The surging demonic thoughts, the surging words. One man spoke wildly, one man held his sword, one man drank wine, one man walked alone.

"This is exhilarating! To shatter such a spirit, to annihilate such a demonic path—it is truly exhilarating!" Lu Yuan’s voice boomed like thunder across the surroundings, provoking everyone present.

At the peak of the roar of all the demons, when the concentration of demonic thoughts reached its densest and most solidified point, Lu Yuan struck out with sudden force.

One sword gathered all the overbearing might in the world, all the swiftness in the world, thrusting straight forward.

A Sword Severing the Dust!

What a brilliant sword stroke this was!

Instead of defending the breach point, he turned and thrust toward the vast army of demons. How incredibly audacious—to dare counter-attack the demonic horde with a single sword. However, given the preceding roar Lu Yuan had let loose, it indicated that this man was already audacious to the extreme. But which target was this sword aimed at?

Hidden in the second rank among the massed demons, the Celestial Star Old Immortal now trembled in fear. He had never imagined Lu Yuan would dare disregard the defensive breach and instead charge into the demon ranks, with the tip of his sword pointing directly at him. This single strike contained the swiftness of the White Emperor Sword Path and the overbearing might of the Fire Sovereign Sword Path.

The Celestial Star Old Immortal dared not show the slightest carelessness now; Lu Yuan had completely stunned him.

And now, Lu Yuan was aiming for him.

At this moment, the Celestial Star Old Immortal unleashed his strongest technique: the Seven Kills Celestial Star Poison. Seven-colored toxins manifested in his hands, representing the seven stars: Dubhe, Merak, Phecda, Megrez, Alioth, Mizar, and Alkaid—seven distinct poisons woven into a formation of terrifying magnitude.

It seemed as if seven venomous flood dragons were writhing in the void.

The Celestial Star Old Immortal’s cultivation was indeed the Fourth Level of the Grand Dao Realm, but relying on the Seven Kills Celestial Star Poison, even many cultivators at the Fifth Level of the Grand Dao Realm dared not provoke him.

As the seven flood dragons writhed in the void, the seven distinct toxins intertwined. Any person entering this poisonous domain would dissolve; even spirit swords entering it would likewise be melted away.

The Celestial Star Old Immortal felt a measure of relief after unleashing the Seven Kills Celestial Star Poison.

But immediately, the overbearing sword showed absolutely no deceleration. Ignoring the Seven Kills Celestial Star Poison, the mighty strike plunged directly through the Celestial Star Old Immortal’s chest. The sharp Fire Sovereign Sword Path instantly incinerated him into a pile of desiccated ash.

"Bold," Nan Hai One Sword Qiao Feidu, standing beside the Celestial Star Old Immortal, instantly drew his blade. The Nan Hai Sword technique was unparalleled and unmatched, his strike carrying a sensation akin to a Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens. However, in an instant, Lu Yuan had gracefully returned to his original position, his expression composed, as if annihilating the Celestial Star Old Immortal in the span of a mere breath was an insignificant triviality.

"Daring to poison those from Mount Hua secretly—truly audacious. A path to self-destruction," Lu Yuan stated casually.

Lu Yuan’s words revealed to the members of the Heavenly Alliance why he had targeted the Celestial Star Old Immortal first. It turned out the Old Immortal had been secretly poisoning the Mount Hua faction moments before. The Celestial Star Old Immortal had always favored insidious attacks; by placing himself in the second rank amid the demons, he believed he was utterly safe. He would never have believed Lu Yuan dared to abandon the tactical advantage of the breach and charge into the demonic ranks to kill.

Of course, had he managed to hold out for two or three more exchanges, and Lu Yuan had become entangled, Lu Yuan surely would not have been able to kill him—and might even have been trapped and slain by the multitude of Demonic Path titans.

Yet, fate had it that Lu Yuan’s sword was too swift and fierce; it shattered the Old Immortal's courage. Furthermore, the Old Immortal had never anticipated that his Seven Kills Celestial Star Poison would be utterly disregarded by Lu Yuan, leading to his immediate execution.

Regardless of the circumstances, Lu Yuan’s single strike that slew the Celestial Star Old Immortal before returning to his post was an act of shocking intimidation against the enemy.

Lu Yuan extended his fingers—this time, three of them.

The meaning was clear: this was the third casualty.

"So, who is next?" Lu Yuan swept his gaze around. Elder Tian Chou avoided Lu Yuan’s eyes. Elder Tian Chou specialized in puppet artifacts, and the sheer dominance Lu Yuan displayed had left him deeply unnerved.

Elder Tian Chou was a notorious traitor to the Kunlun Immortals. This was a formidable renegade; upon defecting, he had slaughtered many from Kunlun, later even performing blood sacrifices on several of Kunlun’s Vice Sect Masters. Such a figure was a massive headache for Kunlun itself, yet to see him visibly subdued by Lu Yuan was almost unbelievable.

Nan Hai One Sword Qiao Feidu was also shifting his gaze away from Lu Yuan’s focus. His counter-strike against Lu Yuan had been elegantly dodged, causing his resolve to waver. In the Nan Hai school of swordsmanship, once the heart is shaken, any further attack is a path to ruin. Qiao Feidu was the foremost terrifying figure of the Nan Hai line, yet even he was unsettled by doubt.

Violet Kylin Demon King, chief among the Four Great Earthly Demon Kings, instinctively recoiled as Lu Yuan’s gaze swept over her. She had a long-standing relationship with Scarlet Wing Demon King and knew the latter's terrifying power; since even Scarlet Wing had suffered a crushing defeat, she possessed little confidence.

