The first two days had only drawn spectators from the Jin, Yuan, and Qin states.

But today was clearly different.

Before dawn broke on this day, a group flew in on swords, their sword auras extraordinarily pure. They seemed far from ordinary. Seeing this, the people of Jin felt a sudden tightening in their chests; the purity of these individuals’ sword auras was startling, even to the Jin practitioners themselves.

When these newcomers arrived close, the Jin faction adopted a defensive posture as if facing a great enemy.

The leader of this group was an Emperor, cloaked in flowing robes, exceedingly handsome.

This was… Murong Yihuang.

He was from the Murong Kingdom.

In the south lay a multitude of bordering nations. Since the Jin State touched the sea, it bordered fewer neighbors—only Yuan and Qin. However, they were aware of states further afield, such as the Murong Kingdom, which was one such nation. The Murong Kingdom was most renowned for its Douzhuan Xingyi Dafa, a grand technique for borrowing, redirecting, and utilizing external force. Moreover, rumor held that the Murong Kingdom had amassed the ultimate skills from the immortal sects of numerous states.

It was said that Murong Yihuang himself was an unparalleled Emperor.

Chu Duan of the Duantian Yijian (Severing Heaven Sword) exchanged glances with Murong Yihuang. Undoubtedly, Chu Duan held the highest authority among the Jin contingent at present. "So it is Murong Yihuang. What brings you here?" Murong Yihuang smiled faintly, his expression imbued with regal dignity. "Rest assured, the Murong Kingdom has no intention of warring with Jin. We merely heard that—" He paused, "—an exceptional genius has appeared here." Clearly, Lu Yuan's "five tens" had drawn their attention.

Five tens!

How rare!

It was almost unimaginable.

However, the Murong Kingdom had also produced a genius, Murong Huangfu, who had achieved four tens, resulting in a final score of fifty-three.

The Murong Kingdom had initially been highly confident that Murong Huangfu would secure a place in the Central Celestial Court. Upon hearing that Jin had produced someone with five full tens, they immediately came—first, to be awed by such a supreme genius, and second, to gauge the competition. This "five-ten" figure was certain to be Murong Huangfu’s great rival in the future.

Chu Duan, hearing this, grasped Murong Yihuang's intentions. Since they were here, they were not enemies. He conceded internally, "See what you can gauge." He promptly invited the guests to take their seats.

Scarcely had the Murong contingent settled when another group arrived, soaring in on their swords. These people were clad in rags, looking like beggars.

This was… the Bai Pin Kingdom (Hundred Poverty State).

It was a nearby nation, and the sworn hereditary enemy of the Murong Kingdom. The cultivators of Bai Pin were equally profound in their ways. This time, Bai Pin had also produced an unparalleled genius, achieving a full five tens, with a final score of fifty-five. This peerless talent was named Xiao Fengxiong, reputed to possess extraordinary innate gifts, youthful spirit, and boundless valor, likely destined to take control of the Bai Pin Kingdom in the future.

There was even talk: "In the South, Murong Huangfu; in the North, Xiao Fengxiong"—these two supreme talents were considered equals!

Since the Bai Pin Kingdom had brought forth such a rare, heaven-defying genius, they, like Murong, intended for him to enter the Central Celestial Court. Further refinement there would make him even more formidable. They had heard of Jin's genius and had rushed over to scout the opposition.

Chu Duan managed the seating arrangement with a delicate touch: the people from the Murong Kingdom and the Bai Pin Kingdom were seated next to each other.

The two nations were already ancient rivals; this arrangement threatened to spark a blaze.

But ultimately, they had to shelve their enmity for the moment.

After all, they were on Jin territory this time, solely to observe Jin's supreme genius.

After the Murong and Bai Pin delegations arrived, several other nations followed suit, all from relatively nearby regions, such as the Great Yue Kingdom and the Great Wu Kingdom. These nations had not produced prodigies on the level of Murong Huangfu or Xiao Fengxiong, but hearing a "five-ten" had emerged, and considering their proximity to Jin was not excessive, they too came to see.

The time was nearly upon them.

The forty-five Supremes of the Great Dao Realm had all assembled.

"Which one is the Wine Sword Immortal, Lu Yuan?"

"That’s him."

"He is so young."

"Indeed. To possess such power at such an age…"

"I heard his greatest asset is his transcendent swordsmanship, unrivaled in his generation, reaching the Sword King realm, even mastering the Jianshu Yitiao Long (Sword Technique Dragon Line)."

Previously, Lu Yuan was famous, but only within the borders of the Yuan, Jin, and Qin states. In places further away, like Bai Pin, Murong, and other nations, no one knew of Lu Yuan, as he hadn't achieved widely publicized feats. For instance, Murong Huangfu and Xiao Fengxiong were famous in their home countries, but utterly unknown in Jin.

