The pair of blazing red, bloodshot eyes gradually lost their crimson hue, finally returning to clarity.

Lu Yuan let out a long breath.

In that previous state, his heart had been filled with an urge to explode, desiring only to be crazier, more savage, more wicked, and more chaotic. While this state significantly boosted his combat power, it was still insufficient to kill the Desolate Saint Emperor’s Son.

Half-step Civilization Realm cultivators were always notoriously difficult to dispatch.

When it came to equals—Half-step Civilization Realm versus Half-step Civilization Realm—it was equally hard to slay the opponent. Fatalities among the Half-step Civilization Realm were exceedingly rare.

Therefore, his current situation was: he could defeat the Desolate Saint Emperor’s Son, but he could not kill him.

Of course, if he were to clash head-on with other Mid-step Civilization Realm cultivators, he would still fall short. The ability to deal with the Desolate Saint Emperor’s Son was due to the effect of the 'Ke' clone; to truly crush other Half-step Civilization Realm experts, he needed to diligently advance to the Great Perfection of World Realm Tenth Heaven first, which was precisely the path he was currently forging.

The Dharma Saint Emperor’s Son went off to refine the Chaos Civilization Fragment, summoning the Fire of Myriad Laws and directing it toward the Lake of the Stomach. This time, no one obstructed him. Meanwhile, the Dharma Xiao Emperor’s Son and the Dharma Qiang Emperor’s Son, while remaining vigilant of their surroundings, chatted with Lu Yuan.

The Dharma Xiao Emperor’s Son remarked, “Lu Yuan, you just killed people from the Desolate Ancient Civilization. Among them, Jiu Huangji is the son of the Deputy Lord of the Desolate Sea Civilization. I fear he will seek trouble with you in the future. Although the normal rule dictates that feuds arising within the Civilized Sacred Ground cannot be pursued outside, rules are static, but people are fluid.”

Lu Yuan nodded, indicating he understood. But what if the opponent was the Deputy Lord of the Desolate Sea Civilization? Roaming the world alone with a single sword, even if the Deputy Lord made a move, Lu Yuan had nothing to fear. At worst, he would sacrifice his life.

This wasn't to say he didn't value his life, but under the circumstances just experienced, killing Jiu Huangji was imperative.

Jiu Huangji had intended to kill him first, all while arrogantly claiming that only he could kill Lu Yuan, and not the reverse. If he hadn't killed Jiu Huangji, his spirit would never have settled. Even if being hunted by the Civilization Deputy Lord followed, Lu Yuan would still have done it.

Furthermore, the Deputy Lord of the Bronze Civilization already desired his death, so adding another pursuer made little difference now.

The Dharma Qiang Emperor’s Son added, “We suffered a loss to the Desolate Ancient faction this time, but that doesn't mean we concede. Our Dharma Ancient Civilization has also brought forth an astonishing figure this time, whose strength is absolutely no less than the Desolate Son’s.” Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan grew interested and pressed further, “Who is it?” At this moment, Lu Yuan was startled. A person whose strength was definitely not beneath the Desolate Son—who dared to make such a claim? Among so many Half-step Civilization Realm experts, not one dared to say so.

“Hua Fasheng,” the Dharma Qiang Emperor’s Son named an individual.

“Hua Fasheng.” Lu Yuan repeated the name. It seemed to possess a magical quality. Lu Yuan had indeed heard the name Hua Fasheng before; it was usually linked with nine other characters.

The first person below the Fifty Heavenly Ranks: Hua Fasheng.

Precisely! It was this person.

Every single one of the Fifty Heavenly Ranks was world-shaking, individuals with the potential to charge toward the Civilization Realm. And Hua Fasheng was the foremost expert ranking just beneath them.

When the Deputy Lord of the Confucian Civilization previously attempted to save Lu Yuan by fighting the Desolate Son, he utilized strength equivalent to the Fifty Heavenly Ranks to defeat the Desolate Son. This demonstrated that someone on the Fifty Heavenly Ranks could definitively overpower the Desolate Son of that time. At that point, the Desolate Son had roared that if he encountered the person impersonating the Deputy Lord of the Confucian Civilization again, he would certainly enhance his strength to reclaim his honor.

The Desolate Son’s strength at that time was inferior to that of the Fifty Heavenly Ranks. Now, over two years had passed, and the Desolate Son’s current strength should be quite close to the Fifty Heavenly Ranks level.

However, no matter how close one gets to the Fifty Heavenly Ranks, it is still not the Fifty Heavenly Ranks. And Hua Fasheng was the foremost expert beneath that list. If he fought the Desolate Son, it would likely be a genuine, hard-fought battle. It seemed the Dharma Ancient Civilization was not unprepared, having dispatched such an extraordinary figure.

“Currently, within the body of the Chaos Civilization Beast, there are basically two factions. One faction is aligned with the Desolate Son, and many individuals have long colluded with him, showing signs of allegiance, like the typical Immortal Son, as well as the Bronze Civilization and others. This is called the Desolate Faction, which is powerful, centered around the Desolate Son.”

“If there is a Desolate Faction, there must naturally be an Anti-Desolate Faction,” the Dharma Qiang Emperor’s Son stated. “The center of the Anti-Desolate Faction should currently be Senior Brother Hua Fasheng.”

“Presently, within the Civilized Sacred Ground, the eight locations besides the Heart—the Feet, Spleen, Stomach, etc.—are battlegrounds between the Desolate Faction and the Anti-Desolate Faction. Everyone is essentially waiting for the final confrontation, which is the battle at the Heart. The battle at the Heart will be the truly decisive one.”

