"Lu Yuan, appear," bellowed Prince Bao of the Artifact Civilization, a direct disciple of the Vice Lord of the Heavenly Attack Civilization.

These were the people closest to the heart of the battle. They wouldn't have called out Lu Yuan's name ordinarily, even if they had heard the four words 'Expert Who Slays Desolation.' However, they possessed absolute faith in the Future Instruments of their own civilization. Thus, upon hearing the prophecy that included the phrase 'Desolation Ends with Lu,' they held unshakable conviction in it, viewing it as their final glimmer of hope amidst utter despair.

As those closest to the action called out, people in other parts of the Artifact Continent began demanding explanations. Only then did they learn that the Desolation Ancient Civilization and the Demon Civilization had colluded to assassinate the Vice Lord of the Artifact Civilization and lure their people into joining the Desolation Ancient Civilization. Now that the plot had failed, they intended to annihilate the Artifact Civilization entirely.

Immediately, some people considered fleeing the Artifact Continent, believing that spreading the news would ruin the reputation of the Desolation Ancient Civilization.

But they failed to realize that the Artifact Continent had been completely sealed off.

The Seal Treasure Edict!

The Seal Treasure Edict was a token held by the Vice Lord of the Artifact Civilization, capable of sealing the entire continent. It carried the highest authority, and precisely because it had been activated, no one—absolutely no one—could leave the Artifact Continent. It was now clear that the Vice Lord of the Desolation Ancient Civilization had initiated the Seal Treasure Edict to achieve his sinister aims.

This dashed any hope of escape. Furthermore, those below the Civilization Realm could not possibly intervene in a battle involving the Civilization Realm, especially when their opponent was the Vice Lord of the Desolation Ancient Civilization, a being of the Sixth Epoch.

The Artifact Civilization was doomed to perish.

Annihilated at the hands of the very ally responsible for the murder of their Vice Lord.

Despair.

It was absolute, suffocating despair.

Yet, within this volcanic despair, there simmered an absolute refusal to accept fate.

Our Artifact Civilization merely sought neutrality, offending no one, and yet we are to be wiped out?

Unwilling!

Unable!

Unwilling to accept this!

We still have so many joyful days ahead; we long to craft a thousand strange and wonderful artifacts; we wish to live comfortably with our wives, children, and parents.

Must we be destroyed?

But try as they might, they could find no sliver of a path to survival. Finally, almost everyone simultaneously recalled the great prophecy of 'Desolation Ends with Lu.'

Yes! Desolation Ends with Lu!

Even if the Artifact Civilization fell, the Desolation Ancient Civilization would ultimately be destroyed by Lu Yuan. Among these people, some firmly believed Lu Yuan could ultimately shatter the Desolation Ancient Civilization—a belief rooted in the prophecy. These individuals roared: "Desolation Ends with Lu, Lu Yuan, appear!"

Another segment, composed of young zealots who were devoted fans of Lu Yuan and supported this outcome, shouted with absolute adoration: "Desolation Ends with Lu, Lu Yuan, appear!" Nearly half the people, however, believed Lu Yuan could not possibly defeat the Desolation Ancient Civilization, given the immense gap in power; the Desolation Ancient Civilization was one of the Five Great Ancient Civilizations, too mighty. But to spite the Vice Lord of the Desolation Ancient Civilization in their final moments, they too roared that name: "Desolation Ends with Lu, Lu Yuan, appear!"

These three factions united their voices, merging the cries of Lu Yuan's name and the four words 'Desolation Ends with Lu.' Gradually, these three currents of sound converged, blending into a colossal roar that echoed beneath the skies of the Artifact Continent.

"Desolation Ends with Lu, Lu Yuan, appear."

"Lu Yuan, Lu Yuan, Lu Yuan."

"Appear, Lu Yuan." Wave after wave of sound shook heaven and earth, continuing to expand. Though these acoustic layers originated from shouts by people of average strength, the collective clamor of tens of thousands shouting together was far more astonishing than the Voice of Civilization.

Legend held that no sound had ever surpassed the Voice of Civilization. Yet, here it was—undeniably present.

The Vice Lord of the Desolation Ancient Civilization was enraged. So many voices supported Lu Yuan and opposed him. He had always embraced his role as a villain, but he preferred to be a refined, scholarly villain, not one deemed an enemy of the entire world. Naturally, fury surged. He cast a cold sneer across the faces of everyone in the civilization and world, his Sixth Epoch power vibrating as he roared: "Wait for 'Desolation Ends with Lu,' all of you. Sadly, you won't live to see it. You demand Lu Yuan? I will slaughter every single person in your Artifact Civilization—billions of souls, leaving not one alive!"

The long saber in the hand of the Vice Lord of the Desolation Ancient Civilization suddenly moved, aiming at the Vice Lord of the Heavenly Deceit Civilization, who was the most grievously wounded. With this single strike, a brutal wave of civilization energy manifested, carrying the shadow of the War Civilization. Seeing the Vice Lord of the Heavenly Deceit Civilization on the verge of execution, two artifacts suddenly appeared.

