More than ten Grand Elders were rendered speechless with shock.

This Wild Golden-Pupiled Soaring Eagle's power surpassed even that of Sword Cloud Ancestor Zhong, yet it was being suppressed by Lu Yuan in their fight.

By all logical standards, Lu Yuan should have been annihilated instantly.

This defied all common sense.

Yet, this bizarre, illogical turn of events had undeniably occurred.

Grand Elder Yan Cangshan spoke, "Should we notify Old Ancestor Jian Mie again?" On Sword Ancestor Star, the four major cities each possessed defensive barriers; what happened in one city was entirely unknown to the others unless Old Ancestor Jian Mie was specifically informed. Otherwise, he would remain oblivious to the events unfolding in Sword Cloud City.

This Wild Golden-Pupiled Soaring Eagle was so formidable that, across the entirety of Sword Ancestor Star, only Old Ancestor Jian Mie possessed the strength to defeat it—to subdue it.

Therefore, Grand Elder Yan Cangshan's immediate thought was to summon Old Ancestor Jian Mie; it seemed the only recourse.

But now, Lu Yuan was fiercely battling the eagle single-handedly and gaining the upper hand.

Sword Cloud Ancestor Zhong let out a wry smile, "Do you still think that's necessary now?"

Yan Cangshan shook his head wordlessly, "Indeed, there is no longer a need."

"Speaking of which, Sword Cloud Ancestor Zhong, can you discern why Lu Yuan is able to suppress this Wild Golden-Pupiled Soaring Eagle?" Grand Elder Cangye Ming asked from the side.

Sword Cloud Ancestor Zhong shrugged, "How would I know?"

Yan Cangshan turned to Zhuge Zhishang, "Zhuge, you were the former Sword Master and have interacted with Lu Yuan the most. Do you know the reason for this?"

Zhuge Zhishang shook his head, "How could I possibly know?"

The dozen or so Grand Elders realized they could only stand by and watch; they had absolutely no comprehension of how Lu Yuan was overpowering the Wild Golden-Pupiled Soaring Eagle.

The figure in blue robes, facing the immense, ten-thousand-zhang eagle.

The setting sun cast its rays!

The blue-robed figure moved in cyclical patterns, shattering numerous feathers of the colossal eagle with a single sword strike.

Infinite sword light erupted—the momentum of the Swallow's Return Flash—and this strike heavily impacted the giant eagle's eye area.

Another dazzling sword light followed; this one pierced the eagle's talon, causing blood to spray violently.

Then came another sword strike, one imbued with profound emotion: three parts longing, three parts sorrowful separation, three parts heartache, and one part melancholy. This was Zhou Qingxuan's ultimate technique. Lu Yuan had witnessed Zhou Qingxuan use this sword strike before but hadn't grasped its true meaning then. In fact, at that time, not just Lu Yuan, but no one in the Jin Kingdom could truly comprehend that strike. Now, however, Lu Yuan's swordsmanship had advanced to a level where he could fully grasp it, and even execute it. Under the brilliance of this sword light, heavy with longing, sorrowful separation, heartache, and melancholy, the ten-thousand-zhang giant eagle suffered yet another injury.

Lu Yuan held the absolute advantage.

This colossal eagle was not unintelligent; naturally, it sought escape above all else. But to escape, one must first be able to flee. Lu Yuan pursued relentlessly, his sword light dogging the eagle's every move, tracing from its head to its tail.

This was truly dominating suppression; absolute, crushing suppression.

At this moment, the Grand Elders—Sword Cloud Ancestor Zhong, Zhuge Zhishang, Yan Cangshan, Cangye Ming, and the rest—could only watch dumbfounded at Lu Yuan’s ability to beat the ten-thousand-zhang eagle into submission.

Finally, when the dust settled, Lu Yuan stood atop the head of the colossal eagle.

Yes, Lu Yuan had subdued the ten-thousand-zhang giant eagle. Normally, he would have refined it into the World-Shattering Sword, but suddenly, he decided against immediately integrating it. He would keep it for now; it might prove useful. After all, once subdued, if this massive eagle exerted its full power, it could even challenge a Middle Ancestor. It counted as a significant auxiliary force for him.

Of course, the subjugation process required an excessive amount of brute force, leaving the eagle severely wounded. This meant it would require at least a year, perhaps two in a conservative estimate, before the eagle could display its true strength. It was effectively a major hidden weapon he now possessed.

As soon as Lu Yuan subdued the giant eagle, Sword Cloud Ancestor Zhong and the others rushed over.

"How did you do that?"

"How is it possible you could deal with that Wild Golden-Pupiled Soaring Eagle?"

They all bombarded him with questions; this was truly an inexplicable event. Lu Yuan replied, "Actually, it was rather simple. I obtained a Beast Taming Token. It has a compulsory effect on demonic beasts, which made the fight significantly easier for me." He naturally could not reveal the truth about possessing the World-Shattering Sword. It wasn't that he mistrusted those present, but that information was too monumental. If it were to leak, the Primordial Ancient Civilization would certainly not hesitate to disregard the offense against the Law Sage Emperor's Son and strike him down. That civilization could tolerate the emergence of a sword genius, but not one capable of counteracting the entire Primordial Ancient Civilization itself.

Thus, for his own safety, he needed a plausible excuse.

"So that's how it is!"

"To think such a Beast Taming Token exists."

