"Master Li, I never expected the Confucian Civilization to produce someone with such potential." "If fortune favors us, perhaps the Confucian Civilization might yield an actual Civilization Realm expert." "Although he relied on his skill with characters, defeating the Son of the Demon proves he is a formidable fighter. I hadn't realized the successor to the Light Civilization's generational line produced such an outstanding figure."

While these individuals debated, Lu Yuan was currently seeking clarity on the situation from the Dharma Saint Emperor's Son, and only then did he fully grasp the current geopolitical landscape. Currently, things were divided into two major factions: the Desolate Alliance and the Anti-Desolate Alliance, correct?

On the Desolate Alliance side, centered around the Son of Desolation, were the three Great Ancient Civilizations: the Desolate Ancient Civilization, the Immortal Ancient Civilization, and the Buddhist Ancient Civilization. Furthermore, several other civilizations sided with them: the Star Civilization, the Thunder Civilization, the Bronze Civilization, the Magic Artifact Civilization, the Tree Civilization, the Fox Civilization, the Poison Civilization, the Heavenly Principle Civilization, the Miao Civilization, the Strength Civilization, the huā Civilization, the Arrow Civilization, the Talisman yun Civilization, the Formation Civilization, and the Stealth Civilization—totaling three Great Ancient Civilizations and sixteen Lesser Civilizations.

The Anti-Desolate Alliance, centered around Hua Fa Sheng, included the two Great Ancient Civilizations: the Dharma Ancient Civilization and the Martial Ancient Civilization. In addition, there were several Lesser Civilizations aligned with them: the Axe Civilization, the Wind Civilization, the Confucian Civilization, the Medicine Civilization, the Heavenly Mother Civilization, the Holy Light Civilization, the Umbrella Civilization, the Dragon Civilization, the Diagram Civilization, the Ice Civilization, the Fire Civilization, the Night Civilization, the Bird Civilization, and the Zither Civilization—totaling fourteen Civilizations.

The two factions were nearly equal in strength.

The supreme powerhouse on the Desolate Alliance side was naturally the Son of Desolation. Next in line were the Jade Emperor, the Son of Immortality, the South Pole Immortal Elder, the Desolate Saint Emperor's Son, the Desolate Emperor's Son, the Desolate King's Son, Xing Changhe, the Thunder Emperor's Son, Tong Yun Chou, the Treasure Saint Emperor's Son, the Tree Saint Emperor's Son, the Fox Saint Imperial Maiden, the Poison Saint Emperor's Son, and many others—more than twenty individuals at the Half-Step Civilization Realm.

On the Anti-Desolate Alliance side, the strongest was naturally Hua Fa Sheng, followed by the Martial Saint Emperor's Son, the Martial Emperor's Son, and the Son of the Martial Arts. The Son of the Dharma, the Dharma Saint Emperor's Son, the Dharma Emperor's Son, Feng Xing Xing, the Giant Axe Emperor's Son, Kong Ni, Kong Ming De, the Medicine Saint Emperor's Son, the Heavenly Mother Imperial Maiden, Holy Light Two, the Umbrella Saint Emperor's Son, and others—also totaling over twenty Half-Step Civilization Realm experts.

These forty to fifty individuals constituted the front line of the current Civilization Holy Land.

By comparison, although Lu Yuan had swiftly and decisively dispatched two experts at the Tenth Heaven of the World Realm with just two sword strokes, he could absolutely not be counted among the front-line combatants. He ranked below them, perhaps among the top tier of the second line, essentially incapable of influencing the grand outcome of the impending battle at Heart Mountain.

Having heard this, Lu Yuan finally got a comprehensive rundown of all thirty Civilizations. He had always heard the phrase "Thirty Civilizations," but never managed to list them all; being inherently lazy, he had never bothered to check. Today, he finally heard the complete roster. Of course, these were merely the forces aligned with the Central Celestial Dynasty. Truly powerful civilizations existed elsewhere, such as in the Lost Lands, and the Demon Civilization, the Monster Civilization, the Evil Sword Civilization, the Mechanical Civilization, and others—all possessing terrifying strength.

