Nie Chenfeng was laughing wildly.

Magical artifacts are divided into nine levels.

Ninth-level artifacts are world-destroying in nature.

And eighth-level artifacts are the highest tier just beneath that world-destroying level.

The might of an eighth-level artifact is thus evident.

In the cultivation world of Jin State, ninth-level artifacts are exceedingly rare, and the number of eighth-level artifacts is not large either; every single eighth-level artifact is a treasure renowned throughout the heavens and earth.

“It’s actually an eighth-level artifact.”

“These are five of the seven treasures once wielded by the Seven Treasures True Monarch, Zhao Qiuyi.”

“The Profound Yin Poison Gathering Banner, the Thirty-three Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty-nine White Eyebrow Needles, the Myriad Sword Formation Diagram, the Thirteen Evil Arrays, the Celestial Dragon Sound Transformation Spirit Sword—Heavens, these five artifacts are all out.”

“Lu Wu is finished.”

“This time, it seems he is doomed to sink here.”

“The foundation of the Kunlun Immortal Sect is indeed incomparably rich.”

“With just one of these five artifacts, they could have defeated Lu Yuan.”

“Perhaps not. Lu Yuan’s strength is truly formidable; that single sword strike just now could be called exquisite. If it were only one, Lu Yuan would still have a twenty percent chance of winning.”

“But now that five are deployed simultaneously, Lu Yuan has no chance of winning at all.” At this moment, the cultivators gathered outside this grand gate, those at the Ninth and Tenth Levels of Longevity, were all discussing animatedly. Having reached the power of the Ninth or Tenth Level of Longevity, they had lived for hundreds of years and possessed extraordinary discerning eyes. Precisely because they had lived so long, they knew how terrifying the magical artifacts contained within the sacred lights raised above the heads of Nie Chenfeng and the others truly were.

Facing the encirclement of these five beams of light, Fang Ru hastily shouted, “Lu Yuan, leave quickly! You don’t need to rush for this Undying Medicine. With your potential, advancing to the Great Dao Realm is almost inevitable; it will just take a few extra decades.”

Lu Yuan shook his head: “Is there any need? I shall break them.”

This statement made Nie Chenfeng laugh in anger: “Truly an impudent junior who doesn’t know his place!” He then sneered, “Fine, I’ll grant you a quick death.” His spiritual sense dispersed, and the Profound Yin Myriad Poison Banner above his head instantly multiplied to eighty-one banners, trapping Lu Yuan within. As soon as this single Profound Yin Myriad Poison Banner was activated, everyone present was trapped.

The entire heaven and earth instantly plunged into darkness.

The sky was gone, the earth had vanished.

Only the eighty-one pitch-black banners between heaven and earth remained.

Rolling plumes of inky black smoke emanated from the eighty-one dark banners. Eighty-one snakes of myriad poisons, black as ink, converged in the air. Each of these eighty-one snakes of myriad poisons had grown scales, sprouted a single horn, and clearly displayed a rudimentary crown—they were all snakes of myriad poisons in the process of transforming into Jiao-dragons.

The eighty-one Myriad Poison King Snakes blotted out the sun and the sky; several even began to merge, transforming into Jiao-like Myriad Poison King Snakes. Apart from Lu Yuan, there were about six or seven others present—these were mostly cultivators at the Tenth Level of Longevity. Those lingering at the periphery of this area, merely affected by the residual shockwaves, hadn't even been directly attacked by a single Myriad Poison King Snake, yet they felt a wave of intensely virulent, baleful energy wash over them, making them deeply uncomfortable.

What a potent Profound Yin Myriad Poison Banner! Truly an eighth-level artifact. With this deployed, anyone below the Great Dao Realm coming here would surely be annihilated. The greatest advantage of the Kunlun Immortal Sect is its ability to leverage powerful artifacts to boost combat strength, something no other immortal sect can match.

Lu Yuan is done for! The onlookers all thought this in their hearts.

