Though Xuan Qinke and Ming Ba were prone to bickering, both possessed the cultivation of the Tenth Level of Longevity, placing them among the absolute elite of the Xuanming Immortal Sect, ranked third and fourth respectively. To see figures of their caliber struck down in an instant was an utter humiliation.

Lu Yuan moved, recalling his Yangwu Spirit Sword.

Dealing with Xuan Qinke and Ming Ba required nothing more than overwhelming force; there was no need for subtle maneuvers. In fact, the sword strike just delivered was far less intricate than his final blow against Xuan Huazi, but it sufficed for these two.

After the effortless strike, Lu Yuan casually remarked, "So, who else is there?" Indeed, who else remained?

If even Xuan Qinke and Ming Ba, ranked third and fourth, had fallen, who could possibly stand?

The two Sect Masters, Xuan Huazi, had been absent for several months, and Ming Jianzi was currently in seclusion.

This meant Lu Yuan had successfully sealed the sect.

This was a slap to the face of the Xuanming Immortal Sect, echoing loudly. Naturally, members of the sect argued that their two Masters had their reasons for not intervening now, suggesting that teaching Lu Yuan a lesson would be trivial otherwise. Lu Yuan chuckled; Xuan Huazi wasn't coming back, and as for Ming Jianzi, he was in seclusion—very well, Lu Yuan would wait until he emerged before slaying him.

Lu Yuan then inquired, "By the way, where is that woman named Yun Meng whom Ming Jianzi captured some time ago?" Lu Yuan asked with deceptive nonchalance, but his current power crushed every member of the Xuanming Immortal Sect present, lending immense weight to his casual words. Wu Yun was beside himself with excitement, seemingly awaiting this outcome.

Xuan Qinke replied, "That woman, Yun Meng, has been locked away in the Bronze Sparrow Terrace, but only Sect Master Ming Jianzi possesses the means to break the seals on that terrace; none of us can enter." As a follower of Xuan Huazi's lineage, he felt no pressure engaging with Ming Jianzi's faction.

This distinction marked the difference between the Righteous and the Evil Paths.

Sects of the Righteous Path, even if internally fractured, would unite to resist external threats.

But sects of the Evil Path would actively harm one another within the sect; they certainly wouldn't speak of unity against an outsider—they would seek to undermine their rivals first. The Xuan Faction and the Ming Faction of the Xuanming Sect had been vying for supremacy for ages, each hoping the other would perish entirely.

"In that case, it seems we must wait for Ming Jianzi to emerge," Lu Yuan composed himself.

Although Wu Zhao was consumed with anxiety, he was helpless. Given the situation, waiting seemed inevitable.

This matter... would rest here for now.

However, the surrounding seas had suddenly become a focal point of excitement. The Xuanming Immortal Sect did not need to hide as deeply as the Blood Sword Immortal Sect; after all, the power held by the various Righteous Sects in the sea region was not overwhelmingly strong. The only major power, the South Sea Immortal Sect, operated with a semi-righteous, semi-evil code, and as long as they weren't provoked, this situation wasn't a major concern.

Consequently, quite a few cultivating families and rogue cultivators near the area knew the location of the Xuanming Immortal Sect.

The Xuanming Sect also maintained some degree of interaction with these cultivators.

Lu Yuan blocking the mountain gate of the Xuanming Immortal Sect with a single sword strike—this incident was monumental.

"Did you hear? The Xuanming Immortal Sect's mountain gate has been sealed by that man," one cultivator whispered mysteriously in a cultivation market.

"Impossible, are you kidding?" another cultivator clearly did not believe it.

"Right. Even though the Xuanming Immortal Sect has weakened recently, they are still one of the ten Mid-Tier Immortal Sects. Who could possibly seal their gate?" another individual also expressed disbelief; from any angle, an entire Mid-Tier Immortal Sect having its gate sealed was unimaginable.

"You all truly haven't heard? Remember Wu Zhao, whose wife was captured here recently?" "Tch, you can't possibly mean Wu Zhao. Wu Zhao only has the power of the First Level of Longevity; anyone from the Xuanming Immortal Sect could easily deal with him." Apparently, some still recalled the man who had desperately sought aid, only to be ignored by many too intimidated by the Xuanming Sect's reputation to help.

"Yes, the very same Wu Zhao, but it wasn't him who sealed the gate. Word is, a young man came to help him and sealed the Xuanming Immortal Sect's gate," the cultivator who started the gossip explained.

"Impossible."

"Yes, impossible." To this point, everyone remained completely unconvinced, as the news truly defied belief.

"It’s true; I heard several people discussing it," a cultivator nearby interjected.

"Yes, my friend went to the Xuanming Immortal Sect yesterday and saw that the entrance was completely blocked shut."

"No way." Disbelief was still evident.

"If you don't believe it, go take a look." "We'll look, of course! How could we miss witnessing such a rare event?" In the vast expanse of the surrounding sea region, cultivators from all directions, having heard that the Mid-Tier Xuanming Immortal Sect's gate had been sealed, flocked toward it. Such an anomaly—a Mid-Tier Sect sealed—had not been witnessed for countless years; they would seize this chance to gain experience, considering it an eye-opener.

