The fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, the Mid-Autumn Festival. This day was quite a significant occasion. In the great Immortal Sects of the Jin Kingdom, on this very day each year, they paid homage to the Lord of the Lunar Star. The Lord of the Lunar Star held a lofty position in the Jin Kingdom’s celestial hierarchy; the Lord of the Solar Star and the Lord of the Lunar Star were second only to the Six Great Celestial Emperors in status within Jin. Furthermore, throughout Jin’s history, there were recorded instances of the Lord of the Lunar Star descending to aid humankind, which cemented this tradition.

Peak Master Fang Ru stood with a solemn expression before an altar, burning night incense. The rising smoke gradually coalesced into scenes from the Moon Palace: the ethereal vapors transformed into hopping Jade Rabbits, Wu Gang tirelessly swung his axe at the cassia tree, and the celestial beauty Chang’e sighed softly with her hands clasped behind her back.

Lu Yuan had always been fond of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The North Peak did not sell wine, but on every fifteenth of the eighth month, there was always Osmanthus wine to be had.

Fang Ru stood there, along with a contingent of Sword Immortals and Elders standing behind him, followed by the Core Disciples, and then the general disciples in order. Lu Yuan naturally stood among the Core Disciples. Six of them had returned; four were still absent. Oh, right, Sima Bo had long since been expelled from the ranks of Core Disciples, and a new one had been recruited. This new disciple was now ranked eleventh—an outstanding talent named Lin Yixing from among the regular disciples, currently being mentored by Dugu Ye.

This meant that among the ten Core Disciples, there were now two women, no longer just Ling Yuzhu. Lin Yixing possessed a round face, not strikingly beautiful, still bearing a touch of baby fat, yet she appeared quite endearing. Lin Yixing had always admired Lu Yuan, and over the past six months, she had sought his counsel on several occasions, which Lu Yuan patiently addressed on the North Peak. This junior sister's strength was still quite low; she was merely at the fifth level of the Qi Condensation stage.

Shifting focus back, after Fang Ru finished offering respects to the Moon Goddess, he turned back: "Before we partake in the mooncakes, I will briefly say a few words."

"It has been over two years since I assumed the position of Peak Master of the North Peak. Despite my diligent efforts, my personal strength has been insufficient. In these two years, the development of the North Peak has fallen far short of what it achieved during Senior Brother Yuanyuan’s tenure. For this, I must apologize to all of you," Fang Ru stated. "However, thanks to everyone's hard work, I believe the North Peak’s tomorrow, and the future of Mount Hua, will be even brighter."

He only spoke a few simple, encouraging words before immediately proceeding to divide the mooncakes.

A massive table was set up here, surrounded by offerings of cockscomb flowers, edamame branches, taro, peanuts, radishes, and fresh lotus root. In the very center of the table rested a colossal mooncake, approximately eight chi across and weighing over one hundred and twenty catties—yes, a mooncake so impossibly large, weighing more than a hundred and twenty catties.

Everyone took a piece from this enormous cake to symbolize the consumption of the Reunion Cake. Lu Yuan also took a bite. The taste was rather ordinary, but since it was only once a year, it gained a few points for the occasion, making it seem somewhat delicious.

For the past half-year, Lu Yuan had been under strict confinement. Fortunately, he had asked his junior brother Ye Fang to bring up several hundred jin of wine for him, which had barely seen him through the six months. During this period, the only things he did daily were sleeping, practicing his swordplay, drinking, and cultivating—nothing else beyond those four activities.

Life had been so straightforward; he felt that over these six months, with the assistance of one spirit beast of the Exotic level and seventy-three Giant Spirit Beasts, his progress in cultivation felt almost complete. However, his Divine Soul and his physical body still lagged significantly behind, nowhere near the requirements for the tenth level of Longevity.

Therefore, he had not yet reached the tenth level of Longevity.

