stumbled upon a single Longevity Fruit. What a tragedy! There were six Indigo Longevity Fruits in total, and yesterday, the sixth day in the Cave, I found none.

If that isn't a tragedy, what is? But there’s nothing to be done; you can never predict luck.

Unconsciously, I was growing tired from flying. First, I’ll take a swig of wine to restore my spirit. Normally, I would have slept by now, but this is the seventh day in the Cave of Longevity. On this day, the three most potent Purple Longevity Fruits will appear. At such a crucial time, sleep is out of the question. After taking a sip of wine to freshen up, I continued flying forward. As I flew, I noticed quite a few figures ahead.

Lu Yuan couldn't help but feel suspicious. These were mostly cultivators from various sects, but they weren't numerous, just lying in wait. I happened to spot someone I recognized: Song Shijun from the Mount Hua Immortal Sect. "Martial Uncle Song," I whispered, inquiring softly. "Oh, Martial Nephew Lu," Song Shijun nodded. Lu Yuan asked, "What happened here?" "Ahead, Longevity Fruits have appeared—the purple ones," Song Shijun murmured, his voice low. "But there are many demons here. Word is, a high-ranking demon leader is presiding over the situation. I fear we cultivators can only watch; taking one of these Purple Longevity Fruits is practically impossible." The most effective Purple Longevity Fruits appearing on the seventh day of the Cave of Longevity usually resulted in one for the cultivators, one for the demons, and one fought over between the two sides, its final owner unknown. And without a doubt, the demons were determined to claim this one.

Scattered cultivators lay hidden here, feeling unwilling but helpless. Lu Yuan looked over. Indeed, there were many demons. Counting closely, there must be over two hundred. Considering that only about four hundred demons entered the Cave of Longevity in total, gathering over two hundred in one spot was quite formidable. Moreover, it was clear the demons seemed divided into two factions. Song Shijun commented beside me, "The demons aren't a single, unified bloc, much like how we cultivators are split into several factions, leading to fights over the final Purple Longevity Fruits. And these two demon factions—one is led by the Demon Saintess. It is rumored this Demon Saintess is the daughter of the former Demon Lord, Du Ren. She is a figure of great authority, and all demons under her banner follow her." "The other faction is led by Fang Suifeng, the nephew of the Bright Demon Emperor, Fang Xie. The demons under him follow his command... The situation among demons is starkly different from the human realm. Among demons, if you are the nephew of some mighty figure, it grants immense prestige. Countless demons must obey your orders, and if they refuse, those stronger above them will surely demand their heads, leading to utter annihilation." To put it more cruelly, losing one's head is lenient; perhaps their very soul will be refined by demonic fire—a fate worse than death, caught between life and non-life.

This is unlike the Immortal Sects, where even descendants of mighty figures must diligently respect their teachers and elders. Usually, the offspring of powerful figures are rarely given great authority immediately; they must be trained and cultivated before ascending. If they prove genuinely incompetent, they might never rise. Of course, although the demons have three supreme leaders, only two factions have 'princelings.' One faction supports the Demon Saint Emperor, Dongfang Yao, and the other supports the Bright Demon Emperor, Fang Xie. As for the Dark Demon Emperor, Jing Huanzhen—how could he possibly have a faction of lackeys? Even if Jing Huanzhen had relatives, they likely wouldn't dare pledge allegiance to him. The Dark Demon Emperor, Jing Huanzhen, was notorious for 'killing his wife to seek the Dao.' Jing Huanzhen’s famous declaration was: "For the Dao, the father can be killed, the mother can be killed, the wife can be killed, the son can be killed, the daughter can be killed. Any being, human or demon, can be killed. I killed my wife and achieved invincibility." With such ruthlessness, who would dare be his 'princeling'? They'd truly be inviting death. It is rumored that this demon, Jing Huanzhen, actually believes he has grasped the true Dao and views the Immortal Sects that follow the will of Heaven as heretical—the sheer absurdity of that demon!

Alright, let's return to the current situation. Yes, this Purple Longevity Fruit belongs to the demons. With over two hundred demons gathered in this single spot, not a single cultivator dared to charge in. And now, the two demon factions are set to battle here. They haven't even spared a glance for the scattered cultivators nearby. Hiding behind a tree, observing those demons from afar, Lu Yuan pondered. The Cave of Longevity is vast, and today, only three Purple Longevity Fruits will appear in total. Finding the other two will not be simple. Yet, this one is right before my eyes; missing it would make encountering the next one incredibly difficult. Facing over two hundred demons, if they were to attack me, unless I were in the Longevity realm, my current strength offers no chance of survival. But they are divided into two factions. The two factions have already begun a fierce clash. This means if I can burst forth and seize the Purple Longevity Fruit with maximum speed before they can fully react, there might be a chance. Of course, speed is paramount. I must be fast enough that the majority of demons cannot react in time. Furthermore, it will only be a single test. If I fail to succeed, I must retreat instantly without hesitation.

