A massive sword energy descended from the heavens, drawing forth the biting chill of the ocean depths. The sword energy and the chilling frost merged.

A noble, towering figure materialized out of thin air. The instant this person appeared, the entire scene seemed to freeze over.

Nearly everyone felt their vital energy slow, some struggling even to form words. Yet, every single observer was struck by profound awe!

This! This was the Gate Master of the Great Dao Realm, Ming Jianzi.

Ming Jianzi’s face was finally revealed, sculpted like ice, remarkably handsome. He stood exceptionally tall, with narrow, dangerously sharp eyes, a prominent nose, and razor-thin lips—clearly a figure who surveyed the world with predatory vigilance.

His voice drifted, ethereal as ice: “Lu Yuan brat, it seems you are destined to perish here.” There was little killing intent in his words; in his estimation, dispatching Lu Yuan would require no more effort than slaying a chicken. Lu Yuan merely managed a wry smile.

“I hope you can last fifty moves under my blade.” Lu Yuan’s declaration sent shockwaves through the assembly! What did fifty moves signify?

Only when a combatant’s strength significantly surpassed their opponent could they secure victory within fifty exchanges. If Ming Jianzi had claimed he would win within fifty moves, there would be no question; many believed it would take ten moves, at most.

Yet, Lu Yuan dared to boast so brazenly—to defeat Ming Jianzi within fifty moves! This bordered on arrogant madness.

Ming Jianzi offered a slight smile, cold as fracturing ice. “Amusing… truly amusing.

In all these years, I have never encountered such an interesting junior. You have indeed opened my eyes.” He regarded Lu Yuan with the condescension an emperor shows a commoner.

Indeed, in his eyes, Lu Yuan was nothing more than a peasant. A figure in the Great Dao Realm slaying someone in the Longevity Realm was akin to an emperor ordering a subject to die—the subject had no choice but to obey.

The gulf in strength was truly that vast. With a sweep of his hand, Ming Jianzi drew the Ten Thousand Year Cold Profound Spirit Sword from its sheath.

The moment this sword was unsheathed, the Xuanming Immortal Sect’s ultimate technique was unleashed—the Xuanming Twin Serpent Sword Style. Legend held that in ancient times, the winter god Xuanming’s mounts were two azure serpents.

The Xuanming Immortal Sect drew inspiration from this to forge the Twin Serpent Style. Once employed, the two serpents moved with phantom-like agility, exhausting every conceivable variation.

One serpent spat freezing ice capable of sealing all matter, while the other spewed scalding venom potent enough to poison anything. With this technique, he had slain countless masters.

The Ice Serpent Sword Style and the Poison Serpent Sword Style moved in tandem, their movements bizarre and unpredictable. Moreover, what manner of man was he?

A Great Dao Realm master. Any divine ability or sword technique, once wielded by him, would see its power exponentially increased.

As this strike manifested, subtle threads of Heaven and Earth's rules seemed to swirl around the blade, manifesting countless illusions. Even those at the First Level of the Great Dao Realm had to tread with extreme caution against his attacks, lest they fall victim immediately.

Ming Jianzi, confident in his position at the First Level of the Great Dao Realm, saw no reason to waste time or lose face dealing with an ant like Lu Yuan. This time, he intended to establish his dominance with a single, decisive blow.

Lu Yuan countered, turning to strike with a sword art fueled by the Fire Emperor Sword Dao. The Blazing Bright Sword surged toward Ming Jianzi.

Ming Jianzi sneered inwardly; this junior dared to contend with him in terms of raw spiritual power. The power of the Longevity Realm challenging the Great Dao Realm—how laughable.

“Clang!” The twin swords met! The Fire Emperor Sword Dao contained the projections of the Fire Tiger and the Fire Monkey, while Ming Jianzi’s Xuanming Twin Serpent Style manifested the Ice Serpent and the Poison Serpent.

As the swords clashed, the Fire Tiger, Fire Monkey, Ice Serpent, and Poison Serpent battled fiercely until both sets ultimately recoiled. In this initial exchange, Lu Yuan held his ground, showing no sign of disadvantage.

The truth was, Lu Yuan had subtly channeled the power of the supreme puppet, Xuan Huazi, through the Special-Grade Puppet Order to bolster his strength, thus allowing his spiritual power to match Ming Jianzi’s. With his power level now equalized, Lu Yuan felt immense confidence in winning this duel.

Ming Jianzi, however, was inexplicably shocked. His first attack, imbued with Great Dao power and governed by Great Dao rules, had been blocked.

And this junior not only blocked it but seemed to suffer no disadvantage. How could a mere junior achieve this?

For a moment, uncertainty clouded his composure. “Impossible!

In the first clash, Lu Yuan actually managed an even match against the Great Dao Realm master, Ming Jianzi.” “Indeed. For someone in the Great Dao Realm to fight someone in the Longevity Realm is like fighting an ant.” “In all these years, a Longevity Realm cultivator has never matched a Great Dao Realm cultivator evenly.

How did Lu Yuan manage this?” “What cultivation level does this Lu Yuan possess? What sword techniques, what divine abilities?” “Terrifying!

For the Longevity Realm to withstand the Great Dao Realm so evenly. A person like this, once they ascend to the Great Dao Realm, becoming a peerless master will surely not be difficult.” The surrounding observers, whether from the Xuanming Immortal Sect or outsiders, were utterly stunned.

They genuinely never expected Lu Yuan to parry a strike from Ming Jianzi’s Xuanming Twin Serpent Sword Style without yielding ground. Of course, the most profoundly shocked individual was Ming Jianzi himself.

