There were truly far too many secrets in this world.
The deeper one delved, the more bewildering it became.
Still, no matter the secret, so long as one earnestly sought it out, the day of its unveiling would eventually come.
And so, Lu Yuan said nothing more, keeping his eyes on the young woman before him.
Jiang Ningxian offered a light smile and said, "Naturally. From the very day the Milky Way Star Sector was sealed by the Severance of Heaven and Earth, it was destined to revive in the future. And our Jiang clan lineage ultimately stepped out from this very world. Though our Ancestral Star has changed, home remains home."
An Ancestral Star was a place where ancestors had settled, and there could be many of those, but home could only ever be one.
The Jiang clan had never forgotten, nor had they ever overlooked it, knowing that one day they would return. Otherwise, the clan would not have dispatched her here right at the beginning.
"You and the Jiang clan have always remembered, Miss Jiang, but there are others who might not feel the same," Lu Yuan remarked calmly. He thought of the Celestial Clan—had they not stepped out from this world as well?
Yet in the end, how many of them would still acknowledge it?
Hearing this, the young woman said nothing in response.
In her heart, however, she sighed, well aware that far too many great clans were just like that. On this point, Jiang Ningxian understood the distinction with absolute clarity.
With that, both of them raised their heads and looked forward.
Everything that needed to be said had been said. Whatever remained would have to wait until they fully reached Kunlun.
And so, time slipped by, moment by moment.
Kunlun lay west of Mount Tai. With the entire Earth now greatly expanded, traversing the distance using modern technology would have taken an unimaginable amount of time. But for the Golden-Winged Great Peng, it was merely a matter of about a month.
His speed was blistering, having broken the sound barrier long ago. Furthermore, there was no need to worry about attacks from mutated beasts along the way. With three Beast King-level figures accompanying them, what mutated beast would dare provoke them?
During the journey, Lu Yuan spent most of his time cultivating and comprehending his visualization method, laying the groundwork for his future ascension to the Saint Realm.
Along the way, he also received messages from Elder Ji and the others regarding the situation among the extraterrestrial beings, through which he learned many vital secrets. In addition, they had discovered traces of Zhou Yunqiong. At the same time, official scouts had detected that Yinglong had surfaced once again, likewise heading toward Kunlun.
Compared to before, the aura radiating from Lu Yuan had grown exceptionally powerful. Across his fair skin, wisps of divine radiance rippled, and within his body, an exceedingly terrifying reservoir of energy seemed to lie in wait.
He sat cross-legged on the back of the Golden-Winged Great Peng, his gaze deep and luminous.
Soon, with a sharp cry from the Golden-Winged Great Peng, their speed dropped slightly. They had finally drawn near their destination.
After journeying for over a month, Lu Yuan and his companions had arrived.
In the distance rose an undulating mountain range cradling tens of thousands of peaks. Every single summit stood over ten thousand meters high, while the one at the very center stretched endlessly upward, seemingly capable of connecting straight to the stars beyond the Earth.
That entire region was blanketed in boundless, pristine snow, as though it had remained unchanged since primordial antiquity.
Meanwhile, the wondrous phenomena of Kunlun had grown far more intense than before. Day and night, ten thousand streams of multi-hued radiance burst forth, illuminating the firmament.
An area spanning thousands of li around was entirely enveloped. At times, vast palatial complexes would even materialize, though they were mere illusions rather than real structures, and tremors periodically shook the earth. Moreover, dazzling rays of luminous light intermittently shot out from within.
This was Kunlun, the Home of the Myriad Gods!
In short, as time went on, this place had grown exceedingly turbulent.
It could be said that Kunlun had already become the center of global attention; all eyes were fixed upon it.
By now, the vast majority of beings were hurrying toward Kunlun.
There were humans as well as mutated beasts, virtually all of the beasts possessing the ability to fly. Though they lacked the terrifying extreme speed of the Golden-Winged Great Peng, nearly every one of them was at the Golden Body Realm.
There were also Earth's Awakened.
From every corner of the world, figures were advancing toward Kunlun.
Extraterrestrial beings had descended as well, unwilling to miss this opportunity.
As for whether supreme heritages would emerge or whether an all-out war would erupt when the time came, no one knew. Yet despite knowing that danger likely awaited them on this journey, no one was willing to give up.
This time, in the truest sense of the phrase, all winds and clouds converged upon Kunlun.
Meanwhile, in another location.
This was a vast mountain forest.
Zhou Yunqiong, who had been in seclusion for a long time, stood amidst the mountain ridges, gazing into the distance.
As for the humans accompanying her, they were dressed in uniform attire, both men and women. These were the elites secretly nurtured by the Zhou family. Every single one was of immense importance, and bringing them to Kunlun was intended to help them take another step forward. Even by the standards of the outer realms, they constituted a fairly formidable force.
Among them, however, one woman stood out above the rest. She possessed an exquisite figure, with exceptional presence and beauty.
At that moment, Uncle You approached from the side, his tone brimming with respect. "Eldest Miss, the people tailing us have caught up again. Should we find a way to eliminate them?"
Those tracking them were naturally sent by the authorities, having pursued them the entire way. Though shaken off several times, they clung on like plaster, proving to be quite a nuisance.
Zhou Yunqiong shook her head. Her tone was exceedingly calm, seemingly unconcerned with such trifles.
"There is no need. They have already guessed our objective; whether we strike or not makes no difference at all."
She spoke as though she had formulated a plan long ago. Seeing that the clan members had rested enough, she spoke once more: "Have them get ready to set out again. The sooner we reach Kunlun, the better."
Hearing this, Uncle You nodded and said no more, passing Zhou Yunqiong's orders down the ranks.
Yet it was not just the Zhou family who was moving.
Zhou Yunqiong harbored grand ambitions.
Uncle You hesitated, then asked, "Eldest Miss, do you still wish to repair relations with Lu Yuan?"
Zhou Yunqiong spoke indifferently, "With the dawn of the grand era and the clash of the myriad clans, he is very likely to become a child of the era. A person like that will attain immense achievements in the future.
"Repairing relations is not important. What matters is whether he can be made to serve our purposes."
If they could truly win Lu Yuan over, the significance would be tremendous.
The prowess Lu Yuan had displayed had truly astonished even her. Had this been before, Zhou Yunqiong would have harbored murderous intent. Now, however, things were different; she had earned the favor of an important figure in the Ji clan.
Furthermore, the previous incident with the Winged Celestial had far exceeded the Zhou family's expectations, leaving them utterly shocked. No one could have imagined that Lu Yuan would be so overbearing and terrifying. Not only had he slain a sequence prodigy, but he could even butcher Saints.
Uncle You feared that the Eldest Miss and Lu Yuan were destined to stand on opposing sides.
He furrowed his brows and could not help but continue, "Yet Lu Yuan has already slain three people from the Celestial Clan in succession—among them a sequence prodigy and even a Demi-Saint. The Celestial Clan is already deeply dissatisfied and has made him a priority target for extermination.
"When the Celestial Clan descends with more powerhouses next time, their primary objective will be to execute Lu Yuan. Your attitude might incur the Celestial Clan's displeasure."
"That is why this trip to Kunlun comes at the perfect time," Zhou Yunqiong replied serenely. "I will speak with him personally. Even enemies can become friends."
Chapter 173