The Snowfall Palace. The Crimson-Crowned Crane unfurled its wings, trailing long, slender plumes, as faint white clouds coiled and swirled around.

Among the Five Great Imperial Daughters, the one most consumed by worry was naturally the Sword Spirit Imperial Daughter. The last time Lu Yuan appeared, he was only at the sixth layer of the World Realm.

In the Civilization Holy Land, those at the ninth layer of the World Realm were as common as dogs, and those at the tenth layer roamed freely; only those approaching Half-Step Civilization could dare to boast. Figures like Hua Fasheng and the Son of the Desolation existed—how could she not worry for Lu Yuan?

In truth, Yun Xiuxue did not care how strong Lu Yuan was. To Yun Xiuxue, as long as Lu Yuan and she could live a peaceful life together, as long as she could cook the dishes she loved and Lu Yuan could eat with joy, that was enough.

What Yun Xiuxue longed for most was a warm afternoon in a small courtyard, with wine warmed by her own hands for Lu Yuan to sip leisurely, while a pair of children chased and leaped about the yard. This, this was perfection.

Alas, Yun Xiuxue knew Lu Yuan could not achieve this. A man must stand firm in the world; vengeance is his due.

Yun Xiuxue understood Lu Yuan well. She knew that Lu Yuan was not inherently a man of grand ambition, but because he belonged to the way of the Sword, for the revival of the Sword Dao, he had to fight, he had to shoulder burdens, he had to charge forward.

Yun Xiuxue knew Lu Yuan intimately. Though their time together was brief, their spirits were intertwined, a connection deeper than mere daily companionship.

In truth, she was already content. Yes, back at the Sword Oblivion Stele, when Lu Yuan almost forgot everything—that was the time she truly wept.

Now, as long as Lu Yuan was alive, as long as he could remember her, as long as they could occasionally reunite, she was satisfied. She hoped that from this excursion into the Civilization Holy Land, Lu Yuan would return safely.

"I wonder which of our husbands or fiancés gained the most this time," said the second-ranked Moon Charm Imperial Daughter, her voice delicately seductive. "It must be Second Brother-in-law, or Fifth Sister's fiancé, the Son of Law," the third-ranked Roufu Imperial Daughter murmured softly.

What she said was the simple truth: Second Brother-in-law Feng Xingxing possessed the strength of the Half-Step Civilization Realm, his speed like lightning, his attacks ruthless. Such a person was incredibly difficult to handle; even the Eldest Brother-in-law, the Martial Saint Imperial Son, would struggle against him, being slightly inferior.

Feng Xingxing was inherently a formidable opponent. As for Fifth Sister Fa Ling Imperial Daughter's fiancé, the Son of Law, he was one of the Seven Sons of Destiny, having reached the tenth layer of the World Realm.

Once a member of the Seven Sons of Destiny reached the tenth layer of the World Realm, they could surpass many Half-Step Civilization Realm experts. Coupled with his inherently massive luck, he might indeed reap the greatest rewards.

Fa Ling Imperial Daughter's cheeks flushed. She was a young woman now.

Although she and the Son of Law shared mutual affection and she often missed him, speaking of him in front of her elder sisters still caused a slight blush. Pouting her red lips, she countered, "It's not certain.

Eldest Brother-in-law, the Martial Saint Imperial Son, possesses the Ten Strong Martial Arts, which is no small feat; he might not lose to Zhongtian. Third Brother-in-law Hua Fa Hui is also Half-Step Civilization Realm; perhaps he will also bring back significant spoils." The Son of Law's name was Huangfu Zhongtian; everyone was used to calling him the Son of Law, but Fa Ling Imperial Daughter always addressed him as Zhongtian.

"Fifth Sister, don't be so modest. The Martial Saint Imperial Son cannot defeat the Son of Law right now.

And while Third Sister's husband, Hua Fa Hui, is strong, didn't he lose to the Son of Law back in the Ancient Law Civilization?" Feng Ran Imperial Daughter said with poised grace. These five Imperial Daughters were not truly competing.

