The so-called five boons were, in truth, only one that Lu Yuan directly obtained: acquiring the Sword Intent of Ice through the methods left by the Ice Ancestor back then. The other four were hardly benefits; the only one that might prove useful later was the scroll, The Ice Ancestor’s Method of Governing Ice and Transforming Water. The rest was useless. However, this was merely the location where the Ice Ancestor settled a karmic debt. The Ice Ancestor was only here to conclude that karma, not to seek a successor, so it was impossible for too many benefits to remain behind. Karma concluded. With karma concluded, this place no longer held any significance to exist.

With a resounding crash! The ice blocks of the Ice Palace began to break away, plummeting down like massive stones, thudding heavily onto the ground. Immediately following this, the heavy water descended with an overwhelming, booming force, striking the earth with a sound like rolling thunder. Lu Yuan summoned his sword light and plunged into the heavy water, returning to its depths where the immense pressure immediately enveloped him once more.

This location was the boundary between the first ring of the Heavy Water Domain and the second ring, the Poison Water Domain. Lu Yuan, without pausing, drove his sword into the Poison Water Domain. Upon entering, with no initial defenses, he immediately felt a burning sensation on his skin. This poison water was a mixture of unknown quantities of venom from countless toxic creatures, representing a combination of several hundred strange poisons—even an immortal cultivator in the Longevity Stage could not withstand it directly. Simultaneously, the surrounding toxic creatures—such as the Thousand Stone Spotted Fish, crabs, and Eight Black Fish—began to stir restlessly. Lu Yuan was pressed for time and had no leisure to deal with these creatures. He unleashed the Azure Emperor Sword Light; instantly, all toxins within him vanished, and he shot forward like a bolt of lightning. Furthermore, the moment the Azure Emperor Sword Light appeared, those toxic creatures, despite their limited awareness, recognized a terrifying predator. None dared to obstruct him, scattering away instead. A streak of cyan light, a sword shadow, swiftly traversed the second ring of the Poison Water Domain. In a brief moment, he arrived at the third ring, the Weak Water Domain.

Of the three great regions, the Weak Water Domain of the third ring was naturally the most formidable. Compared to it, both the Heavy Water Domain and the Poison Water Domain were significantly weaker. Weak water is inherently incomparably heavy, yet in this domain, not even a feather could float. Anyone entering would feel an immense suction force pulling them downward. Do not assume this downward pull is harmless; once pulled to the bottom, the force continues to drag one deeper, distorting the body—this is the terror of weak water. Legend holds that in ancient times, someone forged a magic treasure using weak water, known as: "Eight Hundred Li of Flowing Sands Realm, Three Thousand Deep Weak Waters; If all creation enters within, even gods cannot return." The name of this treasure was Three Thousand Weak Waters, Taking Only One Ladle. The meaning behind this treasure was: although there are three thousand ways to kill a person, the easiest way is to kill them with weak water. The sheer horror of weak water is evident even from these legends.

As Lu Yuan first entered the weak water, he immediately felt its terror; a constant, powerful suction pulled him downward. However, Lu Yuan merely moved his hand, and the Sword Intent of Ice burst forth. With the release of this intent, a series of cracking sounds erupted as the entire Weak Water Zone was forcibly frozen solid by Lu Yuan. It must be said that although the Sword Intent of Ice and weak water are mutually antagonistic, it is not to the extent that the mere appearance of the intent can completely freeze the weak water. Yet, Lu Yuan’s Sword Intent of Ice was learned from the Ice Ancestor, and this weak water was also established by the Ice Ancestor. Therefore, this Sword Intent of Ice completely counteracted the weak water. Having passed through the heavy water zone, the poison water zone, and the weak water zone so rapidly, he was finally about to reach Qinjiang Weir. Lu Yuan let out a resonant cry, “Qinjiang Weir, I have arrived.” Water Ape King, clean your neck and wait for me. —————— The vast Minjiang River, stretching for a thousand miles. Here, at the Bottle Neck area, the current was dangerously swift. And in this exceptionally turbulent spot stood a colossal weir, bisecting the Minjiang River. Any water flowing downstream from the upper reaches had to pass through this point—this was Qinjiang Weir. What a magnificent structure, Qinjiang Weir! So immense, it could cut across the river. This Qinjiang Weir perfectly spanned the width of the Minjiang River, and its width could accommodate ten carriages traveling abreast. It was constructed from massive stones, upon which various profound formations were laid, ensuring that no matter how much force was applied from behind, the structure would not suffer the slightest damage. Currently, a fierce battle was raging atop Qinjiang Weir.

