Boom! Boom! Boom! Layer upon layer of strikes slammed against the gates of the Eternal Celestial Palace.

At some unknown point, an army had amassed beneath the Eternal Celestial Palace. This was the grand contingent of the Fagu Civilization, arriving under the command of their Civilization Lord. The Lord of the Fagu Civilization raised a hand. Boom! Another army arrived—this was the army of the Wugu Civilization. Boom! The army of the Fenggu Civilization arrived. Boom! And then several more massive forces appeared; the armies of all the various civilizations from the former Central Celestial Dynasty had arrived. So many armies had gathered.

And it wasn't just these armies. Figures from the Lost Lands were present, as well as the remnants of the City of Instantaneity. The remnants of the Lost Lands were primarily led by the Lord of the Secret Civilization, while the remnants of the City of Instantaneity were headed by the Lord of the Heavenly Destiny Civilization and the Lord of the Divine Dragon Civilization. Also among them were many acquaintances Lu Yuan recognized, such as the Lord of the First Civilization, the Lord of the Net Civilization, and others. Even Zhou Qingxuan was there, clutching his erhu. The armies of the dissenting factions had all mobilized. For the final battle, everyone had to fight together; how could they allow Lu Yuan to face this alone? The individuals gathered before the Eternal Celestial Palace were not of the caliber to directly confront the Ancient Desolate Eternal Lord, but they could certainly attack the Eternal Celestial Palace itself. Although their strength might not be the deciding factor, everyone was contributing their power.

On the highest peak of the Eternal Celestial Palace stood seven figures: the Lord of the Fagu Civilization, the Lord of the Wugu Civilization, Chang'e, Yan Cangtian, the Lord of the Fenggu Civilization, Ancestral Dragon, and Lu Yuan.

“Hahahaha, hahahaha.” The Ancient Desolate Eternal Lord let out a booming laugh. “The rebels, all the rebels have come. What a brilliant firework display! You will all turn into brilliant fireworks, contributing to my eternal hegemony. You will all die here; every single one of you must perish.” “Defeated foes, a mere rabble—what sort of spirit can you muster?” the Ancient Desolate Eternal Lord sneered. The Ancient Desolate Eternal Lord violently unleashed a strike with his long saber. This was the Saber Strike that Annihilates Ten Thousand Ages.

Just as Lu Yuan was about to raise his hand to intercept, Ancestral Dragon—a middle-aged man whose aura was like a fierce dragon, imbued with endless majesty—suddenly intervened. His weapon was a long saber carrying the boundless essence of the Primordial Ancestor. His saber also radiated infinite dominance. With a resounding crash, he blocked the strike, but he himself was blasted back over fifteen hundred zhang. Even Ancestral Dragon could not fully withstand a single blow from the Ancient Desolate Eternal Lord. “Defeated foe,” the Ancient Desolate Eternal Lord roared with laughter.

Though sent flying, Ancestral Dragon remained unhurried. “Form the array.”

When he commanded them to form an array, what array were they forming? Lu Yuan was puzzled; the Ancient Desolate Eternal Lord was also confused. But at that moment, the Lord of the Fenggu Civilization and the Lord of the Fagu Civilization instantly moved, forming a formation as brilliant as a triangle. This Tri-angle Array seemed to be an utterly simple formation—one a cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage could execute—yet it appeared to contain boundless profound principles. This Tri-angle Array successfully encircled the Ancient Desolate Eternal Lord.

The Ancient Desolate Eternal Lord coldly laughed. “You think this paltry formation can trap me? Laughable, truly laughable.” He struck out again with his Eternal Saber. He fully expected his Eternal Saber to shatter this extremely simple Tri-angle Array with ease, but the array shimmered with a dizzying, chaotic sensation, preventing the strike from breaking through.

