This action startled those nearby.

The Sword Immortals beside him were three: Mu Ruolan, the Peach Blossom Sword Immortal; Chu Fei, the Flying Sword Immortal; and Dugu Ye, the Solitary Heart Sword Immortal. The three watched as Lu Yuan flew straight up, already reaching four hundred zhang. At this altitude, based on Lu Yuan’s strength, he shouldn't have been able to ascend so high. What was happening?

Those next to them could not see the white sword qi above Lu Yuan’s head.

The white sword qi above Lu Yuan’s head shared the same origin as the Jianmu Tree’s clouds, and now they were completely merged into one; it was impossible for outsiders to detect.

Shock filled them. Just moments ago, Flying Sword Immortal Chu Fei had stopped ascending at four hundred and eighty zhang, unable to go higher, yet Lu Yuan had reached four hundred zhang. What in the world was this? They felt an intense strangeness. But then, something even more astonishing occurred: after reaching four hundred zhang, Lu Yuan continued to ascend.

This…

Four hundred and fifty zhang, four hundred and eighty zhang! This was the peak Chu Fei had reached.

Five hundred zhang, this was the altitude Mu Ruolan could achieve on the Jianmu Tree.

Five hundred and twenty zhang, this was as high as Dugu Ye could fly on the Jianmu Tree.

Yet, Lu Yuan showed no sign of stopping, continuing his upward flight. At this point, all three Sword Immortals sucked in a sharp breath. What in heaven’s name was going on?

“Why are you all gathered here? Is someone challenging the height of the Jianmu?” A High Immortal arrived, borne upon his sword. This was High Immortal Zhikong of the Kunlun Sect, one of the figures holding real power in the Kunlun Immortal Gate. This person was also a figure of the Great Dao Realm. He had descended the mountain this time to search the earth for materials from demons to forge the Soul-Shaking Bell—a magical treasure specializing in attacking the primordial spirit. Once forged, a gentle shake of this bell could capture the minds of men. High Immortal Zhikong glanced over upon arriving here. The fame of the Kunlun Jianmu was immense; naturally, Kunlun cultivators challenged it themselves to see how high they could fly.

Seeing the few Sword Immortals gathered, he assumed this was the case. As he wasn't pressed for time, he came to observe. Recognizing Chu Fei and Dugu Ye, he exchanged a few pleasantries before looking toward the center of the Jianmu. To his shock, someone had already surged to six hundred zhang! This was a full six hundred zhang, an altitude he himself could only barely reach at seven hundred zhang.

“Who is this?” High Immortal Zhikong inquired.

“Lu Yuan, from the Huashan Immortal Gate,” Mu Ruolan replied faintly, her voice listless.

“Lu Yuan? I haven't heard that name. Surely Huashan doesn't have a Great Dao Realm figure named Lu Yuan who has been famous for nine generations? Perhaps someone confined on Reflection Peak for many years?” High Immortal Zhikong asked.

Mu Ruolan shook her head: “No. Lu Yuan is from the tenth generation of the Huashan Immortal Gate.”

“What!” High Immortal Zhikong almost jumped: “You say a tenth-generation disciple has reached six hundred zhang on the Jianmu? Are you joking?”

Mu Ruolan stated blankly: “I wish I were joking, but that is not the case.” High Immortal Zhikong was speechless for a long moment, then gently shook another bell-like lock in his hand. It had been mentioned earlier that the Kunlun Immortal Gate was renowned for its magical artifacts. High Immortal Zhian was a master craftsman of such items, and this bell was called the Sound-Transmitting Bell. Moments later, many ninth-generation Sword Immortals from the Kunlun Immortal Gate arrived, including several High Immortal-level figures.

Upon arrival, they were initially unsure what was happening, asking the same questions as High Immortal Zhikong. But soon they spotted Lu Yuan relentlessly charging higher and higher: the Jianmu!

Seven hundred zhang!

Eight hundred zhang!

Every single one of them was rendered utterly speechless, at a loss for words.

This…

It was too incredible to believe.

Within the Jianmu, Lu Yuan was unaware that so many people were observing him. He was focused only on the continuous ascent, feeling that his white Sword Dao had reached the critical juncture of breaking through to the next level. He felt the immense Jianmu clouds around him being drawn into his white sword light.

And the white sword light above his head was constantly changing—growing larger, brighter, and more solidified.

Time passed, though he didn't know how long. Finally, the internal structure of the white sword light underwent a massive shift. This was the transformation from the White Dao into the White Emperor Sword Dao. Lu Yuan quieted his mind, waiting for this change. After an indeterminate time, finally…

Lu Yuan burst forth, having reached the treetop!

Yes, this should be the very top!

The thousand-zhang Jianmu had finally been surmounted to its apex! Lu Yuan summoned the sword light above his head, eager to test the changes within it. With a mere thought, the sword light above him spun with lightning speed, slicing through the air—far faster than before. Lu Yuan finally understood the function of the White Emperor Sword Dao.

Speed!

Indeed—it was all about speed!

An extraordinary swiftness!

Actually, in the White Emperor Golden Sovereign Sword Dao, the White Emperor represented speed, and the Golden Sovereign represented sharpness. When both are mastered, the sword light is both fast and sharp, and this speed could also be applied to one's own flying swords.

