Tang Shichuan walked out with immense confidence, believing his Mother-Child Formless Sword and his undefeated status would force the junior Lu Yuan to surrender obediently.

The Formless Sword? Lu Yuan truly paid little heed to the Formless Spirit Sword. Unlike most Huashan disciples, who rarely engaged with experts from the Jin Kingdom, Lu Yuan, during his training under Ancestor Yan, had traveled extensively throughout Jin and clashed with the four major immortal sects there. He had encountered Formless Sword Qi before and found that while it was formidable against magical artifacts and sword techniques, it was utterly useless against his Five Emperors Sword Dao. If that were not the case, he would never have boasted of resolving the fight with Tang Shichuan within thirty moves.

Sensing the Formless Sword approaching, Lu Yuan unleashed his Five Emperors Sword Dao. Five-colored sword lights—white, cyan, black, crimson, and yellow—erupted from his head, weaving together. Simultaneously, the Mountain Suppressing Spirit Sword sang as it was drawn, executing the move "Gale Sweeping Past." This was one of Lu Yuan’s favored techniques; regardless of any poetic airs or connected swordsmanship Tang Shichuan employed, the gale would sweep through, leaving his refinement utterly disgraced.

Tang Shichuan was manipulating the Formless Mother-Child Spirit Swords, the very weapons that had helped him defeat High Elder Yuanyang and High Elder Zixia, instilling in him absolute faith. Seeing that Lu Yuan had failed to detect his Formless Spirit Sword, he inwardly sneered, This Lu Yuan is indeed just famous in name only; he hasn't even spotted my Formless Spirit Sword. For a mere junior to claim the Supreme Seat is laughable. I shall take your Supreme Seat, claim the quota for a superior immortal sect, and take that pure little beauty as well.

Just as these thoughts took hold, he was horrified to see his Formless Mother-Child Spirit Swords ensnared within the five-colored sword light emanating from Lu Yuan’s head, unable to break free. Startled by the sudden failure of his prized weapons, Tang Shichuan reacted too slowly. Lu Yuan’s Gale Sweeping Past grazed his shoulder, drawing a spray of blood.

“Not so impressive, are you? To dare block the gates of the Huashan Immortal Sect with this level of skill—I truly don't know how you learned the meaning of death,” Lu Yuan scoffed, then pressed the attack again.

This time, he employed the Xiyi Sword Style of the Sword Sect. Since becoming the Sect Master, the separation of the Three Sects had allowed Lu Yuan access to any Huashan sword technique. He used the move As Vague as the Unknown, As Subtle as the Unseen from the Xiyi Style, a technique even swifter than Gale Sweeping Past. Tang Shichuan, unwilling to concede, still relied on his Formless Mother-Child Spirit Swords. How could his supposedly invincible weapons fail him? He refused to accept it.

But alas, useless was useless, no matter how much he refused to believe it. How could the Five Emperors Sword Dao possibly be breached by mere Formless Sword Qi?

Under normal circumstances, Tang Shichuan’s ability was comparable to that of High Elder Yuanyang and High Elder Zixia, both of whom could sustain Lu Yuan’s assault for about thirty moves. Tang Shichuan was of a similar caliber. Unfortunately, after obtaining the Formless Mother-Child Spirit Swords, Tang Shichuan had defeated many experts, including Yuanyang and Zixia. This success had fostered a dangerous dependence on his invisible weapons, and now, the very swords he relied upon were completely ineffective against Lu Yuan.

Under such circumstances, he had already lost the will to fight. In a high-stakes duel, victory hinges on the smallest margin. To survive thirty moves against Lu Yuan after losing confidence and having already taken a blow would have been a miracle—a miracle that would have rendered Lu Yuan’s own reputation moot.

Tang Shichuan continued with his Liancheng Sword Style—the fourteenth move, The Gloomy Air of Mount Wu and the Wuxia Gorges. This strike carried a somber, imposing aura, with hints of mountainous solemnity—a truly exquisite sword move, affirming the long history of the Liancheng Immortal Sect. Yet, though his sword moves were grave, his mind was in chaos.

“So this is the level of Tang Shichuan, the man hailed as the strongest among the ten mid-tier immortal sects?” In the next instant, for the fifteenth move, Lu Yuan materialized a giant hand in the void, brutally shattering the Liancheng Sword Style and dragging Tang Shichuan through the air as if he were a discarded rag doll.

“Truly disappointing,” Lu Yuan sighed, shaking his head filled with apathy. He tossed Tang Shichuan, limp as a dead dog, near High Elder Yuanyang. “Martial Uncle Yuanyang, take this man to Huashan’s Sky Prison.” “Yes, Sect Master,” High Elder Yuanyang replied immediately, savoring the moment. He had been injured by Tang Shichuan relying on the Formless Mother-Child Spirit Swords earlier, and now he held the captured foe like refuse.

Lu Yuan gripped the air, retrieving the Formless Mother-Child Spirit Swords. Holding them, he found that only when he applied no spiritual power could he see the faintest outline; the moment he infused energy, they vanished completely. They felt incredibly light and impossibly thin to the touch. With the pairing of mother and child swords, they were indeed devilishly effective for sneak attacks. I'll keep these for now, Lu Yuan mused, but I certainly won't rely on such trickery often. A sword doesn't need to be overly sophisticated, only compatible with one's heart. The Dao of the Sword must come from oneself, not from these auxiliary tricks.

