The Artifact Civilization possessed a colossal Artifact Continent, at the very heart of which stood an Artifact City.

In that Artifact City, nearly everything, regardless of its appearance, was, in fact, an artifact.

If Lu Yuan were here, he would likely be utterly astonished.

Take that blade over there: you might assume it was a mere weapon, but you'd be wrong. This wasn't any ordinary blade; it automatically emitted a chilling light capable of freezing a person—it was fundamentally an artifact. That was nothing; what about that massive sphere dominating the center of the street? That, too, was a gigantic artifact.

Wait, how is that house floating mid-air, complete with limbs, moving about? That is also an artifact, capable of being positioned anywhere or stopping dead in its tracks at any moment.

Do not mistake the vendors selling goods for actual living beings; they are artifact-people, possessing only a few fixed behavioral scripts.

You just bought a string of candied hawthorns, thinking they were food. My apologies, first check if it's an artifact.

The very shoes beneath those people's feet suddenly ignite fires at the heel, allowing them to leap into the air—these shoes are also artifacts.

In the Artifact Civilization, anything could potentially be an artifact.

Because this is the Artifact Civilization, a world of artifacts where all things might manifest as artifacts.

Ordinarily, Artifact City was quite lively; people constantly engaged in artifact duels. These duels weren't just about the sheer destructive power of the artifacts; they also judged beauty, intricacy, weight, speed, and countless other metrics. Normally, Artifact City buzzed with joy and laughter.

But at this moment, Artifact City was drastically different from its usual state.

Right now, the entire city was draped in white mourning attire.

Yes. The master of Artifact City, the master of the Artifact Continent, the master of the Artifact Civilization—the Vice-Lord of the Artifact Civilization—had perished!

This was absolutely monumental news.

Everyone knew that the one who had always protected them, shielding them from storm and hardship, was the Vice-Lord of the Artifact Civilization, and now, this individual was gone.

Artifact City had lost its customary vitality.

In the center of Artifact City stood an Artifact Palace, connected to the eighteen layers of heaven where the Vice-Lord of the Artifact Civilization resided. The Artifact Palace was now steeped in extreme silence. At its core rested a crystal coffin containing only a severed arm—all that remained of the Vice-Lord of the Artifact Civilization, the rest having been seized by the Vice-Lord of the Demon Civilization.

The three primary Vice-Lords of the Artifact Civilization—the Vice-Lord of Heavenly Strike, the Vice-Lord of Heavenly Deceit, and the Vice-Lord of Heavenly Defense—were all present. The Vice-Lord of Heavenly Strike possessed an intensely aggressive appearance: an aquiline nose and deep-set eyes. He was a person of considerable talent and a figure of the Fifth Epoch.

The Vice-Lord of Heavenly Deceit was entirely shrouded in an aura of strange, unpredictable artifact energy.

The Vice-Lord of Heavenly Defense had met Lu Yuan once during the Fenggu Civilization, so further introduction was unnecessary.

Besides the three Vice-Lords, numerous other figures were in attendance.

For instance, Empress Binghan, Consort Bingxin, and several imperial scions: Prince Bao Yi, Prince Bao Qiang, Prince Bao Wang, Prince Bao Huang, and Imperial Princess Bao Ling, among others—all direct descendants of the deceased Vice-Lord of the Artifact Civilization.

Furthermore, there were disciples and descendants of the three existing Vice-Lords.

In short, to summarize the situation:

Virtually every significant figure in the Artifact Civilization had gathered here; almost no one of importance was missing. The fall of the Vice-Lord of the Artifact Civilization was earth-shattering news for their civilization, necessitating the attendance of every key member, each clad in white mourning robes, consumed by boundless grief and contemplation.

Prince Bao Huang glanced around and murmured, "Why hasn't Imperial Princess Baobei returned yet?"

Imperial Princess Bao Ling softly replied, "Baobei was quite far away this time. Her strength is typically lower, so flying takes longer. Her delayed arrival is normal, but estimating the time, she should be arriving soon." Imperial Princess Bao Ling had a delicate oval face, her hair styled in a Duomaji bun. This woman naturally exuded a subtle fragrance; taking a breath near her was wonderfully pleasant.

Empress Binghan addressed Prince Bao Yi, "I entrust the task of inviting various guests to pay respects to you, Prince Bao Yi." Usually sharp and capable, she was now utterly exhausted and devoid of strength, so she delegated the duty to the mature and steady Prince Bao Yi, who responded with a simple, "Yes."

Just then, a voice announced, "The Vice-Lord of the Arid Warmth Civilization has arrived."

The gentle, refined Vice-Lord of the Arid Warmth Civilization arrived, hands clasped behind his back. He too was dressed in white mourning attire, clearly having prepared in advance. "The death of the Vice-Lord of the Artifact Civilization is a tragedy beyond measure. I rushed over immediately upon hearing the news." The Vice-Lord of the Arid Warmth Civilization approached the crystal coffin and performed three solemn, grand bows. "The life of the Vice-Lord of the Artifact Civilization contributed immensely to the advancement of the artifact path, and also made vast contributions to the peace of the surrounding regions." This was essentially a string of formalities.

After delivering these boilerplate remarks, the Vice-Lord of the Arid Warmth Civilization finally stated, "With the passing of the Vice-Lord of the Artifact Civilization, I presume you seek revenge. However, given the strength of your Artifact Civilization, revenge seems unlikely. Why not pledge allegiance to our Ancient Desolation Civilization? We will exact vengeance for you."

The Vice-Lord of the Arid Warmth Civilization continued, "Moreover, with the Vice-Lord of the Artifact Civilization gone, some of your original rivals are likely to cause trouble. You won't be able to handle those opponents either." The Artifact Civilization did indeed have rivals; while the Vice-Lord was alive, they could be managed, but not now.

