This precipice was marked by deep, trench-like furrows carved into one side and jagged spurs flung out from the other—a truly spectacular vista. Few people frequented this spot; to be precise, only Lu Yuan was here. Everyone else was enjoying the sights along Demonwood Cliff, the main attraction undoubtedly being the Palace of the Solitary Traveler, the residence of two generations of Demon Saints. Furthermore, the dwellings of all preceding Saints were thronged with onlookers hoping to unearth some hidden treasures. Though everyone knew that if any real treasures existed, they would have been plundered long ago, hope, after all, springs eternal.

As for this stone wall, while perilous in the extreme, it offered remarkable scenery, but who had the leisure for mere sightseeing now?

Thus, at this moment, Lu Yuan was utterly alone.

Lu Yuan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, observing the craggy, sharp stones of the cliff face, taking a slow sip of wine.

Something was amiss.

A significant portion of this stone wall seemed scored by sword strikes. Whose swordplay was this? Lu Yuan’s own mastery of the sword was profound, and as he studied the marks, his heart chilled. How could this be? How could such terrifying sword techniques exist! Lu Yuan could scarcely believe his eyes.

Such swordplay was far too potent.

Gazing at these traces, Lu Yuan felt a deep shock reverberate through him.

Whose sword techniques were these? In Jin State, very few could claim swordsmanship superior to his own. So, who could possibly surpass him? Lu Yuan pondered, scrutinizing the sword marks closely. The more he observed, the more he realized the swordsman’s style was utterly unconventional, showing no adherence to any known school. Yet, he detected subtleties in certain moves that struck him as peculiar.

This move is the 'Swallow Return Flash'!

This one is the 'Swallow Counter'!

And this, the 'Flying Swallow Slash'!

This one, the 'Falling Swallow Strike'!

This is... the Flying Swallow Sword Art.

The Flying Swallow Sword Art, once wielded by Patriarch Yan! During the perilous times of the Sixth and Seventh Generations, when the righteous immortal sects faced utter annihilation, it was Patriarch Yan alone, with a single sword, who plunged into the depths, vanquishing hordes of demons. Finally, here at Demonwood Cliff, he crushed Ren Du, marking the reversal of fortunes between the demonic and righteous paths.

Could this spot be where Patriarch Yan defeated Ren Du?

Lu Yuan peered closer and discerned that some inscriptions belonged to Patriarch Yan's art, while others belonged to Ren Du. Even judging by the stone wall alone, Ren Du’s swordsmanship was supremely refined, undoubtedly above Lu Yuan’s current level. Lu Yuan began to analyze the techniques of both masters meticulously. Patriarch Yan’s swordplay descended like a heavenly blade; every strike carried the overwhelming momentum of heaven and earth. Ren Du’s style leaned toward the path of domineering force, yet it was surprisingly versatile.

These techniques were breathtakingly brilliant.

From the evidence etched into the stone wall alone, one could gauge the astonishing intensity of the battle waged between these two grandmasters. Of course, this must have been the younger Patriarch Yan, who needed such elaborate measures to contend with Ren Du. In his later years, Patriarch Yan was truly an unparalleled, unmatched Heavenly Sword; Ren Du under that blade might not have survived three moves.

If Patriarch Yan hadn't been so impossibly strong, he couldn't have quelled several nations with a single sword strike, ensuring no demon dared cause trouble.

Lu Yuan possessed incredibly high swordsmanship, having comprehended no fewer than twenty-four types of Sword Intent, and having mastered numerous esoteric skills from Yan Cangtian. Now, encountering Yan Cangtian’s moves here again, his mind drifted uncontrollably, as if he were inadvertently grasping vital insights from the clash of those two titans of the past.

In such a state, Lu Yuan didn't hesitate to employ his Heaven-Insight Stones. These stones normally offered a mere one in ten chance of comprehending a new Sword Intent, but here, before the cliff face displaying the two masters' ancient combat, the probability of enlightenment would surely be far greater than in ordinary circumstances.

Ren Du’s moves were steeped in devastation. By studying them, Lu Yuan subtly began to perceive several flaws. Lu Yuan threw caution to the wind, dedicating himself to deeply absorbing the essence contained within the wall. Innumerable sword moves flashed through his mind, and simultaneously, Lu Yuan continuously drew and struck with his own blade.

Strike after strike poured forth, all following the path of destruction embodied in these ancient techniques. Lu Yuan tested them ceaselessly for a long time.

Crack! The efficacy of the Heaven-Insight Stone faded. Regrettably, he had comprehended nothing.

It seemed he was truly unsuited for destructive Sword Intent; their nature did not align with his character.

Lu Yuan immediately retrieved another Heaven-Insight Stone. After all, his current assets were substantial, far surpassing those of Venerables in the first or second tiers of the Great Dao Realm.

Holding this second stone, he began to meditate, observing various Sword Intents. This time, he managed to grasp one: the Sword Intent of Sorrow.

While Ren Du’s techniques were tyrannical, they were underpinned by a deep sense of melancholy. During the battle, he must have been astonished that someone so young could oppose him—what future was there for the demons? Thus, his sword strikes were forceful, yet concealed within that force was a hidden sorrow. Lu Yuan borrowed this to comprehend the Sword Intent of Sorrow.

Sorrow affects the Lungs; the Lungs correspond to Metal in the Five Elements. Therefore, this Sword Intent of Sorrow was a branch within the broader category of Metal Sword Intent. This marked his twenty-fifth comprehended Sword Intent.

