This place, this very place, was once the location of the World Volcano. This site, in and of itself, formed the very nexus of this world. After unifying the myriad heavens and worlds, the Primordial Eternal Lord established his capital here, erecting the Palace of Eternity. This Palace of Eternity, though termed a single palace, was in reality immeasurably vast and broad, dwarfing even planets many times over. The Palace of Eternity comprised exactly one hundred million steps, ascending one by one; only after traversing all one hundred million steps could one pay homage to the Primordial Eternal Lord, a scale meant to underscore His supreme greatness. The true structure of the Eternal Celestial Palace was fundamentally these one hundred million stairs. Level with the lowest steps were individual residences, designated for the lowest echelon of the Desolate Dynasty’s cultivators, those residing in the Chaos Hole Realm. A little higher, flanking the stairs on both sides, were the quarters for those in the World Realm. Further up still resided the High-Tier Celestial Venerables of the World Realm. Climbing higher still were the residences of the Vice-Lords of Civilizations—a truly elevated echelon. And then, the ascent continued, step by step.

Should anyone be granted the rare audience with the Eternal Lord, ascending the stairs one by one would only amplify the sense of the Primordial Eternal Lord’s ever-increasing grandeur and immense power. The entire Eternal Celestial Palace was centered around these one hundred million steps, with all the auxiliary chambers and adornments constructed in an overwhelmingly majestic and unimaginable scale. All the rooms and edifices collectively formed the shape of a colossal gate—the very image of the Gate of Eternity. Here was not only the geographical center of the world but also its substantive core. One Eternal Lord, over one hundred Civilization Lords, more than three hundred Vice-Lords of Civilizations, a number of cultivators in the World Realm akin to the sands of the Ganges, and countless beings in the Chaos Hole Realm. Could any other force in existence rival such might?

Concurrently, the Eternal Celestial Palace radiated an inexhaustible aura of majesty. This was inherently the most venerated location under the heavens. Even Ancestral Dragon, who claimed the apex of power across nineteen Eras, nearly second only to the Eternal Lord, dared not act presumptuously here; lesser beings were out of the question entirely. Simply being appointed a guard at the Eternal Celestial Palace was a matter of immense honor. The thirty-six Celestial Venerables serving as gatekeepers were all figures of celebrated renown. Normally, even the most powerful individuals, including those at the Civilization Realm, treated these gatekeepers with utmost courtesy, careful not to offend, often offering stray spirit stones as tokens of respect. But now, every guard turned their gaze upon this figure in cyan robes. This young man in cyan not only offered no tribute but rested his hand upon his sword hilt, radiating an overwhelming battle intent. Such audacity—to behave this way within the Eternal Celestial Palace—was tantamount to courting death.

“Lad, immediately sheath your weapon and retreat far, or hold us not to blame if we must apprehend you.” One of the Celestial Venerable guards declared.

Another Celestial Venerable guard scrutinized the man in cyan: “This person in cyan, why does he look somewhat familiar?” A third guard nodded in agreement: “Yes, he is familiar. I think I saw him on the wanted list. But surely that’s a joke; what kind of fugitive would dare approach the Eternal Celestial Palace? That’s suicide.” This guard casually glanced to the side, where the official wanted posters were displayed. The Desolate Dynasty posted its wanted lists everywhere; those ranked in the top one hundred were all world-shattering figures. This particular list mainly featured those at the Civilization Realm—if you hadn't reached that level, you weren't qualified to be listed. The Celestial Venerable guard scanned the list, moving from the bottom upward. One hundredth... thirtieth... twentieth... tenth. The cyan-robed figure's visage was absent from all these spots. It must have been a misperception; perhaps he had seen the person elsewhere. The guard concluded he was simply forgetful, dismissing the thought. Indeed, these guards could rightly be called privileged figures; what other description fit those guarding the Eternal Celestial Palace? The Celestial Venerable guard then casually swept over the top ten fugitives: Tenth, Yan Cangtian; Ninth, the Lord of the Heavenly Fate Civilization; Eighth, the Lord of the Secret Civilization; Seventh, the Lord of the Divine Dragon Civilization; Sixth, the Lord of the Phoenix Ancient Civilization; Fifth, the Lord of the Martial Ancient Civilization; Fourth, the Lord of the Law Ancient Civilization; Third, Chang’e; Second, Ancestral Dragon. These nine wanted criminals were utterly ferocious.

But the most fearsome was listed first. Lu Yuan! Wait—the portrait of Lu Yuan on the wanted list bore a striking resemblance to this man in cyan. No, it wasn't a resemblance; it was him! Lu Yuan!

