While I do agree that, the later in you are, the harder it becomes, there are a few things that never end in a way.

1) Nexus primal grinding is still a thing. (http://www.reddit.com/live/tlfmtjl4fteo)
2) Dungeons (Fast ques now, lots of speed runs happening)

Honestly, you can still catch up all the way to the end but in some cases it might not even be worth it. If you were someone who was thinking of the grind now from the outside, then it's probably better to wait till expansion and the new relics.

At this point, the relic is more for the people who have kept up to date with it then for those getting into it. Most people don't get a second relic because of the grind in itself.