Sword Star burst into maniacal laughter! "Hah! You truly were scared stiff by my comprehension of eight Sword Intents."

Lu Yuan replied coolly, "As expected of an idiot. Not just any idiot, but the idiot among dogs—the dead dog's idiot."

Sword Star paused, then pressed, "See? You're flustered. My eight Sword Intents stunned you into silence, too afraid to declare how many you've grasped."

"The idiot among dead dogs is indeed the idiot among dead dogs. Even after I spell it out, you still don't get it. This IQ, tsk tsk," Lu Yuan sneered.

"When did you say it?" Sword Star demanded, his voice sharp.

"Didn't I just say it? Forget it. Given the low intelligence of the dead dog's idiot, I suppose I must enlighten you once more. Listen carefully this time, or I won't bother a third time," Lu Yuan said lightly. "Thirteen."

"Thirteen? What does thirteen mean?" Sword Star was utterly confused.

"Thirteen Sword Intents. Do you not even understand what that means?" Lu Yuan looked at Sword Wenhao with the gaze reserved for the profoundly simple-minded.

Thirteen Intents!

Thirteen Sword Intents!

This was a tremor that shook the foundations of the Sword Sect.

For those visiting the Sword Scroll Hall for the first time, common talent registered as one or two intents; slightly better ones, three or four. Elite figures under the other eight Supreme Sovereigns (barring those under Supreme Taishi) usually commanded five or six. Someone like Sword Star, reaching eight intents, was exceedingly rare—almost unheard of.

In the long history of the Sword Sect, it was impossible that no one had grasped over ten, but such individuals were few to the point of being mythical.

Thirteen Sword Intents! This was staggering.

In the last hundred thousand years of the Sword Sect’s history, the number of people who had reached thirteen intents could not even be counted on one hand, perhaps five at most, and this count would include the Sword Son himself.

This was utterly astonishing.

In that instant, the perception of Lu Yuan held by the disciples of the Nine Supreme Sovereigns shifted entirely.

Sword Wing roared, "You claim thirteen Sword Intents? I needed the Enlightenment Immortal Fat just to manage eight! By what right do you claim thirteen? You must be lying!"

"Oh? Watch then," Lu Yuan gave a soft command. Dozens of talismans shimmered above his head, instantly illuminating the surrounding space with the glow of ancient enchantments. At the center floated the white Nascent Soul of Cloud, flanked by two massive talismans, each five times the usual size: the Ancient Talisman of Life and the Ancient Talisman of Death.

Below them floated countless other assorted talismans, hovering in the air.

"Those are the Ancient Talismans of Life and Death!"

"He actually comprehended the Intent of Life and the Intent of Death—two of the ten most difficult Sword Intents! How is that possible?"

"I've spent over a century trying to grasp the Intent of Life, and failed," a genius under one of the Sovereigns admitted.

"Wait, let’s count these Ancient Talismans above his head. Wind Talisman, Cloud Talisman, Thunder Talisman, Fury Talisman... River Talisman! Flow Talisman! Vortex Talisman! Heat Talisman! Severance Talisman! Life Talisman! Frost Talisman! Drift Talisman! Spring Talisman! Winter Talisman! Beast Talisman! Rime Talisman! Rainbow Talisman—Heavens above, there are fifty Ancient Talismans in total!"

"How can there be so many?"

"Unbelievable!"

"Talent like this isn't merely 'general genius'; this is peerless, transcendent talent in the Way of the Sword!"

"To think Supreme Taishi's lineage has produced such a peerless genius!"

"While this peerless genius might not match the Sword Son, achieving this level of insight only happens once every few thousand years in the Sword Sect!"

At this moment, the disciples of Supreme Taishi were so moved they were near tears. Their lineage had suffered suppression for years, barely managing to recruit average talents. Supreme Taishi’s group was severely looked down upon, lacking any truly outstanding figures. Who could have predicted that their youngest junior brother would achieve such a grand feat?

Before departing, they had hoped their junior brother's astonishing power might allow him to grasp five or six Sword Intents, perhaps even miraculously hitting seven. But they never dreamed Lu Yuan could instantly manifest thirteen Sword Intents here—what staggering aptitude for the Way of the Sword.

Others muttered in awe, discussing Lu Yuan's shocking talent. Even Shangguan Sha, Xuanyuan Ling, and Baili Bing, figures at the tenth layer of the Great Dao Realm, had to concede that Lu Yuan’s potential was impossibly vast.

In truth, they were overestimating Lu Yuan. If not for the freak convergence of the Sword Intent Monster and the Life-and-Death Cycle Plate, which perfectly countered that monster, Lu Yuan's natural talent would have likely peaked at eight or nine intents—never reaching the world-shaking milestone of thirteen.

Lu Yuan looked at Sword Star, his gaze that of a cat toying with a mouse. "Well? Do you still doubt that I comprehended thirteen Sword Intents?"

