Without overthinking it, Lu Yuan knew time was of the essence.
He immediately stepped straight into the passage. Seeing this, Elder Jiang smiled faintly, turning his gaze toward the twelve Demi-Saints.
"In truth, this matter does not concern you all that much. It amounts to nothing more than delaying your descent. There is little you can do right now anyway, so why don't we sit down together and watch how things unfold?" Elder Jiang spoke with polite courtesy, without the slightest hint of aggression, and even called the Lesser Shennong Cauldron back to his side.
His message was simple: he had no wish to clash with twelve Demi-Saints, deeming it entirely unnecessary.
"No wonder he possessed a Boundary-Shifting Talisman."
"So he had the backing of the Jiang clan all along." The Yin Sparrow Demi-Saint watched Lu Yuan step into the corridor, the blazing flames surrounding his own body gradually receding.
He knew that if he continued attacking, this clansman of the Jiang clan would surely stop him. Even though the man appeared to be only in the Sovereign King Realm, that was merely because he had temporarily sealed his cultivation in order to descend upon Earth ahead of time; his true cultivation level was far greater than what met the eye.
Furthermore, this elder possessed an imitation of the Shennong Cauldron. Even if all twelve Demi-Saints joined hands, they would not be able to shake him.
"The Jiang clan wishes to descend as well. You should not be helping this person," the Three-Headed Ghost Clan Demi-Saint spoke up.
He knew, of course, that the Jiang clan was not to be offended. Yet he remembered that backing them was the grand alliance of the top hundred star sectors, which included formidable races in no way inferior to the Jiang clan. Moreover, the Ranked Immortals of each race were joining forces this time, which emboldened him to speak.
At the same time, he could not comprehend it. Even if the Jiang clan had not joined the coalition, could it be that they were unwilling to descend early?
"Our Jiang clan has its own plans. My words stand: simply wait and see how the situation develops." Elder Jiang offered no further explanation, as none was needed. His presence alone was sufficient proof of the Jiang clan's stance.
"Wait?" The Yin Sparrow Demi-Saint neither agreed nor disagreed.
"The top hundred star sectors have united. This is a collective decision made by all races."
"The Jiang clan is indeed formidable, but do you truly intend to stand in opposition to the entire starry sky?" Descendants of the Human Sovereign, scions of the Heavenly Emperor's bloodline—these two titles were enough to suppress ninety-nine percent of the factions across the universe. Yet the issue was that countless races were participating in this plan, and the Ranked Immortals were intervening in person. This was not something the Jiang clan alone could withstand.
"Our Jiang family has no such intention. Yet to our clan, Earth is our true homeland, and we do not wish to plunge all living beings into ruin. I know that certain mighty clans who departed from the Milky Way Star Sector do not feel this way, but this remains our clan's stance." Elder Jiang's smile faded, and he met the gazes of the twelve Demi-Saints squarely. "Naturally, if you wish to keep fighting, I shall gladly keep you company."
In truth, as he spoke these words, he felt a measure of relief in his heart—relieved that the strongest beings who had arrived in the Solar System were merely at the Saint Realm, with none who had surpassed it. Otherwise, there would have been nothing he could do.
"You—" Anger flared within the Yin Sparrow Demi-Saint, and he opened his mouth to snap back, but the Origin Demon Clan Demi-Saint stopped him.
"That Lu Yuan is already about to reach the Moon. There is nothing we can do right now, so we might as well wait. Besides, Ranked Immortals from every star sector are taking action. Lu Yuan is a mere Sovereign King. Even if he possesses measures left behind by the ancient human sages of the Milky Way Star Sector, could he truly stand against the Ranked Immortals?"
His logic was straightforward: right now, it was unwise to clash directly with the Jiang clan and place themselves in opposition. After all, the Desolate Flame Star Domain's renown stood firm, and they could not afford to offend it lightly. A full-scale descent and the eradication of the suppression from the Severance of Heaven and Earth had been ordained by high-level luminaries. Saints like them were of little consequence in the grand scheme of things; they were merely borrowing this favorable wind to descend early.
