Young Master Huang Qing held a unique and exalted position within the Ancient Desolation Dynasty, granting him access to the Eternal Lord of Ancient Desolation himself. Likewise, he could meet the high-ranking Lords of Civilization within the Dynasty. The Ancient Desolation Dynasty had gathered a vast number of Civilization Lords to serve it, and Young Master Huang Qing occasionally gleaned insights into their deliberations during their meetings.
The subject of discussion, invariably, was singular: how to extinguish the Anti-Desolation organizations.
Beneath the earth, these Anti-Desolation cells operated like burrowing vermin.
Some of these groups were remnants of the ancient Dharma Civilization, others from the Martial Civilization, some from the Phoenix Civilization, some from the Sword Civilization, and still others were figures from the former City of Fleeting Moments.
These resistance movements scurried about, ceaselessly digging and hiding like subterranean pests.
Of course, with the presence of the Eternal Lord, these insurgencies could never pose a significant threat to the Dynasty, let alone overthrow it—they held that confidence. For the might of the Eternal Lord was truly immense, far surpassing even that of the Nineteenth Epoch; merely contemplating it sent chills down the spine.
These resistance cells could not derail the grand project, but their constant, scattered troublemaking was certainly bothersome.
Thus, the meetings were perpetually dedicated to devising strategies to eradicate these Anti-Desolation factions.
Though Lu Yuan had not surfaced in five hundred years, the Civilization Lords of the Ancient Desolation Dynasty still ranked the threat he posed as second only to the supreme power.
When Young Master Huang Qing finally encountered Lu Yuan, his immediate thought was to capture him and earn unparalleled merit.
Once Lu Yuan was apprehended, even the Eternal Lord himself would surely regard him with newfound respect.
As for actually defeating Lu Yuan, that seemed too simple. Young Master Huang Qing had previously contended with a figure from the Fifth Epoch and emerged victorious. Ordinarily, a one-Epoch cultivator could never defeat a five-Epoch master—Lu Yuan in his past days would have met the same fate. The reason Young Master Huang Qing had won was deceptively straightforward: his lineage.
His identity ensured that even Fifth Epoch figures felt compelled to flatter him.
Young Master Huang Qing genuinely could not conceive of any individual in existence whom he could not defeat.
Young Master Huang Qing fixed his gaze upon Lu Yuan: “Lu Yuan, we are both geniuses of our respective eras. Let me, the genius of five centuries hence, capture you, the genius of five centuries past.” He raised his hand, summoning his Innate Dharma Treasure, the Heaven-Suppressing Pagoda. This pagoda was an Innate Spiritual Treasure belonging to a Civilization Lord, who had gifted his prized artifact to the young master solely to curry favor with his father, the Lord of the Dao Civilization of Ancient Desolation.
This Heaven-Suppressing Pagoda possessed limitless divine abilities.
Boom!
It seemed as if the very heavens were about to be crushed downward.
The sky, the earth, everything bore down upon Lu Yuan with crushing force.
Young Master Huang Qing roared with laughter: “Lu Yuan, be defeated!”
The Heaven-Suppressing Pagoda descended lower and lower, threatening to extinguish the firmament itself.
Under such overwhelming pressure, Lu Yuan should have been terrified.
But Young Master Huang Qing noted with surprise that Lu Yuan exhibited no panic whatsoever. Lu Yuan still held his sword sheathed, calmly speaking to Wanwan: “Your progress over these five centuries has been satisfactory; you’ve reached the rank of First on the Heavenly Ledger.”
After speaking calmly to Wanwan, the Heaven-Suppressing Pagoda was already bearing down upon Lu Yuan’s head. Lu Yuan sighed, “Young people nowadays truly have no concept of the immensity of heaven and earth.” This sigh was unremarkable, yet as it escaped him, the Innate Spiritual Treasure suddenly flew backward with a resounding boom, flung an unknowable distance by the sheer force of that breath.
A mere breath had blasted away an Innate Spiritual Treasure!
This!
Lu Yuan looked toward Young Master Huang Qing.
He merely looked, but the look itself held devastating power.
Young Master Huang Qing realized something was terribly wrong.
Despite Lu Yuan only glancing at him, Young Master Huang Qing perceived that the world around the older man was already disintegrating.
The sky collapsed, the earth shattered.
Young Master Huang Qing tried to flee, only to discover space itself had solidified; all spatial manipulation techniques were nullified.
He attempted to escape using temporal means, grasping a Time-Space Shuttle in his hand, but discovered time itself had frozen.
He tried other methods, only to find the mana within his body utterly static.
Furthermore, Young Master Huang Qing realized that every single cell within him had silently ceased all operation.
This!
This was too exaggerated.
It was just a mere glance—could a single look achieve all this?
Was Lu Yuan truly this powerful?
Young Master Huang Qing knew many Civilization Lords, yet none, not a single one he knew, possessed such capability. His heart hammered violently; this was the true measure of Lu Yuan’s strength! A mere glance had sealed everything, arresting the movement of heaven and earth, causing them to collapse around him, bringing the sensation of death terrifyingly close.
It was horrifying!
