That was a gate of monumental scale and majesty. No words could capture the sheer grandeur of this gate! No words could describe the antiquity etched upon this gate!

No words could convey the deep history held within this gate! This was a gate that had existed since before time, since the dawn of ages, eternally present and never to fade. Not a single trace of age marred this gate, for the presence of time’s mark implied susceptibility to temporal decay, destined eventually to vanish into the cosmos.

The Gate of Eternity bore no such mark. There it stood, impossible to describe any pattern upon it, because every pattern was utterly unseen, yet every single motif was infinitely profound. Lu Yuan even vaguely perceived that the Gate of Eternity conveyed three primary concepts.

First, the genesis of all epochs and beings. Second, the persistence of all epochs and beings. Third, the annihilation of all epochs and beings.

Birth, existence, and demise—all were contained within this single gate. These three states encompassed absolutely everything; all creation was bound to them. This gate was the site of ultimate ruin, yet also the Mother of all things, and the Father of all things.

Standing before this gate, Lu Yuan felt his own insignificance keenly. Even when facing the Lord of the Fleeting Civilization, he hadn't felt such utter smallness. There had been a gap in power, yes, but that gap was comprehensible.

Now, facing the Gate of Eternity, he felt like an ant upon the earth while the Gate was the boundless sky—a difference so vast it defied imagination. Sixty or seventy Lords of Civilization stood or reclined nearby. This was not their first encounter with the Gate of Eternity, so their current feelings were less intense than Lu Yuan's.

The Lord of the Fleeting Civilization looked ahead: "The Undying faction has arrived as well." Adjacent to the Gate of Eternity churned an endless, surging current of Eternal Turbulence. No being could remain stable in this turbulence for more than an instant before needing to shift position. The sacred ground of Third-Grade Enlightenment where the Fleeting faction stood acted like an island in this sea.

In the opposite direction, at a similar distance from the Gate, lay another island—another piece of Third-Grade Enlightenment ground, solely occupied by the Undying faction. Sixty or seventy Lords of Civilization had already ascended that ground. Leading them was a figure of sinister, exquisite handsomeness, with blood-red hair and robes the color of fresh gore, exuding an aura absolutely equal to that of the Lord of the Fleeting Civilization.

This was the Lord of the Undying Civilization, the one rumored to be incapable of true death, no matter how many times he perished. Experts! Nothing but experts here!

In total, the scene comprised over a hundred Lords of Civilization. By comparison, the Grand Decisive Battle of the Central Dynasty, despite involving thousands, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands more participants, could not match the quality or sheer number of masters present here. At this moment, both sides remained stationary, neither anxious to move.

They were waiting for the moderate bursts from the Gate of Eternity, anticipating how many high-quality Divine Artifacts would emerge. The door of the Gate of Eternity appeared poised to open slightly, causing a ripple of impatience among the waiting Lords of Civilization. Mere passive waiting would have been tolerable, but this was far from simple patience.

If one could discover a Divine Artifact just a fraction of a moment sooner, launch an attack just a fraction of a moment earlier, they could claim the artifact just a fraction of a moment ahead of others. When masters contend, success hangs by a thread; the seizing of Divine Artifacts was no different. The Lord of the Transmutation Civilization sat beside Lu Yuan: "Lu Yuan, the scramble for Divine Artifacts will likely begin soon.

In truth, every major eruption follows a set protocol. The grand eruption accompanying the birth and death of an epoch is actually divided into three parts. The first part involves the emergence of Low-Tier and Mid-Tier Divine Artifacts.

At this stage, any Lord of Civilization can act; whoever seizes it, keeps it. However, for Mid-Tier Artifacts, none of the hundred-plus Lords of Civilization present here have need of them." "But personal need is one thing; some have wives, some have children, some have disciples, and others have apprentices and grand-disciples. These individuals require Low-Tier and Mid-Tier Divine Artifacts.

Thus, the Low-Tier and Mid-Tier Artifacts are open to all contenders; not one will be left unclaimed." "The second stage sees the appearance of High-Tier Artifacts, specifically the High-Ground Tier. High-Tier Artifacts are divided into High-Ground Tier and High-Heaven Tier. High-Ground Tier Artifacts are suitable for advancements between the Tenth and Fifteenth Epochs.

High-Heaven Tier Artifacts are for all advancements above the Fifteenth Epoch, including the leap from the Fifteenth to the Sixteenth Epoch, and beyond. Once this second stage arrives, a regulation is enforced: only Lords of Civilizations from the Tenth to the Fourteenth Epochs may act. Other Lords are barred.

This is to grant developmental opportunities to the less experienced generations on both sides. Otherwise, we would never compete successfully against those from the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, Seventeenth, or Eighteenth Epochs." "The third stage involves the Gate of Eternity spewing forth High-Heaven Tier Artifacts. This domain belongs exclusively to those from the Fifteenth to the Nineteenth Epochs.

