The Lord of Ancient Desolation struck down the Lords of the Phoenix Ancient and the Law Ancient Civilizations, leaving both severely wounded.
Yet, they were not the first he intended to kill.
These two had limited capability and constrained talent; was there a true difference between killing them sooner or later?
The Lord of Ancient Desolation relentlessly pursued Ancestral Dragon. Ancestral Dragon was the genius of Eternity; though no match for him, the man possessed some aptitude, thus he must be eliminated first. Reaching the speed of the Seventh Tier’s Void, the Lord of Ancient Desolation caught up to Ancestral Dragon and unleashed a strike. Ancestral Dragon raised his own long blade to meet the incoming blow.
The Eternal Blade met the Ancestral Blade.
Boom!
Ancestral Dragon was blasted backward.
The Lord of Ancient Desolation immediately pressed the attack, following up one strike with another. Ancestral Dragon could only parry blade for blade. The battle between the two raged with terrifying intensity. The Lords of the Phoenix Ancient and Law Ancient Civilizations attempted to intervene, but being heavily injured, and with the Lord of Ancient Desolation’s attacks moving too swiftly and stretching too far into the distance, they couldn't insert themselves into the fray.
The Forty-Seventh Move!
Boom!
The Lord of Ancient Desolation delivered his forty-seventh strike.
The first time Ancestral Dragon clashed with the Lord of Ancient Desolation, he had been defeated in forty moves. Yet now, the forty-seventh move had arrived. Had Ancestral Dragon’s strength improved? No, that wasn't right. Both the Lords of the Phoenix Ancient and Law Ancient Civilizations clearly saw Ancestral Dragon's complexion was deathly pale—a state where vital essence had been extinguished.
Ancestral Dragon’s vital essence was spent; he was about to die!
The forty-seven moves, the seven extra strikes, were delivered to finish him off.
The Lord of Ancient Desolation rested the Eternal Long Blade on his shoulder. "One Ancestral Dragon settled. Next, should it be the Law Ancient or the Phoenix Ancient? Let’s take the Lord of the Law Ancient Civilization first. As a long-time opponent, I shall send you on your way first. You all attacked the Eternal Heavenly Palace, so all of you shall perish here. From this day forward, in this world, there will be no more rebels; the rule of my Ancient Desolation Dynasty shall be eternal."
Ancestral Dragon died!
It seemed this battle would conclude with the absolute victory of the Lord of Ancient Desolation. Despair flickered across the hearts of the Law Ancient and others, and even Yan Cangtian, Chang’e, and the Lord of the Martial Ancient Civilization, who had been fighting well, felt a sudden sinking dread—things were not looking good. Conversely, their adversaries' morale soared.
Ancestral Dragon sighed deeply, never imagining he would meet his end here.
His life had been one of astonishing genius, crafting countless classic techniques. Hailed as the Genius of Eternity, he had always been the absolute focal point, invincible throughout his journey. In his prime, his power likely rivaled that of the Lord of the Sword Ancient Civilization, who was then hailed as the foremost under heaven. Yet now, death awaited him.
Ancestral Dragon sighed again, his vital essence fading.
"Your destiny is not yet over; your life force is not depleted. O River of Fate, grant hope to the one who is about to pass!" A voice suddenly rang out. This voice resonated from the void, carrying boundless radiance of destiny that descended upon Ancestral Dragon. He immediately noticed that his nearly extinguished life force began to stir. The Ancestral Minor Thousand World, which had completely collapsed, started to show slight signs of recovery. Though minimal, even such a small change was enough for Ancestral Dragon to claw his way back from the brink of death.
This!
How could such a thing happen?
Between heaven and earth, once a person's Minor Thousand World shattered completely, that Civilization Realm expert was dead.
Without exception.
That was why Ancestral Dragon had assumed he was finished. But now, someone was turning death into life, pulling back even a completely broken Minor Thousand World. Whose power was this?
Ancestral Dragon couldn't help but raise his head. In fact, at this moment, it wasn't just him; everyone raised their heads—including the Lord of Ancient Desolation. They were all stunned by who could achieve this miracle; even the Lord of Ancient Desolation admitted he could not perform such an act. As they looked up, they saw Lu Yuan slowly descending through the Passage of Destiny.
The Lu Yuan now was different from the Lu Yuan moments before.
This Lu Yuan was the embodiment of Destiny itself.
This Lu Yuan was the very locus of the Great Dao.
This Lu Yuan held the fate of the heavens and earth in his grasp.
He had cultivated Destiny!
And not merely cultivated it, but achieved true, profound mastery of Destiny!
The Lord of Ancient Desolation was also taken aback. Previously, no one knew Lu Yuan had cultivated six aspects of Destiny, and now he had completed the remaining four. The Ancient Desolation Lord was unaware of this development. Thus, Lu Yuan’s current power level stood as follows: above the Eternal Heavenly Palace, everyone knew Lu Yuan controlled the Character of Dao, and now he had also mastered the Iron Law of Destiny.
Between heaven and earth, the Door of Eternity ranked first, the Iron Law of Destiny ranked second, and the Avatar of the Dao Character ranked third.
This meant that currently, the Lord of Ancient Desolation possessed the Rank One object, while Lu Yuan held the Rank Two and Rank Three objects. These two were now matched for a genuine contest.
Wonderful!
There was finally hope. Previously, whether it was Ancestral Dragon’s Three Lives Three Worlds Array, or everyone joining this final battle—in essence, they were merely charging forward sustained by sheer will, heading for death with not an ounce of hope. Now, a sliver of hope finally appeared. All eyes turned toward Lu Yuan and the Lord of Ancient Desolation.
