The sword was sheathed. Lu Yuan, holding his wine gourd, surveyed the remaining twenty figures on Beast Soul Mountain.

"Who's next to come and die?"

Such arrogant words, such domineering words.

Previously, standing alone on Beast Soul Mountain against fifty members of the Desolate Beast Sect was surely courting death. But after Lu Yuan's single, instant kill that decimated thirty men, he now possessed the right to stand there and demand who would die next.

One man standing there, possessing such imposing might.

"Very good!" Xiong Zhan roared, "Then allow me to face you."

"Yong-Hu (Chrysalis Tiger), manifest." The utterly brutal *Hu (Tiger) appeared. Xiong Zhan, at the third level of the World Realm, let his full mana flow: "Lu Yuan, your previous sword strike was impressive. However, with your swordsmanship being so sharp, it only makes killing you here more imperative. If I take action personally, you won't have the slightest chance to escape. I hear you belong to the Sword Cloud lineage; even the Ancestor of Sword Cloud might not defeat me if he were here." Xiong Zhan was speaking the truth. He possessed the mana of the third level of the World Realm, while Ancestor Jian Yun was at the fourth. Yet, the Desolate affinity in his mana could suppress the Sword affinity, giving him an even greater advantage against Ancestor Jian Yun.

Xiong Zhan kicked Qiu Qingshan aside: "Qiu Qingshan, don't hold any hope, because I will shatter every bit of it."

"Lu Yuan, watch me kill him." Xiong Zhan looked towards Lu Yuan.

"Too much nonsense. Take this sword." Lu Yuan couldn't be bothered to reply, thrusting out his sword. This strike targeted Xiong Zhan's weakness. Xiong Zhan twisted his body, and his form seemed to expand greatly, subtly hinting at a transformation toward the *Hu form: "Lu Yuan, didn't you know? This is my ability."

"During combat, I transform progressively toward the *Hu form. The *Hu is an ancient demonic beast of immense strength and lightning speed. I, too, will gain infinite strength and speed like lightning. Qiu Qingshan wasn't weak originally, but facing my *Hu state, he has absolutely no power to resist." Xiong Zhan laughed maniacally.

Instantly, a black gale materialized beside Lu Yuan—this was Xiong Zhan exhibiting his true strength.

Qiu Qingshan was filled with worry. He knew how terrifying Xiong Zhan was once he fully transitioned to the *Hu form. In that state, Qiu Qingshan admitted he couldn't withstand many blows; even the Ancestor might fail to defeat Xiong Zhan. What was even more terrifying was that once Xiong Zhan became the *Hu, his temperament would grow increasingly brutal—a maddening savagery. This brutal aura would spread outwards, making any opponent feel an ever-intensifying sense of terror. Those with weaker spirits would likely freeze in dread immediately. In a battle between masters, the consequences of such fear were obvious.

"Hahahaha, Lu Yuan, are you scared?" Xiong Zhan was indeed becoming more savage now: "Once I defeat you, I will slice off your flesh piece by piece, then salt the remainder. Your meat will be perfect for feeding my *Hu. Oh yes, your blood can make a grand feast of blood. A feast of meat accompanied by blood must be exquisitely delicious. Your soul will also be devoured by the *Hu. Inside the *Hu's belly, your soul will gradually transform into a *Chang (a vengeful spirit)." When the *Hu devours a person, their soul doesn't simply dissipate; it turns into a *Chang—a ghost bound to serve the *Hu, forever restless, eternally enslaved to the *Hu, eternally enslaved to Xiong Zhan.

A brutal wind swept across the clearing!

The savage aura spread further and further.

The *Hu was brutal; Xiong Zhan was even more so.

Lu Yuan held his sword, gazing at the savage black wind beside him, and calmly uttered: "Sword Two, Remembrance of Affection (Yi Qing)." Having found Xiong Zhan’s weakness in the previous exchange, he unleashed Sword Two's 'Remembrance of Affection.' As this sword shot out, it seemed as if infinite emotions derived from the sword manifested in the air.

The Seven Emotions and Six Desires! Contained entirely within this single sword strike.

Humans possess Seven Emotions: Joy, Anger, Sorrow, Fear, Love, Hate, Desire. Humans possess Six Desires: Sight, Sound, Scent, Taste, Touch, Form.

One sword strike encompassing the Seven Emotions and Six Desires.

Xiong Zhan sneered: "What sword art is this? Truly laughable. I have no feelings; what use is an emotional sword against me? No, no, what is happening? My head hurts so much." Xiong Zhan was initially dismissive of the strike, but gradually, he realized something was wrong. His brutality seemed to be one of the Seven Emotions and Six Desires. He usually controlled his savagery to attack opponents, but now he found that his brutality was no longer under his command; it was being controlled within Lu Yuan's sword strike, directed back at himself.

Xiong Zhan was an evil man, notorious for using brutality against countless foes, priding himself on his own invincible savagery, and taking pride in the *Hu's cruelty. But now, he discovered this wave of brutality turning against him was terrifying. The *Hu was even turning its head to bite him—what was going on?!

A bright sword light flashed, and Xiong Zhan lay dead behind Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan lightly flicked his blade.

