At the moment the Deputy Lord of the Miao Blade Civilization unleashed the ultimate variation of his technique, Miao Dao Qian Gu Lun Chun Qiu (Miao Blade, Eternity Discussing Spring and Autumn), Lu Yuan fiercely drew his sword. The Deputy Lord's strike was the zenith of mutable technique—an infinity of variations, any one of which, if unguarded, guaranteed death.

And Lu Yuan, in turn, began his own dance of the blade.

In a flicker of transformation, hundreds of variations already manifested, cold and utterly chilling. Seeing the sudden proliferation of Lu Yuan’s sword light into countless forms, the Deputy Lord of the Miao Blade Civilization could not help but scoff. To dare compete with him in variations—it was utterly absurd, for he had delved into the absolute extreme of change.

The essence of his move, Le Dao Qian Gu Lun Chun Qiu, held ten thousand inherent variations. Within a single attack, this multitude was displayed. As his ten thousand forms spilled forth, Lu Yuan’s sword light intertwined in the void, generating thousands upon thousands of variations. Yet, the momentum of this sword stroke had not ceased; the variations continued to multiply.

Indeed, what Lu Yuan intended was to counter change with change.

The Deputy Lord of the Miao Blade Civilization had always prided himself on the sheer volume of his blade techniques. Lu Yuan intended to present an even greater volume, thereby dismantling the Deputy Lord's singular advantage.

To strike the enemy where he was strongest—this was Lu Yuan’s stark decision.

The Deputy Lord of the Miao Blade Civilization displayed his ten thousand variations in the void.

And Lu Yuan’s sword, too, unfolded thousands of variations in the void, the count still relentlessly climbing, now nearing the threshold of ten thousand.

The Deputy Lord of the Miao Blade Civilization gasped in alarm. His sword technique shifted again in the emptiness, birthing twelve thousand variations—this was nearly his absolute limit.

Lu Yuan’s sword light, undiminished in the void, also surged towards the twelve thousand mark.

It was now abundantly clear: this had become a contest between the Deputy Lord of the Miao Blade Civilization and Lu Yuan over who could manifest more variations.

The Deputy Lord of the Miao Blade Civilization hardened his resolve. He simply refused to believe Lu Yuan could generate more variations than him: "Burn to the absolute limit!" His blade technique ignited, burning fiercely to realize even greater variations. The new strike cleaved through the void, carving out thirteen thousand variations. Lu Yuan’s sword light answered simultaneously, displaying thirteen thousand variations as well. Whatever the Deputy Lord could manifest, Lu Yuan matched one-for-one.

The Deputy Lord’s inherent limit was twelve thousand, now pushed to thirteen thousand variations, yet he still had not surpassed Lu Yuan. His blade light morphed again in the void, generating fourteen thousand variations—this was the absolute ceiling after pushing past his limit; no further increase was possible. Fourteen thousand variations in a single move—this truly captured the profound meaning of ultimate variation. And Lu Yuan’s sword light kept pace, matching fourteen thousand variations, absolutely yielding no ground to the Deputy Lord.

"Oh? Are your variations capped at fourteen thousand, incapable of rising further?" Lu Yuan looked toward the Deputy Lord of the Miao Blade Civilization. "Watch me ascend again." His sword light displayed itself in the void, manifesting fifteen thousand variations in that single attack. Countering variation with variation, matching quantity with quantity, this sword flawlessly defeated the Deputy Lord of the Miao Blade Civilization. Raging sword energy flooded into the Deputy Lord’s Miao Blade World, dealing him grievous wounds.

I have lost!

At that instant, a colossal shadow fell across the heart of the Deputy Lord of the Miao Blade Civilization.

If it had been a conventional defeat, it would have been tolerable.

But Lu Yuan had beaten him in the very arena where he boasted infinite variation.

Every Civilization Realm expert possessed an absolute, unwavering conviction in their own domain.

