Nangong Hui, the Sword Immortal of Spring, launched an attack with a single swift movement, aiming at the colossal Fire Tiger facing her. This tiger possessed the might of the Tenth Level of Longevity, granting it a considerable advantage in magical power over Nangong Hui. Nangong Hui waved her hand, unleashing the technique "Spring Breeze Transforms into Rain." Against a fire-elemental beast, this placed her at a distinct disadvantage.

She cultivated Wood essence power and practiced Wood-elemental swordsmanship.

Back when she was at Mount Hua, she had taught Lu Yuan the Seventy-Two Forms of Secret Sword. It was under her tutelage that Lu Yuan coincidentally grasped the intent of the Wood Sword, yet Wood power inherently struggled against fire beasts; any manifestation was prone to ignition, only fueling the flames further. Fortunately, her title was the Sword Immortal of Spring, and the spring brought rain. Nangong Hui possessed several rain-related sword techniques, which she used to staunchly hold the line against her foe. However, her power was ultimately weaker than the Fire Tiger’s. Even employing "Spring Breeze Transforms into Rain," the water element was overcome by the fire, and she was thoroughly suppressed.

The Fire Tiger roared, instantly accelerating, and spewed forth a torrent of Bing Fire True Thunder. Nangong Hui met it with her spiritual sword. Before the eye could fully register, the Bing Fire True Thunder exploded with a sharp crack. At that moment, the Fire Tiger exerted its full force: an intensely violent wall of fire encircled the Sword Immortal of Spring, an endless conflagration twisting and combining, within which unceasing Bing Fire True Thunder violently danced.

Damn it!

Nangong Hui instantly realized she had been tricked. At this critical juncture, she had fallen into the Fire Tiger's ploy. The tiger hadn't been confident in killing her initially, so it feigned weakness, appearing only slightly stronger than her. Then, it suddenly launched its true assault, blasting the Bing Fire True Thunder to its peak intensity, enveloping Nangong Hui within.

In the void, this Bing Fire True Thunder materialized countless minute fire tigers, much like avatars of the massive beast before her. They took every conceivable shape and form, assailing Nangong Hui. Her white Daoist robe was scorched at the hem, revealing a stretch of alabaster skin beneath.

Crisis! In a single instant!

“Which senior is trapped here?” a voice commanded. Nangong Hui recognized it immediately—wasn't that Lu Yuan? She was somewhat familiar with him, having taught him for a period. Hearing Lu Yuan arrive, she secretly rejoiced; dealing with this Fire Tiger would be no challenge for his strength.

“I am Nangong Hui,” she called out.

“It is Martial Aunt Nangong,” Lu Yuan acknowledged. “I will save you immediately.” Before Nangong Hui could fully process the situation within the fiery ring, the light of the flames instantly retracted. Had Lu Yuan engaged the Fire Tiger? Nangong Hui turned her gaze, eager to witness a spectacular battle and gauge how much Lu Yuan had improved.

What she saw instead was the Fire Tiger already sprawled on the ground, while above the blue-robed Lu Yuan, a fierce, burning streak of sword light seemed to hover.

“What happened to this Fire Tiger?” Nangong Hui couldn't help but ask in surprise.

“It died,” Lu Yuan replied plainly.

“Just dead? So quickly?” Nangong Hui was astonished. “This Fire Tiger wasn't strong; it merely possessed the strength of the Tenth Level of Longevity, but it couldn't compare to a Tenth Level Sword Immortal. Being taken down in one move is perfectly normal,” Lu Yuan explained.

Nangong Hui was left speechless. This tiger that had nearly burned her to death in the trap was dispatched by Lu Yuan’s sword before it could even complete a single maneuver. The gulf in power was simply staggering. Back then, Lu Yuan was still weak when learning the Seventy-Two Forms of Secret Sword from her. Only a few years had passed, yet his strength had matured into an ancient, towering tree whose heights she could no longer discern.

