Within the Cave of Longevity, the terrain was intricate, marked by a long, clear river flowing toward the distance. Right in the river's center stood a colossal, towering tree, rooted immovably in the water. Suspended from this tree was a single purple fruit—the very Purple Longevity Fruit.

On either bank of the river stood two opposing factions of demons.

One faction was led by a dashing young man in white, who possessed an almost ethereal beauty. Though male, he was slender and delicate, resembling a woman. This was Fang Suifeng, the nephew of the Brightness Demon Emperor, Fang Xie. Low-level demons possessed all manner of forms and appearances, often hideous, but high-level demons were indistinguishable from humans, and among the higher ranks, none were ugly—the females were beautiful, and the males, handsome. While Fang Suifeng was not the strongest among his demons, his status was paramount. The subterranean world was so cruel that none dared disobey him for fear of being instantly torn apart by agents of the Brightness Demon Emperor. Consequently, they followed his commands without hesitation.

The other faction was commanded by a woman named Ren Qingyu, a Holy Maiden whose plain makeup only enhanced her exquisite beauty and remarkably long eyelashes. Clad in snow-white fur robes that seemed whiter than frost or snow, she possessed profound dignity. Though her father, the former Demon Saint Emperor Ren Du, had vanished, she still commanded many loyal veterans in the depths. Furthermore, the current Demon Saint Emperor, Dongfang Du, afforded her considerable protection, granting the Holy Maiden significant prestige in the underground realm.

The two demon factions clashed fiercely around the long river, their myriad demonic skills colliding. The Great Asura Bone Blades swept and slashed like lightning. Sand Demons unleashed their sand forms in direct assaults. When two Eight-Legged Spider-Men engaged, the clash alone was spectacular. Flame Yakshas fought with explosive ferocity, showering sparks everywhere. The Child-Mother Demons appeared innocent and childlike, yet their attacks were vicious and ruthless, completely contrary to their youthful faces. The most disadvantaged in this battle were the Earth Demons; their inherent connection to the ground, so advantageous for fighting underground, severely diminished their spellcasting power above ground.

As these over two hundred demons fought, a mere human dared to charge directly into the fray—a clear invitation for death.

Lu Yuan charged forward swiftly, riding his sword.

Indeed, many demons, who had felt little threat from a distance, now realized the immense pressure generated by the combined presence of so many demons at the Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Stages of Body Tempering, and even Half-Step Longevity practitioners. The billowing demonic qi and infernal flames released by the horde swept outward, seemingly locking the entire river in place, turning the water pitch black.

Lu Yuan plunged into the center. The demonic qi and flames raged around him, making breathing agonizingly difficult. But what of it? With a surge, his longsword condensed, and sword essence spontaneously manifested.

With a sharp sword intent, I am invincible.

Lu Yuan pressed deeper. Several Eighth Stage Body Tempering demons moved to intercept him—veterans of countless battles, each a leader level in the underworld, their every strike concise, profound, and steeped in arcane knowledge.

Lu Yuan parried with a backhanded swing of his Yangwu Sword, slicing diagonally. This move was exquisitely precise and lethally sharp. The longsword intercepted the incoming attacks: "Sever!" This initial strike was only the beginning; an endless tide of killing intent followed. Beneath this single sword stroke, several glistening, blood-red demon heads flew into the air and dropped onto the ground—a truly magnificent display.

At this juncture, overwhelming the opponent’s morale was essential.

To infiltrate an enemy camp alone, failure to dominate the opposing spirit meant a certain defeat.

The main body of the demons was still caught in the melee, most having not yet reacted. Lu Yuan cut through rapidly, giving everything he had. Before they could surround him, regardless of who it was, a sword thrust found its mark—a heart pierced, a throat slit, or a demon's head severed.

Lu Yuan charged with savage ferocity.

Sword light flashed, sword essence sharp, his technique unparalleled.

However, these were still over two hundred demons. Although initially split into two factions, they were beginning to respond. The leaders of both sides, Fang Suifeng and Holy Maiden Ren Qingyu, ordered their subordinates to converge on Lu Yuan. This was a localized encirclement; naturally, not all two hundred demons moved at once, as a complete convergence in such a short time was impossible.

Yet, the deployment of over twenty demons was terrifying enough, considering none among them were weaklings.

These demons were all leader-level experts, each possessing extraordinary skill. Moreover, the coordination among the Great Asuras was frightful. Nearly twenty Great Asuras simultaneously brandished their Asura Bone Blades, surrounding Lu Yuan. The sight gave him the sensation of facing scales of cold steel in an ocean of blades.

Orderly!