If they provoked a major conflict with this Jiang clansman over such a matter, it would be thoroughly unwise.
Hearing this, the Yin Sparrow Demi-Saint drew a deep breath and nodded. Without another word, he turned his gaze directly toward the Moon. At the same time, the other eleven Demi-Saints issued orders forbidding nearby clansmen from attacking Lu Yuan, considering it a courtesy to the Jiang clan.
Deep down, none of them believed Lu Yuan possessed any means of truly resisting the might of the Ranked Immortals and the great races of the star sectors. When he failed, even the Jiang clan would have little left to say.
On the other side, Lu Yuan had already emerged from the corridor formed by the Boundary-Shifting Talisman.
He stood on the Moon. The gravity and environment here were entirely different from Earth's. However, having evolved to the Sovereign King Realm, he adapted swiftly.
Looking back, he saw thousands of extraterrestrial beings standing in deep space, accompanied by warships and celestial meteorites. They had launched no attacks. The twelve Demi-Saints were among them as well; evidently, Elder Jiang's deterrence had taken effect.
*Once this is settled, I ought to thank her properly.* Seeing this, Lu Yuan thought of Jiang Ningxian, a smile drifting onto his face. Then he raised his head, looking farther into the distance.
There, hundreds of stars flickered faintly, emanating scorching light and an ancient, boundless aura. The light was dazzling beyond measure, like the brilliance of their civilizations and heritage, filling the entire expanse of space so massively that even the Sun paled in comparison.
Of course, this was partly because Lu Yuan was standing so close to them. Without lingering on the thought, he crouched down and sensed the Moon's aura, which was indeed similar to Earth's.
From the perspective of modern science, it had originally been part of Earth, formed by a colossal ancient impact. Yet now, it seemed somewhat different. The Moon was a contingency left behind by the ancient sages to protect Earth and its myriad living beings.
According to Jiang Ningxian, making an offering to the Nine Cauldrons could activate that contingency and reinforce the Severance of Heaven and Earth.
*Rumble—*
Right at that moment, a thunderous roar surged forth, cutting straight across the endless void to ring beside Lu Yuan's ears. He lifted his head toward the hundreds of flickering great stars—the Ancestral Stars of the top hundred star sectors.
Within them, figures loomed faintly: the Ranked Immortals.
Those mighty beings finally appeared ready. Strands of scorching radiance emanated from their bodies, illuminating the bleak, pitch-black cosmos. Strange waves of power rolled forth unceasingly, crossing the sea of stars.
The stars projected into the Solar System released an inexplicable aura that pressed directly against Earth. Runes sprang up across the globe to fend off those energies—the seal of the Severance of Heaven and Earth.
Yet with a hundred stars and the Ranked Immortals acting together, that inexplicable aura proved too overwhelming. It constantly obliterated the runes, seeking to force open a passage.
"It has finally begun."
"The Ranked Immortals are exerting their might from the other end of the cosmos."
"Perhaps some antique-grade figures among the top hundred star sectors have stepped forward as well."
"Lu Yuan of the human race is far too weak. He has no idea what he is facing. What awaits him next is despair."
Seeing this, the twelve Demi-Saints all wore expressions of delight. They could clearly sense that as the runes on Earth's surface were steadily erased, the sealing power of the Severance of Heaven and Earth grew weaker and weaker. If this continued, it would inevitably be broken, ushering in the full-scale descent and the struggle for that thread of fortune in this great era.
As for Lu Yuan, none of them gave him another thought. With his meager abilities, could he possibly stop the entire starry sky?
Meanwhile, even Elder Jiang grew tense as he gazed in the direction of the Moon.
Whether chaos would engulf Earth would be decided this very day.
Chapter 203