Lu Yuan received two Soul Crystals as rewards. Soul Crystals were exceedingly rare; even in a place like the Min River, an entire river yielded very few, and since Beifeng had only just secured Taihu Lake, such crystals were even more precious. Taihu Lake itself produced one Soul Crystal for Lu Yuan, and they further offered another from the Beifeng treasury as a reward.

This was partly due to the immense service Lu Yuan had rendered, and partly because Beifeng was heavily investing in his cultivation.

Hence, he received two Soul Crystals.

After obtaining them, Lu Yuan did not rush back to Beifeng. Instead, he found a mountain range beside Taihu Lake, settled atop a peak, gazed out at the vast water, and began his meditation.

One Soul Crystal was already placed between his eyebrows, commencing the absorption of its essence. Within his Upper Dantian, the Void Core greedily consumed the incoming soul essence, growing steadily more substantial. The once perfectly translucent Void Core was starting to solidify, losing its former clarity. Bit by bit, it was becoming tangible, simultaneously acquiring a faint sheen of gold, though this golden hue only touched a minuscule corner; the majority remained transparent. Lu Yuan knew that once the entire Void Core transformed into gold, achieving the Golden Core stage—the seventh level of Longevity—he would possess the strength to challenge Sima Changbai.

However, it appeared this breakthrough would be arduous, impossible to achieve successfully in a short time.

He wasn't sure how long passed before Lu Yuan noticed his soul essence intake had ceased. Opening his eyes, he saw the Soul Crystal before him had completely shattered, apparently exhausted.

Next Soul Crystal, then.

Lu Yuan immediately began processing the second crystal. At this point, lamenting the preciousness of the crystal was futile. He placed the second one between his eyes and started drawing in the soul essence in an endless stream. Lu Yuan felt the golden tint on his Void Core slowly expanding.

Yet, the rate of this expansion was agonizingly slow.

Cultivation was like this; the further one advanced, the slower the pace of improvement.

The rapid speed of the early stages was simply unattainable now.

Absorbing these two extraordinarily generous Soul Crystals only managed to turn about twenty percent of the Void Core golden. This was the result of two such priceless treasures—truly terrifying progress, Lu Yuan mused internally.

It seemed a considerably long journey lay ahead.

Lu Yuan thought to himself.

Forget it, this is enough for now. After cultivating for so long, it’s time for a rest.

Taihu Lake was famous for its ‘Three Whites’; he had long heard the tales and felt it would be a waste not to indulge a little. Lu Yuan strolled leisurely toward a prosperous area near the lake shore. Upon reaching the lively spot, he saw crowds surging like waves, flanked by several wine shops.

Not far off stood a grand Taihu Tower.

Lu Yuan bypassed the Tower, randomly choosing a wine shop.

It wasn't that larger restaurants always offered superior cuisine.

Some roadside stalls served incredibly delicious fare, especially for local specialties like Taihu freshwater delicacies—no need for a grand establishment. Lu Yuan selected the busiest wine shop; luckily, a table was free. He immediately sat down and ordered the famed Taihu Lake seafood.

“Taihu Three Whites: Taihu Silver Fish, Taihu White Fish, and Taihu White Prawns.”

The waiter announced, “Very well, esteemed guest desires the Taihu Three Whites. However, the second White cannot be served now. The Taihu White Fish is best enjoyed in the sixth and seventh months; its flavor is mediocre at other times. It is currently October. But the Taihu Silver Fish and Taihu White Prawns are certainly available.”

“Oh, and Taihu Crabs—this is the perfect season for them. If the guest desires them, I can certainly include them. Though not among the Three Whites, Taihu Crabs are undeniably one of the lake's delicacies.”

“Then bring all of them. And bring plenty of wine, too,” Lu Yuan requested. He carried ample wine himself, but local delicacies deserved local spirits to accompany them.

“Right away!” The waiter hurried off.

Moments later, the waiter returned with the dishes Lu Yuan had ordered.

The Taihu Silver Fish lay on the plate, about two inches long, slightly round, shaped like a jade hairpin, seemingly boneless and gutless, delicate, transparent, and silver-hued. Drizzled with a few seasonings, it was utterly exquisite. Lu Yuan finally understood the saying: "Silver fish after spring, perch after frost."

The Taihu White Prawns were a strange dish; most shrimp turn red when cooked, but these remained white. The white flesh contrasted vividly with the bright red chili seasoning, making the dish visually tantalizing before the first bite.

As for the Taihu Crabs, from the perspective of an experienced diner like Lu Yuan, they were magnificent: green shell, white belly, golden claws, yellow fuzz, and robust bodies—excellent, truly excellent crabs. He took a bite; it was perfectly seasoned.

The accompanying Taihu wine arrived, lending a distinct flavor to these famous local dishes.

“Sons of Taihu, go fish!”

“Sons of Taihu, ride the waves!”

“Sons of Taihu, row your boats!”

“Sons of Taihu, press onward!”

Accompanied by these songs, the flavor seemed to improve substantially.

Lu Yuan sat by the window, savoring the sunset, listening to the singing, tasting the delicacies, and sipping the fine wine.