The Lord of Ancient Desolation’s aura had already reached its absolute peak.
Lu Yuan’s aura had also ascended to a corresponding summit, one that transcended the Nineteenth Era. At this point, Lu Yuan’s momentum had undergone a monumental shift.
The Lord of Ancient Desolation placed his hand on his saber hilt.
Lu Yuan's sword rested on its pommel.
Their vital energies clashed.
This was the collision of two World Winds.
Either one of these World Winds could easily sweep away a Minor Thousand World—nay, ten or even a hundred Minor Thousand Worlds would not pose a problem.
The Lord of Ancient Desolation looked at Lu Yuan. "I didn't expect you to improve somewhat. It seems this final battle will possess a touch more interest. A pity, that is all it will be. I can sense that while your aura is strong, it is still inferior to mine."
Lu Yuan smiled faintly. "Verbal sparring is useless, Lord of Ancient Desolation. Let us resume our exchange now and see who wins and who loses this time."
The sword was drawn.
The saber was unsheathed.
Both movements occurred within one hundred-millionth of a second simultaneously.
The saber was the most domineering of blades; what it meant to be the King of Arms was now truly exemplified. This single strike possessed the majesty to quell an age, fix eternity, annihilate all desolation, sever eras, and shatter everything—unrivaled in resistance.
The sword was the most upright of swords; what it meant to be the Gentleman of Arms was now truly exemplified. This strike carried infinite aesthetic beauty, endless profound mysteries, and boundless power, all unleashed in a single thrust. This was the clash of saber and sword, the confrontation of the strongest against the strongest, and the fighting was intensely heated.
One move, two moves.
Ten moves, twenty moves.
One hundred moves, two hundred moves!
Above the head of the Lord of Ancient Desolation, the Door of Eternity had long been summoned.
Above Lu Yuan’s head, the Iron Law of Destiny and the Dao Character True Body had also been summoned long ago.
These three most potent forces collided in the void. Lu Yuan unleashed the Sword Fifteen repeatedly—this was the ultimate strike. The Lord of Ancient Desolation employed endlessly powerful techniques, many of which he had learned by using the Door of Eternity to trace back through all epochs and learn supreme martial skills.
Lu Yuan unleashed the Ultimate Sword Intent—a technique only attainable by a Sword God. The ultimate sword intent was condensed into a single strike! Three Thousand Sword Intents struck simultaneously! This combined assault was immensely powerful. The Lord of Ancient Desolation countered with the Origin Blade Intent—the most primal, fundamental blade intent, generated by the first era, the very first spark of its kind, perfectly mirroring the Ultimate Sword Intent.
Three hundred moves, four hundred moves!
Boundless combat, boundless fervor, boundless energy—this battle, placed in any epoch, would be the pinnacle.
What would be the result of this battle? Who would emerge victorious?
Everyone watched this fight, everyone yearned to know the outcome.
Lu Yuan knew this was the moment to risk everything, so he focused his entire spirit, deploying every available asset.
...
The battle between the sword and the horsetail whisk continued.
The confrontation between Yan Cangtian and the Lord of the Immortal Ancient Civilization, while not as cataclysmic as Lu Yuan versus the Lord of Ancient Desolation, was still fiercely intense.
The sword carried the intent of ‘Startling Yan’s World-Shaking Strike,’ while the horsetail whisk wielded the Great Dao, like an ancient, deep pool.
The two fought to a stalemate!
In a fraction of a hundred-millionth of a second, Yan Cangtian’s Shocking Swallow Immortal Sword stabbed into the left flank of the Lord of the Immortal Ancient Civilization. The Immortal Ancient Lord was forced backward by untold miles. Reflecting on the fight, he couldn’t recall any mistake he had made; how could he have been struck by Yan Cangtian, whose strength seemed evenly matched? It was strange!
"You lack sincerity," Yan Cangtian said flatly. "Usually, you are exceptionally focused, but your spirit was slightly diverted by Lu Yuan’s battle against the Ancient Desolation Lord. Even if it was just a moment, you lacked full sincerity, and thus you were struck by my sword."
The Lord of the Immortal Ancient Civilization stared at Yan Cangtian in astonishment. "You weren't distracted at all?" He found it unbelievable. The battle between Lu Yuan and the Ancient Desolation Lord was a spectacle rarely seen in ten thousand epochs, yet Yan Cangtian remained entirely focused? How could that be?
"Regarding sword sincerity, when the blade moves, one must be wholly dedicated, never distracted. That has always been my way," Yan Cangtian stated coldly. "A reminder: if you allow yourself to be careless again, if you do not invest your entire intent into this fight, this match will be yours to lose." Yan Cangtian stroked his sword, his killing intent surging like a sudden tide.
Seeing Yan Cangtian’s expression of absolute coldness, his unwavering singular focus, and his eternal devotion to the sword, the Lord of the Immortal Ancient Civilization felt, for the first time, that he might lose. Before this, the Lord of the Immortal Ancient Civilization had never conceived of defeat.
The Lord of the Immortal Ancient Civilization decided to ignore the fight between the Ancient Desolation Lord and Lu Yuan; any further distraction and he truly risked death by Yan Cangtian’s blade.
This man was a sword fanatic, a sword genius, utterly devoted to the blade, purely dedicated to it. In terms of sheer purity towards the sword, Yan Cangtian might even surpass Lu Yuan.
The Heaven in the Sword!
The Extreme of the Sword!
The Heavenly Sword! Unparalleled!
(First update delivered.)