"That Lu Yuan can't hold out any longer."
Upon seeing what was happening on the Moon, the Yin Sparrow Demi-Saint spoke up at once.
Although the distance was vast, they were Saint Realm existences after all. By employing minor divine abilities, they could still see clearly.
Hearing his words, the other eleven Demi-Saints turned their gazes as well.
There on the Moon, Lu Yuan's face had grown even paler, and his body trembled faintly. A trace of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth; he looked exceedingly frail, his aura fluctuating wildly.
Witnessing this, the saints were surprised at first, but quickly understood and remarked:
"Though he triggered the contingency plan of the Severance of Heaven and Earth, too much time has passed after all."
"Indeed. How long Earth's ancient sages can remain manifest depends entirely on how long he can endure."
"Moreover, with the Ranked Immortals acting now, part of the residual shockwave transfers onto him. As a mere Sovereign King Realm cultivator, he is still too weak."
The meaning was simple: though Lu Yuan relied on the mechanisms of the Severance of Heaven and Earth, as the instigator, he had to shoulder part of the burden. And now, the Ranked Immortals were making their move.
Even a tiny wisp of their aura was far more than a mere Sovereign King Realm cultivator could withstand.
On the other side, Elder Jiang grew tense upon noticing this.
He had known such a situation would arise.
Yet no one could help Lu Yuan right now. Everything rested solely on Lu Yuan himself.
"Whether Earth can gain some breathing room all depends on this moment," Elder Jiang murmured to himself, hoping Lu Yuan could hold out.
Yet even if he failed to hold out, it would be only natural. After all, who he faced was no ordinary foe—it was the Ranked Immortals. No external aid could bridge such a chasm.
On the Moon.
Lu Yuan felt as though an ancient, primordial mountain was crushing down upon him.
Terrifying force swept over him in waves, causing even the Yongzhou Cauldron to tremble.
Looking up, the silhouettes of the sages grew increasingly indistinct, and the golden runes faded rapidly.
Meanwhile, the torrent of qi converged from the top hundred star sectors radiated dazzling radiance, steadily approaching Earth. Once successful, it would carve open a pathway from their star sectors to Earth.
When that happened, extraterrestrial beings would not need to undertake a grueling voyage across the cosmos; they could invade in full force.
This was the last thing Lu Yuan wanted to see. His ascent to the Moon was not only to crush the plans of the Ranked Immortals.
He also had another purpose: to seize this opportunity to deliver a deterrent strike against the cosmos and the Ranked Immortals.
Naturally, all of this hinged on ensuring that the Severance of Heaven and Earth remained unbroken; otherwise, all previous efforts would be in vain.
"The more sincere the sacrificial offering, the greater the response. I must draw out even greater power from the ancient sages," Lu Yuan murmured inwardly. He understood that the existences who had laid down the Severance of Heaven and Earth were bound to be far stronger than the Ranked Immortals.
It was only because he hadn't done enough; he had to exert an even greater effort.
Immediately, he cut open his palm once again.
Yet this time, he did not use ordinary golden blood.
Instead, he used his own refined essence blood.
It was the blood that had undergone a metamorphosis after fusing with the Human Sovereign's blood, possessing an even more profound and mysterious power.
Doing so would take a heavy toll on his body, but right now, he could not afford to care.
Buzz, buzz, buzz—
Sure enough.
As the essence blood surged into the small bronze cauldron, the Yongzhou Cauldron trembled violently, once again erupting with resplendent light.
The flora, birds, fish, and beasts depicted on its surface seemed to come alive.
At the same time, the golden runes across Earth blazed with mounting intensity.
The voices of the ancient sages also became clearer. Sensing something, they cast a glance toward the Moon, realizing that a descendant who inherited their will was defending Earth with everything he had. Thus, facing the vast torrent of qi, they struck once more.
Dong—!
All the celestial bodies in the Solar System, including the massive planets, shook violently.
The figures of the ancient sages vanished, dissolving into an eternal radiance that directly shattered the torrent of qi.
The projected Ancestral Stars of the various sectors also vanished.
This region of space returned once more to its former desolate silence, leaving behind no lingering traces of foreign power.
Earth's crisis was averted!
The twelve Demi-Saints were utterly dumbfounded. They could not comprehend at all how he had achieved such a feat. One had to remember: what Lu Yuan faced was none other than the Ranked Immortals!
Elder Jiang's eyes lit up.
He could sense that the torrent of qi just now was something even the Ranked Immortals had spent considerable effort to construct. Projecting the power of the Ancestral Stars across the boundless sea of stars to affect Earth took an immense toll.
Even for the Ranked Immortals, or even more formidable ancient figures, staging a second attempt in a short time would be exceedingly difficult. Thus, Elder Jiang knew that Lu Yuan had succeeded.
However, Lu Yuan did not halt the sacrificial rite. He remained standing on the Moon, gazing into the distance with an utterly solemn expression.
Through the Yongzhou Cauldron, he had sensed an even more formidable power gathering far away.
Sure enough, before long, the twelve Demi-Saints also felt something, their expressions shifting in shock.
Although those projected Ancestral Stars had disappeared earlier, from that very same direction, a burst of radiance surged forth.
As if traversing the long river of time, it flooded the entire cosmos.
Before anyone could grasp what was happening, a thunderous rebuke echoed across the Solar System:
"Impudent fool! How dare you repeatedly ruin our plans! Are you not afraid of falling into eternal damnation?"
The voice shook the great celestial bodies as an overwhelming aura swept across this small universe.
The Moon trembled, fractures spiderwebbing across numerous regions.
The twelve Demi-Saints could not help but spit out mouthfuls of blood. The force was so immense that even they could barely endure it.
When they regained their wits, the saints looked up and discovered that within that radiance stood dazzling figures.
The Ranked Immortals!
They had projected themselves once more.
Yet unlike before, these were not mere shadows, but their wills.
The will of the Ranked Immortals!
Each carried one percent of their true bodies' power.
Yet even so, this force was capable of crushing the Saint Realm.
What was more, when the twelve Demi-Saints counted, they realized that the descending immortals numbered over twenty or thirty!
Standing proudly above the Moon, they wasted no words, immediately demanding retribution from Lu Yuan.
Clearly, having their grand plan thwarted had pushed the Ranked Immortals past their tolerance. Even if it cost them, they insisted on projecting their wills across space.
It was over.
Lu Yuan was doomed.
The Ranked Immortals were truly enraged.
Now that their plan had been ruined, repeating it anytime soon was impossible. Hence, they sought to vent all their fury upon Lu Yuan.
Elder Jiang's face also paled; clearly, this had caught him entirely off guard.
Yet to everyone's astonishment, Lu Yuan showed no fear upon seeing this. Instead, a slight smile crept across his face: "Splendid! I have waited for you for a long time!"
Chapter 207