In the vastness of the Central Heavenly Dragon Dynasty, myriad wonders truly existed; possessing a Beast Taming Token was not surprising. Moreover, everyone harbored secrets. As long as Lu Yuan remained aligned with them, the stronger he became, the happier they were. They even secretly wished Lu Yuan could defeat the Son of the Sword right now—though that seemed utterly impossible, as the Son of the Sword loomed over them like an insurmountable mountain.

At the center of Sword Ancestor City, there was a central square. This square lacked a formal name because a stone sword stood precisely in its middle, leading people to gradually call it Stone Sword Plaza.

To the east of Stone Sword Plaza stood a pavilion.

On the pavilion, a handsome young man dressed in fine silk gazed out. A crimson mole dotted his brow, radiating an indescribable tranquility. Before him rested a table made of pear wood, upon which sat a flask of wine. The handsome, silk-clad youth took a slow sip. "The flavor of this wine is just average. I don't understand why Lu Yuan is so fond of it, hearing he even built a Wine Spring Mountain." The Son of the Sword, Jian Wenchang, spoke calmly.

"Because he's a drunkard."

Sword Ancestor Zhong stood with his hands behind his back on the pavilion. "There are some formidable figures among the category of 'drunkards.'"

"The Grand Sword Contest is about to begin," Sword Ancestor Zhong stated placidly.

"Yes, it is about to begin," the Son of the Sword agreed, tossing the wine flask aside. He was not a lover of wine; the Son of the Sword craved endless authority and supreme strength. His desire was to stand above countless others, surveying the populace from the apex of the world.

The two men did not discuss whether their side would win the upcoming Grand Sword Contest, because victory was inevitable. Sword Ancestor Zhong's actual strength was not inferior to Sword Cloud Ancestor Zhong's, and the Son of the Sword's power was unfathomable. Since the Son of the Sword's rise, he had won every Grand Sword Contest; he had never known defeat.

This time would be no exception. Even though Lu Yuan was remarkable, he was still too inexperienced to stir up any real trouble. Victory was assured, so they never bothered discussing the outcome of the contest; the result was already anticipated.

They might not discuss it, but that didn't mean others wouldn't.

On Stone Sword Plaza, the Grand Elders from Sword Ancestor Zhong's faction and the Grand Elders from Sword Wind Ancestor's faction had already assembled, discussing among themselves.

"What do you predict the result of this Grand Sword Contest will be?"

"Nonsense, we will obviously win."

"But this time, Sword Cloud Ancestor Zhong's side has gained Lu Yuan."

"Hmph. No matter how strong that Lu Yuan is, how strong can he be? Can he defeat an Ancestor, let alone the fact that he is currently no match for the Son of the Sword?"

"We are guaranteed to win."

"That's true. Lu Yuan is still somewhat inferior to the Son of the Sword. The Son of the Sword is one of the Seven Children of Destiny, the seven individuals with the strongest fortune in this era. Absolutely no other young person can surpass the destiny of these seven; none at all." After some discussion, they ultimately felt that regardless of what happened, they were destined to win.

Yes, how could they possibly lose?

They had the Son of the Sword on their side, a force more dominant than the side Lu Yuan now stood with.

The Son of the Sword himself was considerably more powerful than Lu Yuan.

In that instant, the sky darkened!

Why had the day suddenly turned so black?

Everyone looked up simultaneously.

What they saw upon looking up was a colossal eagle, unimaginably large, exceeding ten thousand zhang, soaring overhead, easily blotting out the sun and sky.

"Heavens, that's the Wild Golden-Pupiled Soaring Eagle."

"That's a being that even Middle Ancestors struggle against if they engage it."

"Why is that eagle here?"

"Right, what's going on! This is territory overseen by Old Ancestor Jian Mie."

"Eagle attack! Eagle attack!" Although Old Ancestor Jian Mie presided over this area, many Grand Elders instinctively shouted warnings. Facing an entity of this magnitude—one capable of matching their top-tier powers on Sword Ancestor Star—the Grand Elders inexplicably felt a creeping panic in their hearts.

This opponent was too strong! One moment of inattention, and they could perish beneath this eagle's assault.

"Huh? What is happening over there? The group belonging to Sword Cloud Ancestor Zhong is right next to that eagle."

"Yes, why hasn't that eagle attacked the figures from Sword Cloud Ancestor Zhong's faction?"

"Truly strange." Everyone murmured, yet as they gossiped, they unconsciously retreated a considerable distance. Clearly, none of the Grand Elders wished to be targeted by this supreme eagle; being noticed by it promised no pleasant outcome.

The immense, ten-thousand-zhang-plus eagle rapidly dove, whipping up fierce currents of air, finally crashing into the ground with a heavy boom. The resulting powerful gusts became a hurricane of immense proportions.

And Sword Cloud Ancestor Zhong and his group descended as well.

Simultaneously, the onlookers finally noticed a silhouette near the eagle's head.

Were they mistaken? How could a person possibly sit atop the head of the Wild Golden-Pupiled Soaring Eagle? Unless it was Old Ancestor Jian Mie—but Old Ancestor Jian Mie's appearances were always heralded by world-destroying sword qi. It couldn't possibly be him!

The assembled Grand Elders rubbed their eyes in disbelief.

(Third update complete. Today is the twenty-ninth, the last day of February.)