Within the Immortal Questioning Palace, the Lord of the Desolate Dao Civilization was interrogating a prisoner—the Deputy Lord of the Qin Civilization, who had been imprisoned for nine epochs.

The interrogation targeted the remnants of the Shatu City faction: Fagu, Wugu, and Fenggu.

"The little fish are boring; if the Desolate Guard Army wants to capture someone, they should capture a true master."

The entire Immortal Questioning Palace was under extremely tight security, as the prisoner was held there and the Commander-in-Chief of the Desolate Guard Army was present. Not even a fly, let alone a mosquito, could penetrate the defenses.

Whoosh!

A figure descended.

Given the absolute lockdown, the appearance of someone dropping in—when not even a mosquito could enter—was a monumental transgression!

This was a grave offense! If this intruder could be apprehended, perhaps the penalty could be mitigated. A group of guards immediately rushed forward. Regardless, capturing or killing this person was the quickest route to absolving their own potential crimes. The Desolate Guard personnel attacked, but before they could even approach the newcomer, they found themselves utterly immobilized. In the next instant, every one of them dissolved into a mist of blood.

From beginning to end, the visitor hadn't even lifted a finger. The intruder stood with hands clasped behind their back.

The Desolate Guard consisted of top-tier experts, the lowest rank being World Realm masters. Yet, without the visitor making any visible move, these World Realm experts were reduced to blood mist—a terrifying display of power.

At that moment, within the Immortal Questioning Palace, a figure from the First Epoch emerged.

A First Epoch master was a Deputy Civilization Lord, far beyond ordinary beings. They were the overlords of the cosmos, the kings of the heavens, beings capable of surviving an entire epoch, those who had shattered the shackles of the cosmos. This First Epoch master roared, "To dare intrude upon Desolate Guard territory, you have courage! Die!"

Boom! This First Epoch master unleashed an attack of unimaginable strength!

The attack shook the very foundations of existence, a single strike akin to world annihilation. This was the master's ultimate technique, the Blazing Dragon World-Eradication Wave—a formidable art seamlessly fusing technique and sorcery. At that moment, the Deputy Civilization Lord from the First Epoch felt absolute confidence that they could obliterate the intruder, or at the very least, hold them off.

But...

The visitor merely glanced at the First Epoch master. Instantly, that master felt the surrounding heavens and earth begin to collapse. The pressure around him intensified relentlessly. Impossible! How could a mere glance generate such formidable power? It was an overwhelming, irresistible force.

A sense of utter helplessness washed over the First Epoch master. He could feel the crushing pressure increasing across his entire body. Boom! He, too, was instantly vaporized into a mist of blood.

A First Epoch Lord, destroyed by a single look—what kind of divine ability was this?

Countless onlookers nearby were stunned. Who was this visitor?

"Intruder, you court death!" A Fifth Epoch master stormed out of the Immortal Questioning Palace. This was the Deputy Civilization Lord of the Gloomy Cloud Civilization, whose greatest asset was a cloud imbued with inherent malice, gathering ten thousand types of toxicity, causing opponents extreme agony. The Deputy Lord of the Gloomy Cloud Civilization was a fierce general of the Desolate Guard.

As the Deputy Lord of the Gloomy Cloud Civilization charged, he hurled his signature weapon: the Myriad Evils Gloomy Cloud, plummeting towards the intruder.

This artifact could corrupt weapons, magical treasures, and the very being of its target. Many Fifth Epoch masters had met their end because of it.

The visitor spared the Deputy Lord of the Gloomy Cloud Civilization another look. However, a Fifth Epoch master was not someone who could be felled by a mere glance. The Deputy Lord charged aggressively, convinced the intruder’s look was some sort of dark sorcery. Since he remained unaffected by the initial gaze, having broken through its dark spell, why should he fear this opponent?

The Deputy Lord of the Gloomy Cloud Civilization’s dark cloud enveloped the target. Once it made contact, victory was assured.

Success!

The cloud brushed against the intruder’s blue robes.

The visitor lightly raised their right hand, flicking their finger. The flick transformed into a sword-like projection, striking three times in rapid succession.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Gloomy Cloud of the Deputy Lord was instantly shattered. Moreover, he felt a sharpness, a sensation entirely new to him, exploding within his body—a razor-edge energy that instantly blasted him into a blood mist. The Fifth Epoch master, the Deputy Lord of the Gloomy Cloud Civilization, had finally forced the visitor to make a move, yet the result was an instant one-shot kill.

Who is this visitor? They are too powerful!

A figure strode out from the Immortal Questioning Palace: the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, who had recently ascended to the Tenth Epoch.

When the Primordial Heavenly Venerable made his move, everyone’s confidence surged. He was the Civilization Lord, a rank above the Deputy Civilization Lord—a fundamental difference in stature. Capturing or killing the opponent should be relatively easy for him. Yet, upon exiting the Immortal Questioning Palace, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable froze, halting his advance.

"Lu Yuan."

"That is correct," the visitor replied calmly.

The mere mention of the name Lu Yuan silenced the entire assembly. From the Primordial Heavenly Venerable down to the World Realm cultivators, and even the few Deputy Civilization Lords present, everyone fell quiet, as if the name held a potent magic. They stared fixedly at the figure clad in blue robes, a sword sheathed on his back, radiating an air of effortless grace and languid power. The name unheard of for five hundred years, the figure unseen for five centuries, had finally reappeared.

