The sheer impregnability of this armor was beyond imagination. The Deputy Hierarch of the Gu Insect Civilization donned the Armor of the Gu Insect Defense, an armature woven from millions of living Gu insects. It was absolute, without absence, without mystery, without void, without genesis, without cessation. The Deputy Hierarch of the Gu Insect Civilization looked at Lu Yuan and laughed maniacally, “You cannot kill me, hahahaha! Lu Yuan, I have suffered a great loss at your hands today, but after today, I vow to exact such revenge that even unto death, our feud shall know no bounds—the heavens may collapse, the epochs may perish, but this hatred remains unchanged.” This was a Great Vow of Civilization, an oath to fight until utter destruction, an oath immutable even if the eon itself crumbled.

At that very moment, a surge of spiritual energy shot forth—an energy of overwhelming potency, imbued with the essence of the Miao people. A sprout, born of green, planted from the sprout, the sprout giving life to heaven and earth, the sprout growing from the mire. Lu Yuan was violently struck by this immense mental force. This was—!

What incredibly potent spiritual power! Who is this?

Under the assault of such colossal mental strength, Lu Yuan felt his very mind violently shaken, as if he were a solitary skiff adrift on an endless, churning ocean.

“I guard my heart; heaven and earth shall not be extinguished!” Lu Yuan roared out loud.

Lu Yuan anchored his innate true heart and withstood the soul attack. Though the opponent was powerful, Lu Yuan’s own soul—his spiritual force—was not weak, further bolstered by the protection of the character 'Zheng' (). The character 'Zheng' was inherently one of the strongest symbols for guarding the soul; Lu Yuan had utilized it once before when battling the Son of the Barrens.

The Deputy Hierarch of the Miao Gu Civilization immediately began to cackle strangely, “Here comes our Miao Civilization’s Deputy Lord! This is his mental shockwave. Within twenty breaths, the Deputy Lord of the Miao Civilization will descend. When he arrives, he will be the one to slay you. I honestly thought I would have to wait a long, long time to kill you myself, but it seems that wait won't be necessary.” The Deputy Hierarch of the Miao Gu Civilization was ecstatic. He never imagined that the very sovereign of the Miao Civilization, the Deputy Lord, would be arriving so soon. Once the Deputy Lord of the Miao Civilization arrived and slew Lu Yuan, the grand scheme of the Miao Civilization would be secured. With the grand scheme fixed, the position of Qing Nü would be within grasp, enabling the plans of the Ancient Desolate Civilization to succeed, while the Miao Civilization, aided by the Ancient Phoenix Civilization, would grow ever stronger, far more dominant than they were now.

Twenty breaths?

No, only eighteen breaths remained now.

All the other Deputy Hierarchs fell silent. The Deputy Lord of the Miao Civilization was no trifling figure. Those capable of founding an entire civilization were never simple. Many epochs ago, the Deputy Lord of the Miao Civilization was at the Seventh Epoch level; what level he had reached now, whether he had advanced, remained unknown. But even if he hadn't advanced, with the power of the Seventh Epoch, he could utterly suppress the ages and extinguish Lu Yuan.

The strength of the Deputy Lord of the Miao Civilization was truly something extraordinary.

Sixteen breaths remained.

Lu Yuan looked towards the Deputy Hierarch of the Miao Gu Civilization, “You seem quite pleased, don’t you? The Armor of the Gu Insect Defense, very well. I shall test its limits and break it for you to see. Sword Zero: Heart-Piercing Strike, Fourfold Barrage!” With a flick of his hand, he launched Sword Zero: Heart-Piercing Strike! Fourfold Barrage! As this sword descended, the Deputy Hierarch of the Miao Gu Civilization met it cautiously. He observed Lu Yuan’s sword light strike the Armor of the Gu Insect Defense, finding not the slightest crack. He inwardly sneered, Overestimating his abilities. Lu Yuan’s strike was indeed futile; one blow ended it. The Deputy Hierarch of the Miao Gu Civilization sustained no damage whatsoever.