So that was it! Lu Yuan finally understood. Within the body of the Chaos Civilization Beast, two factions had unknowingly formed. He was the last to realize it: one faction centered on the Desolate Son, the Desolate Faction; the other centered on Hua Fasheng, the Anti-Desolate Faction. They were engaging everywhere, scrambling for Civilization Fragments, awaiting the opening of the Heart.

As for himself, without a doubt, he was firmly in the Anti-Desolate Faction. Of course, for now, he was merely a small pawn, largely unnoticed. The Desolate Son of the Desolate Faction and Hua Fasheng of the Anti-Desolate Faction were the focal points, followed by figures like the Immortal Son, Martial Son, and Dharma Son.

But it was better for him not to be a focus right now; it gave him space to grow stronger little by little until he could contend with the Desolate Son.

. . .

“Chaos Civilization Fragment, come forth!” the Dharma Saint Emperor’s Son roared. Within his flames appeared a crystalline fragment. It was a fragment of such exquisite beauty. This fragment was not large, only about the size of half a palm, but its beauty was utterly mesmerizing.

It was absolute perfection: crystal clear, flawless, and pure. Upon it rested an indescribable perfection, as if it were snow—no, not like snow. It was like all beautiful things combined: the purity of snow, the elegance of a crane, the harmony of magnificent mountains and flowing water, and myriad other qualities.

This is the Chaos Civilization Fragment? Lu Yuan gazed at the perfectly translucent shard.

“Yes, this is the Chaos Civilization Fragment.” The Dharma Saint Emperor’s Son took the fragment into his hand. “Excluding the Heart, the other areas do not yield many Civilization Fragments. Everyone here scrambles with the mentality of grabbing whatever they can. In truth, everyone held back a little, waiting for the fragments at the Heart. That place holds the largest bounty—several hundred times the amount of fragments found in this single piece, an unimaginable abundance. Unfortunately, that will also be where the competition is fiercest.”

“Alright, let’s divide it. Lu Yuan, you contributed the most this time; we didn't exert ourselves much, so you should take the lion's share.” The Dharma Saint Emperor’s Son spoke. The Dharma Xiao Emperor’s Son and the Dharma Qiang Emperor’s Son had no complaints; after all, Lu Yuan had saved them. Lu Yuan was not one to be polite when it came to good things.

In the end, Lu Yuan took two-thirds, leaving the remaining one-third for the Dharma Saint Emperor’s Son, the Dharma Xiao Emperor’s Son, and the Dharma Qiang Emperor’s Son. After all, the Dharma Saint Emperor’s Son had contributed initially by stalling the Desolate Saint Emperor’s Son; without that assistance, Lu Yuan would never have had the opportunity to break through.

When Lu Yuan held the Chaos Civilization Fragment, he felt a warmth rising from the depths of his heart, as if he were touching the most beautiful thing in the world.

“How is the Chaos Civilization Fragment used?” Lu Yuan asked.

“How is the Chaos Civilization Fragment used?” The Dharma Saint Emperor’s Son smiled slightly. “What is your current level of mana?” He could no longer discern the depth of Lu Yuan’s power.

“World Realm Ninth Heaven,” Lu Yuan replied. This answer shocked the Dharma Saint Emperor’s Son, the Dharma Xiao Emperor’s Son, and the Dharma Qiang Emperor’s Son. Defeating the Half-step Civilization Realm Desolate Saint Emperor’s Son while at the World Realm Ninth Heaven was a massive miracle; overcoming an opponent across two minor realms within the World Realm was no easy feat.

“Of course, I only managed to defeat the Desolate Saint Emperor’s Son. Against other Half-step Civilization Realm experts, I still cannot win,” Lu Yuan clarified.

The Dharma Saint Emperor’s Son took a long time to compose himself. He truly had encountered a monstrous talent: “You cannot use it yet. If you reach the World Realm Tenth Heaven, a Civilization Plate will manifest in your Soul Sea. The purpose of the Civilization Plate is to hold Chaos Civilization Fragments. The more you place, the stronger you become, until the plate is full, which grants a ten percent chance of breaking through to the Civilization Realm.”

A ten percent chance! This was an immensely high probability. A one-in-ten-thousand chance of reaching the Civilization Realm was already considered low, while a one-in-a-thousand chance was considered extremely high. Let alone a ten percent chance—that was supreme and unparalleled.

“Of course, ninety-nine point nine nine percent of people fail to fill their Civilization Plate,” the Dharma Saint Emperor’s Son continued. “You must have heard of the Fifty Heavenly Ranks, correct?”

Lu Yuan certainly had. He had heard that those on the Fifty Heavenly Ranks were incomparably formidable, far superior to others. Even the current strength of the Desolate Son hadn't broken into the Fifty Heavenly Ranks.

“The so-called Fifty Heavenly Ranks refers to the fifty individuals who have completely filled their Civilization Plates. Because they have filled their plates, they no longer need to come to the Civilized Sacred Ground, and with the assistance of their fully loaded Civilization Plates, their strength far surpasses other Half-step Civilization Realm cultivators.”

“And the most terrifying among the Fifty Heavenly Ranks possess Civilization-level eyes, hands, or feet. These individuals have gradually gained the aura of the Civilization Realm and can easily crush those of us below.”

So that’s how it was. He had always heard of the Fifty Heavenly Ranks but never understood their source of strength. Now, he finally grasped why they were so powerful.

Lu Yuan cherished the Chaos Civilization Fragment and placed it within his New Sword World. He could not use it until he reached the World Realm Tenth Heaven and refined the Civilization Plate in his Soul Sea to enhance himself. His immediate goal was to charge toward the World Realm Tenth Heaven; that was the crucial first step.