"When I reach the Heavenly Venerable stage, I will come to marry you." A simple sentence, yet carrying an ocean of emotion within it.

Yunxiu Xue was utterly lost in those words. She paid no heed to Lu Yuan's battle records, ignoring how he defeated six earth-shattering masters single-handedly; she cared for none of it, only for the present moment, held in Lu Yuan's arms, listening to what he had just said.

Yunxiu Xue never wished to be a formidable woman; she only longed to be the delicate lady leaning into the embrace of the man she adored.

Such a moment stretched on, long and profound.

In that long stretch of time, silence enveloped them.

Yunxiu Xue suddenly snapped back to reality. Others were present. She cautiously peeked out and found her three elder sisters and the younger sister, Fa Ling Di Ji, watching nearby. Her cheeks instantly flushed a deep crimson. Yunxiu Xue was naturally shy, but despite the embarrassment, she was reluctant to leave the comforting hold of Lu Yuan’s arms, caught in a silent struggle.

Feng Ran Di Ji, Yue Mei Di Ji, Rou Fu Di Ji, and Fa Ling Di Ji—all four of them began to applaud.

Yue Mei Di Ji pouted dramatically: "A kiss, a kiss!" But neither Lu Yuan nor Yunxiu Xue were the brazen sort; with so many witnesses, a public display of affection was now impossible. Seeing that Lu Yuan and Yunxiu Xue did not proceed to kiss, Yue Mei Di Ji looked incredibly disappointed. She had been anticipating a romantic spectacle; seeing her fourth sister, the shyest of them all, actually kiss someone would have been a rare sight indeed.

What a pity! Yue Mei Di Ji thought with a flicker of regret.

Having missed the anticipated show, Yue Mei Di Ji was naturally unwilling to let the matter rest: "Hey, our fourth sister is the most beautiful among the five of us. If you intend to take her away, you’ll have to pay a price. What gifts will you offer us four sisters?" Among the five Di Jis, Yue Mei Di Ji was undoubtedly the most alluring, but in terms of innate beauty and inherent grace, Jian Ling Di Ji and Fa Ling Di Ji were unmatched.

This was not an attempt to extort Lu Yuan; such a thing was unnecessary.

In the mortal world, when a sister marries, it's common for the other siblings to playfully block the groom, demanding poetry or tokens. The sisters were merely joking with Lu Yuan; given their exalted status, they were not lacking in possessions.

Lu Yuan understood the tradition: among any group of siblings, the groom or fiancé who is the most generous gains the most prestige. Looking down at Jian Ling Di Ji in his arms, Lu Yuan smiled faintly, reached out into the empty air, and pulled forth a scroll: The True Luo Immortal Scripture of the Empress and Emperor. Lu Yuan stated, "This is the scripture I obtained after slaying the Jade Emperor. Eldest Sister, Feng Ran Di Ji, your practice of profound arts can perfectly complement this Immortal Scripture." Feng Ran Di Ji was overjoyed; even with her status, obtaining the True Luo Immortal Scripture of the Empress and Emperor was difficult. Such texts could bring about a massive surge in recent strength. She accepted it gracefully: "Then I thank you, Fourth Brother-in-law."

Lu Yuan summoned another item. As it appeared, the entire chamber became luminous, bathed in brilliant light: "This is the Thousand Concubine Thousand Crystal. It was part of the Jade Emperor's collection, and I offer it to Second Sister." The Thousand Concubine Thousand Crystal was hailed as one of the most beautiful crystals in existence, composed of a thousand individual crystals that merged into an impossibly stunning spectacle. This item held almost no practical value, but it perfectly suited Yue Mei Di Ji's taste.

"Sleeve Xue mentioned that Third Sister, Rou Fu Di Ji, dislikes conflict, so I offer you this Wind-Sucking Shadowless Bug. It can increase your speed, making it impossible for enemies to catch you." Lu Yuan had acquired countless Wind-Sucking Shadowless Bugs from the Chaos Civilization Beasts, so giving one away was easy; he possessed an abundance. In truth, this bug was a natural anomaly from several eons past. Although it lacked the advanced techniques left by the Chaos Civilization Beasts and was singular in number, accelerating flight speed was no issue at all. Rou Fu Di Ji accepted the bug. After a brief moment of contemplation—she was, after all, the daughter of the Lord of Civilization, possessing deep insight—she recognized the bug's extraordinary nature and the immense benefit it offered her, perfectly aligning with her desire to avoid conflict through swift escape. Thus, Rou Fu Di Ji offered a delicate curtsy: "Thank you, Fourth Brother-in-law."

"Fa Ling Di Ji, a natural master of spell manipulation..." Lu Yuan paused in thought and produced a staff: "This is the Immortal King Staff." The Immortal King Staff was no ordinary object; only veteran half-step Civilization Realm experts like the Jade Emperor possessed such an item. It differed slightly from the King Staff of the Ancient Law Civilization, yet each possessed its own unique marvels. Furthermore, the Immortal King Staff could be combined and refined with the King Staff.

Fa Ling Di Ji accepted it and thanked Lu Yuan.

Truthfully, the four Di Jis of the Lord of the Ancient Law Civilization rarely lacked anything. Lu Yuan's gifts were thoughtfully chosen and perfectly appropriate. The four of them mentally agreed that Lu Yuan was a commendable man; they now viewed him favorably and would naturally speak well of him to the other Di Féis, Di Hou, and even the Lord of the Ancient Law Civilization.

