Lu Yuan was extraordinary in terms of martial techniques, but Lu Fang immediately noticed that others were remarkable in many other aspects as well.

Especially some of the old foxes, like the Deputy Lord of the Martial Saint Civilization and the Night Emperor—these figures were truly seasoned veterans. They were currently discussing how to leverage Lu Yuan’s recent achievements during the grand decisive battle against the means employed by the Immortal Buddha Alliance, maximizing the benefits derived from those strategies with ever more insidious suggestions.

Of course, one must never underestimate the Deputy Lord of the Medicine Civilization. This individual, who presented a benevolent, immortal demeanor, planned strategies that were equally ruthless in their severity.

Other figures, such as the Deputy Lords of the Umbrella Civilization and the Diagram Civilization, were also of the old fox caliber, masters of conspiracy, military tactics, and formations.

Naturally, the most formidable was the Lord of the Law Transformation Civilization. The ideas he put forth were utterly inconceivable, things no one could have possibly imagined.

The Lord of the Law Transformation Civilization was touted as the King of Tactics and the King of Strategy, and it seemed this reputation was well-earned.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been put in charge of the Supreme Operations Room; the other Civilization Lords couldn't compare to him in this regard.

Lu Yuan listened, startled, as one venomous plan followed another, each colder than the last. What kind of people were these? Yet, being ruthless toward the enemy was normal; only a fool would hold back against them. Lu Yuan was utterly unskilled in these matters of intrigue, tactics, and strategy—such as where to deploy an army for an ambush or how to spring a trap.

Indeed, there is specialization in skills; he was nearly peerless only in his martial techniques, being mediocre in everything else.

Lu Yuan noticed two others spaced out beside him, equally lost: the Deputy Lord of the Ice Civilization and the Deputy Lord of the Axe Civilization. The Deputy Lord of the Axe Civilization was all about pure brute force; his mind seemed to contain only 'Charge, charge, charge!' and 'Kill, kill, kill!' Conspiracy, formations, and tactics were entirely beyond him.

The Deputy Lord of the Ice Civilization was just as clueless about these subtleties.

So, it was just Lu Yuan, the Deputy Lord of the Ice Civilization, and the Deputy Lord of the Axe Civilization, zoning out while the other fourteen shrewd old foxes debated how to fight the final war, constantly setting various plans. This meeting was informal, yet it was the highest assembly of the Supreme Operations Room, with far-reaching consequences; any single action or plan could determine the fate of trillions upon trillions of living beings.

On the star field map of the Central Celestial Dynasty, lines Lu Yuan couldn't comprehend were drawn everywhere, marking troop deployments and marching routes.

The only thing Lu Yuan understood while listening was that the head of the Immortal Buddha Alliance’s Supreme Operations Room was not a Civilization Lord, but merely a Deputy Civilization Lord—the Deputy Lord of the Karma Civilization. Reportedly, this individual deduced causality and destiny through unseen threads to determine the direction of the main army, making him a formidable, long-standing rival to the Lord of the Law Transformation Civilization in matters of marching and deployment.

Bored, Lu Yuan retrieved a bottle of wine from his side.

It was a 'Night Essence' he had managed to extort from the Night Emperor moments ago.

Lu Yuan had seen the elegant middle-aged man, the Night Emperor, drinking and subsequently blackmailed a few bottles out of him. Lu Yuan became familiar instantly with anyone who offered alcohol, and the Night Emperor, as the Emperor of Night, was suitably carefree, gifting Lu Yuan ten bottles. The taste of this Night Essence wine carried notes of elegance, mystery, and ancient time—a truly peculiar vintage.

After taking a few satisfying gulps, Lu Yuan noticed the Deputy Lord of the Ice Civilization also staring blankly nearby, equally unable to follow the discussions. Lu Yuan chuckled softly and tossed a bottle over: "Brother Ice, have a drink."

The Deputy Lord of the Ice Civilization was caught entirely off guard by the toss. Looking at the wine in his hand and hearing Lu Yuan call him 'Brother Ice,' he couldn't help but offer a wry smile, for he was indeed terribly bored. He picked up the bottle and delicately sipped the wine, clearly appearing as someone who rarely drank.

Lu Yuan laughed heartily, "Tastes good, right?"

The Deputy Lord of the Ice Civilization offered no response, maintaining his cold demeanor.

Lu Yuan then threw another bottle to the Deputy Lord of the Axe Civilization. After one taste, the Axe Deputy Lord found it insufficiently intense. He pulled out a bottle of Pangu Brew. Upon tasting this, Lu Yuan was instantly stunned. It was the most ferocious liquor he had ever consumed in his life—damn, what a thrill!

"Good, drinking Pangu Brew, you’re a real man," the Deputy Lord of the Axe Civilization praised.

After drinking for a while, Lu Yuan recalled something: "Senior Axe, in this decisive battle, our true strength is slightly inferior to the Immortal Buddha Alliance. Furthermore, the Alliance will have external reinforcements—the Demon Civilization, the Monster Civilization, and the Evil Sword Civilization. While the Monster and Evil Sword Civilizations are manageable, the Demon Civilization is no simple power. Its Lord is a figure on the level of a Civilization Lord. Doesn't that mean our gap in strength widens even further?"

