Before the Immortal Tree, all held their breath. The forces from all four directions had finally converged here. In the estimation of most, the strongest contingent belonged to the Wudang Immortal Sect, while the weakest were naturally Lu Yuan, Fang Ru, and the members from the five mid-tier Immortal Sects. Wudang possessed their formidable Sword Formations, whereas Fang Ru's side, lacking a unified sect background, could not coordinate effectively. Nevertheless, there was potential for Lu Yuan to cause an upset. Essentially, the four factions maintained a delicate balance of power against each other.

The radiance of the Immortal Tree intensified, emitting streaks of crimson light that poured forth from the Immortal Fruit. This scarlet glow grew thicker, more fervent, nearly piercing the eyes of those watching.

Time sped by; the Immortal Elixir was on the verge of being born.

The crowd’s breathing grew ragged. Simultaneously, a multitude of root tendrils began to thrust out from beneath the Immortal Tree, and as they emerged, they started to wither ceaselessly. The Immortal Tree! So named for its supposed immortality, it carried legends worthy of such a title.

Legend held that the original Immortal Art was merely a branch of the Jianmu (Divinity Tree), incapable of producing the Immortal Fruit. No one knew when an ancient, divine Phoenix descended upon this very tree. The Phoenix underwent Nirvana here, rising from the flames to become a new, mightier divine entity—Xi.

In any ordinary tree, this would not have happened; a common tree could not withstand the intense heat of a Phoenix's Nirvana.

In short, the Immortal Tree inherited certain abilities from the Phoenix, enabling it to manifest the Immortal Elixir. However, the process was peculiar: every thousand years when an Elixir was to be birthed, its roots would pierce the ground and subsequently wither entirely.

This was the Immortal Tree’s own cycle of rebirth through Nirvana. After yielding one Immortal Elixir, its roots would desiccate, and it would remain barren for five hundred years.

Only after five centuries could it recover, awaiting the next time the Elixir was due.

The assembled cultivators had already learned some details about the Immortal Elixir, lending them a measure of understanding and realization that its birth was imminent.

Everyone maintained an outward calm, everyone except Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan sensed something peculiar about these withered branches stabbing into the earth. They seemed to resonate with the presence of the Yellow Dao of the Sword hovering above his head... What were these?

Lu Yuan crouched down to examine a withered branch closely. He recognized a faint familiarity in its structure. As he lowered himself, others nearby noticed but paid little mind, focused as they were on the Immortal Elixir.

Lu Yuan scrutinized the dried root, observing it carefully. It looked much like any common withered twig found by the roadside.

Fine, he thought, I’ll test it with my Yellow Dao of the Sword. He summoned a streak of yellow light from above his head. As this light approached the withered branch, a wisp of yellow energy was drawn into the Yellow Dao of the Sword, causing the brilliance of the sword light above Lu Yuan to surge. This delighted and astonished him—it was related to Jianmu.

He wondered why the Immortal Tree had any connection to Jianmu. The Yellow Emperor Sword Dao was finally within reach.

However, the Immortal Elixir remained the critical juncture.

Lu Yuan immediately dedicated a portion of his concentration to his surroundings. If any extremely potent elemental fluctuation occurred nearby, he would immediately cease his current activity and engage in seizing the Elixir. After all, the Elixir was paramount; the immediate goal was reaching the Great Dao Realm. Only once his focus was partitioned did he devote the remainder to absorbing the yellow energy—the essence of Jianmu.

Streams of yellow energy ceaselessly flowed into the space above Lu Yuan’s head. The yellow sword light grew ever denser, eventually adopting an earthy, ochre hue rather than the initial pale or bright yellow shades.

In that state, Lu Yuan perceived a scene of profound desolation.

The ancient earth, characterized by sprawling, tawny soil, stretched beneath an endless expanse of wind and sand. Within this relentless tempest, a single tree stood guard, stubbornly resisting the desertification of the land. The yellow-brown qi of heaven and earth accumulated, growing thicker, heavier—a miracle measured in trillions of li.

This tree continued its defense, now battling the sheer emptiness emanating from the countless miles of desert.

Finally, the tree began to absorb the ochre earth qi from its vast surroundings, initiating a transformation, absorbing the yellow-brown qi to counteract the desolation itself.

Lu Yuan snapped back to awareness. His comprehension of the ochre earth qi deepened significantly. At that very moment, he also perfected the Sword Intent of the Mountain. In his memory, he had witnessed boundless mountains and peaks, making the comprehension of the Mountain Intent a natural consequence, though this wasn't the main achievement. The true breakthrough lay in gaining a deeper understanding of the very essence of the Earth.

Such is the Earth.

The ochre sword light above Lu Yuan grew heavier, pressing down like an imposing mountain range. The Yellow Emperor Sword Dao was finally complete.

What is the function of this Yellow Emperor Sword Dao? This path possesses extraordinary capabilities. When a sword strikes while standing upon the earth, it can draw forth elemental energy endlessly from the ground itself. This is immensely advantageous for sustained combat; he would rarely fear running out of mystical power, as energy would flow continuously.

The significance of this for a cultivator cannot be overstated.