The expert from the Kunlun Immortal Sect at the Tenth Level of Longevity, the Myriad Sword Formation Diagram floating above his head, brought his hand down and sent the diagram flying. The momentum of the Myriad Sword Formation Diagram flying out was less imposing than the eighty-one Profound Yin Myriad Poison Banners, but as a circle of white light swept past, it had already encircled Lu Yuan.

As soon as this Myriad Sword Formation Diagram appeared, myriad sword techniques began to flicker around Lu Yuan. A moment’s carelessness would have meant injury from these ten thousand varieties of sword maneuvers.

The other seven people present were all immensely powerful, most possessing superb swordsmanship. Even those who favored spells over swordsmanship had some understanding of sword forms. However, upon seeing the Myriad Sword Formation Diagram, observing the infinitely complex sword momentum and qi within, and realizing there were perhaps ten thousand different sword techniques, normal people would feel dizzy and unable to manage after seeing barely a hundred moves.

With only a slight delay, the sword immortal Zhao He, from the Kunlun Immortal Sect at the Tenth Level of Longevity, launched the Thirteen Evil Arrays. Five-colored array diagrams materialized beside Lu Yuan. The Seven Thoughts of Emotional Tribulation and the Seven Demons of the Desire Realm abruptly appeared and vanished, equally near and far—some were closer than the Myriad Sword Formation Diagram, brushing against Lu Yuan’s body, while others were at the outer perimeter of the Profound Yin Myriad Poison Banners.

Near and far, they played havoc with the senses.

By this point, the seven observers were completely engulfed. It was impossible to believe they were only suffering the residual effects, yet they were so swiftly ensnared. But after first being assailed by the poisonous aura and baleful energy of the Profound Yin Myriad Poison Banner, then having their minds preoccupied by the sword techniques in the Myriad Sword Formation Diagram, and now being attacked by the Seven Thoughts of Emotional Tribulation and the Seven Demons of the Desire Realm, it was understandable that even just the residual ripples would cause complete entanglement.

Yet, they were only enduring the residual shockwaves. How devastating must the situation be for Lu Yuan, who was bearing the full brunt of these main assaults?

In an instant, the Thirty-three Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty-nine White Eyebrow Needles belonging to Zhou Changfa of the Kunlun Immortal Sect shot out simultaneously toward Lu Yuan. At this moment, the light from the needles resembled rain, with endless killing intent speckling the air like countless stars, an image of boundless constellations. However, moving slightly later but arriving much faster was Yu Xiongtian’s Celestial Dragon Sound Transformation Spirit Sword—it was vastly faster than the White Eyebrow Needles; it moved at the speed of sound.

Sound arrives, the sword arrives.

What is speed? This is speed.

All five eighth-level artifacts, all extremely rare treasures, attacked in unison to encircle and slay one person, Lu Yuan. How could Lu Yuan not be defeated? Of course, they did not intend to kill Lu Yuan, only to humiliate him severely, to make him and the Northern Peak of Mount Hua lose all face.

Die!

What a joke!

Lu Yuan let out a long, hearty laugh: “Be defeated!” Five great eighth-level artifacts, so what? The first to arrive was the Celestial Dragon Sound Transformation Spirit Sword. Such a fast sword, a sword moving at the speed of sound—Lu Yuan could not handle it easily. Lu Yuan instantly spun his hand and deployed the Black Emperor Sword Dao; the speed of that Celestial Dragon Sound Transformation Spirit Sword immediately dropped. Lu Yuan countered with his sword, striking out with the White Emperor Sword Dao, hitting the Celestial Dragon Sound Transformation Spirit Sword precisely. At that velocity, even Yu Xiongtian could barely control the sword. Once this Celestial Dragon Sound Transformation Spirit Sword was struck, Yu Xiongtian, whose heart and blood were connected to it, nearly vomited blood. Lu Yuan then solidified his palm in the void, manifesting a snow-white mana palm, and captured the Celestial Dragon Sound Transformation Spirit Sword.

Yu Xiongtian had only felt the urge to vomit blood moments before. Now that his Celestial Dragon Sound Transformation Spirit Sword was seized by Lu Yuan, the connection between heart and blood caused him even greater distress, and he immediately spat out a mouthful of blood. Yu Xiongtian still tried to use his spiritual sense to recall the Celestial Dragon Sound Transformation Spirit Sword; having been refined with his heart’s blood, it struggled to break free from Lu Yuan’s snow-white mana palm.

