A handsome, languid young man stood opposite a handsome middle-aged man who, though currently somewhat disheveled, possessed an utterly sharp and piercing aura. In the ground were plunged two divine swords: one, the Yangwu Divine Sword, radiating righteous majesty; the other, the Flying Swallow Divine Sword, nimble and swift.

The two men smiled at each other across the twin blades stuck in the earth.

Yes, we meet again. And I’ve never seen Yan Cangtian look so utterly crestfallen, Lu Yuan mused inwardly with a hearty chuckle.

Yan Cangtian stood with his hands clasped behind his back. "I hear you call yourself the Vice Sovereign of the Sword Civilization. I never consented to that title. My designation is the Vice Sovereign of the Heavenly Sword Civilization. Once you and I carve a path through the Vice Sovereigns of the Mace Civilization and the Evil Sword Civilization, then we shall settle who is the true pinnacle of the Dao of the Sword."

Heavenly Sword! Sword Civilization!

Yan Cangtian had always been arrogant, self-assured, and cold as an unyielding mountain.

Lu Yuan laughed heartily. "Fine. We shall discuss it after we’ve eliminated the Vice Sovereigns of the Mace and Evil Sword Civilizations."

Yan Cangtian took a moment to regulate his breath slightly. "I shall depart first." With a mere press of his foot against the ground, he vanished into the indistinct void.

Watching Yan Cangtian disappear, Lu Yuan instead sought out a clean patch of grass. He lay back, plucked a blade of grass, and tucked it between his lips. Time wasn't pressing right now; he needed to unwind. He retrieved a bottle of wine from the New Sword World, gazed up at the drifting white clouds, and began to drink at his leisure.

While Lu Yuan rested in such perfect ease, a great gust of wind was sweeping through the Central Celestial Dynasty.

On the side of the Desolate Immortal Buddha Alliance, the strongest assassination squad was mobilizing.

Members Number Three through Ten—eight individuals—stood poised upon a solitary star. They awaited news regarding an affair that struck at the very honor of the strongest assassination squad. Lu Yuan had been moving with such blinding speed that many of them had been unable to act, and among those who did strike, Numbers Three, Five, Six, and Seven had all failed.

For the strongest assassination squad, famed throughout the eons, this was an undeniable, profound disgrace. Normally, a member of this elite unit dealing with a junior like Lu Yuan, even Number Ten alone, could have dispatched him with ease. Yet, the reality was that four of their eight members had engaged him, and Lu Yuan had still managed to escape.

What an immense shame!

But if Number Two failed as well, it would cease to be the shame of one man and become the humiliation of the entire team.

Number Two. Now, everything rested on Number Two.

If Number Two struck, there should be no issue.

Because he was Number Two.

Number Two descended, and the other eight immediately focused on him, awaiting the outcome. Number Two intoned a Buddhist salutation. "This old monk’s strike has failed. This Lu Yuan possesses numerous cunning secrets; even I missed my mark." Number Two feared no exposure of weakness; he needed no facade, as Lu Yuan himself was the very epitome of trickery.

Hearing of Number Two's failure, the other eight felt as if they had been violently slapped across the face again and again. They—they, they, they—were the strongest assassination squad! Now, faced with a newly risen junior brat, they had failed! This was such a staggering loss of face, it felt as if their cheeks were burning, leaving them speechless.

It hurt so much! This humiliation felt like a physical blow.

Number Ten spoke up. "The reason for our failure this time was Lu Yuan’s excessive speed. If it were a direct one-on-one confrontation, any one of the ten of us could have killed him."

"Failure is failure; there's no need to search for reasons," Number Three stated with extreme calm. Number Three specialized in array formations, and those who master arrays must possess composure, as intricate formations cannot be laid without a cool head. Number Three looked toward Number Two. "Now that you, Number Two, have also failed, should we seek out Number One? Command will not tolerate our failures."

"If Command will not tolerate it, there is nothing we can do. With Number One’s peerless technique, the 'Thousand Miles Arrow Piercing the Clouds,' he could definitely slay Lu Yuan, especially since that technique inherently counters Lu Yuan's style," Number Two replied. "Seeking out Number One now is certainly an option, but the strongest assassination squad of the Martial-Law Alliance has already mobilized. They have assembled, and they have clearly analyzed our target. Killing Lu Yuan won't be easy for us now. The Number One of the Martial-Law Alliance's strongest assassination squad is likely that very character: the Vice Sovereign of the Slaughter Civilization—a maniac, a killing fiend."

Hearing Number Two’s analysis, the strongest assassination squad fell into a heavy silence.

"Then it seems we must accept this—the first failure of the Era War," Number Four commented, his voice exceptionally cold.

...

On another star, ten figures of terrifying power also convened. These ten shared the title of the Strongest Assassination Squad. Their ranking also ran from One to Ten, with the key difference being that they belonged to the Martial-Law Alliance, not the Desolate Immortal Buddha Alliance.

