This gust arrived just as suddenly.

However, this wind was entirely different from the ethereal breeze associated with the Immortal Wind Civilization.

This wind felt like one blowing across the wilderness, carrying the scent of the untamed earth—the fragrance of green grass, the smell of trees, the essence of seeds, and countless other aromas.

The Deputy Lord of the Immortal Wind Civilization couldn't help but furrow his brow; he already knew who the newcomer was.

The Deputy Lord of the Desolate Wind Civilization! The Seventh Epoch Deputy Lord of the Primordial Desolate Civilization.

The reason the Immortal Wind Deputy Lord frowned was that the Desolate Wind Deputy Lord frequently vied with him for the title of the foremost master of wind techniques within the Desolate Immortal Buddha Alliance.

The Desolate Wind Deputy Lord materialized abruptly. He too was a young man, **bare-chested, exhibiting a certain wildness, his sculpted muscles defined. Behind him was a scimitar, the Wind-Treading Divine Blade, shaped with the sleek lines of the wind itself.

The Desolate Wind Deputy Lord looked toward the Immortal Wind Deputy Lord: "You are Number Six?" He noted the numeral displayed on the other’s person.

The Desolate Wind Deputy Lord understood he was ranked Seventh.

The Strongest Assassination Squad always comprised exactly ten members.

Number One was the strongest, Number Ten the weakest—these were the established rules!

Yet here was the Immortal Wind Deputy Lord ranked Sixth, and he, the Desolate Wind Deputy Lord, only Seventh. This implied that, in the eyes of the Desolate Immortal Buddha Alliance leadership, he was still inferior to the Immortal Wind Deputy Lord, which deeply displeased the Desolate Wind Deputy Lord: "Deputy Lord of the Immortal Wind Civilization, I will surpass you this time."

These two, being wind system experts, arrived the quickest, for wind, by its nature, is the fastest element.

Shortly thereafter, the remaining eight members of the Assassination Squad also made their appearances.

Individuals belonging to the Strongest Assassination Squad—even the one ranked Tenth—possessed the magical power of the Sixth Epoch. The power of the one ranked Number One was even more astonishing: the strength of the Ninth Epoch, merely a step away from ascending to the realm of the Civilization Lord. Unquestionably, Number One was the captain of the Strongest Assassination Squad.

From One to Ten, all had assembled.

Every single one of these ten figures was a titan in the cosmos. The so-called Strongest Assassination Squad was a terrifying force deployed during Epoch Wars; each excelled in the path of assassination. Individually formidable, the ten assembled together were exponentially more dreadful.

All of them turned their gazes toward the target. This time, the command issued from above was singular: Lu Yuan.

Number One spoke plainly: "The target this time is Lu Yuan. Does anyone have an objection?" Number Three remarked carelessly, "The ten of us combined can sweep aside anyone beneath the rank of Civilization Lord. Since we have been mobilized for this task, Lu Yuan is doomed. There is no need for debate." They were not exaggerating; this was merely a statement of fact, for they themselves were known as the strongest team under the Desolate Immortal Buddha Alliance—the Strongest Assassination Squad.

Numbers One through Ten all understood why Lu Yuan was the target. Lu Yuan might have slain seven Civilization Realm experts, which constituted a major transgression against the Desolate Immortal Buddha Alliance. Furthermore, there was the prophecy of Huang Jian Yu Lu (Desolate Prophecy Upon Lu), which sealed Lu Yuan’s fate as one destined to die. That prophecy, Huang Jian Yu Lu, was utterly laughable; today, they would extinguish it right here.

"I claim the credit for this kill," declared Number Seven, the Deputy Lord of the Desolate Wind Civilization, with blunt assertiveness. As the fastest among them, the others could not contest his claim to the first strike.

"I will snatch that premier kill away," stated the Deputy Lord of the Immortal Wind Civilization, Number Six, coolly. Even within the Desolate Immortal Buddha Alliance, there were internal rivalries regarding which faction held primacy or which individual was the strongest.

Number One stated placidly, "I have matters requiring my attention. The assassination of Lu Yuan will therefore be entrusted to Number Two." Number One was currently at a critical juncture in his bid to break through to the Civilization Lord realm and had a crucial engagement pending, so he was uninterested in this minor affair, delegating it to Number Two.

Number Two accepted the task casually. For him, this was an exceptionally simple matter; Lu Yuan was merely another figure of his caliber whom he had dispatched countless times before.

......

Lu Yuan traversed the void, covering tens of thousands of miles with a single step. He was currently on his way to deliver the Grand Seal of Desolation to Yan Cangtian.

While traveling, Lu Yuan suddenly halted his pace: "Since you’ve come out, show yourselves." "Oh, quite perceptive. Good, good. A pity such a perceptive person is about to die by my hand." A heavily built man, bare-chested like a raw wilderness wind, materialized abruptly, carrying a streamlined long saber: "I am the Deputy Lord of the Desolate Wind Civilization, and also Number Seven in the Strongest Assassination Squad. You should feel honored to perish by my hand."

