The Ten Thousand and First Sword Qi! That was a sword qi that severed the heavens and the earth! That was a sword qi nearly unrivaled across the cosmos! That was a terrifying sword qi Lu Yuan had never witnessed! That was a sword qi that belonged to gods and demons! Such a sword qi, almost as soon as it manifested, seemed intent on piercing Lu Yuan, on incinerating him alive. In that moment, the only response Lu Yuan could manage was to summon his Water Sovereign Sword Dao, enveloping himself within it. And this god-demon-like, fire-infused sword qi plunged into Lu Yuan’s body.

Boom!

In that instant, Lu Yuan understood his fortune. This sword qi, which severed the heavens and the earth like a deity or demon, was fire-elemental. It perfectly neutralized the Water Sovereign Sword Dao raging within his body. Had he not cultivated the Water Sovereign Sword Dao, opting instead for any other Sovereign Sword Dao, he would have surely been defeated instantly. It was a matter of luck; water and fire neutralized each other, leaving his mind muddled and indistinct.

Time passed, unknown how long, but Lu Yuan knew he had survived the Ten Thousand and First Sword Qi—the Fire God Sword Intent!

And the incidental acquisition from passing the Ten Thousand and First Sword Qi—the very thing Zhou Qingxuan was curious about—was five Fire Elemental Sword Intents.

A full five Fire Elemental Sword Intents. The Molten Joy Intent! The Great Sun Sword Intent! The Rising Sun Sword Intent! The Blazing Sword Intent! The Joy Intent! This Joy Intent, naturally, also belonged to the fire element. Joy harms the heart, and the heart corresponds to the liver in the Five Elements, thus the character for Joy is classified under Fire Elemental Sword Intent.

Comprehending five Fire Elemental Sword Intents all at once—that was too many. Lu Yuan truly hadn't expected to gain five Fire Elemental Sword Intents upon passing the Ten Thousand and First Sword Qi. This was an unexpected boon. In truth, the Myriad Sword Reincarnation was left behind by the Sword Sect, descendants who inherited a portion of the legacy of the Myriad World Sword Master. The successors of the Sword Sect had left numerous treasures within it, and among the most precious were these five Sword Intents.

And the Ten Thousand and First Sword of the Sword Sect’s Myriad Sword Reincarnation was exceedingly difficult to pass. Even Yan Cangtian and Zhou Qingxuan failed in the past. Lu Yuan only succeeded due to his cultivation of the Water Sovereign Sword Dao and remarkable luck.

The prowess of the ancient Myriad World Sword Master was truly unparalleled. Legend claimed the Myriad World Sword Master was the first person in the mortal realm to comprehend Three Thousand Profound Intents. His standing was far superior to that of figures like Yan Cangtian.

Lu Yuan let out a soft sigh. He had actually intended to break through on the Metal Elemental Sword Intent, hoping to master the Metal Sovereign Sword Dao. He hadn't anticipated that he currently possessed only four Metal Elemental Sword Intents, while he now wielded seven Fire Elemental Sword Intents: Fire Sword Intent, Abyss Sword Intent, Magma Sword Intent, Great Sun Sword Intent, Rising Sun Sword Intent, Blazing Sword Intent, and the Joy Intent.

However, attempting to grasp the Fire Sovereign Sword Dao based on these seven Fire Elemental Sword Intents remained exceedingly difficult. At least, Lu Yuan felt no inkling of it at the moment.

Never mind, he wouldn't force it.

This time, training with Martial Uncle Zhou yielded three major benefits. The first was cementing the foundation of his sword path to be unbreakably solid. The second was elevating his cultivation base to the Ninth Layer of Longevity. The final benefit was comprehending five Fire Elemental Sword Intents—no, not comprehending, but rather being directly gifted five Fire Elemental Sword Intents.

Among these, the most immediate boost to his combat strength came from reaching the Ninth Layer of Longevity. But the greatest long-term benefit lay in the profoundly solidified foundation of his sword path.

Alright, time to exit seclusion.

Lu Yuan finally stepped out of the ten-foot-thick Profound Iron Gate, leaving the Myriad Sword Reincarnation.

Zhou Qingxuan looked toward Lu Yuan: “The Ten Thousand and First Sword?” “Yes.” Lu Yuan nodded. “After passing the final trial, what did you gain?” Zhou Qingxuan asked casually. “Five Fire Elemental Sword Intents,” Lu Yuan replied.

The Four Guards—Qin, Qi, Shu, and Hua—were all greatly astonished. A figure like Zhou Qingxuan wouldn't care, but the four guards were taken aback.

“It seems the cultivation under me can conclude for now,” Zhou Qingxuan stated. “Go outside. The battle between Mount Hua and the Eastern Demon faction is reaching a fierce stage. Go test your skills. If fate allows in the future, I will teach you things beyond the Reincarnation.”

Lu Yuan immediately cupped his hands in thanks. Martial Uncle Zhou’s training had benefited him immensely, and gratitude was due.

Zhou Qingxuan snorted, and in the next instant, vanished without a trace. The Four Guards naturally followed suit.

Lu Yuan emerged from Meditation Peak and returned to Mount Hua. After a brief inquiry into the situation, he learned that Mount Hua was still besieged by demons and devils, yet only a month had passed. Impossible. He should have spent at least half a year in Meditation Peak. How could only one month have elapsed? Lu Yuan was momentarily stunned.