They generally had excellent relationships, and this was merely casual banter. Of course, due to a touch of feminine vanity, they couldn't help but secretly compare the achievements of their respective husbands or fiancés in the Civilization Holy Land—this was simply human nature for women and nothing more.

Most people presumed the Son of Law was the strongest, with Feng Xingxing having a decent probability of achieving the greatest success. The Martial Saint Imperial Son was second, and Hua Fa Hui ranked further down.

Lu Yuan was barely discussed. Lu Yuan's strength was the weakest among the five; his previous appearance showed him only at the sixth layer of the World Realm.

How could he possibly achieve much in this Civilization Holy Land expedition? The other four Imperial Daughters noticed Sword Spirit Imperial Daughter’s worried expression.

Fa Ling Imperial Daughter spoke in a tender voice, "Fourth Sister, there's no need to worry. Although Lu Yuan’s strength is slightly less, he fought his way up step-by-step from the Outer Domain.

Having experienced hundreds of battles, his combat experience surpasses everyone else’s. Moreover, he is the Eighth Son of Destiny, possessing great fortune; he won't die easily." Feng Ran Imperial Daughter nodded.

"Besides, Hua Fasheng and the others will look out for Lu Yuan this time. With Hua Fasheng’s care, Lu Yuan should be safe." Before the battle commenced, Sword Spirit Imperial Daughter had indeed asked Hua Fasheng to look after Lu Yuan, and Hua Fasheng had readily agreed.

At this moment, Lian Xing flew swiftly into the Crimson Snow Palace, performing a bow: "Greetings to the Five Imperial Daughters. News just arrived; the group that went to the Civilization Holy Land has returned." "They are back already?

How are they? Were the losses severe?" Feng Ran Imperial Daughter inquired first, concerned for their safety.

"Reporting to the Five Imperial Daughters, the Grand Imperial Consort’s husband, the Martial Saint Imperial Son, the Second Consort’s husband, the Xingxing Imperial Son, the Third Consort’s husband, Lord Hua Fa Hui, the Son of Law, and Lu Yuan are all safe and sound," Lian Xing reported. Hearing this, the five Imperial Daughters visibly relaxed.

Their safe return was what mattered. The Sword Spirit Imperial Daughter gently patted her rapidly rising and falling delicate chest.

It was a relief that Lu Yuan was back; she had been terribly, terribly worried before, but now he was here. Feng Ran Imperial Daughter spoke next: "Lian Xing, briefly recount the results of this battle for us." "Yes," Lian Xing replied.

"The one who played the greatest role in this battle was Lord Hua Fasheng. Lord Hua Fasheng tied down the Son of the Desolation throughout the early and middle stages, and later, he used the Seven Star Grand Array to encircle the Son of the Desolation after he broke through.

By the time Lu Yuan arrived, the eight-against-one confrontation solidified the final victory." Lian Xing’s words caused the Five Imperial Daughters to pause in surprise. A battle involving figures like Hua Fasheng and the Son of the Desolation—how could Lu Yuan possibly intervene?

They recalled that just over two years ago, Lu Yuan had been instantly defeated by the Son of the Desolation in a single move. The Sword Spirit Imperial Daughter also felt a surge of doubt.

"And ranking second in terms of contribution is Lu Yuan." After Lian Xing finished speaking, she noticed the stunned silence of the Five Imperial Daughters. In truth, Lian Xing herself was quite shocked.

She served as the Sword Spirit Imperial Daughter's guard, possessing astonishing strength, likely reaching the tenth layer of the World Realm, as did Yao Yue. It was only because these two were so formidable that the Lord of the Ancient Law Civilization felt secure leaving them to guard the Fourth Miss.

When Lian Xing and Yao Yue displayed a fraction of their power at the Sword Gate, they even overshadowed the Sword Annihilation Ancestor of the Sword Gate back then—and that wasn't even their true strength. She had known Lu Yuan then and considered his power extremely weak.

