It was the eleventh day of November. Every unveiling of the Lesser Worlds Broken Great Desolation Sword Scroll occurred on this exact date—November eleventh, four ones. In the cultivation world, this signifies the sword. One sword proceeds without turning back; one heart moves ever forward. A life dedicated to the sword; one sword traversing all. This is the essence of the four ones, the absolute zenith of the sword. Here, at the Mountain of the Void.

Nine figures had already gathered, led by the twenty-third disciple, Qin Shuangcheng. Taishi Kong sat within the Qiankun Palace, sipping wine: “Shuangcheng, you should take your junior martial brothers and sisters on this expedition. My old bones won't be joining.” “Yes, Senior Brother,” Qin Shuangcheng replied with a nod. “Esteemed junior brothers and sisters, let us depart then,” Qin Shuangcheng announced. “Set forth for Sword Zenith Mountain.”

The twenty-third senior brother, Qin Shuangcheng, led the eight others in a direct flight toward Sword Zenith Mountain. A flashing point on their jade tokens indicated the mountain's location. Qin Shuangcheng spoke to the youngest disciple: “Youngest Junior Brother, the Lesser Worlds Broken Great Desolation Sword Scroll generally offers the greatest comprehension of sword intent the first time one enters. It diminishes annually thereafter. The first time I entered, I grasped three strands of sword intent; the second time, one strand. Now, sometimes I grasp intent, and sometimes I fail to grasp even one—it is entirely down to fate.”

The twenty-fourth senior brother, Zhou Nuchi, interjected: “Youngest Junior Brother, your talent is the highest among the nine of us, and your swordsmanship surpasses the eight of us by far. Therefore, you must bring us honor this time; grasp five or six strands of sword intent to awe the disciples from the other eight Supreme Sects.” “Five or six strands of sword intent? That seems too difficult,” said the twenty-fifth senior brother, Ye Hanfeng. “Among us eight, the most was Senior Brother Zhou here, with four strands. Asking the Youngest Junior Brother for five or six is a huge leap, isn’t it?” “If it were Junior Brother Bu, he could certainly achieve it,” said the twenty-seventh senior sister, Le Shuang, voicing a strange confidence she held in Lu Yuan. “All of you, stop this discussion,” cautioned the twenty-third senior brother, Qin Shuangcheng. “Aren’t you just piling unnecessary pressure onto the Youngest Junior Brother? Youngest Junior Brother, you don't need to feel excessive strain. Grasp however many strands of sword intent you can. And if you grasp none, so be it—keep your spirits light.”

These senior brothers and sisters, though their talents were slightly above average, not even qualifying as geniuses in the Central Celestial Dynasty, were truly good people. Lu Yuan, for his part, remained unconcerned. In the Lesser Worlds Broken Great Desolation Sword Scroll, how much sword intent he could comprehend depended entirely on celestial will; he couldn't predict it himself.

After flying continuously for about an hour, Qin Shuangcheng announced, “We have reached Sword Zenith Mountain,” pointing ahead.

Sword Zenith Mountain! It was a mountain range on this star, one of the supreme strongholds of the Sword Sect. It opened only once every ten years. Normally, it was utterly inaccessible; any who dared approach were killed without mercy. Now, it was finally open, but only to a select few. Others who dared venture near were still met with death. From a distance, the mountain did not appear tall, its outline hazy, like viewing a flower through fog or the moon across water—an entity of extreme ethereality.

Qin Shuangcheng presented their credentials for Lu Yuan and the eight others, and they gained entry into Sword Zenith Mountain. After passing inspection, they found the mountain terrain indeed surprisingly flat. Within it stood an immensely large palace. This massive structure was also strangely level, devoid of much ornamentation, yet its surface was overlaid with restrictive formations numbering in the tens of millions—evidently fortified to the absolute limit.

Passing through the palace grounds once more, they finally entered the main hall. Upon entering, they were struck by the palace’s immense scale, yet it was jarringly empty inside. There was nothing—not even the central pillars supporting the structure. No tables, no chairs, no halls, no chambers, no towers; utterly bare. It was an extraordinarily peculiar palace. Lu Yuan stepped in, scanning the surroundings.

“Qin Shuangcheng, your faction under Supreme Taishi brings nothing but disgrace every time you participate in the Lesser Worlds Broken Great Desolation Sword Scroll. Why bother coming at all? In my opinion, you shouldn't bother attending.” A sneering voice cut through the air. Lu Yuan looked over and saw the speaker: a middle-aged man whose expression radiated arrogance. Yet, despite his arrogance, his magical power was profoundly strong, reaching a stage even higher than Qin Shuangcheng’s, likely having attained the tenth level of the Great Dao Realm. Qin Shuangcheng retorted sharply: “Whether we come or not is none of your damn business.” The arrogant-looking middle-aged man replied, “I merely cannot bear to watch you all be repeatedly struck down, always being the most miserable among the Nine Supreme Factions. I am merely showing pity by suggesting you abstain.” His words drew booming laughter from the group beside him; they were viciously mocking the disciples of Supreme Taishi.

Lu Yuan stepped forward slightly: “May I ask which Supreme Faction’s senior brother you belong to?” The arrogant man replied, “I am Shangguan Sha, from the faction of Supreme Shangguan. And who might you be?” Lu Yuan stated calmly, “I am Lu Yuan, the thirty-first disciple under Supreme Taishi. Lu Yuan pays his respects to Senior Brother.” Shangguan Sha, the arrogant man, laughed heartily: “It seems you, the newcomer, have some sense. There is no future in the Supreme Taishi Faction. If you butter me up nicely, perhaps I’ll allow you to switch to our Supreme Shangguan Faction. Supreme Shangguan is far mightier than Zhao Taishi.”