Yue Mei Di Ji tugged at Feng Ran Di Ji and the others: "That’s enough. Let’s not disturb you two any further; don't say we’re being a nuisance."

"Second Sister!" Yunxiu Xue stamped her foot. "Second Sister is just like that." Yunxiu Xue tried to offer a weak defense, but then realized she couldn't hear Lu Yuan's voice. She looked up in surprise and found him staring at her blankly. Yunxiu Xue’s own heart began to pound wildly, leaving her momentarily speechless. The morning sun streamed down upon them both.

Lu Yuan too felt utterly flustered, his own heart racing.

Well, he supposed it was because he was an absolute novice in matters of the heart.

Even facing the combined assault of the six formidable masters, including the Jade Emperor, he had possessed a degree of confidence. Yet now, he found himself completely at a loss.

One Yunxiu Xue proved far more challenging to handle than the combined strength of the six masters led by the Jade Emperor.

This, he sighed with mock melancholy, was the helplessness of a novice in love.

Meanwhile, news of the battle at the Civilization Holy Land was spreading rapidly.

The biggest star to emerge from that event was unquestionably the Son of Desolation. The Son of Desolation's progress was astonishing; he was once weaker than Hua Fasheng but now far surpassed him, aggressively challenging the top fifty on the Heavenly Ranks. He was indeed a remarkable figure. What surprised various factions was that someone like the Son of Desolation could actually suffer a defeat.

The Son of Desolation possessed not only peak innate talent but also high scores in leadership and charisma, alongside exceptional strategy and cunning. The fact that the Desolate Alliance he led was defeated left many factions bewildered.

In their search for the reason, they inevitably settled upon the battle where Lu Yuan defeated six opponents single-handedly.

It was Lu Yuan’s one-against-six victory that shifted the tides of the entire conflict.

Lu Yuan faced the Jade Emperor, the Son of Immortals, Tongyun Chou, Li Xiong Dizhi, Zhu Renyu, and the Desolate Saint Dizhi—each a figure renowned throughout the cosmos, especially the Jade Emperor, a ruler of supreme power. The defeat of this formidable group of six by Lu Yuan alone sent shockwaves through the realms.

How did Lu Yuan suddenly become so fierce, so mighty, so unbelievably powerful?

The issue was that memories of Lu Yuan were stuck at the sixth tier of the World Realm. Now, he had suddenly leaped to the tenth tier of the World Realm and possessed the fighting strength to defeat six individuals who were at the power level of the half-step Civilization Realm. This span of growth was exceptionally high. Previously, rumors suggested that after fighting the Son of Desolation, Lu Yuan had been instantly defeated and rendered useless—the eighth son of Providence was ruined.

Now, who dared to claim the Eighth Son of Providence was ruined? Lu Yuan’s current ranking among the Sons of Providence was now second only to the Son of Desolation, placing him above all others.

In an instant, Lu Yuan’s fame skyrocketed to unimaginable heights.

The Five Great Ancient Civilizations and the thirty general civilizations were all shaken by Lu Yuan’s display. The countless Supreme Great Sects felt only one thing: immense pride! He brought them such glory! When had a Supreme Great Sect ever produced such an awe-inspiring figure? Lu Yuan was single-handedly providing massive affirmation to all the Supreme Great Sects.

Lu Yuan’s sudden rise brought both considerable benefits and drawbacks.

Many powerful civilizations began scheming on how to win him over, while countless others plotted his annihilation. Lu Yuan had stepped directly into the eye of a raging storm of cosmic conflict.

...

Lu Yuan, however, felt exceedingly content. He and Yunxiu Xue shared mutual affection, and she was an exceptionally gentle and easygoing young woman. Under such circumstances, how could his days not be pleasant? For example, he was currently holding a cup of wine that Yunxiu Xue had just warmed for him.

The wine was still warm.

Lu Yuan noticed something curious: the wine warmed by Yunxiu Xue tasted subtly better than the wine he had bought himself. What was the reason for this?

Just as Lu Yuan was relaxing leisurely, he sensed an overwhelming pressure descending upon him—a pressure emanating from the heavens, a true heavenly might. No, it was far more terrifying than heavenly might; it was an intention that had transcended the very will of heaven and earth, an omnipotence that had surpassed countless epochs, bearing down upon him.

What was this?!

Lu Yuan had encountered many Deputy Lords of Civilization: the Deputy Lord of the Heavenly Principle Civilization, the Deputy Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization, the Deputy Lord of the First Law Civilization, the Deputy Lord of the Confucian Literary Pillar, and others. Yet, none had ever imposed such crushing pressure upon him, an aura that seemed capable of annihilating him across infinite voids.

If a Deputy Lord of Civilization was like someone merely extending a pinky finger to effortlessly crush him, then this heavenly pressure required no physical gesture at all; it could annihilate him merely through the sweep of divine consciousness.

What could this be?

Above the Deputy Lords of Civilization, there was only one existence: the Lord of Civilization!

Could the entity pressuring him now be a Lord of Civilization?

At this moment, Lu Yuan realized that within his new Sword World, the Desolation-Slaying Sword was almost bent double under the strain, and his 'Ke' clone was pushed to its absolute limit, seeming ready to detonate at any second. Lu Yuan was now certain: this was the Lord of the Ancient Desolation Civilization! Why had the authority of the Ancient Desolation Lord, which reigned supreme above even heavenly might, descended into the world of the Ancient Law, right onto his head?

This, he realized, was intrinsically linked to his battle in the Civilization Holy Land—the one where he fought six opponents. It was deeply connected.

(First update delivered.)