In the Central Heavenly Dynasty. An unfamiliar territory. A desolate planet. A middle-aged man, steeped in sorrow, plummeted from the sky, striking the ground with heavy force. Simultaneously, the ground for a thousand li began to crack and split. He couldn't even control the force beneath his feet immediately; clearly, the newcomer was seriously injured.

Zhou Qingxuan let out a bitter laugh. "The Son of the Wasteland is truly unmatched in power." He had come at the behest of Yan Cangtian to rescue the Sword Gate, and thus acted swiftly; the updates from the Mount Hua Immortal Sect Bar (Baidu Huashan Xianmen Ba) were late. However, he hadn't expected that despite his experience as the Vice-Lord of a previous civilization, he would be unable to defeat the Son of the Wasteland when their magical powers were nearly equal, finding himself slightly at a disadvantage during their clash.

Although he had managed to stow the Sword Gate away within his Minor Thousand World, the Son of the Wasteland pursued relentlessly.

During this relentless chase, Zhou Qingxuan sustained significant injuries.

If it weren't for the impending opening of the Sacred Land of Civilization, which the Son of the Wasteland was obligated to attend, Zhou Qingxuan might have suffered even greater harm.

Truly, old age catches up, Zhou Qingxuan sighed with a wry smile.

Of course, Zhou Qingxuan knew the real reason wasn't his age, but simply how ferocious the Son of the Wasteland was.

As the Child of the Era, the Son of the Wasteland was overwhelmingly powerful. He genuinely hadn't anticipated such strength. No wonder Lu Yuan was nearly killed in a few moves the last time he encountered the Son of the Wasteland. Thankfully, an unknown mysterious figure intervened. Zhou Qingxuan descended, and his sword was safely secured within his erhu; the immediate danger was completely resolved.

But, the Sacred Land of Civilization.

Although Lu Yuan had been gone for a long time, and no one knew his whereabouts, Zhou Qingxuan was certain Lu Yuan was not dead. He knew Lu Yuan would reappear when the Sacred Land of Civilization opened again, and his return might force him to confront the Son of the Wasteland's Primordial Divine Halberd. Even Zhou Qingxuan had struggled so miserably against the Divine Halberd; Lu Yuan stood no chance.

This journey to the Sacred Land of Civilization would be fraught with extreme danger.

Because the Son of the Wasteland would be there, and his Primordial Divine Halberd would be with him.

Zhou Qingxuan hoped that Lu Yuan, who had been dormant for over two years, would have grown significantly stronger.

Zhou Qingxuan sat down, placing his erhu beside him, and began cross-legged meditation to heal his wounds. Yes, it was time for him to attempt the breakthrough to the Civilization Realm. With his experience from his past life, he didn't strictly need to enter the Sacred Land of Civilization, but even so, breaking through to the Civilization Realm would not be easy; it was the greatest barrier in the entire cosmos.

At this moment, high above the Central Heavenly Dynasty, in the extreme void spanning billions of li, existed countless Waiting Platforms.

These so-called Waiting Platforms were constructed from rare, specialized stones and shaped using profoundly peculiar esoteric arts into elevated terraces, suspended in the void. The function of these Waiting Platforms was straightforward: they served as the entry interfaces for accessing the Sacred Land of Civilization, where aspirants could congregate and wait.

Naturally, there were numerous Waiting Platforms scattered throughout the void, not just a single one.

Upon one of the smallest Waiting Platforms, several dozen individuals stood. The larger platforms could accommodate thousands, while the smaller ones held only a few dozen.

Among these several dozen people were many figures Lu Yuan knew well.

