When the Jade Emperor unleashed his Nine Dragon Emperor Fist, nine ancient divine dragons materialized, manifesting the true power of a half-step Civilization Realm expert. His attack far surpassed that of the Bronze Saint Emperor’s son; truly, as he had claimed, their tiers of strength were oceans apart.
At this very moment, the other five launched their own ultimate techniques.
The Desolate Saint Emperor’s son again brought forth the Desolate Beast Civilization Blade Technique, his most formidable skill. Though he had lost once before, confidence radiated from him as he struck this time, having received guidance from the Son of Desolation, and now facing six opponents instead of one. The Desolate Saint Emperor’s son’s long saber whistled, the sound like the scream of heaven itself.
The Mighty Xiong Emperor’s son wielded his massive, several-million-pound great-axe with surprising nimbleness. Though the axe was inherently heavy, he handled it with effortless grace. The axe technique he employed was extraordinary—the Heaven-Opening Axe Technique! An undeniable Civilization-level maneuver. While he couldn't unleash its full might, the Mighty Xiong Emperor’s son infused his strikes with an unparalleled, reckless intensity. This self-abandoning spirit perfectly mirrored the ethos of Pangu cleaving the heavens, imbuing the technique with the very essence of creation—as if the sky itself was poised to split apart.
Lu Yuan was secretly startled; he had never heard of the Mighty Xiong Emperor’s son before, yet the threat he posed far eclipsed that of the Desolate Saint Emperor’s son, nearly rivaling the Jade Emperor himself.
In truth, this only revealed Lu Yuan’s limited exposure.
The Mighty Xiong Emperor’s son was far from obscure.
This very man had once fought three half-step Civilization Realm experts simultaneously at the Battle of Duan Tian Cliff and emerged victorious. To defeat three opponents of that caliber single-handedly spoke volumes of his ferocity. Since that day, the Mighty Xiong Emperor’s son had become renowned, counted among those most likely to ascend the Fifty Heavenly Rankings. An established veteran whose innate power was astonishingly profound—it was no wonder he paid no mind to Lu Yuan.
As his colossal axe descended, Lu Yuan merely parried lightly, faintly sensing that his own Yang Wu Immortal Sword’s blade could barely withstand the impact. If not for having cultivated the Tenth Layer of Righteousness, protected by the character ‘Zheng’ (Righteousness), his sword might have shattered under the Mighty Xiong Emperor’s son’s force. This man was arguably the strongest powerhouse below the Civilization Realm.
Zhu Renyu, however, was an old adversary. Zhu Renyu instantly unleashed his Book of Master Zhu. Countless Great Dao principles manifested in the sky. Zhu Renyu had refined his Book of Master Zhu to a terrifying degree; as he struck, infinite rationale flooded the heavens. If Lu Yuan faltered by even a fraction in understanding these principles, he would be assailed, and any minuscule spiritual opening would allow the other six masters to annihilate him instantly. Zhu Renyu’s attack was arguably the most terrifying among the six, its level of dread not far behind the Jade Emperor’s.
Had Lu Yuan not spent a significant period cultivating within the Civilization of Confucianism, he would have been immediately vulnerable.
Under such pressure, conceding spiritually meant only one thing: death.
Thus, his ability to withstand Zhu Renyu’s assault owed everything to his time studying in the Confucian realm.
His past experiences, accumulated over time, now transformed into fighting prowess.
Tong Chou unleashed his Divine Crying Ghostly Sorrow Bronze Art. His bronze path followed the lineage of the Bronze Saint Emperor’s son, but was noticeably five times more terrifying. Overwhelming bronze phantoms flickered around Lu Yuan. These shadows could instantly split and recombine, fragmenting into countless attacking motes—a manifestation of the Bronze Art’s most bizarre aspects. Even after handling the Bronze Saint Emperor’s son’s bronze techniques, facing the similar yet alien bronze methods of Tong Chou proved exceedingly difficult for Lu Yuan. For a moment, he could only defend, lacking any counterattack. This man, who always wore a gentle smile, was truly fearsome once he moved.
Moreover, Lu Yuan marveled internally: Tong Chou’s bronze methods had completely deviated from the standard sword path; they had forged a unique style. He suspected his own Gate of Sword Dao might not suppress such bronze arts.
Tong Chou attacked without carrying any discernible killing intent.
The Immortal Child’s movements were the most refined, executed with an almost complete lack of aggressive aura. His strikes were breathtakingly beautiful, devoid of malice. Yet, Lu Yuan instinctively felt that the Immortal Child’s attack from his position was exceptionally perilous, one he dared not approach lightly—that area felt as if the most ferocious Heaven and Earth Demons lurked in ambush.
The Immortal Child maintained a faint smile: “Lu Yuan, I apologize; I am reluctantly intervening.” His words were smooth, but if Lu Yuan mistook his flank for the easiest point of breakthrough, it would surely result in annihilation.
The six masters struck in unison, stirring wind and thunder, shattering the void, shaking mountains and rivers, and stamping the very world.
If they had not been inside the body of the Chaos Civilization Beast, everything around them would have been pulverized into fragments, debris, or even mere dust motes.
The combined might of these six masters was utterly terrifying.
Within this fray, even the glimmer of Civilization itself seemed to emerge and vanish.
Lu Yuan was doomed!
