Lu Yuan looked up at the sky, the blue above, the white of the clouds.
The sky at this moment truly resembled that first time he looked up upon first entering Mount Hua.
In a fleeting moment, it felt like a complete cycle.
Around him, there was only silence.
No one nearby had anticipated this outcome.
Archaic, it seemed, was eternally undefeated, forever unmatched; his power caused the heavens and earth to collapse, his imposing majesty made epochs tremble.
Yet, such a figure had been defeated.
If the loss had been to Lu Yuan, who had merged with Destiny and the True Body of the Dao, people might have accepted it; such a result would have been comprehensible.
But in reality, that was not the case.
The truth was that the resistance of countless of the most lowly lives had converged, allowing Lu Yuan to peel away the Eternal Gate of Archaic, culminating in this result, where even Archaic, the Eternal Master of myriad generations of schemers, drank deep of regret beneath Lu Yuan’s sword.
Eternity and the lowly!
One infinitely strong, the other a bottom-most entity that could be extinguished with a mere gesture.
Yet, they could checkmate one another.
Truly, there were no words.
What an unbearable feeling.
Lu Yuan let out a long sigh: "Since this battle has reached this point, it is time for it to end." Lu Yuan’s sword was already sheathed, and he had no intention of drawing it now; with a casual flick, he unleashed a single finger. At this moment, Lu Yuan’s strength surpassed that of the Eternal Master of Archaic. The single finger strike shattered the formidable defense of the Lord of the Buddhist Ancient Civilization—a defense the Lord of the Martial Ancient Civilization could never breach—with a resounding crash.
The Lord of the Undying Civilization attempted to flee, but Lu Yuan flicked his finger again. That previous strike was just a finger; this one was the Finger of the Sword. Swish. The Lord of the Undying Civilization exploded into a mist of blood. However, another Lord of the Undying Civilization manifested in the distance—such was the Undying Body of that very Lord.
Lu Yuan’s gaze sharpened slightly. His sword remained sheathed.
Both hands formed the Sword Finger.
He unleashed the Sword Fingers continuously.
Swish, swish, swish, swish.
Ten Sword Fingers shot forth.
The Lord of the Undying Civilization was finally dead. His so-called immortality was a very peculiar ability: he could die seven times in quick succession without truly perishing; only the eighth death was absolute. Previously, in the entire cosmos—including Jian Gu and Ancestral Dragon of old—no one possessed the means to kill him eight times in rapid succession. When Archaic gained the capability to do so, the Lord of the Undying Civilization had decisively and readily submitted to Archaic’s rule.
And now, Lu Yuan possessed that same capability.
Therefore, he, the so-called Undying Lord of Civilization, instantly perished.
The Lord of the Immortal Ancient Civilization gasped in shock. In that moment of shock, Yan Cangtian’s sword pierced his heart. Yan Cangtian remarked coolly, "You should not have been distracted. Although, if I were you, I would have been distracted too." The Lord of the Immortal Ancient Civilization faded with a trace of regret, crumbling into dust and utterly vanishing.
By this time, though the forces of the Eternal Celestial Palace were numerous, they had effectively already lost. Many of these warriors lost all will to fight, and countless immediately cast down their weapons: "We surrender."
"We surrender."
The subsequent matters required no further attention from Lu Yuan.
There would be plenty to attend to next: assimilating the prisoners of war, executing summarily those with the heaviest blood debts, or those who had acted as willing accomplices in slaughtering too many of the Anti-Archaic faction. As for those who had merely served in the Archaic Dynasty to make a living, there was no need to make things difficult for them. This detailed work was naturally entrusted to the Lord of the Buddhist Ancient Civilization and the Lord of the Martial Ancient Civilization.
There was another task: the re-establishment of the Jian Gu Civilization.
It had been the Civilization of the Sword; now, naturally, it must be re-established as the Jian Gu Civilization. After all, the current might of the Sword Dao was overwhelming, featuring Lu Yuan—who preceded all and followed none, sighing with melancholy for the cosmos—Yan Cangtian of the Eighteenth Epoch, and Zhou Qingxuan of the Tenth Epoch.
The other Ancient Civilizations simply did not have such formidable proponents.
Lu Yuan gave a casual sword flourish, returning his God-Nourishing Sword to its scabbard: "Senior Brother Yan, the re-establishment of Jian Gu will depend on you."
