The five individuals who went to Mount Yuelu for cultivation, naturally, saw the greatest progress in Lu Yuan. Among the two hundred disciples at Mount Yuelu, he ranked in the top five, securing victories and only occasional losses against experts like Zhong Heming, Murong Shi, and Master Kuzhen.

Following closely were the Venerable Yuanyang and the Venerable Zixia. Both had reached the fifth level of the Great Dao Realm, surpassing the Venerable Lieyang and the Venerable Huifeng. While they had crossed swords with Lu Yuan, they were no match for him. Among the twenty disciples from the Jin Kingdom, Lu Yuan's combat power remained supreme.

Having trained together at Mount Yuelu for two and a half years, the relationship among the five had improved considerably from its initial hostility. After all, while internal strife existed at Mount Hua, people tended to unite more easily when removed from home and placed in a larger, external environment. Mount Yuelu hosted seven nations, and the Jin Kingdom was relatively weak among them, thus fostering natural solidarity.

Two and a half years passed in the blink of an eye.

The five passed through numerous teleportation arrays and soon arrived near Mount Hua.

Upon reaching Mount Hua, they were greeted by earth-shattering news.

The former Sect Master of Mount Hua, Chu Duan, and the foremost expert of the Qi Faction, Zhuo Budang, had both vanished a year prior.

Vanished for a year!

The high probability was that they had perished.

One might argue that a year-long disappearance due to seclusion was unremarkable. However, Chu Duan was the Sect Master of Mount Hua, burdened with endless responsibilities; his vanishing act was deeply unsettling.

Furthermore, the most critical detail was the circumstances: Chu Duan had arranged to meet Zhuo Budang at a specific location, and then both disappeared simultaneously.

This sudden disappearance immediately spurred several theories.

One theory suggested that Chu Duan had laid an ambush to assassinate Zhuo Budang, all for the grand ambition of the Sword Faction unifying Mount Hua. The consequence was that while Zhuo Budang was killed, Chu Duan was severely wounded, given that Zhuo Budang's strength was comparable to Chu Duan’s—one a Grandmaster, the other a Half-Step Grandmaster.

Another theory posited that Zhuo Budang had already arranged an ambush for Chu Duan. The reason, naturally, was the Sword Faction’s overwhelming momentum; to prevent the Qi Faction from being swallowed whole, Zhuo Budang had prepared a trap. However, Chu Duan proved too powerful, leading to both men suffering mutual, catastrophic injuries.

A third theory implicated Tiandi, the Emperor of the Heaven Renouncing Alliance, in the assassination of both Chu Duan and Zhuo Budang.

All three theories circulated concurrently.

Logically, under normal circumstances, the disciples of Mount Hua would have favored the third possibility as the most likely. However, when the disciples visited the site of Chu Duan and Zhuo Budang’s disappearance, they found clear evidence of both men engaging in battle, but no trace of a third party intervening. Compounding this was the internal discord already plaguing Mount Hua.

Originally, the Sword Faction, the Qi Faction, and the Sword-Qi Faction harbored inherent friction. This tension had eased somewhat under the suppression maintained by Yan Cangtian.

But after Chu Duan took office, the Sword Faction grew increasingly dominant, causing the conflicts between the three factions to intensify relentlessly.

Against this backdrop of bitter factional strife, the Sword Faction, having lost their Sect Master, naturally blamed the Qi Faction. The Qi Faction, having lost their top expert Zhuo Budang, naturally blamed the Sword Faction. The two sides became irreconcilable, leading to countless private duels, with several lives lost. While such private fights occurred when Chu Duan was present, death was strictly forbidden. With Chu Duan gone and Mount Hua without a clear leader, coupled with the internal conflict Chu Duan himself had ignited, deaths on the spot became commonplace.

This time, the Sword-Qi Faction of the North Peak largely stepped aside from the direct conflict, resulting in fewer casualties on their side. The main reason was that the disappeared leaders belonged to the Sword Faction (Chu Duan) and the Sword-Qi Faction (Zhuo Budang); neither was from the North Peak. Still, it was impossible for the Sword-Qi Faction to entirely escape the ensuing chaos.

Over the past year, the situation among the three factions of Mount Hua had deteriorated from bad to worse.

There was not a single Half-Step Grandmaster among them. While there were many experts in the Great Dao Realm, they were locked in constant struggle. Mount Hua was suffering internal chaos.

Over the last year, the Jin Kingdom’s foremost immortal sect had gradually shifted its allegiance towards the Wudang Immortal Sect.

The once mighty Mount Hua Immortal Sect now showed clear signs of decline.

Mount Hua!

Upon hearing the news, the Venerable Yuanyang nearly leaped up. "How could things come to this? We were at Mount Yuelu, how did we not receive any news...?"

The disciple relaying the current state of affairs at Mount Hua could only stammer incoherently. How could he possibly know the matters of the high echelon? In truth, Venerable Yuanyang understood: the higher-ups likely withheld the information to avoid disrupting the crucial training assembly at Mount Yuelu, especially with the Hundred Nations Assessment looming.

The Venerable Lieyang, the Venerable Huifeng, and the Venerable Zixia all changed expressions.

None of them had anticipated events spiraling to this extent so suddenly.

Lu Yuan also drew a deep breath. The chaos among the three factions had finally reached a critical point. His master, Li Yuanbai, worried about the strife; his grand-master, Yan Cangtian, worried about it; and Lu Yuan himself had been wary of it. Now, the factional war had erupted. Truly…

Venerable Yuanyang, Lu Yuan, and the other three bade farewell, heading toward their respective peaks. Usually, Lu Yuan returned to his mountain with a calm, leisurely air, but this time his mood was far from placid.

