In the human body, the most vital point concerning the spirit and soul resides between the eyebrows: the pineal gland.

Under the influence of the Soul Crystal, the restraints upon Lu Yuan's pineal gland were finally broken through.

At this moment, the spirit energy, previously suppressed across various parts of the brain, finally integrated perfectly. It was as if several small streams had merged into one great river, and the power of the soul experienced an immense surge. If before, Lu Yuan’s soul power could only encompass the area of a small room, and even the recent boost only extended it to two small rooms,

Now, the soul power was vast and overwhelming. While calling it a mighty river might be an exaggeration, the increase was to an unbelievable degree. The current soul power could envelop the entire Changchun Residence. Although the Changchun Residence wasn't particularly large, it testified to the vast extent of Lu Yuan's spiritual advancement.

In those bygone years, when his Master sat in the very center of the Changchun Residence, and he, idling in the courtyard, dared to slack off, his Master always knew. He used to be intensely envious of his Master's profound abilities; now, he had finally reached that level himself. It was a pity, though, that the times when his laziness earned him his Master's rebuke were gone forever. He hadn't visited his Master’s grave in a while; the grass must have grown quite long. What a shame. If his Master knew he had reached the Fifth Level of Longevity now, he would surely be very pleased.

Lu Yuan recalled his thoughts, but dwelling on the departed Master served no purpose. His soul power continued to rise, but the increase was no longer significant. It seemed the effect of the Soul Crystal had reached its limit. Opening his eyes, he saw that the Soul Crystal before him was nearly spent, emitting only a faint glimmer. Moments later, the light vanished completely, clearly indicating that all the soul essence within had been drawn out. Simultaneously, with a soft crack, the Soul Crystal tumbled to the ground, shattering into countless fragments.

"Done," Lu Yuan clapped the twin swords on his back. "Partners, let's go!" He moved instantly, plunging towards Qin Jiangyan's side. The area of Weak Water near Qin Jiangyan had been frozen by him, but the opposite side was a chaotic expanse of surging waves. Lu Yuan dove straight into the turbulent torrent, the crashing river water hitting him full in the face. Lu Yuan clapped his hands—the Yang Wu Sword and the Zhen Yue Sword leaped from their sheaths simultaneously.

The Fifth Level of Longevity was defined by the Command of Twin Swords. This name carried inherent meaning. The first flying sword was controlled purely by spirit and infused with magical power. The second flying sword, as his Master had explained, was commanded by the soul. The Yang Wu Sword danced freely within the waves, while the Zhen Yue Sword, once released, began to drift downward. Lu Yuan moved his soul power, intending to catch the descending Zhen Yue Sword. His soul energy immediately engaged with it, and the downward-plunging sword was indeed arrested and lifted. His soul power continued to focus on the Zhen Yue Sword. Initially, he naturally struggled with the control; the Zhen Yue Sword wobbled wildly, moving up, down, left, and right, losing control several times and being knocked back into the large waves by the current. However, Lu Yuan swiftly channeled his soul power to forcibly gather the Zhen Yue Sword back from the depths of the water. Ugly—it truly was. He hadn't performed such awkward swordplay in ages; the Zhen Yue Sword looked utterly disheveled. But Lu Yuan did not yield. He slowly learned how to guide the Zhen Yue Sword with his soul power. At first, the sword stumbled and was utterly humiliated, but gradually, the control grew smoother, more fluid, and intensely comfortable. Eventually, the Zhen Yue Sword could be controlled perfectly.