For example, Zhou Qingxuan in the mastery of Suffering, or Jian Yuan in the mastery of Roundness. It was precisely this foundational confidence that allowed them to push their chosen field to its ultimate zenith. Now, the extreme of the Deputy Lord of the Miao Blade Civilization had been shattered by Lu Yuan, and with it, his confidence. This left an immense psychological scar.

This scar, for Lu Yuan, was a fatal opening.

Lu Yuan showed no mercy, striking instantly with Jian Jiu (Sword Nine)—The Sword of Seven Emotions! Fear of failure, the shadow of doubt—these were among the Seven Emotions! The Deputy Lord of the Miao Blade Civilization instantly felt trapped in an absolutely sealed world, where the fear of failure and the lingering shadow intensified relentlessly. The Sword of Seven Emotions was, after all, designed to target the heart's affections.

At that moment, the Deputy Lord felt confined to an inescapable reality, his dread of defeat mounting. However, he was a man of exceptionally resolute will and instantly wrenched himself free from the realm created by the Sword of Seven Emotions. But he escaped a fraction too late, struck again by Lu Yuan’s blade, half of his Miao Blade World already choked with sword energy.

Lu Yuan swiftly transitioned, unleashing Jian Shi (Sword Ten)—Vastness! This strike encompassed everything, leaving no space untouched; the world within this Fang Yuan (Square/Circle) reality was saturated with sword energy! The razor-sharp energy inflicted devastating damage upon the Deputy Lord. In truth, the Deputy Lord of the Miao Gu (Miao Gu) Civilization had been attempting to intervene; however, his specialty lay in the long, draining attrition of Gu parasitology—not the instantaneous, explosive, multi-variant combat Lu Yuan was currently inflicting upon the Deputy Lord of the Miao Blade Civilization. Furthermore, Lu Yuan was already diverting sword energy to hold him back. Had the Miao Gu Deputy Lord focused on other Gu techniques against Lu Yuan, they might have been highly effective, but Lu Yuan dismissed all other Gu threats; any intrusion was met with annihilation by the Yi Du Zhi Gu (Gu of a Billion Poisons). That poison Gu was simply too effective, rendering the Miao Gu Deputy Lord’s current offensive largely useless.

Lu Yuan seized this opportunity to relentlessly pursue the Deputy Lord of the Miao Blade Civilization. If he could kill this one, the entire battle would be settled. The Deputy Lord of the Miao Gu Civilization from the Second Epoch was nothing.

Lu Yuan thought disdainfully in his heart.

Simultaneously, Lu Yuan’s sword light chased, blade following blade directly toward the Deputy Lord of the Miao Blade Civilization.

The Deputy Lord of the Huang Wen Civilization watched the situation unfold with utter astonishment. He had never imagined the tide of battle would turn so drastically. Lu Yuan, a mere newcomer to the Civilization Realm, fighting two opponents, was somehow overwhelming both the Deputy Lord of the Miao Blade Civilization and the Deputy Lord of the Miao Gu Civilization to this extent. The Deputy Lord of the Huang Wen Civilization stated calmly, "I see the outcome is decided; perhaps we should call it a draw here." Civilization Realm experts were rare; only a few hundred existed across the heavens and earth. Although the Miao Blade and Miao Gu factions were only Third and Second Epochs respectively, inferior to the Huang Wen Deputy Lord’s Sixth Epoch status, he still wished to save those two. This was sheer shamelessness. They would fight on while the Miao factions held the advantage, yet now that the Miao factions were losing, he wanted to stop. The Deputy Lord of the Huang Wen Civilization was thus utterly hypocritical, confident that since the Huang Faction's experts were currently stronger, he could easily dominate the Deputy Lord of the Fa Kong Civilization.

The Deputy Lord of the Fa Kong Civilization flared with anger: "You!" Yet, he knew he was no match for the Deputy Lord of the Huang Wen Civilization.