Team One’s captain, Sun Dingyin, Team Two’s captain, Shi Yingyue, Team Three’s captain, Li Dao, Team Four’s captain, Yu Jizi, along with several cultivators at the Sixth Level of the Longevity Stage, were surrounding a giant white ape nearly two zhang high. This white ape wielded a Mixed Iron Rod, swinging it back and forth with incredible agility. If that were all, it would be one thing; seven cultivators at the Sixth Level of Longevity would certainly not be at a disadvantage. However, they had severely depleted their spiritual power while navigating the three water domains. At this point, the maximum remaining power for most was only sixty percent, and for some, as low as forty percent. Facing the Water Ape King in such a state was exceedingly disadvantageous. The seven combined forces were actually being suppressed by the single Water Ape King. Indeed, it was more than mere suppression; they were at an absolute disadvantage. Just then, the weak water area over there suddenly began to form ice—this was utterly bizarre! It had been a long time since they had encountered anything so strange; weak water freezing! Everyone couldn't help but be astonished. The Water Ape King, being merely a demonic beast, albeit a cunning one, also could not comprehend why the weak water was freezing. Since he couldn't understand it, he resolved to eliminate his opponents first. The Water Ape King roared and brought his rod down towards Shi Yingyue with ferocious power. This strike was incredibly brutal. Yet, Shi Yingyue was already heavily wounded. Simultaneously, those nearby who had sustained less injury were too far away to intervene in time. Those close by, however, were themselves severely injured. It seemed Shi Yingyue was about to be utterly obliterated, smashed into a pulp, by this savage blow. At the critical moment, a flash of cyan light appeared. “Clang!” A sound of clashing metal echoed as a figure clad in green robes positioned himself directly between Shi Yingyue and the Water Ape King. Who was this person, capable of blocking a strike from the Water Ape King? The remaining six were intensely curious, but the Water Ape King's enormous size prevented them from clearly discerning the identity of the newcomer.

They became exceedingly curious, yet they still couldn't make out who had struck. The Water Ape King continued to rain down blow after blow, each strike utterly ferocious. The group expected the green-robed figure to shift position, but that person merely utilized several subtle variations of his longsword to block the Water Ape King’s attacks, keeping their identity obscured. Who could it be?

At that moment, the Water Ape King let out a mournful cry and retreated rapidly. A stream of blood spurted from a wound on its chest. This cut was not wide, but it appeared deep, with blood constantly welling up. Who was this? How could someone inflict such a serious injury on the Water Ape King in such a short time? Everyone looked over. As the Water Ape King’s massive frame retreated, blood continued to gush, clearly indicating a serious wound. The others thought they could finally see the intervener and learn the identity of this powerhouse capable of wounding the Water Ape King so swiftly. Remember, moments ago, the Water Ape King here had been like a demon god, dominating the seven cultivators. Everyone was immensely curious, but the green-robed figure pursued the Water Ape King relentlessly. The Ape King's sheer size meant the pursuer could only glimpse glimpses of cyan robes; nothing else was visible. They saw the Water Ape King discard its rod and switch to using its claws. The Water Ape King’s rod was convenient for distant combat, but this green-robed figure was too ruthless and relentless, chasing too closely, giving the Ape King no chance to increase distance. The Water Ape King had no choice but to drop the rod and use its claws. Ape Claws! Monkey claws are nimble; ape claws are tyrannical. If a tiger’s claws were truly pitted against ape claws, it would likely result in mutual destruction. And the Water Ape King’s ape claws were thousands, tens of thousands of times more potent than ordinary ape claws. These five claws were colossal, and the sharpness of each claw surpassed a flying blade, carrying an air of tearing everything apart as they lunged forward. When it deployed the ape claws, a character—"Tyranny"—seemed to faintly materialize in the void. Clearly, the surrounding space trembled from the sheer dominance of this strike. The Water Ape King was determined to destroy this little green-robed insect; to a Water Ape King standing over two zhang tall, humans were mere bugs. As the Ape Claw struck with dominance, it was immediately met with a counter: Ice Seal! The instant the Ape Claw was encased in ice, the green-robed figure counterattacked with a backhanded strike—a swift upward sweep of the sword that carved a massive, deep gash across the Water Ape King’s body. Everything transpired in a flash of lightning speed, too fast for the bystanders to fully grasp. A surge of agonizing pain shot through the Water Ape King, which responded with a roar—this was the Ape King’s innate divine ability, "The Apes’ Cries Echoing Through Both Banks." One roar incites inner demons; this was the Water Ape King’s ultimate technique, rarely failing to hit its target. Yet, the green-robed figure seemed completely unaffected and drove another incomparably sharp sword strike into the Water Ape King’s body. Even more blood instantly erupted, staining the green robes crimson! The Water Ape King was now wounded upon wound, but it was utterly enraged. Its ape claws lunged at the green-robed figure, attempting to finish him off entirely—this was its last resort. Both claws struck simultaneously, appearing to rip the void apart, creating sonic booms in the air. The green-robed figure deftly blocked both claws with his sword. Simultaneously, his left hand moved, drawing another sword. With a simple, elegant thrust, he stabbed directly into the Ape King’s heart—faster than thought, piercing its core! Howl! After the lightning-fast exchange, the Water Ape King's injuries were immeasurable. Finally, with a thunderous crash, it collapsed! Blood dyed Qinjiang Weir red. The figure previously obscured by the Water Ape King’s bulk was finally revealed.

Who was this person? This question echoed in many minds. Shi Yingyue, the Ninth Generation of the Mount Hua Sword Sect, spoke out, "We do not know which senior or brother stepped forward to save our lives." (In the latter half of this chapter, I tried a different style of fight scene. I wanted to experiment with multiple combat styles, as I am often told I cannot write action scenes well.)