Though Lu Yuan had been fighting for a long time, the true engagement of the battle had only just begun.

The opponent facing the Evil Sword Civilization was the Wind Civilization, which was being utterly dominated by them.

The Vice-Lord of the Wind Civilization was currently relying solely on speed to evade, finding himself in dire straits. Initially, it was decided that the Wind Civilization would face the Evil Sword Civilization, and there were no objections at the time.

The Vice-Lord of the Wind Civilization was an Eighth Epoch being, and it was rumored that the Vice-Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization was also an Eighth Epoch. An Eighth Epoch against an Eighth Epoch—who should fear whom?

As it turned out, no one anticipated that the Vice-Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization had unexpectedly broken through to the Ninth Epoch.

It was incredibly difficult for an Eighth Epoch to contend with a Ninth Epoch, a feat the Vice-Lord of the Wind Civilization simply did not possess.

Faced with this situation, the Vice-Lord of the Wind Civilization could only curse his bad luck. He recognized the danger from the very start, choosing evasion over direct confrontation. Fortunately, his prowess lay in speed, allowing him to maneuver, but constant evasion was no solution, and he was now being struck repeatedly by the Vice-Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization.

What to do?

The Vice-Lord of the Wind Civilization pondered for a long time, finding no solution. He knew reinforcement was unrealistic; the entire Stagnant Star Domain was ablaze with conflict, leaving no one free to attend to his plight.

In that instant, a voice cut through the distance, cold and sharp.

"Vice-Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization, your opponent is me. Where are you looking?" The voice was laced with provocation. Who dared challenge a Ninth Epoch figure like the Vice-Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization? The Vice-Lord of the Wind Civilization instinctively turned his gaze. Standing there was an exceedingly handsome middle-aged man dressed in white—his eyebrows like swords, his hair like swords, his eyes like swords, his nose like swords, his lips like swords, his robes like swords, and even his shoes like swords.

This middle-aged man carried a sword on his back.

The Son of the Sword?

No, this white-robed man shared the aura of the Son of the Sword, but he was absolutely not the Son of the Sword.

The Vice-Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization let out a series of strange, sinister laughs. "Yan Cangtian, you actually emerged. It was your luck that you escaped last time. Daring to show yourself again is your misfortune." The handsome, sword-energy-shrouded middle-aged man in white gave a cold smile. "Xie Xie, I told you last time that the next time I appear, I will slay you. Now, I have come to fulfill that." The Vice-Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization erupted in malicious laughter. His power had recently surged to the Ninth Epoch; how could he spare a thought for Yan Cangtian? He laughed menacingly and unleashed a strike with his Evil Extreme Divine Sword—a thrust so intensely evil, so utterly bizarre, that rolling torrents of dark energy, like a galaxy, enveloped the blade. Even the Vice-Lord of the Wind Civilization dared not meet such a strike head-on.

But Yan Cangtian’s expression remained unchanged. He drew the Yan Jingshen Sword. His sword remained the familiar Flying Swallow from years past, though now it had been upgraded to Yan Jing!

The Yan Jingshen Sword descended, carrying with it an aura of the vast heavens.

The Evil Extreme Divine Sword collided with the Yan Jingshen Sword!

Seeking death! the Vice-Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization thought inwardly!

With a boom, the Vice-Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization was thrown back a thousand zhang, and Yan Cangtian likewise retreated a thousand zhang.

The Vice-Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization spoke in astonishment. "My magical power is Ninth Epoch now, yet your cultivation rivals mine. How can you possess such formidable might?" He was truly amazed. To enhance magical power at the Civilization Vice-Lord realm was extremely difficult, yet Yan Cangtian’s growth was this rapid.

Yan Cangtian sneered. "Must I explain why I can slay you before I slay you?" Yan Cangtian once again employed a sword technique and surged forward. The Vice-Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization quickly counter-attacked, and the two continued their fierce contest in the void. One sword represented the zenith of Heaven, the other, the nadir of Evil. The ultimate limit of Heaven clashed head-on with the ultimate limit of Evil, fighting evenly until Yan Cangtian introduced a third limit: the Limit of Yan, and then a fourth: the Limit of Void.

These three Limits pressed down upon the Vice-Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization, instantly reducing him to purely defensive maneuvers, with no ability to retaliate.

Yan Cangtian’s sword strokes became faster with each exchange. The bearing of the Heavenly Sword, its elegance, and its supreme arrogance were all fully displayed in this battle. The Evil Sword Vice-Lord, who had moments ago been crushing the Wind Vice-Lord, was now being utterly suppressed by Yan Cangtian.

"Where the sword resides, the Heavens reside; no fiend may defile it. Die." Yan Cangtian delivered his final strike.

Boom! A mass of bloody filth erupted from the body of the Vice-Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization; he ultimately perished under Yan Cangtian's final blow. The wicked rain of blood burst forth in that final moment, yet not a single drop stained Yan Cangtian’s white robes, which remained as white as snow, untainted. Yan Cangtian retracted his sword and gazed upward. "The sky is truly blue." The Vice-Lord of the Wind Civilization was utterly dumbfounded. Among the famous figures at the Civilization Realm, everyone knew one another—there were only a few hundred such beings in total, and Ninth Epoch individuals were countable on one's fingers. But where had this swordsman, Yan Cangtian, suddenly materialized from? He was utterly mysterious, and his power to fell the mighty Vice-Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization was staggering. When had such a titan emerged in the world?

The Way of the Sword was truly flourishing now. There was Lu Yuan, there was this Yan Cangtian, and there was Zhou Qingxuan, the reincarnation of Jian Ku.