The tenth level of Longevity—it truly was difficult to break through. Fortunately, Lu Yuan maintained an excellent mindset; if he hadn't broken through yet, then so be it. It wasn't a major issue.

During this half-year, a major event had occurred in the Cultivation World. The two Sect Masters of the Xuanming Sect, Old Man Xuanbi and Guest of the Dark Staff, one of them, while traveling abroad, encountered people from the Great Yong Kingdom. In this world, apart from the Central Celestial Dynasty at the very center, the four strongest nations were the Great Yong Kingdom, the Great Gu Kingdom, the Great Yi Kingdom, and the Great Rui Kingdom.

These four nations each possessed unique characteristics.

The Great Yong Kingdom was the strongest nation in the south. The Southern Border was merely a small frontier region; the Great Yong Kingdom was the true overlord of the South. It was rumored that the people of Great Yong possessed all manner of esoteric skills, such as the Lotus True Understanding of Dongfang Yao, which was said to have originated in the Great Yong Kingdom.

The Great Gu Kingdom was situated in the North. The cultivation methods of the Great Gu Kingdom were somewhat peculiar; generally, their techniques focused on achieving instant death in a single strike, with few fixed forms, which bore some resemblance to the Southern Sea Immortal Sects. It was rumored that the Great Gu Kingdom boasted many ultimate techniques on par with the Heaven-Outsider Flying Immortal, such as A Night of Spring Rain in a Small Tower and Small Gu Flying Dagger.

As for the Great Yi Kingdom, it was the strongest nation in the East. The Great Yi Kingdom possessed four supreme cultivation manuals: the War God Myriad Battles Record, the Immortal Longevity Art, the Sword Dao Clear Heart Canon, and the Heavenly Demon Chaos Scripture. The techniques of the Great Yi Kingdom emphasized momentum (qishi); they frequently confronted enemies using sheer imposing presence, making it the nation with the strongest qishi among the Four Great Kingdoms.

And the Great Rui Kingdom, located in the West, was considered the most formidable among the Four Great Kingdoms. The cultivation methods of the Great Rui Kingdom were also quite strange; the strongest texts were said to include the Book of Emotionless Detachment and the Heaven-Shaking Sword. This nation's techniques were eclectic and chaotic, almost entirely disregarding any set forms, making them difficult to grasp.

Of course, although these four nations were immensely powerful—far stronger than the Great Qin Kingdom—they paled in comparison to the Central Celestial Dynasty. The Central Celestial Dynasty was truly the continent’s foremost nation, the world’s number one power.

Invincible and unparalleled: that was the Central Celestial Dynasty.

Returning to the main point, the two Masters of the Xuanming Sect, Old Man Xuanbi and Guest of the Dark Staff, somehow offended people from the Great Yong Kingdom. According to hushed rumors, the conflict arose over a woman, and they were ultimately annihilated by the people of Great Yong.

The Xuanming Sect was one of the Ten Mid-Tier Immortal Sects, famed for their chilling, pervasive cold aura—the coldest sect in the Jin Kingdom. Their Profound Nether True Understanding was also a terrifying inner technique; once the Xuanming True Ice was mastered, it became supremely formidable. Their domain was the Ice Lake, a hidden location whose whereabouts remain unknown. Furthermore, it was rumored that the strength of Xuanming Sect members increased dramatically within the Ice Lake; even figures at the Great Dao Realm might not fare too well there.

The previous generation of the Xuanming Sect was exceedingly prosperous, but the former Xuanming Master was slain by Yan Cangtian. This current generation had two leaders: Old Man Xuanbi and Guest of the Dark Staff. As a result, the sect's power had significantly waned. Over the years that Xuanbi and the Dark Staff quarreled, the Xuanming Sect only managed to maintain four figures at the Great Dao Realm.

