Lu Yuan was peerlessly formidable, and as a Civilization Realm expert, he truly possessed the bearing to back such arrogance. Miao Changsheng brandished his Miao Saber. The Miao civilization was renowned for three things.
Miao maidens, Miao Sabers, and Miao Gu (Miao poisons/curses). Among Miao Sabers, the most famous was the Miao Saber Tián-Character Saber Technique. This technique began with the saber tracing the character 'Tián' (field) in the void, from which countless variations spun out.
However, upon reaching mastery, the technique culminated in striking the Tián shape once more in the empty air. Miao Changsheng had undoubtedly perfected this Miao Saber Tián-Character Saber Technique; the entire set of movements twisted through the void, manifesting the shape of the character Tián. What a move, the Miao Saber Tián-Character Saber Technique!
The character Tián comprised six horizontal strokes, and these six strokes intersected in the void, forming an array of profoundly mysterious killing methods. If Miao Changsheng had merely executed casual strikes against the Son of Martial Arts, now, against Lu Yuan, he unleashed his true abilities. He had dared to underestimate Lu Yuan before, but now that Lu Yuan had reached the Civilization Realm, how could he dare show less respect?
His first move was his strongest secret art. The Son of Martial Arts observed this display of the Miao Saber Tián-Character Saber Technique, watching the saber form in the void. He knew his defeat was not unjust.
Even if Miao Changsheng hadn't baited him into exposing an opening, a true head-on collision would have resulted in his easy defeat. He was truly some distance removed from Miao Changsheng. Miao Changsheng held a degree of self-regard.
He was confident that his perfected Miao Saber Tián-Character Saber Technique, with the immense might of the Tián shape carved in the void, was not significantly inferior to a true First Epoch Civilization Realm expert. Looking at Lu Yuan, he seemed no more than a rookie newly arrived in the Civilization Realm, perhaps not possessing the true terror of a seasoned expert. Facing Miao Changsheng’s Tián-strike.
Lu Yuan didn't draw his sword; there was no need. He merely extended a single finger. It was a finger crystal clear as jade, upon which seemed to radiate an endless light of civilization.
The single finger shot out, impacting the etched outline of the Tián shape. Boom! Miao Changsheng recoiled as if struck by a massive electric current, his face changing drastically!
Was this the might of the Civilization Realm? Lu Yuan had only extended one finger to strike Miao Changsheng’s Miao Saber, yet it sent him reeling back like an electric shock. Miao Changsheng’s strongest attack was inferior to a single finger of Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan looked at Miao Changsheng, shook his head, and spoke in a tone that suggested he could crush Miao Changsheng with ease, looking down from a great height: “Stop struggling. No matter how you struggle, death is your only outcome, mere ant.” Miao Changsheng roared, “You forced me into this!” He could not tolerate Lu Yuan’s tone. He had lived a long time but had never managed to break into the Civilization Realm, while some of his juniors had succeeded.
He considered this the greatest humiliation of his life, and Lu Yuan’s gaze instantly provoked him. “Eye of Mystery. Appear.” Miao Changsheng shouted, and an incomparably mysterious eyeball materialized above his head.
As that mysterious eyeball appeared, everyone present—save for Lu Yuan—felt utterly exposed and transparent. Even Lu Yuan felt that many of his secrets were being seen through by this eye. It was an intensely uncomfortable sensation.
What sort of eye was this? Lu Yuan felt a strange disturbance. Miao Changsheng cackled eerily.
Then the Son of Martial Arts roared, “That is the Eye of Mystery from the Eye Civilization! Miao Changsheng succeeded!” The Eye Civilization? Lu Yuan was startled.
He had never heard of such a civilization. The Son of Martial Arts bellowed, “The Eye Civilization was a peculiar force that emerged several epochs ago. It was drastically different from other civilizations, relying on the eye as its primary method of attack, possessing all manner of bizarre and unfathomable techniques to form eye-attacks.
It is said that millions of years ago, Miao Changsheng obtained a shattered remnant of the Eye Civilization and vanished. I never expected he would cultivate the Eye of Mystery. His Eye of Mystery likely already wields the offensive power of a mid-stage First Epoch Civilization Realm expert, and due to its inherent strangeness, we cannot predict its exact method of attack.” The Son of Martial Arts was surprisingly well-informed about his nemesis, Miao Changsheng.
Lu Yuan finally understood the situation. Amidst Miao Changsheng’s eerie laughter, the Eye of Mystery was activated. Innumerable red beams erupted, instantly causing intense pain to everyone present.
It was useless whether their eyes were open or closed; they could not see a thing. Simultaneously, everything around them became chaotic, and even divine sense could not perceive anything. Furthermore, it was not just sensory deprivation; the surrounding space itself appeared to solidify.
Eye of Mystery Forbidden Art: Injure Eye, Sever Spirit! This was a secret technique used for escape or assassination. Eye of Mystery Forbidden Art: Spatial Stillness!
This was distinct from spatial solidification; it was a unique, characteristic Forbidden Art of the Eye Civilization that rendered space utterly lifeless. Miao Changsheng deployed the Eye of Mystery primarily to trap Lu Yuan. He planned to use his fractured Civilization Heavenly Track to batter Lu Yuan’s Heavenly Track.
