And now, he even held the upper hand. Those who were initially scrambling for the Celestial Artifacts of All Heavens immediately ceased their struggles.

Both Celestial Artifacts hung suspended quietly in the void.

Now, it was Lu Yuan holding the line against the faction of the Undying.

The result of Lu Yuan’s stand was keenly awaited. If Lu Yuan succeeded in holding his ground, others would hesitate to claim these two high-tier divine artifacts, as the credit would belong entirely to him.

Lu Yuan let out a long, echoing cry: "Hahahaha! I almost forgot, I still have one move left—Shatter."

Shatter!

Upon hearing this technique, many people frowned. This was the ultimate secret art of the Jian Gu Civilization from the past. Let's see how effective Lu Yuan’s version of Shatter would be.

Yes, it was Shatter!

As Lu Yuan unleashed Shatter, the brows of many High-Tier Civilization Lords subtly relaxed.

A very powerful Shatter!

However, it was still far inferior to the Shatter wielded by the Lord of the Jian Gu Civilization in those ancient days.

If it is not as formidable as the past Lord’s Shatter, it cannot possess significant power, rendering it inconsequential, the High-Tier Civilization Lords mused inwardly.

Of course, for the current masters of high-tier civilizations, Lu Yuan’s Shatter did not pose an overwhelming threat. But for the Civilization Lords of the Fourteenth and Thirteenth Epochs, it was utterly terrifying. Already at a disadvantage, the relentless piercing of their defenses by the Shatter sword technique sealed their fate.

Shatter! This was the final straw that broke the camel's back.

The Lord of the Hong Yi Civilization had his heart pierced by Lu Yuan’s sword light, resulting in the demise of another Civilization Lord. Every Civilization Lord possessed a life-saving ultimate skill, broadly categorized into three types: one, speed-based; two, defense-based; and three, self-detonation-based. Currently, the first two types were useless against Lu Yuan; only the third type gave Lu Yuan considerable pause.

Unfortunately for the Undying faction, the Lord of the Hong Yi Civilization possessed a defense-type life-saving ultimate skill, leaving him nothing to do but accept his ill fate against Shatter.

After eliminating the Lord of the Hong Yi Civilization, the members of the Undying faction finally began to collapse. They immediately scattered into the Eternal Flux, swiftly retreating toward the Third-Grade Dao Comprehension Land. Lu Yuan did not pursue them; instead, he swiftly secured the two hovering high-tier divine artifacts in the void—one circular, the other shaped like a small blade—and tucked them into his embrace.

Lu Yuan descended back onto the Third-Grade Dao Comprehension Land.

By this point, the situation had dramatically shifted. The Undying faction suffered catastrophic losses, having lost three Fourteenth Epoch Civilization Lords: the Lord of the Hong Yi Civilization, the Lord of the Huang Zhen Civilization, and the Lord of the Su Zhi Civilization. Whether engaging in group attacks or speed contests, they were inferior to Lu Yuan, meaning all the Celestial Artifacts of All Heavens were now claimed by him.

What a triumph!

As for the members of the Citta Faction, though they failed to secure any Celestial Artifacts, they breathed a collective sigh of relief, having felt immensely suffocated under the oppression of the Undying faction earlier. Furthermore, Lu Yuan obtaining the artifacts benefited them all; Lu Yuan growing stronger meant their ally grew stronger, while their rivals—the Undying faction—could not enhance themselves without the artifacts. This was unequivocally excellent news.

Landing back on the Third-Grade Dao Comprehension Land, Lu Yuan began sorting through the remains of the two Lords he had just slain. He discovered that the Lord of the Huang Zhen Civilization truly possessed valuable items. His Halberd of Truth, after a brief refinement, faintly exuded a tangible 'Truth.' Upon examining the rest of his possessions, Lu Yuan realized that this Lord actually knew the location of the Eye of Truth—it lay within the Lost Lands. However, the Huang Zhen Lord’s strength had been insufficient, preventing him from retrieving it. He had planned to wait until his power increased before attempting to claim the Eye of Truth and forge that segment of the Iron Rule of Destiny.

Alas, slain by Lu Yuan here, he never got the chance.

Lu Yuan mused to himself that if an opportunity arose, he would seek out the Eye of Truth himself; then, he would possess four segments of the Iron Rule of Destiny.

The second stage was finally complete. This eruption yielded twenty-two high-tier divine artifacts. At this juncture, the figures from the Fourteenth Epoch could largely rest. The contest for these high-tier artifacts had been truly breathtaking: first, the Lord of the Su Zhi Civilization boosting his speed to the Speed Realm, shaking the surroundings; then, Lu Yuan, utterly savage, increasing his explosive power, reaching the Fourteenth Epoch level, and in terms of speed, achieving the Speed Realm to slay three Fourteenth Epoch figures head-on.

Meanwhile, a greater number of Civilization Lords were preoccupied with one question: Lu Yuan arrived with only Twelfth Epoch combat strength, yet how did he advance by two full Epochs? Everyone certainly possessed their secrets, but what specific secret did Lu Yuan hold? Moreover, Lu Yuan’s secret allowed him to instantly consume artifacts emerging from the Gate of Eternity and immediately boost his combat power. This capability was incredibly advantageous for the future large-scale scrambles during the destruction and rebirth of Epochs. Consequently, many High-Tier Civilization Lords desired Lu Yuan’s secret, though obtaining it would not be easy, given the terrifying speed of his sword steps.

