*This Xie Fanluan had scattered various challenge letters everywhere, reaching the sword sects throughout the Southern Border. All the sword sects were stunned, wondering where this Xie Fanluan had sprung from, and what these challenge letters even meant. After all, Lu Yuan had received the news through Zhou Qingxuan, but they were completely unaware.

Some sword sects even dismissed him as a madman desperate for fame and paid him no mind whatsoever. However, news soon arrived. That Xie Fanluan had actually occupied Dayong City.

The most powerful nation in the Southern Border, the Great Yong Kingdom, and its capital Dayong City, had been seized by Xie Fanluan. This implied Xie Fanluan’s strength was likely unfathomable, and he had issued a proclamation: any sect that failed to arrive at Dayong City within half a month would be guilty of extermination, and Xie Fanluan would proceed to wipe out their entire lineage. At this, no one dared to treat it as a joke anymore.

This man named Xie Fanluan had seized Dayong City, and yet the Enforcers had not been mobilized. This definitely could not be dismissed as mere madness. There must be something strange unfolding behind the scenes.

Regardless of the reasons, in the end, every sect that received a challenge letter had no choice but to go obediently. They had no alternative; they simply could not refuse. A madman capable of forcibly taking Dayong City truly possessed the qualifications and strength to shout threats of annihilation.

Instantly, the entire Southern Border was thrown into turmoil. Every sect that had received a challenge was heading toward Dayong City, though no one knew what would happen next. Conversely, sects whose focus was not primarily on the sword could afford to watch the spectacle; they were mere spectators, unconcerned either way.

Meanwhile, in the states of Qin and Jin, the greatest beneficiaries were the remnants of the Great Yuan Kingdom. The Great Yuan Kingdom had been extinguished long ago, but remnants survived, forming a small Yuan State in the coastal region. This small Yuan State was inherently weak, relying on guerrilla warfare facilitated by the terrain.

They were on the verge of being completely wiped out by Qin and Jin, but now, with this turn of events, all the Immortal Sects of Great Jin had to go to Dayong City, and the two great Immortal Sects of Great Qin, the Wujian Immortal Sect and the Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect, also had to travel there. Consequently, the remnants in Chuan and Yuan could survive for a while longer—one had to admire this grand commotion. And the Huashan Immortal Sect naturally began its departure as well.

It should be noted that the Huashan Immortal Sect was currently a Major Immortal Sect. After the battle with Jiuhua Mountain, Huashan was supposed to be upgraded to a Colossal Immortal Sect, but these sects underwent formal assessments. Huashan failed its last evaluation and consequently reverted to the status of a Major Immortal Sect.

Huashan’s current deficiency was a distinct lack of true masters; they honestly had none. The strongest were only Venerable Yuanyang and Venerable Zimei; everyone else was weaker. Even so, being a Major Immortal Sect was still an improvement over their initial standing as a Top-tier Immortal Sect.

In the very beginning, Huashan was merely a Top-tier Immortal Sect. Lu Yuan naturally had to go. If Lu Yuan didn't attend this confrontation, the whole affair with Xie Fantian would lose its flavor.

Ye Fang and Ye Yuan were also dispatched. Oh, and Shi Chaoyang—Lu Yuan had elevated Shi Chaoyang’s cultivation to the Great Dao Realm. Shi Chaoyang was essentially being groomed as the next Huashan Sect Master, while Ye Fang and Ye Yuan were being groomed as the next Deputy Sect Masters.

As key disciples under intensive training, they naturally needed to be brought along to gain experience. As they journeyed toward Dayong City, Lu Yuan diligently practiced his swordsmanship. This opponent was not ordinary; it involved the Evil Sword Civilization.

Although he possessed the profound techniques passed down by Zhou Qingxuan, he could not afford the slightest carelessness. Every bit of sword mastery he could improve, he would. Lu Yuan sat in quiet contemplation of the sword, rarely venturing out, which greatly impressed Shi Chaoyang.

Ye Fang and Ye Yuan, however, understood that Lu Yuan was likely aware of the difficulty of the opponent, which was why he was so focused; otherwise, he would certainly be a slacker. Ye Fang and Ye Yuan knew Lu Yuan quite well. As they neared Dayong City, Lu Yuan seemed on the verge of an epiphany.

And! This time, a single character began to surface in Lu Yuan’s mind: He (Harmony/Peace). During his time in the Central Celestial Dynasty, the scarcity of rest and abundance of fighting forced even a lazy person like him into constant struggle.

Conversely, at Huashan, there was little fighting and much relaxation. He recalled how carefree those times at Huashan were. Unfortunately, such leisure was absent now, replaced by responsibility.

To put it plainly, this was because the Jin State was small, and the order was clear. In the Central Celestial Dynasty, however, there were too many factions and chaotic order. Thus, he had experienced two vastly different states of being in those two places.

In truth, it was at Huashan that he truly appreciated the preciousness of peace. That character, He, seemed to carry the thoughts and hopes of countless ordinary people. If he could one day become an immensely powerful figure, he vowed to create an environment of peace where common folk could live and work in contentment.

Ironically, this Sword Intent of Harmony was something cultivators of higher realms often failed to grasp. This was because many high-level cultivators had grown accustomed to looking down upon all beings. What was peace to them?

