Time flowed like wisps of clouds, seeming to pass agonizingly slowly in the moment, yet when one looked back, a considerable chunk had already slipped away. Unbeknownst to many, two full years had elapsed upon the North Peak. For the cultivation world, two years was hardly a significant stretch; after all, within this realm, everyone's lifespan stretched far beyond that of ordinary mortals. However, these past two years felt profoundly different from any other two-year span. These preceding two years were the span following the ascension of Yan Cangtian, the foremost figure in the Great Jin Kingdom. The entire cultivation world had previously been held in check by the single presence of Yan Cangtian and his Flying Swallow Immortal Sword. All spirits bowed in submission! With Yan Cangtian’s departure, the successor to the Huashan Immortal Sect was Chu Duan, the 'Heaven-Severing Sword.' While Chu Duan was certainly an eminent figure of his generation, he paled in comparison to Yan Cangtian. Consequently, beneath the outwardly tranquil surface of the cultivation world over these two years, various factions were stirring restlessly: the Three Giants beneath the earth, the Heaven-Assisting Alliance, the Five Great Immortal Sects, and numerous external powers.

The North Peak had also seen some subtle shifts across those two years. For the tenth generation of core disciples, the most significant change was that Senior Disciple Brother Yun Yi had finally broken through to the Body Tempering stage. Although Yun Yi's breakthrough was a momentous event for the tenth generation—a rare chance to reach Body Tempering—it was utterly overshadowed by the brilliance surrounding Lu Yuan. Apart from that, the second change on the North Peak concerned the Three Sects of Sword Qi. The Huashan Sword Sect was inherently the strongest among the three, and with Chu Duan becoming the Sect Master, the Sword Sect's influence swelled even further. Over the past two years, both the Qi Sect and the Sword Qi Sect had endured considerable slights from the Sword Sect. As long as Lu Yuan remained sequestered on the North Peak, things were manageable, but for others, merely mentioning the Sword Sect now usually brought forth grimaces. Lu Yuan had heard his fellow disciples recount countless times how tyrannical the Sword Sect had become. For instance, the boundary area previously managed jointly by the North Peak and the East Peak had now been entirely placed under East Peak's jurisdiction—there was little choice, as the Sword Sect held a numerical advantage on the Elder Council and supreme strength among the Five Peaks. The North Peak had lost substantial territory; places like Yangyun Valley and Can Yang Peak had been ceded to the Sword Sect—areas rich in dense spiritual energy. The equilibrium once maintained by Yan Cangtian was slowly beginning to fracture. Observing this breakdown, everyone witnessed Chu Duan’s style of leadership: Heaven-Severing! Just like the character Duan (Sever), his actions were decisive and domineering.

Ah, enough talk of these matters; let's turn the focus to Lu Yuan himself. In truth, none of the above held much direct bearing on Lu Yuan. He rarely descended the mountain, and when he did, it was usually just to fetch wine. The grand affairs of the cultivation world, and the current state of the North Peak, had barely touched him. Lu Yuan’s days over the past two years had been exceptionally comfortable. Naturally, this time had not been entirely wasted; he had advanced his cultivation base to the very peak of the first level of the Longevity stage, the Elemental Qi stage. Lu Yuan’s Cloud-element spirit beasts were numerous enough for Body Tempering, and though still plentiful for the Longevity stage, they weren't overwhelmingly so. Thus, his advancement rate wasn't spectacular; two years only managed to push his power from the early phase to the peak of the first level of Longevity. Looking at it from another angle, one could truly see how arduous it was to raise power once one reached the Longevity stage.

Oh yes, regarding his personal cultivation progress, there was one more crucial point to mention. That concerned the Five Elements Reincarnation Sword Dao, or the Five-Color Reincarnation Sword Dao. As previously stated, the Five Elements Reincarnation Sword Dao involved the five disciplines: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Each discipline required accumulating ten types of Sword Intent—for example, the Water discipline currently held three: Water Sword Intent, Cloud Sword Intent, and Rain Sword Intent. Once ten were gathered, one could achieve the Water Emperor Sword Dao. The Five-Color Reincarnation Sword Dao involved the Five Colors: White, Azure, Black, Scarlet, and Cyan. These five color Daos were not collections of Sword Intent but collections of energy. After entering the Longevity stage, one realized this was merely the entry point, and progress had stalled entirely. What could be the reason?

At this moment, Lu Yuan slapped his forehead. Hadn't Ancestor Yan once said: "For the Five-Color Sword Dao, if one lacks a foundation or a clear direction, they should head to the Cliff of Contemplation.” Since he had been utterly stuck, why not go to the Cliff of Contemplation? However, the Cliff of Contemplation was not a casual destination; it was where the Huashan Immortal Sect punished its own transgressors. How could he get himself sent there? To reach the Cliff of Contemplation, he needed to commit an offense—one that wasn't too great, nor too small; it required precise calibration. In this era, performing chivalrous deeds wasn't difficult; causing a moderately sized error wasn't difficult either. Whom should he choose to provoke such an error? Sima Changbai? A mischievous, almost sinister smile touched Lu Yuan’s lips. Perhaps... if he went right now and slapped Sima Changbai across the face, that action alone would surely land him at the Cliff of Contemplation. Slapping Sima Changbai would feel immensely satisfying, but it was nigh impossible; Sima Changbai surely possessed power beyond the eighth level of Longevity, far beyond Lu Yuan's ability to land a blow.

