The Huashan Mountain Protection Grand Array, formally named the Morning Sun Jade Maiden Cloud Mist Purple Haze Diagram Grand Array, is reputed to have a single inscribed diagram, forming an array of a million restrictions, making it incredibly difficult to breach.

Of course, if this grand array were subjected to the relentless assault of tens of thousands of demons from one end to the other, it would eventually be shattered regardless.

Therefore, it was still necessary to exit the protection array to meet the battle; if the situation turned unfavorable, a tactical retreat back inside would be the move. Furthermore, standing within the array and launching flying swords outwards meant securing one's own safety while rendering the enemy utterly miserable.

Simply put, one could view the Mountain Protection Grand Array as the city walls in a mortal war. The attacking side would invariably suffer heavy losses; the martial principles of overwhelming force or surrounding the enemy, often mentioned in human warfare, actually applied to battles between cultivators as well. And tens of thousands of demons arriving were certainly not here for sightseeing; they incessantly bombarded the protective array.

The Huashan side would naturally dispatch forces to engage them.

And so, the fierce combat between the two factions commenced.

Lu Yuan was among the first batch sent onto the battlefield. Those in the initial wave were mostly veterans experienced in dealing with demons, allowing the novices to observe and learn from those who had prior encounters. Experience gained meant fewer losses, as the Huashan Immortal Sect certainly did not wish to lose too many people in this battle.

Thus, Lu Yuan was naturally assigned to the first contingent, given his repeated engagements with demons.

With Lu Yuan already on the field, the demons sent forth five major clans: the Asura, the Earth Demon, the Sand Demon, the Yaksha, and the Burrowing Spider-folk. Lu Yuan paid them no mind; his Spirit Sword Yangwu soared out. Having been upgraded, Yangwu now possessed a far stronger aura of righteousness, offering immense suppression against demonic entities.

Lu Yuan knew the characteristics of these five clans like the back of his hand.

Demons invariably outnumbered humans, and Lu Yuan charged to the very front. Instantly, he was met by a surge of Asura bone blades, Earth Demon earth-elemental spells, Yaksha fire-elemental spells, and the eight-pronged weapons of the Burrowing Spider-folk, all converging on him. When Lu Yuan had only comprehended a few Sword Intents, he could already disregard such demonic assaults, let alone now, having reached the Sword King realm.

A casual swing of his sword, seemingly unremarkable, dispatched several demons.

Another casual sword strike cleanly cut down the Asura blocking his path.

With effortless movement, he passed through, meeting no resistance for an entire exchange.

Lu Yuan tumbled and surged deep into the enemy formation. While fiercely battling, his mind was simultaneously deep in reflection.

Huashan held countless memories for him.

He recalled being brought to Huashan by his Master, Li Yuanbai, when he was just a ten-year-old boy.

Subsequently, on Huashan, his Master taught him so much. In terms of literacy, although he had learned some characters in Donglin Town, deciphering difficult, archaic texts was impossible. His Master taught him the most fundamental Heart Sutras, starting from guiding the very first thread of Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi, and taught him sword practice, beginning with the basic seventy-two forms. Huashan held his Master.

And on Huashan, he ran wild across the mountains with several junior martial brothers, roasting who-knows-how-many wild beasts, drinking copious amounts of wine, and sleeping on countless stretches of grass. Huashan held his friends.

He remembered that after his Master passed away, if Martial Uncle Yuan Yuan hadn't looked after him, he would surely have been tormented to death by Sima Changbai. Huashan held elders who cared for him.

Indeed, Huashan was a place brimming with memories—his Master, his friends, the elders who cared for him—filled with laughter, loss, joy, perseverance, and indolence.

His youth had been spent entirely on Huashan.

Huashan would not fall to the demonic hordes led by the Eastern Fiend.

For the sake of those memories of his youth, he had to guard Huashan, no matter the cost.

My Huashan, I will protect you.

Lu Yuan's body followed his sword's movement; the blade transformed into a streak of light, carving a path of slaughter. Already, many demons had perished under Lu Yuan's blade. During this intense charge, Lu Yuan began to faintly sense a certain Sword Intent—an intent heavy as earth, profound as a mountain, yet distinct; it was neither the Sword Intent of Earth nor the Sword Intent of Mountain.

Ever since he began studying the Five Emperors and Five Sovereigns Reincarnation Sword Dao, he had become quite familiar with various Sword Intents.

What Sword Intent was he striving to grasp now?

He opened his mind, letting the thought drift slowly.

He needed to protect Huashan, the repository of his youthful memories, the place where he had grown up.

The Sword Intent of Protection!

That was right; what he was vaguely sensing was the Sword Intent of Protection.

He was currently striving to master the Metal Sovereign Sword Dao, having already comprehended four types of Metal Sword Intent: Sharpness, Speed, Slowness, and Grandeur.

However, since he was now gaining insight into an Earth-elemental Sword Intent, he certainly wouldn't let it pass. After all, what he desired wasn't merely mastery of the Metal Sovereign Sword Dao, but mastery of the Five Sovereigns Sword Dao. Once achieved, he could secure the position of Sword Emperor.

