Who could this figure be?

This truly is a grand spectacle, an unprecedented commotion.

Though the Lord of the Desolate Ancient Civilization is a Civilization Lord, even he had never anticipated such a turn of events.

Innumerable rays of light manifested in that instant, and countless female Immortals descended. Every one of these female Immortals possessed an extraordinary elegance, and standing among them was a noble matron of supremely refined bearing. This magnificent beauty was clad in the Cloud-Light Realm Robe, wearing the Golden-Light Grand Profound Crown, and bearing a seven-foot-long Jade Sword coiled around her finger.

Moreover, Lu Yuan clearly sensed that emanating from this magnificent matron was a power that was astonishingly strong, transcending epochs—the very power of a Civilization Lord. Could there truly be a female Civilization Lord in this world? Lu Yuan was inwardly surprised, noticing that every great figure present was considerably shocked, while those who had not yet reached the Civilization Realm clearly did not recognize this magnificent beauty.

The Lord of the Desolate Ancient Civilization gasped, "I never expected it to be you."

In truth, the Lord of the Desolate Ancient Civilization was seeing this magnificent matron for the first time as well, but among those who achieved the rank of Civilization Lord as a woman, there had only ever been one.

"Oh? You recognize this Queen already? Your insight is not lacking," the magnificent beauty stated calmly.

The Lord of the Ancient Law Civilization also cupped his hands in a salute: "I did not expect the Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress to come in person. This is truly a rare occasion."

And the Vice-Lord of the Heavenly Mother Civilization, heralded as the closest to a Civilization Lord, along with Chang'e, the supremely proud woman who had once reached the peak of Civilization Lord, both offered a respectful bow: "We pay our respects to the Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress."

The Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress!

Indeed, this magnificent matron was the Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress, and concurrently, the only female Civilization Lord in all of existence.

The Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress was the ultimate marvel of the Western Splendor, the supreme venerability of the Deep Yin. In ancient times, when the Dao energy was dormant and the Primordial Body was quiescent, she was poised to enlighten the Profound Arts, causing all things to flourish. To put it plainly, the Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress was a figure more revered among women than even the Vice-Lord of the Heavenly Mother Civilization and Chang'e.

And under the command of the Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress, there have always been the Seven Great Emissaries, spoken of as the Seven Women.

Among these Seven Women were quite a few extraordinary figures.

For instance, three among the Seven Women were the most formidable. One was the sovereign who nurtured profound spirits from the essence of origin. In a state of primordial confusion, she separated the purest essence of the Great Dao, causing the energy to condense and take form—the Queen Mother of the West, also known as the Ruler of the Golden Mother of the Nine Lights Turtle Terrace of the Grand Void, representing the status of the Golden Mother.

Another was the Holy Mother Yaoji, who governed the vital energy of Yang and presided over Fire.

And yet another was the Mysterious Woman of the Nine Heavens, who mastered the Wind between Heaven and Earth.

The remaining women each possessed their own formidable capabilities.

With such powerful individuals under her command, the Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress herself was undoubtedly extraordinary.

The Ancestral Dragon and the Phoenix Empress were figures who were historically renowned as equals. While the true strength of the Ancestral Dragon perhaps held a slight edge, the fact that she could be named alongside him speaks volumes of her terrifying might.

Furthermore, under the governance of the Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress was the Ancient Phoenix Civilization. The Ancient Phoenix Civilization was significantly more dominant than the Heavenly Mother Civilization. The inclusion of the character 'Ancient' in its name suggested its strength was absolutely no lesser than that of the Desolate Ancient Civilization.

It was merely that the Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress had not trod upon the mortal realm for many eons, remaining concealed for multiple epochs. Her reappearance now was indeed an unusual event.

Both the Lord of the Ancient Law Civilization and the Lord of the Desolate Ancient Civilization estimated a certain possibility, yet their thoughts diverged completely.

The Lord of the Desolate Ancient Civilization proclaimed loudly, "May I ask why the Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress graces us with her presence? Could it be to aid this junior, Lu Yuan?"

"This Queen does not wish to help him, but alas, this Queen’s newly accepted Azure Maiden insists upon it."

Under the Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress, there has long been mention of the Seven Women, each commanding a different domain, yet their status within the Ancient Phoenix Civilization was second only to the Civilization Lord herself. However, rumors suggested that several epochs prior, the Seven Women suffered some losses, and their replenishment was not easy. Was this finally the time for their reappointment?

A woman clad in azure slowly emerged from behind the Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress. This maiden in green carried an immortal sword, possessed a delicate beauty, and exuded an elegant aura.

"Xiao Qing." Lu Yuan couldn't help but startle. Yes, this was Yue Maiden Xiao Qing, whom he had known from earlier.

Indeed, the Azure Maiden newly accepted by the Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress was none other than Yue Maiden Xiao Qing from the outer regions of the Yue Kingdom.

Yue Maiden Xiao Qing was not a reincarnation of some major figure; she was merely the reincarnation of Yue Maiden Ah Qing. In the current age, Ah Qing was hardly a great figure—merely at the World Realm—insignificant by these standards. The previous Yue Maiden Xiao Qing had absolutely no connection to the Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress.

However, the requirements for one of the Seven Women of the Ancient Phoenix Civilization were unique, and it was often difficult to find even one within an entire epoch.

The Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress had finally found Xiao Qing and naturally would not let the opportunity slip by, taking her in as the Azure Maiden among the Seven Women. The Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress discovered that Xiao Qing possessed threads of romantic entanglement, which led her here to the Ancient Law Civilization, coinciding perfectly with the scene before them. For the object of affection of the person under her command, she naturally had to lend a hand.

"Why this Queen helps Lu Yuan is also simple: the romantic thread of the Azure Maiden is entangled with Lu Yuan's fate," the Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress stated coolly.

