Just as he was about to head outside, he suddenly remembered there was still important business; this Blood Martial Cave truly had to be abolished. He immediately turned back, scraped off all the sword techniques carved into the stone wall, and only then went out to the wider world.

The Blood Sword Sect, said to be hidden deep within the heart of the Boundless Snow Mountain, was in fact too vast for any mere mountain core to contain. It was the Blood Sword Ancestor who, through supreme methods and various space-manipulating spells, forcefully expanded a small space into a vast one. There are two ways to alter space: one is through spatial sorcery, and the other is by reaching a realm even higher than the Grand Dao Realm, at which point one can cleave space itself, forming one’s own domain—a truly inconceivable level.

There were even whispers that within the Central Celestial Dynasty, some individuals could create their own primordial voids and manifest celestial caves, a realm far beyond legend, though whether such tales were true remained uncertain.

The space within the Blood Sword Sect was enormous; although situated within the mountains, it was no smaller than a medium-sized city.

Lu Yuan arrived outside, and the battle raging there was indeed fierce.

Normally, the Blood Sword Sect was shrouded in a layer of thin, but palpable, bloody aura. Now, that aura was being violently driven back and forth by the constant impact of attacks. Two areas were particularly astonishing. One resembled a blood-red mountain, thickly suspended half-substantially in the air, with blood energy churning within it, terrifying to the extreme. Opposite this blood mountain stood a snow mountain, incomparably crystalline and entirely snow-white.

Infinite blood-element monsters surged from the blood mountain, attacking the snow mountain.

In response, endless talismans and ice arrows shot forth from the snow mountain, freezing and killing the various monsters.

This was...

Even watching from afar, Lu Yuan felt the astonishing and immense vital energy emanating from both the blood mountain and the snow mountain. It was an impact of power at least tens of times greater than his own cultivation level. Lu Yuan was shocked, realizing that this must be the direct clash between the Blood Sword Ancestor and the Snow Mountain Ancestor, the leaders of the two medium-tier immortal sects.

A confrontation between figures of the Grand Dao Realm was truly exaggerated in scale. Lu Yuan knew that if he were to step in, he would likely be instantly vaporized by a single move, with no chance of survival.

These two spots were engaged in the most brutal fighting, but other areas were equally intense: blood energy coalesced, ice and snow merged, blood swords slashed horizontally while spirit swords moved swiftly, flying swords circled, and countless drops of blood incessantly rained down from the sky onto the ground. Occasionally, elders and disciples of the Blood Sword Sect fell, and just as often, elders and disciples of the Snow Mountain Immortal Sect died there.

Once the blood touched the ground, it was immediately frozen by the ice and snow.

If this blood were not frozen, it could easily be exploited by the Blood Sword Sect to increase their combat power.

The people of the Snow Mountain Immortal Sect clearly possessed rich combat experience.

This was virtually a tragic human purgatory. Lu Yuan felt that no battle he had ever gone through could compare to the one before him; the difference was like heaven and earth. This was the true internecine conflict between the two major medium-tier immortal sects of the Jin Kingdom—a truly eye-opening spectacle.

In truth, when have righteous and evil factions ever fought without brutality?

The orthodox paths could at least sit down and talk; what was there to discuss with demonic and heretical outsiders?

Lu Yuan was also flying, unsure where to go, his emotions churning. This was merely a clash between two medium-tier immortal sects. If, one day, the Three Sword Qi Sects went to war, it would surely be even more tragic and fierce than this. He held considerable affection for Mount Hua, and he absolutely could not allow the Sword Qi Minor Sects to engage in such fratricide.

If he had the ability to stop it, he must intervene.

Along the way, a few elders and disciples from the Blood Sword Sect did try to cause trouble for him, but Lu Yuan resolved them easily.

Where should I go now? While surveying his surroundings, Lu Yuan noticed numerous figures in blood-red robes rushing in one direction. Curious where these Blood Sword Sect members were headed, he retrieved a scarlet robe from one of his spatial artifacts—a Sinan compass—donned it, drew close, and asked the group, "Senior Brothers, where are you all going?"

"Where are we going? We are naturally going to seek refuge," an elder of the Blood Sword Sect replied. "This great war is so fierce, even our Sect Master, the Blood Sword Ancestor, has joined the fray against the Snow Mountain Ancestor opposite, and so many Ninth Generation Sword Immortals from both factions are fighting—where do we have a place to intervene?"

"Exactly, people like us are just cannon fodder."

"Those of us who haven't even reached the Longevity Stage can't get involved at all."

"Speaking of refuge, the Blood God Cave is mysterious and unpredictable; we can't get in. We originally had the Sky Prison to hide in, but the prisoners just broke out. Word is, even the Blood Transformation Sword Immortal died over there near the Sky Prison."

"How could the Blood Transformation Sword Immortal die? That's a Sword Immortal!"

"I know, we find it impossible too, but that's what we heard. Anyway, the safest place right now belongs to the Blood Treasury Cave."

"Blood Treasury Cave?"

"Yes. The Blood Treasury Cave is filled with infinite restrictive formations. Even Sword Immortals cannot easily break in. The Ancestor has given orders that we can hide in the outer cave."

"Tsk, tsk, why not the inner cave? I heard there are many treasures inside."

