In the vast emptiness of the Tai Xu Void, across millions of miles, two streams of divine consciousness were locked in a fierce clash. This was a confrontation between powers on the level of Lords of Civilization.

This clash of divine wills determined many things. 。。。。。。 At the same time, under the combined influence of the ultimate arts of Witchcraft, the Art of Yi (Divination/Change), and the Kunpeng Technique, every figure on the Heavenly Ranking fell into the Kunpeng Space, save for the one ranked first, Gu Shi.

Naturally, their reaction speed far surpassed Lu Yuan’s; having been famous for countless years, they certainly understood the nature of the Kunpeng King, ranked second on the Heavenly Ranking. Lu Yuan was now largely certain: he was inside the Kunpeng World.

This was no small matter. After his battle with the Heavenly Soul Sorcerer, he understood his own combat strength—he ranked somewhere around twentieth on the Heavenly Ranking.

And now, even the Kunpeng King, ranked second, had made a move. Tsk, tsk, this was serious; the Kunpeng King could probably crush him with ease.

Must escape! With a movement of his hand, Lu Yuan summoned his sword light and slammed it fiercely against the World Barrier.

If he could just smash through the barrier, this predicament would be solved. Clang!

The sword light struck the World Barrier, which barely reacted. Damn it all, he couldn't even scratch the World Barrier.

The Kunpeng King’s cultivation realm was far higher than his own. In truth, the Kunpeng King’s Kunpeng World was inherently sturdy; even if one’s magical power matched his, breaking through his domain was exceedingly difficult—this was one of the Kunpeng King's defining characteristics.

After testing more than ten strikes, and finding the World Barrier completely unresponsive, Lu Yuan could only give up. “Gugu, come out.

Show me how many people are nearby, chasing after me.” Having abandoned the effort to shatter the barrier, Lu Yuan released Gugu. The snow-white Gugu suddenly appeared.

Gugu had been displaying great power lately. Usually, when Gugu emerged, it carried an air of immense pride.

But this time, Gugu hopped around anxiously on its tiny feet, as if deeply troubled by something. Lu Yuan couldn't help but suspect: “Is someone approaching?

Could a master have arrived nearby without my realizing it?” Gugu shook its head, and a stream of divine thought flowed into Lu Yuan’s mind. After communicating with Gugu’s consciousness, Lu Yuan finally understood what was happening.

It turned out the situation was quite peculiar. This was the Kunpeng World; weren't there countless birds and fish swimming nearby?

Both the birds and the fish appeared alive. Gugu’s message was that these birds and fish were all actively scouting him.

Lu Yuan was suddenly shocked and fearful. My world, I am the master.

In his own newly formed Sword World, he controlled everything and could instantly detect any intrusion. Similarly, this Kunpeng World was ruled by the Kunpeng King.

The birds and fish here were likely the Kunpeng King’s spies. This meant that as long as he remained within the Kunpeng World, the Kunpeng King could monitor him at any moment.

No wonder Gugu was so agitated. This negated his greatest advantage in tracking and counter-tracking.

If the Kunpeng King was faster than him, capture was inevitable; relying on Gugu was useless. This was problematic!

Right, he still had another identity: Li Taishi, the new giant of the Heavenly Ranking! He could use that identity.

The reason Kunpeng King and the others wanted to capture him was purely for the Body of Civilization. If he transformed into Li Taishi, the Kunpeng King and the others likely wouldn't bother him.

But the surroundings were filled with birds and fish. With a flick of his sword light, Lu Yuan instantly slew all the surrounding birds and fish, causing a massive explosion of vital energy that left the area in extreme energetic chaos and obscured vision.

Simultaneously, Lu Yuan transformed into Li Taishi’s appearance while also creating a false body of Lu Yuan. He needed Lu Yuan and Li Taishi to exist concurrently for a period so that others wouldn't grow suspicious.

After completing these preparations, Lu Yuan transformed into the graceful, handsome scholar, Li Taishi. Of course, Li Taishi appeared in a different location, having used instant movement.

During the teleportation, he employed the Traceless Art to erase spatial residue, ensuring the transition of Lu Yuan into Li Taishi was executed cleanly and beautifully. At this moment, forty Heavenly Ranking figures materialized within the Kunpeng World.

There were fifty people on the Heavenly Ranking in total. Lu Yuan, using two distinct identities, had accounted for six absences.

The Son of Desolation had accounted for two. Since Gu Shi had not entered the Kunpeng World, there were only forty ranking figures present.

Hua Fasheng’s power was too low for him to have successfully made the list. The Kunpeng King sat at the very heart of the Kunpeng World.

He had already located the Son of Desolation and Lu Yuan. The Grandmaster of Curse Craft, Ouyang Tuo, and Fang Zhou stood on either side.

Ouyang Tuo and Fang Zhou each had their specialties, but with rankings of fourth and seventh respectively, their direct combat prowess was considerable. “Both the Son of Desolation and Lu Yuan have been found.

Here is the plan: I will go after the Son of Desolation. You two, go for Lu Yuan,” the Kunpeng King stated calmly.

This was a perfectly sound judgment. The Kunpeng King was invincible within his own domain and possessed superior speed; if he went for the Son of Desolation, the latter would have no choice but to surrender.

