In the void, a being with the appearance of a breathtakingly beautiful maiden, possessing skin as white as snow and a crimson mole between the brows, relentlessly refined his essence.

Ribbons of white mist materialized in the emptiness, drawn into the Immortal Son's very [Body]. Inhalation, exhalation—the cycle repeated. Within this white aura, faint visions arose: a white dragon, a white immortal, a white pavilion. Such phenomena accompanying every breath attested to his extraordinary nature.

As the strength of the Desolate Son and Lu Yuan continuously progressed, the Immortal Son's power, too, escalated without pause.

After all, the Immortal Son was one of the Seven Manifestations of Fortune, and unlike the Buddha Son or the Sword Son, the Immortal Son was a true master.

The Immortal Son ceased his breathing.

At his current level, he should now surpass Hua Fa Sheng and be qualified to enter the Top Fifty Celestial Rankings.

However, this period of cultivation was far from concluded.

With a turn of his hand, a sphere materialized. This orb was immensely heavy, a treasure recently bestowed upon him by the Lord of the Immortal Ancient Civilization. This artifact was named the Immortal Divine Sealing Platform. The platform was astonishingly resilient; even the corpse of a Civilization Realm expert placed within it would not cause it to collapse.

A brief explanation is necessary regarding Civilization Corpses.

When those of the Civilization Realm perish, some leave behind a Civilization Corpse.

This Civilization Corpse, despite the death of its owner, retains formidable might. If a normal Lesser Thousand World were to contain such a corpse, the world itself might be crushed by its weight, as the density of a Civilization Corpse far exceeds that of a Lesser Thousand World's boundary walls.

Yet, the Immortal Divine Sealing Platform in the Immortal Son's grasp was no ordinary object; it could contain these very remains.

The Immortal Son grasped the platform, and the small sphere began to expand, growing monumentally until it formed an altar. This altar bore a resemblance to the Ancestral Witch Altar used by Ouyang Tuo, but its power was magnified countless times, marking it clearly as a Primordial Spiritual Treasure.

A Primordial Spiritual Treasure: the Divine Sealing Platform, an implement capable of sealing gods and striking down the heavens!

This very platform now rested in the Immortal Son's hands.

There was, in fact, a corresponding artifact, the Divine Sealing Tablet, a Primordial Spiritual Treasure of even greater destructive power, though it was not in the Immortal Son's possession.

The Immortal Son seated himself upon the Immortal Divine Sealing Platform and reached into the altar: "Emerge."

Instantly, a colossal, unparalleled corpse manifested.

This immense relic spanned across heaven and earth, reaching a height of ten thousand zhang. Despite its vast scale, the density of the corpse was acutely palpable. Every inch of this body was flawless, imbued with the profound secrets of heaven and earth, subtly resonating with the celestial bodies, mountains, rivers, and streams.

It was, indeed, a Civilization Corpse!

Yes, the remains of a Civilization Realm expert.

Observing the visage of this corpse—a high nose, thick lips, bearing an ancient, weathered countenance imbued with the very scent of the earth—one might surmise its origin. Had any long-lived Civilization Realm figures from epochs past been present, they would have recognized this being as Zhen Yuanzi, the renowned Patriarch of Earthly Immortals from several epochs prior. His subsequent disappearance was shrouded in mystery, leading many to speculate he was striving for the Great Dao of the Civilization Lord. To find him here was wholly unexpected, and the reasons remained unknown.

This body of Zhen Yuanzi had actually been discovered by the Immortal Son himself.

As a being blessed with immense Fortune, it was natural for him to stumble upon the successor of the Patriarch of Earthly Immortals.

And now, the Immortal Son sat cross-legged, the Civilization Corpse of Zhen Yuanzi resting beside him.

"The Great Dao of Civilization, integrate into this form! The body of Zhen Yuan shall serve me!" the Immortal Son roared. His own body began to merge with Zhen Yuanzi's. A plume of white mist issued from the Immortal Son's nostrils, entering Zhen Yuanzi's [Body], initiating the fusion of the two forms. Integrating the body of a Civilization Realm expert was one known method for assaulting the realm of Civilization itself.

Such a fusion was inherently difficult. The Immortal Son summoned a scroll, another gift from the Lord of the Immortal Ancient Civilization. As soon as the scroll was unfurled, a supreme celestial energy surged into the Immortal Son's [Body], making the integration process far smoother.

After a long, long time, the Immortal Son's original physical form vanished. However, the Civilization Body that had resided within his original frame began to stir.

The fusion was a success!

The Immortal Son felt a mix of shock and elation. He could sense that the accumulated power from the previous seven epochs had mostly dissipated. Yet, upon successful integration, he retained the power equivalent to one full epoch. The sensation of this new strength was utterly distinct from before. The Immortal Son knew, with absolute certainty, that even Kunpeng King, currently ranked second on the Celestial Rankings, would be no match for him now, easily crushed. He possessed such confidence. The only reason he refrained from claiming victory over the former number one, Gu Shi, was that Gu Shi had recently also entered the Civilization Realm, becoming a Vice-Lord of Civilization with the power of one epoch.

