Lu Yuan rapidly absorbed the overwhelming surge of Jian Qi (Axe Energy) permeating the area, simultaneously driving forward to cleave open a path through the Feng Xing Zhen (Sealing Star Formation).

Hoo, the Jian Qi along this newly carved passage dissipated instantly.

Meanwhile, Ancestor Jian Mie was still bombarding the Feng Xing Zhen, determined to rescue Lu Yuan. In his estimation, it was utterly impossible for Lu Yuan, given his strength, to withstand the combined assault of Ancestor Jian Fengzhong and the others for the duration of two sticks of incense. He presumed Lu Yuan was already dead, yet he dared not surrender the last sliver of hope.

Lu Yuan truly had little direct connection to him, but Lu Yuan represented one of the rising hopes of the Sword Dao; therefore, saving him was imperative.

“Damn it!” Ancestor Jian Mie roared.

The Son of the Sword swelled with infinite satisfaction. Truly, he was worthy of being one of the Seven Sons of Fortune. He genuinely desired Lu Yuan’s death, and Heaven had conspired to aid him—Ancestors Jian Fengzhong and the others betraying the sect to kill Lu Yuan. What a profoundly exhilarating development! Indeed, Heaven moved according to his will; whatever he desired, manifested.

Just as Ancestor Jian Mie believed Lu Yuan was certainly doomed, and the Son of the Sword reveled in that certainty, a figure in green robes suddenly materialized within the Feng Xing Zhen.

It was Lu Yuan, standing before Ancestor Jian Mie and the Son of the Sword.

Ancestor Jian Mie instinctively rubbed his eyes. Lu Yuan was alive! Wonderful news!

The Son of the Sword rubbed his eyes too. Lu Yuan was alive! Dammit, why wasn't Lu Yuan dead!

The complexion of the Son of the Sword darkened considerably.

After rubbing their eyes, both men confirmed it was indeed Lu Yuan; he had undeniably survived.

Lu Yuan knew this was a moment of critical urgency, wasting no pleasantries: “Ancestor Jian Mie, Ancestor Jian Fengzhong is outside now. Pass through the breach I forced in the Feng Xing Zhen immediately and capture him.”

“Ancestor Jian Fengzhong seeks death,” Ancestor Jian Mie’s anger flared. He had long suspected Ancestor Jian Fengzhong leaned towards the Copper Faction, but previously, there was no conclusive evidence, and he had wished to preserve talent within the Sword Dao. Although Jian Fengzhong’s heart was no longer with the Sword, he was undeniably ranked among the top ten masters of the Central Heavenly Dynasty’s Sword Dao, so Jian Mie had shown leniency.

But what good was that leniency now, when the man committed such an overt act of rebellion?

Ancestor Jian Mie instantly discarded any notion of sparing Jian Fengzhong and resolved to seize him.

He shot forward in a flash, and Lu Yuan naturally followed to watch the spectacle unfold.

As Ancestor Jian Mie burst out, Ancestor Jian Fengzhong was already in full flight. Upon realizing Lu Yuan could disrupt the Feng Xing Zhen, he had begun his escape without a second thought. He was renowned for his speed within the Sword Wind lineage, compounded by the Feng Shen Ling Fu (Wind Spirit Talisman) he had prepared for flight. With both advantages stacked, his escape velocity was staggering, on the verge of clearing the Sword Gate entirely.

Ancestor Jian Mie sneered, “You court death!” With a sharp roar, Ancestor Jian Fengzhong’s speed immediately decelerated.

Ancestor Jian Mie instantly closed the gap.

Ancestor Jian Fengzhong shouted, “You plotted against me?”

Ancestor Jian Mie coldly returned, “I knew long ago you leaned toward the Axe Faction; how could I be without precaution? I placed certain restrictions upon you long ago. I hadn't intended to activate them, but since you have rebelled, these restrictions must take effect.” How could Ancestor Jian Mie not be enraged? He poured his life into the rise of the Sword Dao, yet others incessantly undermined and dug at its foundations, as if they hated to see the Sword Dao escape decline.

