At this juncture, Fang Ru, Ye Yangrong, and Lu Yuan were all within the first level of the Undying Land.

Lu Yuan asked, "Martial Uncle Fang, who do you think killed Dongfang Yao?" Fang Ru countered Lu Yuan, "The matter of who slew Dongfang Yao is extremely confidential. How can you be certain that we have already ascertained the cause?" Lu Yuan shrugged. "Sect Master Chu Duan may be ambitious, but he is exceedingly capable, as are most of the sect masters from the other Righteous Immortal Sects. Do you truly believe they would attack the subterranean demons without clearly understanding who killed Dongfang Yao and their motives, without fearing it’s a trap? I, for one, do not believe it. I wouldn't do something so foolish, let alone those old foxes." People are not foolish.

Especially those who have weathered countless storms and experienced ages of events, they would never be foolish. These individuals have lived for hundreds, even thousands of years; they have consumed more salt than Lu Yuan has eaten rice. To regard others as fools is to hold a very high probability of being a fool oneself. Lu Yuan understood clearly that he possessed talent only in the Dao of the Sword. When it came to maneuvering or plotting, those predecessors could easily outwit him. He recalled what Grandmaster Yuanyuan had told him before dying: the only way to deal with Grandmaster Yuanling in the future was to possess a cultivation level far surpassing him, shattering the cunning with sheer force, overcoming intricate schemes with supreme power. Evidently, Martial Uncle Yuanqi understood him well.

Fang Ru paused slightly. "Actually, there's no harm in telling you. There is an eighty percent probability that the person who struck down Dongfang Yao was Ren Du."

"The former Demon Saint Emperor?" Lu Yuan inquired.

"Correct." Fang Ru nodded.

"That's incorrect," Lu Yuan questioned, bewildered. "The previous Demon Saint Emperor was also one of the demons. Why would he choose this moment to eliminate Dongfang Yao? If he killed Dongfang Yao now, wouldn't that create a golden opportunity for us to attack the demons and weaken their forces?"

"We have estimated Ren Du's thinking with about eighty percent accuracy, though we dare not claim absolute certainty. You will understand when the time comes," Fang Ru stated.

Ye Yangrong, standing nearby, dropped another bombshell: "Currently, based on our estimates, Ren Du is very likely to be the Emperor of Heaven Abandoned from the Heavenly Generation. The probability once peaked around seventy percent. However, on one occasion, the Emperor of Heaven Abandoned and Ren Du appeared in two vastly distant locations, and the Emperor of Heaven Abandoned's style of action differs somewhat from Ren Du's." He continued, "Therefore, this probability has now dropped back to thirty percent. Who the Emperor of Heaven Abandoned truly is remains under investigation. Ren Du is one possibility, and another individual accounts for a forty percent likelihood." Ye Yangrong frowned. "That person is an ancient figure, even much older than Ren Du."

Bombshells, one after another. There was a wealth of information that would never be disclosed to those of insufficient standing. Lu Yuan was utterly stunned by what he heard. Indeed, reality was profoundly subtle.

A buzzing sound resonated—weng weng weng—and then, vast sheets of golden clouds surged forward. Lu Yuan looked over: it was a swarm of tens of thousands of wasps. These wasps were entirely golden, but the stingers at their tails were a dark, mottled green.

Ye Yangrong’s expression instantly changed: "These are the Gold Geng Poison Wasps! Their individual strength is equivalent to a Fourth or Fifth Layer of the Longevity Realm, but their numbers are immense. Their entire bodies are formed from Gold Geng Qi, allowing them to fly incredibly fast and resist the slashing of flying swords and spiritual swords. Their stingers carry a poison of a myriad varieties—exceptionally terrifying. This is a moment of life-or-death crisis."

What Ye Yangrong said was undeniably true. A single Gold Geng Poison Wasp was nothing terrifying, but a large collective was terrifying beyond measure. With so many Gold Geng Poison Wasps together, countless toxins would strike, and the mixture of various poisons would create strange composite toxins, leading to utter ruin.

Fang Ru sucked in a sharp breath. Although he was confident that his Vast Righteous Spiritual Sword, being a spirit sword of the righteous path, could counter evil poisons, this swarm of tens of thousands of Gold Geng Poison Wasps was simply too terrifying. As the Master of a Peak, he immediately made a decision: "Lu Yuan, you go first. Ye Yangrong and I will hold them off for a while." The North Peak had recently undergone significant turmoil; the Peak Master could not easily suffer further harm. However, Lu Yuan was more vital to the North Peak; he was the hope for its resurgence. Therefore, Fang Ru needed Lu Yuan to escape first.

Lu Yuan laughed heartily. "There's no need for that." His Suppressing Mountain Spiritual Sword moved, appearing almost magically in his hand. With another flourish, the sword ascended into the mid-air. Countless waves of intense heat converged upon the Suppressing Mountain Spiritual Sword. When the surging heat reached its zenith, the Fire Emperor Sword Dao erupted. Instantly, the dazzling Fire Emperor Heavenly Might Sword Dao was unleashed. As soon as this Sword Dao manifested, the Gold Geng Poison Wasps, which could otherwise withstand strikes from flying swords, instantly dissolved within the boundless inferno.

Melting metal! How could Gold Geng Poison Wasps not melt?

Fang Ru and Ye Yangrong had assumed they were facing another life-or-death crisis, but when Lu Yuan unleashed the Fire Emperor Sword Dao, every threat vanished completely. Chunks of gold-tinged spirit stones rained down, littering the ground. These notorious Gold Geng Poison Wasps had perished as easily as fragile lambs.

