Yuan Yeying collapsed, filled with unconcealed resentment. His entire plan had been to crush Lu Yuan, to slay Lu Yuan and the Sword Annihilation Ancestor, thereby achieving instant fame. In his script, he was meant to rise in renown and claim the treasures surrounding Lu Yuan. How could the final outcome be his own death? Why? Why?

Lu Yuan gently flicked his sword.

His Nurtured Immortal Sword hummed in response. This time, there was no restraint, and no mercy. The moment the Mad Eagle Sect made its move, Lu Yuan sensed they were intent on slaughter, far beyond the pretense of a normal contest. Yuan Yeying, in his very first move, had sought to kill him, and the others were no different. Given such lethal intent, why show mercy?

Lu Yuan rarely spared those who aimed to kill him.

Many members of various sects watched from the sidelines; for a great number of them, it was merely entertainment. Truthfully, most of these factions held the Sword Sect and the Mad Eagle Sect in low regard. To sects boasting significant power, both were too weak, so they watched with a detached, almost bored indifference.

When the Mad Eagle Sect moved to eliminate fifty of the Sword Sect’s core masters, the onlookers remained remarkably calm.

But when Lu Yuan drew his sword and unleashed the newly mastered Sword Two: Protection—that single strike—the indifference vanished. The light emanating from that blow was blindingly brilliant, the sword edge terrifyingly sharp! Time! Space! All were momentarily locked within that single thrust. Countless observers in the crowd immediately began calculating how their own sect members might possibly break such an attack if they had faced Lu Yuan’s blade just now.

What followed was Lu Yuan, with the sheer power of a fifth-tier World Realm cultivator, defeating Yuan Yeying, who stood at the sixth tier. This was an achievement of pure technique, a feat of immense skill and difficulty. Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship was so flawless that many sects immediately activated their magnetic stones and set up their magnetic mirrors, recording the moves for slow, meticulous study.

And with this, Lu Yuan had accomplished one thing!

One man! Against one sect!

Yes, one man against an entire sect.

Under normal circumstances, one man opposing an entire sect was impossible.

But Lu Yuan had forced it to happen.

Of course, the Mad Eagle Sect was not considered truly strong; they ranked outside the thousandth position. If a first-tier figure from the Ten Strongest Sects had faced them, they could likely achieve the same result. If it were a top-tier figure from those same Ten Strongest Sects, it would be achieved with ease. However, for a junior from a notoriously weak sect like the Sword Sect, emerging from the oldest ranks of the Ten Strongest, to achieve such a feat was unprecedented.

Every eye fixed upon Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan gently tapped his sword. “Sword, oh sword.”

He suddenly addressed the long blade, causing a ripple of surprise among the observers.

“Since arriving on the Pingtian Continent, I have heard many arrogant words. Among these boasts, some claimed they would shove the Sword Sect out of the top sixty-five positions, stripping them of their qualification for the World Volcano. Such reckless talk was deeply irritating to me. Even more galling were the discussions suggesting the Sword Sect was so weak it should be cast out of the top one thousand, forfeiting even the title of Supreme Great Sect.”

Lu Yuan spoke calmly. “The Way of the Sword once held spectacular glory. It was once one of the Ancient Civilizations. It is true that it has genuinely declined now, currently existing in the lowest ebb of its path. But precisely because we are in this nadir of the Sword Dao, I must be the one to guard it. ‘Kicked out of the top one thousand? Stripped from the top sixty-five?’ I regret to inform you, if you wish to achieve that, you must first contend with the steel within my body.” Lu Yuan flicked the sword again, its light sharp and pure.

The figure in green, Qiu Shui’s sword.

The man stood perfectly straight, the sword held steady.

Looking at this man, and looking at that sword, everyone understood that to forcefully remove the Sword Sect would be incredibly difficult.

“Furthermore,” Lu Yuan continued placidly, “this time, the Sword Sect’s goal is not merely to hold onto its place in the top sixty-five.” Lu Yuan’s voice resonated with unexpected power. “This time, the Sword Sect’s target is the Top Ten!”

What!

Lu Yuan was insane!

What was he saying?

He actually claimed they would fight for a spot in the Top Ten!

Every one of the Ten Strongest Sects was anchored by at least one Celestial Venerable expert, and most possessed a number of eighth-tier World Realm masters. Beyond that, each of the Ten Strongest Sects commanded more than one, or even many, supreme experts at the peak of the World Realm. Under such conditions, the devastating power of their Ultimate Sect Weapon could be unleashed to terrifying effect. Even sects five or ten times stronger than the Sword Sect would not dare speak of challenging the Top Ten. Yet, Lu Yuan had just declared it openly. Was he mad? There was not a sliver of possibility from any angle.

The Top Ten Strongest Sects were bloody thrones; no sect could easily challenge them.

