From where the onlookers stood, they were immensely far from the conflict, essentially watching the fierce battle raging at the outermost edge of space surrounding the star. Even separated by such a distance, too much detail was lost, yet the confrontation between Lu Yuan and the Son of the Sword was so spectacular that even from afar, one could sense the immense fighting will and potent magical power emanating from it.

And now, Lu Yuan was at an absolute disadvantage.

Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship was a match for the Son of the Sword.

Under such circumstances, the inherent gap between the Fourth Heaven and the Fifth Heaven of the World Realm naturally manifested.

Originally, Lu Yuan could have employed Floating Life is Like a Dream (Fu Sheng Ruo Meng), a move practically tantamount to a forbidden art.

But now, facing the Son of the Sword, even Floating Life is Like a Dream was unusable for Lu Yuan.

Now, an explanation of the principle behind Floating Life is Like a Dream is necessary.

The so-called Floating Life is Like a Dream relies on having superior swordsmanship compared to the opponent, coupled with instantaneous movement, teleportation talismans, illusions, and other techniques, ensuring that the true body can never be struck. However, Floating Life is Like a Dream has two major flaws: first, the opponent’s combat capability must be lower than one's own; second, the opponent's magical power cannot exceed one's own by too much—no more than two minor realms.

The Son of the Sword’s magical power did not exceed Lu Yuan by two minor realms, but his swordsmanship was Lu Yuan’s equal.

Thus, Lu Yuan’s ultimate forbidden move, Floating Life is Like a Dream, was now largely ineffective.

The Son of the Sword continuously bombarded Lu Yuan, one overwhelmingly powerful sword move after another.

His sword techniques were like the sun in the heavens, hanging in the sky, burning all creation, incomparable to any other.

His sword techniques were like the howling, rushing wind, pushing the essence of wind to its absolute limit.

His sword techniques were like the boundless, immeasurable ocean.

His sword techniques were like the profound, deep earth.

Every strike from the Son of the Sword was an absolute perfection.

Every draw of the blade by the Son of the Sword elicited praise from those watching nearby.

Indeed, he was too strong!

The sheer strength of the Son of the Sword, reaching this tier, was truly unimaginable.

Lu Yuan was parrying the Son of the Sword’s attacks, but he was clearly on the defensive. Lu Yuan mused internally: the Son of the Sword truly lived up to his title as the strongest nemesis he had ever encountered. No one else had ever put him under such immense pressure, no one else could truly challenge him in swordsmanship—but the Son of the Sword had achieved it.

A pity, Nemesis, Son of the Sword, your fate is also ill-starred.

While enduring the attacks, Lu Yuan had continuously activated his Dao Gourd of the Sword, steadily absorbing the diffused sword qi emanating from the Son of the Sword. As soon as the Gate of the Sword Dao opened, he could sweep away all opposition and reverse the tide against the Son of the Sword. Lu Yuan was quite confident of this outcome. However, as the fight progressed, Lu Yuan began to sense something amiss.

The Son of the Sword’s attacks were too sharp; he was nearing his limit. Perhaps he wouldn't last long enough for the Dao Gourd of the Sword to fully absorb the sword qi and gestate the Gate of the Sword Dao.

If that happened, his situation would be dire.

Lu Yuan knew this was the moment to fight for his life. Facing such a mortal, life-or-death enemy, his nemesis, the Son of the Sword, he could not afford a single moment of distraction. At this instant, he pushed his swordsmanship to its most exquisite point, weaving sword strikes of peak subtlety through his blade, one after the other.

“What exquisite swordsmanship!” even the Son of the Sword couldn't help but praise.

However, rather than being alarmed by Lu Yuan deploying his most profound sword techniques, the Son of the Sword was secretly delighted. Lu Yuan using his full strength to defend against his attacks meant he was rapidly approaching Lu Yuan’s trump card. Lu Yuan was struggling with all his might, and under these circumstances, Lu Yuan was bound to perish beneath his blade.

The Son of the Sword let out a cold sneer. His sword techniques became even more masterful. He had never felt such exhilaration—watching his mortal nemesis struggle under his sword.

Swords came and went.

Swords moved and shifted.

Swords were born and rose up.

Swords fell and were extinguished.

Every sword stroke was worthy of inclusion in the textbooks of the Sword Gate.

Lu Yuan, meanwhile, realized that it had happened: the sword qi inside his Dao Gourd of the Sword was now full. He was moments away from summoning the Gate of the Sword Dao to sweep away all opposition. Lu Yuan waited for the Gate of the Sword Dao from the Dao Gourd of the Sword; he waited for a long time, yet the Gate of the Sword Dao still did not manifest.

What’s going on? Lu Yuan was startled. The Gate of the Sword Dao was his greatest assurance of defeating the Son of the Sword; there could be no mistakes. He immediately sent his divine sense into it and discovered that although the sword qi was saturated, the Dao Gourd of the Sword still required some time to fully gestate the Gate of the Sword Dao. This complicated matters immensely.

How long will this take? If it takes too long, I won’t be able to hold on. The Son of the Sword’s attacks are too sharp.

He must find a place to hide, but this location could not be outside the range of the Sword Gate, as this battle with the Son of the Sword encompassed the entire Sword Gate territory; stepping outside the boundary meant automatic forfeiture. But within the entire Sword Gate, where could possibly withstand the Son of the Sword’s heaven-shattering killing intent? It seemed that a single sword thrust from the Son of the Sword could shatter anything. Currently, the foremost sword master of the Central Heavenly Dynasty was undeniably the Son of the Sword.

