For instance, the original third-ranked Titan Wanqi Jimo, the original fifth-ranked Titan Fang Zhuishou, the original sixth-ranked Titan Situ Kongkong, the original eighth-ranked Titan Murong Honglei, the ninth-ranked Celestial Ranking Titan Wang Shanzhan, the tenth-ranked Titan Wei Honglou, and the eleventh-ranked Xiao Guancai—these were quite famous.

Further down, those less renowned included the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth ranked individuals, as well as figures like the Wine Immortal and Fei Wei. There were also some ranked in the twenties, thirties, and even the original forties—altogether, just over thirty people.

The current Celestial Ranking was sparse. So many had perished in this recent Celestial Ranking Battle that the list was left wide open. All the surviving Celestial Ranking Titans were now fixedly staring at Lu Yuan. Celestial Ranking Second, Lu Yuan! So young, yet already standing at the pinnacle of the Celestial Ranking. Of course, many eyes also drifted toward the fabricated clone Lu Yuan had created: Li Taishi. Li Taishi had slightly surpassed Murong Honglei; if a new Celestial Ranking were to be formulated, Li Taishi would likely secure the eighth spot, pushing the original Murong Honglei naturally down to ninth. The changes between the new and old Celestial Rankings were far from minor!

As everyone gazed upon the Jade Tablet, steeped in profound contemplation, a colossal pressure, so immense it nearly suffocated them to death, suddenly manifested. What an overwhelmingly powerful aura this was; it instantly crushed the surrounding World Realm bird demons and fish demons, forcing them downward in a chaotic descent. The City of Fish and the City of Birds were instantly flattened and annihilated. As for the bird and fish demons below the World Realm, every single one was physically crushed to death by this overwhelming might.

Hundong Tenth Level, Half-Step World… that was merely a joke in comparison. The sheer pressure alone was enough to snuff them out. While the Celestial Ranking Titans could withstand the intensity, their expressions nonetheless contorted in shock. These Titans were no mere mortals; they possessed vast and profound experience. Now, they simultaneously perceived that this aura belonged to the Civilization Realm. A Civilization-level entity had descended! All present were struck dumb with horror! Beings of the Civilization Realm were fundamentally different from everyone who came before them.

Lu Yuan, too, couldn't help but raise his head. He vaguely sensed that the Civilization Realm figure descending from the sky was targeting him specifically. An overwhelmingly powerful aura had already locked onto him—an inescapable, undeniable targeting. So be it, he thought, let us see who the newcomer is before making any further plans.

The figure in the sky finally descended.

It was a middle-aged man with an aquiline nose, possessing extremely deep pupils tinged with crimson. He was unusually tall, and behind him seemed to trail the shadow of countless eagles in flight. In his hand, he held the very truths of the world; his feet trod upon the very traces of the Great Dao, and endless streams of Civilization radiated from his grasp. He represented an entire civilization. The profound depth of Civilization! The majesty of Civilization! The endlessness of Civilization! The epic narrative of Civilization! All were concentrated in this one person.

Wanqi Jimo murmured, "The Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization." Though renowned as the third on the Celestial Ranking, he truly understood the immense gulf separating him from the Civilization Realm. The so-called Fifty Titans of the Ranking were merely those capable of enduring a single strike—one single finger thrust—from a Civilization Realm expert for one Epoch. Remember, this was just one finger, not more, not even a full move. If an Epoch-level being were serious, the Fifty Titans would possess virtually no power to retaliate, a fact Wanqi Jimo grasped perfectly.

Situ Kongkong also whispered, "The Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization." A scar, etched by the Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization, ran across Situ Kongkong’s face. Naturally, Situ Kongkong also knew that the Vice Lord hadn't truly intended to kill him; had he meant to, even with multiple lives, Situ Kongkong would have perished long ago. The Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization had merely injured Situ Kongkong inadvertently when a wing swept past during a fight—an accidental spillover effect. Yet, even that unintentional ripple had severely wounded Situ Kongkong. He knew that his rank as Sixth on the Celestial Ranking might bring eternal glory against others, but facing the Civilization Realm Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle, he was nothing more than a mere dish of food.

Murong Honglei felt within the Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization an overwhelmingly potent force. The Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization had arrived!

But why would the Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization appear now? The secret council held by the Kunpeng King, Fang Zhou, and Ouyang Tu had suddenly sprung into action. Others shouldn't have known that all Fifty Titans were gathered at the Celestial Ranking Jade Tablet, especially since this turn of events was so sudden. Time flowed unusually slowly within the Kunpeng World—a characteristic trait of the Kunpeng creatures there—meaning the duration in the outside world was incredibly brief.