Sword Star’s expression verged on collapse. Why? Why had he lost to Lu Yuan for the third time? Was he truly inferior?

"Enough. This grand gathering concludes here." From the surrounding darkness stepped the stooped Elder Gongyang, the Supreme Sovereign. He clapped his hands lightly, and the Sword Scroll above them slowly retracted, revealing the bare, empty ceiling, restoring the hall to its original state.

Supreme Gongyang spoke in a raspy voice, "The Sword Scroll is merely an aid; ultimately, where you arrive depends on yourselves. If relying on the scroll were enough, our Sword Sect would rank higher among the Supreme Great Sects." He was not one for extensive speeches, and after speaking, he melted back into the shadows.

Naturally, the gathering dispersed, with everyone returning to their respective mountain peaks. The contingent from Supreme Taishi's lineage headed back to the Peak of the Void.

"Junior Brother, that was truly satisfying!"

"How many years has it been? Ever since Senior Brother Yan left, we haven't seen anyone from the other lineages look at us with such shock." Zhou Nuchi had only heard legends of Yan Cangtian, said to be the greatest genius Supreme Taishi had ever produced. Now, a new talent had emerged.

"Yes, Junior Brother! Seeing the stunned looks on the faces of Supreme Shangguan's disciples, Supreme Du'an's disciples, and the others was exhilarating. Too bad Xuanyuan Ling from Supreme Xuanyuan’s faction didn't seem too affected," Le Shuang exclaimed excitedly.

"You just don't know Xuanyuan Ling. That man has an incredibly deep reserve; he doesn't show surprise easily. But I noticed his hands were clenched incredibly tight—so tight his palms must be imprinted. His reaction was just as dramatic, but you don't know how to read it," observed Qin Shuangcheng, the eldest among them who was somewhat familiar with Xuanyuan Ling.

Time flew quickly amidst their chatter, and they soon reached the Peak of the Void.

As they ascended, Supreme Xiahou happened to be visiting Supreme Taishi on business. Upon hearing about the thirteen Sword Intents, he gasped. Supreme Xiahou murmured enviously, "A genius who can nearly rival Yan Cangtian has appeared. I am truly envious."

Supreme Taishi stroked his beard, inwardly noting that Lu Yuan’s aptitude for the Way of the Sword was even higher than he had estimated. However, the boy was still too young and needed guidance to prevent arrogance from ruining his future—a fate many talented youths met.

That day, the reactions from the other six Supreme Sovereigns varied widely.

Some Sovereigns felt sharp regret for having sided with the Sword Son previously, letting such a genius slip away. What a pity. Yet, they reasoned, appeasing the Sword Son remained the higher priority.

The Sword Son's trajectory clearly pointed beyond merely becoming a Supreme Sovereign.

At the Peak of the Void, within the Huashan Residence.

Lu Yuan sat cross-legged, absorbing the myriad benefits gained from the Sword Scroll, though much still needed digestion.

The fifty Ancient Talismans materialized above his head. Thirty-seven were already subservient; thirteen remained resistant. Streams of spiritual energy shot out, enveloping them one by one. With relentless input, twelve Ancient Talismans submitted quickly.

Only the Ancient Talisman of Life resisted uniquely. When the spiritual streams touched it, they weren't burned away, but rather transformed into wisps of vital energy that dissipated, saturating the surroundings with life force.

He had no choice. He poured in more spiritual streams. Fortunately, now being at the sixth layer of the Great Dao Realm, his spiritual power had grown. Before his reserves were entirely depleted, several spiritual streams managed to bind the Ancient Talisman of Life, forcing it into submission.

Once subdued, the Life Talisman instantly released a stream of light that shot into the Nascent Soul of Cloud. The Cloud Nascent Soul immediately became vibrant with vitality, far surpassing its former state, now displaying a profound, subtle balance between life and death around its form.

Lu Yuan resolved to test whether he could finally reach the seventh layer of the Great Dao Realm: the Manifestation of the Canopy of Heaven. That stage required linking all the Ancient Talismans into a tight, isolated space, cut off from the outside world—the first step toward creating an independent Small Thousand World. Now, with fifty Ancient Talismans, he would attempt the breakthrough.

Over two hundred spirit beasts, capable of fighting monstrous beasts, released torrents of primeval energy to aid his ascent.

Mid-grade spirit stones were deployed as well.

Boom!

The fifty Ancient Talismans scattered, and the surge of vital energy became chaotic. The attempt to reach the seventh layer, the Canopy of Heaven, had failed again! The critical problem was that he now only had ten mid-grade spirit stones left—barely enough to sustain the beast-grade spirit beasts.

His spirit stone resources were entirely depleted. He needed a strategy to acquire more spirit stones immediately, and high-grade ones would be even better.