The vast expanse of heaven and earth was met by the surging, boundless waters of rivers and lakes. One man, one sword, I traversed the heavens by sword-flight. Alone and complete, achieving great freedom.

Lu Yuan, with his single sword and a flask of wine, had indeed found true liberation. Riding his sword directly toward the Leshan Giant Buddha—after all, mending the breach there was his task—he decided to go and see. Though the man appeared listless, responsibility was responsibility; Lu Yuan had never shirked his duties.

Two hundred and fifty li. If he walked slowly, it would indeed take a long time. But now, flying swiftly on his sword, it would not take long at all.

Before long, he saw from afar, amidst the river expanse, the massive face of the Great Buddha carved into the cliff wall rushing toward him. What an enormous Buddha. This Great Buddha must stand no less than three hundred zhang high, perhaps even four or five hundred.

Such a colossal statue was utterly unprecedented, beyond imagination. The Buddha's crown rose slightly higher than the adjacent mountain face, its two feet planted deep in the great river, seemingly intent on utterly suppressing the flow. Its hands rested upon its knees.

The Buddha possessed balanced proportions, a solemn and majestic presence, carved into the mountain and seated facing the river. With the Buddha standing there, even the surging, mighty river seemed instantly diminished in grandeur. That Buddhism possessed such a massive carved statue was truly awe-inspiring.

Lu Yuan felt a sharp shock in his heart and could not help but marvel at the sheer craftsmanship; for such a magnificent sight, he felt compelled to share a toast—though truthfully, his craving for wine had simply surfaced. As Lu Yuan flew closer, he unexpectedly encountered a group of people: precisely Ning Zizhen and his nineteen companions. Ning Zizhen smiled faintly, "Oh, is that Martial Nephew Lu?" A smile played on his face, but inwardly he cursed.

Damn it, this fellow didn't die in the River of Souls and actually made it here. He quickly rationalized, Perhaps Lu came because he found the River of Souls too difficult and wants to rejoin the group. If he joins, I can control him then.

Ning Zizhen’s mind was already somewhat twisted; the thought of mastering Li Yuanbai’s disciple filled him with perverse delight. "Oh, Martial Nephew Lu couldn't manage on his own?" "Looking to rejoin the team?" "If so, Senior Brother Ning is surely magnanimous enough to let you back in." Several disciples from the Qingcheng Immortal Sect sneered. Lu Yuan shook his head.

"I have no interest in that. I just came to see if the breach at the Leshan Giant Buddha has been repaired. Don't be too incompetent to manage it." Lu Yuan never enjoyed arguing verbally; he offered this brief retort and then ignored them.

Lu Yuan’s cool response enraged them, yet he merely moved farther away, refusing to engage further. Xisui! (Purifying Death!) Daoist Nun Hongyue offered Lu Yuan a gentle smile, laced with a look of helplessness.

Hongyue was merely at the Fourth Level of Longevity; if she left the group, she certainly wouldn't survive, hence why she hadn't accompanied Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan cared little for this and returned a slight smile as a gesture of courtesy. Ning Zizhen seethed inwardly, but he figured he would have plenty of time later to deal with Lu Yuan.

The immediate priority was reaching the summit of the Leshan Giant Buddha to seal the breach. The entire statue was infested with Fire Qilin Birds, creatures capable of spitting out searing flames that could melt metal and fuse iron—truly terrifying. Since many of these birds nested on the Buddha, ascending to the top would not be easy.

Ning Zizhen immediately began directing his eighteen subordinates: who would charge ahead, who would sweep up from the rear, who would attack, and who would defend. Once these roles were set, they charged toward the Buddha, ascending from base to peak, directly toward the summit. The Fire Qilin Birds nesting on the statue reacted instantly.

Fast as lightning, they spat blazing flames, hot enough to melt gold and destroy steel. However, this turmoil was none of Lu Yuan’s concern. He stood casually to the side, watching, sipping his wine when the mood struck him.

Lu Yuan observed Ning Zizhen’s group storming the Buddha. It wasn't his place to interfere, nor was it appropriate, so he settled in to watch. Hands clasped behind his back, utterly self-possessed.

While observing their ascent, Lu Yuan suddenly sensed a faint, subtle movement beneath the water—a trace of sword intent. He immediately leaped into the river to investigate. The churning river water grew slightly murky at this spot.

Plunging into the current, feeling the faint sword intent, he searched around. His search led him to discover what appeared to be colossal legs ahead. Just how massive were these legs?

They must be more than ten times thicker than his own body! A single leg this thick—what kind of monster was this? Lu Yuan couldn't help but tap his forehead.

He was being foolish. Indeed, he was being foolish. This wasn't a monster; it was clearly the leg of the Great Buddha statue itself.

There was no monster here. The Buddha's base wasn't built excessively high, and with the river’s tides rising and falling, it was natural for part of the leg to be submerged. Lu Yuan looked closer and discovered that the faint sword intent emanated from a line of carved script.

The river water was too turbid to see clearly. If he knew how to use spells, a Water Clarity spell would suffice. But Lu Yuan, having mastered nine out of ten esoteric arts, possessed poor command of standard spellcraft.