Coincidentally, both Old Man Xuanbi and Guest of the Dark Staff were recently killed by people from the Great Yong Kingdom, and the remaining two were only at the first level of the Great Dao Realm. Normally, with the vast resources of the Xuanming Sect, having only two figures at the first level of the Great Dao Realm would invite plunder, but the issue was that few people knew the Xuanming Sect's location. Relying on the Xuanming True Ice, their combat strength within the Ice Lake was terrifyingly high, so no one dared to provoke them. The Xuanming Sect continued to dominate its sphere.

Moreover, the Xuanming Sect had reportedly split into two factions. The leader of one faction was Xuan Huazi, the inheritor of Old Man Xuanbi, and the leader of the other was Ming Jianzi, the inheritor of Guest of the Dark Staff. They were still locked in ceaseless conflict, and both were said to be at the first stage of the Great Dao Realm—the realm of Initial Attainment of the Great Dao.

———————— The Mid-Autumn Festival had passed, and the six-month confinement order had also expired. Lu Yuan had already descended Mount Hua; having stayed on the mountain for half a year, it was time to leave. If he didn't get off the mountain soon, he felt he might literally start growing mold.

He left Mount Hua and wandered aimlessly. One day, walking along, he arrived beneath a clear spring. The scenery here was tranquil and secluded—a fine spot. Lu Yuan mused internally, shaking his wine gourd, intending to find a patch of grass and take a nap. Suddenly, the surface of the clear spring froze over into a thick sheet of ice. A figure descended from the sky with a heavy thud, landing right on the ice.

The person was enveloped in a dense, chilling aura; their features were hard to discern. Their imposing presence was terrifyingly astonishing; the cold energy radiating from them shot straight up to the highest heavens. The moment this figure landed, the ground beneath began to form thick layers of frost. Even Lu Yuan, whose power was currently quite high, felt a bone-piercing chill.

"Marvelous, marvelous! I never expected to encounter a cultivator so profound in water manipulation here. Perfect, I shall capture you and use such Water System Spirit Bones to perfect the supreme divine art of the Profound Nether True Understanding. Then, I can surely surpass Ming Jianzi and become the sole Master of the Xuanming Sect."

Water System Spirit Bones? Lu Yuan blinked in surprise. In truth, Lu Yuan had mastered the Sword Dao of the Water Emperor, which was why he was identified as having these "Water System Spirit Bones." Lu Yuan knew the newcomer’s strength was likely earth-shattering, far surpassing Elder Bat, who was only half a step into the Great Dao Realm. Thus, he dared not treat the matter lightly, his hand already resting on his sword hilt: "Who are you?"

"I am Xuan Huazi, Master of the Xuanming Sect. What a young Water System Spirit Bone," Xuan Huazi smiled slightly. "Oh? You are Lu Yuan of the Mount Hua Immortal Sect?" There were many portraits of Lu Yuan throughout the Jin Kingdom, which Xuan Huazi had clearly seen, but he immediately shook his head. "It matters little. A Water System Spirit Bone like you is exceedingly rare. If I let you go, I may never find another. Today, I will take you to aid me in completing the final supreme divine art of the Profound Nether True Understanding and claim the position of the sole Master of the Xuanming Sect." He showed no fear, as this was a remote location, and Lu Yuan’s chance encounter meant the Mount Hua Immortal Sect would never know he was the one who abducted him.

Lu Yuan’s heart tightened, but a surge of fierce courage rose within him. Indeed, this was a great fiend he had never encountered before, perhaps even a fiend at the first level of the Great Dao Realm—the Initial Attainment. But still, this offered a chance to test the gap between himself and a figure of the Great Dao Realm. Today, he would fight to the utmost! Perhaps, just perhaps, he might even win.

(Uh, I suddenly wanted to write about the Mid-Autumn Festival, considering it an early celebration for everyone in the novel. There will only be one chapter today because I spent far, far too long thinking about the plot outline, and by the time I figured it out, it was extremely late. I will make up the missed chapter tomorrow.)