Lu Yuan froze for a moment. The Strongest Assassination Squad? What was that? Wait—a wave of danger washed over him. It was reminiscent of the feeling when he had reached the Civilization Realm and encountered the Deputy Lord of the Dharma Void Civilization, Fa Kong. At that time, Fa Kong had conveyed a message from the First Imperial Son of the Dharma Ancient Civilization: "If you encounter the Strongest Assassination Squad, flee to the Dharma Ancient Civilization at your fastest speed; absolutely do not engage them. Remember this, remember this." Lu Yuan had been curious then about this squad, and Deputy Lord Fa Kong had said with extreme gravity: "The so-called Strongest Assassination Squad is composed of ten formidable Deputy Lords of Civilization, each specializing in assassination. The Desolate Immortal Buddha Alliance maintains one such unit, and the Dharma Martial Alliance maintains another. Such a squad is terrifyingly powerful and represents a critically important asset in the Epoch Wars." Deputy Lord Fa Kong had warned, "If I encountered the Strongest Assassination Squad, I would face certain death, with no chance of survival whatsoever." Fa Kong, a Fifth Epoch master, could guarantee his demise against them, calling them the strongest unit in the Epoch Wars. Lu Yuan had never forgotten those words.

Later, Lu Yuan had researched data concerning the Strongest Assassination Squad in the Ancient Phoenix Civilization. The more he looked, the more his heart chilled. He discovered that this squad had previously executed numerous experts in the Civilization Realm, including figures from the Ninth Epoch. This realization had sent a shockwave through him.

And now, unexpectedly, he faced a member of this very squad. Was this man Number Seven? Judging by his robust magical power, which seemed even greater than the Deputy Lord of the Desolate Wind Civilization, he must possess at least Seventh Epoch strength. If such a person ranked Seventh, the top six must be exponentially stronger.

Lu Yuan instantly recognized the perilous nature of his predicament. He hadn't expected the Strongest Assassination Squad to be deployed because of him. However, on second thought, it was likely the trouble stirred up by Huang Jian Yu Lu from the Magical Treasure Civilization. That prophecy must have terrified the Primordial Desolate Civilization into deploying such a formidable lineup to eliminate him.

"He will not die by your hand, but by mine." A voice like immortal music resonated, and amidst the swirling immortal winds, a handsome, white-haired youth appeared, bearing a resemblance to the Son of Immortality in temperament. The youth smiled faintly: "I am the Deputy Lord of the Immortal Wind Civilization, ranked Number Six in the Strongest Assassination Squad." The first to attack were Number Six and Number Seven, as their speed was superior. The core skills of Number Six and Number Seven were elegantly simple: speed!

Rapid movement, rapid strikes!

This in itself constituted an excellent method of assassination.

Among the Desolate Immortal Buddha faction, below the rank of Civilization Lord, the two fastest experts were precisely the Immortal Wind and Desolate Wind masters. This explained their high rankings—Sixth and Seventh—in the Strongest Assassination Squad.

Now, the two intended to strike Lu Yuan down with sheer speed.

The Deputy Lord of the Immortal Wind Civilization moved suddenly: "Lu Yuan's premier kill is mine." The Deputy Lord of the Desolate Wind Civilization also moved abruptly. Both men’s strikes were as fast as lightning, far outpacing Lu Yuan. Realizing he could not compete with them in reaction speed, Lu Yuan chose not to contest at all; instead, he took a single step, invoking the Nine Heavens Gale Technique, and vanished instantly.

Lu Yuan's movement carried immense potential!

The Deputy Lord of the Immortal Wind Civilization sneered: "To dare compete in speed against me, how ridiculous." The Deputy Lord of the Desolate Wind Civilization also allowed a cold smile: "The reigning masters of speed are here. Lu Yuan, you will obediently surrender the first strike now." The Immortal Wind Deputy Lord employed the Immortal Wind Nine Transformations. His speed technique was named 'Nine Transformations' because nine represented the ultimate number, as he believed his Immortal Wind Nine Transformations had reached the absolute zenith of speed, beyond any possible further refinement. Indeed, the speed of his Immortal Wind Nine Transformations was terrifyingly hard to match.

The Desolate Wind Deputy Lord used a movement art called the Victorious Immortal Hundred Steps. His aim with this technique was to outpace the Immortal Wind Deputy Lord within a hundred paces; he believed his Victorious Immortal Hundred Steps surpassed the Immortal Wind Nine Transformations in speed.

These two figures, renowned for their speed, activated the Immortal Wind Nine Transformations and the Victorious Immortal Hundred Steps, respectively, chasing after Lu Yuan, expecting to overtake him with ease.

However, they immediately realized they were mistaken. Despite their speeds, they could not catch Lu Yuan. What was happening?

This was baffling!

They had always believed that below the Civilization Lord level, only two people were beyond their reach: the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady and the Deputy Lord of the Wind Civilization. Anyone else could be overtaken. But now, they watched Lu Yuan’s figure pulling further away from theirs! Lu Yuan’s speed was slightly superior to both of them! How could this be possible?!

The truth, fundamentally, was simple: Lu Yuan had learned the Nine Heavens Gale Technique from the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady, granting him astonishing velocity, allowing him to cover one hundred thousand li in a single step. Subsequently, from Zhen Yuanzi, he had acquired the immortal art of Ground Shrinkage into Dust. Both the Nine Heavens Gale Technique and the Ground Shrinkage into Dust immortal art were renowned for their speed, techniques that ranked ahead of the Desolate Wind and Immortal Wind movements.

Combining the two methods made his speed terrifyingly immense, slightly faster than both the Immortal Wind and Desolate Wind masters.

Therefore, the simultaneous failure of the Sixth and Seventh members of the Strongest Assassination Squad was, by all logic, entirely expected.