Fang Ru and Ye Yangrong were dumbfounded.

A leopard, entirely pitch-black and ghost-like, materialized ahead. This spectral leopard possessed at least Eighth or even Ninth Layer Longevity Realm cultivation, and there were about twenty to thirty of them. Ye Yangrong’s face changed: "Not good, these are Ghost Leopards! They are incredibly fast, almost impossible to react to." "This is a moment of ultimate mortal danger." Ye Yangrong’s expression shifted again. With Ye Yangrong’s strength, he could only handle two or three of these Ghost Leopards, as they were too quick—unbelievably fast. They were barely visible to the naked eye, their speed not much slower than that of Elder Bat, perhaps.

Fang Ru had already summoned his other spiritual sword—a Confucianism Spiritual Sword. Using this sword, he could employ Confucian Sword Techniques, which were rigid, rule-bound, and restrictive, capable of slowing down an opponent's speed. However, facing so many Ghost Leopards made Fang Ru feel extremely vexed.

"Why make it so complicated?" Lu Yuan summoned the Black Emperor Sword Dao above his head. Circles of black, watery light spread out like ripples. The rapidly flying Ghost Leopards instantly slowed down. Lu Yuan’s Suppressing Mountain Spiritual Sword flickered; it was one sword stroke per beast. In a few swift movements, he had slain all twenty or thirty Ghost Leopards.

These terrifying Ghost Leopards only lasted a few breaths under Lu Yuan’s command.

Fang Ru and Ye Yangrong exchanged glances. Lu Yuan’s power had exceeded their wildest expectations. In their impression, such might should not belong to the Longevity Realm. Yet, the problem remained: Lu Yuan had clearly not yet reached the Great Dao Realm. Those who had never collaborated with Lu Yuan truly could not comprehend his strength. Fang Ru and Ye Yangrong even realized that their current role seemed limited to shouting: "This is a moment of life-or-death crisis." How tragic! Fang Ru and Ye Yangrong both felt the urge to weep. They found their designated roles and the lines they were forced to utter utterly disheartening.

To proceed from the first level of the Undying Land to the second, one had to pass through a location known as the Abyssal Descent Cliff. This cliff plunged deep into the earth, situated far lower than the first level of the Undying Land. Only by traversing the Abyssal Descent Cliff was it possible to reach the second level of the Undying Land.

Fang Ru, Ye Yangrong, and Lu Yuan journeyed towards the Abyssal Descent Cliff.

Along the way, the trio slaughtered countless demonic beasts. On several occasions when peril arose, Lu Yuan effortlessly resolved the danger. Ahead, a sunken area appeared. Ye Yangrong checked the map and confirmed, "The place ahead should be the Abyssal Descent Cliff." Just as they were about to enter, a group of people appeared in the distance, led by an individual clad in flowing green robes with wide sleeves billowing.

Fang Ru and Ye Yangrong, being well-traveled, immediately recognized them as members of the Azure City Immortal Sect. The leader was Yu Jiyou of the Azure City Immortal Sect, a powerhouse at the Tenth Layer of the Longevity Realm. The five or six figures following him were also at the Ninth or Tenth Layer of the Longevity Realm.

Yu Jiyou paused when he saw Fang Ru, Ye Yangrong, and Lu Yuan.

Naturally, the two parties first exchanged greetings and pleasantries. Yu Jiyou remarked, "Peak Master Fang, it has been quite some time. Daoist Friend Ye has always held the authority over intelligence for the North Peak; it is surprising to see you venturing into the Undying Land. It truly shows the temptation of the Immortal Elixir." Fang Ru nodded. "Daoist Friend Yu, you are the foremost figure among the Longevity Realm cultivators in the Azure City Immortal Sect. Why have you also come here, away from the numerous affairs of your sect?"

The two exchanged a few words, tinged with a touch of profound realization. Indeed, no matter how great one's influence or power, it ultimately proves meaningless. The true sovereign path is the Great Dao Realm. Only by truly elevating one's strength to the Great Dao Realm is that the ultimate sovereign path; everything else pales in comparison.

After a few polite exchanges, Yu Jiyou turned to Fang Ru. "Peak Master Fang, Huashan Sect should have sent over a dozen people. Why are there only three of you?"

Fang Ru gave a wry smile. "You are well aware of the separation within the Three Sects of Huashan. Huashan divided into three factions this time, and the North Peak consists only of the three of us." Hearing this, the members of the Azure City Immortal Sect were utterly stunned. Yu Jiyou and the rest of the Azure City contingent stared at Fang Ru, Ye Yangrong, and Lu Yuan dozens of times.

Why were the Azure City members so shocked? The Azure City Immortal Sect had dispatched eleven people in total this time. Of those eleven, five had been forced to retreat due to serious injuries sustained in the first level of the Undying Land; only six remained at this point. The combined strength of those eleven far surpassed the power of these three. Yet, Fang Ru and his companions, working together, had not a single member forced to retreat due to severe injury, all arriving at the endpoint of the first level, the Abyssal Descent Cliff, intact. How could the Azure City Sect reconcile this disparity? Were Fang Ru, Ye Yangrong, and Lu Yuan truly that formidable?

Fang Ru and Ye Yangrong felt their faces flush. They guessed what the Azure City members were thinking, but this success was entirely attributable to Lu Yuan alone.