The early morning. The first rays of sunlight crested the colorful clouds of the sky and struck Changchun Residence on the North Peak just as Lu Yuan awoke. Today, he had risen exceptionally early.

It had been a long time since he had seen the sun; when the mountain-guarding formation was active, sunlight was entirely blocked out. He pushed open the window, and fresh, clean air flooded the room. Lu Yuan let out a long breath—what invigorating air!

In the garden outside the window, a faint stir of life was evident; the hundred flowers had just begun to sprout tiny buds, and the green on the branches was sparse, almost nonexistent, like the hazy color of willows in a faint mist. A golden oriole alighted on a branch, so lightly it seemed afraid of startling the nascent buds. The branch swayed almost imperceptibly.

A crisp song flowed from the oriole’s throat. On the ground, an earthworm broke the soil and slowly wriggled free. Lu Yuan gazed further out.

In the distance, the North Peak held a hint of green, though approaching it would likely reveal the familiar sight of "grass colors seen from afar, yet absent up close." This was early spring. Lu Yuan felt an unusual sense of ease and contentment that morning. The siege of ten thousand demons against Mount Hua was the first true war of his life, unlike the small-scale skirmishes of just a few people or a dozen.

Having experienced his first real war, he finally understood the beauty of peace, the sheer delight of witnessing the vernal signs of morning. Lu Yuan planned to rest; he genuinely needed a good period of repose. Lately, he had been far too exhausted.

The battle against the ten thousand demons attacking Mount Hua had left him no time to even catch his breath—it simply wasn't his style. First, he needed to fetch some wine; he was completely out, and wine was his second life, ranking equally with his sword. Wait, no, there was one more crucial thing today: the time for distributing rewards.

Everyone had fought with exceptional dedication in the recent battle, and Chu Duan had previously announced that rewards would be given out. Rumor had it that the spoils collected from the battlefield were immense, and most would be divided among them. Lu Yuan hoped he would receive a good portion of Soul Crystals; he was sorely in need of them.

Reaching the Great Perfection of the Tenth Level of Longevity was achieved entirely through the forceful accumulation provided by Cloud Beasts and Soul Crystals. Without sufficient quantities of both, one shouldn't even begin to discuss this realm; the accumulation required for this stage was vast beyond measure. …… On Chaoyang Peak of the East Peak, there was a flat area called the Immortal Palm Terrace, which was traditionally the venue where the True Disciples of the Five Peaks held their sword contests.

This Immortal Palm Terrace was remarkably level. And today, this was the place designated for the reward distribution. Lu Yuan headed towards the Immortal Palm Terrace early in the morning.

Along the way, he felt a surge of emotion. He recalled the last time he visited the Immortal Palm Terrace on Chaoyang Peak with his Master; the Master walked ahead, and he followed behind. Sadly, his Master had already passed away.

A touch of melancholy touched him, but Lu Yuan's naturally optimistic disposition quickly reasserted itself. He habitually reached for his wine, only to find nothing—a tragedy. With that, he increased the speed of his sword flight; after only a few ascents and descents, he arrived at the East Peak’s Immortal Palm Terrace, feeling a unique sense of nostalgia upon revisiting the old ground.

When Lu Yuan arrived at the Immortal Palm Terrace, a significant number of people were already gathered there. The contingents from the East, South, North, West, and Middle Peaks stood separated in their respective corners. Lu Yuan positioned himself among the North Peak group, observing the five peaks arrayed against each other.

He mused internally that one day he would ensure the five peaks would cease their confrontation, or perhaps, cease to exist altogether, restoring Mount Hua to a single sect. This was his grand ambition; the division of the Five Peaks spanning five thousand years ought to conclude soon, or else the situation risked becoming extremely perilous. Fang Ru was absent this time; as the Lord of a Peak, he had too many duties to attend to everything personally.

However, Ye Yangrong was present; he too stood to receive substantial rewards that would greatly benefit his cultivation. Several Martial Uncles were also there, and Lu Yuan paid his respects to each one in turn. "Prepare yourself.

The battle records have been finalized; this is just the formality. The undisputed top record holder for the entire Mount Hua campaign is Sect Master Chu. Among those in the Great Dao Realm, nine individuals ranked above you in achievement.

Of course, your contributions were considerable; your actual ranking stood at eleventh. However, on the surface, it is your record that is first. Therefore, we need you to prepare a speech, talk about your feelings, and so on." Lu Yuan was momentarily speechless; discussing feelings was not something he was good at.

Seeing Lu Yuan’s distressed expression, Ye Yangrong handed him a document: "Just read what’s written here." Lu Yuan glanced at it and realized Martial Uncle Ye Yangrong had already drafted it for him, prompting him to express his profuse thanks repeatedly. These rankings and achievements had long been sorted out. The secret rewards would be distributed privately; only the public acknowledgments were being displayed.

When Lu Yuan's name was called, a roar erupted—not just from the North Peak disciples, but from those of the other peaks as well. Despite the significant schism between the Three Factions over the years, Lu Yuan was undoubtedly the idol of every disciple on Mount Hua. The clamor, like a sudden mountain flood, startled Lu Yuan himself.

When had his popularity grown so immense? Lu Yuan felt inexplicably bewildered. He realized, without noticing, that he had become an idol.

Lu Yuan looked at the script Ye Yangrong had given him—a remarkably tedious, completely formulaic document from which no fault could be found. Suddenly, Lu Yuan crumpled the script: "At Mount Hua, there is the division of the Three Factions. Over the years, the strife between the three has only grown chaotic.