Nangong Hui often used trees as metaphors for people. Looking at Lu Yuan now, one particular tree sprang to her mind.

The Celestial Venerable Wood.

Legend spoke of a tree that began like any other but grew at an astonishing rate, eventually soaring over three thousand zhang high with a circumference exceeding three hundred zhang. This tree dictated the fortune and misfortune of an entire prefecture, stretching north and south, oriented toward the southwest.

People like Lu Yuan were just like the Celestial Venerable Wood—their growth speed was phenomenal, and they held the key to the weal or woe of an entire Immortal Sect. Perhaps Sect Master Chu’s metaphorical tree was smaller, a miscalculation.

Having absorbed the Crimson Flame Qi, Lu Yuan felt the crimson sword light above his head intensifying, blazing like an actual fire. Yet, to fully transform it into the Red Emperor Sword Dao still felt as if something vital was missing. In fact, Lu Yuan found it strange: why could only fire-elemental beasts in the second layer of the Undying Realm aid his practice of the Red Emperor Sword Dao, while the earth-elemental beasts couldn't help him cultivate the Yellow Emperor Sword Dao?

The reason was quite simple. In the ancient era, the Jianmu Tree, which connected Heaven and Earth, inherently comprised the Five Elements. This Undying Tree was merely a branch of the Jianmu, composed only of two elements: Fire and Earth.

Its roots were Earth, while its trunk and foliage were Fire.

If a fire-elemental beast consumed the leaves of the Undying Tree, its body would naturally contain some of this essence, thus aiding Lu Yuan in perfecting the Red Emperor Sword Dao. For Lu Yuan to forge the Yellow Emperor Sword Dao, he would simply need to acquire the roots of the Undying Tree; otherwise, success would be impossible. Naturally, these profound details were beyond Lu Yuan’s current knowledge.

After rescuing Nangong Hui—the very person who helped him realize the intent of the Wood Sword in years past—Lu Yuan bowed his farewell. This was the crucial moment for his Red Emperor Sword cultivation; he could not afford delays. Only fire-elemental beasts would suffice. He dared not let others snatch them away, or he would regret it endlessly.

Shi Chongtian, the Lone Sword Immortal of the Sword Sect, faced an ancient Fire Ape, his sword aimed directly at it. This ancient ape possessed formidable combat strength, but Shi Chongtian was no weakling either, befitting his reputation as the foremost expert in the Longevity Realm of the Sword Sect. Shi Chongtian had also discovered that within the second layer of the Undying Realm, slaying fire-elemental beasts yielded a strange Fire Crystal, something he had never encountered. He intended to take it back to the Sword Sect for thorough analysis.

Shi Chongtian cultivated the Chaoyang Heart Method and the Chaoyang One Qi Sword. He reasoned that this Fire Crystal could significantly enhance his fire-elemental capabilities, providing immense boosts to both his magical power and swordsmanship.

Just as Shi Chongtian prepared to strike, a sword light rushed toward him with tremendous speed. The light surged like a tide; when the glow dissipated, Shi Chongtian found the Ancient Fire Ape gone. A young man in blue stood in its place, a wisp of fire light spiraling into the blazing crimson sword light hovering above the young man’s head.

Lu Yuan!

What was he doing?

Monster stealing?

Shi Chongtian stood agape. He had actually been usurped! He, the esteemed foremost master of the Sword Sect, had his quarry snatched away.

Ouyang Zhixiao, the Young Master of the Ten Thousand Serpent Manor from the Great Yuan Kingdom, leisurely fanned himself. He had been negotiating an alliance with the subterranean demons. To be precise, since Jin Kingdom's strength surpassed Yuan Kingdom’s, Yuan Kingdom sought to ally with the demons against them. However, this time, Jin Kingdom’s Orthodox Immortal Sects attacked the subterranean demons, and the news of the Demon Holy Emperor Dongfang Yao’s death erupted—a seismic event. Ouyang Zhixiao knew things had taken a turn for the worse and intended to return to Yuan immediately. Yet, he encountered the Elixir of Immortality. Ouyang Zhixiao was also on the verge of breaking through to the Great Dao Realm; obtaining the Elixir now would be a cause for infinite delight, so he remained.

