The trial that Lu Yuan participated in years ago during the Central Heavenly Dynasty assessment was truly the most powerful and prosperous cohort ever assembled. None of the preceding groups could compare to that batch; it was a veritable convergence of destiny and genius. All the figures who ranked highly from that group possessed futures of immense scope.

Take Shi Feixian, for example. She was ranked ninth back then and joined the supreme great sect, the Sword Gate. Even under those circumstances, she now commands the cultivation of the Sixth Heaven of the Hun Dong Realm.

And Gu Qiushui, ranked third that year, entered the Immortal Ancient Civilization. Thus, his current strength at the First Heaven of the World Realm is entirely understandable. When Gu Qiushui stepped forward, he naturally spotted Lu Yuan.

He cultivated within the Immortal Ancient Civilization of the Central Heavenly Dynasty. Although he spent most of his time there, his ears were not deaf. The name Lu Yuan was like thunder ringing in his ears.

He constantly reminded himself that since Lu Yuan was already so formidable, he absolutely had to become even stronger. It was precisely this drive, combined with some earth-shattering fortuitous encounters, that propelled him to the Second Heaven of the World Realm now. Not only that, but Gu Qiushui's swordsmanship was also unparalleled.

He had defeated Lu Yuan once back then, and now meeting him again, even though Lu Yuan’s fame was greater, deep down Gu Qiushui still believed his sword skills were absolutely no inferior to Lu Yuan's. This time, his intention in challenging the techniques of the Evil Sword Civilization and taking on their various Sword Halls was partly motivated by a desire to compare swordsmanship with Lu Yuan. After Gu Qiushui appeared, another voice echoed.

"Then count me in as well; that shouldn't be too much, right?" This was an exceptionally cool and clear voice. As the voice manifested, an extremely sharp swordsman appeared. This sharp swordsman had an ordinary appearance, but his hand perpetually rested on his sword hilt, and his sword was quite peculiar—it had no scabbard.

Another acquaintance. This was the Flying Sword Master from the Great Ancient City of the North, ranked sixth during the Central Heavenly Dynasty assessment. He followed Li Qiuhuan into the Buddha Ancient Civilization.

Li Qiuhuan had a heart inclined towards Buddhism, and his Buddhist teachings deepened after entering the Buddha Ancient Civilization. The Flying Sword Master, however, possessed not a trace of Buddhist affinity; he found listening to Buddhist scriptures tedious every day. Of course, the Flying Sword Master wouldn't get agitated.

He was the type of person who could lie in ambush in one spot, motionless, for a full five years just to assassinate a single target. That level of stillness for five years to set up an ambush demonstrated the terrifying extent of his patience. Yet, within the Buddha Ancient Civilization, the Flying Sword Master discovered a method of practicing the sword: slaying the Buddha with the blade.

He used the sharp cutting edge of his sword energy to resist the Buddhist aura emanating from the sutras. Gradually, his sword energy grew stronger, and his swordsmanship deepened. The Flying Sword Master was an absolute anomaly in the Buddha Ancient Civilization, one who was largely ignored.

But even so, he reached the First Heaven of the World Realm through his own prowess. The reason the Flying Sword Master returned was that someone who had helped him was captured by the Evil Sword Civilization, so he came. He, like Gu Qiushui, had been hiding on the periphery, devising a plan.

Now that Lu Yuan had appeared and even found a viable method, he naturally revealed himself. "Then include me too; that's fine, right?" The speaker stood with his hands clasped behind his back, wearing a faint smile. This man was handsome, appearing to be about thirty, radiating an aura of ease and natural grace.

He carried an immortal sword on his back, named 'Butterfly Loves Flowers' (Die Lian Hua). This man was a legend from the Great Yi Kingdom of the East, Yan Feiyi. Yan Feiyi was a myth in the Great Yi Kingdom, long recognized as its foremost expert.

He had already entered the Lost Lands. Upon hearing that the Great Yi Kingdom had suffered a calamity and many people were captured, this top expert from his homeland felt compelled to act. He was unacquainted with Lu Yuan and the others, but Yan Feiyi's own magical power was supreme, reaching the Fifth Heaven of the World Realm.

Now, this contingent consisted of four people. They were: Lu Yuan, Sixth Heaven of the World Realm. Gu Qiushui, Second Heaven of the World Realm.

The Flying Sword Master, First Heaven of the World Realm. Yan Feiyi, Fifth Heaven of the World Realm. The first three hailed from the Central Heavenly Dynasty assessment, ranked nineteenth for Lu Yuan, third for Gu Qiushui, and sixth for the Flying Sword Master.

Yan Feiyi, however, was a mythical figure from the Great Yi Kingdom, considerably older than the other three. All four intended to storm the Evil Sword Civilization and challenge its sword techniques. Of course, the relative strength of their personal cultivation held little significance this time, as the contest was about swordsmanship, not raw power—it depended entirely on whose sword skills were superior.