Truly detestable!

Ancestor Jian Fengzhong’s inherent strength was already inferior to Ancestor Jian Mie’s. Now, with his scheme exposed and his plan foiled, panic rendered him even less capable. Within a mere dozen exchanges, he was subdued by Ancestor Jian Mie, and the remaining seven Grand Elders were captured as well; not one escaped.

The rebellion thus officially concluded.

The conspiracy targeting Lu Yuan was completely resolved.

However, following this minor uprising, the Sword Gate fell into temporary disarray, and Taishi Kong sustained severe injuries.

Consequently, Ancestor Jian Mie personally stepped forward to preside over the overall situation.

Only after the rebellion was suppressed did Ancestor Jian Mie, the Son of the Sword, Ancestor Jian Yunzhong, Ancestor Jian Xuzhong, and the others, previously trapped within the Sword Ancestor Star, learn the full extent of what had transpired.

They had been immensely curious how Lu Yuan survived the siege led by the Jian Feng faction. Only now did they learn the entire sequence of events, and upon understanding it, Ancestor Jian Mie and the others felt a deep tremor of alarm.

During the two sticks of incense that had just passed, thirteen individuals had besieged Lu Yuan: Ancestor Jian Fengzhong at World Realm Fourth Heaven, two at World Realm Third Heaven, and ten scattered across First and Second Heavens. Under such circumstances, Lu Yuan was mathematically certain to lose, yet he managed to slaughter two Third Heaven masters and three Second Heaven masters, holding out until the time limit was nearly up and shattering Jian Fengzhong’s plot.

Killing Du Yun in one move! Killing Ling Qiu in one move! Killing Xu Xingfeng in five moves! Killing Xuanyuan Qiang in seven moves! What astonishing combat achievements!

And it didn't end there.

To not only survive against the combined assault of thirteen Grand Elders but to slay several in return—that was truly monstrous.

This Lu Yuan was far from simple. Listening to companions recount his entire ordeal, it sounded like a drama full of twists and turns, constant upheaval, and breathtaking spectacle.

Furthermore, the many Grand Elders gazed upon the green-robed figure hovering outside the Sword Ancestor Star. Lu Yuan was continuously flying outside the star, collecting the Jian Qi shed by the Feng Xing Zhen. While this was normal for Lu Yuan, it was utterly abnormal for the Sword Gate Grand Elders. Copper, though derived from Sword, was generally stronger; traditionally, Copper overcame Sword, never the reverse. Yet here was Lu Yuan forcefully absorbing the endless Copper Qi until it vanished—Qi that even Ancestor Jian Mie could not fully master.

Ancestor Jian Mie felt a secret delight at Lu Yuan’s power and performance, while the killing intent in the heart of the Son of the Sword grew even more intense.

While managing the fallout caused by Jian Fengzhong’s faction, their attention inevitably turned to the matter of the commercial city on the Sword Gate Star.

Ancestor Jian Mie reviewed the documents in hand: “Lu Yuan forced entry into the commercial city to enhance his strength, lest he be killed by those plotting in the Jian Feng faction. Under such emergency, his actions were justifiable; we cannot blame him. He seized goods consigned by the Jian Feng faction, whose members are now either dead or captured—this is clearly not an issue.”

“But—but there were also goods belonging to our faction that were seized,” Ancestor Jian Xuzhong exclaimed.

The Son of the Sword was secretly furious as well. The items he had consigned to the commercial city had been completely looted by Lu Yuan. Specifically, that Qing Zhuo Shi (Pure/Turbid Stone) was clearly the catalyst for Lu Yuan’s advancement. The Son of the Sword burned with hatred. If he hadn't placed that Qing Zhuo Shi up for consignment, perhaps Lu Yuan wouldn't have broken through to World Realm Second Heaven; if he hadn’t reached Second Heaven, he would have perished at the hands of Xuanyuan Qiang and the others. In effect, he had aided Lu Yuan’s breakthrough, his own Qing Zhuo Shi had helped Lu Yuan escape death—a reality more bitter to the Son of the Sword than spitting blood. He loathed Lu Yuan, and now, Lu Yuan had used his stolen property to level up, which only compounded his misery.

