In Jianmen, instances of poaching disciples were rare; after all, people generally avoided outright confrontation.

However, now Xuan-Yuan Supreme was attempting to poach from Tai-Shi Supreme. This completely discarded any semblance of decorum. But for the current Jianmen, Xuan-Yuan Supreme’s dominance was established; what did tearing faces mean now?

Moreover, this offer was too generous. Cultivating him according to the process reserved for peerless geniuses was an almost exaggerated path. Other Supremes had no say in this, and the current Jian-Zhu was in seclusion, leaving Xuan-Yuan Supreme in overall charge. Thus, Xuan-Yuan Supreme dared to make such an offer. Xuan-Yuan Ling produced a token, intricately inscribed with the characters, "Xuan-Yuan."

Xuan-Yuan Ling stated, "This is the token of my Master. To see this token is to see my Master. With this token, Junior Brother Lu, you should rest assured. My Master’s word is as good as gold. As long as Junior Brother Lu is willing to join the sect of Xuan-Yuan Supreme, he will certainly be cultivated under the procedure for peerless geniuses." Simultaneously, my Master said that while Junior Brother Lu has some minor friction with Junior Brother Jian Wen-Hao, as fellow disciples under Xuan-Yuan Supreme, such small disagreements need not be dwelled upon. As for the matters concerning the Son of the Sword, my Master has already made inquiries on your behalf..."

This! It was incredibly tempting. Not only was he offered the cultivation plan for a peerless genius, but the grievance with the Son of the Sword was also entirely taken care of. After all, holding enmity with the Son of the Sword placed immense pressure on anyone, as the Son of the Sword was destined to become an entity surpassing the Supremes.

The core disciples under the other Supremes secretly pondered whether they would switch allegiance to Xuan-Yuan Supreme if offered such terms.

Qin Shuang-Cheng and the other seven were greatly alarmed. Had this genius emerging under Tai-Shi Supreme’s tutelage finally emerged, only to be snatched away by others? When would the lineage of Tai-Shi Supreme ever see hope for resurgence?

Le Shuang couldn't help but curse, "Xuan-Yuan Ling, have you no shame? Xuan-Yuan Supreme’s sect has so many geniuses, so many formidable figures. Our Tai-Shi Supreme’s sect has finally produced one, and you must snatch them away..."

Xuan-Yuan Ling replied coolly, hands clasped behind his back, "I am doing this for Junior Brother Lu's own good. After all, with Junior Brother Lu’s talent, it would be a terrible waste if it were to be squandered under Tai-Shi Supreme. Maximize utility, utilize talent to the fullest. If Junior Brother Lu could join Xuan-Yuan Supreme's sect, with his talent... perhaps he could even become an entity surpassing the Supremes in the future—things Tai-Shi Supreme cannot provide..." He was accustomed to being a minor leader within Xuan-Yuan Supreme’s sect; his aura was naturally extraordinary, carrying an unhurried composure in his speech.

Le Shuang was momentarily silenced, cornered by the logic.

All eyes turned to Lu Yuan, waiting to see how he would respond. Lu Yuan smiled lightly, not rushing his answer. He gently flicked the scabbard of the sword in his hand. "Everyone, please look. This is my Yang-Wu Spirit Sword, bestowed upon me by my Master from the Outer Regions. It is three feet, three inches long, the blade coiled with righteous, vast energy, weighing one hundred and twenty-one jin." Lu Yuan introduced his other swords, skillfully steering the atmosphere. Unconsciously, the others were drawn in.

"And my Master once possessed a Chui-Mu Spirit Sword. That Chui-Mu Spirit Sword was one that my Master carried; it did not suit anyone else..." Lu Yuan smiled. "One person fits one sword, one sword fits one person. Am I even less worthy than my own sword? Do you truly believe I would join the sect of Xuan-Yuan Supreme, Senior Brother Xuan-Yuan Ling...?"

The answer was overwhelmingly clear.