"They aren't for you or me. Those are left by the Ancestor as rewards for meritorious disciples. If you earn merit, you'll naturally get to enter. Right now, the Snow Mountain Immortal Sect is attacking; why don't you go kill some Snow Mountain Immortal Sect members? If you earn merit, you'll surely be rewarded."

"Forget it, I don't want to die right now."

"Oh, I heard that the Blood Illusion Sword Immortal is also guarding the Blood Treasury Cave."

"That's a cultivator at the Seventh Level of Longevity, boundless in power. With him guarding the place, we should be much safer."

Lu Yuan listened nearby and naturally followed these Blood Sword Sect members toward the Blood Treasury Cave, knowing it held vast treasures. Soon, they arrived outside a grand entrance: a circular, blood-red gate carved with infinite restrictive formations. These formations seemed to number in the tens of thousands, far more complex than those of the Blood Martial Cave, subtly emitting a faint crimson glow.

Lu Yuan followed the Blood Sword Sect elders inside. There should have been inspections to enter the Blood Treasury Cave, but because Lu Yuan kept close to a few elders and exchanged a few words, the guards inside assumed he was part of their group. These sect members also took Lu Yuan for one of their own; since the Blood Sword Sect was numerous, the appearance of an unfamiliar face was deemed normal.

Thus, they entered the Blood Treasury Cave and discovered it was divided into an outer and an inner section. The gate to the inner cave was tightly shut, bearing even more impossibly dense restrictions. In the outer cave, which seemed quite spacious—about the size of a few plazas—the walls were all the characteristic blood-red hue of the Blood Sword Sect.

After assessing the surroundings, Lu Yuan glanced around. Indeed, there were quite a number of Blood Sword Sect disciples and elders present, mostly those with weaker cultivation, hiding here for safety. Seated among them was a figure whose appearance Lu Yuan could not discern. It wasn't a failing of his eyesight; rather, the person seemed ethereal, like a dream or an illusion, making it impossible to grasp any distinct features—neither gender could be determined. From the hushed discussions nearby, Lu Yuan learned this must be the Blood Illusion Sword Immortal, Qiu Qian, one of the Seven Blood Sword Brothers.

With the Blood Illusion Sword Immortal guarding the place, and knowing his power lay at the Seventh Level of Longevity, Lu Yuan dared not make any rash moves for the time being.

The gap was the gap. If Lu Yuan had acted recklessly now, being slain by the Blood Illusion Sword Immortal would have been perfectly natural.

"Everyone, quiet down, do not panic. The Snow Mountain Immortal Sect is merely a band of clowns," the hitherto silent Blood Illusion Sword Immortal, Qiu Qian, commanded, his voice drifting ethereally.

A moment later, the fighting outside intensified, blast after blast shaking the Blood Treasury Cave, despite being protected by the restrictive formations. Then, an elder at the First Level of Longevity rushed in: "Brother Qiu, the Ancestor summons you to battle as well."

"Oh, is that so?" The Blood Illusion Sword Immortal, Qiu Qian, nodded. It seemed the fighting had become so fierce that even he, who was stationed at the Blood Treasury Cave, had to be dispatched.

Qiu Qian instantly moved, vanishing from his spot. He was going out to engage in combat. Lu Yuan felt a surge of excitement. While the Blood Illusion Sword Immortal Qiu Qian was present, he couldn't and dared not make a move. Now that he was gone, his chance had arrived. He immediately surveyed his surroundings.

The most critical issue now was the restriction on the inner cave. Those formations likely numbered twenty or thirty thousand; they were beyond his ability to break.

Perhaps it was fate. At that moment, with a resounding boom, a long crack appeared in the restrictive formation covering the gate to the inner cave. Originally, only the Blood Sword Ancestor and the Snow Mountain Ancestor were fighting—two Grand Dao Realm figures exchanging blows. Their main power should not have struck this barrier enough to cause it to fracture.

However, the Blood Sword Sect had more than just the Blood Sword Ancestor at the Grand Dao Realm. Every sect had hidden figures; they couldn't reveal their true strength entirely, just as Mount Hua had an Elder Council comprising figures from the Seventh and Eighth Generations.

Naturally, the Snow Mountain Immortal Sect also possessed more than one Grand Dao Realm expert. A multitude of Grand Dao figures clashed violently. Several beams of Grand Dao power collided here, forcefully blasting open the restriction on the inner cave of the Blood Treasury Cave.

The numerous Blood Sword Sect members were busy discussing the external battle—wondering about the outcome this time. Suddenly, the inner gate burst open with a bang. At that moment, greed flashed in everyone's eyes. The Blood Sword Sect was inherently a heretical path; their loyalty was naturally not high. The inner cave held numerous treasures, and naturally, everyone coveted them. But coveting was one thing; actually charging in to seize them was another. If the Blood Sword Sect was not destroyed this time, anyone who acted would surely face utter annihilation later. Thus, everyone showed avarice, but no one dared to move.

Lu Yuan thought to himself, truly, Heaven is aiding me; when luck arrives, nothing can stop it.

This was too fortunate! The other Blood Sword Sect members dared not enter the inner cave to plunder treasures, but Lu Yuan was not from the Blood Sword Sect. Furthermore, Lu Yuan's nature was inherently audacious and reckless; why would he hesitate to rush in now?

Lu Yuan was just about to charge in.

(Uh, only two updates today, three tomorrow.)