Two streams of chilling energy rose from the depths of Taihu Lake. Initially, these two cold lights manifested like twin giant pythons, but they gradually diminished in size until they were drawn into Tong Bainian’s nostrils, transforming into a component of his magical power.

These two currents of cold energy were the very essence of the Taihu Lake waters.

Mountains have mountain spirits; waters have water essences.

The essence of Taihu Lake water concentrated the inexhaustible spirit of water. Every day at the zishi sanke hour, this water essence reached its peak concentration before being absorbed by Tong Bainian. Although other cultivators were present nearby, they had long been slain by Tong Bainian, leaving him undisturbed.

Under normal circumstances, since the contention between the Sword Sect and the Sword Qi Sect, Taihu Lake should have fallen under the jurisdiction of North Peak.

However, the situation at North Peak was currently too precarious for them to spare any attention on Taihu Lake, allowing Tong Bainian to exploit the loophole.

Tong Bainian practiced the Xuanming True Understanding technique of the Profound Nether Sect—a method capable of harming the internal organs with cold energy.

Xuanming True Understanding was the path of ultimate coldness.

Upon finishing his cultivation session, Tong Bainian turned his gaze toward the mouth of the Myriad Poison Cave. One hundred and sixty-five days had passed. According to reports received from that area, the Myriad Poison Cold Light Barrier would be successfully refined in another ten days, and it would take about five more days to deliver it here. Once the barrier arrived, it would repel the myriad poisons within the cave, allowing him to enter and slay Lu Yuan.

Fifteen days remaining until the official capture of Lu Yuan. The time was drawing near. This Lu Yuan had forced him to wait by the shores of Taihu Lake for over one hundred days—nearly half a year. After capturing him, he would certainly subject him to extensive torture.

... At that very moment, Lu Yuan had begun practicing the Sword Qi Manifestation Art.

The mana within his body began to shift. Following the method, he layered cloud-attribute mana onto the sword blade. Yet, no matter how much he layered it, he felt incapable of achieving the state described as transforming sword qi into a tangible gang (manifestation). The cloud attribute was ultimately too soft; achieving Sword Qi Manifestation proved immensely difficult.

There was no choice but to try a different attribute. The Bixi Transformation from the Cloud Dragon Ten Changes allowed him to convert his mana into earth-attribute mana. After this conversion, he applied the Sword Qi Manifestation Art according to the formula. As he began to execute the technique, he noticed a layer of (somber yellow/ochre) jian gang (sword manifestation energy) condensing on his sword.

The Qi Manifestation Art was finally mastered.

This technique was crucial for confronting Sima Changbai’s ultimate weapon, especially since Lu Yuan had not yet reached the Eighth Level of Longevity and could not yet wield a spirit sword.

Having mastered the Sword Qi Manifestation Art, Lu Yuan continued flipping through the texts. In doing so, he discovered a secret method called the Mystic Nether Transformation Art. This art, created by an ancient predecessor, temporarily neutralized the effects of the cold energy from the Xuanming True Understanding. However, its duration was limited, lasting only as long as an incense stick burned.

The Mystic Nether Transformation Art would be useful in his inevitable confrontation with Tong Bainian. The time provided by one stick of incense should be sufficient.

Lu Yuan immediately began studying the Mystic Nether Transformation Art. Essentially, it involved piling up mana on the surface of the body to form a specific layer that prevented the opponent’s mana from invading the body.

After finishing his study, he naturally proceeded to drink wine.

Drinking brought ease; imbibing turned the self into a free spirit. Lu Yuan was not in a hurry. Of course, this relaxed demeanor was predicated on his ignorance of the fact that Tong Bainian’s Myriad Poison Cold Light Barrier was almost ready, meaning the time until Tong Bainian entered the Myriad Poison Cave was not long. If he had known, maintaining such composure would have been much harder.

Regardless, Lu Yuan once again settled into that state of being half-drunk, half-awake.

One day, Lu Yuan practiced his swordplay for a while, reaching a state where he forgot himself and the world. After sweating through his practice, he rested nearby and took out a flint striker, intending to roast some meat. With a casual movement, he sliced another piece of flesh from the Taishui beside him. The Taishui was truly miraculous; after a piece was cut off, an identical piece immediately grew back.

The meat of the Taishui tasted like pork, and it was inexhaustible.

While roasting the meat, a sudden flash of inspiration swept through his mind. He faintly sensed an impending breakthrough and immediately sat cross-legged on the ground.

Yes, in these recent days, by letting go and following the will of Heaven without strenuous effort or stubborn fixation, the opportunity for breakthrough had arrived.

He placed a Soul Crystal between his brows. Since he could already feel the impending breakthrough, he was not stingy. The light emanating from the Soul Crystal intensified dramatically, and Lu Yuan’s consciousness sank into his Upper Dantian.

In the Upper Dantian, there was originally an Original Spirit, above which a Nascent Core was rotating.

At this moment, he felt the Original Spirit itself begin to spin rapidly, and the Nascent Core above his head shone with a golden brilliance so intense it was almost blinding. Lu Yuan instinctively closed his eyes tightly. At the peak of the radiance, Lu Yuan felt a sudden, muffled bang as his Nascent Core exploded in the unseen depths.

