Among the various races of the star sectors, there were indeed some who still considered Earth their ancestral homeland, but they were ultimately few and far between. Once a pathway was torn through the Severance of Heaven and Earth seal, there was no telling how many extraterrestrial beings would descend.
Everyone sought to vie for the fortune of this great era, which would inevitably reduce the planet into a field of endless warfare. Countless lives would be lost in the process, plunging the world into unimaginable chaos.
Elder Jiang knew all too well that this was an irresistible cosmic trend, but it could still be delayed. As for whether that would succeed, it all depended on whether Lu Yuan could hold off the Ranked Immortals.
Rumble!
Just then, thunderous roars echoed through the cosmos. The extraterrestrial beings beyond the planet, including the twelve Demi-Saints, all turned their gazes toward the Moon. There, over a hundred massive stars flickered continuously, rotating in boundless majesty and radiating an unfathomable aura.
Within that expanse, the projected figures of the Ranked Immortals were bathed in brilliant light, seeming to exist for all eternity.
As their power surged, the imposing energy of each sector's Ancestral Star continuously bombarded Earth. Around the globe, myriads of protective runes transformed into an ocean of light, saturating the starry void.
One had to admit that the measures left behind by the ancient sages of Earth's human race were extraordinarily formidable. The Severance of Heaven and Earth sealed everything away, temporarily holding off the combined might of over a hundred stars.
These were Ranked Immortals exerting their strength, likely backed by ancient patriarchs from the top hundred star sectors, yet they were still unable to breach this barrier immediately.
"As expected of the once gloriously boundless Milky Way Star Sector. Even after so many ages, the measures left by those ancient paragons continue to protect their descendants," the Yin Sparrow Demi-Saint murmured solemnly. This star sector was indeed languishing now, dismissed by extraterrestrial races as a backward civilization, yet none could deny its past magnificence.
"Indeed. However, too much time has passed. The Severance of Heaven and Earth cannot hold out for much longer," the Three-Headed Ghost Clan Demi-Saint remarked, his gaze cold, regarding the outcome as already sealed.
Hearing this, the other Demi-Saints nodded in agreement. Everyone could see that under the terrible pressure pouring from those giant stars, no matter how numerous the runes guarding Earth were, they were being rapidly worn away and growing faint.
Though the process might take some time, the seal would eventually dissipate completely. When that happened, all extraterrestrial beings would be free to come and go as they pleased.
"Has that human Lu Yuan still not made a move?" one Demi-Saint asked with a mocking smirk.
"Make a move? What could he possibly do? Facing the Ranked Immortals of each race, what use is whatever legacy the Milky Way's sages left behind? That is not something someone at his level can even activate."
"That is true. I thought his deeds might match his boastful tone, but it turns out he amounts to nothing more." The Demi-Saints scoffed disdainfully. Given their immense cultivation, they could all clearly see Lu Yuan sitting cross-legged on the Moon, utterly motionless.
"Once this matter is concluded, he will have reached his dead end," the Three-Headed Ghost Clan Demi-Saint said darkly, glancing toward the Yin Sparrow Demi-Saint. "I trust you will not intervene to stop me again?"
One of the three Saint Realm experts Lu Yuan had slain had been his clan brother. He had long burned for vengeance, but previously he could not descend to Earth, and when Lu Yuan emerged, the Yin Sparrow Clan had tried to recruit him, making it inconvenient to strike. Now, he sought to confirm where the Yin Sparrow Clan stood.
"He is exceptionally talented, but simply too young and arrogant. My Yin Sparrow Clan has no interest in such a person," the Yin Sparrow Demi-Saint replied, making his stance clear.
Since Lu Yuan had refused their overture, there was no longer any need to protect him. While it was somewhat regrettable, it was of little consequence. Peerless prodigies were extraordinarily brilliant, yet few ever emerged, and fewer still managed to survive the journey. Too arrogant—in the Yin Sparrow Demi-Saint's eyes, Lu Yuan was precisely such a prodigy destined for ruin.
"The Celestial Clan has also spoken," the Origin Demon Clan Demi-Saint chimed in. "Lu Yuan's life belongs to them alone."
The implication was clear: Lu Yuan could be killed, but doing so might incur the displeasure of the Celestial Clan. Hearing this, the Three-Headed Ghost Clan Demi-Saint said nothing further and turned his eyes back ahead.
The priority now was to wait for the Ranked Immortals to completely shatter Earth's seal.
Hum, hum, hum...
In the distance, hundreds of massive stars trembled, constantly releasing terrifying power. The Ranked Immortals targeted Earth, and the Moon fell directly within that range. Sitting cross-legged upon its surface, Lu Yuan naturally felt the immense, stifling pressure. Had it not been for the protection of the Severance of Heaven and Earth, even he would have been crushed; the gap in power was simply too vast. But now, he was fully prepared.
Without wasting a word, he retrieved the Yongzhou Cauldron. According to Jiang Ningxian, a sacrifice was required to communicate with the Moon and truly unleash the latent measures left by the ancient sages.
Lu Yuan knew exactly how to perform the ritual. He swiftly produced the small bronze cauldron.
Indeed, offering a sacrifice through the small cauldron to the Yongzhou Cauldron would awaken the Severance of Heaven and Earth. Without a moment's hesitation, he drew the Daluo sword core and sliced open his palm. Golden blood dripped continuously onto the small bronze cauldron.
At the same time, Lu Yuan poured his energy into the Yongzhou Cauldron. Cauldrons were Huaxia's most sacred ritual vessels, imbued with extraordinary power, and the Nine Cauldrons stood at the pinnacle among them.
Clang!
At that exact instant, as Lu Yuan initiated the sacrifice, a resonance abruptly rang out from the Yongzhou Cauldron—melodious, ancient, and vast. It felt as though it drifted from the farthest reaches of the universe, without beginning yet enduring for all eternity. It seemed to come alive, emanating the brilliant grandeur of the entire Huaxia civilization.
Such was a sacred artifact of state.
"Extraterrestrial forces invade, and the Milky Way Star Sector stands on the brink of ruin! I, Lu Yuan, a junior of the human race, invoke this sacrifice to beseech the ancient sages: protect our Milky Way once more!"
Lu Yuan spoke with sincere reverence. The ancient sages had pioneered civilization and safeguarded all living beings; they were fully worthy of such veneration.
The moment his words fell, the Yongzhou Cauldron seemed to respond. A voice resonated clearly in Lu Yuan's mind:
*"Most well done."*
Just those few words left him momentarily bewildered, but looking around, his expression quickly shifted to awe.
A profound aura wrapped around Lu Yuan's body. Simultaneously, the entire Moon shot forth dazzling beams of radiant light, impossibly thick and stretching across countless miles until they connected directly with Earth.
On Earth, countless runes surged and shifted to brilliant gold. Arranging themselves in a mystical formation that aligned perfectly with the cosmic principles of Yin, Yang, Heaven, and Earth, they caused the other seven planets of the Solar System to blaze with light as well.
A supreme presence unfurled, shaking the very cosmos. The final hidden power of the Severance of Heaven and Earth had been awakened!
All its energy converged, and the golden runes seemed to spring to life. The very next moment, they clashed directly against the overwhelming aura radiating from those hundred-odd stars.
Boom!
A colossal roar tore through the void. In that instant, the projected Ancestral Stars of the top hundred star sectors actually began to dim.
Chapter 204