Following in the wake of Xiu Zhi Sword Immortal, Sun Xiuli, of the Qingcheng Immortal Sect, the Beifeng contingent ascended Qingcheng Mountain.

Xiu Zhi Sword Immortal, Sun Xiuli, possessed a delicate countenance, and her swordsmanship was rumored to be equally exquisite. Those who had sparred with her afterward could only describe the experience as akin to witnessing a Qingcheng Dream.

Upon entering Qingcheng Mountain, Sun Xiuli introduced the surroundings, saying, "For the Five Peaks Alliance, esteemed guests will likely be staying on Qingcheng Mountain for some time. Fortunately, Qingcheng Mountain boasts many scenic wonders, such as the Golden Wall Heavenly Repository, the Holy Mother Grotto, the Mountain Spring Mists, the White Cloud Heavenly Cave, the Heavenly Bridge Spectacle, and more." Her voice was wonderfully clear and melodious, perfectly matching her graceful demeanor.

On the way up the mountain, she described the local beauty, beginning with the Holy Mother Grotto. Legend held that the wife of Zhang Daoling, the founding patriarch of the Celestial Master Daoism, Madam Sun, once slew the malevolent dragon of the Wei River here, saving the populace. Hence, she was revered as the Holy Mother of Qingcheng, and the grotto was named in her honor.

Sun Xiuli’s voice, clear and pleasing, wove her descriptions with subtle artistry; even the most ordinary tales became quite moving when narrated by her.

By the time they entered the mountain, dusk was settling. At the Sacred Lamp Pavilion atop Qingcheng Peak, the lamps were lit. These lights, normally steady, shone brilliantly on this special occasion, flickering and wavering. For a short while, only three or five would glow, then suddenly extinguish, only to be followed moments later by hundreds or even thousands, blazing forth like the Milky Way itself.

Dugu Ye smiled and quoted, "To be a guest of Qingcheng, one would never spit upon its waters. To love the Patriarch Mountain, the trail to the sublime seems nearer. Indeed, this rings true."

Sun Xiuli offered a smile.

Lu Yuan nodded alongside him; the scenery of Qingcheng was indeed exceptionally beautiful.

Next, Sun Xiuli arranged lodging for Dugu Ye’s party. It was a sprawling complex of courtyards, vast and empty, capable of housing scores, perhaps nearly a hundred people—clearly not exclusively prepared for Dugu Ye's group. The contingent from Mount Hua’s peaks had not yet arrived; they would likely be housed here once they did.

Since the Five Great Immortal Sects were holding the Five Peaks Alliance, Qingcheng was the host, naturally. Among the other four sects, only the Kunlun Immortal Sect, being geographically closer, had arrived slightly ahead of time. The remaining three great sects had yet to appear.

The long journey had left them weary and travel-stained. After resting for a while, Sun Xiuli invited everyone to the evening banquet. As they stepped out, they saw a group approaching with distinct characteristics: the killing intent emanating from them was far more potent than that of the cultivators from the Central Plains. The Jin Kingdom was currently enjoying an era of peace and prosperity; most cultivators—at least those belonging to the orthodox paths—radiated an air of purity, brimming with righteous energy and the bearing of immortals. These newcomers, however, were saturated with murderous aura. Furthermore, Lu Yuan noticed with a sharp gaze that their swords were peculiar: all were unsheathed, their gleaming edges flashing with chilling light.

Unsheathed swords!

Swords should possess scabbards. Lu Yuan instinctively touched the Yangwu and Zhenyue swords strapped to his back; both were born with sheaths. Yet, this entire group uniformly carried blades bare to the air.

"The Nanhai Immortal Sect," Chu Fei murmured softly. "These are all people from the Nanhai Immortal Sect."

"The Nanhai Immortal Sect is distinct from our Four Great Sects. They dwell in the South Sea, which is plagued by storms, dangers, and ferocious sea beasts. They constantly battle monsters and sea demons, which is why every one of them carries such a heavy killing intent. Moreover, their cultivation arts and sword styles are entirely different from ours. They also practice sword intent, but what truly matters to them is one word—speed." "Fast, faster—that is the limit of what they consider swordplay." "They believe the sword is meant only for killing; the sheath serves no purpose, hence they carry none."

"And for them, only greater speed and decisive action suffice."

"Their sect-guarding sword technique, the Thirteen Death-Seeking Blades, is formidable; each successive strike is more terrifying than the last. Rumor also speaks of an ultimate technique comparable to the Taiji Sword Style—the Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens. It is said that this single move can conquer an entire nation, but no one in the Nanhai Immortal Sect has mastered this technique for millennia," Chu Fei explained the intricacies of the Nanhai Sect to the disciples.

"Are you from Mount Hua?" The leader of the Nanhai contingent, an elder with a stern, white beard and hands clasped behind his back, shook his head. "The Thirteen Death-Seeking Blades, the technique guarding our sect, has been refined by this old man to include a Fourteenth Blade; it is no longer merely thirteen." This white-bearded elder was Yan Er, the current Sect Master of the Nanhai Immortal Sect.

His surname was Yan, and he was called Yan Er because he felt inferior to Yan Cangtian, hence the appellation 'Two.' Had Yan Cangtian not existed, he would have styled himself Yan Yi. Though Yan Cangtian had ascended, Yan Er still considered himself his lesser, thus retaining the title of Yan Er.

If Yan Cangtian had never existed in this world, it would have been a profound sorrow.

It was regret over Yan Cangtian’s absence, and the inability to show him the Fourteenth Blade he had forged, that prompted this unsolicited remark from the inherently cold elder. Otherwise, in his true nature, he would never have spoken of it.

Alas, the world has no Yan Cangtian left! What a pity! What a deep sorrow!

