The Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization spoke of Lu Yuan's recent tactics with an unhurried pace, clearly possessing considerable confidence. With his hands clasped behind his back, the Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization stated indifferently, "However, to escape from my grasp, this alone is not enough. I am the Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization, representing the very essence of the Eagle. And one core tenet of the Eagle's essence is speed." Yes, speed! A speed beyond the ordinary. Therefore, upon encountering the Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization, Lu Yuan was doomed, despite his earlier brilliant performance. The Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization burst forth, instantly giving chase to Lu Yuan.

Although Lu Yuan had escaped the Civilizational Heavenly Track, he couldn't have gotten too far yet. The Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization truly did not believe Lu Yuan's escape speed could surpass his own flight speed as he scanned the surroundings. The Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization swept his gaze briefly but found no trace of Lu Yuan. Wait, there! The Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization lunged forward, finally landing on a shimmering array of light.

This particular teleportation array was quite different from the standard ones. The array was inscribed all over with the character for 'gamble' (). This was the Array of Gambling Teleportation. The Array of Gambling Teleportation, also known as the Random Teleportation Array, was an exceedingly peculiar construct. It could send one anywhere within millions of li instantly, entirely at random, in any direction, making it undetectable. Near the Heavenly Ranking Jade Tablet, there were three such Arrays of Gambling Teleportation, and Lu Yuan had clearly used one. This made things difficult! To think Lu Yuan actually used the Array of Gambling Teleportation to flee—now, Lu Yuan's destination was completely unknown, making him far harder to track than if he had used a normal teleportation array. The Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization let out a cold laugh. Indeed, the Array of Gambling Teleportation was troublesome, but at most, it would only grant Lu Yuan a little more time to live. To think this could stop his pursuit was utterly impossible, merely a pipe dream. The Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization now brought out his true ability: his Nine Heavens Soaring Eagle Civilizational Movement Technique. The Nine Heavens Soaring Eagle Civilizational Movement Technique! This was a movement skill renowned for its speed, and within the five eras of the Civilizational Realm, very few could surpass him. The Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization moved instantaneously, vanishing into nothingness.

Meanwhile, the great figures on the Heavenly Ranking also reacted. Now that both Civilizational Bodies were in Lu Yuan's hands, even if the Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization killed Lu Yuan, those bodies would fall under the Ancient Desolate Civilization, and ultimately into the hands of the Son of Desolation—meaning these Heavenly Ranking magnates would once again end up with nothing. One hope, one disappointment. However, these Heavenly Ranking magnates had long endured countless cycles of hope and despair. Yet, not a single one gave up. A one-tenth Civilization was fundamentally different from what it was before, so no matter how arduous the path, these individuals had to strive to attack. Of course, news of this battle spread rapidly.

"What? In the Heavenly Ranking battle, Lu Yuan actually achieved the final victory?" "Someone like the Condor King actually died in the hands of the Son of Desolation?" "The Son of Desolation was ultimately defeated by Lu Yuan?" "That Lu Yuan actually broke the record, surviving thirty-six moves against a Civilizational Realm expert?" "I heard it's even more than that—not only did Lu Yuan break the record, but he also wounded the Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization, leaving a shallow cut." "Impossible, surely?" "How can that be false? So many Heavenly Ranking magnates witnessed it firsthand; how could it be fake?" "Well, I heard this directly from Xiao Guanlin, the eleventh-ranked expert on the Heavenly Ranking," said another tall and thin man. "Ah, you actually know the eleventh-ranked magnate, Xiao Guanlin? My apologies, my apologies." The person beside him immediately showed deference. Not only could Lu Yuan now easily surpass the eleventh-ranked magnate, but in the Central Heavenly Dynasty, a figure ranked eleventh on the Heavenly Ranking was a person of considerable status, and being acquainted with such a figure was a source of great prestige. "If even Magnate Xiao confirmed it, then it must be true." "I never imagined Lu Yuan was so fierce, wounding a Civilizational Realm expert while only at the World Realm. He must be the first person of this era to achieve such a feat." "Indeed. But how could the Civilizational Heavenly Track be broken? A Civilizational Realm expert naturally possesses their own Heavenly Track." "That's a long story." The man who knew Xiao Guanlin seemed to be a close relative or intimate friend and proceeded to recount the main events of the Heavenly Ranking incident. Listening to Lu Yuan's astonishing tactics, everyone present couldn't help but sigh in admiration. How could they not be convinced? When facing a Civilizational Realm expert, he conceived such a tactic instantly—it was impossible not to submit.

"But, Lu Yuan escaping will not be easy," said the tall, thin man who knew Xiao Guanlin. "His opponent is the Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization. The Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization is the fastest among all the Deputy Lords across an entire era; perhaps only the Deputy Lord of the Swallow Martial Civilization could rival him in speed." "Lu Yuan seems to have ties with the Fourth Daughter of the Ancient Law Civilization, Sword Spirit Empress Ji. Will the Ancient Law Civilization intervene to help Lu Yuan against the Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization?" "The Ancient Desolate Civilization and the Ancient Immortal Civilization had long since stationed heavy troops in front of the Ancient Law Civilization. The Ancient Law Civilization is barely able to handle its own affairs right now; how could they have the spare capacity to aid Lu Yuan?" "Heavens! The Ancient Desolate and Ancient Immortal Civilizations have deployed heavy forces? It seems the eternally peaceful days of our Central Heavenly Dynasty are about to end." Most people present realized that the two ancient civilizations massing troops near the Ancient Law Civilization was certainly not solely because of Lu Yuan. It was already known that the Five Great Ancient Civilizations were split into two factions: Ancient Immortal, Ancient Desolate, and Buddha Ancient against Ancient Law and Martial Ancient. Now it seemed the era of peace might be over; the competition between these two factions had reached this critical point. In an instant, the Central Heavenly Dynasty felt a sense of sudden, tumultuous change.

