Within the Twenty-First Layer Plan, there were only Techniques, but no Limits. The so-called Limits could only be unleashed by those at the Civilization Realm.

Therefore, even though Lu Yuan learned many Techniques in the Twenty-First Layer Plan, he didn't acquire many Limits. Technique Limits were immensely useful, exceptionally so.

In confrontations within the Civilization Realm, battling techniques meant battling Technique Limits. Lu Yuan currently possessed ten Technique Limits, putting him above the other Vice-Lords of Civilization.

However, Lu Yuan was focused on learning even more Technique Limits. Lu Yuan observed two figures clashing: the Vice-Lord of the Qin Civilization and the Vice-Lord of the Hu (Fox) Civilization.

Their inherent strengths were nearly equal—the Hu Civilization Vice-Lord excelled in illusions, while the Qin Civilization Vice-Lord commanded formidable zither music. Both had their merits and flaws.

But the Qin Civilization Vice-Lord had been gravely wounded earlier by the Son of the Barren Lands; facing the Hu Civilization Vice-Lord now, she was naturally at a disadvantage. Although the Qin Civilization Vice-Lord managed to keep her injuries from worsening too severely and barely maintained her clarity against the illusions, she was still taking damage from the Hu Civilization Vice-Lord.

At this rate, it wouldn't take many moves before she perished under the Hu Civilization Vice-Lord's hand. The Hu Civilization Vice-Lord let out a delicate laugh: "Little sister Qin, today you shall die by my hand.

Before, you had your dear consort, the Vice-Lord of the Ru Civilization, to save you; now, there is no one to rescue you." The Hu Civilization Vice-Lord felt a surge of triumph; slaying an old rival right here was an immensely satisfying prospect. Suddenly, the Hu Civilization Vice-Lord froze.

She faintly sensed a powerful presence staring at her. Turning around, she gasped—wasn't that Lu Yuan?

Lu Yuan’s battle with the Son of the Barren Lands had taken place nearby, and the Hu Civilization Vice-Lord had seen it clearly. Knowing Lu Yuan’s devastating killing power, seeing him stare unnerved her to the core.

Lu Yuan smiled faintly: "Your Technique Limit must be the Limit of Illusion. Excellent, I have acquired it." This was precisely Lu Yuan’s eleventh acquired Limit.

This was overwhelmingly heaven-defying! To learn a Limit just like that.

But the Hu Civilization Vice-Lord paid this no mind; her sole thought was escape. Of course, to facilitate her escape, she unleashed the Nine Spirit Fox Fire, instantly manifesting nine flaming fox phantoms that became nine temporary combatants at the Civilization Realm level to block the way.

This was her Nine Spirit Fox Fire, capable of temporarily generating puppets with Civilization Realm strength. Having done this, the Hu Civilization Vice-Lord instantly fled into the distance.

She escaped! This was the level of Lu Yuan’s current might.

Lu Yuan smiled faintly: "Trying to slip away from me? If it were someone from the Nine Half-Epochs, perhaps they might escape if I didn't seriously pursue them, but you are far from qualified." How could a mere figure from the Eight Epochs possibly contend with Lu Yuan?

Lu Yuan struck out with an empty palm attack, instantly annihilating five of the fox fire puppets. Lu Yuan then summoned the Heaven’s Mandate Battle Wheel.

Having just acquired this Dharma treasure, he injected his magical power into it, instantly achieving breathtaking, wind-like velocity. The speed of the Heaven’s Mandate Battle Wheel made even Lu Yuan's Earth Shrink to Dust technique seem slightly inferior.

How could the Hu Civilization Vice-Lord’s speed compare? She was instantaneously overtaken by the Battle Wheel.

Lu Yuan used his finger as a sword, unleashing several strikes, instantly piercing the Hu Civilization Vice-Lord. Another leader of a civilization was slain; the previous one had been Tian Li.

When he killed Tian Li previously, there was a measure of excitement; this time, the feeling was muted. It felt as if he had merely killed an ordinary civilization leader.

This was because he had already slain the Son of the Barren Lands; once that feat was accomplished, no one else seemed particularly remarkable. The Vice-Lord of the Qin Civilization was left somewhat stunned.

She knew the formidable power of the Hu Civilization Vice-Lord, yet under Lu Yuan’s hand, the latter didn't even last ten moves before dying. Truly!

It was utterly beyond words. After slaying the Hu Civilization Vice-Lord, Lu Yuan suddenly realized something.

On this battlefield within the Stagnant Star Domain, excluding the Lords of Civilization, finding an opponent equal to himself would be extremely difficult; even those from the Nine Half-Epochs were no match for him. And since the Lords of Civilization were mutually constrained, he was currently an undisputed master within the Stagnant Star Domain.

He could rampage freely. Hah!

Good! After a moment’s thought, Lu Yuan decided to seek out the Vice-Lord of the Jian (Halberd) Civilization, a figure he had long intended to kill.

Lu Yuan sped toward Jian’s battlefield, using Earth Shrink to Dust. The Heaven’s Mandate Battle Wheel was too imposing and would crush any obstruction in his path; Lu Yuan never favored an overly domineering approach.

He soon located the area where the Jian Civilization was fighting. The Jian Civilization was currently locked in a fierce battle with the Tu (Map) Civilization.

