Drizzling rain fell softly.

A solitary figure scattered blossoms in the wind, while swallows flew in pairs through the gentle shower.

The scenery of Yuelu Mountain was utterly picturesque.

The place where Lu Yuan resided was named White Crane Spring.

This White Crane Spring was embraced by ancient trees, with a stream trickling through the crevices of the rocks.

This spring never ran dry, even in the depths of winter.

Following this ancient, winding stream led to the main spring, above which the characters "White Crane Spring" were inscribed.

It was named so because tea brewed with its water produced steam that coiled above the cup, bearing a striking resemblance to a white crane.

The residences of the Huashan contingent were built beside White Crane Spring, and the dwellings of the other fifteen cultivators from the Jin State were not far off.

Lu Yuan's mood was excellent; his heart felt buoyant.

Six sword intents! Six sword intents! That was a full six distinct sword intents! To comprehend so many in an instant felt like only one word described it—satisfying! It was supremely satisfying, a feeling he had only experienced once before: the exhilarating rush at the very moment of ascending to the Great Dao Realm.

Lu Yuan moved with light, drifting steps as he approached his courtyard gate, only to be intercepted by a middle-aged Daoist clad in a robe the color of pale gold.

Upon seeing him, Lu Yuan immediately bowed, "Greetings, Martial Uncle Yuanyang." Venerable Yuanyang nodded. "Are you busy? If you have time, come to my courtyard for a while.

Venerable Zixia is also there." Venerable Yuanyang and Venerable Zixia were once bitter rivals, but having arrived here at Yuelu Mountain, being fellow provincials away from home had somewhat eased the tension between them.

In the courtyard sat Venerable Lieyang, Venerable Huifeng, and Venerable Zixia.

As Venerable Yuanyang entered, they all rose slightly from their seats.

The four were seated.

Teacups were already prepared.

Venerable Zixia began brewing tea; he was renowned as a master of the tea ceremony.

Using the water from White Crane Spring, the rising vapor materialized into the distinct shape of a white crane.

After serving the tea, Venerable Zixia took a sip with profound ease: "Such contentment." Venerable Zixia was utterly at peace.

He was a connoisseur of tea, a true master of the Way of Tea.

To brew excellent tea required four elements, all indispensable: fine tea leaves, superior spring water, excellent utensils, and a serene state of mind.

Now, they had the perfect water, the White Crane Spring water, refreshing with a hint of sweetness.

Venerable Zixia, Venerable Yuanyang, Venerable Lieyang, and Venerable Huifeng all took a sip; only Lu Yuan remained without drinking.

Venerable Zixia looked toward him. "What? Is the tea brewed by your Martial Uncle not to your liking?" "Not at all," Lu Yuan replied, raising his wine gourd. "Your nephew is a drunkard, uninterested in tea.

I am precisely the kind of vulgar person who cannot appreciate refinement." After a few pleasantries, Venerable Yuanyang finally broached the core issue: what had Lu Yuan been doing for the past four months? He had remained ranked at two hundred, and as a member of the Jin State and Huashan, Lu Yuan was touted as an unparalleled genius.

His persistent rank of two hundred reflected poorly on them, especially given Huashan's ambition to produce a Great Immortal ascending to the Celestial Court.

Moreover, Lu Yuan was the most likely candidate among them to enter the Central Celestial Dynasty.

Under such broad considerations, even the rivalries between the Three Sects could be temporarily set aside.

Lu Yuan smiled. "It was nothing much, really.

For these four months, I was merely comprehending sword intent.

The Dao of the Sword is endless, and today I managed to grasp some new intents.

This current period of seclusion is now concluded.

From this point forward, I must begin competing for ranking points." Venerable Yuanyang, as the Master of the Sword Sect, possessed particular insight into sword intent, so he immediately inquired, "Then, Nephew, how many intents did you comprehend today?" "Six," Lu Yuan replied.

After Lu Yuan finished speaking, he noticed the profound silence surrounding him.

Venerable Yuanyang was close to tears.

As the Master of the Sword Sect, he possessed a total of only thirteen sword intents.

For Lu Yuan to suddenly grasp six in one go—how could he bear such a comparison? Venerable Lieyang had less interaction with Lu Yuan and generally knew little about him; now, he was utterly stunned.

Comprehending six sword intents in one burst—what level was that! It was a level defying belief! Venerable Huifeng could only sigh, feeling as though his entire life had been wasted.

He was, after all, one of the Peak Masters of the Sword Sect, renowned for his swordsmanship.

He had always believed his collection of intents was substantial, possessing twelve, but comparing himself to Lu Yuan now revealed the true chasm between them.

Venerable Zixia stared, his mouth agape wide enough to fit a duck's egg.

His usual composed elegance was utterly forgotten.

Six intents at once—what standard was this? If such a monstrous talent emerged in sword practice, how were practitioners of magical arts supposed to thrive? Venerable Zixia foresaw that because of Lu Yuan’s existence, many more would likely flock to the Sword Sect or the Sword Qi Sect in the future, while very few would choose the Qi Sect.

The Qi Sect was in jeopardy.

Undoubtedly, all four Venerables agreed that Lu Yuan spending four months comprehending sword intent without accumulating any ranking points, resulting in a rank of two hundred, was absolutely justified.