As Lu Yuan considered this, he felt more inclined to attempt the gamble. This plan is certainly viable. As long as I don't get entangled in a prolonged fight, escaping shouldn't be hard with my current strength. After a moment of internal deliberation, he made up his mind. Yes, that’s what I’ll do. Lu Yuan’s hand rested lightly on his sword hilt. Song Shijun, perhaps due to their prior association, was startled. "Martial Nephew Lu, what are you doing?" "What am I doing? Naturally, snatching the Purple Longevity Fruit! Why wouldn't I grab it if it’s here?" Lu Yuan shrugged. Hearing this, Song Shijun broke out in a cold sweat: "There are so many demons opposite you, over two hundred! You are not in the Longevity realm; you cannot possibly be their match." "It's true I can't handle over two hundred demons simultaneously. But don't forget, they are currently split into two factions. So, for a very brief moment, I have a chance. If I miss that chance, I’ll flee immediately, and I should be safe." Lu Yuan smiled, appearing utterly carefree and dashing.

Using the Clairvoyance Technique, he observed the Purple Longevity Fruit's location—dead center between the two fighting factions. After confirming the spot one last time, Lu Yuan shot out. The Sword of Nurturing Essence transformed into a streak of brilliant white sword light, enveloping Lu Yuan as he charged through the air, aiming directly for the Purple Longevity Fruit. The flight was incredibly fast. By the time people reacted, he had already breached the outer perimeter of the demon ranks. "Is that...? A human? A cultivator?" The scattered cultivators nearby, seeing a dazzling white sword light tearing through the sky toward the Purple Longevity Fruit, were momentarily stunned. They couldn't be sure if it was a cultivator or a demon. Even the most powerful cultivators, those in the Half-Step Longevity realm, would never dare charge headlong into a mass of over two hundred demons—that was pure suicidal behavior. "It is a cultivator, and I know him! He is Lu Yuan, a disciple from the North Peak of Mount Hua, and the only disciple-level participant in this Cave of Longevity." Someone recognized Lu Yuan’s origins. "What? Disciple level?" "I heard this disciple has some skill; he once entered the sixth level of the Palace of Non-Existence..." "But his combat power is said to be only equivalent to the Eighth Level of Body Tempering, unable to defeat the Ninth Level. He's outstanding among the disciples, but just average among our Elders." "With his level of power charging into the demon horde, isn't he just seeking death?" "Exactly. It’s the arrogance of youth, not knowing fear." "A pity; he’s about to meet his untimely end here." They truly couldn't fathom any reason for Lu Yuan to survive. Even a Half-Step Longevity cultivator would likely perish under these conditions. They could only conclude that Lu Yuan, having always dominated among disciples, underestimated the strength of the Elders, thus leading to this tragedy. Virtually all cultivators believed Lu Yuan was doomed. The two demon factions, who were already engaged in combat, were first startled by the sight of a cultivator flying toward them on a sword, then realizing it was a cultivator—what audacity! Both demon factions dispatched several demons to intercept Lu Yuan. How exhilarating!

Lu Yuan felt a surge of sheer exhilaration! Having grown accustomed to ease, here he was, challenging over two hundred demons with a single sword strike. A magnificent spirit surged within his body, and his sword control grew faster, faintly showing signs of sword-man unity as he swept toward the Longevity Fruit. Come on, demons! Several demons had already rushed forward to meet him.

Lu Yuan momentarily slowed his descent, bringing his sword into his hand, simultaneously switching from sword flight to pure Qi flight. Come on! His magic power flowed joyfully through the first inch of his body. His first battle after achieving the Great Perfection of the Tenth Level of Body Tempering was about to commence. The Cave of Longevity was, as always, quite the spectacle. At the locations where the other two Purple Longevity Fruits were appearing, intense battles were already raging. Here, the Mount Hua Immortal Sect took the lead in contending for one fruit, while at the other site, the Wudang Immortal Sect used the Wudang Sword Formation to secure the third Purple Longevity Fruit. At this stage, the Immortal Sects first cooperated to eliminate other minor players before engaging each other to decide the final ownership of the fruits. (The magnificent third update! The protagonist is finally about to have a passionate moment, no longer simply facing weaker opponents with smooth sailing, but an extremely spirited battle. Also, asking for monthly votes! If any of you have monthly tickets, please cast a vote for me, thank you. A side note: Every time I write about Jing Huanzhen, I can't help but want to rant about 'killing his wife to seek the Dao.' If killing one’s wife leads to the Dao, then all Immortals must be raving maniacs.)