Zhou Qingxuan remarked, "Actually, most people who have reached the Civilization Realm already know this method."

He paused slightly: "The truly most powerful individuals in this world are not in the Central Celestial Dynasty, nor in the Lost Lands, but in the ETERNAL! STAR! DOMAIN!"

"The Eternal Star Domain? What is that?" Lu Yuan lifted his wine gourd to his lips, halting just before drinking.

Yan Cangtian’s eyebrows, sharp as celestial swords, furrowed in thought.

Zhou Qingxuan continued, "The Gate of Eternity resides somewhere between Heaven and Earth. This Gate is eternally unbreakable, unyielding across countless epochs—it is the foremost entity in existence, surpassing the Iron Laws of Fate and the foundational Dao characters. Legend says that only by grasping the truths within the Gate of Eternity can one achieve incorruptibility and immortality, persisting through any number of eras. That, fundamentally, is Eternity."

"And the Gate of Eternity possesses immeasurable, devastating power. The endless void surrounding it is warped by its influence, coalescing into what is known as the Eternal Star Domain. Within this Domain lies the most terrifying void in existence. To simply subsist there is beyond the capability of an average Civilization Vice-Lord."

"This Eternal Star Domain is precisely where the foremost masters of Heaven and Earth reside."

"It is rumored that the Eternal Star Domain is filled exclusively with masters at the Civilization Lord level," Zhou Qingxuan stated, his expression grave.

Lu Yuan, who had been taking a drink, promptly sprayed the mouthful of wine he was holding out upon hearing this.

This, this, this—no way!

Yan Cangtian, maintaining his appearance as a cool, handsome figure, raised a single eyebrow: "Impossible."

Zhou Qingxuan nodded slowly. "It is indeed the truth."

Both Lu Yuan and Yan Cangtian were genuinely shocked, having never been so unsettled. Lu Yuan sputtered, "Surely there aren't thousands of Civilization Lords hiding in the Eternal Star Domain? If so, Civilization Lords would be less valuable than dogs."

Zhou Qingxuan let out an amused chuckle. "How could that be? In a normal epoch, perhaps a few Civilization Lords emerge, and since a person can only survive twenty epochs, there are only about a hundred such Lords in the Eternal Star Domain altogether. The Central Celestial Dynasty originally had around thirty, and the Lost Lands perhaps a dozen or so—totaling just over a hundred Civilization Lords."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan and Yan Cangtian both breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Thank heavens, only a hundred or so. If there were more Civilization Lords, they wouldn't even need to bother striving.

Lu Yuan inquired, "Why are these hundred-odd Civilization Lords hiding away in the Eternal Star Domain?"

"Why?" Zhou Qingxuan replied, "They are hiding there to advance their strength. The Gate of Eternity radiates infinite power and endless mysteries. The closer one is to the Gate, the greater the benefits gained. Thus, these hundred-plus Civilization Lords are cultivating within the Domain. To be precise, the Lord of the Fagu Civilization, the Lord of the Huanggu Civilization, and others, normally reside in the Eternal Star Domain, only returning when major crises erupt. This explains why we rarely see Civilization Lords in person—while they might not attain Eternal Life there, they can vastly increase their combat power and divine abilities. Rumor has it that although the Gate of Eternity doesn't erupt with massive divine treasures as it does during epochal collapse, it continually releases smaller bursts containing artifacts and secrets of Eternity."

"I see now," Lu Yuan finally understood. The world's ultimate fighting strength was concentrated there—a little over a hundred Civilization Lords. If he could surpass these hundred-plus individuals, he could become the greatest in Heaven and Earth, the first across all epochs.

Wait, where had that thought come from? He usually considered himself a character destined for a carefree, leisurely path. Reflecting, he realized that ever since entering the Central Celestial Dynasty, the constant strife had subtly altered his disposition. This was reality reshaping personality. Once he dealt with figures like Huanggu, he would take a well-deserved, quiet rest.

"Right, how does this relate to our attempt to break through to Civilization Lord?" Lu Yuan asked.

Zhou Qingxuan stated, "It's directly related. Within the Eternal Star Domain exists the Fruit of Eternity. Consuming this fruit allows anyone at the Ninth Epoch or Nine-and-a-half Epoch level to immediately ascend to Civilization Lord status."

Yan Cangtian couldn't help but raise an eyebrow: "That simple?"

"Yes, incredibly simple," Zhou Qingxuan confirmed. "But there's a catch: this Fruit of Eternity only grows within the Eternal Star Domain, and it perishes instantly the moment it crosses the boundary. There have been no exceptions. Therefore, it cannot be carried out; we must go to the Eternal Star Domain ourselves. The problem is, at the entrance to the Domain lies the Star Domain Gate, which completely isolates the Eternal Star Domain from the outside world. While Civilization Lords can pass through this gate, no one below the Vice-Lord level ever has. In the countless years of recorded history, only three individuals managed to pass the Star Domain Gate while merely Vice-Lords. The most recent was Zu Long, seventeen epochs ago; the other two perished long ago in the river of history."

