"Lu Yuan, your strength has barely improved, I see." A voice suddenly rang out. Lu Yuan started in shock! The voice was incredibly familiar.

In that instant, nearly everyone present felt an immensely powerful aura pressing down from the heavens, so potent it nearly buckled their spines. What an oppressive force! The sect masters who usually dominated the Qin, Jin, and Yuan Three Kingdoms were now completely overwhelmed by this sheer might.

Bang! Someone couldn't bear it and collapsed to the ground, blood pouring uncontrollably from their body. Bang! Another person exploded into dust.

Who was this? Someone whose mere presence could so intimidate and casually obliterate the strong practitioners of the Qin, Jin, and Yuan Three Kingdoms? This aura—it was a true god descending! An immortal stepping into the mortal realm!

Fortunately, only the weakest cultivators had been destroyed, but the others felt agonizing pain across every inch of their skin. Every single one of them felt this colossal pressure trying to force them to their knees instantly. Almost everyone was thinking, Heavens, which deity has descended here?

The deity slowly descended from the sky.

This god possessed an incomparably handsome visage, as if, with a mere gesture of the hand, he could command billions and crush billions. He held supreme authority; he was utterly peerless.

Others might not have recognized him at this moment, but Lu Yuan recognized him almost instantly. Xuanyuan Wang!

Indeed, it was Xuanyuan Wang, the true culprit behind the Sword Sect turmoil. Originally, Xuanyuan Wang had almost succeeded in seizing power to become the Sword Sect Master, but he ultimately failed because of Lu Yuan. Xuanyuan Wang had not died in that battle but had escaped. It was completely unexpected that he would reappear now.

And Xuanyuan Wang’s arrival suggested ill intent; good omens never arrive with such stealth.

At this point, Ouyang Wang was still alive. Xuanyuan Wang looked towards Ouyang Wang. "Lu Yuan, you must have guessed why I have come." He walked over to Ouyang Wang, nudging his body with his foot. This overlord who had unified the Three Kingdoms looked like a pathetic insect beneath Xuanyuan Wang's boot. "This Ouyang Wang originally didn't have very strong power. His seclusion was only to reach the first layer of the Hun Dong Realm. I forcibly boosted his strength, pushing him to the fourth layer of the Hun Dong Realm." Normally, one couldn't increase one's power this way, as such a rapid leap would exhaust one's potential, making future advancement incredibly difficult. This is why almost no one in the Central Dynasty used this method of cultivation.

However, Xuanyuan Wang was merely using Ouyang Wang. Whether Ouyang Wang could advance further later was none of his concern; he had essentially utilized Ouyang Wang's entire potential in one go.

"I first used Ouyang Wang to unify the Three Kingdoms to lure you out, and sure enough, you came," Xuanyuan Wang smiled faintly. "I specialize in the art of planning; I lay down all the traps before I do anything." Lu Yuan softly uttered, "Oh."

Xuanyuan Wang looked at Lu Yuan. "Lu Yuan, you must know you are no match for me, so you intend to stall for time, waiting for the Enforcers to arrive."

In this Outer Domain, there was a group of Enforcers. If anyone used power at the fifth layer of the Hun Dong Realm or beyond, they would appear immediately. These Enforcers were governed by the Five Great Ancient Civilizations. Offending these Enforcers was tantamount to offending the Five Great Ancient Civilizations.

Xuanyuan Wang shook his head. "It's useless. I set up a Soul Confusion Array outside the Grand Capital long ago. And those Enforcers only possess cultivation nearing the World Realm; they cannot breach my array." He certainly didn't dare kill the Enforcers; doing so would be a direct affront to the Five Great Ancient Civilizations. But by blocking them outside and then slaughtering everyone inside, then wiping away all traces, who would know that Xuanyuan Wang was the culprit? Especially since he had simultaneously prepared false evidence, supported by people from the Jian Civilization back in the Central Dynasty, to attest to his whereabouts.

Every setup, every snare, had been meticulously prepared. Now, Lu Yuan had truly fallen into the trap he had dug.

Xuanyuan Wang's hand seemed capable of grasping the heavens. He drew his Supremacy Immortal Sword. Lu Yuan had witnessed Xuanyuan Wang’s battle against Taishi Kong. Watching from the sidelines then, it hadn't seemed terrifying, but now, facing the Supremacy Immortal Sword directly, the aura of absolute dominion radiating from it—even without striking—felt overwhelmingly terrifying.

Lu Yuan steadied his resolve. There was no other way now; he had to face this terrifying figure, Xuanyuan Wang, alone.

Xuanyuan Wang!

As Lu Yuan stared unblinkingly, Xuanyuan Wang unleashed a sword strike. When the sword moved, the flow of time in the surroundings slowed to an almost complete stop; almost nothing moved, except for Xuanyuan Wang, whose temporal flow remained normal. Lu Yuan immediately struck out using the Iron Rule of Space, attempting to freeze Xuanyuan Wang’s movement. But the disparity in their cultivation was too vast: one was at the second layer of the World Realm, the other at the tenth layer of the Hun Dong Realm. Xuanyuan Wang easily shook off Lu Yuan’s obstruction. Lu Yuan, in turn, drew his own sword and met the attack.

The Nourishing My Immortal Sword clashed against the Supremacy Immortal Sword. The Nourishing My Immortal Sword vibrated fiercely under the immense power imbued in the Supremacy Immortal Sword. What a powerful opponent!

Lu Yuan finally understood just how strong his opponent, Xuanyuan Wang, truly was.