This was a forbidden name.

This was a name that caused the Ancient Desolate Dynasty endless headaches, provided he remained alive.

This was a name ranked just below the Ancestral Dragon.

This was a name synonymous with countless miracles.

This was a name prophesied to cause the Desolate Ancient Era to wither.

This was a name that the Eternal Lord of the Ancient Desolate Era had sworn to personally execute.

This was a name that, by its mere absence, haunted the nightmares of countless Deputy and Civilization Lords of the Ancient Desolate Dynasty.

Lu Yuan had appeared!

No one had anticipated Lu Yuan would show up here. Since it was Lu Yuan, then the demise of the First Epoch master and the Fifth Epoch Deputy Lord of the Gloomy Cloud Civilization was no surprise. Lu Yuan had killed Civilization Lords before; killing a few Deputy Lords was nothing to him.

Because he was Lu Yuan.

A World Realm cultivator from a Lost Land, who hadn't paid much attention to current affairs, was the only one present unfamiliar with Lu Yuan's reputation. He sent an urgent mental message to a nearby friend, who promptly transmitted Lu Yuan’s past combat achievements. Upon receiving the record of Lu Yuan's deeds, the cultivator from the Lost Land was nearly dumbfounded. The things Lu Yuan had accomplished were truly world-shattering; any single one was an event that reshaped the cosmos. It was no wonder the mere utterance of his name commanded such overwhelming presence.

Silence. Utter, profound silence.

This was the sheer weight of Lu Yuan’s current renown, evoked by nothing more than his name.

The Primordial Heavenly Venerable spoke, "It is Brother Lu, then." Although the Venerable was much older than Lu Yuan, Lu Yuan's strength was clearly superior. He naturally addressed him as "Brother Lu." "The heavens and earth are settled now, and the Eternal Lord has manifested. Though Brother Lu has repeatedly wrought miracles and is an unparalleled genius, you absolutely cannot stand against the Eternal Lord. As the saying goes, a wise man submits to circumstances. Why not surrender to the Ancient Desolate Dynasty? I can offer an introduction."

Lu Yuan smiled faintly. "Do you truly believe that possible? I am determined to slay that bald man from the Ancient Desolate realm." The Ancient Desolate Lord was indeed bald, but now that he held the title of Eternal Lord, no one dared refer to him so casually. In this age, even the characters 'bald,' 'monk,' or 'bright' were banned from official memorials submitted to him. Merely daring to call the Ancient Desolate Lord 'bald' was a capital offense, punishable by the execution of ten generations of kin.

Of course, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable was not genuinely insulting the Lord; he was simply buying time. If he had to truly fight Lu Yuan, he wouldn't dare even if his life depended on it.

"I believe on my way here, I encountered one of your Desolate Guard leaders, Young Master Huang Qing. I killed him casually. How dare they hunt those belonging to my Sword Dao? Primordial Heavenly Venerable, relay a message to that bald man from the Ancient Desolate realm for me. Tell him that Lu Yuan has returned, and his good days are numbered. He should clean his bald head and await death; he won't be alive much longer," Lu Yuan stated coolly.

Everyone had been wondering who killed Young Master Huang Qing. It turned out to be Lu Yuan—what audacity! Daring to kill the son of the Desolate Guard Commander! Many secretly thought this was suicidal folly, but upon hearing the latter part of the message, the former transgression seemed trivial. Lu Yuan repeatedly invoked the Ancient Desolate Lord’s name, and worse, he instructed the supremely noble and powerful Eternal Lord of the Ancient Desolate Era to wash his neck and his bald head in preparation. This offense warranted the extermination of a hundred generations—utter, undeniable death.

Yet, for all the severity of his crimes, no one dared lay a hand on him. Lu Yuan stood there, radiating terrifying power—who would dare attack?

"Lu Yuan! You dare kill my son, Young Master Huang Qing! You seek death!" A devastating killing intent shot skyward, accompanied by a furious roar that pierced the heavens.

Several Civilization Lords erupted from the Immortal Questioning Palace, soaring toward the clouds. Each of these Civilization Lords possessed devastating, world-shaking power. Leading them was the Lord of the Desolate Dao Civilization. He commanded the magic power of the Eighteenth Epoch, practically controlling the very fabric of the world. His aura surged; his fury exploded. He had been desperately searching for the killer of Huang Qing, and now it was Lu Yuan! Damn it! They hadn't met in five hundred years, and on their first meeting, Lu Yuan killed his beloved son.

Simultaneously, massive chains manifested, sweeping outwards in all directions. These were restraints meant to shield the planet; otherwise, the world would instantly be annihilated. Battles between Civilization Lords were not minor affairs; obliterating a planet was as simple as exhaling.

"Lu Yuan, I want you dead! Dead by my hand!" the Lord of the Desolate Dao Civilization roared.

This fierce cry from Lu Yuan echoed across every plane of the planet.

Likewise, the mere mention of the name Lu Yuan sparked countless discussions.

"Lu Yuan has reappeared?" people exclaimed, spreading the news rapidly.

(Second update delivered.)