What was this? It was actually capable of temporarily restraining the Ancient Desolate Eternal Lord. Ancestral Dragon let out a hearty laugh. “Ancient Desolate, you truly underestimate the heroes of this world. The last time, when I was caught unprepared and you found me, I was indeed defeated by you. However, I also observed your techniques and your divine power, so I prepared countermeasures. This is the Three Lives Stone I prepared long ago—Past Life, Present Life, and Future Life—which has transformed into the Three Lives Array. Within this array, containing the past, the present, and the future, you shall be dutifully confined. Though you are the Eternal Lord in this life, your past life was not, nor will your next life be. Your past, your present, and your future will entangle you, eroding the power of the Eternal Lord.”

In Ancestral Dragon’s hand appeared a mesmerizing stone—the Three Lives Stone. Combined with the Iron Rule of Karma, the Three Lives Stone could push the principles of karma to their absolute limit. The technique of the Three Lives Stone was to trace causality backward, slaying an opponent when they were weakest. Of course, facing the Ancient Desolate Eternal Lord, even this power could not achieve that under the might of the Eternal Power.

The Ancient Desolate Eternal Lord laughed long and hard. “The Three Lives Stone, the Three Lives Array—not bad, not bad. But how long can your array hold me? Sooner or later it will break, and once it breaks, Ancestral Dragon, you will have no place left to bury your remains.”

While temporarily locking down the Ancient Desolate Eternal Lord, Ancestral Dragon said to Lu Yuan, “My Three Lives Array can hold the Ancient Desolate Eternal Lord for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, perhaps even less. If you intend to seize the Iron Rule of Destiny, go immediately. If you delay, it will truly be too late.”

Lu Yuan knew this was the most critical juncture. He hadn't expected Ancestral Dragon to possess such an ability. He must now retrieve the four fragments of the Iron Rule of Destiny. As Lu Yuan was about to step forward and strike toward the Destiny Passage, he suddenly felt several streams of killing intent rushing directly toward him.

The Lord of the Fogu Civilization chanted a Buddhist invocation. “Benefactor Lu, the sea of suffering is boundless; turn back toward the shore. You have sunk too deeply into the demonic path; quickly repent.” A vast golden light erupted from the back of the Lord of the Fogu Civilization, manifesting a Buddhist world: ten thousand Buddhas bowing in homage, glittering gold and splendor, infinitely magnificent, featuring the Seven Treasure Trees, the Four Marvelous Altars, endless Buddha chants, and the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Here lies bliss; no need to return home. The Blissful Buddhist Land!

The Lord of the Fogu Civilization understood that they had reached the crucial moment. Ancestral Dragon had used a stratagem to temporarily restrain the Ancient Desolate Eternal Lord. He hadn't expected Ancestral Dragon to possess such means; indeed, he was worthy of being ranked among the top three figures in the heavens and earth previously, clearly not to be underestimated. Furthermore, the Lord of the Fogu Civilization knew that Lu Yuan’s group absolutely could not succeed; if they did, their Fogu Civilization would be finished, and the Buddhist Path would end. Thus, at this very moment, his entire being radiated light, intent on blocking Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan could certainly deal with the Lord of the Fogu Civilization, but this individual from the Eighteenth Epoch was far more formidable than the Lord of the Desolate Path Civilization, who had risen later. His strength neared that of the Lord of the Lost Civilization from the Nineteenth Epoch. More troublesome was the fact that the Buddhist Path was renowned for its defense. To dispatch the Lord of the Fogu Civilization would take Lu Yuan some time, precisely the time he lacked. Every second was bought by Ancestral Dragon using the Three Lives Array; he had no leisure to spare for this opponent.

“Fogu, how about you and I, old rivals, spar a bit?” The Lord of the Wugu Civilization stepped out from the void, carrying a massive chest. The moment he landed before Lu Yuan, the chest sprang open with a snap, releasing all manner of weapons. He summoned his Ten Supreme Martial Arts. The Lord of the Wugu Civilization was famous for the Ten Supreme Martial Arts.