Life, truly at ease.

To seek freedom is to find freedom; cast all worries aside.

...

As Lu Yuan enjoyed the moment, he suddenly felt a deep chill permeate the air, and the setting sun seemed to recede, a thin layer of frost appearing on the horizon. Startled, Lu Yuan’s gaze was involuntarily drawn to the entrance of the establishment, where an elder in white robes stood.

This elder had entirely white hair and beard, his face utterly devoid of wrinkles or expression, like a block of frozen ice.

Upon closer inspection, he didn't seem like an elder; he appeared to be a man in his prime.

As he stood there, the wine shop felt as if it had plunged into an ice cellar. Lu Yuan realized with a jolt that everyone else—the diners, the waiters carrying trays, the manager settling accounts, even the yellow dog—had instantly been coated in a thin layer of ice.

Lu Yuan immediately sensed ill intent. This person exuded a power so astonishing, his spiritual energy and aura, that it seemed capable of shaking the heavens.

This man was formidable!

And his hostility was directed squarely at him.

With a swift movement, Lu Yuan drew the Zhenyue Sword from his waist and struck out. The white-robed man paid no heed, merely slapped out his right hand, delivering a heavy blow against the Zhenyue Sword. Lu Yuan’s spirit was intrinsically linked to the sword, and he felt his own consciousness recoil from the impact, a wave of discomfort washing over him. Simultaneously, a thin layer of frost coated the sword blade.

What a powerful arrival. Judging by his cultivation level, this man must have reached the Ninth Level of Longevity. Yet, there were few Ninth Level Sword Immortals in Jin State. Who could this be? Seeing the thin layer of ice on Zhenyue Sword, Lu Yuan retracted it, using his Sword Intent of Fire to melt the frost. However, he felt a deep, chilling cold invade his own body.

Cold penetrating the body? The Xuanming Sect.

Among the Ten Mid-Tier Immortal Sects, three were classified as evil or demonic sects: the Blood Sword Gate, the Seven Killings Star Constellation Sea, and the Xuanming Sect. The Blood Sword Gate specialized in blood, the Seven Killings Star Constellation Sea in poison, and the Xuanming Sect in ice. Moreover, their ice techniques differed profoundly from standard ice-elemental spells or sword arts; their frost could penetrate deep into the body, making it exceedingly difficult to dispel.

It was precisely because of this lingering chill that Lu Yuan recognized his opponent belonged to the Xuanming Sect.

“Xuanming Sect?” Lu Yuan questioned.

“Incorrect. I was Xuanming Sect, but I am not anymore,” the white-robed man stated.

Lu Yuan paused in surprise. “The Xuanming Sect traitor, the Swordless Sword Immortal, Tong Bainian.”

“That is correct,” the white-robed man confirmed with a nod.

It was indeed him. Tong Bainian was a notorious traitor of the Xuanming Sect, one with a unique history. Rumor had it that he possessed extraordinary talent in his youth; many believed he could have even aspired to the Great Dao Realm. However, an accident occurred later. When he reached the Eighth Level of Longevity—the stage where one tempers a spirit sword, infusing it with soul essence and drawing spiritual energy into the weapon, transforming a flying sword into a true spirit sword—an issue arose.

Tong Bainian had reached the Eighth Level and sought to forge his first Spirit Sword. The first one was always the most difficult; success meant subsequent forging became easier. Tong Bainian succeeded in creating his first Spirit Sword, but he deemed it insufficiently powerful. Since a Spirit Sword was meant to accompany one through the long years ahead—and obtaining true Immortal Swords in Jin State was rare—he destroyed it to forge a second. The second one also failed to satisfy him, so he began a third. The third, too, left him wanting, so he kept refining it.

He continued this cycle, forging one and destroying the previous, until he had forged and ruined forty-nine Spirit Swords. Finally, the swords grew enraged.

Yes, the swords were angry.

Flying swords, though used by cultivators, possessed no inherent sentience.

But Spirit Swords began to develop a form of consciousness.

Having forty-nine of his Spirit Swords destroyed consecutively, the remaining ones turned against him. Tong Bainian became imbued with the aura of forty-nine destroyed Spirit Swords. Afterward, he could no longer forge Spirit Swords. Worse still, he couldn't wield anyone else's Spirit Sword either; the collective blades collectively rejected him, rendering him incapable of utilizing any Spirit Sword.

With no other choice, he had to revert to using flying swords.

Spirit Swords were vastly superior in power to flying swords; simply put, if a Spirit Sword and a flying sword clashed often, the flying sword would inevitably be destroyed.

Yet, Tong Bainian was restricted to flying swords, a situation that quickly became a subject of ridicule.

He eventually reached the Ninth Level of Longevity, becoming a renowned Sword Immortal. However, because he could not use Spirit Swords, relying only on flying swords, he never won a single engagement against peers of the same cultivation level, suffering continuous defeats. Consequently, he was judged the weakest among Sword Immortals of his rank.

Now, he stood before Lu Yuan. “I have come to capture you.”

“The plan commences.” At that moment, Lu Yuan had no idea what ‘the plan commences’ truly meant.