The contest for the position of Acting Sect Master had begun on the East Peak's Sun Riser Peak. "Senior Uncle Yuanyang is truly formidable." "Indeed, to actually suppress Uncle-Ancestor Yu Qinggua like that." "Didn't Senior Uncle Yuanyang seem less powerful before?" "You think the intensive training at Yue Lu Mountain was just for show?" Taking place on the Immortal Palm Platform was the battle between the Venerable Yuanyang and Uncle-Ancestor Yu Qinggua of the Qi Sect.

Venerable Yuanyang had once lost to Uncle-Ancestor Yu Qinggua, but this time he held the decisive upper hand, fully displaying the strength gained after the Yue Lu Mountain training. It naturally led people to wonder just how far the peerless genius Lu Yuan, who had also attended the training, had advanced.

However, no one truly believed Lu Yuan could be that strong; after all, he had only just reached the Great Dao Realm when he went to the training, making it impossible for him to dictate the outcome of this Acting Sect Master selection. The elders of the Ninth Generation, the disciples of the Tenth Generation, buzzed with speculation, their discussions lively.

Lu Yuan watched from the sidelines, finding it quite dull. A fight between Great Dao Realm fifth level practitioners—he had seen countless such clashes at Yue Lu Mountain and sparred with numerous fifth-level masters himself.

It wasn't exactly thrilling. Lu Wu was utterly bored.

There were only two things to do now: one was to drink, and the other? To explain a point or two when his fellow disciples couldn't grasp what was happening.

Even for Lu Yuan's peers, viewing a battle in the Great Dao Realm, they could only appreciate the spectacle, not the nuances. After Lu Yuan provided some explanations, they finally began to understand a fraction of it.

"This move is actually the latter half of the 'Two Banks' Cries Echoing Unstoppably' technique from the Chaoyang One Qi Sword Style. This specific move is incredibly fast, perfectly striking the weakness in Uncle-Ancestor Yu Qinggua's technique, the Five Heavens Thunder Sealing True Art," Lu Yuan explained.

By this time, those surrounding Lu Yuan were not just ordinary core disciples; many Ninth Generation Elders were also listening. In fact, it wasn't just the average Ninth Generation Elders; even the Ninth Generation Sword Immortals were paying attention.

There was no choice; the Ninth Generation Sword Immortals found these techniques incredibly esoteric and difficult to truly comprehend. Lu Yuan’s explanations made things much clearer.

It was embarrassing for the Ninth Generation Sword Immortals to require explanations from Tenth Generation disciples, but since Lu Yuan was now widely acknowledged as a peerless genius, it mattered less. Dugu Ye asked with a knowing smile, "Martial Nephew Lu, you don't seem to have witnessed the Qi Sect's West Peak's Five Heavens Thunder Sealing True Art before.

How did you know how to break the enchantment?" "Intuition," Lu Yuan replied. This intuition was a byproduct of supreme talent combined with countless battles experienced over time.

Lu Yuan explained casually, "This stance utilizes the Xi Yi Sword Style at its absolute peak. The sword light cannot be seen, nor can its sound be heard." He said this after Venerable Yuanyang's sword light vanished amidst the combatants.

This didn't mean the sword truly disappeared, but that its speed was so blindingly fast that the blade itself was imperceptible. The surrounding core disciples inwardly realized, So this is the Xi Yi Sword Style.

Most of them had little exposure to this style, much less witnessing a master like Venerable Yuanyang employ it. "Then how can this sword style be countered?" Chu Fei asked.

"For this sword style, using defensive magic artifacts is the common approach. However, artifacts can be countered by other artifacts, or broken by sheer brute force, so it's not ideal.

This sword style is difficult to break," Lu Yuan answered. "How do you usually break it?" Chu Fei pressed.

"Feeling," Lu Yuan said. "I can sense where the sword is.

But this method may not be usable by others." The conflict between the Three Sects had reached a boiling point. The Hundred Kingdoms Assessment was fast approaching; there had been so much happening recently.

Lu Yuan felt a touch of melancholy. Twelve candidates were scheduled to compete in this contest, but in reality?

This was a round-robin tournament. Who knew how long a rotation would take?

Moreover, there were mandatory rests between bouts for recovering magical power, meaning a long wait. Lu Yuan seriously suspected this entire process would take at least two or three days before an Acting Sect Master could be decided.

Lu Yuan rose from his seat. The fighting had been underway for half a day, and most people were watching for entertainment, not insight.

And after watching mere spectacle for so long, it naturally grew tedious, causing most to leave their seats long ago. The atmosphere on Sun Riser Peak was lively, but unlike the time of the Five Peaks Grand Competition, when relations between the Three Sects weren't quite so strained.

Now, while internal relations within each sect remained cordial, the external dynamic—say, between the Sword Sect and the Qi Sect—was one of mutual disregard. The atmosphere was entirely different from the Five Peaks Grand Competition.

In the afternoon, bored, Lu Yuan returned to watching the bouts. Since he was idle anyway, as he observed, a strange feeling arose that he might actually try to learn the Golden Emperor Sword Dao.

This sudden impulse came to him, and Lu Yuan recognized it as the work of the Seventh Consciousness, the Manas consciousness. The Manas consciousness was said to perceive the subtle mechanisms of heaven and earth; the more powerful a cultivator, the stronger this consciousness typically became.

Of course, what the Manas consciousness perceived was only a possibility, not a certainty of success. Whether he could achieve it depended entirely on himself.