What was going on? Sword Zero had no effect? Lu Yuan frowned in surprise. Sword Zero had always proven effective since its development. If it failed now, he might truly be unable to defeat this opponent. Did his Sword Zero have no effect against opponents at the Civilization Realm?

Fifteen breaths remained.

The Deputy Hierarch of the Miao Gu Civilization scoffed, “A penetration attack, is it? I prepared specifically for penetration attacks. My Armor of the Gu Insect Defense houses specialized Gu that absorb piercing blows. Any strike aimed here will simply be absorbed by these insects.”

Fourteen breaths.

Is that so?

Lu Yuan attacked casually, wondering how to deal with this opponent.

Thirteen breaths.

Twelve breaths.

Eleven breaths.

Ten breaths.

The Deputy Lord of the Miao Civilization was drawing nearer; his imposing aura could already be faintly sensed tens of thousands of miles away.

A sudden thought struck Lu Yuan: what if he infused the piercing strike with the venom of the Myriad Poison Gu? Lu Yuan acted on the thought instantly. Another Sword Zero: Heart-Piercing Strike, Fourfold Barrage! This time, it was laced with the potency of the Myriad Poison Gu, launched in a flash. The Deputy Hierarch of the Miao Gu Civilization remained unconcerned, having already blocked dozens of such maneuvers from Lu Yuan; he paid this strike no mind whatsoever. As expected, Lu Yuan’s attack struck the armor without causing any damage. Just as the Deputy Hierarch believed Lu Yuan had failed again, he felt a sudden, sharp pain—his Miao Gu World had been breached by Lu Yuan’s sword qi, which felt frigid and menacing.

How? Didn't I have specialized Gu to block penetrating attacks? How could I die like this?

Nine breaths!

Lu Yuan unleashed another strike. In truth, the destructive power of Sword Zero wasn't the greatest, falling short of his other swords. Thus, although he could hit the Deputy Hierarch of the Miao Gu Civilization, a single Sword Zero couldn't decide the victory. Lu Yuan was not in a hurry. Second Sword Zero, Third Sword Zero, Fourth Sword Zero, Fifth Sword Zero.

Each Sword Zero managed to erode roughly a fraction of the Deputy Hierarch of the Miao Gu Civilization’s Miao Gu World. In the blink of an eye, eighteen Sword Zeros had been deployed.

Seven breaths.

The Deputy Hierarch of the Miao Gu Civilization realized the gravity of the situation, crying out, “Stop! Stop immediately!”

But how could Lu Yuan stop now? The Nineteenth Sword Zero, the Twentieth Sword Zero. As the twentieth Sword Zero struck, a lament echoed across the heavens and earth once more—the mournful song of the Sages, the shared sorrow of the cosmos, the weeping of the winds and clouds. With a sweep of his hand, Lu Yuan slew the Deputy Hierarch of the Miao Gu Civilization.

There were still a full six breaths remaining before the Deputy Lord of the Miao Civilization arrived. Lu Yuan swept the fallen Deputy Hierarch of the Miao Gu Civilization into his New Sword World.

Four breaths later, the Deputy Lord of the Miao Civilization descended, arriving two full breaths earlier than anticipated. It was clear that the Deputy Lord of the Miao Civilization had been driven to fury in the final moments. This man was middle-aged, with unbound, flowing hair. His eyebrows were intensely dark, framing a pair of crimson arches. His eyes held a strange, captivating magic. His hands were immense. Hovering beside him was a single Gu insect buzzing softly. Although there was only one insect, it instilled fear in the Myriad Poison Gu residing within Lu Yuan’s New Sword World—the pressure emanating from this lone Gu was greater than that of billions of others. Moreover, strapped to his right shoulder was a Miao Saber. This saber appeared strikingly ordinary, lacking the mystical magic displayed by the Deputy Hierarch of the Miao Saber Civilization.