Elder Tian Chou, Qiao Feidu, and the Violet Kylin Demon King—all were world-shaking figures, titans of the Demonic Path holding sway over the Jin Kingdom. And all three were utterly paralyzed by awe.

Lu Yuan's current prestige had indeed reached a shattering peak.

Lu Yuan’s gaze settled upon Venerable Yuan Ling. Venerable Yuan Ling remained debonair, his silver hair dancing in the wind. Lu Yuan pointed his finger at him, issuing a challenge: "How about it, Martial Uncle Yuan Ling? Care for a round?"

A provocation!

A profound provocation!

A challenge hurled at the greatest traitor of Mount Hua in five hundred years: Venerable Yuan Ling.

Venerable Yuan Ling laughed heartily: "Excellent. Let Martial Uncle show you what true combat entails."

Lu Yuan laughed even louder: "I hope Martial Uncle can withstand a few more moves than the last opponent. Don't lose within ten." Lu Yuan simply wasn't taking Venerable Yuan Ling seriously now; this was his third consecutive victory, and he had found his rhythm, struck his edge. Now, that sharpness was an unstoppable tide. Even Venerable Yuan Ling—what of it? He would be cut down just the same.

Venerable Yuan Ling and Lu Yuan shared a deep, dark history. As a Ninth Generation disciple of the North Peak, he was Lu Yuan’s martial uncle. Venerable Yuan Yuan had died by Yuan Ling’s hand, and Sima Changbai had been secretly supported by Yuan Ling. If Lu Yuan hadn't risen so forcefully that time, Sima Changbai would now be sitting as the Lord of the North Peak.

Moreover, Venerable Yuan Ling had repeatedly driven Lu Yuan into desperate situations: once during the Trial of the Ten Branches in the Great Desert of Bai Kuang Province—if the Tenth Hall Master of the Five Immortals Alliance hadn't arrived, Yuan Ling would likely have captured Lu Yuan. The second time was during the contest for the North Peak Master position; if Lu Yuan’s strength hadn't escalated so quickly, he would have been forced to his death by Sima Changbai, who was secretly supported by Yuan Ling, meaning Yuan Ling was essentially the one acting.

Venerable Yuan Ling stepped onto the breach point. This opening was now large enough for five people; if it widened further, several could attack Lu Yuan simultaneously. Yuan Ling stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his silver hair flowing: "Martial Nephew Lu Yuan, it is a pity that your legend must end here."

Lu Yuan laughed: "Martial Uncle Yuan Ling, it is a pity you will soon join Martial Uncle Yuan Yuan."

Lu Yuan was growing increasingly dominant in the fight. Without waiting for Venerable Yuan Ling to attack, his Mountain Suppressing Spirit Sword gathered infinite flame, transforming into boundless majesty, striking toward Venerable Yuan Ling. The White Emperor Sword Path and the Fire Sovereign Sword Path merged, becoming a Heaven and Earth Sword Path, the arrival of the Sovereign’s Blade!

What a fierce strike! What a swift strike! What a confident strike! What a powerful strike! What a sharp strike!

Facing this sword, Venerable Yuan Ling shifted his body backward slightly, dodging the lightning-fast strike by the narrowest of margins! Had he retreated even a fraction less, he would have been wounded by the blade. After evading the attack, Venerable Yuan Ling appeared composed. Was this... coincidence?

Lu Yuan made a grabbing motion in the void, intending to seize his opponent, but paused upon seeing Yuan Ling’s minute backward movement: "I didn't strike there, yet you knew?"

"Because, Martial Uncle, I am a researcher. I am different from all of you. Your fighting relies on combat instinct, but mine does not. In truth, everyone possesses their own combat style, their own set of combat data. For example, my Martial Brother Yuan Yuan—his style leaned toward conservatism, but during conservative phases, he often launched sudden, perilous final strikes. This is a combat style of calculated madness layered over caution. By collecting these combat styles and data points, one can predict an opponent’s moves and ultimately prevail. Martial Brother Yuan Yuan could never defeat me because his style and data were always within my grasp, including the final technique he used before death, the North Peak Secret Sword: Cloud Dragon’s Tail Whip—it was all within my data collection. Once you have the combat data and style, victory in a confrontation is inevitable," Venerable Yuan Ling spoke fluently, possessing an undeniable, elegant composure. "Take Martial Nephew Lu Yuan, for instance. I have long been collecting your combat data and style. Most of the time, your style relies on exquisite sword techniques to overpower opponents. This time, while you project immense dominance, it is still built upon the surprise element of your swordsmanship. You rarely take risks in battle—a trait dictated by your innate talent. Martial Brother Yuan Yuan had mediocre talent and often needed to gamble to win; you possess supreme talent and can win easily without taking risks. Of course, your data is difficult to collect because your improvement is too rapid. Although your style remains constant, your data frequently shifts."

"The only useful data you had before this battle was from your victory over Tang Shichuan. However, during your confrontations with Broken Blade Zuo Heng, the Scarlet Wing Demon King, and the Celestial Star Old Immortal just now, you essentially exposed most of your combat data. Now, your combat data and style are completely cataloged in my statistics."

"In this fight, you are destined to lose," Venerable Yuan Ling stated serenely, having effortlessly evaded Lu Yuan's ferocious assault.

"You do possess some insight," Lu Yuan conceded after a brief moment of thought. "Truly worthy of being called a research genius among cultivators, a genius born once in a millennium in the North Peak, highly esteemed by both Martial Brother Yuan Yuan and yourself. Now, I will tell you plainly: I intend to obliterate you within five moves. If you can evade them, I will spare your life today."

(This is the final battle in the Jin Kingdom; many long-standing grudges will be settled here. Now, I ask: are these fights satisfying to watch? Roar! Roar! Roar! Explode! Explode! Explode!)