Once Lu Yuan’s track was broken, he would immediately flee. He had poured boundless effort into refining this Eye of Mystery. He had once tested it on a Vice-Lord of a First Epoch Civilization and confirmed it could indeed restrain a Civilization Realm expert for a considerable time.
Miao Changsheng was not foolish enough to believe he could defeat Lu Yuan; the saying about the first threshold of the Civilization Realm being insurmountable was not fiction. No non-Civilization expert had ever defeated one. However, Miao Changsheng felt that if he escaped this time, he could seek revenge on Lu Yuan after cultivating to the Civilization Realm himself.
Since he carried some opportunities derived from the Eye Civilization, he was confident he could ultimately eliminate Lu Yuan. Just as Miao Changsheng believed his escape was imminent, a hand extended from the void—a palm as vast as a mountain, descending upon him. Panic seized Miao Changsheng.
He executed the Nine Transformations of Divine Form movement technique, but the mountain-sized palm suddenly grew large as the heavens. No matter how swift the Nine Transformations of Divine Form, escape from this grasping hand seemed impossible. Miao Changsheng instantly switched to another movement technique—a subtle, strange Tián-Heart Method.
His body seemed to trace countless Tián characters in the void. This was one of the most famous core techniques of the Miao Civilization. Yet, the hand, now as vast as the sky, slammed down in a swift grab.
No matter what methods Miao Changsheng employed or what core techniques he switched to, he could not evade that grasp. When the vision of the Son of Martial Arts, the Son of Law, and others returned, they saw Lu Yuan standing in the void, having condensed a massive hand of power that gripped Miao Changsheng like a dead dog. This was a powerhouse whose strength far surpassed that of King Kunpeng, now held thusly.
Miao Changsheng shrieked, “Impossible, impossible! How could my Eye of Mystery fail to restrain you even for a moment?” He truly could not accept this reality. Lu Yuan smiled faintly.
“You say impossible, so it is? Your Eye of Mystery is already in my hands.” Lu Yuan flipped his hand, revealing the very Eye of Mystery. Seeing the magical artifact, upon which he had lavished so much refining effort and which possessed infinite power, now held by Lu Yuan, Miao Changsheng was nearly choked with rage.
In truth, the Eye of Mystery had been quite effective initially. At first, Lu Yuan had indeed suffered damage and restraint from the three forbidden arts it carried: Injure Eye, Sever Spirit, and Spatial Stillness. Though the damage was minor, it was enough to temporarily ensnare him, allowing Miao Changsheng the window to escape.
This was the expected trajectory. However, while trapped by the Eye of Mystery, the characters within Lu Yuan’s New Sword World—specifically the primordial character 'Yuán' (Circle/Round)—suddenly manifested their power. No matter how mysterious the Eye of Mystery, it was still an eye.
And eyes are round. Since the eye is circular, it possessed a connection to the character Yuán. Because Miao Changsheng was in the World Realm while Lu Yuan was in the Civilization Realm—a gulf in rank—the primordial character Yuán was inherently of a higher tier.
Combined with the vastly different ranks of their users, the character Yuán was able to force a flaw in the Eye of Mystery. Lu Yuan immediately seized this flaw, using infinite magical power to forcibly seize the artifact, tossing it into his New Sword World. While capturing the Eye of Mystery, Lu Yuan had already discerned that it contained numerous profound secrets.
He resolved to study it thoroughly when he had the chance—the Eye Civilization, a truly mysterious force. Lu Yuan looked at Miao Changsheng. “You may die now.” With a slight press of his hand, he struck down Miao Changsheng, a giant whose strength surpassed even King Kunpeng.
With this, Miao Changsheng officially perished. What a Lu Yuan! Miao Changsheng, a figure who was second on the Heaven Rankings hundreds of years prior, then vanished for millions of years after obtaining the shattered remnant of the Eye Civilization.
Yet, upon emerging, he easily defeated the Son of Martial Arts, displaying strength terrifyingly superior to King Kunpeng. And yet, this very figure, after unleashing his ultimate move, the Eye of Mystery, was defeated and killed by Lu Yuan in just two moves. How strong is Lu Yuan!
The Civilization Realm is indeed overwhelmingly powerful! So incredibly strong it defies reason! This truly is the Civilization Heavenly Threshold, which, once crossed, renders one nearly invincible.
Lu Yuan turned to the Miao Maiden Qinglian. “You said before that I was useless. Am I still useless now?” Lu Yuan said to the Miao Maiden Qinglian in a calm tone.
Although his speech was measured, a terrifying killing intent enveloped her entirely. The Miao Maiden Qinglian had initially looked down on Lu Yuan, never imagining he had actually reached the Civilization Realm. Beneath Lu Yuan’s immensely powerful aura, she felt on the verge of suffocation.
Indeed, if Lu Yuan wished to kill her purely with his aura, he could achieve it—this was the oppressive might of the Civilization Realm, capable of instantly killing a World Realm expert slightly weaker than a master.