How could the Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization arrive at this precise moment? This was precisely due to Fang Zhou’s interference. Fang Zhou was a disciple of the Vice Lord of the Fate Logic Civilization. The Vice Lord of the Fate Logic Civilization, renowned for having ‘no sect, no faction, no power,’ had secretly been colluding with the Vice Lord of the Ancient Desolation Civilization on a grand scheme. Thus, when Fang Zhou saw the Kunpeng King and Ouyang Tu approach that morning, he immediately sent out a message. Because of this, the nearest Civilization expert, the Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization, descended. Originally, Fang Zhou's plan stipulated that if the Kunpeng King succeeded, the Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization would execute the Kunpeng King and seize the Civilization Divine Essence. If the Son of the Barren Lands successfully acquired both portions of the Divine Essence, everything would proceed as planned, including the execution of Lu Yuan—that was Fang Zhou’s original blueprint.

Therefore, regardless of whether the Kunpeng King died at the hands of the Son of the Barren Lands or not, he was destined to die; there was no deviation. He had already been accounted for by Fang Zhou. However, Lu Yuan acquiring both portions of the Civilization Divine Essence was an unexpected development. Still, even if the Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization arrived slightly late, he had arrived nonetheless! For the moment, he was the only Civilization Realm expert who could possibly manifest here; the others were either too distant or hadn't received the news.

Within the Central Heavenly Dynasty, vast beyond measure, it would take Lu Yuan tens of days just to reach the nearest Civilization. Other figures were Civilization Lords, far away, requiring at least ten days' travel. Lu Yuan was, after all, a near-Civilization entity who prided himself on unparalleled speed. The Civilization Lord of Ancient Desolation and the Vice Lord of Fate Logic were coincidentally nearby and could have moved to kill Lu Yuan; both held the intention to do so. The Civilization Lord of Ancient Desolation was a figure who would pursue victory at any cost, willing to descend from the stature of a Civilization Lord to slay a World Realm entity, unafraid of losing face. But the Civilization Lord of Ancient Desolation was currently engaged in another monumental undertaking, one far surpassing the importance of slaying Lu Yuan. This endeavor, spoken of earlier, was a grand plan he was executing, making it impossible for him to arrive in time.

Turning back from the broader currents outside, let us focus on the immediate scene. The Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization looked upon Lu Yuan and roared out: "Lu—Yuan!" His voice contained an infinite, killing song of Civilization. Others were only afflicted, finding it agonizing, but Lu Yuan, caught at the epicenter, felt this was the most terrifying Civilization Killing Song he had ever heard, as if he had fallen into the deepest layer of the most evil hell.

But Lu Yuan simply raised his hand: "I summon my sword with my heart; the blade cuts straight through the vast sky." His Immortal Sword, Nourished by the Self, instantly drew forth, his Sword Heart utterly clear and luminous.

The Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization regarded Lu Yuan: "Not bad, managing to evade that strike. Regrettably, today I will tell you plainly: you are certain to die by the hand of this civilization." He spoke casually, but for a Civilization Realm expert to slay a World Realm entity was hardly a difficult feat. The Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization intended to personally execute Lu Yuan. It seemed Lu Yuan was destined to perish here! This was the unanimous thought among the Celestial Ranking figures, for the Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization was overwhelmingly, indescribably powerful. When such an entity intended to kill someone, no one on the Celestial Ranking could resist, including the first-ranked entity before true Civilization—the gap was that vast.

Just as everyone assumed Lu Yuan was finished, Lu Yuan remained utterly calm: "The Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization, is it? I would like to see if you can kill me. It would be quite the joke if a dignified Civilization Realm expert failed to dispatch me." Lu Yuan was currently in perfect condition. Though he sustained two minor injuries from the Son of the Barren Lands in the Kunpeng World, consuming the Primordial War Chariot had restored his vigor, healing most of his wounds. Contact with the Civilization Divine Essence completed the recovery, leaving no trace of injury. He stood now in his absolute peak state, ready to challenge the Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization head-on.

The others who heard him felt only that Lu Yuan had gone insane. He dared to claim the Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization could not kill him! This was Lu Yuan openly challenging a Civilization Realm expert—he was utterly mad! Lu Yuan was too reckless! No matter how many Titans graced the Celestial Ranking, even the thirteenth-ranked Wu Fengzi could not match the sheer madness Lu Yuan exhibited.

The Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization burst into loud laughter upon hearing this: "Truly laughable! I never expected the younger generation nowadays to be this arrogant. Very well, today I shall let you understand what the Civilization Realm is, and the vast, insurmountable chasm between the Civilization Realm and the World Realm." The Vice Lord’s killing intent had flared intensely. Initially, he had merely accepted a mission to eliminate Lu Yuan, so his murderous drive wasn't at its peak. But now, his Civilization Might had been provoked by Lu Yuan. The Might of a Civilization Realm expert cannot be slighted. Thus, he was utterly enraged! His killing intent surged to its zenith! When a Civilization Realm expert’s killing intent reaches such a peak, any surviving World Realm entities, especially the lower-tiered ones, would spontaneously self-destruct out of sheer terror!

The Vice Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization revealed his massive palm. This time, it was not a simple finger thrust, but a true strike. He brought his palm down! This was a palm strike on the Civilization Level! The moment the palm force manifested! The sky darkened!