Or perhaps, stir trouble with the Sword Sect? The Sword Sect had gained considerable momentum over the last two years, swallowing up the joint management point of the North and East Peaks—Yangyun Valley, Can Yang Peak, and others. If he picked a fight with them and committed a mistake, wouldn't that be perfect? This method of causing trouble would naturally resemble slapping Sima Changbai—an act that the Sword Sect would undoubtedly relish dealing with severely.

The Huashan Sword Sect’s reputation had exploded recently. Since Sect Master Chu took the throne, many people only knew of the Huashan Sword Sect, some even forgetting the Huashan Immortal Sect entirely. When Chu Duan first ascended, people were curious about his style; now, everyone knew it: Chu Duan was aggressively ambitious internally, seeking to annex the Qi Sect and the Sword Qi Sect, while relentlessly expanding externally. The Huashan Immortal Sect was already mighty, and over these two years, it seemed even more so.

Yangyun Valley! This place was somewhat distant from Huashan, though not excessively so. It was initially jointly managed by the North and East Peaks, but due to the Sword Sect’s recent ascendancy, it had been almost entirely annexed. Yangyun Valley yielded a substantial harvest of low-grade spirit stones, and now, naturally, it belonged to the East Peak. At the entrance to Yangyun Valley stood a manor, the Yangyun Residence, which served as the East Peak's administrative post here.

The sun beat down fiercely, making the area sweltering, though some bamboo planted in front of the manor offered a sliver of shade. A few cultivators stood guard at the entrance.

“Hey Old Qiao, why are you standing so stiffly?” “Hmph, the Yangyun Residence holds our treasury of spirit stones. Even though the last shipment was moved out, this batch holds about ten thousand.” “True, there are quite a few spirit stones in Yangyun Valley. We must be cautious.” “Tch, is there any need to be that cautious? Who dares touch our Yangyun Residence?” “Indeed. Since Sect Master Chu took the high seat, our Huashan Sword Sect has grown stronger, surpassing the other two sects internally, and exceeding the other four immortal sects externally.” “Right. The former Sect Master Yan possessed the strength of the Great Jin’s foremost figure, yet he failed to cultivate influence. He is not as good as the current Sect Master Chu.” “Sect Master Chu is mighty!” “May Sect Master Chu live for ten thousand years!” These Sword Sect cultivators spoke with gusto whenever the new Sect Master Chu was mentioned. The changes over the past two years had been profound. The Sword Sect was increasingly dominant and overbearing; many Sword Sect cultivators had become so puffed up they scarcely recognized themselves, truly believing the Sword Sect's might was unmatched in the Great Jin. “Yes, Yangyun Valley, originally jointly managed with the North Peak of the Sword Qi Sect, is now entirely ours under Sect Master Chu’s governance. We’ve certainly reaped good benefits.” “I hear your personal wealth has increased recently, and you even took a wife from the South Sea Immortal Sect. How does a South Sea bride taste?” “Hahahaha!” The guards chatted with increasing merriment.

At some point, a young man dressed in azure robes arrived at the entrance. The guards immediately shouted, “Hey! Who goes there? Step back immediately!” The young man in azure stopped, a remarkably gentle smile gracing his face. “Gentlemen, might I trouble you with a question?”

The young man’s tone was calm, and his smile mild, causing the guards to relax their vigilance slightly, though their demeanor remained sharp. One guard stated, “This is a vital location for the Sword Sect. We are not here to answer questions. Leave quickly, or do not blame us for showing no mercy with our blades.” The young man in azure nodded. “This is the Yangyun Residence, correct? My question is this: how many spirit stones do you have inside? I intend to steal them all.”

This declaration naturally provoked an explosive shout from the guards: “How dare you! You seek death!” The guards instantly drew their flying swords—being members of the Sword Sect, they naturally favored swords—and a multitude of flashing swords pierced toward the young man in azure, the sword light rippling like scales. The guards were furious; in the current zenith of the Sword Sect's power, someone dared to seek trouble? This young fool must have gone completely mad.

Since that was the case, they would kill him. Those who follow the Sword Sect live; those who defy the Sword Sect perish. This was Sect Master Chu’s consistent modus operandi, and under his tutelage, his subordinates had absorbed much of this ethos. Yan Cangtian had been transcendent and detached, favoring non-action, a trait his subordinates did not share.

Undoubtedly, this azure-robed figure was Lu Yuan. In these times, stirring up trouble was exceedingly simple. Having thought of the matters concerning Yangyun Valley, he decided to cause a scene there. He intended to rob some spirit stones in Yangyun Valley; since he had to commit an error anyway, he might as well seize more resources before being sent to the Cliff of Contemplation.