Chu Lang panted, clearly struggling. Though a formidable expert at the Seventh Layer of Longevity, he never imagined facing the Extreme Dao Sword Son would be this arduous.

The Extreme Dao Sword Son, Fang Qiankun, fixed his gaze upon Chu Lang, shaking his head dismissively. “Too weak.”

Chu Lang, usually counted among the strongest practitioners below the Sword Immortal tier at North Peak, could not tolerate such an insult. His hand gripped the Wave-Striking Sword, unleashing the ultimate technique learned from his master, the eighth-generation descendant Sun Qingchi: The Thousand Wave Strike Scroll. This move diverged from Sun Qingchi’s typical style, yet it was a bespoke secret art crafted specifically for his disciple, Chu Lang.

The surging waters of Taihu Lake materialized instantly. His sword strike, imbued with the boundless, rolling waters of the lake, swept toward his opponent. In the sky above the lake, a hundred, then a thousand towering waves began to surge—the Tide of Great Waves, its force capable of overturning the heavens. Sword energy intertwined with the crests of the water, forging a single, devastatingly sharp strike.

Extreme Dao Sword Son Fang Qiankun moved. With a sudden, fluid step, his Pure Intent Sword swept simply through the air. In the next moment, a streak of crimson light sprayed forth from Chu Lang’s right shoulder.

Extreme Dao Sword Son Fang Qiankun stood with his hands behind his back, his Pure Intent Sword already sheathed. “Another one dealt with. Of North Peak’s fifty cultivators, very few remain now.” He ascended high into the sky, his eyes sharp as an eagle’s, scanning for the next North Peak cultivator. “Taihu Lake is ours. East Peak claims it.”

How could mere North Peak disciples hope to contend with East Peak?

They were nothing more than amateurs dabbling in both swordsmanship and sorcery, incomparable to these true sword practitioners. The North Peak cultivators, riddled with flaws, were just like Chu Lang moments ago: one sword strike, condensing both swordsmanship and water element spells, yet still shattered by Fang Qiankun’s simple counter.

Fang Qiankun soared into the heavens and noted that few North Peak cultivators remained upon Taihu Lake.

“Men of Taihu Lake, go fish!” “Men of Taihu Lake, battle the waves!” “Men of Taihu Lake, row your boats!” “Men of Taihu Lake, press onward!”

From far away came the sound of voices singing. The sun was beginning to dip, signaling the approach of evening. Out there, the fishermen of Taihu were singing their local songs. The melodies, paired with the setting dusk, drifted over with the cool, moist air rising from the lake.

The battle waged on Taihu Lake had no restriction on the presence of ordinary people, only a clear directive: they must not be harmed. This was a necessary boundary. Of course, the righteous immortal cultivators would never stoop to using ordinary folk as weapons, nor would they exploit the no-harm clause; to do so would surely mean descending into an evil path.

Regardless, we fight our duel of swords; you ordinary folk catch your ordinary fish. Each to their own business. The boats were filled with various catches of fish.

Amidst these songs filled with masculine spirit, Lu Yuan soared upward, then plunged into the lake, practicing his swordplay beneath the surface with unrestrained joy. The sword light spun faster and faster until, suddenly, he ascended into the air, drawing his blade aloft. The crisscrossing sword light shimmered like fragile jade, or perhaps, like a delicate, transient dream.

Was it truly sword light, or merely a vision?

The essence of the lake was encapsulated in a single character: You (, profound/secluded). What a perfect You it was, starkly different from the sea.

The sea possessed its own character, its own grandeur. The lake held its own distinct charm, its own specific flavor.

Lu Yuan’s eyes snapped open, piercing like lightning. In that instant, Lu Yuan understood: he had grasped the Sword Intent of the Lake.

Now, of the water element Sword Intent, he had comprehended seven forms: Cloud, Rain, Water, Ice, Snow, Sea, and Lake. He was not far from achieving the Ten Forms necessary to master the Water Emperor Sword Dao.

Having awakened, Lu Yuan remembered the main task: competing with East Peak for ownership of Taihu Lake. He wondered about the current situation. Before he could fully process things, an Elder from East Peak materialized before him. Upon spotting Lu Yuan, the Sword Sect Elder burst into laughter: “The last man from North Peak! So, you were hiding here.”

His announcement was perhaps too loud.

Immediately, the other searching East Peak Elders converged on the spot.

The last man of North Peak? Lu Yuan blinked in surprise. His comprehension of the Lake Sword Intent had been profound; he had merely broken through the final veil of understanding. It had taken him no time at all—merely two days. In those two days, the contest between North Peak and East Peak had reached its climax.

