The time for the third stick of incense had arrived. Only seventeen people remained. Two sticks of incense had already passed, with two more to go; it looked extremely difficult to last until the very end. The beginning of the third stick of incense immediately revealed its extraordinary nature. The Grand Method of Inversion of Heaven and Earth and the Five Elements Shifting Technique—this latter technique was incredibly troublesome. Simply put, it could incessantly bombard a given area with a continuous barrage of various Five Elements spells. If it were only the constant unleashing of diverse elemental magic, that would be one thing, but this Grand Method also possessed the ability to constantly shift the location of the spells. This meant that within the main hall, any location, at any moment, could erupt with all manner of elemental magic.

Lu Yuan detected a massive tree sprouting beneath his left foot. The tree instantly transformed into vines that snaked upward, coiling toward his legs—the dreaded Vine Entanglement. In actual combat, escaping such a binding was a major hassle; here, being ensnared simply resulted in the application of a red dot. Simultaneously, at least five other spells were hurtling toward him.

Bearing down upon him were the Starfall Storm Arrows—swift, fast, and dense as scattered stars. These were infinitely more powerful than the Storm Arrows faced during the Qi Refining stage; each arrow in this storm weighed nearly a hundred jin, and they traveled with terrifying velocity.

Above his head, immense arcs of lightning were already coalescing. These bolts instantaneously pierced the firmament, shimmering in the air and taking forms: Thunder Tigers, Thunder Leopards, Chariots of Thunder, and even combining into divine generals forged entirely of lightning. The sky crackled violently, as if the Mother of Lightning herself was giving birth to an assault.

This was the Nine Heavens Azure Sky Lightning Art.

Lu Yuan then discovered he couldn't even move. This was the Star Binding Wind Technique, designed to hold him immobile so the other spells and maneuvers could strike home. Meanwhile, in the distance, a colossal tornado roared as it advanced, accompanied by countless thousands of blades arrayed in the distance, forming a vast, magnificent chariot formation.

In reality, it wasn't just Lu Yuan; everyone else was also trapped within the onslaught of various spells.

That was the Seven Absolute Swords Formation of the Odd Gates, the Sun-Moon Five Stars Sword Array.

Streams of sword light, reminiscent of the cycle within the Myriad Swords Reincarnation Array, erupted from countless sword formations, appearing in all directions. Attack after attack of sword techniques were unleashed. Clearly, this round was no longer about mere magical assault; it was a convergence of both spellcraft and swordsmanship.

Lu Yuan watched as several streaks of sword light, launched later, arrived sooner than some of the magic, striking him simultaneously with the spells.

Regarding the swordsmanship displayed in these streaks of light, he had seen almost none of it before. Some sword moves possessed a softness that surpassed even the techniques of Wudang, a softness that felt terrifyingly profound. Some strikes were more effortless than those from the Qingcheng Immortal Sect. Others were more treacherous and fierce than the arts of the South Sea Immortal Sect. And some exhibited a finesse and masterful understanding of the Way of the Sword that eclipsed even the techniques of Mount Hua, imbued with an exquisite, peerless sword talent.

Every stance, every movement, was an excellent move, a superior posture.

Lu Yuan was being assailed simultaneously by countless spells and streams of sword light. However, Lu Yuan was someone accustomed to breaking through both sword maneuvers and magical formations, so he remained calm, without the slightest hint of panic. He wielded his Yangwu Spirit Sword, meeting every incoming move with a counter, every spell with a dismantling technique, breaking through them one by one. Dealing with the pure magical attacks was straightforward enough; he broke them, and there was no subsequent insight to be gained.

But the sword techniques were an eye-opener for Lu Yuan.

To advance his own understanding of the Way of the Sword, Lu Yuan had once traveled ten thousand li, his footsteps covering the entire territory of the Jin State and the Qin State, visiting countless places and witnessing numerous sword styles. Essentially, he had already seen nearly all the swordsmanship of both Qin and Jin; it was unlikely any truly new techniques would emerge.

Yet, many of the sword moves here were entirely different from the styles of Qin and Jin.

These techniques were exceedingly novel in their execution, and they were themselves formidable sword arts.

Lu Yuan, being inherently a devotee of the sword, was instantly intrigued by these new styles. He mused inwardly that to achieve an even greater mastery of the Sword Dao, he would likely need to venture into even more nations. The words of Patriarch Yan—that to achieve complete mastery of the Sword Dao one must travel extensively—seemed to be absolute truth.

How could one see through all things without having witnessed the myriad aspects of the bustling mortal realm? Because one has seen, one can recognize and break through.

And if he were to go to other places, it would be best to head straight for the Central Celestial Dynasty. He resolved that he must visit the Central Celestial Dynasty in the future.

Lu Yuan contemplated this as he simultaneously parried the diverse spells and sword strikes. People were being struck down with increasing frequency; red dots were appearing one after another.

By this stage, the trial had become a pure test of individual capability and adaptive skill.

The disciples of the South Sea Immortal Sect had been completely eliminated; they were naturally weak in defense. As for others, whether hermits or otherwise, a great number had already fallen. Those still holding on were dwindling, and the later it got, the fewer remained. In the end, only a handful were left standing from the two mightiest Immortal Sects: Wudang Immortal Sect and Mount Hua Immortal Sect; everyone else had collapsed.

The two strongest Immortal Sects were indeed the two strongest Immortal Sects.

The survivors now consisted of three from Wudang Immortal Sect, and only Yuan Yang Shangren, Zi Xia Shangren, and Lu Yuan from Mount Hua Immortal Sect.

Six figures remained in contention.