The Vice-Lord of the Demonic Sword Civilization, suspended in the void, boomed like rolling thunder: "Very well, four people in total. If you have decided to challenge, you may commence." "Our Evil Sword Civilization has five Great Sword Halls: the No-Mana Sword Hall, the Eyebrow Sword Hall, the Sitting-and-Fighting Sword Hall, the Eyes-Closed Sword Hall, and the Lying-Down Sword Hall. These five halls correspond to fighting techniques under specific constraints: fighting without mana, fighting by turning eyebrows into swords, fighting while sitting and unmoving, fighting when vision and spiritual sense are completely obstructed, and finally, fighting while lying down.

These halls train swordsmanship in virtually every environmental condition. To successfully challenge the Evil Sword Civilization's sword mastery, one must prevail in all five halls." "Following the ancient rules from the previous epoch, figures at the Civilization Realm of the Evil Sword Civilization will not intervene. However, all individuals below the Civilization Realm will participate." "Lu Yuan, who dared to provoke our Evil Sword Civilization first, will face death upon failure.

The other three, if they fail, will be captured!" "Begin now." As the proceedings started, those outside the Evil Sword Civilization with connections quickly infiltrated to watch the grand spectacle. Those without connections could only sigh inwardly, realizing they wouldn't witness the show. However, many present harbored doubts: what was the background of that young man in green robes, to know the rules of the previous epoch?

Many in the Lost Lands were unaware such customs even existed. Lu Yuan was also marveling. The Evil Sword Civilization was truly professional; look at the variety of specialized Sword Halls designed to adapt to diverse environments—that was professionalism.

Compared to them, the differences between the Manifest Sword Sect or the Hidden Sword Sect were immense, almost immeasurable. Now, the first trial, the Eyebrow Sword Hall, was about to begin. The Eyebrow Sword Hall was located in a specific spot on the Evil Sword Continent.

The Vice-Lord of the Demonic Sword Civilization had already returned to his meditation grounds, leaving an Evil Extreme Heavenly Venerable of the Evil Sword Civilization to handle the matter. This Heavenly Venerable possessed the power of the Tenth Heaven of the World Realm, radiating torrents of evil energy; he was intensely sinister. Even those following him felt a terrifying aura, as if a vortex of malevolence spun around him.

Although he was at the Tenth Heaven of the World Realm, his imposing presence was vastly inferior to that of the Civilization Realm Vice-Lord—the gap between them was unimaginably large, even across the boundary between the World Realm and the Civilization Realm. The Eyebrow Sword Hall! Lu Yuan pondered this name internally when he first saw it.

At the grand entrance to this Sword Hall were countless sculpted eyebrows. Lu Yuan, Gu Qiushui, the Flying Sword Master, and Yan Feiyi stepped across the threshold into the Eyebrow Sword Hall simultaneously. Inside the entrance lay a flat plaque detailing the exploits of a swordsman from previous epochs.

It spoke of a swordsman surnamed Jiang from the previous epoch who was invincible across the world. This swordsman Jiang could simultaneously command millions of flying swords, drowning anyone who faced him in an endless sea of blades. At that time, Swordsman Jiang even fought Hong from the Immortal Ancient Civilization.

Later, Swordsman Jiang vanished, leaving behind few true manuals. Later generations, commemorating his prowess, ranked him among the Ten Greatest Sword Cultivators of the previous epoch, the Age of Swords. This swordsman Jiang’s technique relied not on intricate sword skill but purely on the sword sea—the technique of unleashing millions of flying swords.

Subsequent cultivators admired this feat immensely, and many tried to replicate it, only to find they couldn't control such a massive technique. Even when they occasionally managed it, the power was less than simply wielding a single sword. Later, a cultivator named the Long-Browed Old Man emerged.

He managed to turn his own eyebrows into swords, constantly shooting them out. He discovered that while it lacked the grandeur of Swordsman Jiang’s technique, it possessed considerable power. Thus, he created the Eyebrow Sword Style.

The Long-Browed Old Man’s eyebrows were often depleted after a single battle, necessitating the use of his cultivation method to instantly grow new ones. This was the origin of the Eyebrow Sword Hall. So the Eyebrow Sword Hall had such a history.

Lu Yuan peered inward and saw only one figure standing there, hands behind his back, radiating infinite desolation. This person slowly turned around; it was an elder with extremely long white eyebrows. "I am the sole current master of the Eyebrow Sword Hall.

If you can defeat me, you are considered to have conquered the Eyebrow Sword Hall and passed this trial," the White-Browed Elder stated. "Within the Eyebrow Sword Hall, no real swords are permitted; you may only use your own eyebrows as blades. This is the rule of the Eyebrow Sword Hall.

In principle, anyone pierced thirty times by the opponent’s blade will be considered defeated." A truly skilled master could settle a match with a single strike, but the thirty-strike rule was designed to allow challengers a chance to adapt. Otherwise, being struck down immediately upon entering the Eyebrow Sword Hall would be truly unjust; allowing thirty strikes gives space for familiarization. "Before that, you should first practice growing more eyebrows, as you will need them in this fight." Lu Yuan had previously practiced a Blinking Sword Style, and now with the Eyebrow Sword Hall appearing, Lu Yuan found himself greatly interested.

Lu Yuan possessed an unquenchable fascination for all manner of novel and strange sword techniques. It was simply his nature; he loved fresh sword arts. (First Update.)