The Blood Sword Sect Celestial Prison. The Blood Transformation Sword Immortal slammed the gate shut and stormed out, his heart boiling with frustration. He was truly filled with hatred. He, the Blood Transformation Sword Immortal, was a reasonably famous Sword Immortal, renowned even in this savage place like the Blood Sword Sect for his ruthlessness and boundless methods. Even the disciples and elders of the Blood Sword Sect deeply feared this Blood Transformation Sword Immortal. Yet, damn it, he couldn't do a single thing to this Lu Yuan. Using ruthless tactics, Lu Yuan, who usually appeared utterly lazy, was proving to be a tough nut to crack; he couldn't be broken. If he used even more severe and shocking methods, he feared pushing Lu Yuan too far, leading to a complete collapse of negotiations and the failure to obtain Yan Cangtian’s ultimate skill. If he were unburdened by desire, dealing with Lu Yuan would be incredibly simple for the Blood Transformation Sword Immortal. But because he desired something, he found himself unable to control Lu Yuan. Just now, he had tried to coerce Lu Yuan once more, but still, he couldn't force out Yan Cangtian’s ultimate technique. In truth, Si Nan believed the best way to threaten someone like Lu Yuan was to seize someone close to him, perhaps a fellow disciple or an elder. However, Lu Yuan’s master had already passed away, and even if he hadn't, the strength of the Curtain-Draping Sword Immortal surpassed that of his Blood Transformation Sword Immortal self. As for Lu Yuan’s relatives, they had never appeared in the cultivation world, and their identity was completely unknown. Lu Yuan’s close companions, Ye Fang and Ye Yuan, were now under the protection of two Ninth-Generation Sword Immortals. Since Lu Yuan’s disappearance, Chu Fei and Dugu Ye had been greatly shaken, and the Kunlun Immortal Gate had dispatched numerous people to search. North Peak had also sent many individuals to the Western Regions; trying to apprehend anyone now would be disastrous, likely resulting in his own demise. Very well, Lu Yuan! You just wait. Let’s see who can outlast whom here in the Blood Sword Sect Celestial Prison.

Lu Yuan watched Si Nan’s figure vanish, letting out a cold sneer. His magic power had already recovered, and now he had successfully mastered the Fourth Transformation of the Cloud Dragon. He was preparing to assault the Fifth Transformation. If he succeeded in this breakthrough, his magic power would ascend to another level—at that time, he would absolutely destroy this Blood Transformation Sword Immortal. Never mind him for now; he needed to condense the Fifth Transformation of the Cloud Dragon. The Fifth Transformation chosen was the 'Pa Fu' Transformation. This stage temporarily converts magic power into wood-elemental magic power. This specific transformation didn't seem to have much direct utility, but it was an indispensable link in the Ten Transformations of the Cloud Dragon. The reason for choosing it now was that its description was more detailed, and coupled with his recent mastery of the Azure Wood Sword Dao, his comprehension of the wood element was in a particularly receptive state. In the cultivation world, innate talent is important, but comprehension is exceedingly crucial. Lu Yuan's talent for cultivating magic power was average, and his comprehension was likewise ordinary. It was only by borrowing the momentum from his recent completion of the Azure Wood Sword Dao—which gave him a better feel for the wood element and temporarily amplified his comprehension—that he managed to grasp this path. This session of cultivation felt different from the last. Faintly, he perceived an incomparably graceful creature resting by the water's edge. It was impossible to categorize this being; it was neither tiger nor dragon, neither fowl nor beast—it resembled nothing he had ever seen before. Lu Yuan knew this elegant being possessed a rather peculiar name: the Pa Fu. “Resembling a dragon yet not, resembling a shrimp yet not; naturally fond of water, dwelling near water… delighting in churning the waves, devouring demons to transform into water… After a thousand years in the canal, it sheds its shell, sinking into the earth to sprout forth dense forests…” Lu Yuan recited the words left by Martial Uncle Zhou, gradually grasping the methods within. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration sparked in his mind. He understood. Understanding was one thing; achieving it was another, separated by a vast gulf.

About half a month later, Lu Yuan finally let out a long breath—Success! The Fifth Transformation of the Cloud Dragon, the Pa Fu Transformation, was finally achieved. The magic power within his body had transformed into wood-elemental magic power. Wood power shared a similarity with Cloud power—both were gentle and mild. This was entirely different from the violently chaotic lightning power he gained after mastering the 'Bi An' Transformation. This warm, gentle force surged behind him, intending to condense into a Pa Fu creature in his back, but Lu Yuan forcefully suppressed it. Because this wood-elemental magic power leaned toward gentleness, suppressing it wasn't overly painful. Hahahaha! Lu Yuan roared inwardly but dared not laugh aloud. Laughing again in the Blood Sword Sect Celestial Prison would certainly seem strange and might invite suspicion. Lu Yuan felt an indescribable sense of relief; the Fifth Transformation of the Cloud Dragon, the Pa Fu Transformation, was finally mastered. Each of the Ten Transformations of the Cloud Dragon was inherently extremely difficult.

The reason Lu Yuan managed to master the Bi An Transformation was twofold: first, the technique left by his Martial Uncle Zhou Zihang was truly excellent, and second, it was due to the experience gained from the Minor Formless Art left in the Palace of No Life. As for mastering the Pa Fu Transformation, it was partly due to Martial Uncle Zhou’s superior technique, and partly because he had just mastered the Azure Emperor Sword Dao, giving him a special affinity and a temporary spike in comprehension regarding the wood element. Of course, there was also a measure of luck involved. All these factors combined finally led to the achievement of the Fifth Transformation of the Cloud Dragon. Lu Yuan’s methods for these Cloud Dragon Transformations were somewhat accelerated. In terms of magic power foundation, they naturally could not compare to someone like Yuan Yuan Shangren, who reached the Seventh Transformation step-by-step. However, this path allowed him to grasp more variations sooner and adapt to a wider variety of combat situations. It had its pros and cons; few things in this world possess only advantages without drawbacks.