Against such an onslaught, surviving would be miraculous!
The combined force of six experts at the half-step Civilization Realm level!
Lu Yuan frantically parried with his sword, moving it back and forth, but how could he intercept the attacks of six masters? On only the seventh move, the Jade Emperor’s punch slammed heavily into his body. The Nine Dragon Emperor Fist immediately erupted within Lu Yuan’s form, causing nine dragons to writhe chaotically.
Lu Yuan was finished; few, if any, had ever survived a direct hit from the Nine Dragon Emperor Fist.
Suddenly, the Jade Emperor’s expression shifted; he realized he had missed his mark.
In another direction, Lu Yuan reappeared.
Four words escaped the Jade Emperor’s lips: “Floating Life, Like a Dream.”
“Indeed, Floating Life, Like a Dream,” Lu Yuan nodded. The combined assault of the six masters was perilous in the extreme. If not for his Floating Life, Like a Dream, dealing with these six would have been nearly impossible, especially the Jade Emperor, whose strength seemed poised to challenge Hua Fa Sheng. The other five continued their assault, but whenever their attacks neared fruition, whenever they were about to secure a decisive blow, Lu Yuan slipped away using Floating Life, Like a Dream. Up to this point, Lu Yuan remained unscratched.
“His Floating Life, Like a Dream is potent, but it hasn't reached the Civilization level yet. I shall counter it with the Celestial Lock of Civilization,” the Jade Emperor roared. “Within one hundred strikes, I can completely restrict this move. The Celestial Lock of Civilization is an ultimate technique the Jade Emperor learned from the Lord of the Immortal Ancient Civilization, created during a moment of boredom. It can lock down any technique or ultimate skill below the Civilization level, but deploying it requires Civilization-level power. Since the Jade Emperor is not at that level, it takes him a hundred strikes to activate. Thus, he needs to buy that time.”
Lu Yuan, facing the six masters from the start, had been adapting to their techniques. The synergy of these six was undeniably formidable. Hearing the Jade Emperor speak of the Celestial Lock, a weight settled in Lu Yuan’s heart. He hadn't expected the Jade Emperor to possess such a Civilization-restricting skill to counter his Floating Life, Like a Dream. Truly, once one nears the Civilization Realm, anything can happen. He needed to find a way to upgrade his Floating Life, Like a Dream to the Civilization level soon.
Lu Yuan now recognized that every technique possessed a Civilization-level counterpart.
For example, there were Civilization-level sword moves.
For instance, the Azure Saint Sword Dao had a Civilization-level iteration.
Likewise, Floating Life, Like a Dream possessed a Civilization-level form.
Only by ascending to the Civilization level would these techniques become truly useful.
If one does not enter Civilization, one ultimately remains an ant.
However, time was now short. A hundred strikes—no, the Jade Emperor might be exaggerating the time needed, perhaps merely trying to confuse him. Lu Yuan absolutely had to resolve the conflict within seventy strikes, or the situation would become grim.
First order of business: Zhu Renyu.
Lu Yuan raised his long sword, its light flickering as it transformed into a shrieking beacon of lightning, aiming straight for Zhu Renyu.
Seeing Lu Yuan advance, Zhu Renyu showed no fear. As a master of the Heavenly Principle Civilization, Zhu Renyu summoned both his Book of Master Zhu and his Book of Heavenly Principle. The two volumes appeared simultaneously, unleashing torrents of fundamental rationale toward Lu Yuan—an attack that would give any normal half-step Civilization Realm expert severe trouble.
Lu Yuan shifted his sword technique, deploying the Move of Questioning Emotion. This strike carried three parts longing grief, three parts lovesick yearning, three parts sheer astonishment, and one part absolute arrogance!
The core tenet of Zhu Renyu’s books was singular: extinguish personal desires, sever humanity, and preserve Heavenly Principle.
Lu Yuan’s Questioning Emotion strike, however, was a fusion of multiple, intertwined feelings.
Thus, Zhu Renyu’s technique and this Questioning Emotion strike were mutually restrictive, though not in a one-sided manner.
In a normal mutual restriction, both sides would exercise caution.
But Lu Yuan held none whatsoever. What a joke—Zhu Renyu’s mastery of books was inferior to Lu Yuan’s own Book of Civilization. Furthermore, having clashed once before, Lu Yuan knew his adversary inside and out; he was intimately familiar with every variation in Zhu Renyu’s textual arsenal, thus he struck directly.
Zhu Renyu was not intimidated. The combined might of his Book of Master Zhu and Book of Heavenly Principle was formidable, and he possessed considerable experience countering strikes that were intensely focused on individual emotion, strikes woven from fused sentiments.
Yet, the moment his books met Lu Yuan’s sword, Zhu Renyu realized something was wrong.
Lu Yuan’s strike seemed to know his books perfectly, dismantling them with effortless finesse. The blade, imbued with emotion, surged forward. Its sharpness utterly surpassed Zhu Renyu’s expectations. He had never imagined Lu Yuan understood his texts so profoundly. Zhu Renyu had no choice but to evade. In a single exchange, the half-step Civilization Realm expert Zhu Renyu was placed at a disadvantage.
Lu Yuan’s follow-up attack was already arriving.
The time remaining: a maximum of seventy strikes.
(First update delivered, celebrating the second sealing today.)