The established powerhouse, Hegemon Blade Sect, easily cut down the dark horse Bamboo Joint Sect, allowing everyone to witness the might of the Ten Strongest Sects. And the strength of the Bamboo Joint Sect was even greater than that of the Dark Horse Sword Sect, yet both were struck down. The fate of the Sword Sect would likely mirror that of the Bamboo Joint Sect; the majesty of the Ten Strongest Sects would not be violated.

The second match: Splendor Gate versus Weak Water Gate.

Splendor Gate was a sect primarily composed of women, cultivating the Instantaneous Splendor Great Law. This technique was bizarre and unpredictable, incredibly fast, truly mastering the extreme of subtlety. Weak Water Gate was also a predominantly female sect, whose original ranking was quite high—twelfth place. They specialized in the True Understanding of Weak Water; if the gentleness of the world were too much like weak water, all things would sink into it. Despite this, Splendor Gate ultimately secured the victory, with Instantaneous Splendor triumphing over the True Understanding of Weak Water.

The third match was Arrow Gate versus Lightning Gate—a contest of sheer speed. Arrow Gate was famous for speed, and Lightning Gate was equally renowned for swiftness. Both sides sent hundreds of disciples onto the field; combined, there were seven to eight hundred figures. Yet, upon the Flat Heaven Plateau, spectators could only perceive countless shadows, never a single stationary person. Such was the speed of these two sects. Ultimately, before the audience could fully grasp what happened, Lightning Gate had already lost. Arrow Gate won. For ordinary viewers, a battle decided by who was faster was already impossible to see clearly, let alone comprehend.

As these three battles concluded, Lu Yuan had completed the ignition of the Fire of Love and continued his cultivation, paying little attention to these duels.

The fourth match featured Unique Gate against Azure Sky Gate. Azure Sky Gate, ranked nineteenth, was brutally annihilated by Unique Gate.

The fifth match pitted Long Spear Gate against Myriad Law Gate. Long Spear Gate, one of the Ten Strongest Sects, also won easily against Myriad Law Gate.

Five battles had concluded by this point!

In all five contests, a sect belonging to the Ten Strongest Sects faced a sect outside that elite circle, and in every instance, the victory belonged to one of the Ten Strongest. The lower-ranked sects stood no chance; the sheer strength of the Ten Strongest was truly overwhelming.

This could truly be called a Bloody Throne!

The Ten Strongest Sects earned this throne through their endless, undeniable power.

The sixth match was fast approaching: Blood Gate versus Sword Gate.

At this very moment, Lu Yuan was cultivating furiously.

The Fire of Evil, ignite! A terrifying, pitch-black flame appeared in his hand, bearing an eerie, strange luminescence. Lu Yuan guided this flame with his divine sense, plunging it into the Void Flame. Instantly, the Void Flame’s color shifted, stabilizing into a brilliant white light, and its temperature soared to eleven million five hundred thousand degrees!

Not enough! This temperature rise was insufficient. Eleven million five hundred thousand degrees was certainly incredibly high, but it still fell short of the fifteen million degrees required for nuclear fusion.

Continue to ignite, the Fire of Desire! The Fire of Desire was a mass of pinkish flame that seemed imbued with all the desires of living things, which he poured into it. If this flame were used to burn young men and women, even a mere touch would cause them to burn up from lust. This Fire of Desire was the most vicious and cruel of the Seven Fires. Seemingly more potent than the previous six, once the Fire of Desire was introduced, the Void Flame began to shimmer with an unbearable radiance, and the temperature climbed steadily, the burning mass churning and rolling.

Thirteen million degrees! This infusion of the Fire of Desire stabilized the final temperature at thirteen million degrees.

Damn it!

Still two million degrees short!

He had originally calculated that the Fire of Seven Emotions would push his temperature precisely to fifteen million degrees. Who could have anticipated that after reaching ten million degrees, elevating the temperature further would require exponentially more energy, more heat? The current heat was simply not enough.

Normally, being short by two million degrees wouldn't be a major concern; he could find a solution slowly.

But now was a critically crucial juncture.

Stuck in the middle of the Sect Ranking Battle, there was no time to spare. However, even with no time, he couldn't conjure a solution out of thin air; he couldn't afford to waste any time earlier, as he needed to forge the Sword of Seven Emotions to break through to the sixth layer of the World Realm.

Lu Yuan opened his eyes.

“Next match: Blood Gate versus Sword Gate.”

Time was up; the Blood Gate versus Sword Gate confrontation had arrived. Damn it! Lu Yuan punched the ground. He was just shy of the necessary time. Why did he fall short at this final stage? If he had a little more time to deliberate, he might have reached the sixth layer of the World Realm. He absolutely did not want to forfeit his qualification for ascending to the Sacred Land of Civilization here.

“It’s finally time for Blood Gate versus Sword Gate.”

“Blood Gate is one of the Ten Strongest Sects, while Sword Gate is significantly weaker.”

“Sword Gate has absolutely no chance of winning. The dark horse journey for Sword Gate ends here, just like Bamboo Joint Sect. When facing the Ten Strongest Sects, victory is virtually impossible.”