Lu Yuan eagerly produced a third Heaven-Insight Stone. Such a rare opportunity should not be wasted.

This round of comprehension focused on the Sword Intent of Solemnity—a chilling, severe majesty—which he derived from Patriarch Yan’s enduring sword strikes. Lu Yuan grasped the killing intent left by Patriarch Yan, which was somewhat purer and simpler than Ren Du’s destructive intent. It didn't take him long, leveraging the combined power of the Stone and the cliff face, to break through and realize this intent.

The twenty-sixth Sword Intent was finally achieved.

Lu Yuan let out a long breath.

Lu Yuan tried several more Heaven-Insight Stones, but without success. He stabilized at the twenty-sixth Sword Intent.

He felt he had gleaned enough. Lu Yuan was never greedy; what he gained was luck, what he missed was fate. One cannot force everything.

“Time to actually enjoy the scenery here,” Lu Yuan mused inwardly. As he walked along the edge of the precipice, he noticed that some of the residual sword marks were not from Ren Du, nor from Patriarch Yan. They seemed additions made later. Upon closer inspection, he realized they weren't sword strokes at all, but rather pointers indicating a specific location.

This...

In truth, only someone intimately familiar with the sword arts of both Yan Cangtian and Ren Du could discern this secret. Once Lu Yuan recognized the markings, he followed the implicit directions and quickly located a cave entrance at the very base of the precipice. It was extraordinarily well-hidden; without those indicators, it would be impossible to find.

Lu Yuan entered the cave. It was not particularly large. Inside, there were several books. He picked one up and examined it.

“Dongfang Yao’s research on Ren Du’s weaknesses, recorded here.” Lu Yuan felt a surge of curiosity and began flipping through. They were all dedicated to dissecting Ren Du's shortcomings.

“Dongfang Yao’s method to break Ren Du’s Hundred Sword Forms, recorded here.”

“Dongfang Yao’s method to shatter Ren Du’s Blood-Melting Great Art, recorded here.”

“Dongfang Yao’s method to neutralize Ren Du’s Star-Shifting Great Art, recorded here.”

Ren Du’s three supreme skills back then were: mastery of the Hundred Sword Forms; the Blood-Melting Great Art, the foremost demonic cultivation technique; and the Star-Shifting Great Art. And here, recorded in one place, were Dongfang Yao’s counters to all three! Lu Yuan paused, then surmised the situation upon closer reading.

These three books were all written long ago, shortly after Ren Du’s defeat by Yan Cangtian.

Dongfang Yao was a peerless, ambitious schemer. He certainly was not content to remain subservient to Ren Du; becoming the Demon Saint was his ambition. However, he doubted he could truly overcome Ren Du. Therefore, he hid here to observe precisely how Yan Cangtian had vanquished Ren Du, subsequently devising these three counter-methods to use against Ren Du himself.

As fate would have it, Ren Du’s Blood-Melting Great Art malfunctioned around that time, allowing Dongfang Yao to kill Ren Du with relative ease. Consequently, the three counter-techniques he had meticulously prepared went unused.

This left Dongfang Yao frustrated. He couldn't exactly boast about his ultimate attacks going to waste. He wasn't foolish enough to advertise that he could counter Ren Du’s supreme skills, but suppressing such a triumph felt unbearable. Thus, he conceived the idea of writing it all down in a secluded mountain cavern.

And now, Lu Yuan had found it.

Fate was strange, as Ren Du hadn't actually died. Lu Yuan understood that Ren Du would become one of his most formidable adversaries, certainly ranking in the top three.

Finding these three counter-techniques this time was like discovering priceless treasures.

Lu Yuan immediately sat cross-legged within the cave, beginning to practice these three countermeasures. Breaking the Hundred Sword Forms wasn't a priority, as his own swordplay was superb and he didn't fear Ren Du. But the counter to the Blood-Melting Great Art was truly invaluable. That technique was the paramount demonic art; contact alone could drain a person's flesh, blood, and vital energy, terrifying everyone who heard of it. Countless people had perished under that evil art over the years, and the righteous sects still hadn't devised an effective counter. To find one here was unbelievable; mastering this counter would surely allow him to thwart Ren Du when the time came.

As for the Star-Shifting Great Art, which made the user nearly impossible to hit—if he learned the counter to that, he could catch Ren Du off guard once more.

Lu Yuan settled down to practice in this inconspicuous cave on Demonwood Cliff.

Dongfang Yao’s method for countering the Blood-Melting Great Art was itself an astonishing divine technique called the... Dragon Transformation Art of Thunder. It required gathering the latent thunder essence of heaven and earth to forge a Thunder Dragon. Thunder wards off evil and can neutralize the Blood-Melting Great Art. Naturally, this method of thunder dragon transformation was not simple to master.

Lu Yuan was only laying a foundation, which was relatively easy since he had only recently survived the Heavenly Tribulation, having endured countless lightning strikes and retaining residual electrical energy. This allowed him to quickly grasp the rudiments of the Thunder Dragon Transformation Art. A small, flickering serpent of lightning manifested behind him.

After mastering these various techniques, Lu Yuan stood and emerged into the outside world. Having gained so much—especially the means to deal with Ren Du—he felt complete.

It was, in a way, the irony of fate. Dongfang Yao thought he had killed Ren Du, only for Ren Du to survive and eventually counter him. And Dongfang Yao’s ultimate skills against Ren Du, never once used in his lifetime, now fell into Lu Yuan's hands. Such is the cycle of karma.