"If the Ancient Desolate and Ancient Immortal factions have mobilized heavily, then the Ancient Law Civilization cannot spare any hands, leaving Lu Yuan to rely entirely on himself." "Yes, but for Lu Yuan to survive the pursuit of the Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization on his own—how easy is that? For a World Realm cultivator to escape a Civilizational Realm expert, there is only one possibility: the man has lost his mind." "Indeed, Lu Yuan is finished." "Oh, I did hear that the Son of Desolation is currently receiving intensive cultivation from the Ancient Desolate Civilization, aiming to break through to the Civilizational Realm." "The Son of Desolation is truly blessed by fortune. After losing to Lu Yuan in the Heavenly Ranking battle, he immediately receives the full support of an ancient civilization to charge toward the Civilizational Realm. Conversely, Lu Yuan, despite being the victor of the Heavenly Ranking battle, is being hunted by the Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization. This truly illustrates how different fates can befall those with similar aptitude." "That's true. Who told Lu Yuan to only be from a Sword Sect, while the Son of Desolation is from an ancient civilization and a direct disciple of a Civilization Master?" "Lu Yuan is truly our commoner idol, managing to reach this level starting only from a mere Supreme Arrow Sect origin." "That might not be entirely accurate. Lu Yuan has a good relationship with the Fourth Daughter of the Ancient Law Civilization, Sword Spirit Empress Ji; perhaps the Ancient Law Civilization is also investing in nurturing Lu Yuan, so it wasn't purely self-struggle." Another person offered a dissenting opinion, but his view was immediately ridiculed by many, as it seemed too ridiculous. The Ancient Law Civilization had certainly aided Lu Yuan, but the majority of Lu Yuan's strength was forged through his own struggle; after all, the Ancient Law Civilization specialized in the Dao, while Lu Yuan focused on the sword—these were entirely different concepts. ....

A strike of Civilization lashed through the void, tearing the sky, shattering the earth, and annihilating planets, symbolizing eternity and demonstrating civilization. Compared to civilization, planets and heaven and earth seemed infinitesimally small. Lu Yuan actually intended to evade this attack, but he could no longer do so. So, he could only summon the utmost strength of his entire being, activating his most powerful sword strike, thrusting it out to intercept.

Clang!

The Nourishing Immortal Sword instantly showed signs of fracturing, and simultaneously, Lu Yuan was thrown heavily back tens of thousands of zhang, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Lu Yuan circulated his true power, and his body felt somewhat better; he directed a Kē (Suppress) clone within him to deal with and grind away some of the invading force, yet the pain remained agonizing. He then channeled the Zhèng (Correct/Upright) character, sending a righteous energy toward the Nourishing Immortal Sword, allowing it to rapidly recover. If not for the perfect resonance between the Zhèng character and the Nourishing Immortal Sword, a mere immortal sword could never withstand an assault from a Civilizational Realm expert; this sword had shattered and reformed dozens of times already.

After fleeing for so long, Lu Yuan felt there was truly nowhere left to run. Along the way, he had exhausted every means, executing brilliant tactics several times, even managing to toy with the Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization slightly. But no matter what stratagem he employed, the Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization could quickly locate him again—this was the might of the Civilizational Realm. Against an absolute disparity in power, all schemes became farcical.

The Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization landed in the void tens of thousands of zhang away: "Oh, finally out of tricks? Throughout this chase, I genuinely acknowledge you are remarkable. It's a pity that against the pursuit of a Civilizational Realm expert like myself, no matter how extraordinary you are, you will ultimately die by my hand." "Now, perish." The Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization raised his hand, and several feathers shot forth.

Lu Yuan was unwilling to meet death in such a manner. Although his entire body was already severely wounded, he had to fight one last time. The Nourishing Immortal Sword was summoned into the air. Just then, several feathers representing Civilization shot down from above, flying toward the feathers being wielded by the Deputy Lord of the Eagle Civilization. The Deputy Lord’s feathers were heavier, thicker, coarser, and rougher. The feathers that appeared later were lighter, more elegant, and brighter.

Two feathers of Civilization from each side, a total of four, exploded in the void, resulting in a perfect stalemate. Or perhaps, the newcomers held a slight advantage.

"Who said Lu Yuan must die? I have arrived, Lu Yuan certainly will not die," declared a delicate voice. This was clearly a woman's voice. Lu Yuan couldn't help but be startled. To have a woman rescue him at a moment like this—in his memory, there was no such woman. Who could it be? Chang'e? Unlikely. Rumor has it the Ancient Immortal Civilization is currently chasing Chang'e; she is likely struggling for her own survival right now. Then who is it? But regardless of who it was, this was the first time in his life he had been saved by a woman.