Within the Cave of Longevity, the initial seven days saw the blooming of Longevity Fruits of different colors each day, and everyone was occupied in searching for them.

After the first seven days concluded, they were still unable to exit the Cave of Longevity; they were required to remain inside for an additional three days.

During these three days, nothing was produced within the Cave of Longevity, leading everyone to resort to robbing each other of the Longevity Fruits they had acquired.

In the final three days, a contingent of individuals who had failed to secure any Longevity Fruits formed alliances and began pillaging others throughout the area.

Another group, having obtained Longevity Fruits but lacking sufficient strength, found secluded spots to hide. Given the vastness of the Cave of Longevity, finding a place to conceal oneself was hardly difficult, and the probability of discovery was low.

Yet another segment of people, possessing Longevity Fruits and considerable strength, naturally set out to plunder even more of them.

And still another group abandoned the pursuit of mere Longevity Fruits, opting instead to rob anything of value they could find.

In essence, the final three days were far more chaotic than the preceding seven.

As for Lu Yuan, what was he doing?

If others were robbing, why shouldn't he? He still lacked the Indigo Longevity Fruit, after all. Granted, because the Five Arrows Immortal Sect shared a bond, it was somewhat inappropriate to strike against fellow cultivators. However, it was quite clear that there were demons aplenty—with so many demons around, why would he bother seeking out other cultivators?

A case of high skill breeding great daring, Lu Yuan’s confidence had swelled immensely following the recent battle for the Purple Longevity Fruit.

He took a swig of wine; ahead stood a demon.

This demon stood about ten feet tall, sporting a pair of winding horns on its head, its entire body pitch black, carrying a curved saber on its back—this species should perhaps be called a Horned Sheep Demon. It was a relatively rare type of demon in the underworld. Judging by its magical power, it should be at the Half-Step Longevity Realm.

Lu Yuan clapped his hands and dropped down from the tree.

“Hello there. You wouldn’t happen to have any Longevity Fruits on you, would you? If so, I’ll be taking them. Thank you.” Lu Yuan landed on the ground before the demon, a smile playing across his face, one remarkably friendly in appearance.

“Right, just to be clear—I am robbing you,” Lu Yuan added, his smile maintaining its gentle veneer.

Opposite him, the Horned Sheep Demon was utterly aghast!

He, the Horned Sheep Demon! One of the underworld demons, a creature of the Half-Step Longevity Realm, had always been virtually unrivaled in the depths of the earth. Even a human cultivator at the same Half-Step Longevity Realm could only manage an even match, but none had ever dared to attempt robbing him—and now, this young human cultivator dared to declare robbery against him? This left the Horned Sheep Demon so stunned he almost suspected he was dealing with someone mentally deranged.

A streak of blood-red light flashed, and the Horned Sheep Demon gasped heavily. In that instant, he had been close to death, and he finally understood: he hadn't encountered a madman; he had run into an expert whose power surpassed even the Half-Step Longevity Realm. From the very first exchange, he had been at a disadvantage, even losing the pair of extremely precious horns atop his head—horns capable of casting spells—which had been cleanly severed.

In the end, he could only toss over a Longevity Fruit and employ the Great Art of Celestial Demon Blood Evasion to barely escape with his life. Among the underworld demons, there existed a technique called the Great Art of Celestial Demon Blood Evasion, which could temporarily accelerate one’s escape speed to an extreme degree.

However, utilizing this Great Art of Celestial Demon Blood Evasion would severely deplete one’s vital energy, requiring years to fully recover. The underworld was incomparably dangerous, so they were extremely reluctant to use this technique casually, but Lu Yuan left him no choice; refusing to use it meant certain death. He needed to find a safe location immediately.

The Horned Sheep Demon was still catching his breath heavily when a figure materialized behind him. He sensed it suddenly, but it was too late. A blade as black as night pierced deep into his body. The demon turned his head only to see another demon of the Half-Step Longevity Realm. “Why?”

“You’ve been a double agent between the Saint Emperor and the Holy Sovereign for too long. Now that major changes are brewing in the underworld, you naturally must die,” said Dao Nanluo, another Half-Step Longevity Realm demon, speaking unhurriedly as he gently drew out his blackened blade. His words seemed to hint at deeper matters.

The Horned Sheep Demon’s gaze grew distant, but having grasped some critical intelligence, he understood from Dao Nanluo’s tone that the great event was finally close at hand—the underworld was on the brink of monumental change! It was a pity; he had intended to advance to the Longevity Realm here and reap the benefits during the coming upheaval, but alas.

Over the following two days, Lu Yuan continued his search for demons. Yet, the Cave of Longevity was so immense that encountering a demon was not easy. Over the two days, he did run into several demons and successfully robbed a few Longevity Fruits, eventually finding the Indigo Longevity Fruit, thus completing his set of the seven colors.

Time was nearly up; it was time to converge at the teleportation array, or else he would be forced to remain in the cave until it reopened thirty years later.

Lu Yuan soared on his sword and quickly reached the teleportation array.