Le Shuang burst out cheering, "Long live!"

Qin Shuang-Cheng and the others were overjoyed. Junior Brother is truly Junior Brother. With him here, they felt a renewed closeness to him. With such a junior brother, they believed the resurgence of Tai-Shi Supreme's lineage was truly possible. It had always seemed like a dream, but now they realized it was not.

Xuan-Yuan Ling shook his head. "That is a pity." He was deeply disappointed. Since Lu Yuan had not defected to Xuan-Yuan Supreme’s banner, they would proceed according to the original plan.

Following this brief conflict, the distribution of Spirit Stones immediately commenced.

This time, Xuan-Yuan Ling was responsible for the distribution. "In the past, every Spirit Stone distribution operated under a collective model: everyone received a baseline of one thousand Middle-Grade Spirit Stones, with some additional rewards. However, this collective model failed to truly embody the principle of 'more effort, more reward; less effort, less reward.' Therefore, after consulting with my Master and the other Supremes, we changed the method of distributing Spirit Stones..."

"This time, it is one hundred Middle-Grade Spirit Stones as a baseline, and then everyone receives rewards based on the volume of work done. Those who complete tasks will receive more..."

"Alright, let us begin the distribution of this year's Spirit Stones..." Xuan-Yuan Ling announced. "Let me start with myself: one hundred Middle-Grade Spirit Stones as a baseline, and then over the past year, I frequently took on tasks, such as this very responsibility of distributing Spirit Stones. Including extra bonuses, I ended up receiving a total of three thousand two hundred Spirit Stones..." How high! Xuan-Yuan Ling’s rewards this year were substantial, totaling three thousand two hundred Spirit Stones.

This was followed by a wave of murmurs.

But the subsequent distributions saw almost everyone receiving significant amounts of Spirit Stones, the rewards stemming from simple justifications: assisting at the Hidden Scripture City, helping in the city researching sword techniques, and similar assignments.

It seemed this year would be a bumper harvest.

But when he arrived at the disciples of Tai-Shi Supreme, Xuan-Yuan Ling stated, "Qin Shuang-Cheng, two hundred Spirit Stones..."

Others received at least over a thousand Spirit Stones; certainly no less than previous years. To see Qin Shuang-Cheng receive only two hundred, the disciples of Tai-Shi Supreme naturally objected, causing an uproar.

"Why are ours so few?"

"Indeed, Senior Brother Qin only got two hundred Middle-Grade Spirit Stones, what kind of joke is this..."

Xuan-Yuan Ling said calmly, "I mentioned earlier that this year’s distribution is based on 'more work, more reward.' If Junior Brother Qin does no tasks, who is he to blame for having no Spirit Stones?"

With these words, everyone understood.

In truth, it wasn't that the disciples of Tai-Shi Supreme didn't undertake tasks; it was that Tai-Shi Supreme's faction had been suppressed for years. The myriad tasks within Jianmen were largely monopolized by the factions of the more powerful Supremes, especially those with great influence. There was rarely a chance for Tai-Shi Supreme’s disciples. Lu Yuan was not foolish and instantly grasped the situation.

The last time, in the Sword Scroll, he had comprehended thirteen kinds of Sword Intent. As a result, the other Supreme factions had taken notice of him.

What Xuan-Yuan Ling intended just now was to recruit him. If Lu Yuan had accepted the offer, everything would have been fine. But since he refused the recruitment, they would employ a more ruthless suppression tactic, like this current move: changing the Spirit Stone distribution method to forcefully keep his resources low. In Jianmen, there were few ways to acquire Spirit Stones; suppressing Lu Yuan’s income in this manner would restrict his growth.

In fact, this was broadcasting a message throughout Jianmen: follow Xuan-Yuan Supreme, and you prosper; oppose Xuan-Yuan Supreme, and you are suppressed.

This was the power of Xuan-Yuan Supreme.