Yan Cangtian also sheathed his sword with a similar flourish, stating with stark indifference, "I have no interest." With that, he drifted away. In truth, this was normal. Yan Cangtian was devoid of emotion, without love or children; his sole devotion was to the Sword. How could such a person be interested in the troublesome affairs of rebuilding a civilization? If the Jian Gu Civilization were properly re-established, asking him to return occasionally to offer guidance or enlighten the juniors would be appropriate.
Lu Yuan turned to Zhou Qingxuan, who was playing a sorrowful tune on his erhu: "Find someone else."
It was a dilemma. Lu Yuan realized that even as the Eternal Master, there were numerous frustrations. For example, both Yan Cangtian and Zhou Qingxuan were disinclined to handle the concrete arrangements for reviving the Jian Gu Civilization. Lu Yuan simply waved his hand, instantly elevating Wanwan and Shi Feixian to the strength of the First Epoch. Since both their powers were already close to that level, Lu Yuan could perform such a direct elevation.
The Heavenly Tribulation was about to descend, and Lu Yuan roared, "Begone, Heavenly Tribulation!"
Boom!
The Heavenly Tribulation actually dispersed immediately.
This was the might that transcended Archaic, capable of elevating Wanwan and Shi Feixian, giants of the Heavenly Rankings, directly to the First Epoch. Countless onlookers were struck dumb; just how powerful was this? In truth, Lu Yuan knew that even he could not perform such feats often, as it violated the will of Heaven and Earth.
But there was no choice; if he did not elevate them to the First Epoch, truly no one would undertake the troublesome task of rebuilding the Jian Gu Civilization, and Lu Yuan himself was too lazy for it.
Wanwan and Shi Feixian were caught in bewildered delight. Ascending from Heavenly Ranking titans to the First Epoch was an entirely different sensation.
Lu Yuan told the two of them, "The re-establishment of the Jian Gu Civilization will be your responsibility."
"Yes," Wanwan and Shi Feixian did not object to undertaking such a task. In truth, with their current strength, they could not have rebuilt the Jian Gu Civilization alone, but their backing was too immense. With the existence of a supreme deity like Lu Yuan, anyone daring to offend the two would surely feel they had lived too long.
The dust, finally, settled slowly.
......
From this point forward, peace reigned throughout the realm.
Between Heaven and Earth existed five Great Ancient Civilizations.
Among these, the Jian Gu Civilization stood supreme, followed by the remaining four Ancient Civilizations: the Fa Gu Civilization, the Wu Gu Civilization, the Long Gu Civilization, and the Feng Gu Civilization.
After them came more than twenty ordinary civilizations.
Each civilization held its own designated territory of rule.
Simultaneously, because the battle against Archaic had brought them into contact with power at the very lowest strata, no civilization dared to look down upon the lower echelons henceforth. Kindness toward the lowest ranks became the standard.
Furthermore, the year Archaic was slain was designated as the First Year of the New Epoch.
......
In the Fifth Year of the New Epoch, Lu Yuan established the Evil Execution List.
He stationed a clone there. Any evil deed, provided it reached a certain threshold of severity, could be reported. Then, this clone would be dispatched to execute judgment.
From that moment on, the number of villains in the world sharply decreased.
The Evil Execution List struck terror into the hearts of evildoers, and most people in the realm applauded the result.
The righteousness within Heaven and Earth was thus purified......
In the Tenth Year of the New Epoch, Lu Yuan and Yun Xiuxue welcomed a son, named Lu Yun.
In the Fifteenth Year of the New Epoch, Lu Yuan and Yun Xiuxue welcomed a daughter, named Lu Zhiyi.
Additionally, the relationships between Lu Yuan and Zhong Ling, and Xiao Qing, were intimate.
......
It was a spring in the Twentieth Year of the New Epoch.
Beyond the domains.
Upon a mountain.
On a grassy field.
A youth lay sprawled on the grass. The spot where he lay was dappled with shade cast by nearby trees. Ahead of the youth was a mountain stream, in which fish darted happily. In front of the youth was a fishing rod, and the youth was fishing, though clearly, his angling skills were wanting.
No fish bit the hook, but the youth seemed unconcerned. He had somehow procured a bottle of wine, which he sipped with relish.
The wine tasted excellent, clear and refreshing.
"Good wine," the youth smacked his lips, a little spilling down his chin.
"If only I had some side dishes to go with this," the youth murmured.
"Side dishes are here!" a voice announced.
