The figure in cyan, a smile etched on their face that held a hint of ease but now carried a greater degree of sincerity, gripped a luminous spiritual sword radiating righteous, vast energy.

Elder Tiger gasped, "Lu Yuan." He held the deepest impression of Lu Yuan, having suffered a crushing defeat at the young man's hands not long ago, taking heavy damage—a rare and significant loss for him. Everyone else, whether from the Hua Shan sect or the demonic ranks, recognized Lu Yuan instantly. It was Lu Yuan. He had actually managed to shatter the Bat Elder’s technique, "Bat King’s Grin"! That was the Bat King’s Grin! Elder Bat was even more utterly stunned; he never imagined it would be Lu Yuan to break his signature move. Elder Bat, in truth, possessed a certain arrogance, built upon his formidable capabilities—the position as the foremost of the Ten Great Demonic Elders was not merely a title, nor was being the disciple of the Scarlet-Winged Demon King simply for show. He had previously declared, "Lu Yuan, your master Li Yuanbai was gravely wounded by my master, the Scarlet-Winged Demon King, resulting in a lifespan for a Longevity Stage cultivator of less than five hundred years. You are fated to die by my hand, meeting the same destiny as your master." When he spoke those words, he possessed absolute faith in himself. Even after Lu Yuan defeated Elder Tiger and subdued Elder Sword with the ten-move pact, Elder Bat remained certain of his inevitable victory. Because, he possessed the Bat King’s Grin. This technique transformed the body into an ephemeral, lightning-fast state, utterly unstoppable; none among Elder Sword and the others could withstand it. And now… Lu Yuan had appeared, shattering his Bat King’s Grin. In that moment, Elder Bat knew Lu Yuan's strength surpassed his own; otherwise, he could never have broken his ultimate secret art. Elder Bat felt utterly disgraced—his master, the Scarlet-Winged Demon King, could obliterate Lu Yuan’s master, Li Yuanbai, yet his own power could not overcome Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan stood there. The recent Bat King’s Grin had been truly terrifying! Simply put, facing the Bat King’s Grin just now, he hadn't even had time to see it, but his body had reacted. His body had instinctively lashed out with a sword strike, forcefully hacking the Bat Elder out of the very state of Bat King’s Grin he was entering. The reason for such rapid bodily reaction was largely due to the training period spent following Zhou Qingxuan—first, solidifying the foundations of the Way of the Sword, and then facing the ten thousand and one sword energies within the Myriad Sword Reincarnation Array. After so long practicing the sword, his visual acuity and hand reflexes had become astonishing. Eventually, it ceased relying on eyesight; it was purely the body’s best instinct guiding him to deflect the Myriad Swords Reincarnation. His body’s responsiveness had accelerated immeasurably. Every fiber of his being was attuned to the feeling of the sword. Not to mention—having just broken through ten thousand and one sword energies—Lu Yuan’s senses were perfectly primed. The Way of the Sword relies partly on feeling; when the feeling is right, the swordplay flows exceptionally well. Elder Bat was simply unlucky enough to encounter Lu Yuan precisely when his sensation was at its peak, allowing Lu Yuan to shatter the Bat King’s Grin with a single stroke. Suddenly, Lu Yuan realized he was surrounded. Now, the remaining seven combat-capable elders—Elder Bat, Elder Sword, Elder Tiger, Elder Snake, Elder White Fox, Elder Fa, and Elder Fire—all converged on him. Lu Yuan was positioned closest to the Great Dao Law Pill. And the seven of them formed a circle with Lu Yuan at the center. Elder Bat composed himself. "What? Are you, a mere single person, attempting to stand against all seven of us? Hand over the Great Dao Law Pill honestly, and we won't make things difficult for you." Lu Yuan scoffed, "Forget it, then. Let me contend against seven of the Ten Great Demonic Elders by myself."

Such audacity! Lu Yuan’s statement stunned the entire assembly. The Ten Great Demonic Elders were the absolute elite among countless demons, a composite force of ten peak Longevity Stage cultivators. Though the members changed with each generation, every iteration proved terrifyingly powerful. For instance, Lu Yuan’s own master, Li Yuanbai, managing to ambush the mid-to-lower-ranked Elder Fox in his final moments was already an immense feat. To challenge seven out of the Ten Great Elders single-handedly was a feat few could accomplish—certainly none in the ninth or tenth generations had managed it. Lu Yuan was now poised to achieve a miracle unseen in centuries: challenging seven of the Ten Great Demonic Elders alone. This…

Lu Yuan smoothly rotated his sword, driving it straight toward Elder Sword. His energy had long locked onto Elder Sword, who was the most severely constrained by Lu Yuan’s True Sword King realm, given he was a Sword Demon himself—nearly compelling him to submit. As this profoundly mystical sword thrust arrived, Elder Sword tried to respond; sword techniques clashed mid-air. Elder Sword was famed for his subtle moves and vast knowledge of sword arts, yet even now he realized Lu Yuan’s casual thrust was infinitely superior to his own, and entirely unfamiliar. Seeing the point closing in, Elder Sword's innate fear flared; with a strange cry, he dared not meet the blow, retreating rapidly, his breath ragged even after falling back.