Without exception, when the Middle-Grade Spirit Stones reached Lu Yuan’s hand, there were only a paltry two hundred. These two hundred Middle-Grade Spirit Stones would be depleted soon. Lu Yuan felt a surge of anger, but then he reflected: his current cultivation was at the Sixth Heaven of the Great Dao Realm. He could defeat those at the Eighth Heaven of the Great Dao Realm, but certainly not Xuan-Yuan Ling, who was at the Tenth Heaven.

If he were to act now, he would undoubtedly be severely suppressed by Xuan-Yuan Ling.

Endure! For now, he could only endure!

However, Xuan-Yuan Ling, since you dare to oppress me today, you must be prepared to be slain by me one day.

Lu Yuan’s heart suddenly grew still, as placid as water.

This day's grievance would surely be repaid.

Xuan-Yuan Ling, seeing Lu Yuan accept the two hundred Middle-Grade Spirit Stones, felt a distinct sense of regret. If Lu Yuan had caused a disturbance then, he would have immediately suppressed him on the spot to display the majesty of Xuan-Yuan Supreme's faction. He hadn't expected Lu Yuan to possess such forbearance; this person was truly talented. It was a pity he belonged to Tai-Shi Supreme's faction.

Those who cannot serve Xuan-Yuan Supreme’s cause—the more talented they are, the more they must be erased.

This was the Dao of Xuan-Yuan Supreme.

Jian Wen-Hao watched from the side, immensely pleased, truly thrilled. He realized he could never defeat Lu Yuan, but no matter how formidable Lu Yuan was, could he stand against the Son of the Sword, against Xuan-Yuan Supreme? Now, both the Son of the Sword and Xuan-Yuan Supreme were pressing down on him. What height could he possibly reach now?

Tai-Shi Kong gently shook his sleeve. He was aware that this Spirit Stone distribution was targeted at Lu Yuan. Was it not also aimed at him?

Endure!

He felt he was nearly at his limit.

There was no choice. Back then, for protecting Yan Cang-Tian from matters concerning the Central Celestial Dynasty, he had been bound by the Chains of Law from the Fa-Gu Civilization. These Chains of Law severely crippled his strength; otherwise, the title of the First Supreme of Jianmen would still be uncertain.

But could these Chains of Law never be broken?

Not for too long. Once these Chains of Law shatter, Xuan-Yuan Wang, it will be time for us to settle the score.

Tai-Shi Kong suddenly let out a ferocious roar. Above his head, a chaotic space materialized, one that seemed as vast as a mountain range. However, within this alternate dimension, it did not occupy any positional space. Surrounding this chaotic void was a chain tightly bound with countless intricate talismans.

This Chain of Law represented the ancient nature of spells, the civilization of sorcery, and the subtlety of mystic arts.

Tai-Shi Kong gave a sudden jolt, causing the chaotic space to tremble, while the Chain of Law tightened its hold. This Chain of Law wasn't particularly thick, only about the width of a hemp rope.

Kong Zhi Shan, Hua Shan Residence.

Lu Yuan looked at the grey Spirit Stone in his hand.

Spirit Stones were usually quite transparent; only when impurities were excessive would they turn grey. When he received the two hundred Middle-Grade Spirit Stones, quite a few stones of extremely poor quality were mixed in. He had let it go at the time, needing to suppress his temper.

But after returning, he discovered this grey Spirit Stone did not seem to be an ordinary grey one. None of his Cloud-attribute Spirit Beasts could gnaw through it, yet they all clustered around it. When the Cloud Beasts couldn't bite through it, he took the grey stone in hand to study it. He noticed that although it appeared utterly dilapidated at first glance, as if riddled with impurities, the more he examined it, the more he realized its extraordinary nature.

What was so strange about this grey Spirit Stone?

He had tried hacking it with his sword. Even with his current magical power and swordsmanship, he couldn't even leave a scratch on it, let alone break it.

Lu Yuan grew increasingly perplexed. What exactly was this grey Spirit Stone?

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