At this juncture, even Tie Mu’er and his companions, who were deeply engaged in battle, found their interest waning. Tie Mu’er had been enjoying a significant advantage in the fight, feeling quite satisfied, and the other members of the Yuan Kingdom felt the same. The Yuan and Jin Kingdoms had been adversaries for years; though said to be evenly matched, the Jin Kingdom actually held a slight superiority in strength.

If Jin’s power wasn't greater, why would they occupy the superior lands while Yuan was left with the inferior territory?

Essentially, if the subterranean demons of the Yuan Kingdom were to join forces with those of the Jin Kingdom, their combined strength might only slightly surpass Jin’s.

Consequently, in numerous border skirmishes, the Yuan Kingdom always suffered minor defeats. Not to mention that incident long ago when Yan Cangtian, with a single sword, swept across the Yuan Kingdom, sending the three great Grandmasters of Yuan fleeing in disarray, plunging the nation into chaos. Had the Great Yong Kingdom not intervened to stop him, Yuan might have been utterly annihilated by Yan Cangtian alone.

The Central Heavenly Dynasty had established the rules: as long as these smaller nations adhered to those regulations, the Central Heavenly Dynasty would never bother concerning itself with them.

And in the South, the true overlord was the Great Jian Kingdom.

The reason Yan Cangtian never conquered Yuan was precisely due to the balance policy established by the Great Yong Kingdom.

Speaking of which, the Yuan Kingdom was accustomed to being on the defensive.

But this time, with Bai Yu, Tie Mu’er, and the Blood Sword Ancestor operating inside and outside the fray, Yuan held a distinct, absolute advantage—a rare and exhilarating feeling.

Let’s see how long Jin could continue oppressing our Yuan Kingdom; this time, they’ve certainly vented some long-held frustration.

Just as Tie Mu’er and the others from Yuan were reveling in their triumph, they realized that hardly anyone was watching them; almost everyone’s gaze was fixed on Lu Yuan. What was happening? They couldn't help but look over, only to discover a multitude of ancient talismans gathering above Lu Yuan’s head. By their sheer number, it looked like there were already more than ten.

Was Lu Yuan about to reach the Third Heaven of the Great Dao Realm? If so, this situation would become exceedingly difficult.

Tie Mu’er and the others immediately moved to launch an offensive against Jin. However, Jin’s strength was inherently not weak; their morale had just been suppressed, and now, seeing Lu Yuan’s breakthrough, they knew that once he succeeded, the tide would immediately turn. Thus, they committed all their remaining power to shielding Lu Yuan, and the two sides clashed incessantly.

Above Lu Yuan’s head, a full twenty-eight ancient talismans had materialized.

Then, a phantom scene appeared over Lu Yuan: endless mountains composed of endless stones, with vast stretches of yellow sand at their base, interspersed with numerous mire pits. In the void above, an intensely powerful sense of guardianship manifested. In moments, these illusory scenes were drawn into the swirling ancient talismans one by one.

“Earth.” “Stone.” “Mountain.” “Guard.” “Mud.” “Sand”—six ancient talismans settled into place.

Up to this point, Lu Yuan had coalesced a total of thirty-four ancient talismans.

The crowd waited, wondering if any new ancient talismans would emerge, but thankfully, the phenomenon finally stabilized. It was fixed at thirty-four ancient talismans.

It finally stopped changing; they had expected the growth to continue indefinitely.

Nevertheless, even this number was monstrously abnormal.

Thirty-four distinct Heavenly Laws! Thirty-four ancient talismans!

Why, even Murong Huangfu in his prime only possessed twenty-one ancient talismans! A typical cultivator at the Second Layer of the Great Dao Realm usually managed only five or six. Now, the quantity above Lu Yuan’s head had reached thirty-four types, a number rarely seen across the Seven Kingdoms, though not entirely unprecedented.

A rarity seen only once in a millennium!

A super genius—truly deserving of the title!

What kind of results would such a peerless talent achieve in this Hundred Kingdoms Assessment? The anticipation was palpable.

What profound magical power, Lu Yuan thought to himself, stunned. He’d often heard others praised for their immense magical reserves, but now, his own reserves were unfathomable. In a single breath, his power had surged two full tiers, elevating him directly from the First Heaven of the Great Dao Realm to the Third Heaven—his magical power nearly doubling, approaching triple its former capacity. Under this incredible influx, his body was constantly being refined and reshaped, becoming vastly sturdier than before.

Furthermore, externally, he felt he could now command thirty-four distinct currents of Heavenly Law.

In other words, his sensitivity to the Heavenly Laws was immensely amplified, and his perception of the world’s inherent weaknesses was far greater. At times, he could even coerce the ambient environment to serve him.

One must not underestimate this advantage.

When masters contend, victory hinges on the narrowest margin.

But to perceive the environment better, to alter it, and to harness the shifting dynamics of heaven and earth for one’s use—the resulting impact is colossal.

The numerous Laws of the Third Heaven of the Great Dao Realm were truly intoxicatingly potent.

Lu Yuan felt an overwhelming urge to stretch his limbs. Having reached the Third Heaven, he roused himself from his deep meditation only to find a cultivator from the Yuan Kingdom, already at the Fourth Heaven of the Great Dao Realm, lunging to strike him. In the ongoing conflict between Yuan and Jin, Jin was decidedly at a disadvantage, and protecting Lu Yuan had proven immensely difficult. Now, this Yuan cultivator had reached Lu Yuan’s very presence, unleashing the ‘Bloody Hand Seal’ and pressing it down viciously.