After mastering the Fifth Transformation, the Pa Fu Transformation, Lu Yuan felt his magic power restless, pushing toward even higher peaks. Simultaneously, his divine soul began to change. He originally possessed three souls: the Heavenly Sword Soul, the Earthly Sword Soul, and the Life Sword Soul. Now, under the impetus of his magic power, these three souls began to draw close. The Heaven, Earth, and Life souls began to fuse. Yes, fusion. The Heavenly Sword Soul, Earthly Sword Soul, and Life Sword Soul gradually intertwined, and the increasingly abundant magic power acted like the flame fusing the three souls. Lu Yuan sat cross-legged on the grass, completely unguarded. Inside his mind, he watched the three sword souls rapidly merge. He didn't know how long it took, but finally, with a soft bang— The Nascent Soul emerged! That’s right. Lu Yuan felt that within his body, the three souls had blended into one, transforming into a brand new, smaller version of himself. In his Dantian, there was a figure infinitely smaller than himself, yet identical in appearance, sporting the same lazy look of a drunkard. This was his Nascent Soul. The Fourth Stage of Longevity, achieving the Nascent Soul—he had finally accomplished it. At this moment, he felt a state of continuous, faint existence, sometimes present, sometimes absent; thoughtless, desireless, floating like an immortal, lost in a haze. The ancient texts described it: “What is the Nascent Soul? After the mingling of parents’ essence, a single spark of light… originating from the Grand Void—that is my Nascent Soul.” Only after achieving the Nascent Soul does one dare to inquire about the supreme Great Dao of the Grand Void and assault higher realms. Having reached the Nascent Soul realm, Lu Yuan felt his magic power continuously climb upward, and his divine soul ceaselessly strengthened, until it stopped ascending after reaching a certain point. At this stage, his magic power was vastly more profound than in the Third Stage of Longevity—it was truly a world apart. Now, if he clashed with the Blood Transformation Sword Immortal, he estimated he had a sixty to seventy percent chance of winning, though without an actual fight, he couldn't be certain.

The current Lu Yuan had completely purged all poisons, and his magic power had reached the Fourth Stage of Longevity. However, Lu Yuan wasn't in a hurry to escape the Celestial Prison. In this Blood Sword Sect, the Seven Blood Sword Brothers were on the same level as, or perhaps even stronger than, the Blood Transformation Sword Immortal—there were six of them. Beyond them, the Blood Sword Ancestor, who was firmly established in the Great Dao Realm, sat there guarding the place. Trying to escape now would be courting death. It was better to remain peacefully situated here and await the arrival of an opportunity.

Yu Renhao walked in again. He surveyed the group of prisoners. Apart from Lu Yuan, whom he couldn't afford to provoke, he could treat the other inmates however he pleased. Just as he was about to begin, a Daoist from the Blood Sword Sect rushed in: “Senior Brother Yu, Senior Brother Yu, bad news! The people from the Snow Mountain Immortal Sect are attacking!” “What!” Yu Renhao was startled. It was indeed shocking. The Blood Sword Sect’s greatest advantage was its concealment. He hadn't expected that they would be discovered now, and by the Snow Mountain Immortal Sect, no less. The Snow Mountain Immortal Sect was one of the ten medium-sized Immortal Sects of the Jin Kingdom, also located in the Western Regions. The so-called Three Great Factions of the Western Regions were led by the superior Kunlun Immortal Gate. Following them were the Snow Mountain Immortal Sect and the Blood Sword Sect. Both the Snow Mountain Immortal Sect and the Blood Sword Sect resided among the continuous snow mountains, though the Western Regions held numerous peaks, placing them quite far apart. Unlike the Blood Sword Sect, the Snow Mountain Immortal Sect was a righteous sect, and its location was fixed; they didn't need to operate as sneakily as the Blood Sword Sect. But why did the Snow Mountain Immortal Sect know the Blood Sword Sect’s location now, and why were they attacking here? Yu Renhao couldn't help but feel a touch of surprise. Lu Yuan listened, secretly thinking, Could the opportunity I’ve been waiting for have arrived? It all depended on the intensity of the Snow Mountain Immortal Sect's current attack. If it was significant, this would be the perfect moment for him to break free. As he pondered this, he saw the Blood Transformation Sword Immortal walk in. Si Nan entered and commanded in a low voice, “Everyone, do not panic. The Ancestor has ordered us to hold the Celestial Prison; other areas will be handled by other Sword Immortals.” His voice was deep; if Lu Yuan hadn't recovered his magic power, he wouldn't have heard it. Hearing the words of the Blood Sword Immortal Si Nan, the others calmed down slightly. The prisoners had heard Yu Renhao’s shouts, and though they missed Si Nan’s words, a slight disorder had begun to show. Lu Yuan noticed a subtle change in Si Nan’s expression. Si Nan was, after all, a Sword Immortal who had weathered many storms; for him to show any change meant the Snow Mountain Immortal Sect's attack intensity must be considerable. It seemed this was indeed the opportune moment for his escape. Prepare, Lu Yuan secretly resolved in his heart. This time, escaping was the absolute priority. If the chance arose, he would certainly slay the Blood Transformation Sword Immortal Si Nan. But everything depended on whether the opportunity presented itself. All his magic power circulated, feeling as though it reached every corner of his body. His divine soul felt strangely comfortable, and the Nascent Soul in his Dantian emitted a faint glow, already beginning to gather energy.