Ming Jianzi thrust his sword obliquely. Having reached the Great Dao Realm, his movements differed vastly from the Longevity Realm.

As he thrust, his sword energy birthed torrents of Ice Tigers, Ice Wolves, and Ice Foxes—all surging forth, centered around his blade. Furthermore, the sword was laced with absolute, pure icy energy.

This extreme cold threatened to freeze everything instantly. Once one reached the Great Dao Realm, spiritual energy underwent supreme purification and Yin-Yang transformation tempering, becoming fundamentally different from the Longevity Realm.

The pure energy forged in the Great Dao Realm could easily shatter the energy of the Longevity Realm. As this sword shot forward, within dozens of yards, the space was choked with endless, chilling frost.

Lu Yuan struck back, his spiritual power also manifesting as pure ice energy. In a single sword stroke, Water Snakes, Water Tigers, Water Lions, and Water Foxes erupted, and this precise strike landed squarely in the center of Ming Jianzi’s sealing attack, effectively halting the momentum of Ming Jianzi’s sword thrust.

Ming Jianzi’s attack was exposed at a critical weak point, causing him extreme discomfort. He employed the Winter Storage Sword Stance from the Xuanming Twin Serpent Style.

Since Xuanming symbolized winter, he struck with the intent of concealment. At that moment, the sword’s trajectory hid itself within the void.

This stance was a masterpiece of the Twin Serpent Style; the unseen blade is always far more terrifying than the visible one. Ming Jianzi had now realized that Lu Yuan’s spiritual power was also pure ice energy—a strange coincidence!

Furthermore, Lu Yuan’s power was not inferior to his own, giving him a disconcertingly familiar sensation, coupled with supremely advanced swordsmanship. He was cornered by Lu Yuan, hence the early deployment of the ultimate Winter Storage Sword Stance.

He unleashed the move, waiting for Lu Yuan’s reaction. If Lu Yuan failed to locate the hidden sword immediately, he could unleash his most bizarre counter-attack.

At this critical juncture, Lu Yuan burst into laughter and, without hesitation, cleaved his sword forward. This single strike sliced through the void, effortlessly shattering the Winter Storage Sword Stance that Ming Jianzi had spent so long preparing.

Ming Jianzi’s expression shifted dramatically. He had never anticipated Lu Yuan dismantling his ultimate move with such apparent ease.

Lu Yuan’s sword momentum then spread out like a surging river, encompassing the Water Rats, Water Cats, Water Snakes, Water Tigers, Water Lions, Water Wolves, Water Foxes, and Water Grasses, all surrounding Ming Jianzi. Under the pressure of Lu Yuan’s sword intent, Ming Jianzi finally realized the profound mastery of Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship.

In barely thirty moves, he had been pushed into this position of absolute disadvantage. Another exquisitely subtle sword move sliced across the River of Space, piercing through Ming Jianzi’s bizarre defensive maneuvers with devastating, mesmerizing beauty, striking his right shoulder.

“No way, he’s this powerful?” “Lu Yuan actually gained the upper hand?” “Is he truly a figure of the Longevity Realm?” “The tenth generation disciples possess such a terrifying genius?” Those watching could scarcely comprehend it. Ming Jianzi glared at Lu Yuan.

“Lu Yuan! You forced my hand.

Xuanming Great Array, activate!” With his command, the nearly infinite cold energy within the Xuanming Ice Palace projected outward. The endless Ice Snakes, Ice Tigers, Ice Wolves, and Ice Foxes were instantly swallowed by a chilling, profound wave of ice energy.

This strange ice energy, having consumed the boundless frost, began to coalesce and take form. Immediately, a long serpentine shape appeared.

Within the ethereal, illusory ice mist, a snake body emerged that was easily dozens, perhaps even a hundred feet long. Its surface was covered in translucent scales.

Beneath the serpentine bulk, claws began to sprout, two great claws slowly extending, causing the ethereal ice mist to ripple and scatter slightly. What materialized before everyone was… a Jiao!

Yes, a Jiao! A translucent Jiao!

It was truly a Jiao! Those shimmering scales, those two powerful Jiao claws, the enormous dragon-like head, and the huge, ever-shifting eyes—what else could it be but a Jiao!

The protective formation of the Xuanming Immortal Sect was truly extraordinary; it had manifested as a Jiao! In the cultivation world of the Jin State, achieving the manifestation of a single Dragon and possessing the power of one dragon was generally the threshold for a Grandmaster.

In the entire Jin and Yuan nations combined, there were only eight such masters, illustrating the terrifying power of a single dragon. A Jiao’s power, while less than a true Dragon, would not be far behind.

Possessing the might of a Jiao generally qualified one as a Half-Step Grandmaster in the cultivation world. The Xuanming Immortal Sect’s protective formation, the Xuanming Great Array, had taken the form of a Jiao, meaning it was equivalent to having a Half-Step Grandmaster defending the gate for Ming Jianzi.

Naturally, this manifestation was semi-transparent, indicating it was not the fully realized state of the Jiao. Normally, the Xuanming Great Array would summon a Jiao composed of myriad ice energies, but during the time Yan Cangtian slew Xuanmingzi, Yan Cangtian had severely wounded the Ice Jiao of the formation.

Since then, the Ice Jiao had been recovering, but to this day, it had not fully regenerated. Of course, this Ice Jiao was not a true Jiao, merely a manifestation of ice energy, and moreover, an incomplete one.

Nevertheless, even with the unrecovered Ice Jiao summoned by the Xuanming Great Array, a collective gasp of shock rippled through the assembly. With the Ice Jiao appearing, no opponent remained invincible.