The situation was growing ever more perilous. The power of the spells was escalating, the speed of the sword strikes was increasing, and the lethality of the techniques was growing. The three from Wudang were constantly tracing circles, but sweat was beading heavily on their brows even as they maintained the circular defense. Zi Xia Shangren was entirely shrouded in the violet aura of his Xiā, clearly pushing his signature Qi Sect ultimate technique, the Thousand Li Violet Mist, to its absolute limit. Yuan Yang Shangren's sword had become nearly invisible in his hands, appearing as a rising sun itself. At this level of swordsmanship, the reputation of the Sword Sect was truly deserved.

The third stick of incense burned out, and the final stick was lit.

Crack. The three from Wudang were the first to yield. Their circle broke, and immediately, countless red dots struck them, signaling their elimination from this round of the competition.

Zi Xia Shangren and Yuan Yang Shangren continued to hold on, driven by two reasons. First, Lu Yuan was still standing. As a junior from Mount Hua, if they fell before Lu Yuan did, it would be a profound loss of face. Second, Zi Xia Shangren was the Master of the West Peak of the Qi Sect, and Yuan Yang Shangren was the Master of the East Peak of the Sword Sect. These two Peaks had been rivals for an immeasurable time, and neither was willing to be the first to collapse before the other.

Zi Xia Shangren briefly chuckled when he noticed a slight disruption in Yuan Yang Shangren's sword light. But the instant his focus relaxed, the Violet Mist dissipated, and dozens of red dots struck him. Almost simultaneously, Yuan Yang Shangren was hit by dozens of red dots. Both were eliminated in the same moment, though their performance time in this final phase was identical; as for who ultimately surpassed whom, that would likely be a point of contention later.

As for why Lu Yuan managed to persist, the reason was quite simple.

Firstly, in terms of the Way of the Sword, Lu Yuan inherently surpassed Yuan Yang Shangren. With superior Sword Dao cultivation, breaking through these sword maneuvers and spells was comparatively easier. Secondly, having survived the ordeal of the Myriad Swords Reincarnation, his eyesight and stamina had increased immeasurably. That previous trial had actually been less strenuous for him than this one.

———————— “Honored God of Dragon Flame, Master of the Hexagram Array, roar forth.” “Flames of the Four Realms of All Things, let Heaven and Earth return to chaos…” “Silent Monarch of the Earth…” “Children of Radiance and God, transform your light into holy spears that tear the darkness…” “Relegate the dark night to nothingness, return the earth to desolation…”

The spell casting began. Spells below the Third Tier, Third Tier, Second Tier, and First Tier required no incantation or chant—they were instantaneous. Only upon reaching the Top Tier did incantations become necessary. Utilizing these invocations, they pulled upon the power of unknown spaces, or the strength of deities or immortals, to assail their enemies.

Lu Yuan was now surrounded by these Top Tier spells. Concurrently, there were sword maneuvers of the most exaggerated intensity.

Lu Yuan let out a long breath. He felt utterly exhausted; truly, it was too taxing. Fortunately, he had already endured the test of the Myriad Swords Reincarnation. Had he not gone through that trial, he likely would have already collapsed. Lu Yuan dealt with the sword strikes and spells one by one, breaking each attack.

The Five Emperors Sword Dao above his head had long been erected, neutralizing some of the residual energy from attacks that weren't overwhelmingly terrifying.

Lu Yuan blocked forward while attacking left and right, defending continuously. Even amidst this ceaseless parrying, he inwardly calculated that he probably couldn't hold out much longer.

Suddenly, Lu Yuan noticed everything around him falling silent. No more sword strikes, no more spells.

What was happening? Lu Yuan couldn't immediately process it. However, at that moment, he heard the sound of applause reaching his ears.

The applause came from the Purple Robe Vice Angel. He was clapping enthusiastically. “Excellent, excellent, an absolute Ten Points.” The Purple Robe Vice Angel had truly witnessed Lu Yuan this time. He realized that Lu Yuan must not have been familiar with these sword techniques previously, yet he managed to consistently meet each move with a counter. This youth’s innate comprehension of the spirit of the Sword Dao was something the Vice Angel himself had rarely witnessed, compelling him to clap loudly, “Wonderful, truly splendid.”

The other forty-four Shangren of the Grand Dao realm also offered silent praise in their hearts. Lu Yuan’s subsequent swordplay was truly textbook in its brilliance.

At the same time, they noted that Lu Yuan had now accumulated four 'Ten Points.' This meant he was getting increasingly close to a miracle. Could it be that Lu Yuan would actually manage to create a miracle this time? If he succeeded, the entire Southern Continent would surely be thrown into an uproar.

Outside the Five Wheels Palace, whispers filled the air.

“Why are the scores for the Fourth Round so low?” “Yes, so many zero scores.” “Zeros are common; scores above two or four are rare.” “Agreed, they’re too low.” “Only a few people even reached six points.” “This scoring is ridiculously low.”

Those outside the Five Wheels Palace were indeed astonished. In the previous three rounds, the primary group of contenders had generally scored between six and seven points, with the lowest scoring around three or four. But in this Fourth Round, it was the opposite: scores of zero and two were the norm, while a score of four was the peak for the leading group, and six points were terrifyingly scarce.

What had happened this time? Why were the average scores so low? (Third update delivered. Requesting monthly tickets. It’s the end of the month, so everyone’s monthly allocation should be ready. Also, the tips this month have been a bit sparse; perhaps everyone could contribute some donations? If you can subscribe, please support by subscribing. PS: I watched Devouring the Starry Sky yesterday; I feel like Tomato is truly great at writing.)V