The Desolate Ancient Civilization now harbored only one feeling: the urge to vomit blood.

There was no helping it; this was too utterly preposterous.

So utterly preposterous it could not be surpassed.

The Lord of the Desolate Ancient Civilization had journeyed far and wide, summoning the Vice-Lords of numerous civilizations to create this siege—two Ancient Civilizations and five ordinary ones applying pressure on the Ancient Law Civilization to hand over Lu Yuan. If the Ancient Law Civilization complied, Lu Yuan could be executed, and the face of the Lord of the Ancient Law Civilization could be sufficiently diminished. If the Ancient Law Civilization refused, it would be even better: the combined forces of two Ancient Civilizations and five ordinary ones—how immense would that power be? A genuine war against the Ancient Law Civilization would inflict devastating losses upon them.

The Lord of the Desolate Ancient Civilization presented a facade of rough simplicity, but he was in fact a deeply calculating individual. This siege was orchestrated so that no matter what choice the Lord of the Ancient Law Civilization made, they would suffer a loss.

The Lord of the Desolate Ancient Civilization had accounted for everything, but what was the result now? The result had emerged.

Three figures had appeared to protect Lu Yuan.

And these three figures happened to be none of them simple characters.

Chang'e appeared first, possessing the least overt power. Chang'e herself was merely a Civilization Vice-Lord, but she was the reincarnation of a Civilization Lord. The Jade Rabbit she held was the reincarnation of a Civilization Vice-Lord—this presence could not be easily dismissed. The reason Chang'e intervened was that the Jade Rabbit favored Lu Yuan. What more needed to be said?

The second to appear was the Vice-Lord of the Heavenly Mother Civilization, the Goddess Nuwa. Nuwa governed an entire civilization, possessing considerable power, and she was hailed as the Civilization Vice-Lord closest to the rank of Civilization Lord. Ordinary civilizations could not compare to the Heavenly Mother Civilization, though admittedly, they lagged somewhat behind the Five Great Ancient Civilizations. Nuwa's reason for involvement was to designate Lu Yuan as the Epoch Stud—the Epoch Stud! What an utterly absurd explanation.

The first two could be somewhat tolerated, but the third was utterly terrifying, surpassing the combined impact of the first two. The third to appear was the Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress, a figure who once stood equally famous with the Ancestral Dragon, a sovereign who had remained hidden for several epochs. She commanded figures from an Ancient Civilization. Even such a personage emerged! If the first two had clashed now, they absolutely would not be a match for the Lord of the Desolate Ancient Civilization, but the third appearing now was certainly not beneath the level of the Lord of the Desolate Ancient Civilization. And the reason the Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress aided Lu Yuan was surprisingly simple: the Azure Maiden, one of her newly accepted Seven Women, had her emotional thread entwined with Lu Yuan.

The three who appeared all addressed themselves as "This Queen," effectively gathering the most formidable women in the world, all emerging due to some karmic connection with Lu Yuan.

Where did Lu Yuan acquire such remarkable feminine favor?

It was said that Lu Yuan's background involved nothing beyond the sword—no other possessions. How was it that he now appeared to possess such incredible romantic luck?

The Lord of the Ancient Law Civilization sighed deeply within his heart. His own intelligence suggested that Lu Yuan was obsessed only with the sword and uninterested in matters of love and romance. Yet, he realized he had been drastically, fundamentally wrong. Such an influx of romantic attention overwhelmed him. The Lord of the Ancient Law Civilization activated the Grand Karmic Iron Rule, attempting to trace the cause and effect back to the original connection. However, Chang'e had been a Civilization Lord in past lives, capable of obscuring heavenly secrets. Furthermore, the Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress had already helped Xiao Qing, meaning the Azure Maiden, to cloud the heavenly mechanisms. As for the Vice-Lord of the Heavenly Mother Civilization, she was inherently complex, not to mention the Epoch Stud status was a great secret of the Heavenly Mother Civilization, rendering its heavenly mechanisms indistinct and untraceable.

Even if the Lord of the Ancient Law Civilization had investigated personally, he could not ascertain any true cause or effect.

All the figures present at the Civilization Realm, and the Heavenly Venerate-level experts watching from afar, felt an impulse to vomit blood. Lu Yuan must possess the best romantic fortune in the world. Even the Son of Immortals, who had accompanied the Vice-Lord of the Primordial Civilization to witness the grand occasion—the Son of Immortals had been nearby all along, but as a mere Heavenly Venerate, he was utterly inconspicuous, so no one had paid him any mind. While the Seven Sons of Fortune were remarkable in other places, here, where there were more than ten figures at the Civilization Realm, what were the Seven Sons of Fortune? The Son of Immortals had always been known for his romantic exploits and owed countless romantic debts. He had always considered himself the most amorous among the Seven Sons of Fortune.

But now, the Son of Immortals realized with a shock that he had genuinely underestimated the heroes of the world. Lu Yuan usually maintained a low profile, with the prevailing notion that he possessed nothing beyond his sword. Who could have guessed that he would suddenly attract so much romantic attention, and of such unimaginable quality?

Chang'e's Jade Rabbit, the Heavenly Mother Civilization's Epoch Stud—damn, even being a 'Stud' was impressive, being an Epoch Stud! And the Azure Maiden, one of the Civilization Lord of the Phoenix Empress's Seven Women.

The Son of Immortals discovered that his greatest point of pride had been perfectly and utterly demolished.

Lu Yuan himself was extremely frustrated at this moment. When did he acquire such remarkable romantic fortune? Why was he unaware of it himself?

However, even Lu Yuan was shocked now. The Epoch Stud, Yun Xiuxue, Miss Zhong Ling, Yue Maiden Xiao Qing—all converging upon him at once.

Damn it!