Instead, he drew his Yang Wu sword, and upon its release, executed a move: "Whale Swallowing Water," instantly diverting the surrounding water elsewhere. Immediately following was the move "Not a Single Drop Leaks," which perfectly sealed the water away from the area. With these two moves, the water was held at bay.

However, the submerged environment was dim, so he pulled out his Changhong sword. The Changhong emitted a faint, rosy glow along its blade, finally illuminating the line of script. “I am Duan Jingtao, Sword Head of the South Sea.

My Sword Dao has reached Great Completion here. One day, I shall become the Sword Head of the Southern Domain.” This line was inscribed with extraordinary spirit. The calligraphy wasn't beautiful, but it held an innate, shocking aura.

Lu Yuan was astonished. The South Sea was vast and boundless. This man, Duan Jingtao, dared to claim the title of South Sea Sword Head; his swordsmanship must be unfathomably deep.

Furthermore, he aimed to become the Sword Head of the Southern Domain. While the Southern Domain was somewhat remote on the continent, it encompassed three or four nations. To become the leading swordsman among them was an almost unbelievable feat.

The original Patriarch Yan might have barely qualified as the Sword Head of the Southern Domain, but many would likely dispute it. This person possessed tremendous confidence and ambition. Yet, how could such a powerful figure remain unknown to him?

Lu Yuan examined the script again; it was clearly weathered by untold years. It must have been written long ago. Moreover, Duan Jingtao was clearly no liar.

This single line, written upon reaching the Great Completion of the Sword Dao, still radiated such potent sword intent after countless ages—it was utterly breathtaking. Lu Yuan gazed upon the inscription and found himself unconsciously sinking into a strange world. Lu Yuan saw a wondrous world: an endless, azure expanse.

The sky was blue, and beneath it was not solid ground, but boundless water. This water differed from the river water; river water could be clear or muddy. But this water was not only infinite but also deep blue.

Was this the ocean? He had heard of the South Sea and the South Sea Immortal Sects, but he had never witnessed them until this moment. As his spirit drifted, Lu Yuan vaguely perceived a youth practicing the sword amidst the sea.

This youth had not learned any specific sword art, nor had he formally joined the South Sea Immortal Sect. He had no master. Yet, the youth needed no master, for what master in the world could compare to taking Heaven and Earth as one’s teacher?

Heaven and Earth were the ultimate tutors. This youth studied the ebb and flow of the tide, the rising and falling of the waves, the flight of seabirds, and the movement of fish, thus creating one sword technique after another. Finally, he merged them into a single path, ultimately defeating many powerful figures in the South Sea, including the then-most renowned master, the South Sea Venerable.

This youth came to be known as the South Sea Sword Head. The story did not end there. Once unchallenged in the South Sea, the youth left its shores and traveled north to the continent to contend with greater masters.

Finally, at this very spot by the Leshan Giant Buddha, the youth contemplated the river and the sea, achieving the ultimate zenith of his Sword Dao. From this point, his next step was to vie for the title of Sword Head of the Southern Domain. Across countless millennia, two geniuses of the Sword Dao communicated their thoughts and insights through the inscription left by the first South Sea Sword Head, bridging the vast temporal gap via latent sword intent.

This was like opening a door for Lu Yuan. When he followed Patriarch Yan in learning the sword, he was taught the Five Emperors and Five Sovereigns Reincarnation Sword Dao. Patriarch Yancangtian had passed this technique down to preserve the lineage of Mount Hua against future peril.

However, at the time, he had been wary of forcing growth, lest it stifle Lu Yuan’s innate potential. In truth, after mastering the Five Emperors and Five Sovereigns Reincarnation Sword Dao, although his perspective broadened immensely, surpassing countless others, he had nonetheless been confined by the concept of Reincarnation. How could all things in the myriad realms be encompassed by the single word 'Reincarnation'?

Reincarnation was merely one of the Ten Iron Laws governing Heaven and Earth. Now, witnessing the growth process of the South Sea Sword Head, Duan Jingtao, separated by millennia, observing the boundless sea and the soaring waves, Lu Yuan’s own Sword Dao perspective suddenly leaped beyond the confines of Reincarnation, allowing him to gaze upon a much wider sky. This meant that after fully training Reincarnation, Lu Yuan could then practice other, stronger Sword Daos without being constrained to just one path.

However, the most crucial task now was the breakthrough: immersing himself in the Sword Intent of the Sea. In that preserved memory, he had seen the breathtaking seawater and the soaring crests of the waves. Witnessing Duan Jingtao’s cultivation, whose forte was the Sword Intent of the Sea, a seed of that very intent was imprinted upon Lu Yuan’s spirit.

Mastering the Sword Intent of the Sea now would not be overly difficult. Every single strand of sword intent was precious beyond measure. Since he had gained this opportunity here, he naturally had to refine it diligently.

Simultaneously, he had to test whether he could finally break through and cultivate the Sword Intent of the Sea. While Ning Zizhen and his party fought tooth and nail atop the Leshan Giant Buddha, Lu Yuan meditated on the sword beneath the water.