“Long live the Sect Master!” “The Sect Master is too powerful!” “The Sect Master is magnificent!” A wave of cheers erupted from the entirety of Huashan.

Lu Yuan’s personal prestige on Huashan was already high, but previously, his greatest feat had been defeating a fourth-level Heavenly Dao Realm cultivator during the Three Sect Rebellion. Now, witnessing him unleash his true combat power and defeat a fifth-level Grand Dao Realm master like Tang Shichuan in just fifteen moves, every soul on Huashan was completely won over. At this crucial time, facing the aftermath of the Three Sect Rebellion, having such a leader was beyond reproach. Furthermore, the sight of the once premier Huashan Immortal Sect being challenged at its gates by someone like Tang Shichuan had been humiliating; the repressed anger was now finally vented. Had Tang Shichuan succeeded in overwhelming them, the morale of Huashan would have utterly dissolved, crushing their collective pride. Since the era of Yan Cangtian, Huashan had been first. Even during the era of Chu Duan, despite gradual decline, they remained the foremost. The Three Sect Rebellion was merely an internal conflict that caused weakness; they had never been defeated by an external force. A loss to Tang Shichuan now would have marked the beginning of Huashan’s spiritual dissolution. Huashan could not fall to an outsider. And now! Huashan had won! Long live Huashan!

As for the disciples of the Liancheng Immortal Sect, who had just been cheering for their leader Tang Shichuan, their champion was instantly made Huashan’s captive. The immense gap was apparent. Seeing the hostile stares from the Huashan disciples, they dared not linger and immediately scattered in a bid for survival. The Liancheng Immortal Sect was severely crippled by this single engagement.

News of this victory quickly spread throughout the Jin Kingdom’s cultivation world. At the time, few in Jin paid attention to Huashan, viewing it as a fallen sect. While other mid-tier sects wouldn't dare challenge Huashan openly like Tang Shichuan, many had been quietly carving away at Huashan’s private holdings—much like the vultures circling Li Yuanbai’s estate after his death. Now, after this battle proved that even a fifth-level Grand Dao Realm expert like Tang Shichuan could be defeated in fifteen moves, no one dared touch Huashan’s assets anymore. With this battle, Lu Yuan had restored Huashan’s might and prestige. Huashan might have declined, but it had not yet sunk to the level where anyone could bully them at will. Lu Yuan’s decisive action of capturing Tang Shichuan served as a clear message to the masters of other mid-tier sects: Dare to provoke Huashan, and you might just get a complimentary stay in the Huashan Sky Prison. Reportedly, the Sect Masters of Wudang and Qingcheng Immortal Sects sent letters to Huashan, requesting Lu Yuan release Tang Shichuan, citing fellowship within the righteous path, especially given the present need to combat the demonic path, where Liancheng was a vital bulwark. Lu Yuan ignored them all. If offending Huashan were easily forgiven, others would immediately follow suit. Even if Huashan was currently weaker, no one could be allowed to infringe upon its dignity. Lu Yuan needed to solidify Huashan’s reputation, especially since he planned to leave for the Central Celestial Court in a few months, by which time Huashan would likely still be recovering. Furthermore, Uncle-Master Zhou would only intervene if Huashan faced existential peril.

However, the buzz from this victory was soon overshadowed by another event: the Tiantian Alliance launching an assault on the Qingcheng Immortal Sect. If wiping out the Iron Sword Immortal Sect was a minor affair, attacking Qingcheng was earth-shattering news! The clash between the righteous and demonic paths had reached its most feverish point, with the demonic leader Ren Du’s arrogance reaching an absolute peak. A demonic fiend from over a millennium ago was now resurging with terrifying power. Who would prevail in the battle between the Tiantian Alliance and Qingcheng? Following the Ten Thousand Demons attacking Huashan, now came the Ten Thousand Demons attacking Qingcheng. While the outside world descended into turmoil, Huashan remained quiet, an exceptionally safe haven.

Lu Yuan sat in the Xiaoyao Residence, nursing his wine gourd. He had no intention of attempting to rescue Qingcheng; the demonic leaders Ren Du, Jing Qiuzhen, and Fang Xie could easily toy with him, and he was currently Huashan's strongest force. Huashan lacked the strength to aid other sects. Although Huashan was safe for the moment, he believed in guarding against misfortune in times of peace. Once a person reaches a certain age, they must bear corresponding responsibilities, especially after ascending to the lofty position of Huashan Sect Master.

Lu Yuan lay on the grass, watching the drifting clouds, envying their freedom. Alas, he could not be as unburdened as the clouds, not yet. His mind wrestled with the problem: conventional methods seemed insufficient to help him break through to the fourth level of the Grand Dao Realm—the stage of Law Convergence. He would need to find an alternative path. Regardless of the means, he absolutely had to achieve the fourth-level Grand Dao Realm, Law Convergence, before the Hundred Kingdoms Assessment in two years.