Nearby, one person was nearly paralyzed with shock.

This man was Master Meng Tuotuo, from the Da Yuan Nation, the Supreme Master of the Esoteric Sect among the three Holy Lands of Da Yuan. He was among those subdued by Yan Cangtian in the past, and he knew the true measure of this 'Mount Hua Myth.' However, after entering the Central Heavenly Dynasty, he had come to see Yan Cangtian as merely average. He was currently at World Realm Triple Heaven, feeling quite accomplished, but in the great war of the Central Heavenly Dynasty, he was mere cannon fodder. And now, he saw Yan Cangtian again.

Ninth Epoch magical power!

And he had slain the Ninth Epoch Vice-Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization.

Master Meng Tuotuo murmured, "A myth is indeed a myth."

At that moment, a figure descended from the sky—clad in green, with a face young and bearing a hint of lazy indifference. It was Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan had intended to offer support but witnessed Yan Cangtian's strike instead. "Senior Brother Yan is truly extraordinary, slaying the Vice-Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization."

A rare, faint smile touched Yan Cangtian's face; he was naturally a man who rarely smiled. "You slew the Son of Desolation; you are no less impressive."

The sound of an Erhu suddenly rang out, and a melancholic, gray-clad middle-aged man appeared—it was Zhou Qingxuan.

The Three Myths of Mount Hua—the Heavenly Sword, the Earth Sword, and the Human Sword—were reunited.

Yan Cangtian, Zhou Qingxuan, and Lu Yuan exchanged glances and laughed heartily. Lu Yuan said, "With the three of us gathered today, the Three Swords reunited, coinciding with the Central Heavenly Dynasty's great war, it is a perfect time for a massive slaughter."

"Good," Yan Cangtian declared proudly. "I look forward to testing the Vice-Lords of the Central Arrow Dynasty."

Yan Cangtian, Zhou Qingxuan, and Lu Yuan met their hands in the air for a brief strike.

The Vice-Lord of the Wind Civilization felt a certainty: a combined force of these three meant that not a single Vice-Lord in the Central Heavenly Dynasty could stand against them.

......

On the side of the Desolate Immortal Buddha Alliance, at the main control console, the Vice-Lord of the Destiny Civilization had just received the dire news of the Fire Civilization Vice-Lord’s death, only for another messenger to arrive immediately. "Bad news! The Ninth Epoch Vice-Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization is dead."

The normally impassive face of the Vice-Lord of the Destiny Civilization twitched violently. "It couldn't have been Lu Yuan again, could it?"

The messenger reported, "It wasn't Lu Yuan, sir. It seems to have been a white-robed swordsman named Yan Cangtian who forcefully slew the Vice-Lord of the Evil Sword Civilization."

"It's a relief it wasn't Lu Yuan," the Vice-Lord of the Destiny Civilization muttered, then paused. "Wait, who is this Yan Cangtian?"

The messenger replied, "It is rumored that Lu Yuan called this Yan Cangtian 'Senior Brother.'"

The Vice-Lord of the Destiny Civilization felt a wave of frustration. They were having a decent battle, and suddenly an unknown Ninth Epoch swordsman appears—this was not good news. Lu Yuan was already causing massive havoc; now, containing him would be even harder. "Right, what about the other fronts? Our side held the advantage there; things should be going well."

"Bad news, the Star Civilization is at a disadvantage on their front and is likely to lose."

The Vice-Lord of the Destiny Civilization questioned, "What happened? The Star Civilization is facing the Night Civilization; by strength, the Star Civilization shouldn't be inferior to the Night Civilization. Why are they losing so fast?"

The messenger explained, "The Night Civilization knows the counter-techniques to the Star Civilization's moves, and the Star Civilization cannot cope, thus they are losing."

"How is that possible?" the Vice-Lord of the Destiny Civilization was incredulous. "How could the Night Civilization possibly acquire the counter-techniques to the Star Civilization's moves?"

The messenger answered, "From their discussions, it seems Lu Yuan devised all these counters before the war even began."

"Damn it, Lu Yuan again."

"Bad news, bad news! In the battle between the Thunder Civilization and the Heavenly Mother Civilization, the Thunder Civilization is about to be defeated."

"How?" the Vice-Lord of the Destiny Civilization wondered suspiciously. "The Heavenly Mother Civilization is certainly troublesome, but the Thunder Civilization is not easy to deal with either. The strength of the Thunder Civilization Vice-Lord is not inferior to the Heavenly Mother Civilization’s, and the same applies to other aspects."

"We hear... we hear that Lu Yuan broke the Thunder Civilization's techniques long before the war started."

"Not good, not good! In the fight between the Demon Civilization and the Diagram Civilization, the Demon Civilization side is about to fall."

"How? The strength of the Demon Civilization is not beneath that of the Diagram Civilization; how can they lose?"

"We hear Lu Yuan deciphered most of the Demon Civilization's techniques before the war even commenced, leading to their impending defeat."

"Not good, not good! In the battle between the Flower Civilization and the Umbrella Civilization, the Flower Civilization is going to lose," another messenger reported.

The Vice-Lord of the Destiny Civilization couldn't help but ask, "Surely the Flower Civilization's techniques weren't also broken by Lu Yuan before the war started, were they?"

The messenger nodded: "Yes."

The Vice-Lord of the Destiny Civilization felt only one emotion now. He covered his forehead and sighed toward the heavens, "Since Lu Yuan exists, why must my destiny also exist?" The eyes of the Destiny Civilization Vice-Lord, which could calculate all heavenly destinies, were now filled with utter helplessness.

(Second update delivered. Requesting subscriptions and monthly tickets.)