"Zhou Yunqiong?"
Jiang Ningxian's sudden mention of this name took Lu Yuan somewhat by surprise, though he remained outwardly calm.
What piqued his curiosity was why someone from beyond this realm would take an interest in Zhou Yunqiong.
Involuntarily, a certain thought arose in his mind.
Yet it was merely a thought, and he chose not to voice it, keeping his gaze on her as he waited for an explanation.
"I know a bit about the grievances between you and the Wuzhou Group, King Lu—relations aren't particularly good."
Jiang Ningxian spoke. She had been here for some time now and had gathered an extensive amount of information.
Since she had set out early simply to act as an advance party for the Ancestral Star and make subsequent arrangements, she was naturally well-informed about such matters. Dispensing with superfluous pleasantries, she explained directly: "The Wuzhou Group is controlled by the Zhou family, but in reality, they possess another identity."
"This Zhou family is the lineage of the ancient Ji clan, while that Winged Celestial is a descendant left behind by the Celestial Clan."
"Back then, the two clans joined forces to overthrow a dynasty, and the Ji clan became rulers of the world."
She said little, but the information revealed was immense.
Upon hearing this, even Lu Yuan could not help narrowing his eyes slightly.
Previously, he only knew that the Zhou family was far from simple. Later on, they had allied with certain great cosmic clans, swelling their influence and making them increasingly inscrutable.
Yet he had not anticipated that the Zhou family was actually descended from the Ji clan. That was indeed quite unexpected.
Wu Zhou, Wu Zhou—in history, there were two explanations: one was the Zhou dynasty established by Emperor Gaozong's empress in the early Tang dynasty, and the other was King Wu of Zhou overthrowing Shang, where King Wu of Zhou bore the surname Ji.
The Zhou family had hidden themselves deeply indeed.
The Ji clan.
Setting aside everything else, it was one of the prominent ancient surnames in history, possessing immense influence alongside the Jiang clan.
For instance, Xuanyuan, one of the Five Emperors, also belonged to the Ji clan—the Yellow Emperor of Yanhuang.
And as for the Winged Celestial, if one insisted on drawing a connection, there was indeed a similar existence during the era when King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang dynasty.
"So that's how it is. Thank you for informing me, Miss Jiang." To Lu Yuan, this intelligence was indeed of some value, allowing him to see future developments with greater clarity. Furthermore, her mentioning it served as a friendly warning.
"In truth, with your current strength, King Lu, there's no need to pay any heed to the so-called Wuzhou Group."
"The crucial factor is Zhou Yunqiong. The bloodline she carries is not inferior even to the Ji clan's main branch deep in the cosmos. Her potential is limitless."
As the Holy Maiden of the Jiang clan, Jiang Ningxian possessed a vision far beyond ordinary mortals, completely surpassing everyone in this world. That was why, upon investigating Zhou Yunqiong earlier, even she had felt inward shock.
She had never imagined that the Ji branch left behind here could still produce such a figure.
Knowing some of the history between Lu Yuan and Zhou Yunqiong, she could not resist mentioning it. As for whether he would take it to heart, that was up to him.
"I understand."
Yet Lu Yuan remained completely calm, his demeanor unchanging throughout.
To him, whether it was the Jiang clan or the Ji clan, no matter how formidable or mysterious they might be, none of it had much to do with him.
And if conflict ever arose between them, he would simply crush it with sheer might!
"In that case, the two of us will take our leave."
Jiang Ningxian seemed to sense the immense confidence emanating from Lu Yuan, and her impression of him improved once again.
She chose not to say more, however. After nodding, she led the elderly man straight out of the room.
Neither of them employed any extraordinary techniques, walking just like ordinary people without any outward peculiarity.
"Holy Maiden." At that moment, the elderly man following behind finally could not help speaking up. "This Lu Yuan certainly possesses great potential, and his strength is formidable enough. But do you truly intend to bestow the Great Sun Flame God Furnace upon him?"
"That object is one of the few supreme treasures you brought from the Ancestral Star, an extraordinary rarity—a sacred artifact for tempering physique and vital blood."