The Deputy Lord of the Axe Civilization replied, "They seek outside help, and we seek it too. Rumor has it we've already secured reinforcements."

"Reinforcements? From which side?" Lu Yuan asked curiously.

"The Dou Gu Civilization," the Deputy Lord of the Axe Civilization slowly uttered the name.

"Dou Gu Civilization?" Lu Yuan grew curious. "Never heard of them."

"It's normal that you haven't. That’s a very ancient civilization that has been in seclusion in the Lost Lands for ages, rarely appearing. The people of the Dou Gu Civilization don't use martial arts or magic; they use something called Dou Qi. They employ Dou Techniques, and they are an ancient race. If they join the fight, they can basically balance out the Demon Civilization and the Monster Civilization," the Deputy Lord of the Axe Civilization explained.

Ah, that made some sense to Lu Yuan, but he also felt a touch of awe. The cosmos was truly vast. He was nearing the apex of the Seventh Epoch, yet there were still things entirely unknown to him.

...

Leaving the Supreme Operations Room, Lu Yuan found the atmosphere in the Law Ancient Civilization overwhelmingly tense. Everyone knew the grand battle was imminent and was preparing for it. The people of the Law Ancient Civilization were practicing various spells and preparing all sorts of spell-inscribing rune stones—these stones could seal spells within them, allowing for deployment with minimal mana.

Many others, young women giving protective amulets to young men, and wives fastening charms onto their husbands—the imminent departure for the decisive battle weighed on everyone.

Furthermore, figures from other civilizations were present within the Law Ancient Civilization, many serving as liaisons. The Law Ancient Civilization was now the core of this conflict, with various factions of the Martial Law Alliance sending personnel here for immediate communication. These liaisons dashed back and forth, transmitting urgent information, creating an atmosphere thick with extreme tension.

Lu Yuan went to his residence; he had secured a home in the Law Ancient Civilization. Yun Xiuxue was there, and Lu Yuan wanted to spend some time with her. A faint shadow of worry lay between Yun Xiuxue’s brows; this time was unlike any other—it was the unprecedented decisive battle of the Central Celestial Dynasty.

Lu Yuan patted Yun Xiuxue’s head. "What are you worried about? I am Seventh Epoch mana now. If the Lord of the Martial God Civilization brings me a Mid-tier Divine Artifact, I can immediately advance to Ninth Epoch mana. Combined with my abilities, there are few in heaven and earth who can harm me, and very few who can kill me. Why worry?" Yun Xiuxue was surprised. "Why would the Lord of the Martial God Civilization give you so many Mid-tier Divine Artifacts?" She certainly knew the sheer quantity of Mid-tier Divine Artifacts required to jump from the Seventh to the Ninth Epoch.

Lu Yuan briefly recounted what had transpired in the Supreme Operations Room. Yun Xiuxue felt considerably relieved hearing this. Indeed, the Seventh Epoch Lu Yuan was already extremely difficult to kill; a Ninth Epoch Lu Yuan truly couldn't be slain by anyone short of a Civilization Lord. The Immortal Buddha Alliance certainly had Civilization Lords, but the Martial Law Alliance had them too. With Civilization Lords on both sides, no one would allow the Alliance’s Civilization Lord to act unchecked and strike down a Deputy Civilization Lord of the Martial Law Alliance.

While Lu Yuan was chatting with Yun Xiuxue, a knock sounded at the palace door. Lu Yuan opened it to find Hua Fasheng rushing in breathlessly. "Lu Yuan, you need to come quickly!" Lu Yuan asked, "What is it?" "The Dou Gu Civilization has arrived." Fearing Lu Yuan didn't know who they were, Hua Fasheng quickly explained, "The Dou Gu Civilization is the external aid we requested; they have formally arrived at the Law Ancient Civilization." "I see," Lu Yuan nodded. "But so what?" Hua Fasheng continued, "There is a Son of Dou among the Dou Gu people who is incredibly powerful. Upon entering this place, this Son of Dou immediately declared he would challenge every youth under the age of one thousand, anyone at all. I was defeated by him in a single move just now; he definitely possesses the strength of a Deputy Civilization Lord."

Hua Fasheng added, "The Son of Dou also stated he demands one of the positions among the Seven Sons of Fortune." Lu Yuan instantly understood the situation.

People within the same alliance are not without internal friction. How could there be no conflicts within a massive coalition, a grand force, a massive alliance? However, these conflicts vary in scale and require adjustment.

Now, with the arrival of the Dou Gu Civilization, they were initiating their adjustment—but the Dou Gu people were likely quite assertive, leading to a forceful form of adjustment. They probably had an exceptionally powerful Son of Dou for this purpose, hence the challenge.

Conversely, the Martial Law Alliance, seeing the Dou Gu Civilization's assertiveness, needed to keep them in check. If they couldn't even suppress the Son of Dou, the Martial Law Alliance would lose face severely, making it difficult to command respect from the Dou Gu Civilization later on.

This was why Hua Fasheng had come straight to him after being defeated in one move.

He hoped Lu Yuan would step in and subdue the Son of Dou.

Lu Yuan felt a flicker of curiosity—this Son of Dou sounded quite arrogant.