In outer space beyond Earth, meteors drifted in orderly arrays.
Colossal starships lay anchored across the void, their hulls glinting with ceaseless light. Much like the timeless cosmos itself, they radiated a mysterious, chilling aura.
Near Earth, three towering figures stood aloof, exuding terrifying pressure.
Lei You of the Celestial Clan was particularly formidable, suspected to have attained the Saint Realm—the seventh stage of evolution. Standing there, he seemed to occupy the very heart of the firmament. Arcs of lightning coiled around him, and his wings pulsed with dreadful power that could shatter small asteroids if fully unleashed.
Just moments ago, Lei You had resolved that even if it came at a steep cost, they must force a large cohort down to Earth ahead of schedule.
Time waited for no one. Earth's revival brought inexhaustible fortune, making this the prime opportunity. If they delayed and allowed more major clans from across the star sectors to arrive, massive conflicts would inevitably erupt, making it far harder to secure any spoils.
"Indeed. The Milky Way Star Sector's revival is an upheaval unseen in tens of millions of years."
"Seizing this chance could reshape the structure of the cosmos."
The Void Saint of the Three-Headed Ghost Clan spoke in agreement, though his tone soon grew grave. "Yet what of that human named Lu Yuan? His realm isn't particularly high, but his combat prowess is terrifying. He must have broken multiple genetic shackles; otherwise, he couldn't possibly be this strong. At our current stage, we cannot send down stronger beings. If we clash with him, we will likely suffer heavy losses."
The scouts dispatched to Earth possessed special means of communicating with the void ships above, which was how he knew Lu Yuan's name. By piecing together various details, they had roughly gauged his combat strength.
"He is indeed a nuisance. For daring to strike against us, he must be eliminated."
Lei You pondered briefly, then said, "Our clan's tenth sequence has already descended and is adapting to Earth's environment. He will succeed before long. Why don't we join hands and have the prodigies of each clan coordinate an inescapable trap to cut him down? As long as we succeed, even if we cannot descend in person, the greatest combat power of that world will be gone. Our younger generation can then sweep through unhindered."
Every major clan among the top hundred star sectors possessed exceptional youth designated as a sequence. His intent was simple: deploy the sequence prodigies.
Each of these figures possessed bloodlines and talents that towered over their peers. Joining forces would make them utterly invincible; dealing with a native human like Lu Yuan from the Milky Way would be child's play.
"Agreed, provided the timing is right." The Three-Headed Ghost Clan's Void Saint hesitated for only an instant before consenting.
Below, Lu Yuan had gone out of his way to hunt down their clansmen. Such blatant provocation was sheer courting of death, and he had to be made to pay. Previously, they had held back due to uncertainty, but with the Celestial Clan pledging to act alongside them, there was nothing left to fear.
Not content with just this, he turned toward the Origin Demon Clan's Void Saint beside him. "Chongye, what is your choice? This concerns the greater plan. Surely you won't side with a human from the Milky Way Star Sector, will you?"
Evidently, the Three-Headed Ghost Clan's Void Saint refused to let him stay on the sidelines and intended to drag him in directly.
Chongye fell into deep thought, the mist swirling around his body rippling faintly.
"Our goals align for now."
"If you sit back to watch the tigers fight, you will end up with nothing," Lei You added coldly, laying out the stakes.
After all, few major clans had arrived outside Earth so far. Only an alliance would maximize their gains.
"I am well aware of that," Chongye said with a nod. "Our Origin Demon Clan will participate and act together. However, I hear that people from the Heavenly Dragon Star Sector have also arrived. Shouldn't we speak with them as well?"
As stated, their objectives were identical, and an obstacle had emerged on Earth. Under these circumstances, dealing with that obstacle took priority.
Even so, Chongye knew another major clan had arrived near Earth long ago, remaining in the shadows. In his eyes, if the four major clans in this patch of space acted together, their odds would be far better. After all, someone capable of rising to such heights during the Milky Way Star Sector's revival could not be underestimated, even if higher civilizations viewed him as a primitive native.
"The Heavenly Dragon Star Sector has always gone its own way; there is no need to bother with them. Besides, only a handful of them have arrived."
Lei You shook his head. For one, he knew that clan was difficult to deal with. For another, the Heavenly Dragon Star Sector was exceedingly powerful, ranking higher than the Thunderstrike Star Domain.
"Very well. Let us begin preparations, then," Chongye said, pressing the matter no further.
The Three-Headed Ghost Clan's Void Saint and Lei You stepped forward simultaneously, their Saint Domain power beginning to radiate outwards.
Vast, majestic power rippled through the void, causing the surrounding meteors to tremble and shine with divine luminescence.
Farther off, the various star sector races seemed to sense the shift. Figures capable of surviving briefly in the cosmic vacuum emerged in succession. Some donned armor, while others brandished long halberds. Diverse in form, some humanoid and others beastlike, they sought out larger meteors.
They understood that the Saint Domain existences of the three major clans were about to forcefully cast a batch of warriors down. This was their chance to hitch a ride and descend ahead of the rest.
Countless meteors began to shift, setting course for the world below—an Earth brimming with boundless, surging vitality.
***
Mount Tai Trial Academy.