Exploded? Impossible! Lu Yuan immediately opened his eyes. Upon looking, he saw that the Nascent Core above his head had indeed detonated. However, this explosion served only to dissolve the final vestiges of its illusory nature. Now, what rested above his head was a dazzling, golden core—though its gold was soft and not painfully glaring.

A Golden Core!

He had finally achieved the Seventh Level of Longevity: Great Perfection of the Golden Core!

Lu Yuan’s heart surged with emotion. While he was still experiencing this surge, the Golden Core released waves of golden light that descended upon the Original Spirit. The Original Spirit also began to transform. In a short while, the Original Spirit changed from its formerly transparent color into a golden humanoid figure.

As the Original Spirit converted to gold, he felt his soul power increase ceaselessly, like a fast-galloping horse. After speeding along for a long time and achieving a massive elevation, the momentum finally began to slow.

He realized his soul power could previously envelop an area the size of one Changchun Residence. Now, his soul could cover an area at least three to four times that size. Within this vast range, every event, even the sound of vegetation growing or an ant crawling, fell into the scrutiny of his divine sense.

Lu Yuan let out a long breath. He had finally reached the Seventh Level of Longevity and was officially qualified to be drawn into the calamity of North Peak. Within the Myriad Poison Cave, numerous tombs had already been erected. Lu Yuan had long since prepared graves for the fallen seniors of the Orthodox Immortal Sects. He bowed to them in salute and then departed the area.

He immediately summoned his sword and plunged into the endless poisons of the Myriad Poison Cave—the scene was unchanged from his arrival.

Tong Bainian, wait for me. Wash your neck clean.

——————

Outside the Myriad Poison Cave.

Tong Bainian was staring at Taihu Lake. It was the one hundred and seventy-ninth day. As night fell on this day, five or six cultivators arrived swiftly, like flying arrows. They stood before Tong Bainian. “Greetings, Elder Tong.” One of them cautiously retrieved a box from his robes and presented it. “Elder Tong, this is the Myriad Poison Cold Light Barrier.”

After receiving the Myriad Poison Cold Light Barrier, Tong Bainian burst into laughter. “So this is the Myriad Poison Cold Light Barrier.” He took the box, opened it, and saw a black bead inside. He took the black bead in his hand and infused it with mana. Immediately, a swath of inky blackness expanded. Tong Bainian tested guiding the bead into the Myriad Poison Cave and found that the surrounding myriad poisons recoiled.

“Hah, it truly is the Myriad Poison Cold Light Barrier—invincible against all poison!” Tong Bainian laughed heartily. “Once Lu Yuan emerges, I will capture him alive and inflict countless tortures upon him. Only then will this half-year wait be worthwhile.”

“Indeed, Elder Tong’s strength is unparalleled.”

“Elder Tong is not someone a junior like Lu Yuan can compare to.”

“When the time comes, Lu Yuan must be extinguished,” the subordinates of Yuan Ling High Master flattered, all the while certain that Lu Yuan could never defeat Tong Bainian. Tong Bainian was, after all, a renowned Sword Immortal, at the Ninth Level of Longevity, whereas Lu Yuan’s greatest recorded victory was only against a cultivator at the Seventh Level of Longevity.

The Eighth Level of Longevity was significantly stronger than the Seventh.

And the Ninth Level of Longevity was vastly superior to the Eighth.

It could be said that Tong Bainian was many tiers above Lu Yuan in strength.

Amidst the chorus of flattery, Tong Bainian roared with laughter. Capturing Lu Yuan would be a great achievement, bringing significant rewards from Yuan Ling High Master. After enduring for over half a year, he could finally vent his frustration.

“Is that so?” A clear, bright voice drifted out from within the Myriad Poison Cave.

Immediately following, a figure landed before Tong Bainian and his entourage.

Black shoes, white stockings, cyan robes covering his trousers and upper body, two long swords strapped to his right waist, and a wine gourd hanging from his left. A faint smile played across his face, his hair slightly disheveled—he appeared to be someone who paid little heed to his appearance.

“I didn’t expect it, I didn’t expect you to come out here to meet your death,” Tong Bainian had spent the last six months obsessing over Lu Yuan’s appearance. Now that he finally had the Myriad Poison Cold Light Barrier in hand, Lu Yuan’s emergence felt like a cruel jest that had made his wait for the artifact pointless. His resentment boiled over, especially when he thought about the fish he’d been forced to eat by Taihu Lake for half a year—a food he detested.

“Is this Lu Yuan? The supposed foremost figure of the Tenth Generation? He seems rather ordinary.”

“What kind of figures can the Five Great Immortal Sects produce? Their true disciples are merely flowers nurtured in the greenhouse of the Five Great Sects. They aren't truly strong, unlike those of us forged through constant struggle and life-or-death combat.”

“A figure like that, pitted against a Sword Immortal like Tong Bainian, is doomed to die.”

“Hahaha, that’s just how the so-called Righteous Path is. Yuan Ling High Master is truly formidable, far beyond their reach. Our North Ling Mountain is victorious wherever it goes, crushing everything!” North Ling Mountain was the name of the organization assembled by Yuan Ling High Master, though its exact location remained unknown. These followers mocked Lu Yuan; they were indeed jealous of his great reputation. Seeing Lu Yuan about to fall into Tong Bainian’s grasp brought them exceptional delight.

How fares North Peak now?