Inside the room.
Lu Yuan looked calm, his eyes resolute.
His entire bearing radiated an easy, unhurried confidence.
It was a powerful trust in his own strength, born from the deepest reaches of his soul.
Even knowing he was about to face three Saint Realm beings, he felt not the slightest panic.
Perhaps these were the most formidable foes he had ever faced across both his past and present lives.
They were terrifyingly powerful in both cultivation realm and combat strength.
Yet he still remained composed.
Earth was still sheltered by the power of the Severance of Heaven and Earth. If the three wished to descend, they would inevitably have to pay a price.
Just as Jiang Ningxian had said, they would not be at the pinnacle of their strength—and that was precisely Lu Yuan's path to victory.
Of course, he also understood that even if they were not at their peak, a Saint Realm being was still a Saint Realm being.
This battle would be arduous, unlike anything he had fought before.
Its outcome would affect far too much.
Lu Yuan knew this well, yet even if given the choice again, he would still choose the same path.
Without hesitation, he reined in all the power coursing through him.
Then, he walked slowly out of the room.
At that moment.
Outside the room.
Elder Ji, Zhu Qingyu, Young Heavenly Master Chunyang, and others had gathered.
Nearly all the high-ranking officials and the elite of the Heavenly Court's younger generation were present.
They appeared to have been waiting for a long time, and the moment they saw Lu Yuan emerge, they quickly hurried over.
Originally, they had many things they wanted to say, but now that the critical moment had arrived, they did not know where to begin.
This battle was unavoidable. It was destined to happen. The Saint Realm beings of the three extraterrestrial clans would descend today, and no one could stop them.
"I know what you all want to say, but wait until I return," Lu Yuan said with a faint smile, seeing how they hesitated to speak. He knew they were worried about him, which was why he broke the silence first.
He had long known that throughout this period, the people of the Heavenly Court and the authorities had been making all kinds of preparations.
Though such preparations might seem of little use against such foes, they nonetheless demonstrated their stance.
He held that sentiment close to his heart.
And now.
Words were essentially meaningless.
There was only battle.
"Alright," Elder Ji was the first to speak, a solemn look in his eyes.
He understood that the most important thing right now was to place their faith in King Lu.
After all, there was truly nothing they could do at this point; they could neither stop the great battle nor halt the descent of the extraterrestrial Saints. Thus, they all looked at Lu Yuan and nodded.
At that.
Lu Yuan smiled, then rose directly into the air.
His heading was none other than the summit of Mount Tai.
Once the three Saint Realm entities descended, they would undoubtedly sense his exact location.
And if a battle of that scale erupted in an inhabited area, the collateral devastation would plunge countless people into catastrophe.
Atop Jade Emperor Peak lay the suspected remnants of the ancient Heavenly Court, making it an ideal battleground.
Below, everyone watched Lu Yuan's departing figure with complicated emotions.
No one knew what the outcome of this clash would be.
"I believe King Lu will sweep through everything undefeated, just like before," Zhu Qingyu suddenly said, her expression resolute.
All along, she had believed in Lu Yuan more than anyone. In her eyes, no matter what crisis or trouble arose, as long as he intervened, it would always be resolved.
Though this time seemed quite different from the past, the final outcome would surely remain the same.
Upon hearing her words, the others fell silent for a moment before nodding slightly one after another.
They believed in Lu Yuan too, and prayed for victory in this battle!
***
On the other side.
Lu Yuan had already landed atop Jade Emperor Peak.
The Peacock King, the Nine-Tailed Fox King, and the Spirit Monkey immediately gathered around him.
By now, these mutated beast kings had all joined the Heavenly Court.
In other words, they were essentially Lu Yuan's subordinates.
"The extraterrestrial Saint Realm beings should descend today," the Peacock King said.
It was the most powerful among the three beast kings, already on the verge of the Sovereign King Realm.
Through its ancestral memories, it understood all too well how formidable Saint Realm beings truly were.
Consequently, concern tinged its words.
Setting aside their affiliation with the Heavenly Court, Earth's humans and mutated beasts had formed an alliance where they shared both glory and ruin.
Lu Yuan was the cornerstone, the strongest combatant on their side.
The Peacock King naturally did not want anything to happen to him.
"If you need help, just say the word," the Spirit Monkey spoke up. It did not offer elaborate remarks, only that single sentence, yet its meaning was unmistakable: even if outmatched, it would still fight at his side.
"Indeed. King Lu, there is no need to be polite with us," the Nine-Tailed Fox King stepped forward, its tone equally solemn.
Though the Peacock King did not speak again, it nodded in agreement.
Their minds were straightforward without convoluted schemes.
Since they had chosen to ally before, they would not turn around and flee to save their own skins when danger struck, even if they were facing Saint Realm entities.
"Thank you," Lu Yuan said, nodding slightly to the three beast kings.
The fact that they still stood with him at such a moment proved that his decision to forge an alliance back then had not been wrong.
In the end, he said no more, simply sitting cross-legged atop Jade Emperor Peak and looking up toward the heavens.
At this moment, Lu Yuan could already perceive something high in the celestial vault.
Surges of terrifying power were beginning to emerge.
Meanwhile.
In every corner of the world, nearly all living beings—including those from extraterrestrial lands—waited in tense anticipation.
The authorities, led by Elder Ji, utilized satellites to capture footage of the scene beyond Earth.
The relevant video feeds were streamed online immediately.
This was an existential crisis.
Their intention was to let everyone witness what was coming.
