Zhan Yijue and Lu Yuan faced each other in a tense standoff.
Zhan Yijue was momentarily stunned to realize Lu Yuan had actually broken through to the fifth level of the World Realm, the Creation Realm. He had not expected Lu Yuan to overcome the obstacle of the Seven Emotions Deficiency. If that were the case, Zhan Kuangtie might truly have died by Lu Yuan’s sword. This unforeseen complication was unwelcome.
Zhan Yijue was the Sect Master of the Kuang Sect.
As the master of a sect, his mind was naturally sharp.
He immediately recalled Lu Yuan’s past combat records. In those records, if an opponent only surpassed Lu Yuan by a minor realm, they usually found it impossible to win. This was the first point.
Secondly, Lu Yuan had just executed twenty instantaneous movements followed by the sword technique Yixiantian (A Thread of Heaven). This level of swordsmanship far exceeded Zhan Yijue’s saber techniques. Zhan Yijue estimated he could manage at most ten instantaneous movements followed by Yixiantian with his saber.
Thirdly, he strongly suspected that Zhan Kuangtie had indeed perished under Lu Yuan’s sword.
Therefore, Zhan Yijue no longer wished to engage Lu Yuan in a direct confrontation.
Zhan Yijue retreated almost instantly.
Indeed, he had no choice but to fall back!
Huh! The Kuang Sect Master, Zhan Yijue, had actually retreated.
This was a massive shift in momentum.
At the very beginning of the confrontation between Zhan Yijue and Lu Yuan, everyone, whether from the Kuang Sect or the Sword Sect, was certain that Zhan Yijue would win. They believed Lu Yuan’s strength was insufficient to secure victory. But they quickly realized they were profoundly mistaken.
After Zhan Yijue’s Spear of Rage clashed with Lu Yuan’s Nourishing Immortal Sword for a single exchange, everyone was shocked to discover Lu Yuan had reached the fifth level of the World Realm, the Creation Realm.
Lu Yuan, despite the deficiency of Seven Emotions, had somehow overcome the great hurdle to reach the Creation Realm of the World Realm's fifth level—that was the first shock.
What truly stunned everyone was the second development: Zhan Yijue had chosen to evade.
Zhan Yijue was the Master of the Kuang Sect, a formidable figure throughout the entire Central Celestial Dynasty.
Such an individual held dominion, unchallengeable in his local sphere—a quintessential Hegemon-level figure.
And now, this Hegemon-level figure was actively evading facing Lu Yuan.
What kind of joke was this!
He actively dodged!
This implied that Lu Yuan’s current strength was also worthy of being called a regional hegemon. To become a hegemon in the Central Celestial Dynasty, a place teeming with experts, was no easy feat.
When the Sword Sect members witnessed this scene, their morale soared.
Conversely, the Kuang Sect members, who had been excessively arrogant moments before, suffered a severe blow to their morale.
But then, the disheartened Kuang Sect members heard Zhan Yijue’s commanding voice: “All experts of the Kuang Sect, hear my order! Form the Furious Spear of Rage.” Yes, the Furious Spear of Rage.
Right, they had almost forgotten the Kuang Sect's ultimate weapon.
The reason Zhan Yijue retreated from a direct fight with Lu Yuan was not for any other reason, but to resolve Lu Yuan using the Furious Spear of Rage.
Every sect possessed an ultimate weapon, and now, the various figures of the Kuang Sect took their designated positions, standing as if forming a single spear. Each was executing complex incantations, their spiritual power nearly coalescing into one entity. At the forefront stood Sect Master Zhan Yijue, and in the void, a transparent, ethereal Furious Spear of Rage, over two thousand feet long, slowly materialized.
The so-called ultimate weapons were, in fact, ethereal. They were a unified exertion of power by many sect members using a special formation-like technique.
Not good!
Ancestor Jian Mie, along with those who had witnessed the Furious Spear of Rage earlier, felt a deep sense of dread. A sect's ultimate weapon was not to be trifled with. For instance, the Furious Spear of Rage used the assembled members of the Kuang Sect, fueled by sheer rage, to elevate their attack power to the range of the seventh level of the World Realm.
Furthermore, that surge of rage would cloud judgment, plunging targets into emotional vulnerabilities.
This was the terror of the Furious Spear of Rage.
Similarly, the Sword Sect’s ultimate weapon, the Endless Sword, operated on a comparable principle: harnessing a surge of volatile, angry energy to condense everyone’s spiritual power, manifesting combat prowess far exceeding the person holding the tip of the sword. This was the principle of the ultimate weapon. And ultimate weapons always required a specific emotional catalyst to unleash their greatest power.
A technique devoid of true feeling could never become the strongest technique.
Ancestor Jian Mie worried: Lu Yuan was currently at the fifth level of the World Realm, the Creation Realm, but the opponent, by deploying the Furious Spear of Rage, had boosted their attack to the level of the seventh World Realm. How could Lu Yuan possibly withstand that? If Ancestor Jian Mie still possessed the Endless Sword, he might slightly mitigate the sharpness of the attack, but the Endless Sword had been shattered by the Furious Spear of Rage in the previous ultimate weapon clash and could not be instantly reformed.
The massive, two-thousand-foot Furious Spear of Rage pointed directly at Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan felt an aura of world-ending destruction emanating from it.
This was not the aura of the sixth level of the World Realm, but the seventh.
Lu Yuan didn't fully react to this realization. What was this two-thousand-foot spear formed from virtual spiritual power? Could this be the ultimate weapon Jian Ru Hai had mentioned? Lu Yuan vaguely sensed that he was utterly incapable of defeating this terrifying ultimate weapon. He had not expected the Kuang Sect to have held back such a trump card.