Wait, there is a location the Son of the Sword cannot approach.

That place was the Devouring Poison Mist on the Sword Cultivator Star. Nearly half the area of the Sword Cultivator Star was enveloped by this Devouring Poison Mist. This mist was terrifyingly potent; previously, even his Azure Saint Sword Dao could only hover around the outer edges of the mist. However, after comprehending the most virulent element—the Poison Element—in the Elemental Tower, his Azure Saint Sword Dao had advanced significantly. Now, entering the Devouring Poison Mist should be manageable. The Son of the Sword, presumably, could not enter it. If he waited out the required time within the mist until the Gate of the Sword Dao fully appeared, he could crush the Son of the Sword.

Brilliant idea!

Once Lu Yuan thought of this, he began to fight and retreat simultaneously, moving back toward the Sword Cultivator Star.

The Son of the Sword sneered even harder. Lu Yuan was retreating in defeat; he was destined to die under his sword. Countless spectators flew up and out of the star, watching as the Son of the Sword relentlessly pursued Lu Yuan toward the Sword Cultivator Star. They all thought: Lu Yuan is indeed a bit weaker than the Son of the Sword. Alas, though he possesses astonishing genius, he unfortunately has the Son of the Sword blocking his path.

The battle between the Son of the Sword and Lu Yuan raged on, with Lu Yuan firmly in the disadvantageous position. Just then, with a whoosh, Lu Yuan retreated straight into the Devouring Poison Mist. This action completely defied everyone’s expectations. Even the Son of the Sword was momentarily stunned; he never imagined Lu Yuan would deliberately charge into the Devouring Poison Mist of the Sword Cultivator Star.

The most terrifying place in the entire Sword Gate was not the Sword Ancestor Star, but the Devouring Poison Mist of the Sword Cultivator Star—its engulfing poison was terrifying beyond measure.

The Son of the Sword was certain of one thing: as long as Lu Yuan remained within that toxic fog, he would be unable to deal with him. But could Lu Yuan survive long in that devouring poison? The Son of the Sword hovered outside the poison mist for a while, waiting for Lu Yuan to emerge, but regretfully, he waited in vain.

The time it takes to burn a stick of incense passed in a flash. The Son of the Sword finally confirmed a crucial fact: Lu Yuan really could remain in the Devouring Poison Mist for a long time.

The Son of the Sword roared, “Lu Yuan! Didn't you want a life-and-death battle? Why are you now hiding in the Devouring Poison Mist?”

Lu Yuan’s laughter echoed from within the mist: “You stipulated earlier that the scope of this battle encompasses the entire Sword Gate. Therefore, me being in the Devouring Poison Mist of the Sword Cultivator Star is entirely logical and compliant. I fully support you entering the mist to fight me. If you cannot enter, then wait obediently outside until I have eaten my fill and am ready to come out.”

The Son of the Sword’s face turned ashen with anger. The usual Son of the Sword was not so impulsive; he usually possessed deep calculation. But he detested Lu Yuan above all others, and moments ago, he had felt utterly triumphant, believing he was about to execute Lu Yuan, only to suffer this massive setback. This provoked his current reaction.

The situation devolved into the most absurd stalemate: a decisive sword match between the two strongest swordsmen of the Central Heavenly Dynasty, yet one was inside the Devouring Poison Mist while the other was outside. This scenario made a proper duel impossible.

The Son of the Sword looked towards the Dharma Saint Imperial Son: “Dharma Saint Imperial Son, you are presiding over this battle. You should pronounce a fair judgment. Lu Yuan hiding in the Devouring Poison Mist and refusing to come out—what kind of decisive battle is this?”

The Dharma Saint Imperial Son naturally wished to favor Lu Yuan’s side, but Lu Yuan’s current action was not entirely justifiable.

Moreover, the Martial Saint Imperial Son, the Bronze Saint Imperial Son, and the Wasteland Imperial Son were all voicing the same concerns nearby. The pressure from the three Imperial Sons simultaneously made the Dharma Saint Imperial Son’s position extremely difficult.

The Dharma Saint Imperial Son paused thoughtfully: “Lu Yuan is located on the Sword Cultivator Star, which is within the scope of this duel. However, remaining constantly within the Devouring Poison Mist is also improper. Therefore, Lu Yuan may remain in the Devouring Poison Mist for a maximum of twenty shichen (hours). This time counts against the total duration. If he exceeds this time, Lu Yuan will be directly judged as defeated.”

Twenty shichen was equivalent to about a day and a half.

The Son of the Sword could accept these terms. He sensed that Lu Yuan was still in the early stage of the World Realm Fourth Heaven. The idea that Lu Yuan could reach the World Realm Fifth Heaven within a day and a half was preposterous; it was impossible. Since Lu Yuan could not reach the Fifth Heaven, he could not turn the tide.

Twenty shichen would be the time of Lu Yuan’s crushing defeat.

The Son of the Sword will remain just that—the one.

Lu Yuan will be defeated by me.

The Son of the Sword was a remarkably steady individual and did not rush. He settled down cross-legged in the void just outside the Devouring Poison Mist, awaiting Lu Yuan’s emergence. He intended to conserve his energy and offer Lu Yuan a fatal opportunity. As he waited, the sword dao aura surrounding the Son of the Sword grew denser and more terrifying, far surpassing that of Ancestor Jian Mie; they were simply not on the same level.

The foremost expert of the Sword Dao, the Son of the Sword, was now majestic and imposing, reigning over the Sword Gate.