This was Sword Two, Remembrance of Affection—the sword that manipulated the Seven Emotions and Six Desires. As long as the opponent possessed an emotional flaw, this sword strike could exploit it.

Xiong Zhan died so simply! In the entire fight with Xiong Zhan, Lu Yuan only made three moves. Such simple strikes resolved the opponent! How could this not elicit gasps of astonishment! The remaining members of the Desolate Beast Sect panicked. They never imagined Xiong Zhan would be dealt with in just two or three moves.

With a move of his hand, Lu Yuan arrived beside Qiu Qingshan and the others. A flash of his sword light severed all restraints. Instantly, all restrictions on Qiu Qingshan and the others were lifted. They had been brutally tormented by the Desolate Beast Sect members, but now they were finally freed. With their power flow restored, they immediately charged toward the Desolate Beast Sect members. They had already suffered so much at their hands, and Lu Yuan had wiped out all the powerful figures on the Desolate Beast Sect side, causing their morale to plummet to zero. Thus, despite being heavily wounded, Qiu Qingshan and the others managed to slaughter every remaining member of the Desolate Beast Sect.

"Alright, time to go back," Lu Yuan shrugged. Qiu Qingshan and the others felt a wave of exhaustion. Already heavily injured from their ordeal and having just fought fiercely, they had almost no strength left. They prepared to head back toward the Three Sect Alliance, intending to leave Planet Earth Dragon.

"Leave! What kind of joke are you playing!" A strange, piercing laugh rang out. Following this bizarre laughter, an earth-shattering aura descended—an unprecedented aura of Desolation, far stronger than anything Xiong Zhan had displayed before. In the mid-air, a white-haired elder floated ethereally. Behind this elder, an enormous serpent manifested, impossibly massive. This serpent was of untold height, possessing eight serpentine heads, each adorned with terrifying eyes and sharp, glistening fangs.

This was the Eight Desolations Great Serpent! One of the more powerful ancient demonic beasts, possessing eight heads, far superior to the Three-Headed Hound. The eight heads possessed different abilities, capable of swallowing water, freezing ice, breathing fire, and spitting venom. If this white-haired elder possessed a cultivation technique based on refining the soul essence of the Eight Desolations Great Serpent, his identity within the Desolate Beast Sect would be immediately apparent.

Teng Ba Ancestor of the Desolate Beast Sect. This was different from before. Teng Ba Ancestor was someone who ranked within the top five figures of the Desolate Beast Sect.

During the typical Earth Dragon Star Hegemony struggles, Ancestors rarely intervened. It was unexpected that they deployed Teng Ba Ancestor this time; the Desolate Beast Sect was certainly making a grand move.

Watching the eight semi-virtual, semi-transparent snake heads bobbing in the air, an atmosphere of impending doom inexplicably settled over everyone.

Qiu Qingshan and the others thought they had escaped, but they never anticipated that the Desolate Beast Sect would have a Teng Ba Ancestor positioned here. Their hopes instantly plummeted into despair. Teng Ba Ancestor's strength was formidable; even if Ancestor Jian Mie were present, he might not be able to deal with him. He possessed the mana of the fourth level of the World Realm, and under the principle of Desolation conquering Sword, he could contend equally with Ancestor Jian Mie.

Teng Ba Ancestor looked down at the twenty-odd Sword Gate members on Beast Soul Mountain: "You twenty ants, you actually dared to slaughter everyone from my Desolate Beast Sect here while I was in crucial secluded meditation. You got lucky this time, but that's fine; you will all die here, becoming rations for my Eight Desolations Great Serpent."

"Lu Yuan, I have heard your name. The Desolate Ancient Civilization and the Bronze Civilization have both issued assassination orders. Killing you will earn a massive bounty. Very good, it seems Heaven itself wills my success in breaking through to the fifth level of the World Realm and becoming an Ancestor."

The fourth level of the World Realm is called Ancestor (Zhong Zu); the fifth and sixth levels are called Great Ancestors (Lao Zu); World Realm seventh level and above are called Heavenly Venerables (Tian Zun). The World Realm is the final major stage; each progression in level significantly increases one's status within the Central Heavenly Dynasty. Many strive to advance their power.

Lu Yuan looked at the imposing Teng Ba Ancestor beneath the ethereal shadow of the Eight Desolations Great Serpent, his hand resting on his sword hilt.

"Oh? You haven't lost hope even seeing me, Teng Ba Ancestor. What a confident young man," Teng Ba Ancestor stated calmly. "But I will make you despair shortly. Using a sword before me? Your Sword Extinction Ancestor might manage, but you... you are far too weak."

Teng Ba Ancestor hesitated not at all, launching the Heavenly Serpent Eight Strikes.

The so-called Heavenly Serpent Eight Strikes channeled the full power of the Eight Desolations Great Serpent into a single attack. Dozens of stars exploded within his palm. He intended to crush Lu Yuan dead with one punch and claim that immense bounty.

"Is that so?" Lu Yuan smiled faintly. "Sword Three, Dust Forgetfulness (Wang Chen)!"

This was a strike of transcendence!

No, it shouldn't be a strike of transcendence! It should be a strike of forgetting the dust!

Sword Three, Dust Forgetfulness! What kind of technique was this, and what power would it possess!

The sword finally left its sheath!