Lu Yuan slid forward, driving a sword thrust at Elder Tiger. Elder Tiger, still wounded from their encounter over a month prior, had not fully recovered, yet Lu Yuan’s strike struck his shoulder. Blood sprayed wildly; heavily injured, he instantly lost his fighting capacity. Elder Snake offered a seductive smile. "Luuuu Yuan—Luuuu Yuan—" Elder Snake specialized in mental manipulation, the Heart-Bewitching Arts; engaging her required constant vigilance against losing one's mind. Lu Yuan ignored her completely. His Soul-Nourishing Sword shimmered with righteous energy, the blade flashing keenly toward Elder Snake. Elder Snake had never failed to hold an opponent captive, even for a single moment, using her Heart-Bewitching Arts. Now, with a scream, she was impaled by Lu Yuan's Soul-Nourishing Sword through the chest. Her technique was largely ineffective against those wielding swords imbued with pure righteousness—a group exceedingly rare. The North Peak had only two, Fang Ru and Lu Yuan; other peaks had even fewer. Elder Snake had not anticipated this outcome and suffered the unlucky piercing blow.

Elder Fa shouted, "Let me face him!" Elder Fa was the most skilled in the application of sorcery among the Ten Elders. He waved his hand, unleashing chaotic, world-obscuring spells, then raised it again for a Sandstorm Barrage—dust billowed everywhere as countless grains, laden with terrible magical force, whistled toward Lu Yuan. Elder Fa waved his hand once more, and massive stones began to fall, locked onto Lu Yuan as their target. At this instant, Lu Yuan propelled his body upward abruptly, his movement following his sword, slicing directly through. Elder Fa realized with a shock that Lu Yuan was cleverly dismantling his magic. He was utterly bewildered how Lu Yuan was countering his Earth element spells. In reality, it was simple: sword arts and sorcery inherently counter each other—superior sword art can subdue magic, and potent magic can overwhelm the sword, but Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship far surpassed Elder Fa’s spellcasting, meaning such spells would naturally be broken with ease. For a moment, everything seemed to pause. The preceding combat was almost unbelievable: Lu Yuan had forced back Elder Sword, wounded Elder Tiger, pierced Elder Snake, and defeated Elder Fa. "I'll do it!" Elder Fire leaped out. Elder Fire’s temperament was as fiery as his element. Seeing Lu Yuan standing so effortlessly, he erupted in fury and charged forward. Upon unleashing his power, he brought forth his Sword Intent of Fire, combined with his Abyssal Core Fire. Elder Fire, being a creature born of molten rock deep underground, had mastered the art of lava flame. As he exploded with power, the sky turned crimson, the ground became scorching, and between heaven and earth, surging lava flowed toward Lu Yuan. His attack didn't adhere to specific sword forms or spells; it was pure, instinctual power. This Elder Fire was no minor figure; among the Ten Elders, he ranked third, second only to the near-Dao level Elder Bat and Elder Sword. In a head-on confrontation, even they usually had to yield to the overwhelming force of his lava attacks. With the general momentum momentarily broken, Elder Fire initiated the assault.

Lu Yuan reversed his sword, manifesting the Sovereign of Water Sword style, incorporating the nine intents of Water, Ice, Snow, Lake, Sea, Cloud, Mist, Rain, and Wine—all unified under the Sovereign of Water Sword Dao—and blasted them outward. Recently, Lu Yuan had managed to grasp the Sword Intent of Wine, the easiest for him to comprehend, achieved without the slightest difficulty. Lu Yuan channeled the Sovereign of Water Sword Dao and advanced upon Elder Fire. Lava everywhere, the King of Magma, meeting the Sovereign of Water, the Sovereign of Water Sword Dao. The collision was tremendous. Boom! The impact at that moment was world-shaking. The space, which moments before contained nothing but the Sword Immortals, instantly became a chaotic mix of molten rock, flying ice and water, and swirling mist, obscuring everyone’s vision—who was winning, water or fire? The force of water and fire was immense. Crash! As the mist momentarily cleared, Elder Fire, the King of Magma, was violently thrown backward. It seemed he had lost this battle. As he flew, blood streamed from his mouth—too powerful! And at that moment, a hidden, extremely subtle killing intent locked onto Lu Yuan, instantly launching the most terrifying strike against him.

Night Devourer Blood! This was another one of the Scarlet-Winged Demon King’s ultimate techniques—Night Devourer Blood. If the Bat King’s Grin was the Demon King's fastest move, then Night Devourer Blood was his most concealed, waiting for the critical moment for a finishing blow. After Lu Yuan broke the Bat King’s Grin, Elder Bat had concealed himself amidst the actions of the other elders. He finally found his opportunity: right after the clash between water and fire, when Lu Yuan was momentarily relaxed after defeating the inherently fiery Elder Fire, Elder Bat employed his most savage technique. Driven by the intent to kill Lu Yuan! The dagger was already aimed precisely at Lu Yuan’s throat. The next instant!