Ouyang Zhixiao was known in the Yuan Kingdom by a moniker involving three 'light' concepts.

Wherever he went, resources vanished, women disappeared, and treasures were stripped bare.

He claimed everything—resources, women, and treasures alike—earning him the title of the 'Three-Light Young Master.' He had recently discovered that the fire-elemental beasts in the second layer of the Undying Realm were peculiar. The crystals derived from killing them bore a resemblance to something his uncle had long pursued. Consequently, he had been relentlessly hunting fire beasts, as was the case now; the Three-Light Young Master Ouyang Zhixiao stood before a Fire Serpent.

Ouyang Zhixiao laughed heartily, waving his fan: “Serpent, oh serpent! Whatever kind of snake you are, you must obey me, for I am the Young Master of the Ten Thousand Serpent Manor.” He lightly swayed his fan, and the Fire Serpent before him showed signs of mental collapse, on the verge of falling into Ouyang Zhixiao’s grasp.

In that instant, a sword light struck. This light flowed like waves and surged like tides, transforming a river into a sea. Where the light passed, the Fire Serpent of the Ninth Level of Longevity was obliterated, and the Crimson Flame Qi was swiftly collected by Lu Yuan.

The young man in blue soared away after absorbing the Qi.

The Three-Light Young Master Ouyang Zhixiao was left utterly stunned. He, the renowned master of seizing resources, women, and treasures, had watched as the very resource he sought was snatched from him by another right before his eyes. Fury surged within him. However, the blue-robed thief was already distant. Ouyang Zhixiao’s rage mounted: “How dare you steal my monster! I will let you know my power!” He had memorized the appearance of the blue-robed man.

The Three-Light Young Master, famous for stealing kills, was naturally deeply aggrieved by being robbed.

Lu Yuan settled cross-legged. Here in the second layer of the Undying Realm, he aggressively snatched kills from every path of experts, showing deference to none. By continually snatching them, he had acquired a vast amount of Crimson Flame Qi, and finally felt that the crimson sword path above his head was on the verge of an upgrade.

Thus, Lu Yuan sat down. Endless firelight pulsed and bloomed above his head, contracting and expanding—at rest, like a dormant volcano; when unleashed, like a raging inferno, resembling the reappearance of an ancient, primordial fire beast. The light above his head shifted ceaselessly.

After an unknown span of time, Lu Yuan felt a surge of intense heat flow into his body, and simultaneously, the crimson sword light solidified.

The Red Emperor Sword Dao was achieved.

The Five Emperor Sword Daos each served a distinct purpose.

The White Emperor Sword Dao provided incredible sword speed. The Black Emperor Sword Dao slowed everything around it. The Azure Emperor Sword Dao possessed the power to neutralize all toxins. As for the Red Emperor Sword Dao, once manifested, it could release searing flames capable of melting metal and dissolving iron. In the future, most hidden weapons aimed to harm Lu Yuan could be completely vaporized merely by conjuring the Red Emperor Sword Dao above his head. Yes, the Red Emperor Sword Dao specialized in nullifying small projectiles.

One should not underestimate this single Emperor Sword Dao; practitioners who relied on hidden weapons were numerous in the cultivation world. There were various magical artifacts shaped like projectiles, and there was even an entire Tang Country whose cultivators exclusively utilized concealed weaponry.

Lu Yuan exhaled slowly. Four of the Five Emperor Sword Daos were complete; only the Yellow Emperor Sword Dao remained.

With nothing else to detain him here, it seemed his next step was to proceed to the very center of the second layer of the Undying Realm to seek the Undying Tree.

That was the crucial key to his ascension to the Great Dao Realm.