Damn it. If my strength could reach the World Realm, I could certainly defeat Xuanyuan Wang. But then again, reaching the World Realm is never easy. The World Realm is the final major stage, notoriously difficult to ascend to. By the way, it must be explained here: the Civilization Realm comes after the World Realm, but it isn't considered a major stage, as the Civilization Realm only has two tiers—Civilization Vice-Lord and Civilization Lord—hardly constituting a major stage.

Five moves! In just five moves, Xuanyuan Wang’s sword pierced through Lu Yuan’s body.

Has Lu Yuan, the culmination of the Three Myths of Mount Hua, been defeated in five moves? Just how strong is this Xuanyuan Wang! The onlookers felt their courage falter. These people were, after all, the titans of their respective kingdoms, keenly aware that survival was paramount. But they immediately discovered they couldn't leave, forced to stay and watch this terrifying battle with dread.

They once believed that experts at the Void Shattering level were the strongest. Now, they realized that Void Shattering Realm experts were nothing. Ouyang Wang was instantly slain by one of Lu Yuan's swords, and now Lu Yuan was struck down by this sudden divine apparition, Xuanyuan Wang, in a single blow.

No, not struck.

This is fake!

"An illusion? Oh, no—it's more than just an illusion." Xuanyuan Wang looked at Lu Yuan. "So this is your Floating Life, Fleeting Dream. It is remarkable, truly. Unfortunately, your cultivation is too weak. Relying solely on this Floating Life, Fleeting Dream technique, you are going to be killed by me."

The battle between Xuanyuan Wang and Lu Yuan continued.

Xuanyuan Wang held the absolute advantage. Lu Yuan would occasionally manage one or two counterattacks, but these became increasingly rare. If not for the incredible power of Floating Life, Fleeting Dream, Lu Yuan would have already been defeated. But even with it, Lu Yuan couldn't survive more than ten moves under Xuanyuan Wang’s assault. Lu Yuan’s situation was extremely perilous.

Xuanyuan Wang sneered, composed and confident. "Lu Yuan, you ruined my Sword Sect coup; that infuriated me beyond measure. However, I analyzed it afterward: Lu Yuan, your talent in the Way of the Sword, your comprehension of the Sword Dao, is too profound. If I can capture you, I will refine you using a secret art I recently mastered, transferring your innate talent to myself. Then I can reach the Heaven Venerate Realm, which is far more secure than becoming the Sword Sect Master. Hahaha!"

Lu Yuan’s right and left shoulders were pierced simultaneously. At most, three more moves, and Xuanyuan Wang would capture him.

Just then, a beam of white light shot toward Lu Yuan—this was the final move of the Stabilize the Universe technique. In that very instant, a streak of white light descended and collided head-on with Xuanyuan Wang’s sword light.

Who is that? Who has appeared?

A figure faintly materialized in front of Lu Yuan. This person appeared as a middle-aged man: his lips were thin as a sword, his eyebrows like swords, his eyes like swords, his robes like swords, and even his shoes seemed to emanate sword intent. An unparalleled sword aura radiated from his entire being. His appearance was transcendentally handsome, and a stream of sword light flowed from his palm, blocking Xuanyuan Wang.

"Yan Cangtian!"

Indeed, the person who appeared before Lu Yuan in his moment of peril was none other than Yan Cangtian, the true guide who introduced Lu Yuan to the Way of the Sword—the foremost of the Three Myths of Mount Hua, the Great Sword Saint.

Xuanyuan Wang was abruptly stunned by Yan Cangtian's sudden appearance. Years ago, when Yan Cangtian was young and training at the Sword Sect, Xuanyuan Wang had constantly tormented him, but Yan Cangtian always broke through every trap set. Eventually, Xuanyuan Wang managed to scheme successfully, causing Yan Cangtian to offend the Imperial Heir of the Immortal Ancient Civilization, forcing Yan Cangtian to flee to the Outer Domain. He never expected to see him again after so many years, right here.

Lu Yuan was also startled when Yan Cangtian suddenly appeared. This was the man who truly initiated him into the Sword Dao; he hadn't seen him for many, many years. Seeing him again after such a long separation left Lu Yuan uncertain of his current feelings.

Ouyang Wang, whose life force was extinguished yet whose body remained unnaturally sustained, looked towards Yan Cangtian. This was the man who, in his youth, fought three masters simultaneously and defeated three Grandmasters, causing Ouyang Wang to enter seclusion for nearly a thousand years. After becoming strong this time, Ouyang Wang had sought to challenge Yan Cangtian but could never find him. Now, Yan Cangtian had finally appeared, and he was immensely powerful, matching the sword strike of Xuanyuan Wang—whom Ouyang Wang had mistaken for a god—to a perfect stalemate. Though his true strength was unknown, it was clearly at the absolute peak.

The other major powers from the Qin, Jin, and Yuan Three Kingdoms were similarly shaken by this unforeseen event.

The foremost of the Three Myths of Mount Hua, Yan Cangtian, had finally appeared.

And with a single sword strike, he halted Xuanyuan Wang’s earth-shattering killing momentum. The Three Myths of Mount Hua: Yan Cangtian, Zhou Qingxuan, and Lu Yuan.

Among these three, Lu Yuan was the youngest and possessed the greatest potential. Zhou Qingxuan was the most unfathomable; no one knew his true strength, as he never revealed his depth. And Yan Cangtian was the most dazzlingly brilliant.

The Heavenly Sword, Yan Cangtian, has arrived!

(Nothing more to say, Yan Cangtian has appeared.)RO