The heavily injured Tian Gong, the lightly injured Tian Fang, and the Vice Lord of the Heavenly Deceit Civilization himself—the three Vice Lords joined forces, managing to intercept the blow, though their injuries worsened considerably.

The Vice Lord of the Desolation Ancient Civilization laughed heartily: "Now, the final strike to send you all to your graves!" He unleashed another slash—a torrent of water, intended to manifest the primordial great flood, encompassing the Vice Lord of the Heavenly Deceit Civilization, the Vice Lord of the Heavenly Attack Civilization, the Vice Lord of the Heavenly Defense Civilization, as well as Imperial Son Bao Yi, Empress Bing Han, Consort Bing Xin, King Bao Shu, Prince Bao, Imperial Daughter Bao Bei, and others, aiming to kill them all.

Death was imminent! Under the threat of annihilation, resistance was futile; they could only continue chanting the six words: Desolation Ends with Lu and Lu Yuan.

Imperial Daughter Bao Bei watched the world-destroying blade light descend, silently praying in her heart: "Lu Yuan, appear."

Clang!

A blindingly intense sword light suddenly erupted. This light contained absolute trust, an extraordinary form of conviction, and boundless vitality—the light of all beings brought forth life. This fiercely brilliant sword light firmly blocked the world-ending slash. The saber blow, striking in the void, generated a million streaks of blade energy—a million world-shattering forces. Yet, the sword light held firm, guarding them steadfastly, whether facing a hundred streaks or a thousand. It simply refused to yield.

Who? Who could withstand a saber technique of the Sixth Epoch? And not even lose ground! No one within the sealed territory of the Artifact Continent should be able to invade, and no one residing inside should be capable of this feat. The Vice Lord of the Desolation Ancient Civilization looked toward his opponent, seeing a figure in a plain blue robe swept by the wind, his long hair dancing wildly.

Lu Yuan! He had actually emerged from the primordial flood of billions of plagues that the Vice Lord had unleashed, and he had appeared right here. This was no small feat. The Vice Lord glanced back at his own primordial plague flood and discovered it had indeed been broken.

And those who were moments from death—Imperial Daughter Bao Bei, Imperial Son Bao Yi, Imperial Son Bao Huang, Empress Bing Han, Empress Bing Xin, Vice Lord Tian Fang, Vice Lord Tian Gong, and so many others—realized they had been saved. They saw the figure in the blue robe, hair whipping in the wind. Who could it be but Lu Yuan? Lu Yuan had appeared.

Onlookers from the Artifact Civilization watched the unfolding spectacle. They had presumed the vital figures of their civilization were about to perish in this battle, only to witness them being rescued from the world-destroying saber light by a man in blue.

That sword. That man. That streak of blue.

"Who is that? To block a strike from the Sixth Epoch Vice Lord of the Desolation Ancient Civilization?" a rough-looking man demanded.

"That attire, and someone using a sword? Of course, it’s Lu Yuan. Who else could it be?" a pretty young wife retorted, giving the rough man a sidelong glance. This young wife was also a die-hard admirer of Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan’s usual appearance, coupled with the romantic aura of a man and his sword, greatly attracted many young ladies and married women. He had countless devoted followers.

"So that’s Lu Yuan. Truly formidable. Wait, I heard Lu Yuan's greatest feat was defeating the combined force of the Third Epoch Vice Lord of the Miao Saber Civilization and the Second Epoch Vice Lord of the Miao Urn Civilization. His current power level should only be near the Third Epoch. How could he possibly block a strike from the Sixth Epoch Vice Lord of the Desolation Ancient Civilization?" commented a man dressed like a meticulous fortune teller, whose highest aspiration was creating Future Instruments, especially divination tools.

"Lu Yuan possesses limitless potential, and he is famously known as the Expert Who Slays Desolation," offered a scholar-like figure.

"Exactly! Why worry about the details? Lu Yuan's appearance is enough!" a young woman chimed in.

"Yes, Lu Yuan has appeared!" "Desolation Ends with Lu, Lu Yuan has appeared!"

"Desolation Ends with Lu, Lu Yuan has appeared!" Wave after wave of sound swept through the Artifact Continent, spreading the joyous news of Lu Yuan’s arrival. Yes, even if most people knew deep down that Lu Yuan was unlikely to match the Sixth Epoch Vice Lord of the Desolation Ancient Civilization, so what? They were shouting for their last shred of hope. Cries for Lu Yuan erupted everywhere—across the mountains, valleys, continent, and civilization.

The Vice Lord of the Desolation Ancient Civilization turned his gaze to Lu Yuan. "I did not expect you to shatter my primordial flood of billions of plagues. Escaping it is your skill. Regrettably, you shouldn't have shown yourself immediately. If you had hidden, perhaps you could have clung to life for a little longer. Now, I will destroy you, and let those who shout 'Desolation Ends with Lu, Lu Yuan' witness your death, shattering their final hope." The Vice Lord of the Desolation Ancient Civilization smiled with his customary refinement. He found immense pleasure in crushing the last hope of so many people, driving them into complete despair.

His liquid long saber pointed directly at Lu Yuan.

(First update delivered.)