The Deputy Leaders of the Tianli Civilization and the Mielun Civilization descended, followed by the surging armies of the Tianli Civilization, bearing down with the clear intention of crushing the Ru Civilization.

On the side of the Ru Civilization, the Deputy Leader of the Ru Civilization had seen little direct fighting, but the Deputy Leaders of the Sanshu Civilization and the Qijie Civilization were at full combat readiness.

The two civilizations faced each other in a standoff.

The Deputy Leader of the Ru Civilization stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Though his combat power was mostly depleted, his bearing remained intact. "Deputy Leader of the Tianli Civilization, our civilization is very curious about one thing. While the combined might of your two civilizations slightly surpasses the strength of our three great Ru Civilization factions, we are protected by the Civilization Defense Grand Array. An assault like the one you propose, with your current strength, will amount to nothing."

"The Civilization Defense Grand Array? That thing is utterly useless," the Deputy Leader of the Tianli Civilization smiled faintly. "This civilization also originated from the Ru Civilization; I understand your ways thoroughly. Furthermore, I have an insider. Therefore, dismantling the Ru Civilization's Civilization Defense Grand Array is a simple matter." He deliberately announced the presence of a traitor, then clapped his hands lightly. With a whoosh, the outermost layer of the Ru Civilization's Grand Array vanished entirely.

They had indeed come prepared!

The heart of the Deputy Leader of the Ru Civilization sank! Who could be the traitor? At the same time, he realized the gravity of the situation. The deliberate revelation by the Deputy Leader of the Tianli Civilization that a traitor existed, capable of collapsing the Grand Array, suggested this insider was of no small consequence. By revealing so much before the battle, the Tianli Deputy Leader intended to destabilize the minds of the Ru Deputy Leader, the Sanshu Deputy Leader, and the Qijie Deputy Leader.

To disrupt the mind before battle—this was a common tactic in combat. This was not cunning deception, but an overt strategy. It forced a reckoning, compelling the mind toward necessary disquiet.

The Deputy Leader of the Tianli Civilization laughed loudly and stepped forward, summoning the Book of Tianli. His Book of Tianli was far more perfected than Zhu Renyu’s, representing the great Dao of extinguishing all things and the systemic obliteration of humanity. Above his head, he manifested an Initial Character: Exterminate ()!

What a powerful Initial Character, that ‘Exterminate.’ Purely in terms of destructive power, it far surpassed the character ‘Zheng’ ().

The Deputy Leader of the Tianli Civilization took another step forward. Countless Daos flowed from his book, and his lips ceaselessly chanted countless true mantras that emerged from his mouth. He sought to establish his own world, within which he would be boundless, possessing ultimate truth, unchallengeable by any.

The Deputy Leader of the Sanshu Civilization was no less imposing. Above his head, he manifested three books: the Analects Scripture, the Doctrine of the Mean Scripture, and the Great Learning Scripture. Simultaneously, he summoned the Initial Character “Ru” (), as if he embodied the enduring, vast spirit between heaven and earth. He clashed fiercely with the Deputy Leader of the Tianli Civilization.

The Deputy Leader of the Tianli Civilization clearly held the upper hand against the Deputy Leader of the Sanshu Civilization. He roared, "Deputy Leader of the Ru Civilization, we are old rivals, after all. Care to join the fray?" With a casual lift of his hand, he swept the Deputy Leader of the Ru Civilization into the fighting circle, showcasing his immense remaining strength.

The Deputy Leader of the Mielun Civilization also bellowed, "Deputy Leader of the Qijie Civilization, we have a long-standing grudge. Today, I will see your civilization perish here!" He swept his massive hand, resembling the wave of a galaxy—a galaxy imbued with supreme wisdom, principles, and knowledge—directly toward the Deputy Leader of the Qijie Civilization.

The Deputy Leader of the Qijie Civilization erupted in fury, his righteous anger scattering into his hair, transforming into a Star River of Qi.

The two star rivers collided in the void, sparking a dazzling, chaotic light of countless stars. All five Deputy Leaders were locked in ferocious combat. Relatively speaking, the two Deputy Leaders from the Tianli side maintained a slight advantage. Civilization Realm combat was the realm of the Civilization Leaders; World Realm combat belonged to the World Realm. ... .. The surging World Realm army of the Tianli Civilization surged toward the Ru Civilization. With the Ru Civilization's Defense Grand Array now useless, the two civilizations directly engaged. Within the World Realm armies, the strongest were naturally the figures at the Half-Step Civilization Realm, who were truly masters at the apex of the World Realm.

Figures like Kong Ni and Kong Mingde were nearly unmatched in their initial strikes, instantly slaying several Tianli Civilization combatants. Although the Ru Civilization was generally averse to killing, with the Tianli Civilization threatening total annihilation, Kong Ni and Kong Mingde were not so besotted with study that they forgot to strike decisively.

However, the losses on the Ru Civilization side mounted even faster. Almost instantaneously, a river of blood materialized. Where the river flowed, all of the Ru Civilization perished, and even many within the Tianli Civilization were caught in the torrent.

Kong Ni lunged forward to intercept, but he was struck by the crimson wave with a resounding impact and sent flying!

Who could possess such power, capable of blasting a Half-Step Civilization Realm master like Kong Ni away with a single blow? The river of blood halted, revealing a young man bathed in crimson light. This blood-red youth wielded a serpentine weapon, and a faint aura of detachment hung around his brow, suggesting that all things could be easily erased. He seemed utterly indifferent to all life. Who was this?