He felt it was somewhat regrettable; even knowing the man was extraordinary, the price to pay was simply too steep. Moreover, the grand era had not truly descended yet, and the road ahead would only become more arduous. It remained uncertain whether Lu Yuan would fall along the path of evolution.
"Since he was fated to obtain the refined blood left behind by our ancestor, he is destined to be extraordinary."
"Particularly in this world, reaching such heights in its early stages... I find him quite impressive."
Jiang Ningxian answered after a moment's thought, a faint smile gracing her face. "All right, say no more. I've already made up my mind. Let us go."
The elderly man said nothing further. Since the Holy Maiden was resolute, he needed only to obey.
With that, the two accelerated their pace until their figures slowly vanished.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Lu Yuan settled his thoughts, reflecting on Jiang Ningxian's words.
The information was limited and not overly detailed, yet when pieced together with his memories, he seemed to gain a clearer understanding.
In simple terms, long before this era, the world had not been like this.
Everyone possessed transcendent powers, and powerful figures emerged in endless streams. But due to various devastating wars of unknown objectives, the ancient sages of humanity ultimately enacted the Severance of Heaven and Earth to protect the vast majority of mankind, cutting off the connection between this world and the deep cosmos beyond.
Thereafter, transcendent power gradually waned, eventually evolving into the modern world dominated by technology.
However, with the passage of time and the turning of eras, the measures of the Severance of Heaven and Earth had begun to lose their efficacy.
And that appeared to be the true reason behind the global mutation.
Yet there was still one point Lu Yuan could not understand: the deep cosmos and the vast universe were boundless, so why was this world so special?
Evidently, deeper secrets remained concealed within—secrets that perhaps even the Jiang clan of the Desolate Flame Celestial Domain could not fully explain.
It seemed everything would have to be uncovered gradually in the days to come.
With his thoughts settled, Lu Yuan left the room and sought out Elder Yun to discuss the cooperation proposed by Jiang Ningxian.
When Elder Yun heard that the two hailed from the deep cosmos beyond, he was thoroughly astonished and found it difficult to believe.
Yet he quickly regained his composure. Having lived through the monumental events of the New Era, he had grown accustomed to accepting even the most fantastical and bizarre occurrences. Still, when it came to cooperation, he could not make the decision alone.
In the end, he decided to summon Elder Ji and the others to deliberate together on whether to agree.
Upon hearing the news, Elder Ji and the rest hurried to the Mount Tai Trial Academy without delay.
After all, this was a matter of grave importance concerning the future, and they could not afford to take it lightly.
Over several days, multiple meetings were convened.
Ji Yuzhen, Dean Zheng, and others were also summoned to share their views, yet reaching a conclusion proved difficult.
Throughout the process, they also sought Lu Yuan's opinion. But Lu Yuan refrained from weighing in, leaving the decision to them.
After all, he held no official post, and with his current overwhelming strength, voicing his thoughts would likely sway Elder Ji and the others.
Thus, he merely stated that whether they agreed or not, he would support their decision.
Finally, after several more meetings, they resolved to speak with Jiang Ningxian face-to-face.
Lu Yuan naturally arranged the meeting for them.
Several days later, Jiang Ningxian and her companion returned to clarify the purpose of their cooperation.
They asked for very little: merely a place to settle and establish a foothold. In return, they would provide the authorities with diverse forms of assistance in the future.
The two sides engaged in protracted discussions. In the end, Elder Ji and the others wore solemn expressions. Having learned that extraterrestrial beings would descend, they understood that the future situation would only grow more perilous and uncontrollable.
Consequently, they chose to agree to the partnership, but insisted on maintaining the dominant role.
There was no alternative; this was a necessity born of circumstances.
Jiang Ningxian agreed as well.
This outcome was well within Lu Yuan's expectations; it had unfolded the same way in his previous life.
Naturally, he did not know the finer details of their discussions, nor did he choose to participate.