Of course, in the majority of his engagements, this provided little direct aid to Lu Yuan, as his battles were usually decided quickly, seldom leading to near-depletion of his spiritual reserves. Yet, though often dormant, when this Sword Dao was fully engaged, the resulting impact was earth-shattering.

And now, all Five Emperors Sword Daos were complete, each serving a distinct purpose.

Lu Yuan couldn't resist summoning the Five Emperors Sword Daos. Above his head, five streams of colored light flowed and shifted: the White Emperor Sword Dao, the Azure Emperor Sword Dao, the Black Emperor Sword Dao, the Vermilion Emperor Sword Dao, and the Yellow Emperor Sword Dao. These five colored paths intertwined ceaselessly, swirling above him. The white, azure, black, scarlet, and yellow beams shot skyward.

Faintly, Lu Yuan sensed a space beginning to form within his soul. This space seemed to swirl with five colors, yet upon closer inspection, it remained indistinct. When his divine consciousness probed this focal point, it could not be clearly seen; the space seemed to be coalescing into a world.

What Lu Yuan didn't know was that this was the feedback from the Five Emperors Sword Daos manifesting within his body. When every cultivator reaches the Great Dao Realm, they naturally form their own Domains and cultivate their own Grotto-Heavens, though the strength of these varies. The Five Emperors Sword Daos were already initiating this evolution.

In years past, Yan Cangtian cultivated the Reincarnation Grotto-Heaven, a rotating void that was nearly impregnable.

The Reincarnation Grotto-Heaven was inherently one of the most potent of its kind.

Lu Yuan had currently only sown a single seed within his soul; how it would develop in the future remained unknown.

On many of these matters, Lu Yuan only held vague conjectures, remaining completely ignorant of the rest. At this moment, a sudden clamor erupted from outside. It seemed the contest for the Immortal Elixir had reached its climax. Lu Yuan immediately opened his eyes and saw a throng of people vying for the Elixir.

The Immortal Elixir had indeed appeared!

The crimson light had reached its zenith and stabilized. Suspended at the very center was a seed glowing a deep, intense red.

When the red light reached its maximum intensity without fluctuation, the Immortal Elixir was formed.

At this instant, the cultivators from Wudang Immortal Sect, Qingcheng Immortal Sect, Huashan Immortal Sect, and the various other mid-tier sects all moved simultaneously. Among them were several late arrivals, including Ouyang Zhixiao, the Three Lights Young Master from the Yuan Kingdom. This Young Master arrived rather late and thus missed Lu Yuan’s victory over the Kunlun Immortal Sect. However, upon seeing a portal conveniently ajar, he smoothly slipped inside, adopting the identity of a mid-tier sect member rather than revealing himself as the Three Lights Young Master of Yuan, which would have been courting death.

Once inside, he finally spotted Lu Yuan.

The moment he saw Lu Yuan, Ouyang Zhixiao was instantly enraged.

Yes, this was the one.

This man in blue—Ouyang Zhixiao, the dignified Three Lights Young Master, whose custom it was to seize all resources, monopolize all women, and claim all treasures—had been robbed by this very person! A profound humiliation, an utter disgrace! Should he let this blue-clothed man seize the Immortal Elixir first, only to snatch it back later?

Ouyang Zhixiao was strongly tempted by this idea but quickly reconsidered. The Immortal Elixir was too vital; he must secure it first. He would have ample time later to deal with this man in blue. He absolutely had to best this blue-clothed man once to uphold the title of the Three Lights Young Master.

Lu Yuan had awakened slightly later. Now, all twenty cultivators at the Tenth Stage of Longevity, bordering the Great Dao Realm, attacked in unison, surging toward the Immortal Elixir. At this stage, no one dared to hold back; every person unleashed their ultimate techniques, their most treasured skills.

Countless dazzling and peerless moves erupted in that moment.

The Wudang Immortal Sect currently held the greatest advantage. While scrambling for the Elixir, they simultaneously deployed the Seven Star Sword Formation and the Three Talents Sword Formation to defend against the other sects. They themselves broke through rapidly, heading straight for the Immortal Elixir. They were now the most likely candidates to obtain it.

Everything happened in an instant: Huashan, Wudang, Qingcheng, and numerous other Immortal Sects.

Rouxing (Gentle Fingers), Seven Star Sword Formation, Rounan Jianfa (Soft Cloud Sword Technique), Thirteen Gates of the Divine Gate, Morning Sun Vitality Sword, Myriad Transformations Thousand Illusions Cloud Mist One Thousand and Eight Swords, Xiyi Jianfa (Transcendental Sword Technique), Rain Striking Flying Silk Sword Technique, Formless Formless Sword Technique, Ink Splashing Linen Tearing Sword Technique, Snow Mountain Sword Technique, Iron Sword Technique, Heavenly Secret Astute Calculation Compass Maneuver, Great Dream Sword Technique, Interlocking City Sword Technique, Tang Poetry Sword Technique, Shallow Grass Sword Technique.

The ultimate skills of every faction clashed together.

To seize the Immortal Elixir, none held back.

And in that instant, a sudden anomaly occurred: a massive handprint of spiritual power descended.