It was already crowded there. Everyone was engaged in lively discussion, exchanging news about who acquired how many Longevity Fruits, who tragically perished, and other such tidings spreading continuously. Among these reports, the news of deaths and the acquisition of the Purple Longevity Fruit caused the greatest stir.

In the current era of peace and prosperity within the cultivation world, death was no trivial matter but a significant event; naturally, deaths warranted considerable discussion.

And the Purple Longevity Fruit, being the most potent of the seven colors, naturally attracted intense scrutiny.

“I heard Ye Qin, the Sword Master of Half-Step Longevity Realm from the Mount Hua Immortal Sect, obtained a Purple Longevity Fruit.” “Mo Li, the Half-Step Longevity Realm cultivator from the Wudang Immortal Sect, also acquired a Purple Longevity Fruit.” Indeed, these two Purple Longevity Fruits were seized by cultivators from the two most powerful immortal sects, without any surprise.

“And, I heard the last Purple Longevity Fruit didn't fall into the hands of a demon either. It’s rumored to be in the possession of one of our human cultivators.”

“Oh? There’s such a thing?”

“What I heard was that Lu Yuan of Mount Hua—yes, the only disciple-level cultivator among them—managed to seize the final Purple Longevity Fruit from a horde of over two hundred demons.”

“What? How is that possible!”

“Exactly. Some of those demons were even at the Half-Step Longevity Realm; going after them would be suicide.” “But it is said he actually did it. The demons suffered a huge loss this time: two Purple Longevity Fruits fell to Mount Hua, one to Wudang, and none remained with the demons.” “Fighting over two hundred demons alone? Is that truly real?”

“Nonsense, I saw it with my own eyes,” affirmed one who claimed to have been an eyewitness.

When Lu Yuan arrived, the discussions were in full swing. Upon seeing the main subject appear, naturally, all eyes turned toward him. Fang Qingzheng, a fellow cultivator from the North Peak, walked over: “Junior Nephew Lu, is it true that you single-handedly fought over two hundred demons?” Fang Qingzheng’s question drew the attention of everyone nearby, who simultaneously leaned in to hear Lu Yuan’s response.

“Well, something like that did happen, but at the time, those two hundred-plus demons were divided into two factions, and I managed to take advantage of the chaos. If those two hundred demons hadn't split up, going there would have meant certain death for me,” Lu Yuan replied, eliciting a collective sharp intake of breath. The event was indeed true.

Even conceding that Lu Yuan profited from the chaos of two demon factions splitting, the sheer act of seizing the Purple Longevity Fruit under such circumstances was something beyond the capability of ordinary people. Those who had doubted the veracity of the rumors were now utterly shaken upon hearing Lu Yuan’s confirmation. Lu Yuan had absolutely no reason to lie; he had actually accomplished it.

In fact, before entering the Cave of Longevity, Lu Yuan, as the sole disciple-level cultivator among many elders, had already drawn considerable attention. However, at that time, the general consensus was that since Lu Yuan had been no match for a Body Tempering Ninth Level cultivator just a year ago, his strength couldn't have improved drastically in the intervening year.

Thus, while it was expected that Lu Yuan might gain something from this trip into the Cave of Longevity, it wasn't anticipated to be substantial, given the perceived gap in strength.

As a result, after hearing the tale of Lu Yuan taking on over two hundred demons, all those who had previously doubted him were left speechless.

This Lu Yuan was simply too monstrously gifted; to have advanced so rapidly in just over a year.

These people were unaware that Lu Yuan had spent the last year cultivating under Yan Cangtian, the foremost figure of the Great Jin. Had they known he was training under Yan Cangtian, this level of growth would cease to be surprising, for following Yan Cangtian meant anything was possible.

Lu Yuan swept his divine sense over his small Sumeru Pouch, reviewing his spoils from this venture.

Four Red Longevity Fruits, two Orange, two Yellow, two Green, two Blue, one Indigo, and one Purple—fourteen Longevity Fruits in total. This was indeed an excellent haul, considering that out of the eighty-four fruits shared among over a thousand cultivators, Lu Yuan had secured fourteen for himself.

The latter fruits were, in part, acquired by robbing other demons in the final three days.

However, the most significant factor was that Lu Yuan had gathered the complete set of Seven-Colored Longevity Fruits. The Seven-Colored set had always been incredibly difficult to assemble; in the entire Eighth Generation, only Yan Cangtian had managed it. Now, Lu Yuan had also completed the set—a feat of unimaginable difficulty. If the surrounding cultivators, who were already marveling at Lu Yuan fighting two hundred demons alone, knew he had completed the full set, one could only imagine their reaction.

Lu Yuan himself remained relatively calm. With the Seven-Colored Longevity Fruits in hand, he now held the genuine prospect of reaching the Longevity Realm.

Endless longevity... for the sake of longevity.

He had prepared for this step for an immeasurable time, and now, he was finally about to take it.

(Volume One, Mount Hua Immortal Sect, concludes here. The next volume is titled 'Quest for Longevity,' which may involve tales of journeys through various nations.)