In front of the Xuanming Ice Palace, the usual tranquility was shattered.

Countless cultivators, drawn from afar to witness the spectacle, gathered. They too wished to see the legendary figure who had sealed the gate. However, to their disappointment, the person was extremely young, and searching through all known figures in the South Sea yielded no match for him.

Inside the Xuanming Sect, the members were privately furious. They had suffered an unimaginable loss of face by having their gates sealed. If that were all, it would be one thing, but now, rogue cultivators they usually looked down upon dared to gather right outside their doors—truly audacious.

Normally, these rogue cultivators would be terrified into silence just standing near the gate, such was the prestige of the Xuanming Immortal Sect. But now, these rogues stood there pointing and gossiping. The Xuanming members felt deeply humiliated, yet they were powerless, as Lu Yuan had blocked the exit.

"Who is this young man who sealed the gate?"

"Wait—isn't that...?" Most people from the South Sea did not recognize Lu Yuan, but finally, a rogue cultivator who had once traveled to the Central Plains recognized him: "This is Lu Yuan, a true core disciple of the Tenth Generation of the Huashan Immortal Sect. They say he is the foremost among the Tenth Generation."

"The Tenth Generation? Is he of the same generation as Qiao Silu from the South Sea Immortal Sect?" Some South Sea rogue cultivators were unfamiliar with the generational structure within the Jin Kingdom.

"Yes, he is the same generation as Qiao Silu."

"I heard that Qiao Silu of the South Sea Immortal Sect's Tenth Generation is also a genius, perhaps currently around the Fourth Level of Body Tempering. But this Lu Yuan has reached a level where he can defeat Xuan Qinke and Ming Ba of the Tenth Level of Longevity in a single move. The gap between geniuses of the Tenth Generation is this vast?"

"Tsk, indeed."

In reality, the members of the Xuanming Immortal Sect had only just managed to identify Lu Yuan. If anyone was to blame, it was the vast distance between the South Sea and the Central Plains, which led to delayed intelligence. The South Sea Immortal Sect rarely interacted with other major sects among the Five Upper-Tier Sects—not out of arrogance, but simply due to the immense distance.

One might argue that teleportation arrays were fast. True, teleportation arrays were fast, but the further the distance, the greater the consumption of spirit stones. How much wealth could withstand such an expense? Xuan Huazi, as the Sect Master, and needing Lu Yuan for training purposes at that time, had indulged in the expense; otherwise, well...

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Lu Yuan sat as solid as Mount Tai.

Lu Yuan even used the surrounding water to form a table, poured wine, and began drinking and relaxing in complete ease. To seal another person's mountain gate and reach such a state of leisure—Lu Yuan was likely the first person in history to achieve this.

While the surrounding crowd buzzed with discussion, Lu Yuan seemed oblivious, casually sipping his wine. This was a scene Lu Yuan was quite accustomed to.

At that instant, a heaven-shaking aura surged from within the Xuanming Ice Palace. This presence rose like a pillar of icy swords piercing the sky, its immense, frigid aura causing those with weaker cultivation to shiver involuntarily. The massive pressure descended, making everyone feel as if plunged into winter snow and chilling ice.

Even Wu Zhao, at the First Level of Longevity, felt the flow of his spiritual power slow considerably.

Everyone astute in the field understood: one of the Xuanming Sect's two Masters, Ming Jianzi, had emerged from seclusion. The members of the Xuanming Immortal Sect erupted in cheers. After enduring the utter disgrace of having their gate sealed for so long, their Master had personally emerged; now they could finally crush Lu Yuan into dust. At this point, everyone could see that Lu Yuan was of the Longevity stage. Though he could swiftly defeat Xuan Qinke and Ming Ba, he remained within the Longevity realm, and a Longevity realm cultivator could not possibly contend with Sect Master Ming Jianzi.

A sound like thunderous explosion boomed from the sky: "You little whelp Lu Yuan, if you had wisely stayed in the Central Plains, relying on the Huashan Immortal Sect’s name, no one would dare touch you. But you dared to come to the South Sea to throw your weight around—truly, you walked the path to heaven only to find the gates of hell."

"However, I will not kill you. If I capture you, I can exchange you with Venerable Yuan Ling for many secret manuals, spirit stones, and even the Laws of the Great Dao." The booming thunder from the void deafened the onlookers. Such immense spiritual power, clearly belonging to the Great Dao Realm—his very words caused the rules of heaven and earth to fluctuate.

Before Lu Yuan, an ice sculpture was slowly forming—an ice sculpture resembling a heavenly sword. A massive sword energy descended from above, drawing the freezing mist up from the sea to materialize into the immense form of an ice sword.

Lu Yuan was finished!

This was the thought shared by both the members of the Xuanming Immortal Sect and the onlookers.

A cultivator in the Longevity Realm could never defeat an opponent in the Great Dao Realm.

The disparity in their fundamental power was immense. Even Yan Cangtian in his prime had never achieved the miracle of defeating an opponent across such a vast boundary. If even Yan Cangtian could not manage such a feat, how could Lu Yuan possibly succeed?