In the Sword Dao lineage, the Son of the Sword had always been unrivaled, accustomed to supreme arrogance. Other younger figures, like Hua Huijianmo, treated him like a deity, yet Lu Yuan had shown him utter disregard from their first encounter. This was why he had disliked Lu Yuan from the moment he saw him, and now, he found him increasingly intolerable.

The Son of the Sword roared, “There were my things as well! They were worth a substantial price—at least five thousand Earth-rank Spirit Stones!”

Ancestor Jian Mie found himself in a bind. The Son of the Sword was also a hope for the Sword Dao’s resurgence, as was Lu Yuan. Both were critically important. While Lu Yuan’s actions were technically justifiable under emergency circumstances, the fact remained that he had stolen from the Son of the Sword, meaning restitution was naturally due.

“Lu Yuan, come here for a moment,” Ancestor Jian Mie commanded.

Lu Yuan had just finished absorbing the last of the Feng Xing Zhen’s Copper Qi. He felt that the Sword Qi needed by his Sword Dao Gourd was nearly replenished, only slightly short. Hearing Ancestor Jian Mie call him, he immediately approached the elder who had devoted his entire life to the Sword Dao with deep respect. “Ancestor, what is the matter?” Ancestor Jian Mie explained the situation. Lu Yuan couldn't help but let out a wry laugh. What a joke! This was a rare opportunity; how could he possibly return something he’d managed to seize from the Son of the Sword? He shook his head flatly: “Son of the Sword, I was prepared to return your possessions, but I have nothing left to return. Everything I seized from you was consumed in breaking through to World Realm Second Heaven. You should appreciate the principle of acting according to the emergency.” He had killed several Grand Elders, surely gaining enough resources to repay the Son of the Sword, but he would be a fool to return anything to him. He was determined not to give it back; like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water—what could they do?

Seeing the Son of the Sword’s expression shift slightly, Lu Yuan smiled thinly: “Son of the Sword, how about this: we pay in installments. I’m always short on cash. It won’t take long, perhaps just a thousand years of payments, how does that sound?”

The face of the Son of the Sword immediately turned ashen.

Watching the Son of the Sword’s livid complexion, Lu Yuan felt immense pleasure. Ah, Son of the Sword! Always aloof, supremely noble, the Seven Sons of Fortune situated far above the clouds—but now, finally, you’ve taken a loss. How satisfying!

“What!” Tong Yunzhou, the First Strategist known as the ‘Ghostly Cry, Sorrowful Sigh,’ who was always utterly composed, had been playing chess when he heard this news. He had misplaced his white piece.

This unexpected error startled his chess opponent, who had been playing with Tong Yunzhou for a long time and had never witnessed the strategist show surprise. To cause the First Strategist, the Ghostly Cry, Sorrowful Sigh, Tong Yunzhou, to make a wrong move—this Lu Yuan was truly astonishing.

“Lu Yuan killed Du Yun in one move, Ling Qiu in one move, Xu Xingfeng in five, Xuanyuan Qiang in seven; temporarily held off Ancestor Jian Fengzhong, and shattered the Feng Xing Zhen!” Tong Yunzhou rattled off Lu Yuan’s recent feats in one breath. “With his own strength alone, he managed to survive against Ancestor Jian Fengzhong, a Fourth Heaven expert, accompanied by twelve Grand Elders, and even counter-killed so many people, thus ruining my plan.”

Tong Yunzhou had to be shocked. The achievements Lu Yuan had wrought this time were truly staggering!

He recalled that Lu Yuan had started at World Realm First Heaven, while Ancestor Jian Fengzhong was Fourth Heaven.

And yet, this was the ultimate outcome.