The Tu Civilization was slightly weaker, but due to Lu Yuan’s influence—having mastered the counter-methods to the Jian Civilization’s Techniques—the two sides were evenly matched, neither holding the upper hand. Just as Lu Yuan prepared to seek out the Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization, he happened upon Jian Yun Chou.

Lu Yuan stepped forward without hesitation, positioning himself beside Jian Yun Chou. Several of Jian Yun Chou’s senior disciples arrogantly declared, "Who dares approach this place?" Jian Yun Chou’s face, however, turned ashen.

He recognized Lu Yuan. Jian Yun Chou had attempted to harm Lu Yuan several times when Lu Yuan was still weak, but Lu Yuan had now grown into a behemoth.

With a casual wave, Lu Yuan killed Jian Yun Chou. Slaying an enemy brought a sudden jolt of satisfaction.

Lu Yuan shifted his stance, moving to the edge of the battlefield between the Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization and the Vice-Lord of the Tu Civilization. The Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization was wildly imposing, wielding his halberd-sword and driving the Vice-Lord of the Tu Civilization into a desperate, retreating rout.

Lu Yuan watched from the side for a while, then managed to acquire the Limit of Segment—this was his twelfth Limit. The Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization also noticed Lu Yuan at this moment, but he paid Lu Yuan no mind.

The Stagnant Star Domain battlefield was vast, and combined with the unique terrain and countless combatants, the effective range of a Vice-Lord's divine sense was significantly reduced. Thus, he had no knowledge of Lu Yuan’s peerless battle with the Son of the Barren Lands.

After blasting the Vice-Lord of the Tu Civilization away with a thunderous force, the Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization turned to Lu Yuan: "Lu Yuan, you choose the path to hell when a clear road to heaven was laid before you. I have waited a long time to kill you.

The fact that you deliver yourself to my hands for slaughter is truly a satisfying event." After shouting this, the Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization fiercely launched an attack toward Lu Yuan. The Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization, a figure of the Nine Epochs, using the Limit of Segment in coordination, possessed undeniable lethality.

At this moment, the space around Lu Yuan stuttered, one segment after another; time beside Lu Yuan fractured, one segment after another; even the moves Lu Yuan intended to launch were jerky, segmented; worse, these so-called segments occurred at utterly irregular rhythms—sometimes slow, sometimes fast—making one feel nauseous. No, even his blood was now being restrained by this Limit of Segment, alternating between fast and slow, one break and one segment.

This was the Limit of Segment, the supreme method for controlling rhythm. It had to be admitted, this Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization was truly a genius for devising such a technique.

The Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization was determined to kill Lu Yuan now: "Lu Yuan, you are the greatest talent in swordsmanship this epoch has produced. If I kill you, I will absorb all your Dao of the Sword destiny.

Then I can proceed to the Ancient Swordsman’s Tomb, seize the Heaven and Earth Exotic Treasure, and strive for the realm of Lord of Civilization, or even higher." The Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization was also ambitious, confident he could slay Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan let out a long shout in return: "Attack!" Facing the Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization, Lu Yuan was not holding back.

All twelve Technique Limits—Emperor, Sovereign, King, Wild, Hegemon, Arrogance, Vast, Bitter, Round, Transform, Segment, Illusion—were unleashed simultaneously, along with his Nine Epochs magical power, slamming directly into the Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization in a head-on collision. In the world of experts, the moment they act, the outcome is clear.

The Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization had initially thought Lu Yuan would be easy to bully, but he never anticipated Lu Yuan's counterattack to be so fierce and intense, surpassing his own strength. He had intended to control the rhythm, but even the best rhythm is utterly destroyed when met with such a wild and tyrannical assault.

Boom! With just a single exchange, the Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization was heavily struck by Lu Yuan’s attack, sent tumbling thousands of feet away with a deafening crash.

How powerful is Lu Yuan? How could Lu Yuan be this strong!

While the Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization was in shock, Lu Yuan was already upon him like a shadow, giving him no chance whatsoever. With his first move, he unleashed the twelve Technique Limits again, battering the Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization once more.

The Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization retaliated, activating his strongest defense, the Myriad Halberds Intertwined Art—a peculiar defensive skill that seemed to manifest ten thousand halberds circling around him. Halberds, unlike swords, possess numerous nodes, allowing them to bend continuously; swords cannot.

Boom! As soon as he activated the Myriad Halberds Intertwined Art, it was smashed apart again by Lu Yuan’s crushing blow.

Lu Yuan offered no more opportunities for the Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization to recover, pressing his attack. The Sword Nurturing Spirit shot forth, piercing the myriad realms: "Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization, this strike is for the former masters of the Sword Ancient Civilization.

You betrayed the Sword Ancient Civilization back then; today, you deserve this death." The Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization tried desperately to counter, but against Lu Yuan, any resistance was futile. He was violently hurled away again by the twelve Technique Limits.

At this point, his Jian Minor World was already damaged by sixty percent. Lu Yuan attacked again, delivering another sword strike this time using the Meteor Divine Sword—a strike of absolute speed, chasing down the Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization.

This sword pierced the body of the Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization, bringing the damage to his Jian Minor World up to eighty percent: "Vice-Lord of the Jian Civilization, this strike is retribution for how the Jian Gate has suffered under the halberds for so many years." Repaying vengeance for grievances. It was the time to wield the sword to settle old scores.

The sword was ethereal, humming softly. The sword, too, felt exhilarated.

(Second update delivered; currently collecting boxed lunch at the major guild headquarters.)