Lu Yuan had witnessed the Ten Supreme Martial Arts before, but those practitioners’ skills were nowhere near comparable to those of the Lord of the Wugu Civilization—the difference was too vast. As soon as the Lord of the Wugu Civilization unleashed his Ten Supreme Martial Arts, an overwhelming aura manifested. Lu Yuan had initially wanted to observe them; the Ten Supreme Martial Arts held immense allure for him, but now he had no time. He skipped the observation.

“Boundless Heavenly Venerable, where does Daoist friend intend to go?” At some unknown time, Hongjun, the Lord of the Immortal Ancient Civilization, ethereal and seemingly detached as an immortal, appeared ahead, holding a horsetail whisk. He looked toward Lu Yuan. “The path ahead is a dead end. Why not pause for a moment, Daoist friend, and we can play a game of Celestial Chess?” The Lord of the Immortal Ancient Civilization was another troublesome figure; these established, veteran Civilization Lords were exceedingly difficult to handle.

“Lord of the Immortal Ancient Civilization, we still have an old score to settle, don't we?” Yan Cangtian, a cold and handsome middle-aged man dressed in white, appeared holding his Startling Swallow Divine Sword. Upon arrival, he drew his sword in a single stroke, cleaving directly toward Hongjun. This strike carried the might to overturn the heavens. Although Yan Cangtian had only recently reached the Eighteenth Epoch, his offensive power had always been tremendous. He wasn't famous initially, but over the last five hundred years, he had slain countless figures from the Ancient Desolate Dynasty, earning a place high on the wanted list, ranked in the top ten. Recently, following some unknown fortuitous encounter, his power had surged further, actually elevating him to the Eighteenth Epoch.

The Lord of the Immortal Ancient Civilization dared not slight Yan Cangtian’s attack, for while this single strike was not as potent as Lu Yuan’s, it was indeed astonishingly sharp. Yan Cangtian had an old grievance with the Immortal Ancient Civilization; the reason he couldn't remain in the Central Celestial Dynasty and had to return to Mount Hua years ago was due to his expulsion by the Immortal Ancient Civilization.

Lu Yuan continued his advance toward the Destiny Passage. Just then, the Lord of the Undying Civilization appeared ahead. His blood-red hair stood completely erect, and his eyes had also turned blood-red, radiating startling fighting intent. Infinite bloodlust coiled around him. He let out a strange, low chuckle. “Lu Yuan, I heard you killed the Lord of the Lost Civilization. Now, let us have some fun!” The Lord of the Undying Civilization wasn't overly fearful of Lu Yuan. Killing the Lord of the Lost Civilization did not guarantee his own demise, for he was the Lord of the Undying Civilization, always proclaiming himself immortal. He believed only one entity in the current universe could kill him: the Ancient Desolate Eternal Lord; no one else stood a chance.

Being entangled by this Lord of the Undying Civilization would also be problematic.

At some point, the fragrance of osmanthus wafted through the air. A silver-haired girl sat nestled in an osmanthus tree. Chang'e held a branch of osmanthus in her hand. “Originally, I intended to strike at the Lord of the Immortal Ancient Civilization; after all, my old grudge with him remains unsettled. But Yan Cangtian took the initiative. I must confront the Lord of the Undying Civilization instead. Furthermore, I inherited the lineage of the Lord of the City of Instantaneity, whose greatest rival in this era was you, the Lord of the Undying Civilization. Now is the time for me to fulfill his dying wish, as I owe him a favor.”

Chang’e delicately flicked several osmanthus blossoms. One blossom, one Great Thousand World. One blossom, one Epoch passing.

The Lord of the Undying Civilization had no choice but to engage Chang’e; after all, she was also in the Nineteenth Epoch, not to be taken lightly. However, the Lord of the Undying Civilization did not believe Chang’e was his match and fully expected her to fall within moments.

Meanwhile, Lu Yuan pressed onward toward the Destiny Passage.