Lu Yuan had already cultivated the Sword Intents of Speed, Wind, and Torrential Rain, making his sword speed quite formidable. Now, having mastered the White Emperor Sword Dao, his sword speed was roughly double what it had been before. At Lu Yuan’s level, increasing sword speed further was incredibly difficult, yet now it had been doubled. Lu Yuan felt that if he encountered someone at the fifth layer of Longevity Realm now, it would be like chopping vegetables. He couldn't achieve that before. Moreover, the greatest benefit was that his personal flight speed had increased significantly; if he truly encountered an opponent he couldn't defeat, he could simply use his sword to flee, which was incredibly easy.

It was equivalent to saying that mastering the White Emperor Sword Dao had granted him an extremely useful life-saving talisman for future dangers.

Only then did Lu Yuan open his eyes. Standing atop the thousand-zhang Jianmu, he felt the exhilaration of being at a great height. Looking down, the rivers and mountains stretched for thousands of miles, all within his sight. Even the surrounding, taller Kunlun Mountains no longer seemed as imposing as before.

Wait, why were so many people surrounding him? Lu Yuan scanned his surroundings and realized a considerable crowd had gathered. What was this? Lu Yuan was utterly perplexed, unaware that those onlookers were equally astonished. These people were mostly Sword Immortals, even figures of the Great Dao Realm, who now watched as Lu Yuan, possessing only the cultivation base of the third layer of Longevity, had reached the summit of the Jianmu. They were speechless; it was simply a miracle.

Lu Yuan did not know that upon his arrival at the Kunlun Immortal Gate, he had caused an earth-shattering tremor that drew out many of the sect’s reclusive elders. Except for the legendary Kunlun Ancestor, everyone had been roused by Lu Yuan’s feat.

A cultivator at the third layer of Longevity reaching the peak of the Jianmu was truly unbelievable.

How was this accomplished?

Kunlun Mountain was itself a mountain of miracles. Its lower and middle sections were covered in perpetual snow, but the upper sections enjoyed spring-like weather year-round.

Numerous palaces dotted the Kunlun Mountains.

Jade Beryl Palace, Qionghua Palace, Tianyong Palace, Yuying Palace, Crimson Pill Palace, and so on, culminating in the highest Jade Void Palace.

Among these numerous palaces, Qionghua Palace—Qionghua meaning beautiful jade.

The entire Qionghua Palace resembled a massive piece of semi-transparent, crystal-clear, and exquisitely beautiful jade. Under the sunlight, reflecting off the surrounding snow, Qionghua Palace looked like a stunning jewel embedded halfway up Kunlun.

Inside Qionghua Palace, a sword fight was underway.

The disciples from the North Peak were sparring against the core true disciples of the Kunlun Immortal Gate. Aside from Lu Yuan, who was not participating, all other disciples, including Zhao Qiankun, the top true disciple of Kunlun, were involved. The one holding back the most was the Kunlun true disciple Zhao Han. He had been intimidated by Lu Yuan when he was at the Tenth Level. While on Kunlun territory, he shouldn't fear Lu Yuan, but Lu Yuan’s fame had grown exponentially, and his recent monumental feat at Kunlun had shaken the entire sect, causing Zhao Han to feel a deep-seated fear whenever he saw Lu Yuan, thus making him unable to fight at his best, causing a dip in his performance.

The North Peak practitioners used sword arts or pure magic, while the Kunlun Immortal Gate disciples employed magic or magical artifacts. The two sides engaged spiritedly, but overall, the Kunlun Immortal Gate held the advantage—which was expected, as the North Peak was only one of Huashan’s five peaks, whereas the Kunlun Immortal Gate represented the entirety of Kunlun, creating a difference of a full magnitude between them.

However, such a competition was never about winning or losing; the goal was training the disciples, so both sides were quite satisfied.

A spell attack struck the ground.

An artifact was launched, the opponent dodged, and it happened to smash into the wall instead.

The disciples exchanged blows, but the floor and walls of Qionghua Palace had been specially reinforced, preventing them from being shattered.

Lu Yuan watched from the side, gaining some insights. Artifacts, too, were ultimately rooted in the Five Elements, and thus could be crushed using the Five Elements Sword Dao. Of course, that was the brute-force method. After contemplating more refined approaches in his mind, he began to form ideas on how to use sword moves to chip away at an artifact piece by piece. Observing the match provided him with considerable benefit.

“What!”

“What!”

“What!”

When the news reached Kunlun Mountain, all the elders and grand elders of the Kunlun Immortal Gate were stunned. Seeing that the individuals who received the intelligence did not retreat, Chu Fei and Dugu Ye, being seasoned veterans, sensed that this was likely no longer just a private matter for the Kunlun Immortal Gate. Indeed, a moment later, High Immortal Zhikong spoke: “We just received word that the Great Yuan Nation has provoked a fierce battle on the border, and furthermore, High Immortal Tianyuan, one of the three Grandmasters of the Yuan Nation, is presiding over the border.”

“What!” Dugu Ye started.

The peace between the Great Jin and the Great Yuan had lasted for a very long time. Previously, Jin and Yuan had fought relentlessly. It was only after Yan Cangtian pierced into Yuan territory with a single sword strike—and the three Grandmasters of Yuan combined could not subdue him—that a truce was established. Following that, large-scale warfare between Yuan and Jin ceased. Now, hostilities had reignited.

Figures of the Great Dao Realm were called High Immortals, but those on a higher tier than the Great Dao Realm were termed Grandmasters of a Nation.

The repercussions of Yan Cangtian’s ascension had finally arrived.