“However, perhaps Lu Yuan of the Sword Gate can pull off some small trickery. One never knows.” The countless surrounding spectators stared at the impending battle. No one expected Lu Yuan to win, but they held a certain expectation for the Sword Gate’s unexpected moves. Perhaps Lu Yuan of the Sword Gate would produce something astonishing, which would at least offer some entertainment.

Indeed, the time for battle had arrived.

The fifty members of the Sword Gate, Lu Yuan included, leaped onto the stage.

Simultaneously, the five hundred members of the Blood Gate appeared. That’s right—five hundred figures at or above the Mixed Cauldron Realm. Among them, two hundred were above the World Realm, and three hundred were above the fifth layer of the Mixed Cauldron Realm. While the Blood Gate had three hundred figures above the fifth layer of the Mixed Cauldron Realm, there was no need to deploy their full strength; after all, the two hundred above the World Realm were all sent out, representing eighty to ninety percent of their true might. Adding a few more figures from the Mixed Cauldron Realm wouldn't make much difference. Such was the strength of the Blood Gate—in terms of quality and quantity, they held more than ten times the power of the Sword Gate.

Five hundred blood-soaked figures stood there, their very appearance radiating terror.

Among those five hundred, the particularly tall figure with blood-red skin and a captivating, sinister handsomeness was the Blood God King, standing with his hands clasped behind his back. His Blood God Scripture technique had reached its zenith, allowing him to manifest in human form rather than needing to maintain a bloody shape. This Blood God King radiated an impossibly profound magical power—the power of the seventh layer of the World Realm, the power of a Heavenly Venerate.

The Blood God King stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on Lu Yuan. He did not look at Ancestor Jian Mie; to him, a figure like Jian Mie was merely an ant he could crush effortlessly, unworthy of attention. Lu Yuan, however, possessed considerable potential and was worthy of a second glance. “Lu Yuan, is it? Very well. I have long heard your name. Frankly, we have no prior enmity, but since you dared to kill one of our Blood Gate members, you have a death wish. Today, I will slay you, and afterward, I will dispatch forces to launch an extermination war against your Sword Gate. I want the Sword Gate utterly erased from the Central Heavenly Dynasty.”

“Your so-called ambitions will be shattered right here.”

“Your flesh and blood will become my flesh and blood, merging into a part of me to augment my magical power and potential.” This declaration from the Blood God King had a clear basis; the Blood God Scripture was an evil technique that allowed the user to absorb the vital essence and blood of any opponent merely by touching them and letting the energy pass through their body, thereby killing them.

Though the fight hadn't officially begun, the aura of the Blood Gate had already utterly suppressed the Sword Gate. The disparity in power was immense, too vast.

Lu Yuan remained in a state of distraction. This dazed condition led the audience, and the Blood Gate members, to wonder if Lu Yuan had been paralyzed by fear. Logically, it shouldn't happen, but Lu Yuan’s current state was definitely abnormal; he was genuinely distracted.

Lu Yuan was still preoccupied with the matter of nuclear fusion.

Within the Void Flame in his Sword Space, the temperature had reached thirteen million degrees, just shy of the fifteen million required for fusion. How to generate those final two million degrees? Lu Yuan was usually languid, but when confronted with a technical problem, he became obsessively focused, unwilling to stop until he found a solution.

He had already burned the Fire of Seven Emotions. What flame could he ignite now to push the temperature the final two million degrees?

Fire! Where could he possibly find more fire!

Lu Yuan thought and thought, but he couldn't recall ever acquiring any specific flame—he simply never bothered with fire techniques.

Wait a moment. While it was true he possessed no external flames, he could create fire.

Friction creates fire! Can rubbing things together generate extreme heat, perhaps reaching the final required temperature above thirteen million degrees?

Yes! That’s the method. This technique should work; as long as his sword speed is fast enough, he is sure to succeed.

In that very instant, Lu Yuan sensed imminent danger approaching from the front. Almost instinctively, Lu Yuan snapped his eyes open, focused his mind, simultaneously drawing his Yang Wu Immortal Sword. He blocked horizontally with the blade, and with a sharp clang, a streak of bloody light collided with his sword. Concurrently, a wave of malevolent intent slammed violently against the sword body. Lu Yuan was certain that if his weapon had not been the righteous-attributed Yang Wu Immortal Sword, that beam of blood-light would have slipped along the blade and invaded his body. What a sinister technique! The Yang Wu Immortal Sword gave a sharp cry, and the bloody light retracted. The wickedness carried by the light could not harm the Immortal Sword, but the immense magical force sent Lu Yuan staggering backward.

The one who struck was none other than the Blood God King.

The Blood God King easily retracted the brief crimson thread of his attack. It had been a casual strike, yet it forced Lu Yuan back this far. The Blood God King’s strength clearly surpassed Lu Yuan’s.

Lu Yuan inwardly cursed his luck. He needed time—just enough time for one stick of incense, and he could certainly reach fifteen million degrees, control nuclear fusion, and ascend to the sixth layer of the World Realm. But damn it, the Blood God King had attacked now, leaving absolutely no margin for error.