The terrifying technique spawned from the limits of one hundred and eleven moves, coupled with the mana of the Twelve Epochs and ninety-tenths of the Eternal Force, struck directly at the Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization. This was the supreme confluence of technique and power, yet facing this ultimate combination, the Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization remained utterly unperturbed.
Of course, he had no reason to panic. "Lu Yuan, the limit of one hundred and eleven moves—Ancestral Dragon achieved that in his day, but so what? In a place like the Eternal Starfield, even the limit of one hundred and eleven moves cannot allow one to defeat an opponent in a higher cultivation realm. I am Thirteen Epochs, you are Twelve Epochs; this fact dictates that you cannot defeat me."
His Heavenly Dao Duster, shifting between softness and rigidity, representing the ultimate limits of heaven and earth, swept towards Lu Yuan.
It was only after engaging that Lu Yuan realized the truth: with his current limit of one hundred and eleven moves, he truly could not overcome the gap of a minor realm. He had forgotten that point. He had intended to settle the battle with the limit of one hundred and eleven moves, but now it was clear that relying solely on this would not suffice.
No choice but to reveal more ultimate moves.
Lu Yuan did not unleash them all at once, however.
The limit of one hundred and twenty-one moves burst forth instantaneously. Hmm, Lu Yuan mused internally, does one hundred and twenty-one moves even things out? The Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization had assumed Lu Yuan was out of tricks and expected victory. He never anticipated Lu Yuan adding ten more ultimate moves, instantly leveling the playing field.
The confidence that had filled the heart of the Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization moments ago faltered, yet what manner of figure was he? Even facing this, he remained composed.
Lu Yuan let out a cold laugh and sent forth another sword strike.
This time, the limit of one hundred and thirty-one moves was not enough—it became the limit of one hundred and forty-one moves.
Boom!
Upon reaching the limit of one hundred and forty-one moves, the Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization’s expression finally changed. He realized he could no longer effectively counter Lu Yuan. No matter what technique he employed, no matter how powerful the mana he channeled, he was placed at a disadvantage against Lu Yuan. Though the deficit was minuscule, Lu Yuan accumulated these advantages slowly but surely.
The advantages for Lu Yuan grew ever larger.
Sword light flickered, and the duster moved in response.
However, the sword light now held absolute dominance.
And the Heavenly Dao Duster merely served to shield the Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization.
No, it failed to shield him completely.
Facing the elusive, masterful, perfected swordplay that seemed to transcend everything seen before, the Heavenly Dao Duster was utterly battered. Sword light struck the Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization repeatedly. He sustained several injuries: the left shoulder, the back, the right leg, and most critically, a wound near the heart. A direct heart strike wouldn't kill him, but an injury in that location caused the most severe damage to his Minor Thousand World. Once the destruction rate of the Minor Thousand World reached ten-tenths, it meant absolute death, beyond anyone’s ability to save.
By this point, both the battling Lu Yuan, the Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization, and the six observing Lords of other Civilizations could see clearly: the Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization was defeated. And defeated thoroughly!
This!
In the Eternal Starfield, surpassing a minor cultivation realm to win had never occurred.
But now, it had manifestly happened.
Lu Yuan had achieved what even Ancestral Dragon failed to do in his time. Could it be that this Eternal Genius was even mightier than Ancestral Dragon, that other Eternal Genius? In truth, these onlookers had misjudged. Lu Yuan’s Eternal Genius talent lay specifically in the assimilation of techniques, whereas Ancestral Dragon excelled in the creation of techniques. In reality, their aptitudes were evenly matched.
Lu Yuan’s sword light continued to flash, the strikes relentless, seeking the life of the Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization: "Oh, Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization, it seems I must take your life." Since the Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization intended to kill him, Lu Yuan saw no reason not to claim his life in return.
Despite being clearly at a disadvantage, the Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization appeared unconcerned, as if he were not in any danger. He smiled with an air of immortality: "You truly believe you can kill me? It seems you know nothing of the Eternal Starfield. Within the Eternal Starfield, every Civilization Lord forges an ultimate life-saving ultimate move. These moves generally fall into three categories. One is Ultimate Speed, utterly unmatched; this speed can only be used once at the most critical juncture, never casually. Once employed, virtually no one can withstand it. The second is Self-Destruction, which carries immense destructive power, forcing the attacker to hesitate. The Lord of the Net Civilization possesses such a self-preservation ultimate move, which is why the Lord of the Needle Civilization did not pursue him—the Lord of the Needle Civilization knew he might not survive that self-destruct. The third category is a defensive ultimate move. Mine is the ultimate defense: the Book of Primordial Chaos. Naturally, whether Ultimate Speed, Ultimate Self-Destruction, or Ultimate Defense, none can be used repeatedly. A person can use them a maximum of five times in a lifetime. As it happens, I have only used mine once; I can now utilize the second activation."
The Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization suddenly summoned forth a book, a volume radiating the ultimate essence of creation.
The book pulsed with the aura of Primordial Chaos, appearing as the very first volume since the genesis of heaven and earth.
