The middle-aged man stepping out had a face the color of ruddy gold, lean and tall, carrying eight jian (maces) on his back. He exuded an aura of chilling death, intensely concentrated, yet strangely intermittent—a completely unorthodox murderous presence. At one moment the killing intent would surge high, and before you could react, it would dip low again. This killing energy surged and churned erratically, making it incredibly difficult to adapt to. If a Half-Step Civilization Realm expert were present, they would likely be made intensely uncomfortable by this jumping, sectional killing aura.

This was the Vice Lord of the Octagon Civilization, one of the three Vice Lords of the Mace Civilization, possessing the magical cultivation level of one Epoch.

The Vice Lord of the Wuyan Civilization spoke in a deep voice, “I didn’t expect it to be you?”

The Vice Lord of the Wuyan Civilization was genuinely surprised. Another Civilization Realm expert had arrived. Though his magical power was only at the one-Epoch level, the Wuyan Vice Lord felt confident that in a one-on-one confrontation, he would not be inferior to the Octagon Vice Lord. But this was not one-on-one; it was three against one: two figures with the magical power of one Epoch, plus the Son of Immortals, who possessed the magical power of an Epoch without a corresponding realm.

The Vice Lord of the Wuyan Civilization immediately reduced his chances of successfully blocking the opponent to zero.

However, the Vice Lord of the Wuyan Civilization detected faint, indistinct presences nearby.

“Who else is there? Come out,” the Vice Lord of the Wuyan Civilization roared.

“You can still sense me? Not bad, Little Yanzi.” A giant, muscular man of immense height walked out, shouldering a massive great axe. Every muscle on this giant man seemed crisscrossed with scars, marks that appeared ingrained into his very bones. There was also a prominent scar across the man's right eye, running from his brow down toward his right jawline—extremely long and hideous.

The Vice Lord of the Lise Saint Civilization!

Indeed. This man was the Civilization Master who had fought Gu Shi back then, forcing Gu Shi to accept defeat in thirty-three moves. At that time, the Vice Lord of the Lise Saint Civilization possessed only one Epoch of magical power, but now he had clearly reached the level of two Epochs. The surging tide of two Epochs of magical power meant that this single individual alone could overpower the Vice Lord of the Wuyan Civilization.

The Vice Lord of the Wuyan Civilization instantly grasped that his probability of surviving this fight was now zero; even the chance of escape was basically approaching zero.

The current situation was one against four!

The Vice Lord of the Desolate Eagle Civilization laughed wildly, shouting, “Vice Lord of the Wuyan Civilization, look at you now! How laughable! Today, I will certainly capture you and defile you through countless sunrises and moons, making you regret ever becoming my enemy.” The Desolate Eagle Vice Lord truly intended to deploy the Hawk-Swallow Civilization Double Kill during the battle. He had never had the opportunity before, but now, with four against one, he could use this technique to thoroughly humiliate his opponent, the Vice Lord of the Wuyan Civilization.

The Son of Immortals wore an expression of extreme humility. His looks were slightly youthful, somewhat handsome. “This junior has long heard of the great name of Senior Wuyan; I have held you in high esteem. To meet a senior like you today is a great fortune in life. I humbly ask that when we spar, Senior, you try not to let me lose too badly.” He was courteous and polite. Even with his significant advancement in power, his demeanor remained unchanged. But if one truly fell defeated beneath his hands, it would be a tragedy of epic proportions. The Son of Immortals was precisely the type of person whose appearance concealed his true nature; anyone who believed him would be a fool.

The Octagon Vice Lord, hailing from the Mace Civilization, looked at the Wuyan Vice Lord: “What I want to kill is Lu Yuan. Vice Lord of the Wuyan Civilization, if you dare to stand in my way, I will kill you.” His pauses during speech were distinctly strange, occurring precisely where no pause should be. This rhythm of speech was profoundly unsettling.

The Lise Saint Vice Lord, covered in scars, even around his eyes, gripped his axe and declared, “Little Yanzi, I hear your movement technique is among the most nimble of the Five Epochs. My axe law follows the path of overwhelming force and crushing weight. I want to see if your footwork can evade my axe, so you don’t accidentally get chopped into meat paste.” The Lise Saint Vice Lord roared with hearty, powerful laughter.

Four against one. He would undoubtedly be crushed easily.

Even relying on nimble movement techniques wouldn't work. The Desolate Eagle Vice Lord's footwork was no less adept than his own, and then there was the Octagon Vice Lord, skilled at shattering any rhythm, including the rhythm of movement techniques. Thus, utilizing nimble evasion would also lead to certain death; resistance would be impossible.

The Vice Lord of the Wuyan Civilization analyzed how to handle such overwhelmingly powerful opponents, but no solution presented itself.

Wait!

There was a way!

Lu Yuan had mentioned leaving behind the Ancient Sword Formation of the Circle here, created by the Vice Lord of the Sword Circle Civilization. That Vice Lord’s capabilities were extraordinary; the Ancient Sword Formation of the Circle he created should offer immense assistance. Perhaps he could use it to hold off these four for a period, just long enough for Lu Yuan to emerge from seclusion and break through to the Civilization Realm. Once Lu Yuan reached the Civilization Realm, given his combat strength, his chances of winning or retreating would be far greater.