The Emperor among Swords, to whom all other swords bow.

Turning his focus back, he now sought to thoroughly comprehend the meaning of "Protection." Because he was lost in thought, the speed of Lu Yuan's demon-slaying slowed down from his previous pace. Sometimes he would even freeze mid-action. Some nearby demons, noticing his stupor, rejoiced excessively and rushed forward, only to be instantly slain by a purely instinctive sword thrust from Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan continued to contemplate.

Time passed slowly. Neither the Huashan side nor the demon side could commit their full strength immediately. Both sides initially deployed elders for engagement, resulting in a push-and-pull battle that resembled a siege in the mortal realm—it seemed unlikely to conclude anytime soon.

Lu Yuan would alternate between fighting on the front lines and retreating into the protection array, all while relentlessly pondering the essence of the Sword Intent of Protection. Seven or eight days passed this way. During these days, Lu Yuan would occasionally sweep his sword, tentatively executing various sword techniques.

Suddenly, inspiration struck.

He understood; he completely grasped what the Sword Intent of Protection meant.

Every person has their own conviction, their own thing to guard.

A man works hard because he wishes to protect his small family; because another name for a man is a protector. If anyone tries to destroy this home, this man will fight them to the death.

He deeply desired to protect Huashan, but how truly resolute had his heart been before? Only at this moment did he solidify his resolve. Yes, he needed to protect this home. Previously, it was about guarding against demons; now, he would guard it against the Sword Sect and the Qi Sect as well. The Sword Sect and Qi Sect were members of this family, but if they sought to destroy it, he would not allow it—neither the Sword Sect nor the Qi Sect. His previous confusion had vanished entirely.

Only when the heart is sufficiently strong and firm can one comprehend the Sword Intent of Protection, and at this moment, Lu Yuan knew he had finally awakened it.

Earth-elemental Sword Intents—he now knew two: the original Earth Sword Intent and the Sword Intent of Protection.

Lu Yuan's eyes lit up. When he opened them this time, they were clearer than ever, completely devoid of any lingering confusion.

"It looks like our North Peak is facing a tough time this round."

"Indeed. I hear that Elder Hu, one of the ten great Demon Elders, has specifically targeted the North Peak, determined to challenge one of our members."

"What is this Elder Hu’s background that he must single out the North Peak?"

"You don't know? Elder Hu was defeated by the Venerable Yuan Yuan back then and was gravely wounded. He has returned for revenge. And his declared challenge is quite cunning: challenging only the ninth generation members, claiming no one among the ninth generation can match him. This way, the eighth generation members find it difficult to intervene; if an eighth-generation expert stepped in now, it would tacitly admit that the ninth generation wasn't enough to handle him."

"So there's an old grievance with the North Peak, no wonder he's fixated on us. By the way, just how powerful is Elder Hu?"

"How powerful? Ye Yangrong was defeated by him recently. He is estimated to possess the cultivation of the Tenth Level of Immortality (Chang Sheng). At this level, only Peak Master Fang Ru on our North Peak might be able to handle him. If it were previously, Senior Brother Fang stepping up would have been fine; he wasn't the Peak Master then, so a loss wouldn't matter much. But it's different now. Senior Brother Fang is the Peak Master; a defeat would significantly damage the North Peak's reputation, and if he were killed in battle, it would be an irreplaceable loss for the North Peak. Yet, if an eighth-generation expert fights and loses, it's a complete loss of face."

"Moreover, no experts at the Great Dao Realm (Da Dao Jing) have entered the fray yet. If the Seven Elders of Chu Yun were to act now, we might reveal our true strength, making them vulnerable to counter-attack by the enemy's Great Dao experts in the final decisive battle. The Seven Stars of Chu Yun are the North Peak's last and strongest line of defense; they cannot be risked."

"The demon side has only sent out Elder Hu in the initial skirmish, and it already puts us at such a disadvantage."

"Do you think Lu Yuan might stand a chance?" one elder asked.

"Doubtful," someone immediately shook his head. "Lu Yuan previously defeated Sima Changbai, but that was only against a cultivator at the Ninth Level of Immortality. The Tenth Level of Immortality is ultimately beyond his current strength." Although Lu Yuan had revealed his Spirit Sword Yangwu, its appearance was similar to ordinary flying swords; besides Lu Yuan himself, no one could distinguish it, so no one knew Lu Yuan had already reached the Eighth Level of Immortality.

"Lu Yuan won't suffice either. Senior Brother Fang is the Peak Master and cannot fight lightly; one loss means immense loss of face. This is difficult now."

As these individuals discussed, a young man dressed in green, holding a wine gourd in his left hand and resting his right hand on his sword hilt, walked over.

The North Peak seemed to have encountered a serious dilemma.

An Elder Hu, whose strength and status rivaled that of the Fox Elder slain by his Master, had stepped forward.

Unbidden, he recalled the battle underground when his Master had executed the Fox Elder.