Number Ten here spoke, "The intelligence reports confirm Lu Yuan is still very much alive, and that the Number Two of the Desolate Immortal Buddha Alliance’s strongest squad has also failed."

"What!" Number Two gasped in shock. Being Number Two himself, he knew the Number Two of the other faction—the Vice Sovereign of the Buddha-Witch Civilization—very well. They had clashed many times, and even he had failed. Did Lu Yuan possess some secret trickery?

The other figures were equally stunned. Before this conflict began, everyone had assumed Lu Yuan was doomed. Yet, here he was, alive and well, having slapped the faces of the Desolate Immortal Buddha Alliance’s elite squad. As rivals, they knew this didn't mean the Buddha-Witch faction was weak; it meant Lu Yuan truly possessed some bizarre, confounding ability.

"Lu Yuan hasn't died, and their operational plan has failed. What should we do?" Number Two inquired.

"They made a move; how can we not return the courtesy?" Number One laughed maniacally. "How about this: let our target be the Son of Desolation. Since their Number One hasn't moved, I won't either. Numbers Two through Ten, you go take care of the Son of Desolation. It's only fair, an eye for an eye?"

The intelligence systems of both alliances relayed the failure of the strongest assassination squad upward, layer by layer, to every key figure. Every high-ranking individual who received this intelligence was consumed by shock—how was it possible? The strongest assassination squad had failed! While the reasons cited included Lu Yuan's extreme speed making assassination impossible, and the fact that the Arrow Civilization Vice Sovereign (Number One) exclusively cultivated the path of the Civilization Lord, failure was failure. This defeat sent tremors through everyone who learned of it: the strongest assassination squad of the Desolate Immortal Buddha Alliance had missed!

This piece of intelligence was not made public; the masses had no way of knowing, nor the right to know. But the highest echelons of the Central Celestial Dynasty were all privy to this exchange, and every single one was shaken into silence.

...

Lu Yuan lay on the grass, watching the slow movement of the sky.

What should I do now?

It seemed he had nothing urgent to attend to. The Era War had indeed begun, but what could he accomplish right now? Rebuilding the Sword Civilization—his strength was still somewhat lacking. He briefly guided the cultivation of those within the New Sword World, especially Shi Fei Xian and Wan Wan, both of whom held the potential to challenge the Civilization Realm. They were both at the peak of the World Realm Second Heaven. Lu Yuan used the remaining three charges of the Great Seal of Desolation to help them pass their heavenly tribulations. This meant his Great Seal of Desolation had one use left, as the one he seized from the Vice Sovereign of the Barren Civilization could only be used four times initially.

While casually sipping his wine, he received a letter.

This letter traveled through a special channel, descending gently with no discernible force.

Lu Yuan broke the seal. The letter contained only a few dozen characters, but the central message was singular.

The letter was from the Lord of the Ancient Law Civilization. It read: "Lu Yuan brat, are you prepared? You may come to claim my daughter now."

Reading the contents, Lu Yuan shot upright with a sudden, powerful spring—a proper carp flip. He read it again, confirming it. Was it time to go claim the daughter of the Lord of the Ancient Law Civilization? A wave of excitement washed over Lu Yuan, mixed with a touch of bewilderment. Yes, he did love Yun Xiuxue—a gentle, tranquil affection. The time spent with her was comfort itself, filled with countless moments of warmth, the eternal promise of the nine crystal fish, the vow of a lifetime, the image of the young woman weeping by the ship's rail when he was close to forgetting everything, and the sight of the girl in white who asked for nothing but his safety when he ventured to the Sacred Land of Civilization. Suddenly, everything vividly returned.

The memories flooded back—a warm spot in the deepest recess of his heart.

Lu Yuan needed only a brief moment to understand the intent behind the Lord of the Ancient Law Civilization summoning him to marry Yun Xiuxue now. The Era War had officially commenced, and he was now a figure of the Five Eras. But what was his concrete relationship with the Martial-Law Alliance? While many knew of his connection to Yun Xiuxue, that bond had never been formally cemented. Now, with the Era War looming, the Lord of the Ancient Law Civilization intended to solidify that relationship, to prevent any misstep. Furthermore, the official joining of the genius swordsman Lu Yuan to the Martial-Law Alliance would undoubtedly bolster the confidence of their side.

Thus, the Lord of the Ancient Law Civilization sent this letter at the very beginning of the Era War.

Occupying the seat of the Lord of the Ancient Law Civilization required extensive foresight.

Lu Yuan decided he would go and marry Yun Xiuxue. Although there were tinges of ambiguity with Yu Tuo Zhongling and Yue Nü Xiao Qing, Yun Xiuxue remained the one truly occupying his deepest thoughts. But then, a thought struck him, almost forgotten.

That issue was: the bride price!

The bride price was a genuine problem, and not a small one. Regardless of status, which ordinary family in the mortal realm did not require a bride price when marrying a daughter?