Those of us at our current level of power can barely intervene, as the gap between us and those above the Fifteenth Epoch is too immense; we are simply no match." It was fortunate that the Lord of the Transmutation Civilization provided this explanation, otherwise Lu Yuan would have remained ignorant of so much procedure. It seemed the second stage would be his time to shine, fighting for the artifacts suitable for his current Twelfth Epoch cultivation. After absorbing the lessons from the Lord of the Transmutation Civilization, Lu Yuan followed the example of those around him, sitting cross-legged to conserve energy and prepare for the intense battles ahead.

After a moment of discomfort, he decided against sitting formally and instead pulled out wine to drink. Casually surveying the scene, Lu Yuan noticed several acquaintances on the opposing Third-Grade Enlightenment ground: the bald, saber-wielding Lord of the Primordial Ancient Civilization; and the Lord of the Grand Pure Civilization, looking immortal with his whisk and flowing robes. The Grand Pure Lord smiled at Lu Yuan, as if the demise of his junior brother, the Lord of the Primordial Chaos Civilization, had little bearing on him.

But the Grand Pure Lord was known to be treacherous, always smiling while harboring deadly intent. Other figures Lu Yuan recognized from data files included the Lord of the Desolate Dao Civilization and the Lord of the Desolate Truth Civilization from the Primordial Ancient faction; the Lord of the Primordial One Civilization from the Immortal Ancient faction; and the Lord of the Buddha Sect Civilization and the Lord of the Buddha Emperor Civilization from the Buddhist Ancient faction. Now that he saw them in the flesh, matching them against the profiles in his memory, he identified them quickly.

Once one reached the realm of a Lord of Civilization, recognizing them was hardly difficult. A profound silence settled over the area, broken only by the rushing sound of the Eternal Turbulence, which flowed like a vast ocean. Boom!

A creaking sound echoed as the Gate of Eternity vibrated slightly, opening a minuscule amount. In that brief, slight opening, two Low-Tier Divine Artifacts, emitting their distinct aura, were ejected from the Gate: one shaped like the moon, the other immense, like a mountain. Immediately, several Lords of Civilization lunged forward, vying for these two Low-Tier Artifacts.

Although these artifacts held no personal use for the high-level Lords, they had relatives, friends, and disciples to bestow them upon. Besides, even a mosquito’s meal is still meat. The contest was decided swiftly.

The silver-haired little girl, Chang’e, acted in rapid succession, securing the moon-shaped Low-Tier Artifact, claiming anything related to the moon. The mountain-shaped artifact was seized by a Lord of the Earth Civilization from the Undying faction, a figure whose strength was considerable, already reaching the Fifteenth Epoch. Two Mid-Tier Artifacts emerged next, immediately drawing several Lords of Civilization out from their positions.

The spoils of this round went one to the Undying faction and one to the Fleeting faction. Two more Mid-Tier Artifacts soon followed, sparking another brief struggle. Each time, the Gate of Eternity only trembled infinitesimally; it did not truly open wide.

Lu Yuan observed that the victors in this first phase were predominantly those at the Fifteenth Epoch and above. Those below the Fifteenth Epoch rarely succeeded; their power was simply insufficient. He resolved to wait patiently for the arrival of the second stage.

The Gate of Eternity continued to spew out over twenty Low-Tier and Mid-Tier Divine Artifacts before finally ceasing and slowly closing. The Lord of the War God Civilization somehow found himself seated next to Lu Yuan. The War God Lord remarked, "Hmm?

Twenty Low-Tier and Mid-Tier Artifacts in the first phase? It seems we might see some returns this time." Noticing Lu Yuan’s slightly puzzled expression, the War God Lord explained, "It works like this: the number of Divine Artifacts ejected by the Gate of Eternity is generally fixed. If the first stage ejects a certain quantity of Celestial Artifacts, the second and third stages will eject a very similar amount." "Since the first stage released over twenty Celestial Artifacts, the second stage will likely release another twenty or so," the War God Lord continued.

"And our ranks, from the Tenth to the Thirteenth Epochs in both factions combined, total only sixty or seventy individuals. Averaged out, that’s one Celestial Artifact for every two or three of us. My own power is precisely Fourteenth Epoch, hehe, it looks like I might manage to snatch a High-Ground Tier Celestial Artifact this time." So that was how it was!

There were so many hidden protocols. Now that the first stage was complete, they would wait for the second—the stage where the true capabilities of figures like the War God Lord, Lu Yuan, and the Transmutation Lord would be displayed. Time flowed quietly onward.

Boom! The Gate of Eternity shuddered again, opening slightly wider than the first time. High-Tier Artifacts were naturally vastly different from the Low and Mid-Tier ones.

It was finally starting! It wasn't just Lu Yuan and his immediate companions waiting; the Lords of the Net Civilization, the Lord of the First Civilization, and their opponents—the Lord of the Needle Civilization, the Lord of the Limitless Civilization, the Lord of the Original Buddha Civilization—all were filled with eager anticipation. (Ah, a brief explanation: my internet connection unexpectedly failed last night at 9:40 PM, which messed up the planned update.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, I will deliver three updates today to make up for yesterday’s missed chapter. I apologize for this uncontrollable factor.)

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