It would be strange if it weren't.

The Dao Comprehension Pavilion was the foremost scenic wonder of Yuelu Mountain.

This Dao Comprehension Pavilion was purchased by the seven nations at an exorbitant price from the Great Yong Kingdom.

Furthermore, it was not a permanent structure; it was leased for a term of three years, after which it would be decommissioned.

The value of this Pavilion surpassed even that of immortal swords—it was beyond imagination.

This Dao Comprehension Pavilion stood atop Yuelu Mountain, surrounded by countless rays of treasure light.

When these rays flared brightly, they could obscure the heavens and eclipse the stars.

With the Pavilion present, even the rising sun seemed diminished in splendor.

Innumerable spiritual energies perpetually swirled around the Dao Comprehension Pavilion.

Guarding the Pavilion were several Grandmasters, as even though it was sealed by layers of profound restrictive spells, its treasure light still shot toward the heavens, its aura piercing the firmament.

Among the two hundred cultivators at Yuelu Mountain, each person could gain time for enlightenment corresponding to their rank by using the bronze token that held their personal information.

Lu Yuan was currently seated inside this Dao Comprehension Pavilion.

The spiritual energy within the Dao Comprehension Pavilion was concentrated to a terrifying degree.

Entering it was like stepping into the most opulent palace.

On the walls and ceiling, various images—the shadow of wind, the semblance of clouds, visions of the sky, and depictions of the earth—flickered rapidly past.

These were the very rules of the cosmos! If the rules of the external world were vague and incredibly difficult to grasp, the rules inside this Pavilion were like fine strands of hair, no longer completely ethereal, making them easier to capture.

Lu Yuan sat within, attempting to seize these cosmic laws.

However, capturing them was inherently difficult.

Lu Yuan felt a faint sensation, only to suddenly sense a massive force expelling him from the Pavilion.

When he came back to himself, he was already outside.

Enlightenment within the Dao Comprehension Pavilion was indeed vastly superior to the outside world.

Given enough time, he was certain he could master the rules of the cosmos and reach the second stage of the Great Dao Realm.

Lu Yuan mused to himself that he absolutely had to raise his ranking so he could secure more time inside the Pavilion.

Only after experiencing the Dao Comprehension Pavilion did he truly understand its marvels.

Just as this thought surfaced, a voice drifted to his ears: "Oh? Isn't this the unparalleled genius Lu Yuan?" Lu Yuan looked over and saw a Grandmaster whose cultivation seemed rather weak, perhaps only in the Great Dao Realm. "Indeed.

It seems it really is the unparalleled genius Lu Yuan, the one ranked at two hundred," remarked another Great Dao Realm Grandmaster. "Yes, yes.

I heard he’s the genius who spent time in the Scripture Repository looking through many rather ordinary scrolls," a third Great Dao Realm Grandmaster added.

A group of over ten Great Dao Realm figures had gathered, encircling Lu Yuan. "By the way, it's rare to run into this unparalleled genius.

How about this, Great Genius Lu, why don't we have a spar? Even though you are ranked two hundred, you haven't lost a single match; perhaps you could surrender your points to me?" said a cultivator from the Great Wu Nation named Wu Qi. "Hey, Wu Qi, don't hog all the good fortune! Let me have the first spar," interjected Ye Tian from the Great Ye Nation. "I should go first!" shouted Fu Zhentie from the Great Yuan Nation. "After all, our Great Yuan Nation and the Great Jin State are sworn enemies!" "Hey, I saw Great Genius Lu first! Whoever gets here first claims the right!" Why were these people arguing so fiercely? It had been stated before that the two hundred individuals at Yuelu Mountain each had a rank determined by points.

Points were earned in two ways: first, through mutual challenges, which were limited—cultivators from different nations could challenge each other a maximum of twice a month; the loser forfeited points, and the winner gained them.

The second method was challenging the Sword Arts Chamber, the Spirit Arts Chamber, and the Speed Chamber to earn points.

The ten individuals shouting at Lu Yuan were all of relatively weaker cultivation, mostly around the second stage of the Great Dao Realm.

Among the two hundred cultivators at Yuelu Mountain, the strongest reached the fifth stage of the Great Dao Realm, while the majority hovered around the third or fourth stage.

There were ten individuals at the second stage, and only one, Lu Yuan, at the first stage.

These were precisely those ten individuals! Being weaker in cultivation made it difficult to gain standing at Yuelu Mountain; they constantly lost points to others, leaving their rankings near the bottom, positioned from one hundred ninety to one hundred ninety-nine, just above Lu Yuan.

They were the weakest contingent among the two hundred, lacking opportunities to earn points, and the specialized chambers were exceedingly difficult.

Now, they had stumbled upon Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan, ranked two hundred, was the only one at the first stage of the Great Dao Realm.

It was natural to pick the softest persimmon to squeeze.

Without a doubt, Lu Yuan was the softest target, causing these ten to scramble, eager to strike first to claim his points.

A once-in-a-lifetime chance, a golden opportunity to earn points, had arrived.

For these individuals, Lu Yuan represented ranking points delivered right to their doorstep.

(Third update delivered.

It's the 29th—a shout out! Are there any monthly votes left? Any subscriptions remaining?)