Young Master Huang Qing realized he had only one recourse left: “Lu Yuan, if you dare kill me, you declare war on the Ancient Desolation Dynasty! Our Dynasty possesses the Eternal Lord and nearly a hundred Civilization Lords, along with over three hundred Vice-Lords of Civilization. To oppose us is suicide. Release me immediately, and I will drop all pursuit.” In the past, this threat had always worked. The current Ancient Desolation Dynasty was indeed the strongest composite power in existence, harboring unimaginable might, virtually unchallengeable. He roared, “Lu Yuan, do not court death, do not invite your own ruin! Turn back now. I can serve as your intermediary, guiding you into the Ancient Desolation Dynasty. I assure you, the Eternal Lord will utilize you greatly.” If Lu Yuan accepted his words, he could then guide Lu Yuan into the Dynasty, gaining merit equivalent to capture, and then deal with Lu Yuan as he saw fit.
This mere Lu Yuan dared to defy him.
Lu Yuan had to be eliminated.
“Ha,” Lu Yuan chuckled. “When has ‘Ancient Desolation’ ever frightened me? These modern successors truly lack perspective. Five hundred years ago, I stood against the Ancient Desolation Civilization continuously. I single-handedly reversed the outcome of the ultimate great war. Beside the Gate of Eternity, I exchanged a palm strike with the Lord of the Ancient Desolation Civilization. Now, a successor uses Ancient Desolation to scare me? That’s hilarious; truly comical.”
Lu Yuan did not retract his gaze; he continued to fix it upon Young Master Huang Qing.
The pressure on Young Master Huang Qing intensified, becoming more and more terrifying. He felt his entire body was about to explode under the strain. He now sensed that death was truly just one step away. He suddenly understood that Lu Yuan absolutely dared to kill him; this was genuine, undeniable killing intent. He immediately begged for mercy: “Senior Lu, please don’t kill me, don’t kill me.”
Boom!
Young Master Huang Qing dissolved into a mist of blood, vanishing between heaven and earth.
Killing Young Master Huang Qing with a single look.
That gaze was far too terrifying.
This was the power of Lu Yuan, resurfacing after five centuries!
He could dispatch a one-Epoch figure with just a single look!
Everyone present felt an overwhelming shock.
While Lu Yuan had been powerful five hundred years ago, he had never been this overwhelmingly strong.
Lu Yuan turned his gaze toward the retinues accompanying Young Master Huang Qing—followers whose shameless sycophancy and pursuit of the Sword Civilization personnel likely amounted to countless dark deeds. Lu Yuan looked at them again, and with a boom, all dozen-plus followers instantly evaporated into bloody mist, dissipating into the void.
From start to finish, Lu Yuan had not moved even a finger; he had simply cast two mild glances.
Lu Yuan’s first true action was not to kill, but to drink.
He unscrewed the cap of his flask, took a sip, and said, “Wanwan, explain the general situation of the world since my five-hundred-year disappearance.”
“Yes.” Wanwan nodded obediently. She was internally reeling from shock. Five hundred years ago, Lu Yuan was considered top-tier, perhaps, but now every gesture he made carried such immense power that he seemed to rank among the absolute apex of the universe. “Five hundred years ago, about fifty years after your disappearance—that is, four hundred and fifty years ago—the Lord of the Ancient Desolation Civilization, no, the Eternal Lord of Ancient Desolation, stepped out from the Gate of Eternity, simultaneously sealing the Gate within his body, achieving the boundless might of the Twentieth Epoch. Upon his success, his first act was to attack the City of Fleeting Moments. In that battle, the Lord of the Fleeting Moments Civilization, a Nineteenth Epoch entity, fiercely resisted, but was defeated and utterly destroyed, vanishing from existence. The City of Fleeting Moments had over seventy Civilization Lords; those like the Lords of the Dharma, Martial, and Divine Dragon Civilizations had fled, while twenty-odd others swore fealty to the Eternal Lord of Ancient Desolation.”
“The Eternal Lord of Ancient Desolation then proceeded to sweep through the Undying City; everyone there, including the Undying Civilization Lord, submitted.”
“From that point on, the Eternal Lord of Ancient Desolation expelled everyone from the Eternal Star Field, sealing the gate to the star field. Henceforth, no one could enter the Eternal Star Field.”
“At this time, all the Civilization forces in the Central Celestial Court that formed the Anti-Desolation Alliance received word and fled long ago. The Eternal Lord of Ancient Desolation established the Ancient Desolation Dynasty, absorbing all those who pledged allegiance, thus unifying the Central Celestial Court.”
“Four hundred and forty years ago, he assaulted the Lost Lands. The Lost Lands are filled with chaotic, tangled spatial dimensions, yet with the supreme power of the Eternal Lord of Ancient Desolation, he managed to consolidate control in only twenty years.”
“At that point, the world was unified. Various civilizations faded away, leaving only the Ancient Desolation Dynasty, a single, absolute dominion reigning over the heavens and earth.”
“The Dharma, Martial, and other Anti-Desolation forces were reduced to underground groups, constantly resisting the Ancient Desolation Dynasty. Our Sword Civilization, under the leadership of Lord Zhou Qingxuan, followed suit. Lord Yan Cangtian travels alone, but his strength steadily increases; he is now considered a master among the Civilization Lords.”
“And over these last four hundred and twenty years, the Anti-Desolation forces have been relentlessly suppressed, shrinking continually.”
“Many factions have been wiped out, and many others have defected to the Ancient Desolation Dynasty.”
“The Ancient Desolation Dynasty now exclusively dominates the world; none can resist it.”
“We are now nothing more than burrowing rodents.” Wanwan concluded, her expression desolate, having briefly recounted the historical developments of the past five centuries.
This was the profound transformation wrought by five hundred years!
(Second chapter delivered; please continue to recommend my new book, Martial God Invincible... RQ)