This Deputy Lord of the Miao Civilization shifted rapidly between personas: at first glance, he resembled a master of infinite dread; upon closer inspection, a simple Miao farmer; and then again, a paramount expert unified with the cosmos. Countless temperaments flickered across his being.

The Deputy Lord of the Miao Civilization gazed at Lu Yuan as if looking at an insignificant insect he was about to crush: “Did you kill both the Deputy Hierarch of the Miao Gu Civilization and the Deputy Hierarch of the Miao Saber Civilization? Then, you too shall die.” The Deputy Lord of the Miao Civilization was consumed by rage—a boundless fury. At his level of power, true anger was rare, but the loss of two Civilization Realm figures was simply too catastrophic for him. It had taken immense effort to build the Miao Civilization from the ground up. As the stabilizing force, he could not micromanage every detail, necessitating capable assistants. However, anyone below the Civilization Realm was unqualified to serve as his aid. Consequently, Miao Saber and Miao Gu, whose strength was far inferior to his own, were critically important—they represented future potential for the Miao Civilization. Without them, the civilization might stagnate for untold myriads, millions, or even epochs.

The Deputy Lord of the Miao Civilization harbored two ultimate ambitions: to ascend to the rank of Civilization Lord, and to advance the Miao Civilization. Lu Yuan had just shattered half of his second ambition. It would have been unnatural had the Deputy Lord not developed a profound murderous intent toward Lu Yuan.

Without ceremony, the Deputy Lord of the Miao Civilization raised his hand, drawing his Miao Saber. The name of this saber was Nong ()!

The Saber of Nong!

This single slash descended, carrying a faint, pale-green aura, cleaving straight toward Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan discovered that his technique imbued with 'Qing' () was subtly suppressed by it. No, it wasn't just 'Qing'; many of his ultimate moves were countered. For instance, his 'Fang Yuan' (Square Field/Circumference World), he could populate his world with the fruits of Nong.

Nong is planted in the green! Nong is planted in the earth! Nong is planted between heaven and earth! Nong is planted across the epochs!

No matter the location or the terrain, wherever there is a large population, agriculture is essential; without it, people starve.

What does it matter if you are an Immortal, a Saint, a God, a Buddha, a Demon, or a Fiend? What significance does civilization hold?

Nong is founded on the most fundamental principle.

The people hold the plow as their heaven!

This was the essence of the Saber of Nong!

Lu Yuan felt his many techniques being neutralized. Truly, one must never underestimate someone at the Civilization Realm. Those at the First, Second, or Third Epoch levels were manageable, but this Deputy Lord of the Miao Civilization, whose true epoch level was unknown—whether seven or higher—wielded a sword strike that manifested sheer terror, immense atmosphere, and profound severity.

Lu Yuan knew this was the time to fight with his life on the line. He dared not show the slightest carelessness. His Primal Apex Divine Sword carved a perfect circle in the void—the absolute limit of what he could achieve currently. Just as this perfect circle was formed, the Saber of Nong descended violently, shattering the circle. Lu Yuan was violently thrown a vast distance, coughing up a mouthful of blood in the process.

That was only one strike, and he was already so grievously wounded. His New Sword World had been destroyed by about one-third. His injuries were severe now, though thankfully, his New Sword World had repaired somewhat during his earlier exchange with the Deputy Hierarch of the Miao Gu Civilization. What now? Lu Yuan looked at the farmer-like Deputy Lord of the Miao Civilization with crimson eyebrows and deep pupils, his mind and intent fusing completely. Since the opponent insisted on battle, then battle it would be.

The Deputy Lord of the Miao Civilization was also surprised; Lu Yuan had actually managed to withstand one strike. Good! His desire to see Lu Yuan dead intensified.

At that moment, the Lord of the Ancient Phoenix Civilization, seated high upon the platform, spoke: “Enough. That is sufficient.”

A power, exquisitely gentle yet utterly irresistible, materialized between the Deputy Lord of the Miao Civilization and Lu Yuan.