It had been mentioned before that many people frequented the Soaring Sword Tower. Both Sword Star and Lu Yuan were figures of some renown within the Sword Gate.

As such, quite a few people immediately paused to watch. Sword Star laughed heartily, "Very well, Lu Yuan, today I shall make you understand clearly why opposing someone like me, a favored son of the Way of the Sword, is such a grave mistake." He strode into the Soaring Sword Tower.

Since he had previously cleared the first three levels, this round saw him proceed directly to the fourth. It was on the fourth level that he had been defeated the last time.

Lu Yuan was not in a hurry; he picked up his wine gourd and waited leisurely for the results, his demeanor utterly relaxed. A short while later, Sword Star Jian Wenhao finally emerged.

As he stepped out, he was brimming with confidence, pointing a thumb at Lu Yuan, "Lu Yuan, you can just wait for your death. This time, I cleared the fifth floor of the Soaring Sword Tower and only failed on the sixth." His words caused gasps of astonishment among the onlookers.

"Yesterday, I heard that when the wager was made, he had only passed the third level. Now, after just one day, he has cleared the fifth floor and only failed on the sixth." "Incredible skill, that progress is astonishing." "Naturally.

Have you forgotten whose brother he is? He is the brother of the Son of the Sword.

If the Son of the Sword truly taught him a few tricks earnestly, achieving this isn't difficult." "Indeed. The Son of the Sword is the most powerful genius our Sword Gate has ever seen, a genius blessed with supreme destiny, one of the Seven Children of Destiny from back then.

The hope for our Sword Gate’s resurgence rests entirely upon the Son of the Sword." "Sword Star has a good elder brother." Hearing the praise surrounding him, Sword Star Jian Wenhao swelled with pride. Yesterday, his elder brother had taught him a few supreme secret arts and even gifted him an Elixir of Refinement.

This elixir was created by the Son of the Sword after slaying a peak Ninth Layer Great Dao Realm expert; the experience and consciousness of that expert had been refined into the pill, which Jian Wenhao consumed, leading to an immediate, near-explosive surge in his strength. Having swallowed and partially digested the experience and consciousness of a Ninth Layer Great Dao Realm master, he had then passed the fourth level with ease, and barely, yet fortunately, scraped through the fifth.

Given more time and the rigorous training from his brother, he was certain he would pass the sixth level and become a true core disciple. Sword Star felt no annoyance at the crowd boasting of his prowess while attributing most of it to the Son of the Sword.

He harbored no thought of competing with his elder brother. His brother's talent in the Way of the Sword was peerless, illuminating the mountains and rivers like the great sun in the heavens.

The depth of his brother's power was like an abyss, like the sea; he himself was merely a tiny wavelet. Therefore, he was just the Sword Star, a minor celestial body orbiting the great sun that was his brother.

Sword Star possessed this self-awareness; naturally, defeating Lu Yuan, the foremost figure from the outer regions, was no difficulty at all. "This 'Number One from the Outer Regions' is reputed to have considerable talent, but alas, he wagered against the brother of the Son of the Sword.

A mere drop from the Son of the Sword’s fingers could secure Sword Star this victory." "It’s a pity this man from the outer regions likely doesn't know what the Seven Children of Destiny truly represent." Amidst these doubts, Lu Yuan walked toward the Soaring Sword Tower. Whatever others doubted, he would answer with his own strength.

This was his Way of the Sword. Stepping into the Soaring Sword Tower, he presented his jade token and went directly to the fourth level.

The fourth level again featured a single Yellow Turban Swordsman staring at him coldly. Having passed this level last time, Lu Yuan already knew the Swordsman’s might.

This Yellow Turban Swordsman possessed the strength of a peak Eighth Layer Great Dao Realm master, wielding the 'Dragon and Serpent Rising' sword technique. With a single sweep, it felt as if heavenly killing intent gathered the stars, and earthly killing intent stirred the mountains to upheaval—a technique capable of toppling heaven and earth.

What a sword technique! Every time he witnessed it, a hidden astonishment bloomed in his heart.

An interesting sword art! Lu Yuan also displayed his sword technique, clashing against the 'Dragon and Serpent Rising.' This was a technique saturated with killing intent, where heavenly and earthly killing forces erupted simultaneously.

Lu Yuan flicked his hand and unleashed the Sword Intent of Death, eager to see which was stronger: the Sword Intent of Killing or the Sword Intent of Death. The two intents wrestled and churned, clashing with extreme ferocity.

However, in the end, the Yellow Turban Swordsman was inferior in adaptation; his comprehension of the Sword Dao was not as profound as Lu Yuan’s, and he was defeated. The fourth level was passed.

Immediately moving to the fifth, Lu Yuan stepped inside. Opposite him stood ten Yellow Turban Swordsmen, each at the Eighth Layer Great Dao Realm.

It was indeed as expected: one in the first level, ten in the second, one hundred in the third; then back to one in the fourth, ten in the fifth, and one hundred in the sixth—a repeating cycle. The fifth level was truly the one designed to temper sword skills.