However, the elders and disciples of Mount Hua would certainly not lie to him; such a deception was pointless. Thus, there could only be one explanation: Martial Uncle Zhou possessed an artifact that prolonged the flow of time. If this were true, one could only marvel at the sheer wonder of the world.

Forget it; no need to dwell on such matters. Time to assess the current battle situation.

Lu Yuan inquired slightly and discovered that the external battlefield situation remained the same as before. As he pondered this, Ye Yangrong sought him out: “I heard you came out of seclusion. Perfect timing.” “What is it?” Lu Yuan asked.

Ye Yangrong explained, “Recently, a secret manual was unearthed near Mount Hua. If this manual were anything else, it wouldn't matter, but this one… it is a formidable sword technique of our Mount Hua—the Swift Thunder Sword Art. This art is nearly as famous as the Xiyi Sword Art. The senior Mount Hua cultivator who created it was also buried near the mountain. Due to various catastrophes, a portion of the Swift Thunder Sword Art has been lost. If this technique can be recovered, it would be a huge asset to Mount Hua. If it falls into the hands of the demons, that is absolutely unacceptable.”

Lu Yuan listened quietly.

Ye Yangrong continued, “Therefore, a duel has been set for tomorrow atop the Void Battle Array. All combatants must be below the Great Dao Realm. Whichever side wins will claim the Swift Thunder Sword Art. Your arrival is a significant boost.” Ye Yangrong outlined the situation, and Lu Yuan nodded; he understood.

Ye Yangrong knew Lu Yuan’s strength was formidable, approaching the absolute peak of the Longevity Realm. This confrontation between Mount Hua’s Longevity Realm experts and those of the Demon faction was essentially the summary battle for the past month or so. The North Peak had very few usable talents; figures like Chu Fei and Dugu Ye were slightly too weak for these top-tier Longevity Realm clashes. Lu Yuan’s arrival perfectly plugged that gap.

The following day dawned overcast and rainy. This portended an extraordinary day.

By then, the Sword Immortals of the North Peak had already arrived. Due to repeated calamities, the North Peak’s strength was currently quite weak. Including Lu Yuan, there were only four Sword Immortals capable of fighting: Ye Yangrong, Chu Fei, Dugu Ye, and Lu Yuan.

The East Peak had many more Sword Immortals, including Shi Chongtian, the lone Sword Immortal ranked first in recent achievements, and Ling Luoshi, the well-walking Sword Immortal ranked second. In addition, there were six other Sword Immortals, including the miscellaneous Sword Immortal Ximen Luan. The South Peak had the Sword Immortal Mo Chuichui, ranked third in achievement, and five other Sword Immortals, including the Spring Sword Immortal Nangong Hui. In total, the entire Sword Sect dispatched fourteen Sword Immortals, far outnumbering the four dispatched by the Sword Qi Sect.

The Qi Sect side featured the Purple Mist Bai Lishuan, ranked fourth, stationed on the West Peak, along with six other Sword Immortal-level figures. The Middle Peak situation resembled the North Peak, dispatching only four Sword Immortal-level figures in total. However, the Middle Peak had always been weak, whereas the North Peak had lost too many Sword Immortals in the past calamities led by Yuan Ling Shangren. The Qi Sect altogether deployed eleven Sword Immortals.

This meant that Mount Hua deployed a grand total of twenty-nine Sword Immortals. This number of twenty-nine Sword Immortals represented essentially the strongest available lineup of Sword Immortals Mount Hua could muster at present.

The Swift Thunder Sword Art was naturally an exceptional technique, but the true reason Mount Hua treated this matter with such gravity was simple: Martial secrets must not be passed on. If demons could learn the Swift Thunder Sword Art today, tomorrow someone might learn the Primordial Qi Sword of the Rising Sun, or the One Hundred and Eight Swords of Wind and Cloud. This phenomenon had to be strictly guarded at every possible opening.

Lu Yuan stood amidst the crowd, positioned within the Void Battle Array. The North Peak was the weaker branch, so he occupied a rather peripheral spot, not drawing much attention.

Moments later, the figures from the Demon faction also arrived. They were fewer than expected—only nine in total.

The two leading demons were one as slender as a sword, with wild, flying hair—it was the Sword Elder. The other was equally thin and short, completely black, with bat wings sprouting from its back—it was the Bat Elder. Following these two were numerous other Demon Elders: the imposing Tiger Elder whom Lu Yuan had previously defeated; the incredibly seductive Snake Elder; the tiny Mosquito Elder; the Crane Elder who appeared like a cultivation adept with an immortal bearing; the beautiful but hostile White Fox Elder, whose gaze fixed upon Lu Yuan; the plain-looking Toad Elder, indistinguishable in the crowd; and the utterly hideous Fire Elder. Of the Ten Great Demon Elders, save for the Electric Elder who perished under Lu Yuan’s hand, all nine remaining elders were present.

This confrontation was fated to be a battle between the absolute apex experts of the Longevity Realm from both the Demon faction and Mount Hua.

There were over thirty individuals present. Every single one was overwhelmingly powerful, shocking to behold—the most potent visible strength!

This was the top echelon gathered on Mount Hua’s visible battlefield, the most significant clash. Before the battle even began, both the Demon faction and Mount Hua held their breath, not daring to utter a sound, focusing intently on the thirty-eight figures arrayed in the Void Battle Array.

The wind on Mount Hua blew fiercely. It grew stronger and stronger. The dark clouds overhead thickened relentlessly.