"Instead, join our Ancient Desolation Civilization. Once allied with us, our Ancient Desolation Civilization will certainly champion your cause. That is the second point."

"Furthermore, you can all see the larger situation unfolding in the Central Heavenly Dynasty. The Grand Decisive Battle is imminent. Maintaining neutrality under such circumstances will be incredibly difficult. It is better to align with the Ancient Desolation Civilization. Our Lord of the Ancient Desolation Civilization greatly values talent and has already prepared generous terms for all of you. This is the third point."

The Vice-Lord of the Arid Warmth Civilization was currently trying to win over the Artifact Civilization. As for whether the Artifact Civilization would eventually discover that the Ancient Desolation Civilization was colluding with the Demon Civilization, that was a simpler matter. If the Artifact Civilization truly defected to the Ancient Desolation side, they would immediately be under Ancient Desolation control. Once controlled for a period, and their personnel replaced with loyalists, even if the Artifact Civilization learned of the alliance between Ancient Desolation and the Demon Civilization, they would be unable to stir up any trouble.

The Vice-Lord of the Arid Warmth Civilization was indeed somewhat hasty; proposing allegiance immediately after the Vice-Lord’s death was unusual. However, the three Vice-Lords of the Artifact Civilization carefully considered the three reasons offered by the Vice-Lord of the Arid Warmth Civilization and silently acknowledged that they held merit.

Immediately, the representatives of the Artifact Civilization began to confer, primarily led by the three Vice-Lords of Heavenly Strike, Heavenly Deceit, and Heavenly Defense. Naturally, the opinions of Empress Binghan, Prince Bao Yi, and others were also factored in, leading to intense debate. Originally, most people in the Artifact Civilization favored neutrality, but circumstances had shifted. With the Vice-Lord's demise, the opposing and supporting factions were now almost equal, as people always weighed practical considerations.

The Vice-Lord of the Arid Warmth Civilization watched from the side, nodding secretly. It seemed success was imminent; winning over the Artifact Civilization now would add strength to their side for the Grand Decisive Battle of the Central Heavenly Dynasty, allowing them to crush the faction aligned with the Ancient Cultivation Civilization and the Martial Cultivation Civilization.

Finally, a conclusion was reached from their discussions. The Vice-Lord of Heavenly Strike spoke up, "After consultation, we have made our decision."

As he was about to continue, the Vice-Lord of the Arid Warmth Civilization felt a surge of joy, just as a sudden voice rang out: "Wait a moment." This "Wait a moment" carried the resonance of a civilization's power, clearly spoken by a figure at the Civilization Realm.

Someone was intervening!

The Vice-Lord of the Arid Warmth Civilization couldn't help but turn his gaze. The three Vice-Lords of Heavenly Strike, Heavenly Deceit, and Heavenly Defense all looked over. Empress Binghan, Prince Bao Yi, and the others followed suit. They saw two figures standing there: one was the tearful, red-eyed Imperial Princess Baobei, and the other was a person wearing a green cloak and a bamboo hat.

Imperial Princess Baobei had finally appeared. Prince Bao Huang and Imperial Princess Bao Ling felt a sudden clench in their hearts—why was she with a stranger? The others, however, focused their attention on the figure in the green cloak and bamboo hat, unsure of his identity, as there were not many Civilization Realm experts in the world.

The figure in the green cloak and bamboo hat lifted his hat, revealing a youthful face.

Lu Yuan!

It was Lu Yuan, the one who shone brilliantly in the Fenggu Civilization, fighting two opponents simultaneously and slaying the Vice-Lord of the Miao Gu Civilization and the Vice-Lord of the Miao Dao Civilization.

Lu Yuan was now a recognized name across the realm; wherever he went, he commanded respect. The Vice-Lord of Heavenly Strike spoke courteously, "We welcome Brother Lu here. May I ask what counsel Brother Lu Yuan has for us?" Although he was significantly older than Lu Yuan, he addressed him respectfully due to Lu Yuan’s immense strength.

Lu Yuan smiled faintly, "I have no great counsel, but regarding the future direction of the Artifact Civilization, I intend to have a say."

The Vice-Lord of the Arid Warmth Civilization offered a gentle, refined smile. "Oh? Lu Yuan, you intend to meddle in this matter as well. Since when did the affairs of the Artifact Civilization become a concern for a junior like you?" The Vice-Lord of the Arid Warmth Civilization had been worried about complications arising and spoke with deliberate sarcasm.

Lu Yuan simply smiled back faintly, "I will immediately cast a Magnetic Mirror Art for everyone to observe."

Lu Yuan raised his hand and cast a Magnetic Mirror Art. The crowd watched as the projection showed two figures: the Vice-Lord of the Arid Warmth Civilization and the Son of Immortals. They appeared to be engaged in a private discussion. The Vice-Lord of the Arid Warmth Civilization was heard whispering, "The Lord of the Demon Civilization... Artifact Civilization..."

Lu Yuan offered no further verbose explanation, merely presenting the Magnetic Mirror Art. The timing Lu Yuan selected was critical: the period just before the Lord of the Demon Civilization assassinated the Vice-Lord of the Artifact Civilization. Why would the Ancient Desolation Civilization possess knowledge of this event before the murder took place?

Thinking it through, only one explanation surfaced.

That explanation was that the Ancient Desolation Civilization had orchestrated the entire event from behind the scenes.

And the reason the Ancient Desolation Civilization plotted this scheme could also be easily deduced.

(Second update delivered. Ah, this is now the plot-driven phase; striving to write an incredibly spectacular Grand Decisive Battle of the Central Heavenly Dynasty!) (To be continued)