Yan Cangtian, the Child of Shadow!

Indeed, Yan Cangtian was the Child of Shadow.

In legend, the Child of Shadow everyone had sought for so long was right here all along.

He wasn't widely famous, which entirely suited the principle of the Child of Shadow being low-profile. But now the problem arose: if Yan Cangtian was the Child of Shadow, why hadn't he erupted for nearly a millennium? Though his cultivation speed was fast within Jin State, it was merely average in the Central Celestial Dynasty. Such speed hardly warranted the title of Child of Shadow.

Zhou Qingxuan knew the truth of this matter. If there was anyone in this world who understood Yan Cangtian best, it had to be Zhou Qingxuan.

Yan Cangtian was, without a doubt, the Child of Shadow. Normally, the Child of Shadow emerged simultaneously with the other Six Children of Fortune. However, this time there was an anomaly: the Child of Shadow was born nearly a millennium too early.

Furthermore, Yan Cangtian had previously been suppressed in the Central Celestial Dynasty, and his Fortune Qi had not manifested then. It was only in the last hundred years, as the Six Children of Fortune successively emerged and their Qi resonated, that Yan Cangtian’s Fortune Qi was finally brought forth. Since then, Yan Cangtian had been unstoppable, his accumulated Fortune Qi erupting over the span of a century. The speed of his cultivation progress during this period was simply unimaginable; in this short time, his advancement had even surpassed that of the Child of Barrenness.

This was the truth of Yan Cangtian.

Of course, Yan Cangtian's personal innate talent was also astonishing—Peerless Divine Sword! These four words were not an exaggeration.

Because the Child of Shadow, Yan Cangtian, emerged first and was a swordsman, in the contest for Fortune Qi, the emerging Child of Sword was clearly inferior to the early-born Child of Shadow. Invisibly, a considerable amount of Fortune Qi was seized by the Child of Shadow, Yan Cangtian, causing the Child of Sword to be the weakest among the Seven Children of Fortune. This also explained why Yan Cangtian and the Child of Sword shared a certain similarity in their demeanor.

All mysteries were now solved.

However, one thing surprised both Yan Cangtian and Zhou Qingxuan.

Who exactly was this newly emerged Child of Shadow, Li Taishi? Anyone capable of slaying two Celestial Ranking Titans was bound to be an extraordinary figure.

Yan Cangtian’s brow moved slightly: "Perhaps he is a figure like Lu Yuan."

"You mean..." Zhou Qingxuan hesitated.

"Yes. The experts in this world are not all reincarnations of past civilizations or Children of Fortune. Occasionally, anomalies appear, such as Lu Yuan, or perhaps this Li Taishi is also an anomaly," Yan Cangtian stated. Indeed, there were countless anomalies between heaven and earth, and it was precisely because of these anomalies that the world was filled with interest.

A monotonous world held little charm; a vibrant, diverse world was the ultimate standard.

"That is indeed possible," Zhou Qingxuan nodded. "Senior Brother Yan, when do you plan to venture into the Ancient Barren Civilization to seize the Seal of Barrenness?"

"Later," Yan Cangtian replied dismissively.

......

Lu Yuan flew directly toward the Civilization of Wind to continue practicing his Hundred Defeats Scripture.

The Civilization of Wind stood in the southwest corner of the Central Celestial Dynasty.

It was not too far from the Civilization of Ancient Law—"not too far" being calculated based on Lu Yuan's speed. The actual distance could be billions upon billions of miles, but at Lu Yuan's pace, it took only a few dozen days to travel from the Civilization of Confucius to the Civilization of Wind. The gate of the Civilization of Wind lacked the solemnity of the gate of the Civilization of Confucius.

It was an incredibly free gate!

It seemed as though endless winds were perpetually flowing.

Lu Yuan stopped before the entrance to the Small Thousand World of Wind: "Sword Gate Lu Yuan, here to request an audience." The guards had initially been somewhat listless, but upon hearing the words 'Sword Gate Lu Yuan,' a ripple of excitement went through them. Sword Gate Lu Yuan was an extremely famous figure in the current era. After a while, someone came out to meet Lu Yuan. Leading them was Feng Xingxing and his wife, Imperial Concubine Yue Mei.

Imperial Concubine Yue Mei remarked, "Brother-in-law, you’ve actually come to the Civilization of Wind! What a rare occasion, how rare." Imperial Concubine Yue Mei had a favorable impression of Lu Yuan. Feng Xingxing had fought side-by-side with Lu Yuan in the Sacred Land of Civilization, so their relationship was quite good. Thus, Feng Xingxing, with his youthful face, smiled upon seeing Lu Yuan: "Rare indeed, a distinguished guest, a distinguished guest!"

Accompanying them were Feng Mingyi and Feng Mingyue.

Feng Mingyi also smiled slightly: "A rare guest arriving, is there anything more delightful?" Feng Mingyi had also fought alongside Lu Yuan in the Sacred Land of Civilization; they had encountered the Master of the Chaos Demonic Tongue then. If Lu Yuan hadn't saved him, he likely would have died then. Feng Mingyue had developed some acquaintance with Lu Yuan during training in the Civilization of Ancient Law.

Feng Xingxing and Feng Mingyi held rather high statuses in the Civilization of Wind. Their enthusiasm toward Lu Yuan essentially set the tone for his visit.

Lu Yuan entered the Civilization of Wind and immediately noticed that its architectural style differed greatly from other places. Many houses and palaces here floated in the air, supported not by clouds, but by sheer masses of wind, making them hover eerily above the ground.

