It came with hardly any warning. A sudden roar echoed across heaven and earth.
Without a whisper of prior notice, an immense, majestic aura manifested. It came from beyond the heavens, intertwined with the shifts unfolding within this world itself, as if the firmament had tipped on its axis.
Every living creature felt it. All lifted their heads to look up at the vault of heaven, and some strange beasts even prostrated themselves on the ground. An apocalypse-like cataclysm stirred the deepest dread within their hearts.
Elsewhere, Lu Yuan and his companions, who were hurrying toward Mount Tai, sensed it as well. At that very moment, they turned their gazes to the sky.
They had realized beforehand that this world was about to undergo another great upheaval, yet when it finally arrived, they were still shaken to the core.
Every creature who looked upward beheld the same sight, their expressions turning to sheer horror. In the sky above, great stars emerged one after another, revolving continuously and radiating boundless, infinite light. Enormous beyond measure, they suddenly appeared in the starry void beyond Earth, looking as though they were about to collide with it directly.
One had to realize that it was broad daylight, beneath a clear, endless blue sky. It was not nighttime, yet the stars spanning the cosmos had manifested in broad day right upon the dome of heaven, utterly real.
Even the sun was eclipsed by comparison, no longer shining so brightly. Every creature was shocked to the absolute limit, unable to believe what they were seeing, wondering if they had fallen into a dream.
And this was merely the beginning. As time passed, one figure after another appeared atop those massive stars, standing tall beneath the heavens.
Shrouded completely in brilliant radiance, the aura each figure emanated was unfathomably powerful, shaking the stars across the sky. They looked down upon the earth as if they would descend in the very next step.
At this moment, no one knew what was happening beyond Earth, but judging from the scene before them, the entire solar system had undergone a tremendous transformation—no longer the familiar expanse humanity had once known.
"As expected, the message from my clan was true. The Ranked Immortals of the various star sectors have appeared, using supreme divine abilities to project their stars here."
"They want to use this to disrupt the Severance of Heaven and Earth, making it easier for them to descend." Jiang Ningxian gazed up at the sky, her eyes solemn, fully aware of what this meant.
Those figures standing beneath the great stars were the Ranked Immortals—beings numbered among the immortals.
"In other words, they haven't actually arrived in the solar system yet?" Lu Yuan asked. In his memory, the various star sectors had not descended this quickly.
"Correct." Jiang Ningxian nodded. "They've only deployed their methods to project the auras of their respective stars directly toward Earth. Their vain hope is to influence this world through this and establish passage Star Roads. There is still time before they truly arrive.
"However... if they succeed, the defenses protecting this world will be completely neutralized."
Hearing this, Lu Yuan understood completely. In short, Earth's resurgence was coveted by the great clans of the various star sectors.
Yet because the Severance of Heaven and Earth remained in place, those top powerhouses were unable to descend, as they would be suppressed—just like Lei You had been.
Now, however, they planned to shatter Earth's final protective barrier outright, allowing them to descend thereafter without any restraint.
That was the goal of the various star sectors: to turn this world into their private backyard, where they could come and go as they pleased.
Achieving that completely would require time. At least for now, it was impossible. Yet no matter what, once the Severance of Heaven and Earth was breached, the living beings of Earth would be in mortal peril. Even in the best scenario, they would be reduced to second-class beings, driven around at will by the various star sectors.
Because in his previous life, that was precisely how it had been.
"Is there any way to stop their methods?" Lu Yuan asked. He was well aware that with his current strength, he could not face a full-scale descent by the star sectors; his only choice was to halt their current plan.
"I'm not sure yet. I need to contact my clan." Jiang Ningxian shook her head, lamenting only that the Ranked Immortals of the various star sectors had acted too quickly, catching them somewhat off guard.
Lu Yuan took a deep breath. For now, the best course of action was to rendezvous with Elder Ji and the others first, then slowly figure out a countermeasure.
Otherwise, if things truly reached that point, even he would be helpless. Without another word, the Golden-Winged Great Peng let out a piercing cry, beat its wings, and accelerated.
The Peacock King also knew how critical the situation was and followed close behind. Fortunately, they were no longer far from Mount Tai and would arrive within a few dozen days at most.
Along their journey, the group kept a close watch on the shifts beyond Earth. The great stars drew steadily closer. Upon them, the Ranked Immortals sat cross-legged, enveloped in dazzling radiance.
Observers noticed that each star was distinct. Some surged with lightning and tempestuous storms; others radiated a primal, wild aura; still others brimmed with divinity, as though the dwelling places of gods lay atop them.
Yet every single one was colossally vast, far broader than the present Earth. Eventually, extraterrestrial beings revealed that these were all Ancestral Stars of the top hundred star sectors.
Before long, the entities upon them would all descend. Extraterrestrial beings on Earth began to grow active again. Knowing that the powerhouses of their own clans were soon to arrive, the hesitations in their hearts diminished significantly.
Previously, owing to Lu Yuan's terrifying renown and the fact that none could match him, they had been forced to lie low. Now that even stronger figures were about to appear—including beings surpassing the Saint Realm—it was as good as having imminent backing. What reason did they have left to fear?
Thus, they stepped forward one after another and began making public declarations that this world would soon be dominated by the great clans of the various star sectors, and that a great cataclysm might arrive.
When that time came, the entire world might plunge into utter chaos. Naturally, they claimed they could take in some people and pass down breathing methods and visualization methods so they would remain unharmed.
Most people refuted them outright, believing they had no need whatsoever for protection from outsiders, but a portion chose silence.
As for the corporate conglomerates that already had ties with extraterrestrial beings, they chose to join them directly. In short, the situation everywhere was deteriorating into turmoil.
Meanwhile, following Lu Yuan's prior instructions, the authorities consolidated their forces and refrained from making any public statements on the matter for the time being.
The reason was exceedingly simple: they knew this was beyond their ability to resolve. All they could do was wait for Lu Yuan's return.
At the same time, deep within a mountain range, there was a massive complex of buildings—the Zhou family's former secret stronghold.
At this moment, the head of the Zhou family stood inside a hidden chamber. Before him rested a black cauldron, within which gathered streams of light that formed the silhouette of a person: Zhou Yunqiong, who had previously been slain once by Lu Yuan.
"Daughter, just wait a little longer. Hold on just a bit more. The people of the Ji clan will be descending soon, and they will help you reconstruct your physical body," the head of the Zhou family said, urgency shining in his eyes. Zhou Yunqiong was the Zhou family's final hope.
Fortunately, she had possessed the Death Immunity Talisman bestowed by that great figure back then. Otherwise, dead would have meant truly dead. He harbored intense hatred for Lu Yuan, wishing he could flay his skin and tear out his sinews.
Yet he was too weak to be Lu Yuan's match and dared only curse him in the depths of his heart. Still, the Ji clan would be arriving very soon.
The moment that great figure arrived would be the day Lu Yuan met his doom.
Chapter 193