Lu Yuan laughed heartily. "Alright, good friends, let's go!" To Lu Yuan, swords were friends—the Yang Wu Sword his constant companion, and the Zhen Yue Sword his newer companion. Lu Yuan stood atop the great waves, within the river. And the Yang Wu Sword and the Zhen Yue Sword flew through the currents. These two blades were no longer clumsy as they had been at the start. The Yang Wu Sword flawlessly executed the move Furious Gale Across the Land, while the Zhen Yue Sword manifested Wind Leaves No Trace. The Yang Wu Sword unleashed Rainfall Like Pouring Drops, met by the Zhen Yue Sword’s Deepening Twilight. The Yang Wu Sword used Swift and Unrivaled, and the Zhen Yue Sword immediately responded with Subtle Snowfall. All manner of sword techniques manifested from the hands of the two blades. Every move was executed with such perfection, almost entirely without flaw. And there was more interesting play to be had. The Yang Wu Sword swept out horizontally with the move Wind Crosses Mountains and Rivers, Leaving No Mark, while the Zhen Yue Sword descended from above with Clouds Lock the Deep Mountains, Wind Cannot Stir. In fact, Wind Crosses and Cloud Lock were techniques that complemented each other perfectly, but before the Fifth Level of Longevity, they required two people to use them simultaneously; one person could not execute both. Even when used together, the coordination was poor, limiting their true power. Now, with the Yang Wu Sword and Zhen Yue Sword working in concert, Wind Crosses Mountains and Rivers, Leaving No Mark and Clouds Lock the Deep Mountains, Wind Cannot Stir were deployed together, complementing each other to form a single, devastating ultimate technique. This was still not enough amusement; there was even more fun to be had. The Yang Wu Sword rose up, unleashing the Sword Intent of Snow, instantly filling the sky with drifting snowflakes. The Zhen Yue Sword sliced upward, executing the Ice Sword Intent, and immediately the surging river below lost its flow, transforming into layers of thick ice. Where moments ago there were mighty waves and a rushing current, now snow fell from the heavens and the river beneath froze solid. The pleasant summer river had been forcefully turned into the depths of winter by Lu Yuan. Interesting. It was truly fascinating. Lu Yuan felt nothing but sheer delight. He was different from many others; many cultivators studied swordsmanship for victory, for combat, for the benefits that victory brought. But Lu Yuan was not like that. Lu Yuan simply loved the sword, loved mastering every conceivable sword move, and thus, he reveled in this moment of pure exhilaration. "Good friends, this is exhilarating!" After this bout of play, using the swords to his absolute heart’s content, he found that commanding two swords at the Fifth Level of Longevity was utterly different from before—it was pure joy. After mastering the Command of Twin Swords for the Fifth Level of Longevity, Lu Yuan laughed and returned to the Qin Jiangyan embankment. He noticed that the seven cultivators standing there were all slack-jawed with astonishment. Sun Dingyin, Shi Yingyue, Li Dao, Yu Jizi, and the other three cultivators at the Sixth Level of Longevity—all of them were profoundly shocked. They hadn't been overly surprised when Lu Yuan absorbed the Soul Crystal and reached the Fifth Level of Longevity; given the crystal's power, this was expected. However, watching him begin his sword practice immediately after reaching the Fifth Level caused them all to secretly smirk. At the Fifth Level of Longevity, while one's magical power certainly reached that tier, one could not instantly command twin swords effectively. This required time to adapt, and the adaptation period varied greatly, sometimes taking seven or ten days, and at shortest, several hours, before one could comfortably use soul power to control the second blade. Yet, Lu Yuan simply got straight to it, managing to freely command both flying swords externally in barely fifteen minutes. Furthermore, they had witnessed Lu Yuan’s sword moves. Every single technique he displayed was so flawless, so aesthetically pleasing, so beautiful, and so fluid. They had seen the height of his swordsmanship; even Shi Yingyue, who hailed from the Sword Sect, recognized that Lu Yuan’s sword skill far surpassed her own. It was no wonder Lu Yuan could defeat opponents two minor realms above him. If his sword skill had not reached this level, what would be the point of practicing the sword at all?

After a long silence, Sun Dingyin and the others finally recovered from the shock Lu Yuan had inflicted. It was time for practical matters. For instance, Lu Yuan still needed to collect the remaining spoils. He checked if the Water Ape King had any other treasures. Lu Yuan found only a small hoard of lower-grade spirit stones, but crucially, two Great Soul Stones, which would be useful. That concluded the inventory of the Water Ape King's spoils.

Lu Yuan took out the Water Command Token and made the Three-Ring Water Domain vanish. The once terrifying domain disappeared without a trace under the token's influence. As the Three-Ring Water Domain dissolved, the figures of many cultivators trapped within it reappeared. Some of these cultivators were not severely injured, while others were gravely wounded. Several, upon the sudden dissipation of the domain, lost their grip and began to fall toward the Min River. Fortunately, other cultivators immediately flew out to rescue them, administering numerous pills and urging them to meditate and recover. For those suffering from injuries caused by the poisonous water, Lu Yuan’s Azure Emperor Sword Light swept past, and the toxins vanished instantly, displaying miraculous efficacy. Next came the accounting. A total of eighty-seven cultivators had entered the Three-Ring Water Domain. Some retreated, others did not, and many perished. Sun Dingyin carefully tallied the deceased, finally counting eleven fatalities. Out of eighty-seven, eleven died. For the current era of peace in the cultivation world, this was a significant loss. Sun Dingyin recorded the names of every deceased individual. While they were calculating, Lu Yuan took out the Earth of Xi Yan and began repairing the breach in the Qin Jiangyan embankment. After a while, he finally mended the hole completely.

It was finally finished. The matter of the Qin Jiangyan embankment was concluded. Those who were heavily injured had regained some strength, and flying on their swords was no longer an issue. The remaining seventy-six individuals then set off toward the Black Water River, where the most formidable demonic beast in the entire Soul River resided—the Half-Jiao! This location naturally required reinforcement.

On the way to the Black Water River, they encountered the last of the Three Devils of the Min River—the Water Buffalo King. The Water Buffalo King possessed no ancient lineage but had still managed to become one of the Three Devils of the Min River, though it was naturally nowhere near as powerful as the Water Ape King. When it encountered Lu Yuan and the seventy-six others, its fate was sealed. Lu Yuan certainly showed no mercy. Now at the Fifth Level of Longevity, Lu Yuan was virtually unrivaled among this group. During the process of defeating the Water Buffalo King, Lu Yuan contributed the most and ultimately received thirty percent of a Soul Crystal as his share.

They continued toward the Black Water River, but news arrived: the situation at the Black Water River had already been resolved. The cultivators at the Seventh Level of Longevity, who had reached the Great Completion of the Golden Core stage, were indeed extraordinary. They had managed to eliminate the Half-Jiao at the Black Water River. A slight regret flickered in Lu Yuan’s mind—he had missed out on the benefits from the Black Water River. However, he also breathed a sigh of relief. With all nine breaches in the Soul River repaired, he could finally leave the Soul River domain.