Whenever he had spare time, he visited Mount Tai to converse with the Spirit Monkey. According to the monkey, the world was beginning to transform once more. Places and entities of myth and legend would manifest in this era, though whether for good or ill remained unknown.
Therefore, Lu Yuan intended to focus on cultivating in peace for a period of time to elevate his strength, better preparing himself to confront the looming chaos.
Meanwhile, after finalizing the cooperation, Elder Ji and the leadership poured even more resources into promising juniors and elite academy students.
Disasters had grown increasingly frequent of late, and aberrant beasts were becoming restless. Though full-scale beast tides had not yet formed, they had already begun to disrupt human survival—signs of an unraveling world reemerging.
In short, many people and mutated beasts seemed to sense that the second great mutation was imminent.
Furthermore, the establishment of the Human Alliance allowed Huaxia to focus inward without worrying about threats from abroad.
On this day, at the Mount Tai Trial Academy.
"King Lu, thank you for acting as a bridge to help this cooperation proceed smoothly," Jiang Ningxian said with a smile, the elderly man still trailing behind her.
Ever since finalizing the agreement with Elder Ji and the others, the two had taken up temporary residence here, effectively becoming Lu Yuan's neighbors.
"Even without me, you would have negotiated nonetheless. My involvement made little difference to the outcome."
Lu Yuan shook his head, stating the plain truth before getting straight to the point: "May I ask what brings you to my door today, Miss Jiang?"
After moving into the Mount Tai Trial Academy, she had been occupied with other matters; this was her first visit.
"To express my gratitude, of course."
Jiang Ningxian smiled and produced the Great Sun Flame God Furnace, her gaze thoroughly earnest. "As I mentioned before, once the cooperation was finalized, this object would be gifted to you, King Lu. I hope you won't refuse again. There is no hidden agenda—simply treat it as a gesture of goodwill extended on behalf of the Jiang clan."
This was her second time meeting Lu Yuan, yet she seemed to have grasped his temperament, knowing that an outright gift without context would only meet with refusal.
It was far better to be completely candid; once everything was laid bare, many misgivings could be set aside.
Conversations between intelligent people required no convoluted pretenses.
Lu Yuan did not answer immediately.
Instead, he looked at Jiang Ningxian.
After pausing for a long moment, a smile finally appeared on his face as he spoke: "In that case, I shall graciously accept."
The young woman was clearly determined to bestow this treasure upon him. If he refused now, she would only return again.
Moreover, she had made it clear that it was an offer of goodwill, and Lu Yuan was not one for false modesty, so he promptly agreed.
"Wonderful, thank you, King Lu."
The young woman broke into a bright smile, her dimples showing playfully. "I still have some matters to attend to, so I'll be taking my leave now."
Having accomplished what she set out to do, she felt a weight lifted from her shoulders. She bowed slightly, turned, and walked out the door.
Beside her, the elderly man watched with a touch of helplessness; judging by appearances, one might think their Holy Maiden had been the one to receive a supreme treasure.
Yet, as usual, he said nothing and quietly followed behind the young woman.
In the hall of the residence, Lu Yuan was left alone, gazing at the bronze furnace before him, which stood only a few inches tall.
It bore no intricate runes, only the engraved image of a blazing sun.
From within, waves of scorching heat radiated outward, raising the temperature of the entire room. Mind you, the furnace had not even been activated yet; once stimulated, it would only be more ferocious, capable of melting gold and stone with ease.
Just as its name implied: the Great Sun Flame God Furnace!
Lu Yuan could sense that this treasure was perhaps even a step above the Eleven-Tier Blood Pagoda.
The vital blood within his body stirred in resonance with it; this was truly a peerless divine artifact for tempering the physique.
However, he did not rush to use it immediately, intending to study it first.
"King Lu! King Lu!"
Just as Lu Yuan put away the Great Sun Flame God Furnace, Elder Ji and Elder Yun arrived at his door.
Both appeared anxious, clearly having rushed all the way over. The moment they stepped inside, they spoke in unison:
"King Lu, something has happened!"
Chapter 108