As for Ouyang Tuo and Fang Zhou joining forces against Lu Yuan, even if Lu Yuan was skilled in evasion, he couldn't escape the grasp of two opponents. Furthermore, if they encountered other Heavenly Ranking giants, a combined force of the fourth and seventh ranked possess overwhelming self-preservation capabilities.

Ouyang Tuo and Fang Zhou, seasoned veterans of countless battles, immediately agreed with the analysis. “Wait, Lu Yuan has vanished,” the Kunpeng King exclaimed in surprise.

“Lu Yuan is actually gone.” My world, I am the master. The Kunpeng King searched the entire world but could not find any trace of Lu Yuan.

He then checked all the newly arrived individuals, discovering only Heavenly Ranking giants, no one suspicious. Wait, who was that elegant, handsome scholar?

With crimson lips and white teeth, he looked utterly unfamiliar. Ah, yes, that must be Li Taishi from the Confucian Civilization, another new giant on the Heavenly Ranking—it made sense for him to appear.

The Kunpeng King had no time to concern himself with Li Taishi right now; his priority was locating Lu Yuan. After searching extensively, even using the technique of Heavenly Sight and Earthly Hearing across the entire Kunpeng World, he still couldn't find Lu Yuan.

“Lu Yuan is gone. Never mind, let’s capture the Son of Desolation first, and secure the Civilization Divine Splendor from him,” the Kunpeng King declared.

Hearing this, Ouyang Tuo and Fang Zhou exchanged looks of deep confusion. Lu Yuan had vanished suddenly; this person truly possessed hidden means.

However, too many people were now targeting the Son of Desolation, so they too needed to head there, lest the Son of Desolation fall into the hands of others. After all, the Heavenly Ranking still held formidable figures, such as those ranked third, fifth, and sixth—legends of their generation, possessing majesty that shook the four corners of the universe, far beyond ordinary standing.

With a swoosh, the Kunpeng King, Ouyang Tuo, and Fang Zhou shot into the sky, flying directly toward the Son of Desolation’s location. Meanwhile, the Son of Desolation, clad in Black Jade Qilin Battle Armor and wielding the Primordial Divine Halberd, maintained his haughty demeanor.

He remained remarkably composed, ready to meet any challenge. However, the Son of Desolation clearly believed Lu Yuan would suffer misfortune before him; he had also heard the rumor that Lu Yuan possessed the Body of Civilization.

Within the Kunpeng World, fierce battles erupted anew. 。。。。。。 An incomparably handsome, elegant scholar, clad in white, floated through the sky with his hands clasped behind his back, exuding an ineffable air of chic elegance and composure.

Lu Yuan was flying with immense ease. As he soared, he leisurely observed the beautiful scenery surrounding him.

The landscape of the Kunpeng World was strikingly different from the outside. The ground was carpeted with feathers; when he moved, multi-colored plumes danced and fluttered in the wind.

One mountain range was a giant bird, another was a colossal fish; the slopes were slick, and the rivers teemed with every variety of fish—truly a wondrous world. Lu Yuan felt wonderful right now; how could he not?

Initially, transforming into Li Taishi was a necessary measure to evade the Kunpeng King’s constant surveillance. Within this Kunpeng World, no matter where he was, he was subject to the King’s scrutiny.

But that decision had served two other benefits. First, since the giants of the Heavenly Ranking had all materialized in the Kunpeng World, if Li Taishi hadn't appeared, people would inevitably suspect the identity of Li Taishi.

Now that the new giant, Li Taishi, was present, no one needed to question his status—that was the first benefit. The second?

Lu Yuan had been drifting around the Kunpeng World lately and had picked up some news. Because Lu Yuan remained unfound, a large contingent of Heavenly Ranking giants had shifted their focus to harassing the Son of Desolation.

If Lu Yuan hadn't switched identities, perhaps half the available might would have been directed at him. By making this switch, all that force was redirected toward the Son of Desolation, abruptly doubling the attacks he faced and multiplying his pressure several times over.

Lu Yuan was delighted that this action inadvertently harmed the Son of Desolation—what a truly gratifying outcome! Seeing the Son of Desolation in distress was one of the greatest joys he could experience.

Besieged by so many powerful giants from the Heavenly Ranking, the Son of Desolation could hardly maintain the majesty of the Sacred Land of Civilization; he must be getting thoroughly beaten. “Hahahaha!” Thinking of such satisfaction, Lu Yuan couldn't help but feel a surge of pure elation.

Wait a moment, perhaps he should also pose as the new Heavenly Ranking giant, Li Taishi, and join the siege against the Son of Desolation. That prospect would be endlessly entertaining.

Attacking a fallen dog generally held little interest for him, but attacking the Son of Desolation—a genuine fallen dog—now that interested him immensely. Never mind, prioritizing the enhancement of his own strength was more important.

In the current Kunpeng World, frankly speaking, ranking twenty-something felt utterly unsafe. There were about twenty individuals whose strength clearly surpassed his.

To boost his power, he should cultivate the Path of Civilization. His Path of Civilization, distilled, comprised only four characters.

Wine, Sword, Sloth, Righteousness (Jiu, Jian, Lan, Zheng). Which character should he cultivate first?

Lu Yuan pondered for a moment and decided to cultivate the character Jian (Sword) first. And to make the Jian character within his divine consciousness emit a white light, he first needed to appreciate the essence of the sword.