Time continued to flow slowly.

Boom!

The Gate of Eternity began to activate once more.

This time, it was not the high-tier artifacts, but the High Heaven-Tier artifacts.

Instantly, the Civilization Lords ranging from the Fifteenth to the Nineteenth Epochs mobilized. When these figures activated their movement techniques, their staggering power was revealed. The sheer force of their aura and the immensity of their magic power reached unimaginable heights, far surpassing those of the Twelfth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Epochs.

Lu Yuan had initially considered jumping into the fray. His current strength was basically comparable to, no—superior to—the Fifteenth Epoch masters. But he immediately dismissed the thought. In this contest, the Fifteenth Epoch masters were essentially novices; not just the Fifteenth, but even the Sixteenth Epoch participants were rookies. The Seventeenth, Eighteenth, and Nineteenth Epoch masters were the main contenders. Setting aside their techniques, the sheer magnitude of their magic power was absolutely beyond imagination. Lu Yuan judged himself far inferior to them and decided to stay back and watch the spectacle.

The show was brilliant.

The third stage saw the Gate of Eternity open widely, ejecting the first and second High Heaven-Tier artifacts. One was bowl-shaped, resembling a deep basin; the other was shaped like a long spear. The aura contained within these two artifacts was significantly stronger than the high-tier ones. Lu Yuan watched their maneuvers—spectacular, extraordinarily so.

In the first contest, it was the Lord of the Wu Gu Civilization who secured the spear-shaped artifact, while his opponent, the Lord of the Fo Gu Civilization, claimed the bowl-shaped one. Everyone else returned disappointed. Lu Yuan noted that figures like Chang’e and the Lord of the Huang Gu Civilization were relegated to supporting roles in such a fierce battle.

Time crept by.

The third and fourth High Heaven-Tier artifacts were ejected. This time, the Lord of the Citta Civilization and the Lord of the Undying Civilization secured these two treasures. As long as they weren't counterbalancing each other, no one else stood a chance against them; the difference was vast; their strength was too great.

The fifth and sixth High Heaven-Tier artifacts were quickly launched, swiftly entering intense competition, filled with all manner of ultimate skills and clashes.

Lu Yuan had been watching from the sidelines, but after three rounds of contests, he began to feel a touch of boredom. True, their magic power was vast, but in terms of exquisite technique, they could not compare to him. Lu Yuan suddenly realized: his mastery of technique was unparalleled under heaven. He wondered about the legendary Ancestral Dragon, but observing these fighters, including the Lords of the Citta and Undying Civilizations, purely in terms of technique, none matched him.

Lu Yuan watched from the side, growing somewhat listless.

Immediately, the seventh and eighth High Heaven-Tier artifacts appeared. Lu Yuan witnessed the duel between the Lord of the Fa Gu Civilization and the Lord of the Xian Gu Civilization. Their strength seemed evenly matched, but Lu Yuan clearly identified a method to defeat the Xian Gu Lord: he only needed the magic power possessed by the Fa Gu Lord. Thus, Lu Yuan sent a direct sound transmission to the Fa Gu Lord. The Fa Gu Lord was startled but readily believed Lu Yuan’s assessment of his technical skill. By now, almost everyone faintly sensed that Lu Yuan’s mastery of technique might truly be supreme across the cosmos. Trusting Lu Yuan just this once, he executed the maneuver Lu Yuan had described.

Miraculously, by following Lu Yuan’s method, the Lord of the Fa Gu Civilization found that he easily blasted the Lord of the Xian Gu Civilization aside. The High Heaven-Tier artifact was his. The Fa Gu Lord raised a hand: "Lu Yuan, well done."

Subsequently, Lu Yuan guided several others from his own side, instructing them on how to defeat their opponents and claim the High Heaven-Tier artifacts.

And the wonder was that every time they followed Lu Yuan's instructions, they indeed defeated their rivals and secured the treasures.

"Like this, like this."

"Right, do this first, then that." Lu Yuan continuously transmitted instructions.

As the battle progressed, the Undying faction grew weaker and increasingly disadvantaged, while the Citta faction gained continuous victories.

And everyone knew this was because of Lu Yuan.

Previously, it was only an implicit feeling that Lu Yuan’s technique might be supreme throughout the universe.

Now, almost everyone sensed that Lu Yuan’s mastery of technique had truly become the unmatched standard across the cosmos.

"Lu Yuan's skill in technique is too formidable."

"He is the foremost in the Epoch!"

"Indeed, we never suspected he possessed such ability."

The Undying faction looked utterly disgraced, while the Citta faction celebrated repeated successes.

Satisfaction! That was the sentiment of the Citta faction. As long as they followed Lu Yuan's guidance, they were guaranteed to defeat their opponents.

Truly miraculous Lu Yuan! They decided that any High Heaven-Tier artifact won by following Lu Yuan’s counsel would result in a portion being shared with him.

Simultaneously, the Gate of Eternity spewed forth the seventeenth and eighteenth High Heaven-Tier artifacts.

This round of spitting from the Gate of Eternity was nearing its conclusion.

The Citta faction, thanks entirely to Lu Yuan, was gaining overwhelming advantages and securing absolute superiority.

(The second update has been delivered, arriving quite early today. Praise be! Continue recommending my new book, Martial God Invincible.)