They had adapted to fighting; they felt uncomfortable without conflict. But Lu Yuan was different. Lu Yuan’s disposition remained quite peaceful.

Even if he became unrivaled in the world, it would only be to secure a portion of the heavens for the Way of the Sword. After securing that portion, he would still retreat to a sunlit place to drink wine and enjoy a carefree life. Lu Yuan continued to contemplate the Sword Intent of Harmony, sensing an imminent breakthrough.

This Sword Intent of Harmony was one of the twelve essential sword intents required for cultivating his own Iron Rule of Order. At this moment, a mass of qi gathered around Lu Yuan, faint yet visible. As Lu Yuan delved into comprehending the Sword Intent of Harmony, a cloud of energy automatically drifted towards him, enveloping him.

The particles of the cloud pulsed joyfully. The others from Huashan were inwardly astonished. Venerable Yuanyang murmured, “Lu Yuan is likely cultivating right now; let us not disturb his practice.” Lu Yuan progressed along with the Huashan convoy while immersed in his cultivation, finally arriving at Dayong City.

The Huashan contingent had visited Dayong City previously during their duel with Jiuhua Mountain, so upon reaching the Southern Border’s foremost metropolis, they felt no sense of rustic awe. At this moment, Dayong City had no guards; entry was unimpeded. Many people had already arrived—representatives from various sword-focused sects of the Southern Border, such as the Yue Maiden Sword Sect, the Quanzhen Sword Sect, the Vermillion Blood Sword Sect, the Willow Sword Immortal Sect, and others primarily dedicated to the sword.

“Look there, that is Yue Nü Xiaoqing from the Yue Maiden Sword Sect in Yue State. Yue Nü Xiaoqing is rumored to potentially be the reincarnation of the invincible Yue Maiden A’Qing who once swept the Southern Border! They say she has recovered some of the spiritual memory from her previous life.

Although she didn't break into the Central Celestial Dynasty last time, her current strength is rumored to be the Primal Chaos Realm. The Primal Chaos Realm—truly astonishing.” “The master of the Vermillion Blood Sword Sect, Yuan Jinshe, has been famous for nearly ten thousand years, having mastered the Vermillion Blood Sword Art. He is one of the top figures in the Southern Border.” Another person shouted the name of another renowned figure.

“That is the Willow Sword Immortal Sect. Their old Sect Master, Liu Suiyun, became famous ten thousand years ago and disappeared for a long time; I never expected him to be invited this time either.” “Indeed. So many famous figures have appeared.” “Even many figures who have lived in seclusion for years, presumed dead, have shown up.” “With so many renowned experts gathered, that Xie Fantian probably won't dare cause too much trouble.” “Yes...

This is truly the convergence of all the elite sword experts of the Southern Border. The sheer number is astonishing. When the Huashan Immortal Sect entered, it didn't draw much surprise, as, apart from the Three Myths of yesteryear, the other members of Huashan are rather weak, and those Three Myths have all left Huashan now.” However, Yue Nü Xiaoqing, the representative figure of the Yue Maiden Sword Sect, did turn back to look at the Huashan contingent, though she failed to spot the figure in cyan robes.

Where was Xie Fantian? Everyone who was expected to arrive seemed to be present, with, essentially, only Xie Fanshi missing. So, the prevailing curiosity now was: Where was Xie Fantian?

Just as speculation grew, a potent and malevolent aura descended from the sky. What an utterly evil presence, like the very fountainhead of wickedness! Everyone involuntarily looked up in terror, seeing a young, sinister-looking man manifesting in the void.

This man had remarkably thin lips, a high nose, thin lips, and slanted eyebrows—a physiognomy historically destined for wickedness. “Are you looking for me?…” The young evil man’s voice was quite magnetic. “Oh, forgive my oversight in introductions.

I am Xie Fantian, the one who issued the challenge letters summoning you all.” Xie Fantian swept his gaze over the crowd. “Very good. All one thousand sects I challenged are present; not a single one is missing.

Excellent. It seems you have all averted the calamity of extinction—allow me to congratulate you in advance.” “Furthermore, I hail from an exceedingly powerful faction, and that faction intends to incorporate all of you now.” “Of course, I shall grant you some opportunities. Since you are all sword cultivators, I will grant you a chance to spar.

If any of you can withstand three moves under my sword, you will be deemed victorious and need not submit to our great faction. How about that?” Xie Fantian’s lips curved into an exceedingly wicked smile. “Of course, my current cultivation has reached the World Realm, what you often refer to as the Divine Spirit Realm.

Fighting you with this power would be deeply unfair. I will restrict myself to using at most the power of the Fourth Heaven of the Primal Chaos Realm against you. Are you satisfied now?” He would use a maximum of Fourth Heaven Primal Chaos Realm power.

This presented a chance. Yue Nü Xiaoqing, Yuan Jinshe, and Liu Suiyun all deliberated internally. They could certainly feel the immense power emanating from Xie Fantian, but each of them had dedicated years to perfecting their sword techniques.

They truly doubted they would lose within three moves with comparable power levels; this was genuinely an opportunity. Xie Fantian observed the murmuring crowd below, an evil smile playing on his lips. These people actually believed they stood a chance?

Daring to challenge him with the mere sword arts of this backward epoch was laughable. Meanwhile, within the Huashan Immortal Sect’s contingent, the cloud remained dense and shrouded in mist; the person inside was still cultivating.

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