North Peak, Yuntai Peak.

Wreathed in swirling mists and deep white clouds.

Lu Yuan returned to the North Peak.

Excluding Lu Yuan, there were only six other cultivators at the Great Dao Realm on the North Peak. The strongest were Qu Qingchen and Wan Qingwang. No one came to welcome Lu Yuan upon his return. Despite his high strength, Lu Yuan’s seniority was low; in righteous immortal sects, seniority was paramount. Lu Yuan first proceeded to the Hall of Tranquility and Harmony, where Elder Fang Ru was already waiting for him.

"How was the training assembly at Mount Yuelu?"

After a few pleasantries, Fang Ru asked.

"Not bad. Two and a half years—the progress was decent," Lu Yuan replied with a nod.

"That’s good. Now that you’ve returned, you must have heard some of the recent news concerning Mount Hua. However, set that aside for now. Your primary objective is to break into the Central Celestial Dynasty," Fang Ru stated. White hairs had appeared on his temples; being the Peak Master of Mount Hua’s North Peak was no easy task, but in this time of crisis, he could only contribute his strength to Mount Hua.

Next, Lu Yuan noticed several changes on the North Peak. For instance, other true disciples had also made considerable strides in their strength, though naturally nothing compared to Lu Yuan’s.

More importantly, however, was the news: Mount Hua was electing a Provisional Sect Master.

Chu Duan had been missing for so long—a full year.

With the multitude of issues facing Mount Hua, an election was now necessary.

If Chu Duan did not reappear within three years, the Provisional Master would officially become the Sect Master.

In the current era, the Sword Faction, the Qi Faction, and the Sword-Qi Faction all possessed Great Dao Realm experts, but none held the overwhelming dominance of a Grandmaster or Half-Step Grandmaster. Consequently, every faction vied for the position. Becoming Sect Master offered immense benefits to one’s own faction. The Great Dao Realm experts of the North Peak were also preparing to put forward candidates to try their luck.

Only Qu Qingchen and Wan Qingwang were seriously considered, both being at the fifth level of the Great Dao Realm; the other four had no realistic chance.

Therefore, the North Peak's nominated candidates were Qu Qingchen and Wan Qingwang.

Lu Yuan was certainly not recommended. Firstly, they were unaware of the extent of Lu Yuan's advancement during his two-and-a-half-year training at Mount Yuelu. Secondly, Lu Yuan’s current focus was the Hundred Nations Assessment, not contending for the position of Mount Hua Sect Master; thus, they naturally did not nominate him.

September the fifteenth, the sky overcast, threatening rain.

On this day, the contingents from the Five Peaks assembled on the East Peak, Chaoyang Peak.

The selection of the new Provisional Sect Master was underway.

The East Peak, Chaoyang Peak, presented three figures at the fifth level of the Great Dao Realm, including Venerable Yuanyang and two others Lu Yuan didn't recognize.

The South Peak, Luoyan Peak, presented three figures at the fifth level of the Great Dao Realm; Lu Yuan knew none of them.

The Central Peak, Yunü Peak, offered one Great Dao Realm expert, whom Lu Yuan also did not recognize.

The West Peak, Lianhua Peak, had three candidates at the fifth level of the Great Dao Realm. One of them was the Venerable Zixia; Lu Yuan did not know the other two.

The North Peak, Yuntai Peak, presented only the two candidates, Qu Qingchen and Wan Qingwang.

Lu Yuan observed there were twelve candidates in total, yet he recognized only four. This was unsurprising: the candidates were predominantly from the eighth generation, while Lu Yuan was of the tenth. How could a tenth-generation disciple know many from the eighth?

The contingents from the Five Peaks stood segmented, each in their assigned area. The highest positions were occupied by the most formidable figures—those of the seventh and eighth generations. The middle tiers were seated by the ninth generation, while the tenth generation occupied the lowest seating. Despite his formidable strength, Lu Yuan, being tenth generation, was seated quite low. At this point, an elderly man with salt-and-pepper hair appeared among the high-ranking figures. This elder was a figure from the seventh generation and held significant prestige within it.

"Sect Master Chu Duan guided Mount Hua toward prosperity..." He delivered a lengthy preamble. Although Chu Duan’s merits and faults were debatable—likely leaning toward the latter—decorum dictated high praise for his tenure as Sect Master. Then, the tone shifted to Chu Duan’s year-long disappearance and the necessity for Mount Hua to have a leader. Finally, the purpose was confirmed: the selection of a Provisional Sect Master and the rules governing the process.

These were mostly procedural formalities—the kind required of a righteous immortal sect.

The core principle was that strength would determine the successor. Each peak sent several candidates, though more could have been sent; realistically, only those at the fifth level of the Great Dao Realm held competitive potential. Moreover, the competition would follow a round-robin format rather than a single-elimination bracket, ensuring that a momentary lapse wouldn't end a contender's run, meaning the contest would be protracted. A stipulation was added: no serious injury to opponents was permitted.

In fact, Lu Yuan’s absence from the competition brought relief to Venerable Yuanyang and the other four.

Had Lu Yuan truly entered, they doubted anyone present could defeat him.

Of course, adhering to the agreement made at Mount Yuelu regarding the secrecy of individual strength levels, they dared not reveal Lu Yuan’s true power. Leaking his strength would jeopardize his Hundred Nations Assessment. Furthermore, Lu Yuan’s advancement into the Central Celestial Dynasty was deemed a matter far more critical than the selection of a new Mount Hua Sect Master.

Consequently, only the four Venerables—Yuanyang and the others—were aware of Lu Yuan’s actual capabilities; everyone else remained in the dark.