Ten Yellow Turban Swordsmen meant ten different sword techniques, allowing for slow, careful honing. Lu Yuan was unhurried, cycling through various techniques and beginning to experiment with the sword arts of the Central Heavenly Dynasty's Sword Gate, discovering a substantial difference compared to the outside world.

These techniques were more extreme—yes, utterly extreme! The grander techniques were grander still; the insidious ones more poisonous; the swift ones faster; the fierce ones more brutal.

The terrifying nature of these arts was more than ten, perhaps dozens of times that of Jin State. This was only because he was the one facing them; with his Sword Sovereign Realm, his high comprehension allowed him to grasp them quickly.

Had it been someone else here, they likely wouldn't have managed to accept these techniques at all and would have been instantly overwhelmed. Amidst these thoughts, the fifth level was cleared.

Reaching the sixth, Lu Yuan faced one hundred Yellow Turban Swordsmen, all at the Eighth Layer Great Dao Realm. Initially, Lu Yuan intended to use only his own sword techniques, avoiding the technique of Reincarnation, to contend with these hundred masters, hoping to hone his Yin-Yang principles—that is, finding their weak points.

However, after only a brief engagement, he realized it was impossible. One hundred Eighth Layer Great Dao Realm swordsmen were simply too fierce and perilous; a moment’s inattention meant certain death.

Having no alternative, he had no choice but to activate Reincarnation once more: "Heaven and earth are under my command, Reincarnation!" With a sharp roar, he spun the cycle of Reincarnation centered on himself. Lu Yuan stepped out of the Soaring Sword Tower.

Sword Star Jian Wenhao pointed at him, utterly smug, "What? Did you even pass the fourth level?

Looking at you, I doubt you managed even that. Then again, you are reasonably competent, but sadly, before me, the great genius of the Way of the Sword, you are nothing." "You are destined to lose this wager this time," Jian Wenhao declared with absolute certainty.

At this moment, he felt the shadow of his brother, the Son of the Sword, upon him—guiding the world, brimming with heroism, whatever he said was so. His words commanded respect!

"Is that so?" Lu Yuan replied calmly, "Unfortunately for you, I passed the sixth level and failed on the seventh." Silence descended upon the entire crowd! Lu Yuan passed the sixth level?

If this were true, he would likely be among the fastest to conquer the sixth level. Although he had entered the Sword Gate only the day before yesterday, less than twelve hours seemed to have passed.

To break through the sixth level in such a short time—could he be promoted to a true core disciple? What speed!

Jian Wenhao immediately shouted, "Impossible! You couldn't have reached the sixth level.

You are lying just to win this bet." He refused to believe that the leader of this generation of newcomers would be him. This was meant to be the start of his string of victories in the Sword Gate, where he would win again and again, ascending to become one of the leaders of the Sword Gate.

He could not accept failure at the very first hurdle. Lu Yuan gently raised the jade token in his hand.

"You can check. The jade token represents personal identity and information; we cannot fake it.

You can see for yourself." Jian Wenhao unwillingly extended his divine sense into the token. When his sense reached the record, he discovered it was indeed true: passed the sixth level, failed on the seventh.

The number one newcomer from the outer regions actually managed to surpass him, the number one newcomer from the Central Heavenly Dynasty. He found this almost impossible to accept.

He had the Son of the Sword as an elder brother, who taught him secret arts and gave him a pill refined from the essence of a slain Great Dao Realm expert, yet he still lost. Why?

Jian Wenhao’s self-confidence was severely shattered. "By the way, Sword Star," Jian Wenhao was jolted out of his despairing thoughts as Lu Yuan called his name.

Feeling dejected, he replied listlessly, "What is it?" He was utterly dispirited; his life had been smooth sailing, and he had never encountered such misfortune. He wondered if this was the unluckiest moment of his life.

"Ten high-grade spirit stones? Our wager states I took the lead," Lu Yuan said faintly.

Jian Wenhao instantly realized he had been wrong moments ago; that was definitely not the unluckiest time of his life—this was it. This demon, after defeating him and causing him to lose face, was now demanding a massive financial loss.

Ten high-grade spirit stones—an asset only possessed by many Tenth Layer Great Dao Realm experts or even First Layer Cave Heaven Realm cultivators—and he had to lose them all to Lu Yuan. He felt as if his heart had been violently pierced several times.

However, since the wager had been publicly announced, he couldn't default on the debt. High-grade spirit stones were entirely different from mid-grade spirit stones.

One high-grade spirit stone was equivalent to ten thousand mid-grade spirit stones. Lu Yuan looked at the high-grade spirit stone in his palm.

It was palm-sized, perfectly smooth, and spherical. Even just holding it, he could feel the immense richness of the spiritual energy within; some nascent forms of spirit beasts were even beginning to appear inside the stone, a direct result of the overwhelming spiritual density.

A huge profit! He had only possessed a few thousand mid-grade spirit stones before.

Now, he suddenly held ten high-grade ones. His wealth in terms of spirit stones had instantly multiplied twenty or thirty times.

Relying on these ten high-grade spirit stones, Lu Yuan felt he could reach the peak of the Sixth Layer Great Dao Realm in the shortest possible time.

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