In truth, this Book of Primordial Chaos was indeed the first volume since the creation six Epochs prior. The Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization had obtained it as a naturally occurring Spiritual Treasure, which he then repeatedly refined. With the aid of Hongjun in further refinement, and borrowing the power of the Gate of Eternity, he finally forged this ultimate defensive life-saving technique. Sadly, it was restricted to only five uses.
It was precisely because of the Book of Primordial Chaos that he was so utterly confident that Lu Yuan could not kill him.
The Primordial Chaos aura from six Epochs past enveloped him.
In the Western dark abyss, in the East, the genesis of Primordial Chaos.
Seated within the Book of Primordial Chaos, the Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization challenged, "Lu Yuan, what can you do to me?" He continued to provoke Lu Yuan, for he still held a trump card—a killing move intended for when his opponent grew careless. He sought to make Lu Yuan relax his guard, so he could utterly destroy him here, as he was certainly unwilling to accept defeat.
Lu Yuan felt no urgency. The sword light in his hand continuously lashed out, stabbing towards the Book of Primordial Chaos. He found that the outer layer of Primordial Chaos energy around the book would not budge in the slightest. Lu Yuan shifted his grip and unleashed Sword Zero: Heart-Piercing Strike! Lu Yuan’s Sword Zero: Heart-Piercing Strike was perfectly suited to break this tortoise-like defense, but he hesitated to use it yet.
Huh?
What was happening?
It had no effect!
This Book of Primordial Chaos was truly strange, Lu Yuan thought inwardly, but he immediately summoned forth the stance known as Break, launching it at the book. Break was the most devastating sword move from the Sword Ancient Civilization. The moment Break was unleashed, the Book of Primordial Chaos was thrown into turbulence.
"Break!" The face of the Lord of the Net Civilization took on a peculiar expression.
"It's actually Break!" The Lord of the One Civilization could not help but exclaim.
"It’s actually the Break that once shook heaven and earth from the Sword Ancient Civilization!" shouted the Lord of the Limitless Civilization. That move truly did shake the heavens in its day, especially wielded by the Lord of the Sword Ancient Civilization—nothing could resist it. Even in the hands of others, though slightly less potent, it remained terrifying.
It was Break!
How could Lu Yuan know Break!
But upon reflection, it was perfectly normal for Lu Yuan to know Break.
Why wouldn't Lu Yuan know Break?
Break was the supreme art of the Sword Ancient Civilization. Though that civilization had vanished, it left behind numerous ruins, and Lu Yuan was currently the foremost master of the Way of the Sword. It would be abnormal if he didn't know Break.
The Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization’s expression finally shifted. Under the assault of Break, his Book of Primordial Chaos appeared on the verge of collapse. However, upon watching Lu Yuan continuously unleash Break only to see the book remain perpetually unstable but never fall, he immediately relaxed. Even though it seemed precarious, it never actually shattered. It seemed this incomplete version of Break still couldn't overcome his Book of Primordial Chaos—a creation that cost countless painstaking efforts and could only be used five times was not meant to be easily shattered.
"Lu Yuan, it's useless; you cannot kill me. This is all you have," the Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization tried to gain the upper hand verbally, intending to provoke Lu Yuan further so he might expose a flaw and allow the hidden killing move to be used.
Lu Yuan grew fierce at this point. He clearly held the advantage and had defeated his opponent, yet he could not secure the kill—this felt profoundly unsatisfying. While people of the Eternal Starfield were accustomed to this reality—killing a Civilization Lord was inherently difficult—their habit was not his own. Lu Yuan had always been a man of strong, distinct character.
If he wasn't accustomed to it, he wasn't.
He wanted to kill the Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization, and that was that.
But if the sharp sword art known as Break, reputedly capable of shattering all things under heaven, could not break his defense, what should he do? The truth was, the Break sword art Lu Yuan knew was incomplete; he hadn't mastered it.
Lu Yuan suddenly considered: his Sword Zero: Heart-Piercing Strike was suitable for this type of situation, and the Break stance was also perfectly suited.
Then, what if he combined the two?
Lu Yuan's ability to create techniques wasn't as high as Ancestral Dragon's, but it wasn't poor either, especially concerning sword arts. After pondering for a moment, he formed a rough outline. He casually moved his sword a few times, searching for the right feeling. Of course, these casual motions appeared utterly ridiculous to the Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization, who believed they could never breach his Book of Primordial Chaos. The Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization continued to taunt Lu Yuan: "Is that all the destructive power you possess? Truly laughable."
"Laughable? Then prepare to die." Lu Yuan finalized his preparations and then fused Sword Zero: Heart-Piercing Strike with Break.
A diagonal thrust shot out!
Man and sword became one, essence, spirit, and will perfectly unified.
This sword strike manifested unparalleled sharpness!
This sword strike annihilated everything!
This sword strike pierced through all creation!
This sword strike was unstoppable!
This sword strike pierced the heavens and earth!
This sword strike was named Zero-Break!
(First update delivered.)