But no matter how terrifying, he had to fight!
Lu Yuan placed his hand on his sword hilt, having already tossed his wine gourd into the Sword Space. His expression was intensely solemn.
The opponent is strong! I cannot afford to hold anything back!
Wait! Why was there an overwhelming surge of fury within his heart? And what was this fury about? It didn't feel like anger rising from his own depths, but rather rage imposed externally. Sensing this intense anger, Lu Yuan realized his own consciousness was beginning to slip.
The Furious Spear of Rage! Wait! The Furious Spear of Rage!
This was the function of the Furious Spear of Rage. Lu Yuan finally understood what the technique truly entailed.
At that moment, the Furious Spear of Rage shot toward Lu Yuan like lightning. Boom! The dozens of feet wide spear tip slammed into Lu Yuan, sending him flying, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood mid-air. The Furious Spear of Rage was incredibly powerful, and it immediately began gathering momentum for a second strike, intended to inflict even heavier damage. Zhan Yijue felt certain that at this current state, it would take at most twenty strikes to kill Lu Yuan.
The sect’s ultimate weapon truly lived up to its name. However, Lu Yuan discovered something significant: wasn't he currently cultivating Sword Nine, the Sword of Seven Emotions? Hadn't it been said that the Sword of Seven Emotions was divided into seven swords, corresponding to the seven emotions? For example, the Sword of Rage required absorbing boundless rage energy. And at this moment, Lu Yuan clearly felt the surging rage energy within the Furious Spear of Rage. Simply put, the Furious Spear of Rage—this ultimate weapon—was sustained by rage energy. If the rage energy vanished, this ultimate weapon would also disintegrate.
And perhaps his half-completed Sword Nine, the Sword of Seven Emotions, could absorb the energies of the Seven Emotions.
Then!
Lu Yuan’s eyes lit up.
The Furious Spear of Rage charged toward Lu Yuan again. Lu Yuan drew his Nourishing Immortal Sword and this time unleashed Slanted Nine, the Sword of Rage! However, this strike did not succeed in its intended form. As the rage energy of the Furious Spear of Rage approached Lu Yuan’s nose, it was instantly drawn in as if by a massive vortex, continuously absorbed by Lu Yuan.
What was happening!
The rage energy was being drained! Zhan Yijue and all the Kuang Sect members were utterly horrified. They were unwilling to accept such a failure, so they poured even more rage energy into the spear. As a result, Lu Yuan absorbed with even greater satisfaction. While continuously absorbing the rage, Lu Yuan realized that his Sword of Rage was rapidly taking shape.
The inherent attribute of Sword Nine, the Sword of Seven Emotions, was the Plundering of Seven Emotions! Absorbing the rage from the Sword of Rage while only halfway through its cultivation was entirely possible.
Rage energy continuously increasing! Sword of Rage required energy collected to ten percent!
Rage energy continuously increasing! Sword of Rage required energy collected to twenty percent!
Rage energy continuously increasing! Sword of Rage required energy collected to thirty percent!
Rage energy continuously increasing! Sword of Rage required energy collected to forty percent! What was going on at this moment? Zhan Yijue and the others were completely bewildered. Was there such a cultivation technique for absorbing rage energy? They had dominated many regions relying on their rage energy, but they had never encountered this technique. It was definitely not a technique of the Sword Sect; they hadn't seen it during their many years of conflict.
Rage energy continuously increasing! Sword of Rage required energy collected to fifty percent!
Rage energy continuously increasing! Sword of Rage required energy collected to sixty percent!
Rage energy continuously increasing! Sword of Rage required energy collected to seventy percent!
Rage energy continuously increasing! Sword of Rage required energy collected to eighty percent! Not good. Zhan Yijue and the others could not prevent the outward flow of furious energy into Lu Yuan's sword.
Rage energy continuously increasing! Sword of Rage required energy collected to ninety percent! By now, Zhan Yijue and the others had little remaining fury energy.
Rage energy continuously increasing! Sword of Rage required energy collected to one hundred percent!
The Sword of Rage was complete!
In that instant, Lu Yuan felt that one-seventh of his Sword Nine, the Sword of Seven Emotions—the Sword of Rage—was finally achieved.
Simultaneously, Lu Yuan noticed that the Furious Spear of Rage, having had its rage energy completely drained, had effectively lost its attack power equivalent to the seventh level of the World Realm. The rage energy was the very bond that solidified their attack power; now that it was absorbed, the ultimate weapon known as the Furious Spear of Rage was fundamentally useless.
Lu Yuan let out a long cry: “Ultimate Weapon, Furious Spear of Rage! Let me thoroughly strike you down!” Lu Yuan’s Nourishing Immortal Sword slashed an incredibly sharp beam of light across the void. This sword light indeed contained rage energy—it was Sword Nine, the Sword of Rage! As this strike was unleashed, boundless fury erupted from Lu Yuan’s sword.
Rumble! There was no adequate description for the might of this single sword strike.
Boom!
The framework of the Furious Spear of Rage was utterly shattered and dispersed.
Lu Yuan’s single sword strike completely destroyed the Kuang Sect’s ultimate weapon! In truth, Lu Yuan destroyed it easily because the essence of the Furious Spear of Rage, its furious energy, had been entirely drained, leaving it with little power. This final strike from Lu Yuan had merely dismantled the surface structure, nothing more.
However, even with this understanding, the shock this single sword strike delivered to members of both the Kuang Sect and the Sword Sect was unparalleled.
That was the Kuang Sect’s ultimate weapon!
(Second Update.)