Actually, what does it matter how good the sword techniques are, or how effective the magic arts are? Why must sword arts and magical arts constantly compete for superiority? Sword arts and magical arts inherently have no hierarchy; it all depends on the practitioner.

I recall Ancestor Yan once said that a third-rate sword technique in the hands of a first-rate person becomes a first-rate sword technique. The very worst sword arts became unparalleled in Ancestor Yan's hands. Why, even now, do the Sword Sect and the Qi Sect still fight over superiority?

It is the person—everything depends on the person!" "I know my words might ring hollow. Here at Mount Hua, countless elders with superior wisdom have wished to unite the Three Factions and end the Sword-Qi conflict, yet all have failed. But despite this, I must speak my mind." —————— The words Lu Yuan spoke certainly caused a considerable sensation.

After all, Lu Yuan was the idol for nearly every disciple on Mount Hua, and since the disciples were young, the concept of Sword and Qi being irreconcilable was not deeply ingrained; upon hearing Lu Yuan speak, they felt a stir of conviction. However, convincing the elders was entirely out of the question. As soon as Lu Yuan finished speaking, he was ushered away, and Chu Duan immediately issued an order: confinement for six months.

This leniency was only afforded because it was Lu Yuan, the preeminent genius of his generation on Mount Hua, and very likely its future strongest expert. Had anyone else said such things, the consequences would likely have been severe; a stint on Reflection Peak would have been guaranteed. The reason Lu Yuan wasn't sent to Reflection Peak was that something felt off.

Lu Yuan had visited Reflection Peak once before, and then again recently, entering and leaving both times with an air of relaxation, as if vacationing—it was strange. So, they opted instead for direct confinement, keeping him away from Reflection Peak. Naturally, Lu Yuan’s awarded rewards were not reduced in the slightest.

Lu Yuan was now serving his six-month confinement period in Changchun Residence, inventorying his spoils. Being confined meant he couldn't leave North Peak, and since he was naturally reclusive, staying in the North Peak for half a year posed no difficulty whatsoever. First was a spirit beast of the Exotic Beast type, sealed within a Spirit Sealing Tablet.

He had truly never seen an Exotic Beast type spirit beast before. He immediately sent his divine sense into the seal to see what this creature looked like. Upon viewing it, he realized this Exotic Beast spirit beast was indeed colossal, far larger than a Cloud Whale, entirely white, possessing four legs, and its body size rivaled four or five Cloud Whales combined, trailing a long tail.

Its back was covered in numerous sword-like spikes, and its eyes glared fiercely; even in its white form, it exuded magnificent might. This was… Lu Yuan did not recognize this monster at all. He immediately scrambled to consult the library texts in Changchun Residence.

His Master had indeed left behind a substantial collection. He discovered that this monster was called a Dinosaur, one of many varieties, supposedly a monstrous creature that lived in the ancient past but had long been extinct. However, current spirit beasts of various classifications might still manifest in their forms.

This specific type was classified as an—Exotic Beast level, a spirit beast more powerful than the Giant Beast level. Spirit beasts were generally classified as Small, Medium, Large, and Giant. The transition between one level and the next followed a ten-to-one exchange ratio.

However, from the Exotic Beast level upward—to Legendary, Mythical, and Ancient levels—the ratio shifted to one hundred to one. Simply put, one hundred Giant Beast level spirit beasts were equivalent to one Exotic Beast level spirit beast, and one hundred Exotic Beast level spirit beasts were required to equal one Legendary level spirit beast. The higher the rank of the spirit beast, the exponentially more precious it became.

A Cloud Sword Dragon of the Exotic Beast level, like the one he obtained, was unimaginably valuable. He now possessed a total of one Exotic Beast level spirit beast and seventy-three Giant Beast level spirit beasts. With this Exotic Beast level spirit beast alone, he felt his surrounding magical power surging and consolidating into his body, increasing his cultivation speed by nearly double compared to before.

It was an astonishing leap. Obtaining an Exotic Beast level spirit beast was incredibly fortunate, secured only through achieving the number one visible merit during the siege of ten thousand demons against Mount Hua. In addition to that, there were five Soul Crystals.

This meant he now possessed a total of eight Soul Crystals. Originally, he should have received other rewards, given the sheer number of demons slain, including one Demon King level and one Demon Marquis level, along with countless others. But the acquisition of the Exotic Beast level spirit beast was such an overwhelming piece of luck that other rewards had to be scaled back accordingly.

…… The light emanating from the Soul Crystal situated between his brows gradually faded, and with a soft crack, another Soul Crystal shattered. Yes, Lu Yuan was currently engaged in earnest cultivation. Since he was confined, there was nothing else to do, so naturally, he practiced here, pushing toward the Tenth Level of Longevity.

He had just used Soul Crystals to enhance his spirit, consuming two consecutively, and immediately felt a significant boost to his soul, yet he was still quite far from the Tenth Level of Longevity. Indeed, the path to the Tenth Level of Longevity was truly arduous! The road to impacting the Tenth Level of Longevity is long and winding.

(The content of these two chapters is somewhat leisurely. Following the siege of ten thousand demons against Mount Hua, an immediate major conflict is impossible; there needs to be a period of smoothing things out. Also, I recommend a Xianxia book by my friend, categorized as Fantasy Cultivation, titled Devouring Heaven and Swapping Suns (), Book ID: 2078788, Link: ://../b/2078788.

The author is an experienced hand, having written three or four published books, and is now shifting focus with seasoned skill. Friends who enjoy Xianxia fantasy cultivation might want to take a look.)RO