“That is Lu Yuan.” The Celestial Venerable guard cried out instantly. “What, Lu Yuan?” As soon as the name was uttered, everyone looked from the wanted poster to the man in cyan, finally confirming that this person was indeed Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan had appeared! This was utterly unbelievable! Lu Yuan had dared to manifest himself in the Eternal Celestial Palace. The name Lu Yuan carried an undeniable, infinite magic. Five centuries prior, he had achieved countless staggering feats; now, resurfacing after five centuries, he had slain the Lord of the Desolate Path Civilization and annihilated the Desolate Guard Army. Furthermore, many now suspected that the recent demise of the Lost Civilization Lord was also his work, given the presence of an incredibly sharp sword energy on the body—a technique only Lu Yuan could execute; not even Yan Cangtian could match it. In his return, he had single-handedly cut down beings across eighteen Eras, with the nineteenth Era yielding to him. Lu Yuan’s resurgence was truly devastatingly brutal. And now, even more brutally, Lu Yuan dared to stand before the Eternal Celestial Palace—the most august location under heaven—where the Primordial Eternal Lord Himself resided. The number one fugitive in the world actually dared to stand before the world’s strongest Eternal Lord. This was utterly ferocious.

Lu Yuan drank his wine, entirely at ease.

In fact, before arriving, Lu Yuan had two matters to attend to. The first was writing a letter to Yun Xiuxue, explaining the gravity of this conflict, affirming that he proceeded without regret, as this was the final hope. The second was seeking out the most potent liquor. There was a vintage in the Heavens renowned for its supreme harshness and vulgarity; it possessed no grand name—it was simply called the Inferior Wine. Inferior Wine: both base and fierce, carrying a subtle bitterness on the tongue and a catastrophic aftershock. Lu Yuan foresaw that this battle would be the most intense, and possibly the final, of his life. To properly celebrate such a climactic, final engagement, how could he not partake heartily in a bowl of wine? Thus, he had procured a full ten thousand jin of this Inferior Wine. With his wine secured and his sword at his side, Lu Yuan arrived.

Lu Yuan drank heartily, some of the liquid tracing a path down his lower lip, wetting his chin. He wiped the wine stain away: “You guards are clearly no match for me. I have no desire to trouble you further. Inform the bald head, the Primordial Eternal Lord, that Lu Yuan has arrived.”

Lu Yuan gazed toward the sky. At the very apex of the Eternal Heavens was a passage of profound darkness. That dark passage seemed to contain infinite destiny—it was the Destiny Channel, confirmed by the six other Immutable Laws of Destiny: this was indeed the channel of destiny, and it appeared to be on the verge of shattering. Once shattered, the Primordial Eternal Lord would secure four Immutable Laws of Destiny, rendering every living being in the heavens forever incapable of matching him.

The Celestial Venerable guards naturally understood that ascending would be suicide, so they wisely refrained from offering themselves up. They immediately began relaying the news of the world’s number one fugitive, Lu Yuan, appearing. At that moment, from the very top of the Eternal Celestial Palace, a voice of supreme grandeur resonated: “Lu Yuan, I know you have arrived. Your formidable presence might deceive others, but it cannot hide from me.” At the zenith of the heavens, a pair of eyes materialized. These were the eyes of a peerless overlord who had surveyed all creation. The sight that belonged to the Primordial Eternal Lord.

“Lu Yuan, we meet again after five centuries. Five hundred years ago, just before I entered the Gate of Eternity, we exchanged a palm strike. In that single blow, neither of us gained the upper hand. I stated then that I would one day stand above all sentient beings, and you all would remain below. I keep my word; everything unfolded as I declared.” “Now, I am the Eternal Lord.” The Primordial Eternal Lord let out a grand, booming laugh: “This Destiny Channel is exceptionally well-hidden. I searched for it for over four hundred years, only for it to be concealed at the very peak of the Eternal Celestial Palace. It was the least likely place. Destiny truly plays tricks on mortals. Fortunately, I have found it. You must realize that this Destiny Channel is your final hope. Unfortunately, your last hope is about to be crushed by me. I will not descend to meet you; I will remain at the summit of the Eternal Celestial Palace, continuing my assault on the Destiny Channel. Once breached, with four Laws of Destiny in my grasp, you will all be permanently and irrevocably defeated.” “If you wish to contest them, then ascend to the very top of the Eternal Celestial Palace! Hahahaha, I await you above.” The Primordial Eternal Lord and Lu Yuan locked gazes across one hundred million steps. The one supreme under heaven, confronting the most wanted criminal under heaven. One gaze that seemed to last an instant, yet felt like an eternity. In utter stillness, the Primordial Eternal Lord resumed His attack on the Destiny Channel. And Lu Yuan instantly shot upward, rushing toward the zenith of the Eternal Celestial Palace. He absolutely could not allow the Primordial Eternal Lord to seize the four Immutable Laws of Destiny. ......

Meanwhile, under the Eternal Lord's assault, the Destiny Channel was already tottering precariously. At most, three more ke (a unit of time), and the passage would break. Once breached, if the four Immutable Laws of Destiny fell into the Primordial Eternal Lord's hands, everything would be lost. Time was critical; Lu Yuan pressed his desperate fight. He charged straight upward. However, the Eternal Celestial Palace, proclaimed the mightiest fortified power, the ultimate authority, was not so easily breached.