It was only because of this Central Celestial Court assessment.

The Central Celestial Court conducted its evaluations one by one, the content varying by nation, though the difficulty remained largely consistent.

Achieving three or more tens qualified one as a supreme genius.

Now, the appearance of someone with five tens had spread the word. Not only had others heard of Lu Yuan, but they had rapidly compiled his basic data. And the Jianshu Yitiao Long—that was simply too dazzling, too impressive. Naturally, the news would travel.

With the sixth assessment about to commence, dignitaries from nearby states had flocked here. Five major foreign powers had arrived, all eager to see who Lu Yuan truly was. Thus, when the forty-five Great Dao Supremes emerged, the gazes of the other nations fell squarely upon Lu Yuan.

With the sight lines of eight nations converging on him, Lu Yuan felt a significant weight of pressure.

Eight nations!

However, Lu Yuan was seasoned in grand spectacles, and he quickly regained his composure.

The angel of the Central Celestial Court, the Purple Qi Grandmaster Ye Zixu, ascended the high platform before the Hall of Five Wheels. "This is the sixth and final assessment. This last trial determines whether you advance to the Hundred Kingdoms assessment. Only twenty individuals will proceed. I will dispense with pleasantries and state the rules for the sixth trial directly…"

"Over the previous two days, the Deputy Emissaries, starting from the Jin Imperial Capital, have laid out a path spanning one hundred thousand li. This path is called the Path of Thorns," Ye Zixu announced. "This road is populated by all manner of demon beasts: some with formidable magical powers, some inheriting ancient bloodlines, some lethally venomous—a chaotic array of beasts…"

"You will emerge from here and enter this path. A restrictive formation is in place, preventing you from leaving the designated route. At the terminus of this path lies a token from the Central Celestial Court. Once you reach the end, you must return. The fastest person to return scores a perfect ten. You are forty-five in total. The first to return receives ten points, and subsequent scores decrease by 0.25 points sequentially. The final five participants receive zero points collectively."

"This score distribution is designed to ensure a perfect ten is awarded…"

"Along the way, there are various trials testing your offense, defense, speed, poison resistance, and every facet—this is a comprehensive assessment. Naturally, mutual attack upon the Path of Thorns is strictly forbidden. Cooperation is also banned. Violators will be penalized…"

Ye Zixu concluded: "Very well, commence now. The one-hundred-thousand-li Path of Thorns—a round trip of two hundred thousand li. Time is unlimited. Should life become endangered, a natural protective barrier will activate. Once this barrier shatters, you are automatically ejected from the assessment. Final scores will be determined based on the aggregate results of all situations…"

The forty-five contestants stepped onto the Path of Thorns, a path that had not existed moments before.

Ye Zixu produced a magical treasure—the Path of Thorns Map. This map forcibly unfolded a path one hundred thousand li long upon the ground. This treasure was astonishingly powerful, capable of such a feat—something unimaginable in the Jin State.

The Central Celestial Court was indeed beyond comprehension, a terrestrial heaven.

The forty-five entered the Path of Thorns, while before the Five Wheels Palace, at least a hundred Water Mirror Techniques materialized, displaying key points along the hundred-thousand-li route. The distance was too vast to follow in person, so Water Mirror Techniques were employed for this final trial. Even the spectators who were not participating felt their hearts pound with excitement.

Lu Yuan stepped onto the Path of Thorns, and the other forty-four followed almost simultaneously.

The moment they entered, it felt like stepping into a primordial forest. This Path of Thorns was at least a li wide, spanning the promised one hundred thousand li in length. Everyone was galvanized by this final assessment. A few Supremes who were overconfident in their skills took to the air.

However, whoosh! Countless golden lights erupted from the dense woods, so numerous they almost blotted out the sky. The cultivators flying ahead countered by unleashing sword energy, drawing circular defensive shields. But the golden light barely seemed deterred by the sword energy, surging inward.

"Bad! It's the Six-Winged Golden Silkworms!"

The Six-Winged Golden Silkworm was no trivial matter.

These were the most ferocious monsters among the Zhong (poison/venomous creatures), the king of kings among them. They appeared in dense swarms, impervious to flying sword strikes, and possessed potent venom. Once burrowed into the body, they were terrifying—a signature technique of the demonic master, Grandmaster Green Robe Blazing Light. And now, they appeared here.

Such a thick blanket of golden light, and this was only at the entrance of the Path of Thorns! If the King of Kings of venomous creatures appeared this early, what horrors lay ahead? Furthermore, disturbing the beasts on the way in might not alert all of them, meaning the beasts encountered on the return trip would likely be just as terrifying.

This Path of Thorns would not be easy to traverse; everyone realized this. Lu Yuan's hand settled upon his sword hilt.