……

Lu Yuan had already entered the final stage of his trial.

He had reached the last challenge. But what was this final test?

Within the jade, the projection of the Vice Lord of the Sword Circle Civilization, with his round face and large ears, flickered: “The test for the third stage is simple: it depends on the quality of your swordsmanship. To inherit my legacy, one must naturally possess considerable sword skills; poor swordsmanship simply won't do.”

Lu Yuan asked, “How will you test my swordsmanship?” Lu Yuan had set up a mechanism within the Ancient Sword Formation of the Circle. If the formation was triggered, he would know. Clearly, the formation had been activated. If it had only been the Desolate Eagle Vice Lord, given the Wuyan Vice Lord's temperament, he wouldn't have activated the Ancient Sword Formation of the Circle unless the incoming threat was something even he couldn't handle. Therefore, activating the formation meant the situation was dire, and the formation likely wouldn't last long. Lu Yuan needed to hurry his breakthrough to the Civilization Realm.

The round-faced, large-eared projection in the jade smiled faintly. “Look around you?”

Lu Yuan couldn't help but look at his surroundings.

On the surrounding walls, he saw one sword move after another displayed.

These sword moves were not particularly exquisite; they were all simple and ancient styles. Lu Yuan could easily discern the merits and flaws of each one.

The projection of the round-faced, large-eared man said, “These are the most fundamental sword techniques of our Sword Ancient Civilization, totaling two hundred and fifty-six forms, known as the Two Hundred and Fifty-Six Basic Sword Moves. Perform all two hundred and fifty-six moves for me, and it will be clear whether you pass this swordsmanship trial.”

Lu Yuan’s heart suddenly stilled. Indeed, the two hundred and fifty-six moves on the stone wall were incredibly simple. Forget Lu Yuan; even his fellow disciples at Mount Hua could likely perform these moves; it wasn't overly difficult. However, one must never mistake this test for being easy; in fact, it was the most difficult test.

The more fundamental the concept, the harder it is to master. It was like making fried rice—anyone can make egg fried rice, but the simplest form is also the most challenging. It was like home cooking; everyone knows how, but truly mastering home cooking tests a chef’s skill the most. The simpler something is, the more it reveals true swordsmanship. Occasionally unleashing some Civilization-level shock or World-Ending strike reveals little about true skill. Lu Yuan knew this, which is why he recognized this test was incredibly hard.

Lu Yuan’s heart gradually calmed, growing quieter and quieter. His breathing grew slower and slower.

Lu Yuan walked with remarkably steady steps to the very edge of the stone wall. This was the first move of the Two Hundred and Fifty-Six Basic Sword Moves, named: “A Sword Emerges into the World.” This move depicted the sword being drawn from its sheath, thrusting straight forward—utterly ordinary, definitely the most common style imaginable.

Lu Yuan continued looking at the second move, “Sword Out Levelly.” Whereas the first move was a thrust, this one was a horizontal sweep, also a remarkably simple variation—barely even a second variation.

Lu Yuan looked at the third move, “Sword Out Faintly,” which was fundamentally similar to the second.

The fourth move: “Sword of Ten Hammers!”

The fifth move: “Sword of Hundred Refinements!”

The sixth move: “Waves Arise Occasionally!”

The seventh move: “Sword Follows the Ripple!”

The eighth move…

The ninth move…

…

The one-hundredth move: “Sword Meets Wind and Cloud!”

The one-hundred-and-seventh move: “Sword Stirring Wind and Cloud!”

The one-hundred-and-fiftieth move: “Sword Moves Wind and Cloud!”

The one-hundred-and-seventieth move: “Sword Suppressing Wind and Cloud!”

The one-hundred-and-ninety-third move: “Wind and Cloud Rise Again!”

…

The two-hundred-and-thirty-third move: “A Sword Unmatched!”

The two-hundred-and-forty-second move: “A Sword Alone!”

The two-hundred-and-fifty-sixth move: “Sealed Sword Returns to Seclusion!”

Lu Yuan watched these moves one by one, studying them with intense focus, his heart utterly calm. As he watched each sword stroke, Lu Yuan began to comprehend the true meaning of this set of techniques. The beginning was simple, the later variations slightly more complex, and it concluded by returning to simplicity. It was truly a sword art for beginners, yet genuine masters of the Way of the Sword could also practice it. Lu Yuan understood that this sword art actually chronicled the experiences of a true master who had spent half a lifetime seeking and questioning the sword, ultimately achieving unrivaled mastery. This set of techniques held deep meanings and shallow interpretations; different levels of understanding could yield different forms and insights.

This sword art was fascinating. Lu Yuan savored the two hundred and fifty-six forms in detail. After viewing them all, he closed his eyes, feeling the essence of the two hundred and fifty-six moves.

When he opened his eyes, Lu Yuan’s hand was already on his sword hilt. Man and sword were gradually merging into one; it seemed the sword had become a part of his body, or perhaps he had transformed into the sword itself. Drawing forth the immortal sword he nurtured, he executed the first move of the Basic Two Hundred and Fifty-Six Styles: “A Sword Emerges into the World!”

A straight thrust, piercing forward.

(Second update, requesting monthly tickets and rewards. The book’s front page looks too monotonous.) (To be continued)