Lu Yuan intently studied the Path of the Sword Circle left behind by the Vice-Lord of the Sword Circle Civilization.

This Path of the Sword Circle subtly resonated with the Way of Heaven and the Way of Man.

The Way of Heaven diminishes the abundant and supplements the deficient.

The Way of Man diminishes the deficient and supplements the abundant.

The Way of Heaven and Man is precisely the reversal of the other.

But no matter how it reverses, it is all connected to the vastness of the Circle.

At its conclusion, this discourse on the Path of the Sword Circle transformed into a sword technique, comprising precisely three hundred and fourteen thousand, one hundred and fifty-one moves.

This specific count secretly mirrored the circumference of the circular Dao, and also the method of 'cutting the circle,' dividing a circle with perfect accuracy into three hundred and fourteen thousand, one hundred and fifty-one segments.

To master something, one must first understand it.

And to understand something, one must first dissect it completely.

In essence, this Path of the Sword Circle first dissects the circle into three hundred and fourteen thousand, one hundred and fifty-one parts, then transforms each segment into a sword strike.

Finally, one must practice all three hundred and fourteen thousand, one hundred and fifty-one moves.

Yet, mastering these moves is far from enough; one must then condense all these strikes back into a single move.

If one can reduce three hundred and fourteen thousand, one hundred and fifty-one sword moves into one, they will have truly grasped the Way of the Circle.

Lu Yuan now needed to learn these three hundred and fourteen thousand, one hundred and fifty-one moves.

The problem arose immediately: he was currently striving to break through the Civilizational Tribulation; where would he find the time to slowly master over thirty-one thousand sword techniques? Time simply would not allow it.

Normal methods of memorization were absolutely out of the question.

Then, he would abandon the normal memory methods of the body and rely solely on instinct.

Lu Yuan temporarily ceased conscious thought, allowing himself and his sword to merge into one, entering that 'Sword-Man State'! Lu Yuan had always possessed this Sword-Man State, wherein conscious thought essentially stalled, leaving only the pure instinct for the sword.

He rarely utilized this state, having only done so once before, but now, driven by necessity, he entered it again.

Simultaneously, he pushed his speed to the absolute limit, executing moves at this extreme velocity.

Under such extreme execution, it was naturally impossible to perfectly render every single one of the three hundred and fourteen thousand moves without any deviation.

But at this point, he could afford no such concerns.

Shi Fei Xian and Wan Wan were both cultivating within the New Sword World, where their progress was exceptionally swift.

With tiers of Heaven-Rank Spirit Veins present, along with numerous tomes on the Dao of the Sword, both women felt their advancement accelerating rapidly.

At their current pace, they were nearly reaching the World Realm and facing their World Tribulations soon.

Ordinarily, Shi Fei Xian and Wan Wan cultivated in mutual antagonism within the New Sword World, and Lu Yuan seldom entered.

They had grown accustomed to this.

But now, Lu Yuan had entered, and he had begun practicing his sword.

Initially, both Shi Fei Xian and Wan Wan were intensely curious.

They had never witnessed Lu Yuan practice his sword.

Seeing the peerless grandmaster of the Sword Dao in action was a spectacle they keenly anticipated.

When Lu Yuan executed the first strike, both women discerned a hint of the circle within the motion.

As he continued, the strikes increasingly embodied the circular sword technique, each carving successive circles in the void—but these circles were incomplete, never whole.

Then, suddenly, Shi Fei Xian and Wan Wan watched Lu Yuan’s practice grow faster and faster.

Speeding up during combat was normal.

But practicing speed was abnormal, because the faster one moved, the more easily unpracticed or unmastered sword techniques would devolve into chaos and deviation.

The result now was Lu Yuan’s chaotic practice—executing sword forms at such a blinding speed.

Furthermore, as Lu Yuan’s speed increased, Shi Fei Xian and Wan Wan were stunned to realize they could no longer see him at all.

His practice speed had surpassed the limits of their eyes; they could not even track his movements.

Heavens! So fast! Could such frantic sword practice ever truly succeed? Lu Yuan practiced at the fastest possible pace, completing all three hundred and fourteen thousand, one hundred and fifty-one moves.

Of course, many errors were present.

He continued practicing, again at maximum speed, relying purely on physical instinct, but this time he began the reduction phase.

First, he compressed the count down to thirty-one thousand, four hundred and fifteen strikes.

The initial reduction was not excessively difficult.

But shrinking it further to three thousand, one hundred and forty-one proved immensely challenging.

The subsequent reduction to three hundred and fourteen moves was even harder.

Lu Yuan was driven almost entirely by instinct now.

No self, no sword—the self and the sword forgotten.

Thirty-one moves! Three moves! Reaching three strikes, further progress became impossible.

Lu Yuan remained without consciousness or thought, repeating these three strikes endlessly.

At this moment, a brilliant light shot from the Sword Dao Gourd onto his body, and a clear light emanated from the Gate of the Sword Dao, striking him as well.

Numerous sword lights converged upon him.

Lu Yuan experienced a sudden, profound enlightenment, realizing one singular sword strike.

This strike was exceptionally peculiar.

If one word were needed to describe it, it would be: Circle! It was an absolute circle.

Though the sword possessed an edge, in this technique, it manifested as an edgeless blade.

Lu Yuan was abruptly awakened.

He had finally succeeded! Condensing the full three hundred and fourteen thousand, one hundred and fifty-one strikes into one move—this was the true essence, the core secret of the Circular Dao.

Lu Yuan let out a long, slow breath; the manner in which he had just practiced had drained nearly all his energy.