"So, this creates a paradox: those at the Ninth or Nine-and-a-half Epoch level can become Civilization Lords once they reach the Eternal Star Domain, but the Star Domain Gate blocks them from ever getting there," Zhou Qingxuan explained. "To be frank, I attempted the Star Domain Gate in the last epoch, and found it absolutely impossible to pass."

"However, Lu Yuan, you might try. If you fail, nothing is lost. But if you succeed, you can instantly be promoted to Civilization Lord, bypassing the monumental difficulty of achieving that rank outside the Eternal Star Domain." Zhou Qingxuan advised.

"Fine, I'll go try," Lu Yuan agreed; it was just a test, after all.

"I will try as well," Yan Cangtian declared, his sword-like brows lifting.

Zhou Qingxuan smiled faintly. "I also plan to attempt it. I failed last epoch, and I intend to try again this one." The three exchanged knowing smiles. It seemed the Three Swordsmen of Mount Hua from the past, now the Three Swordsmen of the Sword Civilization, would venture forth together to challenge that Star Domain Gate.

Aside from the chaos of a Central Grand Decisive Battle, this trial at the Star Domain Gate would mark the first time Lu Yuan, Yan Cangtian, and Zhou Qingxuan acted together officially.

During the subsequent conversation, they learned that while Civilization Lords could enter and exit the Eternal Star Domain freely, it was far more difficult for Vice-Lords to pass through. They could only attempt passage once every hundred years. One hundred years, given the long lives of Civilization Vice-Lords, was truly not a long wait.

Lu Yuan settled his affairs with a few final instructions and departed the Sword Civilization. Currently, the strongest figures remaining there were Shi Feixian and Wanwan, both at the ninth level of the World Realm. Their defenses wouldn't be substantial, but the Central Celestial Dynasty was enjoying peace, and with the protective measures left behind by Lu Yuan, Yan Cangtian, and Zhou Qingxuan, things were generally safe.

Shortly after leaving the Sword Civilization, Lu Yuan received a summons from the Fagu Civilization—an official notification to present himself at the Star Domain Gate. The letter reiterated Zhou Qingxuan's words and even included a map detailing the route to the Gate. Lu Yuan nodded after reviewing it and followed Zhou Qingxuan toward the destination.

During the journey, Yan Cangtian, Zhou Qingxuan, and Lu Yuan conversed casually, the atmosphere relaxed, reminiscent of their days on Mount Hua. They had not flown for long before they spotted the Vice-Lord of the Medicine Civilization and the Vice-Lord of the Dragon Civilization flying toward them. The Vice-Lord of the Medicine Civilization stroked his beard: "You too are heading for the Star Domain Gate?"

"Yes," Lu Yuan confirmed. "Are you also going there?"

The Vice-Lord of the Dragon Civilization replied, "We always want to give it a try. But this time, we are most eager to see Lu Yuan's performance." During the Twenty-First Plan, the Dragon Vice-Lord had contemplated vying with Lu Yuan, but the subsequent twenty-first phase had tempered his ambition. By the final Grand Battle, the Dragon Vice-Lord held Lu Yuan in absolute awe.

Lu Yuan smiled faintly. "I am merely going to try; I have no certain confidence." Politeness was essential.

After Lu Yuan's courteous exchange, the five of them joined forces and flew toward the Star Domain Gate. Upon arrival, they couldn't see much detail; approaching closer revealed only a massive gate constructed of starlight, seemingly barring everything, possessing the function of an absolute barrier. Even a casual glance revealed that this Star Domain Gate was thousands, even tens of thousands, of times more resilient than the ordinary World Wall. From the outside, the gate appeared approximately a thousand zhang high and three hundred zhang wide. What lay within remained a complete mystery. The door itself displayed only shifting starscape imagery, nothing else.

Lu Yuan and his company arrived early. A short while later, more individuals began arriving, some in groups, others alone. These included the Vice-Lord of the Axe Civilization, the Vice-Lord of the Heavenly Mother Civilization, the Vice-Lord of the Holy Light Civilization, the Vice-Lord of the Umbrella Civilization, the Vice-Lord of the Diagram Civilization, the Vice-Lord of the Ice Civilization, Night Emperor, Tian Yuji, as well as the First Son of Fa, the Vice-Lord of the Fayin Civilization, the Vice-Lord of the Martial Saint Civilization, the Vice-Lord of the Wubo Civilization, and one fiercely mad individual. This madman was a burly fellow exuding a suffocating killing intent—the most intense aura of slaughter Lu Yuan had ever witnessed. The toweringly murderous man shouted, "Yo, Lu Yuan, I am the Vice-Lord of the Wusha Civilization, or rather, Number One of the Strongest Assassination Squad."

Number One!

So it was him! What a chillingly murderous figure!

Everyone had gathered here for the Star Gate, all aspiring to reach the Civilization Lord realm. At this moment, the other factions finally witnessed the terrifying strength of the Sword Civilization. Most other factions had sent only a single Vice-Lord, or perhaps none at all, yet the Sword Civilization had arrived with three, not one of whom could be underestimated.

(Second update delivered.)