Of course, the Immortal Son understood that he himself had not become a Vice-Lord of Civilization, even after merging with Zhen Yuanzi's body.

However, he now commanded the latent power of a Vice-Lord of Civilization spanning one epoch, even if his mastery over its application was imperfect. Give him ten years, and he would effortlessly ascend to the Civilization Realm. Ten years. Only ten years.

"Hahahaha." The Immortal Son chuckled with satisfaction. What matter the Desolate Son or Lu Yuan? They might have greater current renown, but granting them ten years would likely not suffice for them to reach the Civilization Realm. The Immortal Son understood the extreme difficulty of this ascent. The Desolate Son and Lu Yuan could not succeed within a decade. It seemed that among this current generation, he would be the first to attain the Civilization Realm. Only ten more years separated him from that! Ha, ha, ha—the Immortal Son allowed a measure of triumph to surface.

Zhen Yuanzi's physical form rapidly shrank, finally condensing to the size of a normal man. The Immortal Son circulated his power and instantly reverted to his original handsome features, shedding Zhen Yuanzi's appearance.

The Immortal Son retracted the Divine Sealing Platform and left his secluded training ground.

His place of cultivation was on the fringe of the Central Celestial Dynasty. Now immensely powerful, nearing the threshold of the Civilization Realm, the Immortal Son was undeniably the new Number One on the Celestial Rankings. Full of self-satisfaction, he overheard numerous conversations concerning Lu Yuan surpassing the Desolate Son, only to be hunted down by the Vice-Lord of the Desolate Eagle Civilization.

The Immortal Son sneered inwardly. Lu Yuan's progress was indeed rapid, placing him near the very top of the Celestial Rankings. But he was still far beneath the Immortal Son, who now possessed a complete Civilization Body. Though his formal rank lagged, his combat prowess was already terrifyingly high.

Should he encounter Lu Yuan, the Immortal Son resolved to slay him without hesitation.

A mere Lu Yuan, nothing more than that.

The Immortal Son, who previously preferred operating from the shadows, found his demeanor shifting significantly now that his strength was so near the Civilization Realm.

Wait—Lu Yuan’s current location should not be far from him. The thought of hunting Lu Yuan immediately took root. He activated the 'Shrinking the Ground to an Inch' movement technique, which was none other than Zhen Yuanzi's own footwork.

The Immortal Son had now mastered many of Zhen Yuanzi's supreme skills.

......

Lu Yuan stepped into the space hidden behind the rocks. Beyond lay a vast expanse of desolate desert, and at the heart of this great wasteland stood a single, gray tomb.

The Tomb of the Ancient Sword Master!

Five characters, red as blood and imbued with swordsmanship, were inscribed upon it, radiating an extraordinary aura. The tomb structure itself resembled an ancient, simple sword, dark gray in color. The five characters were written vertically, from top to bottom.

Below the inscription was a large door, fashioned from bronze. Time seemed to have left no mark upon this bronze surface.

Lu Yuan approached, studying the door. Inscribed upon it were words that read: "To enter this gate, spill fresh blood and drench the surface. The blood of an Ancient Sword Master shall grant passage." Each character seemed as sharp as a blade, carrying the arrogant energy of domination, steeped in profound law.

The blood of an Ancient Sword Master? Lu Yuan was genuinely stumped. He had already used the key forged from the eight Ancient Sword Master Tokens, but the key had struck the bronze door to no effect. It seemed the eight tokens were merely directional guides, useless for opening the entrance.

Could it be that even now, on the verge of assaulting the Civilization Realm, he was being told the Tomb of the Ancient Sword Master was inaccessible? That would be tragic. And where could he find the blood of an Ancient Sword Master now? Wait—he recalled someone mentioning his striking resemblance to an Ancient Sword Master. It was Prince Fa Yi who had said so, and a few others had echoed it. When he had pressed for clarification about the Ancient Sword Masters, Prince Fa Yi had remained silent.

Perhaps, the blood of others was unnecessary. Perhaps his own blood would suffice.

At this critical juncture, Lu Yuan had no other recourse. He manifested his Immortal Nurturing Sword and, channeling fifty percent of his power, slashed his own skin. Bright red blood spurted onto the massive door. After the cut, Lu Yuan looked anxiously at the bronze portal. This was his final chance—it determined whether he could enter the Tomb of the Ancient Sword Master, and whether he could reach the Civilization Realm. A knot of tension tightened in his chest.

The red blood smeared on the bronze door transformed rapidly, slowly coalescing into the shape of a bloody sword.

Once the shape of the blood sword was complete, the bronze door boomed and swung wide open.

The Tomb of the Ancient Sword Master had finally opened.

Success!

What mysteries lay within the Tomb of the Ancient Sword Master?

Lu Yuan did not know.

He took a decisive step and entered the tomb. No matter what, this was his final preparation for challenging the Civilization Realm.

A step filled with resolve and confidence.