Lu Yuan frowned slightly: “Actually, as a junior brother, I am quite curious. Senior Brother Shangguan tells us not to attend this event of the Lesser Worlds Broken Great Desolation Sword Scroll. However, if my memory serves, the sect regulations of the Sword Sect state that any disciple not yet in the Chaos Hole Realm from any Supreme Faction is qualified to attend this grand gathering. Could it be that Senior Brother Shangguan’s pronouncements now carry more weight than the Sword Sect’s own rules?” “Or perhaps, Senior Brother Shangguan’s master, Supreme Shangguan, is now greater than the entirety of the Sword Sect?”

Lu Yuan asked seriously. Shangguan Sha’s expression shifted. He hadn’t expected Lu Yuan to use sect discipline to corner him. The problem was, he had explicitly told the Taishi Faction not to come. Lu Yuan seizing upon this point meant even Supreme Shangguan would likely be extremely vexed. After a long pause, he finally managed to say, “It was a slip of the tongue on my part.” He had to concede the point. But as he admitted his error, his eyes darted toward Lu Yuan with electrifying intensity. He was Shangguan Sha, the foremost expert below the Chaos Hole Realm in the Supreme Shangguan Faction, usually wielding immense prestige within the Sword Sect. When the senior brothers in the Chaos Hole Realm were absent, he was effectively their equal. Yet now, he was forced to yield to a newcomer. The rage burning in his chest must have been considerable.

Lu Yuan. I will remember that name. If I get the chance, I will make you die. I want you dead. If you don't give me an opening, not even Heaven or Earth can save you.

The core disciples from the faction of the head of the Nine Supremes, Supreme Xuanyuan, arrived. Their presence carried even greater momentum, strutting about with such haughtiness that their heads seemed impossibly high. The leader of the Nine Supremes was indeed extraordinary; the bearing of his core disciples far outstripped that of the Supreme Shangguan faction.

These newcomers seemed to look down upon the disciples of Supreme Taishi—or perhaps, simply ignore them. This was the arrogance inherent to the faction of the First Supreme.

Lu Yuan surveyed the crowd and recognized an acquaintance. Jian Wenhao of the Star of the Sword was among the disciples of Supreme Xuanyuan.

Jian Wenhao looked at Lu Yuan: “Lu Yuan, although you were lucky enough to get ahead and become a core disciple, I will soon be one as well. Moreover, you serve Supreme Taishi, while I serve Supreme Xuanyuan, the head of the Nine Supremes. I am inherently superior to you.” “The leadership among the newcomers this time is destined to be mine. You are merely a stepping stone on my path to success,” Jian Wenhao declared, as if his words were immutable decree. “You will never be my match in this Lesser Worlds Broken Great Desolation Sword Scroll either,” Jian Wenhao asserted with absolute confidence.

Lu Yuan gave Jian Wenhao a bland glance: “Someone who relies entirely on his elder brother, possessing no talent of his own—a dog-like creature—dares to challenge me? Truly suicidal.”

When Lu Yuan uttered these words, the surrounding area fell into absolute silence. What... Who was Jian Wenhao?

True, his own talent was mediocre. But he was the younger brother of the Son of the Sword. Based on this alone, no one dared to call him a dog-like creature. Even Shangguan Sha, the top expert in the Great Dao Realm in the Supreme Shangguan Faction, and Xuanyuan Ling, the top expert in the Great Dao Realm in the Supreme Xuanyuan Faction, had to treat Jian Wenhao with deference, unwilling to scold him casually. Yet here was Lu Yuan, daring to call him a dog-like creature.

Jian Wenhao felt on the verge of madness. He had never imagined Lu Yuan would dare curse him so. He had never been insulted like this in his entire life. His entire body trembled, shaking from sheer rage: “Lu Yuan, I want you dead! I absolutely must have you dead!”

Jian Wenhao had long suffered Lu Yuan’s existence, and now his fury boiled over. He drew his Earth Dragon Spirit Sword. This sword was refined by the Son of the Sword, painstakingly forging eighteen earth dragons into a supreme spirit sword with infinite potential. The moment the sword was drawn, it seemed several dragons soared simultaneously. Jian Wenhao’s current power level limited how much of the sword’s might he could unleash, but even so, the sword’s inherent power far eclipsed Lu Yuan’s spirit sword.

Jian Wenhao launched an attack using the supreme technique passed down from his brother: the Heavenly One Sword Style. Heavenly One Sword Style: The vast Heavens above, boundless in all directions. Upon the Earth stands only I, absorbing the spiritual energy of the firmament. One strike can overturn the heavens. This was the Heavenly One Sword Style.

Jian Wenhao intended to use the technique his brother created to capture and slay Lu Yuan: “Lu Yuan, this is my brother’s Heavenly One Sword Style! Die!”

Lu Yuan gave a cold roar: “So what if it was created by the Son of the Sword? I will shatter it regardless!” With the cold shout, Lu Yuan stepped forward, advancing toward Jian Wenhao.

The Son of the Sword, so what? He cannot stop my blade. My sword is meant to carve the supreme Great Dao of the sword. The mere Son of the Sword is but a stepping stone on my path to the Great Dao.