"Roasted rabbit, freshly roasted rabbit is here!" another voice followed.
A youth with the face of a gentleman, and a stout young man, approached from afar.
Behind the stout youth were carried three freshly roasted rabbits.
After settling down, the stout youth tossed one to the initially lazy youth, one to the gentlemanly youth, before remarking, "Lu Yuan, you are now the foremost person under heaven, yet why don't you do what a supreme being ought to do? Like gathering countless beauties, or establishing the most powerful dynasty, or perhaps practicing some peerless divine technique."
The lazy youth chuckled: "Ye Yuan, you damned fatso, if you were the foremost person under heaven, would you go and do those things?"
"Nonsense, of course not. Why would I be bored? With that much time, enjoying a good roast and some fine wine is far more pleasant," the stout youth asserted.
"Exactly. You wouldn't, so naturally, neither would I," the lazy youth shrugged dismissively.
The gentlemanly youth laughed heartily: "I once heard a story about a fisherman who only fished and slept in late. Someone asked him why he didn't strive harder. The fisherman countered, 'Strive for what?' Eventually, it was revealed that striving only brought him back to the point where, regardless of wealth or power, he would end up napping in the sun. Lu Yuan, you are that fisherman. After cultivating for so long, you’ve returned to acting like a teenager, hunkering down in one spot to sleep and drink."
"This is just a cycle, perhaps," the lazy youth replied without concern.
Yes, a cycle.
He had never harbored grand ambitions; his constant struggle and striving were only to protect what he held dear. Finally, he had guarded everything he needed to safeguard.
Now, it was time for him to be lazy.
The sky was so blue, the clouds so white, just like in his youth.
It was a pity that Master Li Yuanbai was gone forever. His destiny allowed him to recall vitality in those whose life force had waned, but those who had died long ago could not be brought back. But then again, it didn't truly matter; life and death each had their fate, and how much could one truly control?
Drinking heartily, sleeping freely.
His greatest dream in life was finally realized: pure ease.
(Finally, it concludes. As the pen touches down, there are infinite emotions. Yes, it is finally over; it was not easy.
Discovering Lu Yuan’s journey, it is a cycle, beginning with the three—Ye Fang, Ye Yuan, and Lu Yuan—and ending with these three. Beginning with a slacker, ending with a slacker. Everyone holds a dream in their heart; perhaps blissful freedom was Lu Yuan’s dream. Well, all conflict, all turmoil, has ended. Lu Yuan can finally rest contentedly, free and unburdened, like the clouds in the sky.
Let us bless Lu Yuan in this moment.
As the pen rests, the feelings are overwhelming.
Another book concludes.
This one began writing in March of '11 and continues until September of '12, spanning exactly a year and a half. A year and a half!
In fact, reflecting on the journey alongside everyone, it truly started in September '07, stretching to this moment, marking exactly five years. Along the way—Black Wind Old Demon, Witch Tomb, Immortal Forging, and Mount Hua Immortal Sect—each book brought me different rewards and realizations. Now, I transition to the next book: Invincible Martial God.
Book ID 2441849.
No one in the Eastern World can match him; only then can one be called a God of Martial Arts—the Invincible Martial God!
The Eastern World is a realm of countless nations, thousands of sects, with geniuses as numerous as rain, and experts like clouds!
Gu Chao, an outer disciple of an ordinary sect, simply by obtaining a sliver of a mysterious small knife, experiences a frenzied surge in his martial talent!
Even with mediocre aptitude, his heaven-defying martial comprehension is enough to contend with any peerless genius!
His monstrous talent predestines that he will never again be ordinary, destined to become the sole Invincible Martial God of this Eastern World!
You can find it in the author information, or by clicking the author name 'Mo Ling Bie Xue'.
This is my new book, and it will not disappoint you. The new book has already started and has over a hundred thousand words, currently receiving a recommendation during the Sanjiang period—it is absolutely the most thrilling new book.
Do you trust me? If you trust me, go read it!
It will certainly be brilliant!
Furthermore, here I must thank everyone who supported Mount Hua Immortal Sect, thank the Vice-Admin Yue Guang Xiao Chong Chong for his constant support, thank Shi Shuo Ye Bu Xin, qinggong, FY1, Mo Zhi Da Shen, and other allies, as well as all the friends who subscribed and supported me throughout.
Finally, I must say, all good things must come to an end. This book concludes.
Let us meet again in Invincible Martial God.