For instance, the leaders of the top nine sects—excluding the Sword Gate—from the Sect Ranking Battle were all present: Heng Zhan, the Sect Master of the Overlord Blade Sect; Wei Yi Di, the Sect Master of the Only Way Sect; Feng Xiaotian, the Sect Master of the Arrow Sect; Bai Fanghua, the Sect Master of the Splendid Beauty Sect; Li Rushan, the Sect Master of the Long Spear Sect; Yi Wuxing, the Sect Master of the Puppet Sect; Chi Di, the Sect Master of the Young Sun Sect; You Wuqiu, the Sect Master of the Gloomy Edge Sect; and True Man Nan Yue, the Sect Master of the Nanhua Sect. These nine were all gathered there, along with dozens of other cultivators who had attained the Civilization Realm.

These nine sect masters were mutually acquainted.

"Logically speaking, Lu Yuan of the Sword Gate should also be on this Waiting Platform."

"Indeed."

"Then why hasn't Lu Yuan shown up?" Heng Zhan, the Master of the Overlord Blade Sect, held considerable interest in the rising prodigy of the Sword Gate.

"Perhaps he's terrified," Wei Yi Di, the Master of the Only Way Sect, sneered. "It’s rumored that over two years ago, the Child of the Era, the Son of the Wasteland, stormed the Sword Gate, intent on taking Lu Yuan's life. Lu Yuan was defeated in a single move, his sword snapping; in two moves, he was nearly killed. Although the Dharma Saint Imperial Son arrived, he was no match for the Son of the Wasteland and was injured. Finally, a mysterious man in black intervened, a person potentially ranked among the Fifty Heavenly Slayers. He defeated the Son of the Wasteland and rescued Lu Yuan."

"The Fifty Heavenly Slayers!" Mentioning the Fifty Heavenly Slayers brought forth deep reverence from everyone present, regardless of their background. The Fifty Heavenly Slayers were fifty figures whose power shook the heavens and earth.

"It seems Lu Yuan won't be coming," Chi Di, the Master of the Young Sun Sect, scoffed. "If he shows up again and runs into the Son of the Wasteland, he won't be lucky enough to have someone from the Fifty Heavenly Slayers save him this time. He'll die by the Son of the Wasteland's hand. The Son of the Wasteland’s ferocity is too great; he wouldn't dare come." Whenever the Son of the Wasteland was mentioned, everyone displayed looks of fear. The Son of the Wasteland was the Child of the Era, the reincarnation of a fierce god.

"What a pity. Lu Yuan offended the Son of the Wasteland and has to miss such a rare opportunity as the Sacred Land of Civilization," remarked Bai Fanghua, the Mistress of the Splendid Beauty Sect.

"The Sacred Land of Civilization is important, but life is more important," stated Yi Wuxing, the Master of the Puppet Sect. This was the plain truth; if any of them faced the Son of the Wasteland, knowing he sought their lives, they would likely flee without hesitation for hundreds of millions of li, never daring to approach the Sacred Land of Civilization. Encountering the Son of the Wasteland there would be courting death.

Heng Zhan, the Master of the Overlord Blade Sect, had a faint feeling that Lu Yuan was not the type to flee, but considering the astonishing destructive might of the Son of the Wasteland, he could only stop his thoughts there.

On this platform was also the Son of the Sword. The Son of the Sword followed the path of Martial Ancient Civilization to reach the Sacred Land of Civilization, but as he was still a member of a sect, he was also on this Waiting Platform. He overheard the discussions, letting out a cold chuckle. Lu Yuan was truly unlucky to have provoked the Son of the Wasteland. The Son of the Wasteland, as the Child of the Era and the foremost fierce god, was not someone to be trifled with lightly. Therefore, Lu Yuan wouldn't dare come to the Sacred Land this time, allowing the Son of the Sword to reap immense benefits here, surpass Lu Yuan by a great margin, and ultimately slay him with his own hands.

Just as these people were debating whether Lu Yuan would arrive, with most concluding he would not,

A faint aroma of wine suddenly drifted over, followed by a figure clad in green rapidly descending onto the Waiting Platform.

That leisurely smile. That languid demeanor. A single sword slung across his shoulder.