Just then, within the cloud-like embroidered robes—small, delicate, and surprisingly beautiful—the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden smiled faintly: "I don't believe the contest is over yet." Her tone was exceptionally gentle, but her power was anything but. She was the messenger who commanded the wind, her strength equaling that of the Deputy Lord of the Wind Civilization, placing her above even the Deputy Lord of the Huang Wen Civilization. The Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden already knew of Lu Yuan’s relationship with the Deputy Lord of the Jian Ku Civilization and was naturally inclined to offer him support.

The Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden smiled faintly: "If the Deputy Lord of the Huang Wen Civilization desires to take a walk, why don't we engage in a brief exchange of techniques?" This was a clear declaration: if you choose to fight, I will accompany you. The Huang Wen Deputy Lord’s strength surpassed the Fa Kong Deputy Lord, but he could not stand against the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden. He had no choice but to back down.

Meanwhile, the battle on the Azure Tan Terrace remained intensely fierce. Lu Yuan’s sword light pursued, straight and direct, carrying a faint, detached shade of cyan.

This strike was named: Cyan!

Qing (Cyan) was a state of being, a profound realm.

"Two banks of green mountains emerge opposite each other." "The color of grass seeps into the curtain." "A cyan bamboo hat." "Green trees and trailing vines." "Cattle frogs croak everywhere in the patch of green grass pond." "Mirroring the glittering vermillion dust, brushed by the cyan misty air." "Moss stains climb the steps green, the grass color enters the curtain green." "The eaves hang low and small, the stream above is newly green." "The vast cyan sky serves as the canopy." "Looking up, one sees the towering peak supporting the cyan sky." "The bluebird reveals its crimson heart."

Lu Yuan possessed an inherently detached temperament, and his perpetual wearing of cyan robes had never seemed remarkable before. But now, engaged in combat on the Azure Tan Terrace, he experienced a sudden, vast enlightenment, a moment of grand clarity, and comprehended this move, Qing. Lu Yuan understood what Qing was, and suddenly understood why he had always favored wearing cyan—it was habit, yes, but also detachment, and it aligned with his true nature. Among all colors, cyan was the one most harmonious with the essence of the world: a faint, unassuming hue, yet omnipresent. Cyan was one of the Great Daos of Heaven and Earth. Within this stroke of Qing, Lu Yuan had not only mixed his own profound insight but had also subtly absorbed the essence of the previous generation’s Azure Maiden’s ultimate techniques.

This sword strike, Qing, was immensely powerful and sharp!

The previous Azure Maiden was no simple figure; she was an entity of the Sixth Epoch.

Seeing Lu Yuan unleash this single move, Qing, the second-ranked Holy Mother Yao Ji paused in surprise. Was this a condensation of the previous Azure Maiden’s technique? No, it was far stronger than the previous Azure Maiden’s technique, Cyan Light Sprinkled Across Three Thousand Realms. Could Lu Yuan steal such a move? The Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden smiled faintly—truly, he was someone the Deputy Lord of the Jian Ku Civilization had carefully watched over, possessing extraordinary talent. Princess Yun Wu also looked startled, unable to truly discern this man. Princess Lei Ao was slightly taken aback as well. Princess Lei Ao had only recently assumed the position of Thunder Envoy and was painfully struggling to master the techniques of the previous Thunder Envoy, having studied them for a long time without grasping the complete essence. Yet here was Lu Yuan, learning it so swiftly without any direct tutelage—truly, comparing people could drive one mad. Nevertheless, Princess Lei Ao could not help but think: He truly is my idol.

The Lord of the Feng Gu Civilization offered no comment.

Lu Yuan did not categorize the move Qing within the Ancient Sword Dao, because it could not serve as Jian Shi Yi (Sword Eleven).

However, it fit perfectly within the Peculiar Sword Dao.

"One sword’s Cyan, dyeing Heaven and Earth."

The cyan sword pierced the heart of the Deputy Lord of the Miao Blade Civilization.

This was the final strike!