However, as Lu Yuan’s mana surged in: “Freeze!” He activated the Profound Nether Dragon Transformation Art. The best aspect of this technique was that it could not only freeze mana and physical bodies but also spiritual sense. Instantly, the Celestial Dragon Sound Transformation Spirit Sword was subdued by Lu Yuan. After capturing and freezing it, Lu Yuan, without rushing to refine it, tossed it into his spatial artifact.

Lu Yuan’s movements were incredibly fast. Over there, Zhou Changfa’s thirty-three thousand six hundred and fifty-nine White Eyebrow Needles had already arrived before Lu Yuan, only a foot away.

The White Eyebrow Needles were an eighth-level artifact, numbering over thirty-three thousand. Even a Great Dao Realm expert would likely have to concede in such a situation. Zhou Changfa smiled, confident that severely wounding Lu Yuan would end the battle. As for the Celestial Dragon Sound Transformation Spirit Sword captured by Yu Xiongtian earlier, they could certainly retrieve it then.

Zhou Changfa was absolutely certain he could achieve this.

But at this moment, above Lu Yuan’s head, a sword light of another color rose—a sword light belonging to the incomparably domineering Scarlet Flame lineage. As this sword light appeared, rolling waves of intense heat surged out, almost instantly melting all thirty-three thousand six hundred and fifty-nine White Eyebrow Needles. This caused Zhou Changfa to vomit three large mouthfuls of blood. His White Eyebrow Needles were linked to his heart and blood; their destruction naturally caused severe internal injury. Moreover, the destruction of an eighth-level artifact like the White Eyebrow Needles inflicted a pain far deeper than any physical wound.

Such domineering power!

Such domineering methods!

With a mere gesture, he destroyed two of the five eighth-level artifacts. These were two of the seven treasures once belonging to the Seven Treasures True Monarch. Though they were the sixth and seventh in rank, they were still terrifyingly potent, yet Lu Yuan had destroyed one and captured another in a single movement.

How strong is Lu Yuan!

Lu Yuan roared: “Kunlun Immortal Sect, Nie Chenfeng, I want you to know that provoking me was your greatest mistake.”

He then unleashed a sword strike, heading straight for the approaching Myriad Sword Formation Diagram. This strike was profoundly mysterious, impossible to fathom. The Myriad Sword Formation Diagram incorporated sword techniques from multiple schools—from five high-ranking immortal sects, from parts of ten mid-ranking immortal sects, and even from Qin State and Yuan State.

All manner of fierce sword moves, diverse in form.

With such an influx of sword techniques, the other seven observers could only deduce about a hundred moves before feeling overwhelmed, even before being fully ensnared. Now, ten thousand moves were coming at once.

The expert from the Kunlun Immortal Sect, Gao Ming, was highly confident in his formation, but now Lu Yuan had unleashed only a single sword strike. The innumerable sword techniques within the Myriad Sword Formation Diagram began to shatter one by one. Thousands of sword moves were utterly obliterated by Lu Yuan’s single, supremely esoteric strike, leaving nothing behind.

How is this possible!

Gao Ming’s confidence nearly shattered.

Lu Yuan looked at Gao Ming: “To dare challenge me with mere techniques that possess sword movements but no sword intent is truly laughable.”

“Furthermore, you don’t know that what I excel at most is sword techniques and breaking sword techniques.” Lu Yuan stood there, then simply reached out one hand, then another. He easily grasped the Myriad Sword Formation Diagram. Unlike the Celestial Dragon Sound Transformation Spirit Sword, by shattering the sword techniques within it with his own sword techniques, the Myriad Sword Formation Diagram had completely submitted.

Lu Yuan was fighting with supreme dominance now. Usually, Lu Yuan rarely engaged in such battles, but the Kunlun Immortal Sect had gone too far this time, compelling Lu Yuan to shed his usual mild-mannered nature and retaliate mightily.

The atmosphere had, without anyone realizing it, undergone a massive transformation.