......

“The sorrow of parting rain by the Xiao and Xiang rivers breaks the heart; the cicadas mourn, and men weep.” The name of this move was a line of poetry, a renowned ultimate technique from many regions in the previous epoch.

It was one of the strongest secret arts of the Bitter Sword Civilization.

As this sword strike shot forth, it carried boundless, heart-wrenching sorrow, accompanied by the sound of a Huqin pulled to its absolute limit.

The sword moved; the Huqin sang.

The sword wounded the heart; the Huqin broke the spirit.

“Break for me!” The Hanging Heaven Divine Axe of the Might Saint Civilization’s Vice-Lord, the Eagle Killing Divine Feather of the Barren Eagle Civilization’s Vice-Lord, the eight Divine Maces of the Octagonal Civilization’s Vice-Lord, and the Immortal Sealing Pagoda of the Son of Immortals—four artifacts struck the sword heavily.

The Changtan Divine Sword was knocked flying, and the Huqin string snapped.

Zhou Qingxuan, the Vice-Lord of the Bitter Sword Civilization, spat out a gush of blood, sent flying backward.

As he fell away, the passage to the Ancient Sword Cultivator’s Tomb opened completely.

The Vice-Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization was about to deliver a killing blow to Zhou Qingxuan when the Vice-Lord of the Might Saint Civilization intervened: “Killing the Vice-Lord of the Bitter Sword Civilization will take some time.

Let us deal with Lu Yuan first.” He sensed Lu Yuan’s aura drawing ever closer to the Civilizational level; allowing Lu Yuan to reach that state now was absolutely intolerable.

They all knew Lu Yuan’s potential was terrifying, and the Son of Immortals was his sworn enemy.

They immediately agreed: “Deal with Lu Yuan first.” The four titans charged in unison into the Ancient Sword Cultivator’s Tomb.

Upon entering, the Vice-Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization, the Son of Immortals, the Vice-Lord of the Octagonal Civilization, and the Vice-Lord of the Might Saint Civilization all froze, staring at Lu Yuan’s Civilizational Tribulation.

They gasped in shock.

In the void above, chains were descending from the emptiness, binding Lu Yuan tightly.

The Son of Immortals exclaimed in alarm, “What chains are these?” He was the most surprised.

These chains gave him a terrifying and familiar impression—one that Zhen Yuanzi must have encountered—but he could not recall what they were.

The Vice-Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization remained silent, also sensing the terrifying power of the chains.

The Vice-Lord of the Might Saint Civilization murmured, “These are the Lord’s Chains, specifically designed to deal with Vice-Lords of a Civilization.

I never imagined they would be used against Lu Yuan.

It is terrifying that such a thing would appear during a Civilizational Tribulation.” He too was inwardly astonished; Lu Yuan’s tribulation was too alarming for even this to manifest.

The Vice-Lord of the Octagonal Civilization declared, “Good.

With these...

chains...

Lu Yuan will not reach the Civilizational Realm.” His voice retained its peculiar cadence.

The Vice-Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization shouted, “Not only will he fail to reach it, but with these binding him, Lu Yuan won't even have the strength to fight back.

He will be trapped and choked to death by the Civilizational Tribulation.

Right, Vice-Lord of the Might Saint Civilization, you understand this better; can we attack Lu Yuan now? Will it provoke a backlash from the Lord’s Chains against us?” Even the Vice-Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization was wary of the Lord’s Chains, deeply sensing a terrifying aura emanating from them.

“There is no need to worry about that.

The Lord’s Prison, the Lord’s Chains—these things are single-use.

Once they deal with Lu Yuan, they cannot affect us.

As long as the Lord’s Chains fully descend, we can calmly slay Lu Yuan without being attacked by them,” the Might Saint explained.

So that was it! The Son of Immortals was highly cautious of Lu Yuan and was about to ask further questions, but the memories of Zhen Yuanzi flooded his mind.

He instantly recalled the terrifying dominance of the Lord’s Chains.

Judging by Zhen Yuanzi’s past-life experience, Lu Yuan had absolutely no chance of survival.

There was no need to ask anything more.

Zhen Yuanzi was a figure of the Seventh Epoch’s power; if such a being deemed a situation hopeless, it was certainly a path to death.

All nine hundred and ninety-nine Lord’s Chains descended, binding Lu Yuan tightly.

The Vice-Lord of the Barren Eagle Civilization had already raised his killing move, preparing to unleash it upon the Lu Yuan held fast by the chains.

In that precise instant, Lu Yuan opened his eyes.

This time, divine light blazed forth.

Simultaneously, Lu Yuan released his sword—not the Nourishing My Immortal Sword, but the one obtained from the Vice-Lord of the Sword Circle Civilization.

The Apex Circular Divine Sword! He traced a circle around himself, unleashing that ultimate, singular move: Circle! In that moment, all three hundred and fourteen thousand, one hundred and fifty-one sword strikes manifested in a single technique! At the same time, Lu Yuan instantly released the nascent character for 'Circle' that he had only recently acquired, which shone brilliantly in the void.

The sword was Apex Circle, the technique was Circle! Drawing a circle centered on himself, coupled with the character 'Circle' itself.

Everything was Circle! This was destined to be his final sword strike before achieving the Civilizational Realm! “I shall achieve Civilization!” Lu Yuan announced this with an air of profound solemnity.

(Second update delivered.

Ah, will I be scolded for mentioning that today is the second day of the Lunar New Year and I just finished learning Pi?) (To be continued)