Twenty-plus Great Asuras struck in the exact same moment, though only about ten directly attacked Lu Yuan. These twenty-odd Bone Blades instantly sealed off Lu Yuan’s routes forward, backward, left, and right, leaving him no room to evade or dodge. Simultaneously, ten others stood poised, blades held but not yet moving; their sheer presence, even in stillness, was more terrifying than action.

No path to heaven, no gate to earth!

These were the true elite masters of the demon ranks.

Lu Yuan took a deep breath. He had heard that mass combat differed fundamentally from single sword duels. A duel was always one-on-one, focusing on the elegance of moves.

Warfare was different; moves didn't need to be overly intricate, only concise, coordinated, and capable of generating greater power than mere finesse. In battle, the only concern was how to make moves simpler and more effective. Sometimes, avoiding every strike like in a solo fight was impossible; one had to choose which incoming attack would inflict the least injury.

Lu Yuan inhaled deeply. As he did, he felt significant changes occurring in his mind. His mental power had already grown substantially during brain tempering, and now, it seemed to be instantly stimulated and increased further. In that instant, Lu Yuan felt capable of grasping countless surrounding details.

The wind stirred gently through the space.

For every demon facing him, their heartbeat, the motion of their hands, the speed of their movements, and the overwhelming killing intent and demonic flames surging from them—all these were reflected deep within his mind, clear and unmistakable. Under the massive sea of his spirit, all things within his surroundings were laid bare to his comprehension.

Lu Yuan was unaware that this was an inevitable threshold on the path to the Longevity stage, a step he had unintentionally completed through sudden stimulus.

Lu Yuan only knew that his perception of his surroundings was sharper; everything felt contained within his mind. Then, draw the sword!

Just as the long blades of over ten demons were about to strike him, Lu Yuan unleashed his sword stroke. The quality of this single strike was infinitely superior to his usual best, not because his sword technique had advanced.

The same technique executed without knowledge of one's surroundings versus executing it with full awareness creates a difference in quality.

This strike was swift as lightning, fast as thunder.

This strike seemed to contain countless profound principles.

This strike exhausted the simplicity and killing intent of heaven and earth.

This strike almost exhausted the mysteries of the universe.

With one sword stroke, the dozen Great Asuras cried out in unison, blood spraying into the air. In that instant, they had been stabbed through the throat by that single attack. Killing over a dozen demons instantly was almost unbelievable. Lu Yuan knew he could not linger; to wait meant his own death.

He continued his inexorable drive toward the center.

Time was too short.

Had he been granted a little more time, both Fang Suifeng and Holy Maiden Ren Qingyu could have orchestrated a more formidable killing array. But Lu Yuan breached that first line of interception too quickly, preventing them from setting up their traps. However, the deeper he moved into the demon ranks, the more masters he encountered.

Several Tenth Stage Body Tempering demons moved to block Lu Yuan.

I know the heart of heaven, I know the heart of earth, I know the heart of the wind, I know the heart of the enemy. Lu Yuan’s mental power continued to expand outwards; he felt everything residing within his mind. The Yangwu Sword slipped out with its usual supreme grace, thrusting out several times with unparalleled subtlety. While he couldn't slay these Tenth Stage Body Tempering demons outright, his strikes forced them to change expression drastically and retreat to the side. They had never witnessed such terrifying swordsmanship—a single blow seeming to contain infinite killing intent. If they hadn't retreated, they would have been consumed by the sword light and perished.

In a flash of lightning and thunder, Lu Yuan pressed forward. Ahead lay the Purple Longevity Fruit, guarded by two Half-Step Longevity demons. As Lu Yuan attacked, these two Half-Step Longevity demons, belonging to different factions, attacked him without hesitation simultaneously.

Lu Yuan laughed aloud, a surge of heroic spirit rising within him. He swung the Yangwu Sword with a backhand cut. At this moment, Lu Yuan was operating at peak momentum and perfect condition; even a casual strike was superior to a meticulously planned one from before, and this casual strike was imbued with infinite mystery.

Half-Step Longevity, so what? You shall be shattered by me too!

...

There was no time for reflection, no space for lyrical prose. Everything unfolded too rapidly, too quickly, leaving no moment even for surprise. Events moved so fast that hearts hammered incessantly. Finally, Lu Yuan had crashed into the heart of the demon ranks. Cultivators like Song Shijun, whether they supported Lu Yuan or not, were trembling with anticipation, their hearts nearly leaping from their chests. Half-Step Longevity! Lu Yuan was about to face Half-Step Longevity!

Challenging over two hundred demons alone was a myth. Was this myth about to be realized?

One finger-snap equals eighty chana (moments).

The next chana would decide Lu Yuan’s life or death, victory or defeat.

(Trying a different style of fight choreography in this chapter—how do readers feel about this fighting style?)