Lu Yuan merely sneered and met the attack with an open palm.

The clash sent the Yuan cultivator, who was in the Fourth Heaven, recoiling violently. Such was Lu Yuan’s current dominance; he could repel a Fourth Heaven expert through sheer brute force. This was because Lu Yuan was no ordinary Third Heaven cultivator, but one who commanded thirty-four Heavenly Laws.

Another Yuan cultivator, also in the Fourth Heaven, surged forward, employing the ‘Great Hand Seal’—a colossal print that nearly blotted out the sky. Lu Yuan countered with a casual sword thrust from his Yang Wu Spirit Sword, piercing diagonally. The strike hit the single inherent flaw in the Great Hand Seal, shattering the illusion in the void. The attacker shrieked, grievously wounded on the spot.

“Lu Yuan, allow me to face you!” This challenge came from a monk of the Great Snow Mountain Landa Temple. Landa Temple specialized in the ‘Dragon-Tiger Ascension Sutra,’ rumored to allow one to unleash the strength of a dragon and a tiger with a single strike. The monk roared, lunging at Lu Yuan, but Lu Yuan countered with a sword technique of exquisite mystery. The single thrust cleanly sliced through the visualized form of the Dragon and Tiger Ascension, driving straight into the monk’s defense. The monk scrambled to evade, having never encountered such terrifying swordsmanship, yet Lu Yuan’s pursuit forced a cut into his right shoulder.

“Lu Yuan, cease your arrogance!” This voice belonged to someone from the Myriad Snake Manor. Their highest art was the ‘Myriad Snake Dragon Transformation Heart Method,’ which manifested as a venomous dragon. The practitioner conjured a terrifying, king-level serpent, spewing torrents of toxic ink. Lu Yuan paid it no mind, slashing his sword once—a single sweep dispelled all venom. The Myriad Snake Manor disciple gasped in shock that his manifested serpent was useless, but before he could react, Lu Yuan was upon him, plunging his sword into his chest. Blood flowed freely.

“Lu Yuan, await my challenge!” Finally, the true main event, Tie Mu’er, stepped forward. His opening move was anything but simple: he unleashed the highest secret of Esoteric Buddhism—the ‘Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva Technique.’ Once activated, Tie Mu’er instantly transformed into a Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva with three eyes and forty hands. A blazing sun materialized behind him, and his third eye, the Eye of Prajñā, symbolized boundless light and wisdom.

His forty hands grasped various Buddhist implements: fish drums, sabers, vajras, strange staves, pure vases, all aimed at Lu Yuan.

The space filled with resounding Sanskrit chants.

At this moment, Tie Mu’er seemed to have become a true manifestation of the Dharma. Above his head, his own collected Laws began to coalesce, forming a giant, awe-inspiring manifestation of the Vaisravana Heavenly King, radiating imposing virtue. What a formidable practitioner Tie Mu’er was; his mastery was undeniable.

Onlookers murmured their admiration, sensing a titanic clash between Tie Mu’er and Lu Yuan. Yet, as they thought this, Lu Yuan unleashed a diagonal sword thrust. The first strike struck the myriad implements held by the forty hands. The second sliced through the forty hands of the Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva Technique. The third sword aimed directly for the third eye, the seat of wisdom.

These three strikes completely ignored every defense Tie Mu’er offered, as if all his resistance was laughably futile against Lu Yuan’s blade. When the third eye was pierced, Tie Mu’er let out a terrible scream, spraying blood wildly.

Three strikes defeated Tie Mu’er!

This!

How could such a feat be possible!

No matter how powerful Lu Yuan was, surely he couldn't achieve such a result!

The truth was, Lu Yuan had subtly employed a sliver of Reincarnation power just prior. He had used the power of Reincarnation to subtly distort the forty incoming weapons before launching his opportunistic assault. When the power of Reincarnation was involved, the supreme secret technique of that Esoteric Sect became farcical. Moreover, Tie Mu’er had relied too heavily on the Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva Technique; without that over-reliance, Lu Yuan could not have settled the fight in just three moves.

This was the power of the Ten Ultimate Laws! Reincarnation! How could the ultimate inheritance technique of a major Immortal Sect contend with one of the Ten Ultimate Laws? Yet, this very display showcased Lu Yuan’s absolute dominance.

The Yuan Kingdom disciples could scarcely believe the overwhelming might Lu Yuan exhibited upon reaching the Third Heaven of the Great Dao Realm! It was unbelievable. Remember, at the First Heaven, Lu Yuan was completely unable to match those in the Fourth Heaven, yet now he casually crushed opponents a full tier above him.

The Jin Kingdom disciples were equally stunned. They had won, and so easily! The opponents who had just proven so difficult to defeat were now dispatched with almost no effort.

At the same time, everyone from Jin recalled that when they first arrived at Yue Lu Mountain, Lu Yuan’s combat power was not particularly outstanding, perhaps even lagging behind.

But now, Lu Yuan’s combat strength was undeniably the greatest among the twenty Jin representatives.

As for Lu Yuan himself, he was focused on something else entirely—another matter of crucial importance.

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