Simply put, the entire world teemed with formidable masters.

Among so many Civilizations, the number of experts at the Heavenly Venerate Realm could be counted in the hundreds of thousands, and those at the World Realm in the millions.

The objective of all these individuals was the same: to break through to the Civilization Realm. The first grand barrier, the Civilization Realm, was certainly no idle boast.

"Everyone, quiet down. Heart Mountain is about to pulse; let us hold a meeting," Hua Fa Sheng stated in a deep voice. His voice carried a strange charisma that compelled immediate belief. He possessed an innate aura of leadership. With a raised voice, the surrounding area fell silent. "Since the Anti-Desolate Alliance has formed, we must act like an alliance. The strength of the Desolate Alliance must not be underestimated."

"Therefore, we cannot engage in disorganized confrontation. Our primary objective now is to defeat the members of the Desolate Alliance. As for the Chaos Civilization Shards on Heart Mountain, we will distribute them after defeating the Desolate Alliance, based on each person's contribution during this battle. What do you say?" Hua Fa Sheng proposed.

Upon hearing this, everyone naturally agreed. Not scrambling chaotically for the Chaos Civilization Shards, but defeating the Desolate Alliance first, and then dividing the shards based on contribution—this was clearly a better arrangement.

"However, how will the degree of contribution be determined?" the Diagram Saint Emperor's Son from the Diagram Civilization inquired.

"Defeating a Half-Step Civilization Realm expert counts as ten points, defeating a Tenth Heaven World Realm expert counts as one point. Defeating the Son of Immortality counts as fifteen points, and defeating the Son of Desolation counts as one hundred points. How does that sound?" Hua Fa Sheng suggested. Hearing this, everyone immediately consented. Defeating a Half-Step Civilization Realm expert was indeed ten times harder than defeating a Tenth Heaven World Realm expert. Although the Son of Immortality was at the Tenth Heaven of the World Realm, practically no one could overcome him, so fifteen points seemed fair. As for the Son of Desolation, his combat prowess truly overshadowed everyone else. If Hua Fa Sheng could indeed defeat the Son of Desolation, awarding him one hundred points seemed reasonable and appropriate, given how terrifyingly strong the Son of Desolation truly was, strong enough to instill despair even in his opponents.

"Agreed."

One by one, they voiced their approval, clearly accepting this method of division.

Lu Yuan remained silent. To be honest, at his current level, he didn't qualify as a front-line combatant; he was strictly second-tier and had no need to interject. Moreover, the proposed distribution seemed equitable.

Bang!

A massive bang echoed. Lu Yuan instinctively looked over and saw that the entire Heart Mountain had just shuddered.

Hua Fa Sheng stated gravely, "The heart has begun its final beat. It should open shortly. Prepare yourselves."

Lu Yuan’s hand was already resting on his sword hilt. He glanced towards the opposing Desolate Alliance; they also seemed to have concluded their mobilization rally and were ready to strike. Hua Fa Sheng possessed innate leadership qualities, and the Son of Desolation did as well. It was impossible to say which one initiated the move first, but as one took flight, the repercussions in that intensely tense atmosphere were immediately apparent.

Hua Fa Sheng and the Son of Desolation rose almost simultaneously. This was their third confrontation; they had fought twice before, both resulting in a stalemate. Even having fought twice, everyone was somewhat familiar with their techniques, yet the ensuing battle was still incredibly perilous, with countless massive and majestic energies erupting.

The Son of Desolation roared, summoning his Primordial Divine Halberd: "Hua Fa Sheng, I will slay you and claim my place among the strong contenders on the Fifty Heavenly Rankings!"

Hua Fa Sheng sneered, his slender hand weaving five perfect Civilization spells in the void: "Say that after you succeed."