If it wasn't Lu Yuan, who else could it be?

"Sword Gate, Lu Yuan, arrived," Lu Yuan said with a slight smile.

Lu Yuan had come! Lu Yuan had come!

Facing the immense threat of the Son of the Wasteland, the risk of certain death at his hands, yet he still showed up—this was courage beyond the ordinary!

Lu Yuan's arrival caused a stir. All the dozens of people on this Waiting Platform turned toward him, clearly shocked by his appearance. Lu Yuan smiled faintly, lifted his wine gourd, took a sip, feeling utterly relaxed and at ease. Appearing before the world in his long-missed identity as Lu Yuan felt incredibly satisfying.

Yes, I am Lu Yuan! I have returned! Where Lu Yuan stands, wine is present, and the sword is ready.

Heng Zhan, the Master of the Overlord Blade Sect, laughed heartily. "I knew you would come." He and Lu Yuan were somewhat like drinking companions, and he found Lu Yuan quite agreeable. Conversely, Wei Yi Di of the Only Way Sect and Chi Di of the Young Sun Sect—both figures at the Eighth Heaven of the World Realm—did not find Lu Yuan pleasing, nor did Yi Wuxing of the Puppet Sect, You Wuqiu of the Gloomy Edge Sect, or Bai Fanghua of the Splendid Beauty Sect. There were various reasons why they intensely disliked seeing Lu Yuan.

After landing, Lu Yuan simply drank and meditated, awaiting the opening of the Sacred Land of Civilization.

Several days passed until dozens of openings appeared in the void. Lu Yuan casually counted them and realized that these dozens of void openings perfectly matched the number of people currently on the Waiting Platforms.

Heng Zhan, the Master of the Overlord Blade Sect, noticing Lu Yuan's puzzled expression, explained, "Every time the Sacred Land of Civilization opens, twenty thousand people are eligible to enter. Of these twenty thousand slots, our Supreme Great Sects occupy ten. The rest are primarily taken by the Five Great Ancient Civilizations and the thirty General Civilizations. Occasionally, there are also individuals from the Lost Lands who submit to the kingly governance of the Central Heavenly Dynasty. In short, the count always reaches exactly twenty thousand, not one more, not one less."

"However, not all twenty thousand can actually proceed to the Sacred Land of Civilization."

"There are twenty thousand void apertures in the void, connecting to the Void Passages. Each person can enter one void aperture to access a Passage. Various events can unfold within the Void Passages, and ultimately, only the first fifteen thousand people who successfully navigate the Passages and reach the gate of the Sacred Land of Civilization are permitted entry."

"The distribution of the entry points to the Void Passages corresponds to the distribution of the void apertures, and there is a Waiting Platform situated at the entrance of every void aperture," Heng Zhan continued. "Right now, there are seventy-two entrances to the Void Passages here, and we are seventy-two people in total. Each of us will enter a separate Passage. What happens inside is unknown; all we can do is pass through the Void Passages as quickly as possible to reach the gate of the Sacred Land of Civilization."

"Those arriving after the fifteenth thousandth will be eliminated."

Lu Yuan finally understood the mechanics of the Sacred Land of Civilization after Heng Zhan's explanation. There were initially twenty thousand participants, but only the first fifteen thousand could truly enter the Sacred Land. Each person entered a unique Void Passage, facing different trials within. In the end, it depended on who could exit their respective Passage fastest and reach the main gate.

This wasn't just a test of strength; it was also a test of luck.

But luck itself was a significant factor overseen by the Central Heavenly Dynasty.

If one's luck was poor, they could only accept their misfortune.

Out of twenty thousand, only fifteen thousand could actually enter the Sacred Land—the other five thousand were eliminated before even reaching the main entrance.

Reaching the gate of the Sacred Land of Civilization was difficult in itself!

Lu Yuan's excitement surged. Finally, it was about to begin—the journey to the Sacred Land of Civilization.