After all, at such a crucial juncture, concealing the truth was entirely pointless.
It was better to let the populace and the Awakened understand the reality so they could mentally prepare themselves.
***
Outer space.
Amidst the cold, desolate expanse of the cosmos, all seemed utterly tranquil.
Yet at that moment, an immense bolt of lightning tore through the darkness, stretching for an immeasurable distance.
A winged entity turned toward Earth and slowly approached, poised to descend like a living god.
Beside him stood the Void Saints of the Origin Demon Clan and the Three-Headed Ghost Clan, both gazing at Earth nearby with cold, chilling eyes.
"The measures of the Severance of Heaven and Earth remain. Though we have prepared, descending will still subject us to tremendous pressure, preventing us from wielding our peak strength," the Origin Demon Void Saint spoke, the mist surrounding his body growing denser.
"Even if we are not at our peak, killing Lu Yuan will not take long," the Three-Headed Ghost Void Saint laughed.
The chasm between the Saint Realm and the Sovereign King Realm could only be truly grasped by those who had crossed it.
Indeed, Lu Yuan's combat strength was formidable.
All three conceded that point.
Yet in the end, he had not reached the Saint Realm.
"Let us descend," Lei You of the Celestial Clan spoke slowly, lightning constantly vibrating across his body.
In the next instant, without the slightest hesitation, the three surged forward, rapidly closing in on Earth.
They naturally noticed the satellites, but paid them no heed, for descending required absolute focus.
The measures of the Severance of Heaven and Earth were not so easily breached.
At first, there was no resistance.
Nothing stood in their way.
Yet as the three continued their plunge, they soon arrived just outside Earth's atmosphere.
*Rumble—*
In an instant, profound runes materialized, spreading out until they transformed into an ocean of light that enveloped the entire planet.
From them radiated wisps of exquisitely mysterious power that seemed capable of repelling all foreign intruders.
These were the measures left behind by Earth's ancient sages: the Severance of Heaven and Earth.
Though it had stifled the path of evolution, it also protected the living beings of this world from harm to a certain degree.
The three Saints had long prepared for this.
Lei You of the Celestial Clan was the first to step into the ocean of runes.
The power of thunder and lightning erupted from his wings, permeating his surroundings with rolling booms.
Behind him, the Void Saints of the Origin Demon Clan and Three-Headed Ghost Clan descended without hesitation as well.
*Rumble, rumble, rumble—*
At that moment, all the runes surged forth.
The power they unleashed was tumultuous and boundless.
Yet the three Saints did not flinch in the slightest, executing their respective techniques to hold the power at bay.
They were terrifyingly strong, the might erupting from within them reaching an absolute extreme.
Lei You, in particular, was like a celestial deity descending into the mortal world, wind and lightning roiling around him.
Thus, through the satellite feeds, a horrifying spectacle unfolded.
The three Saints steadily closed the distance to Earth, their altitude continuously dropping.
Bolts of lightning slashed across the sky, spanning a thousand meters in length as they obliterated the profound runes.
These beings were truly fearsome; not even being engulfed by an ocean of runes could halt their advance.
Yet because of their intrusion, the power of the Severance of Heaven and Earth grew increasingly ferocious. The runes coalesced into sabers, spears, swords, halberds, and other instruments of slaughter, blazing with infinite light as they struck repeatedly.
The sight was harrowing, looking like a terrifying war raging across the upper atmosphere.
The three Saint Realm beings countered with their respective arts.
Yet as time passed, the pressure bearing down upon them grew heavier and heavier.
"As expected of the Severance of Heaven and Earth. It truly is troublesome. Continuing like this will not do."
Lei You struck out, unleashing a thousand-meter bolt of lightning that shattered countless weapon-shaped runes, his expression turning solemn.
He knew that despite his strength, the runes were practically limitless. There was no end to them, and they grew fiercer by the moment.
If they pressed forward like this, disaster would strike; not even Saints could endure it.
The two beside him nodded and immediately reined in their auras.
Abruptly, the Saint will radiating from their bodies vanished, concealed from the world.
Lei You did the same.
It was as though they had fallen from the Saint Realm.
Seemingly in response, the surrounding runes thinned considerably, and their offensive force weakened.
Such was the nature of the Severance of Heaven and Earth: the higher one's cultivation realm and the greater one's power, the stronger its suppression; conversely, the weaker the target, the milder the effect.
This was precisely why nearly all who had managed to descend before had been at the Sovereign King Realm.
Now, by using special techniques to suppress their own might, the pressure they had to endure shrank.
Though their realm remained intact, they could not unleash that full power within Earth's boundaries, or the world itself would suppress them.
Even so, having attained that realm, the three Saints still vastly outstripped ordinary Sovereign Kings.
With their strength concealed, they met with far less resistance.
Their descent accelerated.
In the end, they fully breached Earth's boundaries, unobstructed.
Soon, everyone watching the video feeds witnessed a terrifying scene.
Three figures emerged, descending with irresistible, overwhelming force. Their entry shattered the cloud layer, sending immense thunderous rumbles rolling across the heavens, as though an apocalypse were about to unfold.
Finally, they had descended!
Three Saint Realm entities.
As they entered Earth's domain, they felt the unseen, mysterious power permeating the world.
They knew this realm was undergoing revival, teeming with boundless vitality and limitless opportunities.
Lei You spread his wings, gazing down upon the vast earth below, and spoke softly:
"I have come; I shall conquer!"
Chapter 158