Then, the Son of the Dharma soared into the sky. With a flip of his hand, countless spells blasted out, surging toward the members of the Desolate Alliance. The Son of Immortality merely flicked his voluminous sleeve, effortlessly enveloping and collecting the spells cast by the Son of the Dharma into his robes. The Son of the Dharma and the Son of Immortality shared similar temperaments—both were figures among the Seven Sons of Destiny—and their clash in the void, while perhaps not as world-shaking as that between the Son of Desolation and Hua Fa Sheng, was nonetheless spectacular.

The Dharma Saint Emperor's Son ascended to mid-air: "Desolate Saint Emperor's Son, you defeated me at the Lake of the Stomach last time. Let's settle the score anew!" In their previous two bouts, the Dharma Saint Emperor's Son had won the first, and the Desolate Saint Emperor's Son the second. Now, in their third encounter, both harbored suppressed frustration.

The Son of the Martial Arts roared with laughter: "Is there anyone who dares face me?" The Son of the Buddha on the Desolate Alliance side was also one of the Seven Sons of Destiny, but his strength was clearly far inferior to the Son of the Martial Arts. The Jade Emperor roared: "Son of the Martial Arts, let this seat observe how much the younger generation has progressed!"

The Son of the Martial Arts burst into laughter, transforming a massive box into a long spear that shot toward the Jade Emperor like a meteor: "Jade Emperor, I heard you were once the Lord of some Celestial Palace epochs ago. Now, I, the Son of the Martial Arts, shall play with you. I hope you, as an elder, will not disappoint." The Jade Emperor was on a path of reincarnation and renewal; unless he reached the Civilization Realm, all previous achievements would perish. The Jade Emperor, having not reached that realm, was no exception. Seeing the Son of the Martial Arts attack, the Jade Emperor dared not underestimate the Ten Supreme Martial Arts of the Martial Ancient Civilization, summoning his Nine Dragon Emperor Fist, its momentum like a mountain surging forward.

Simultaneously, the Fox Saint Imperial Maiden encountered the Heavenly Mother Imperial Maiden. Two Imperial Maidens: one ethereally seductive, the other dignified and reserved. One wielded endless illusions, the other used a rosy embroidered ball. They began their engagement in the void.

Kong Ni of the Confucian Civilization found himself facing Zhu Ren Yu of the Heavenly Principle Civilization. Kong Ni roared: "Zhu Ren Yu, I lost to you back in the Confucian Civilization. Let us fight now and see who is truly stronger!" Kong Ni, possessing the air of a great scholar, rarely lost his temper, but figures like Zhu Ren Yu were exceptions.

The Giant Axe Emperor's Son of the Axe Civilization clashed with the Strength Xiong Emperor's Son of the Strength Civilization. In truth, both the Axe and Strength Civilizations stemmed from Pangu's lineage but had split into two mutually hostile factions. The clash between these two Emperor's Sons was earth-shattering, a pure contest of maximum physical power. Speaking of which, none of the other engagements matched the sheer, unadulterated force displayed by these two.

Beyond these publicized matchups, countless other engagements were unfolding: Half-Step Civilization Realm experts sought out their counterparts, and Tenth Heaven World Realm experts engaged those of similar rank. Intense battles raged everywhere, the ambient vital energy spreading wildly. If this confrontation were not occurring inside the body of a Chaos Civilization Beast, but anywhere else, every nearby planet would have exploded from the shockwaves.

Lu Yuan, however, found himself remarkably idle—truly, astonishingly idle. With his feat of slaying Xing Ruohe and Xing Ruohai, two Tenth Heaven World Realm figures, in two simple strikes, the other World Realm Tenth Heaven experts refrained from challenging him, while the Half-Step Civilization Realm experts seemed too preoccupied to bother with him.

Wait!

It seemed one Half-Step Civilization Realm expert had set his sights on him.

This individual was someone Lu Yuan recognized.

Because that person was none other than the Bronze Saint Emperor's Son, the foremost scion of the Bronze Civilization.

Bronze—the great antagonist to the sword.

The Bronze Saint Emperor's Son fixed his eagle-like gaze upon him.

(To be continued)