Upon hearing Lu Yuan’s proclamation, Heng Zhan, the Master of the Hegemon Blade Sect among the Ten Strongest, sneered coldly. “Indeed, Lu Yuan shows a measure of madness. We are the Hegemon Blade Sect, and your Sword Sect has picked up some of that arrogance. Interesting. Pity that you ran into me. You will only meet the fate of being severed by my Heart-Snatching Blade. Those who charge toward the throne must be prepared to be slain by the throne itself.” Heng Zhan’s entire body erupted in soaring blade aura. If Lu Yuan’s sword energy resembled a whirlwind, then the Hegemon Blade Master Heng Zhan’s aura was a super-blade energy cyclone, vastly larger and infinitely more terrifying than Lu Yuan’s vortex.

Li Rushan, Master of the Spear Gate, sat silently. His face was intensely masculine, his features sharply defined. Li Rushan stared impassively at Lu Yuan, standing erect like an unyielding pine tree, utterly resolute. “Sword Sect’s Lu Yuan, I hope you can stand before me so that I may utterly annihilate you.”

Xue Shenwang, Master of the Blood Gate, looked toward the standing Lu Yuan, grinning maliciously. “Is this the Lu Yuan who slaughtered our Blood Gate members in the World Volcano?”

“Yes,” a shadowy figure nearby confirmed.

“Excellent. Then this time, I hope he manages to reach my throne, bleed out before me, and I shall record his hide, flay his sinews, and drink his blood.” Xue Shenwang’s tone was cruel and ruthless, infused with a deep-seated savagery. The Blood Gate was notorious as the most vicious and merciless among the Ten Strongest.

Feng Xiaotian, Master of the Arrow Gate, stood with his back turned, offering no comment.

The Master of the Puppet Gate wore a Shura mask, obscuring his features completely.

Nan Yue Zhenren, Master of the Nanhua Gate, possessed the refined bearing of an immortal.

Chi Di, Master of the Shaoyang Gate, seemed to burn internally with fire. “A suitably arrogant young powerhouse. Interesting, but ultimately, only interesting.”

Wei Yi Di, Master of the Sole Gate, considered himself the one and only existence, dismissing even the other nine of the Ten Strongest Sects. How could Lu Yuan possibly capture his attention? He viewed Lu Yuan as the type of person who would be crushed with a mere flick of his finger. Of course, Wei Yi Di genuinely possessed immense strength, being an eighth-tier World Realm expert.

You Wuyou, Master of the Gloomy Gate, had a grim expression, enveloped in golden spiritual mist, ensuring his true countenance remained perpetually unknown.

Bai Fanghua, Mistress of the Fragrance Gate, concealed by light gauze, possessed a melodious, captivating voice. “Oh, an interesting young master. Quite fine.” Without a doubt, the Ten Strongest Sects had fought their way into the top ten from a field of two thousand sects, each possessing terrifying strength. Lu Yuan, compared to them, was too weak, too far removed to even be considered in the same weight class.

Therefore, Lu Yuan’s declaration was nothing more than empty boasting.

Following the fate of the Sword Sect, the next focus was the battles involving other sects. The first round of combat was dedicated to seizing the title of Supreme Great Sect—a crucial initial struggle. Two sects at a time ascended the Pingtian Plateau to fight; various combat styles emerged, showcasing a myriad of techniques.

Finally, the first round of battles concluded.

The first round consumed a considerable amount of time, as it involved sorting out one thousand sect duels; subsequent rounds would move more swiftly. After the initial round ended, there was naturally a mixture of triumph and despair. The referee finally stepped forward to make the announcement, with the Martial King Imperial Son taking center stage.

“The first round of combat is now officially concluded. In this first round, a total of eighty-eight sects, previously ranked around the thousandth mark, have failed and lost their status as Supreme Great Sects. These eighty-eight sects must now reduce the scale of their respective headquarters and relocate to auxiliary resource stars designated for Supreme Great Sects. At the same time, congratulations to the eighty-eight succeeding sects: you have successfully become the new Supreme Great Sects. This title will be held for five years. I will now read out the names of these eighty-eight Supreme Great Sects once.”

“Foliu Gate, Twin Ring Gate, Vajra Gate...” Name after name was called. Those whose names were announced were beside themselves with joy. They had become Supreme Great Sects—a designation carrying significant benefits. Simultaneously, among these newly elevated sects, some of the more confident ones began to muse: if the opportunity arose, perhaps they could even challenge the top sixty-five positions.

The Top Sixty-Five! That also carried numerous advantages. Of course, the Top Ten was not something they dared aspire to. The Top Ten were bloody thrones, beyond the reach of ordinary sects. No matter how bold they were, they wouldn't boast to that extent.

Joy and sorrow mingled.

Yet, amidst the results of the first round, the two points that truly captured the attention were:

First, Lu Yuan’s Sword Two: Protection—that single strike.

Second, Lu Yuan’s audacious claim that the Sword Sect would break into the Top Ten. This was arrogance of the highest order.

However, even with Lu Yuan’s grand claim, very few believed he would actually succeed. Boasting remained boasting. The Sword Sect’s current strength was too weak. Lu Yuan was able to fight the Mad Eagle Sect single-handedly only because the Mad Eagle Sect was not a true Supreme Great Sect and lacked an Ultimate Weapon. With such a weapon, the outcome would have been drastically different.

For Lu Yuan to advance, for the Sword Sect to progress—it would be an act defying the heavens!

The semi-random selection for the second round was about to begin.