Excluding the five exceptionally powerful figures like Jian Tan, the North Peak cultivators were not inferior to those of East Peak. Over two full days of continuous combat—in the sky, beneath the water, hovering between the two realms, among the misty depths, or on the islands—the struggle had worn down both sides. Forty-nine North Peak cultivators had already withdrawn. East Peak had fared no better, with over thirty having exited the fight. Now, only a little over ten remained on each side. These remaining few had begun frantically searching for Lu Yuan. However, Taihu Lake was vast. While the simplest method would be using Divine Sense to sweep the area, Lu Yuan, while immersing himself in the Lake Sword Intent, had become virtually indistinguishable from the water itself—man and lake were one.

Unable to locate the final North Peak member through Divine Sense, they resorted to a grid search. Upon reaching this vicinity, the Sword Sect Elder spotted Lu Yuan and immediately shouted, summoning the remaining fifteen Sword Sect Elders nearby.

Fifteen Sword Sect Elders now surrounded the lone Lu Yuan.

“Isn’t this Lu Yuan, the tenth generation of North Peak?” “I’ve heard this junior has formidable swordsmanship and a decent combat record.” “But what use are good records when we are all close to the Sword Immortal realm?” “Exactly. And it’s fifteen against one.” “He must be terrified, otherwise he wouldn’t have hidden until now.” “Hiding won’t help; we’ve finally found him.” The Sword Sect Elders sneered among themselves, exchanging various comments after searching for so long only to find their final target.

Amidst their chatter, Lu Yuan stood perfectly still. “Oh? I am North Peak’s last? And I was hiding? How amusing.”

At that moment, an eager Elder named Shi Ke lunged forward, desperate to claim the victory. He was a cultivator at the Sixth Layer of Longevity. He thought to himself: Lu Yuan’s greatest recorded victory was only against Si Nan, another Sixth Layer expert. He was no pushover like Si Nan; he certainly wouldn't lose.

Furthermore, even if he couldn't win, Lu Yuan, being the prodigy he was, surely wouldn't be defeated in just a few moves. Shi Ke had already prepared his retreat; with fourteen other brethren present, they would naturally assist if he were overwhelmed. It was a perfect plan to gain merit without danger. Besides, he truly didn't believe Lu Yuan could best him.

Shi Ke initiated his attack with ‘Falling Phoenix, Colored Clouds,’ weaving an exceptionally beautiful display of sword light that nevertheless concealed a myriad of killing intent. Seeing the move, the other Elders inwardly conceded it was an exquisite technique.

As the others prepared to offer praise, Lu Yuan simply sprang up. His Sword of Self-Nourishment moved with him, turning in perfect synchronization. With a sharp Clang, the movement was so swift that no one saw it clearly. When they looked back, Shi Ke’s sword had been knocked aside, and Lu Yuan’s Sword of Self-Nourishment, sheath and all, rested horizontally against Shi Ke’s throat.

He defeated Shi Ke, a Sixth Layer Longevity expert, in a single move!

Was Lu Yuan’s strength this immense?

After securing the swift victory, Lu Yuan shook his head. “With this level of strength, against opponents like this—did I need to flee?” For Lu Yuan, effortlessly defeating a Sixth Layer expert was normal, but for everyone else present, it was a staggering shock. The numerous Sword Sect Elders were utterly stunned.

“Shi Ke is truly incompetent. It seems I must intervene,” the frigid Extreme Dao Sword Son, Fang Qiankun, stated coldly. He focused his gaze on Lu Yuan, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. Before Lu Yuan’s appearance, Fang Qiankun had been the fastest riser within the entire Huashan sect for the last two centuries, a title Lu Yuan had subsequently snatched away.

“Haha, what a magnificent sword! Its body radiates pure righteousness. I must have it. Fang Qiankun, this match is mine,” Jian Tan Lingyun declared with a lecherous grin, his eyes greedily fixed on the Sword of Self-Nourishment in Lu Yuan’s hand, dripping with avarice. Then his gaze shifted to the Mountain-Suppressing Sword on Lu Yuan’s back. “What a sword! A sword that holds down mountains—truly grand!” The Mountain-Suppressing Sword remained sheathed, but Jian Tan was Jian Tan; he had his own way of sensing the intent within a blade.

“Forget it, I’ll go,” Xuan Huo, Zhou Wu, stated sharply, flames almost erupting from his eyes.

“You lot should stand down. My Great Sword is thirsty and impatient,” roared Earth Underground Battle Sword Zhao Wuji. “I am the strongest below the Sword Immortal realm!”

“Dare to contest with me? Do you want me to kill you all?” Exterminating Origin Sword Zhu Bayi emanated killing intent that wrapped around him, causing the very ripples on the lake surface to automatically recoil. “I don't care about the ‘strongest below Sword Immortal’! My killing power borders on Sword Immortal level, and I have slain more people than those killed by actual Sword Immortals.”

These five figures, closest to the Sword Immortal tier, argued fiercely, each vying for the right to strike first.

The other Sword Sect Elders were collectively mortified. Any one of these five could defeat Lu Yuan, but their current squabble over who went first risked them inadvertently attacking each other, thereby allowing Lu Yuan to gain an advantage.