"Tianren Annihilation, Zhu Tianren!" Kong Ni gasped, drawing a sharp breath. As a long-revered figure, he recognized his opponent instantly. Upon recognition, his shock turned to sheer terror; he never expected his adversary to be such a formidable entity.

Tianren Annihilation, Zhu Tianren? Lu Yuan, standing nearby, faintly recalled hearing that name. Where had it been? Lu Yuan sank into thought. Then, Su Yue Mian, beside him, whispered, "Junior Brother Li, this man is the forty-sixth ranked figure on the Fifty Heavenly Rankings, known as Tianren Annihilation, or simply Zhu Tianren."

The Fifty Heavenly Rankings—Lu Yuan had long respected their notoriety. Hua Fa Sheng was noted as the foremost expert just below that ranking, and the Son of Desolation’s current strength had already earned him a spot on the Rankings. To encounter the forty-sixth ranked member of the Fifty Heavenly Rankings here was astonishing.

Lu Yuan dared not relax his guard. His current strength was comparable to Hua Fa Sheng's, but it was rumored that the gap between those on the Rankings and Hua Fa Sheng was vast. The Son of Desolation, upon breaking into the Rankings, could contend one against seven masters, far surpassing Hua Fa Sheng. Therefore, the true fighting capability of this Zhu Tianren likely did not fall below that of the Son of Desolation within the Civilization Holy Land.

Tianren Annihilation, Zhu Tianren, gripping his serpentine weapon, remarked, "Oh, you managed to withstand my strike and survive, Great Confucian Kong Ni. Your reputation is well-deserved; I am impressed." Zhu Tianren was about to deliver the finishing blow to Kong Ni when his attention suddenly snapped toward Lu Yuan. "Ah, you must be the boundless potential Li Taishi. I heard you defeated the Son of Demonic Arts in the Civilization Holy Land. While the Son of Demonic Arts himself is not extraordinary, defeating him at your age merits respect."

Zhu Tianren shifted slightly in the void, appearing instantly before Lu Yuan, and tutted, "Normally, I favor young heroes and rising talents. Regrettably, my cousin, Zhu Renyu, left a final letter stating that the person he most wished to kill was you, Li Taishi. His supreme pride rested in his scholarly pursuits and righteousness, and yet he suffered a major defeat at your hands—the greatest humiliation of his life. Therefore, he desired your death the most. Moreover, your Book of Civilization and the Initial Character 'Zheng' were the objects of his lifelong ambition."

"My bond with my cousin was deep; I cannot bear to see his last wish unfulfilled now that he is dead. Thus, I must oblige him. However, if you hand over the Book of Civilization and 'Zheng,' I shall burn your Book of Civilization at my cousin's grave and destroy 'Zheng' there as well, offering solace to his spirit. Only then will I spare you, as it would be a true shame to see such a promising genius extinguished prematurely." Zhu Tianren adopted an air of profound sorrow.

Lu Yuan inwardly sneered. How could this Zhu Tianren enjoy such theatrics? It was utterly ridiculous. He clearly coveted the Book of Civilization and 'Zheng' and intended to kill him; he was just staging a performance first. If Lu Yuan actually believed him and surrendered his treasures, he would undoubtedly die at Zhu Tianren’s hands anyway.

"Zhu Tianren, stop being so disingenuous! You clearly covet Li Taishi’s Book of Civilization and 'Zheng.' Just say you want them; stop pretending. I’m about to be sick from the display!"

A gloomy middle-aged man appeared. This man was exceptionally tall, and the most striking feature was the string of shrunken, lifelike human heads hanging around his neck. Each head radiated a powerful aura, suggesting the figure had been extraordinary in life.

Lu Yuan immediately recognized who this was: Head Specialist Wang Xueze, ranked forty-seventh on the Fifty Heavenly Rankings. This Head Specialist Wang Xueze was also a bloody and cruel figure, but unlike Zhu Tianren, who preferred manipulation, Wang Xueze favored brute force and killing. Typically, after slaying a peak Tenth Heaven World Realm master, he would condense and shrink their head, hanging it on his necklace. The string currently around his neck held several hundred heads, all belonging to figures at the Tenth Heaven World Realm or above.

Head Specialist Wang Xueze, ranked forty-seventh on the Fifty Heavenly Rankings, scrutinized Lu Yuan. "So, you are the boundless potential, Young Master Li. Don't trust that Zhu Tianren; he merely wants to kill you to seize the Book of Civilization and 'Zheng.' Of course, I also desire the Book of Civilization, 'Zheng,' and to kill you."

"You have a good appearance," Wang Xueze observed Lu Yuan’s head with a peculiar gaze, as if assessing a collector’s item. "With your looks and potential, having defeated the Son of Demonic Arts, you would make for one of the most significant heads on my necklace. A fine addition to this ornament." He had already cataloged Lu Yuan as a potential decoration.

What a formation the Tianli Civilization had assembled for this assault! At the Civilization Realm, there was the Mielun Deputy Leader, who had secretly advanced to that level without announcing it. At the World Realm, they brought forth Zhu Tianren, ranked forty-sixth on the Fifty Heavenly Rankings, and furthermore, they invited Head Specialist Wang Xueze, ranked forty-seventh.

Lu Yuan faced an extreme crisis.