Lu Yuan had returned long ago. He instructed the Golden-Winged Great Peng to forage for spirit fruits and extraordinary herbs to heal its injuries, while he retreated to his quarters. Along with preparing his next moves, he intended to fully consolidate the Golden Body Realm before pushing toward the Sovereign King Realm.
The Sovereign King Realm, as the name implied, marked a true king among the Awakened. Across the various star sectors, someone at this evolutionary stage was considered an expert, representing a genuine metamorphosis on the path of evolution.
Upon reaching this realm, one could break through the atmosphere and survive briefly in space, marking the initial threshold of the Saint Domain.
In truth, Earth's global mutation had birthed many Awakened wielding supernatural might. Although the majority remained in the Initial Realm and Awakening Realm, with only a small portion in the Shackle Realm, one had to consider how little time had passed.
In other star sectors, ordinary beings required considerable time to reach the Shackle Realm. Yet thanks to Earth's unique conditions—having been sealed away for ages only to erupt in a single burst—progress here was terrifyingly swift. If left undisturbed, this world would soar within a few centuries, easily breaking into the top hundred star sectors.
Why else would the major clans fight so desperately to descend?
Naturally, that required time. Every star sector possessed unique advantages, especially those ranked in the top fifty or top twenty, whose foundations were immeasurably profound.
For now, Lu Yuan's sole focus was to raise his cultivation realm as quickly as possible. This world's revival made the evolutionary path smooth, but he hoped to one day truly possess the ability to roam the heavens and traverse the cosmos.
His immediate goal was to step straight into the Sovereign King Realm. Achieving it was exceptionally difficult, requiring vast amounts of energy. A normal Golden Body Realm cultivator would need ample accumulation, but with his immensely robust foundation, he could bypass that tedious process.
In essence, while others possessed the capacity of a water vat, Lu Yuan was a vast lake. All he needed was to fill it with water—energy.
At any other time, this would have posed a challenge. But now, with the full backing of the authorities, the abundance of spirit fruits and herbs he had brought back from the West, and the refining capabilities of the Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace, he had nothing to worry about.
Over the following days, Lu Yuan gathered a vast assortment of spirit fruits and extraordinary herbs, feeding them into the furnace to brew a supreme pill.
In his spare time, at the invitation of Elder Ji and Elder Yun, he offered guidance to Ice Fairy, Zhu Qingyu, and others—all members of the Heavenly Court.
Additionally, the Peacock King and the Nine-Tailed Fox King had rallied numerous mutated beasts, including several beast kings in the Golden Body Realm, most of whom had joined the Heavenly Court. The organization grew stronger by the day, encompassing humans and beasts alike.
During this period, another disturbance stirred the skies.
For a full month, extraterrestrial meteors rained down bearing alien beings. Although a portion was repelled and crushed by the lingering power of the Severance of Heaven and Earth, a significant number succeeded in descending.
Unlike before, these extraterrestrial beings lay low immediately upon arrival, refraining from stirring up trouble. Many Awakened believed this was the deterrent effect of King Lu hunting down the two clans, which had struck fear into the newcomers.
Lu Yuan learned of this but said nothing. He knew this day was bound to come sooner or later and advised the authorities not to pay it any mind. Most of the population had already migrated into the five super cities; as long as the outsiders did not launch unprovoked attacks, there was no cause for alarm.
After all, not every extraterrestrial being was an enemy. Some, like Jiang Ningxian, could become allies. Observing them closely was sufficient. To secure a place in the grand era to come, allies were indispensable, at least for now.
A few more days passed, and Lu Yuan had gathered enough spirit fruits and herbs to officially begin refining the supreme pill. Given the sheer quantity of precious ingredients poured into it, the finished pill was bound to be extraordinary, though it would take time.
On that same day, Elder Ji and Elder Yun arrived to deliver a report.
Key figures from private domestic consortiums—similar to the previous Tianshen Technology and Longevity Genetics—had vanished without a trace. Despite deploying official resources, the government found few leads. Eventually, they discovered that certain individuals had been associating closely with extraterrestrial beings for unknown purposes. When agents attempted to investigate further, the targets proved extremely vigilant.
"Everyone makes their own choices. Let them be," Lu Yuan replied indifferently, having long anticipated such developments. "They were magnates in the old era, so it is only natural that they refuse to be trampled underfoot in the New Era. Weeding out a few scoundrels isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Elder Ji and Elder Yun agreed, though they kept personnel stationed to maintain surveillance just in case.
Lu Yuan returned to refining his pill. With the authorities handling external affairs, major issues were unlikely.
After another stretch of time, the meteor showers that had persisted for over a month finally ceased. Countless extraterrestrial beings had been ferried down, but Earth had grown so vast that pinpointing their locations was nearly impossible. Rather than squandering resources, the authorities focused on safeguarding the five super cities.
Then, one day, a massive earthquake struck the eastern coast, violent enough to shake Shanghai.
The epicenter was soon traced deep into the East Sea.
Before the public could fully process this news, another piece of news shocked everyone to their core:
The Yinglong from Mount Kunlun had emerged once more—and this time, it soared into the sky, flying straight toward the east!
Chapter 136