This white-robed, white-bearded elder suddenly moved, instantly appearing before Lu Yuan. He did not draw his sword, merely brought his fingertip to Lu Yuan’s throat. At that moment, Lu Yuan felt an intense cold radiating from the finger, as if he were facing not a digit, but a divine sword, forged through ten thousand fires, its razor edge fully exposed, capable of slaying him at any instant.

Lu Yuan found even breathing difficult. The figure of the white-bearded elder, Yan Er, seemed to grow infinitely taller, eventually matching the height and bulk of the surrounding mountains.

"You are Lu Yuan, I presume," Yan Er looked at him. "Yan Cangtian was unrivaled in the Great Jin Kingdom at the age of four hundred and fifty. Four hundred and twenty years from now, I shall return to seek you out. I hope you will not disappoint me." Lu Yuan was in his early twenties; in four hundred and twenty years, he would be around the same age as Yan Cangtian when he reached his prime.

The world lacks a Yan Cangtian; what a regret.

He could only hope that in four hundred and twenty years, Mount Hua might produce another figure like Yan Cangtian. That, perhaps, would alleviate some of the lingering sorrow.

In truth, there were others at the very pinnacle of power, such as Dongfang Yao, the Lord of the Subterranean Demons, who was widely recognized as one of the top three forces in Jin, and Zu Qianqiu, the Master of the Five Immortal Alliance, who ranked among the top five. Yet, Yan Er held no interest in these individuals; his focus was solely on Yan Cangtian.

Over the next ten days or so, the contingents from various factions gradually arrived. The other two of the Five Great Immortal Sects, Mount Hua Immortal Sect and Wudang Immortal Sect, had already reached Qingcheng. Upon the arrival of the Mount Hua delegation, Elder Martial Brother Yuanyuan anxiously inquired about past events and the matter of the Blood Sword Gate. The Mount Hua Sect Master, Chu Duan, repeatedly offered condolences to Lu Yuan, promising that if the Blood Sword Gate dared to show its face within Jin territory again, they would be crushed utterly.

Following them came the Wudang Immortal Sect. Three members of the renowned Seven Masters of Wudang were present, including their foremost member, Song Qingqiao. Song Qingqiao also extended his regards to Lu Yuan with a friendly demeanor, as the Wudang Sect owed Lu Yuan a considerable debt of gratitude concerning the matter of the True Martial Grotto-Heaven.

Other medium-tier immortal sects, such as Snowy Mountain Immortal Sect, Wubi Immortal Sect, and Kongtong Immortal Sect, also arrived, with only one or two of these mid-tier sects still missing.

The Five Peaks Alliance was now only about a month away.

Qingcheng Mountain was bustling with activity.

The liveliest element was undoubtedly the tenth generation disciples of the various sects. The younger generation, by nature, gravitates towards excitement.

The tenth generation gathered to play rock-paper-scissors, drink, or spar. Lu Yuan could participate in the drinking and games, but not the sparring matches. Currently, the strength of every other tenth-generation disciple was far inferior to Lu Yuan’s; none would dare challenge him. Only a few from the distant Nanhai Sect, too far removed from the Central Plains and somewhat unconvinced despite hearing Lu Yuan's reputation, showed a flicker of defiance. However, Qiao Silu intercepted them. Qiao Silu was the Nanhai Immortal Sect's foremost direct disciple and had suffered a crushing defeat under Lu Yuan, making him keenly aware of Lu Yuan’s might.

In any case, amid the various duels and competitions, Lu Yuan remained an observer.

Lu Yuan didn't mind; having exposed his capabilities against the Blood Sword Gate and Kunlun, he was now enjoying a period of relaxation and revelry.

Given the concentration of masters and experts currently assembled at the Qingcheng Immortal Sect, he figured he was safer than anywhere else in the world.

One day, while secretly nursing a drink in a corner, he was found by Chu Fei. Lu Yuan rose, asking, "Does Martial Uncle Chu require something?"

"Indeed, I do," Chu Fei affirmed, nodding. "Have you ever heard of the Min River?"

"The River of Divine Souls?" Lu Yuan paused in surprise.

"Precisely," Chu Fei confirmed.

In the vast world, there existed numerous strange locales, the River of Divine Souls being one such place. This river originated grandly from the Min Mountains and flowed toward the distance. Within the Min River teemed all manner of strange beasts, and it also held Divine Soul Stones capable of strengthening one's spirit.

As previously mentioned, the Qi Refining stage focuses on Qi, the Body Refining stage on the physical form, and the Longevity stage primarily on refining the Divine Soul.

With so many benefits residing in the Min River, it naturally attracted intense scrutiny. In earlier times, people frequently ventured into this River of Divine Souls to seek advantages. Later, however, the founding patriarch of the Qingcheng Sect, through immense magical power, refined the entire river, enveloping the whole expanse with his boundless might, making it seem like an entity half-detached to another plane. While other regions could still see the Min River, they could no longer enter it, and the beasts within could not emerge.

The only gateway into the Min River became Qingcheng Mountain itself.

Relying on this, the Qingcheng Sect accrued untold benefits.

Subsequently, the other immortal sects grew discontented, demanding their share of the spoils.

It was finally agreed that cultivators from the other immortal sects would also be permitted entry into the River of Divine Souls. However, navigating the river was incredibly perilous; even cultivators at the Sixth or Seventh Layer of the Longevity stage found passage fraught with immense difficulty. Only large, coordinated groups stood a better chance of forcefully penetrating the River of Divine Souls.

This time, judging by Martial Uncle Chu Fei’s tone, it seemed the five superior immortal sects and seven medium-tier sects were dispatching a significant number of cultivators, preparing to enter the River of Divine Souls, and Lu Yuan was slated to be one of them.