Lu Yuan intended to meditate on the Immortal Palm Platform, but the round-robin for the Acting Sect Master made the area far too noisy. Consequently, Lu Yuan left the platform and headed toward a place of quiet.

Lu Yuan wandered aimlessly across the East Peak. While the Immortal Palm Platform was bustling, other areas of the East Peak were significantly deserted.

What a perilous location! Lu Yuan was startled when he saw it.

This dangerous spot connected the East Peak to the South Peak, spanning over ten thousand meters, linked only by a few iron chains swaying in the wind. Below were sheer cliffs and abysses—truly the height of peril.

Legend held this was a place for disciples of the East and South Peaks to temper their hearts. Those unable to fly practiced here; success in tempering their will resulted in immense courage.

This place was named—the Sky-Treading Plank Road. At its entrance was an inscription: "Be wary, be wary, nine parts and three, seeking a corpse, Luo Nan Shang Zhou." It was said that on the South Peak side, the words "Rein in your steed at the cliff's edge" were carved, testament to its danger.

Lu Yuan could fly and was therefore unafraid of this extreme hazard. It was completely deserted, making it an excellent spot for cultivation.

Lu Yuan leaped onto the middle section of the iron chains, sitting there suspended over the void and the cliff face. What a splendid place.

He would cultivate here. Lu Yuan immediately cleared his mind of all distractions.

Now, only the sound of the wind rushed into his ears like a roaring torrent. What was the Golden Emperor Sword Dao?

The Sword Intent of Metal—he had currently comprehended the Sword Intent of Metal, the Intent of Speed, the Intent of Slowness, the Intent of Autumn, the Intent of Sorrow, and the Intent of Solemnity—six intents in total. Analyzing these based on the materials he had studied, the Metal element should govern purification, solemnity, and restraint.

So, was the Golden Emperor Sword Dao like that? Lu Yuan pondered deeply, many thoughts flashing through his mind.

However, simply thinking this way made unifying the six Metal-attribute sword intents seem overwhelmingly difficult, perhaps impossible. Or did he truly not grasp the essence of the Metal Dao?

What was the essence of the Metal Dao? The Water Emperor Sword Dao was about encompassing all things.

The Fire Emperor Sword Dao was about self-confidence and dominance. Then what was the Golden Emperor Sword Dao?

What exactly was it? Lu Yuan contemplated, continuously executing the six Metal Sword Intents in his hands, yet not gaining a single clue.

It seemed mastering the Golden Emperor Sword Dao would not be easy. Would his attempt to comprehend a Sword Dao this time end in failure?

No, he was unwilling to accept that. Indeed, normally he was not anxious, due to his naturally relaxed and easygoing disposition.

But now he was rushed—because of the turmoil in the Three Sects and the Hundred Kingdoms Assessment six months away. For the Huashan Immortal Sect, for his master’s dying wish, for the revered ambition of Ancestor Yan, he needed to become stronger, faster.

If thorns lay on the path ahead, he would sever them. If demons lay on the path ahead, he would cleave them down.

If gods or Buddhas lay on the path ahead, he would sever them. My Huashan, I shall protect it.

At that moment, Lu Yuan noticed his own six Metal Sword Intents beginning to merge ceaselessly. They gathered, seemingly on the verge of transforming into an Emperor Sword Dao.

Why? Lu Yuan was puzzled, but then a thought flashed through his mind.

The Golden Emperor Sword Dao was not about solemnity or restraint at all. Metal is the sharpest substance under heaven.

The Golden Emperor must sever everything; to sever everything with resolve—that is the Golden Emperor. No matter what lies ahead, I shall cleave it with one stroke.

This was the Golden Emperor Sword Dao! The usual Lu Yuan could never grasp this intent, given his laissez-faire nature.

But this time, for the sake of Huashan, he possessed an intense obsession, which allowed him to comprehend this Emperor Dao. Lu Yuan's six intents converged continuously, finally solidifying into the Golden Emperor Sword Dao!

The Golden Emperor Sword Dao was complete! He now possessed three of the Five Emperor Sword Daos.

This was excellent progress. The Water Emperor Sword Dao was the most yielding in the world, capable of slowing an opponent’s attack and trapping them in an endless watery domain.

The Fire Emperor Sword Dao possessed the highest offensive power among the Five Emperor Daos, far exceeding the Water Emperor Dao. And this newly formed Golden Emperor Sword Dao was the most flexible of the Five Emperor Daos—precisely flexible.

When the heart holds the resolve to sever everything toward a certain goal, it merges with the Sword Heart. This unification of man and sword allows one to cut through anything; the integration between person and sword is perfect, without the slightest obstruction, achieving the highest degree of fusion, thus yielding maximum flexibility and adaptability.

Concurrently, its offensive power is slightly less than the Fire Emperor Dao but certainly higher than the Water Emperor Dao. The Golden Emperor is flexible; the White Emperor is fast.

The Golden Emperor and White Emperor Sword Daos combined make for the fastest and most agile Sword Dao. Lu Yuan opened his eyes.

He was still on the Sky-Treading Plank Road. Checking the time, the sun was high in the sky.

He wasn't sure how long it took him to comprehend the Golden Emperor Sword Dao, but he decided to return to the Immortal Palm Platform; after all, he wanted to know who the new Acting Sect Master of Huashan would be. Lu Yuan mounted his sword and flew directly toward the Immortal Palm Platform.