Lu Yuan was astonished.
From Jiang Ningxian, he had not sensed any aura belonging to the Saint Realm.
Even if she had concealed it through some method, the two had spent so much time together. If one made major progress on the evolutionary path, careful observation would usually reveal it.
Just like him—now that he had reached the peak of the Sovereign King Realm, Jiang Ningxian had noticed right away.
Yet now...
"That was in the past," Jiang Ningxian smiled, then continued, "Back on the Ancestral Star, I had reached the Saint Realm. But to come to Earth, my elders sealed my power. I have to unseal it step by step. My current realm is actually not much different from yours, but before long, I will be able to unseal it again and reach the Saint Realm. Well? Impressive, isn't it?"
As she spoke, she raised a fist at Lu Yuan with visible pride, unable to resist showing off a little.
This was a side shown only around someone she trusted.
She did not treat him as an outsider at all.
"You entered that realm long ago?"
Lu Yuan was taken aback. He knew this girl was formidable, but he had never imagined she had reached such a height.
It was worth noting that in terms of age, she was a year or two younger than him.
A Saint Realm in her twenties—just how terrifying was that?
Moreover, she had achieved it even earlier.
If calculated properly, had it already been several years?
"So in the Jiang clan, your status is that of a sequence prodigy—or perhaps, you're what they call a Holy Maiden?"
Lu Yuan knew that among extraterrestrial clans, almost anyone exceptionally gifted was given the title of sequence.
And among the best—the very peak—the females were Holy Maidens, and the males were Divine Sons.
She had entered the Saint Realm at such a young age.
She was vastly stronger than Lei Xuan of the Celestial Clan had been.
Without a doubt, she belonged to the Holy Maiden tier.
"Mm, that's right," Jiang Ningxian admitted. Then she said, "Still, there's no need to wear that expression, is there? Compared to you, I'm nothing special.
"This world only revived a few years ago. How long have you been evolving? As for me, I had all the supreme visualization methods and breathing methods since childhood. It's not the same. Really, your growth rate is the truly monstrous one."
She was speaking from the heart, just as when she had been deeply shocked the first time she saw Lu Yuan fight.
"Let's drop the 'monstrous'; that word doesn't suit me."
Hearing this, Lu Yuan merely smiled and said, "First, tell me about your experience breaking into the Saint Realm."
He indeed needed to hear it, for only greater strength would allow him to face all that lay ahead.
"The key lies in visualization methods. The Saint Realm requires comprehending the principles of the world. However, ordinary people cannot fathom such principles, while a visualization method serves essentially as a key. If you start from there, you will certainly make great gains."
Jiang Ningxian spoke, a smile on her face. "Your talent is even greater than I imagined. You should understand what I mean."
The Saint Realm could not simply be piled up with resources.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be known as the most crucial stage on the evolutionary path.
And this so-called comprehension of heaven and earth was not so simple either.
Heaven and earth were, in essence, all things. But if he were to begin from visualization methods...
That put Lu Yuan in a bit of a quandary. What he visualized was the universe itself—did that mean he had to gradually comprehend the principles of the cosmos?
Of course, while such a feat seemed daunting, it was nothing insurmountable for him, given his terrifying talent bolstered by the Ancient Bodhi Tree.
As long as he found the right method and had a little time, he would certainly be able to break through to the Saint Realm.
"I understand."
With those thoughts, Lu Yuan nodded.
After that, the two spoke no further.
They parted ways to attend to their own affairs.
Lu Yuan pondered breaking into the Saint Realm while also making preparations to completely thwart the astral domains' full descent.
Naturally, he discussed these matters with Elder Ji and the others, as there was no need to hide them.
However, upon hearing that Lu Yuan might ascend the moon to do battle with outsiders, everyone was profoundly shocked, finding it hard to believe.
It was as though a true myth was about to unfold before their very eyes—even if such occurrences had already become frequent.
However, they were deeply worried for him, fearing something might happen to Lu Yuan, and felt he ought to take a safer approach.
After all, experts from various astral domains had already arrived beyond Earth.
Though none surpassed the Saint Realm, they were still terrifying.
Attempting to ascend the moon would surely alert them. When that happened, a battle in the starry sky would erupt immediately, which was perilous indeed.
Yet Lu Yuan had already made his decision, stating that if he did not take action, this world's foundation would be hard-pressed to withstand the extraterrestrial invasion. Thus, plans had to be made early; it was better to prepare before the rain fell.
In the end, Elder Ji and the others could only nod, having no way to stop him.
Zhu Qingyu, however, sensed something beneath it all.
A premonition rose in her heart.
Perhaps... after this greatest crisis passed, King Lu might leave...
Yet she could say nothing, nor could she be certain.
Meanwhile, Elder Ji and the others also briefed him on the outside world.
As time went on, extraterrestrial beings were growing increasingly active, and quite a few races had descended recently.
These races established power bases in various regions, recruiting Awakened and ordinary humans into their ranks.
The authorities had clashed with them several times, but those disputes ultimately fizzled out.
Both sides exercised restraint, refraining from full-scale conflict.
After hearing this, Lu Yuan decided that the next time such an encounter occurred, there was no need for hesitation; they should take a firm stance.
He would deploy the newly formed divisions led by Zhu Qingyu and the others into the field to temper them. Even if he succeeded this time, the extraterrestrial invasion was an inexorable tide that could not be stopped permanently; capable individuals had to be cultivated to hold their own.
To that end, he personally named these divisions after the Four Symbols: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise.
The Azure Dragon division included the young Heavenly Master Chunyang and the monk Huikong.
The White Tiger division had Gu Sang and Asura.
The Vermilion Bird division held Zhu Qingyu and the Ice Fairy.
The Black Tortoise division consisted of disciples from the Three Immortal Islands, all possessing formidable strength.
At the same time, Lu Yuan appointed the Spirit Monkey, the Peacock King, and others as guardian divine beasts of the Four Divisions.
This was his first step toward establishing the Heavenly Court.
In his vision, if the Heavenly Court truly were re-established in the future, these would be the heavenly soldiers and generals—the fighting force to pacify the four quarters.
When the young Heavenly Master Chunyang and the others saw the Four Divisions assembled and the Heavenly Court finally take embryonic form, they were all thrilled, believing this would become a pivotal power for Earth in the great era ahead.
Seeing their excitement, Lu Yuan merely smiled.
His original intention in establishing the Heavenly Court had indeed included this.
Only, after obtaining the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token and the Yongzhou Cauldron, more ideas had taken root.
Why couldn't he re-establish the Heavenly Court himself?
At the same time, Lu Yuan considered: since more names could now be written upon the Investiture Decree, why not continue conferring divine titles?
Of course, Zhu Qingyu, the Ice Fairy, and the others were not under consideration for now, as they were still young and needed time to grow.
As for beast kings like the Peacock King, the Spirit Monkey, and the Nine-Tailed Fox King, however, he did have thoughts.
After all, they were already sufficiently powerful. Once invested, the effects would be immediately obvious, adding to the Heavenly Court's combat strength.
However, getting them to accept it was another matter.
The trust was there; the key lay in whether the beast kings were willing to become subordinates.
On the Investiture Decree, his own name stood first.
Yet just as Lu Yuan was fretting over this, on this day, the beast kings came to seek him out of their own accord.
Chapter 197