Lu Yuan admired the scenery for a while, exchanging pleasantries with Feng Xingxing, Feng Mingyi, and the others, before finally stating the purpose of his visit.

When he first revealed his intentions, Lu Yuan felt a slight awkwardness.

After all, the lords of the Sovereign Realms were colossal figures, and such figures would not easily engage in combat just because someone requested it. Feng Xingxing chuckled: "That's no problem. The Lord of the Civilization of Ancient Law previously sent a letter to my master, the Vice-Lord of the Civilization of Wind, requesting that the Vice-Lord spar with you. Although we don't fully understand the reason, since the Lord of the Civilization of Ancient Law personally sent a letter, we readily agree." The Civilization of Wind had always respected the Civilization of Ancient Law and belonged to its sphere of influence. A personal letter from its Lord meant compliance was mandatory.

Next came the exchanges with the three Vice-Lords of the Civilization of Wind.

The first to act was Vice-Lord Feng Ying of the Civilization of Wind. Vice-Lord Feng Ying never truly appeared; he was like a shadow, never showing himself. He possessed the cultivation of two epochs. When he attacked, Lu Yuan could easily withstand it with ten fingers unbent. However, when Vice-Lord Feng Ying unleashed his true power, Lu Yuan was cleanly defeated—this was his seventeenth loss.

The second was Vice-Lord Feng Shang. He was a middle-aged man with stubble covering his face. Lu Yuan found his temperament somewhat similar to Zhou Qingxuan's, but not entirely. Vice-Lord Feng Shang was clearly a man with a history. He used a blade, a very thin and slender one, but against Lu Yuan, he did not use the blade, defeating him instead with just over ten fingers.

The third to strike was the Vice-Lord of the Civilization of Wind. This was a giant whose full power rivaled that of the Vice-Lord of the Civilization of Confucius—a cultivation of eight epochs. The Vice-Lord of the Civilization of Wind was quite surprised that Lu Yuan managed to withstand his third finger before being defeated. This level of strength undoubtedly placed him within the top fifty of the Celestial Ranking. Previously, upon receiving the letter from the Lord of the Ancient Law Civilization, they had only heard a brief note stating that Lu Yuan could withstand one strike from someone at the one-epoch level without defeat. At that point, they already considered Lu Yuan's progress monstrous, reaching a level comparable to Hua Fasheng. Yet now, in this short time, Lu Yuan's strength had advanced again; he could withstand three of his fingers without defeat. This was the peak of monstrous genius.

Lu Yuan dared to provoke the Child of Barrenness for good reason.

The Vice-Lord of the Civilization of Wind couldn't help but look upon Lu Yuan with anticipation. The current cosmic structure was growing increasingly precarious. If Lu Yuan could mature quickly, perhaps their faction could gain another powerful general—a highly gratifying prospect.

Lu Yuan did not linger long in the Civilization of Wind. Feng Xingxing, Feng Mingyi, and the others insisted he stay, but remembering that in thirty years, the Vice-Lord of the Civilization of Heavenly Principles—a killing god with eight epochs of power who would re-enact the slaying of the Vice-Lord of the Civilization of Confucius—was set to emerge from seclusion, Lu Yuan found himself unable to halt his journey.

Yes, sometimes, one simply could not stop.

Even though resting, sleeping in, and drinking fine wine was incredibly comfortable.

In the Civilization of Wind, the most discussed topic was the mysterious Li Taishi. This Li Taishi had mysteriously appeared, vanishing quickly each time, only to re-emerge with astonishing battle records: defeating the Child of Demonic Arts, slaying Wang Xueze, Zhu Tianren, and others—terrifying achievements.

Lu Yuan smiled faintly and departed the Civilization of Wind.

After leaving, Lu Yuan pondered where he should go next.

Roughly, the factions allied with the Civilizations of Ancient Law and Ancient Martial Arts included the Civilization of Axe, Civilization of Medicine, Civilization of Celestial Mother, Civilization of Holy Light, Civilization of Umbrella, Civilization of Dragon, Civilization of Chart, Civilization of Ice, Civilization of Fire, Civilization of Night, Civilization of Bird, and Civilization of Zither. Which one should he visit?

Counting through them, the only one with whom he had any slight acquaintance was the Civilization of Celestial Mother. Should he go there? The thought of the term 'Epochal Stud' made Lu Yuan recall unpleasant things, causing him to involuntarily shiver. Never mind, never mind, he absolutely wouldn't think about it, and he definitely wouldn't go to the Civilization of Celestial Mother. The four words 'Epochal Stud' were simply too devastatingly offensive.

......

Lu Yuan drifted through the void, momentarily unsure of his destination.

One day, Lu Yuan landed on a planet where a former branch of the Sword Gate once stood. However, when the Child of Barrenness sought to destroy the Sword Gate, the headquarters was taken away by Zhou Qingxuan, and the branch immediately vanished. Lu Yuan stood on the site of the branch; it was now nothing but ruins.

Huh!

There was a distress signal here, a unique signal of the Sword Gate, and it seemed recently carved. Who was signaling for help here?

Lu Yuan extended his divine sense and overheard some discussions.

"I heard that a subordinate of a certain Celestial Ranking Titan has been capturing a woman recently." "A subordinate of a Celestial Ranking Titan is making a move; what is that woman's identity?"

"I don't know, but I heard the woman is named Shi Feixian." Lu Yuan let out a small gasp upon hearing this. A newly carved distress mark—Shi Feixian!

She should be his junior martial sister. Shi Feixian later also studied under Taishikong, making her a true junior martial sister under Lu Yuan’s master.

(First update delivered.)

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