Yet now, Lu Yuan had achieved such a feat; how could it not shock them both? After a slight pause, Lian Xing continued, "In the Battle of Heart Mountain during the campaign in the Civilization Holy Land, Lu Yuan fought six opponents single-handedly: the Jade Emperor, the Son of Immortals, Tongyun Chou, the Mighty Hero Imperial Son, Zhu Renyu, and the Desolate Saint Imperial Son." "What did you say!" the second-ranked Moon Charm Imperial Daughter exclaimed.

"The Jade Emperor possesses combat power approaching that of Hua Fasheng. The Son of Immortals' strength is comparable to Fifth Sister's fiancé, the Son of Law.

The Desolate Saint Imperial Son's strength matches Eldest Brother-in-law, the Martial Saint Imperial Son. Tongyun Chou is no easy opponent, possessing the fighting capability of a Half-Step Civilization Realm expert.

The Mighty Hero Imperial Son is immensely strong, a powerhouse among the Half-Step Civilization Realm experts. Zhu Renyu, a Half-Step Civilization expert from the Tianying Civilization, is extremely difficult to deal with.

Any one of these six figures is someone who can shake a region, especially the Jade Emperor and the Son of Immortals—no, none of these six are simple foes." "Lu Yuan one against six!?" Moon Charm Imperial Daughter gasped. Feng Ran Imperial Daughter, usually composed and serene, bearing a slight resemblance to Empress Meng Hu, was now wide-eyed with shock.

Roufu Imperial Daughter also opened her large, bright eyes wide. "Yes, Lu Yuan fought six to one," Lian Xing affirmed.

"In that battle, Lu Yuan killed the Jade Emperor, the Mighty Hero Imperial Son, and Zhu Renyu, scared off the Desolate Saint Imperial Son, and the Son of Immortals and Tongyun Chou, seeing that victory was hopeless, quickly fled..." Lian Xing’s words stunned all four in their seats! One man against six experts with the combat strength of the Half-Step Civilization Realm, including the Jade Emperor—killing three, scaring off one, and causing two to flee—what terrifying might!

If this were true, Lu Yuan’s combat prowess must already be nearing that of Hua Fasheng. Lian Xing had no reason to lie.

After all was said and done, among the husbands and fiancés of the Five Imperial Daughters, it was Fourth Sister Sword Spirit Imperial Daughter’s future husband who claimed the greatest achievement—a result that completely defied the expectations of the other four Imperial Daughters. However, beyond their astonishment, the other four Imperial Daughters felt no jealousy.

The five sisters shared a genuinely close bond, and they were only happy for the Sword Spirit Imperial Daughter. Yun Xiuxue had no time for shock, for she saw Lu Yuan.

It seemed that the current Lu Yuan no longer possessed the youthful vigor of their first meeting. He had matured considerably; there was even a faint trace of stubble on his jaw, lending him a certain ruggedness.

Yun Xiuxue hesitated for only a moment before rushing to Lu Yuan’s side. However, she paused slightly, wanting instinctively to throw herself into his embrace, yet feeling a wave of shyness.

But at that moment, Lu Yuan pulled Yun Xiuxue fiercely into his arms: "I said I would marry you when I became a Celestial Venerable." He should have fulfilled this promise long ago, but various circumstances caused delays. The main reason for the delay was that just as he reached the seventh layer of the World Realm, he encountered the Son of the Desolation.

Afterward, he traveled disguised as Li Taishi, going to the Immortal Gambling Island, the Confucian Civilization, and then the Civilization Holy Land—delaying, delaying, delaying until now. This was the first embrace between Lu Yuan and Yun Xiuxue.

Quietly, so quietly, Lu Yuan inhaled the faint, delicate fragrance of the hair near her temples, just like the girl held in his arms. The world around them seemed to quiet down.

Stripped of all extravagance, all clutter, all pretense, they returned to the essential core. Only two young people, holding each other close.

After enduring so much, the two were finally together.