Lu Yuan stood straight in the center of the courtyard.
His voice was calm, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
Yet at this moment, everyone present knew that another great battle was imminent. But unlike previous conflicts, this clash would be a one-sided slaughter.
Elder Ji and Elder Yun, having held high office for years, were usually the picture of composure, but upon hearing his words, neither could suppress a surge of excitement.
Lately, extraterrestrial beings had grown insufferably arrogant, aided by domestic factions secretly colluding with them. On one side stood open enemies; on the other, internal vermin. To the elders, the open adversaries were almost forgivable, as their hostility was out in the open. The traitors, however, provoked pure fury. Regardless of the cost, they had to be eradicated.
Previously, those factions had concealed themselves too well to be rooted out. Now, fortune had turned. All of them had shown their heads, their identities and locations fully exposed.
Wiping them out together would resolve all future worries.
Elder Ji considered something briefly before sharing another piece of news.
Many Awakened across the country had set off for Mount Tai as well. From the looks of it, they intended to confront the extraterrestrial beings and shield Lu Yuan from harm.
This caught Lu Yuan somewhat by surprise.
In such dire circumstances, ordinary people would typically choose self-preservation. Far from stepping forward, most would stay out of danger entirely, yet these Awakened had chosen to march nonetheless. It seemed everything he had done before had not been in vain.
When monumental events occurred, the Awakened of Earth possessed true backbone after all.
"Rest assured, I know how to handle it," Lu Yuan said. Given the strength of those Awakened, attempting to block extraterrestrial beings was out of the question. Still, since they had shown such heart, he naturally would not allow them to come to harm—and he possessed the power to protect them.
Without lingering on the matter, Elder Ji and Elder Yun gave a slight bow. "Then we will continue monitoring the situation and notify you immediately, King Lu, should any new developments arise."
Though events were currently progressing according to plan, unforeseen accidents could always happen. Staying informed at all times was essential.
Lu Yuan nodded at their words. He sat back down and looked across at the smiling Jiang Ningxian.
"I must admit, the humans of the Milky Way Ancestral Star truly excel when it comes to taking responsibility," she said, sighing with admiration. "Even if a small fraction fled during danger, there are always those who stand up. It is precisely because of this that humanity’s flame has been passed down without ever going out. That kind of spirit is something many great extraterrestrial clans could never match."
When the Jiang clan had traveled deep into outer space and crossed the universe long ago, it had been for the sake of battle. The progenitor of their lineage, Human Sovereign Shennong, had once guided humanity through a dark age. Because every generation possessed figures like him, humanity had endured to this day.
Even the Severance of Heaven and Earth had been enacted by ancient sages to protect future generations. Though it transformed the world and caused the extraordinary to fade, it had been a necessary choice.
"Indeed. In every generation, someone has stood at the very forefront," Lu Yuan remarked, moved by her words. Leaving recorded history aside, since embarking on the path of the extraordinary and uncovering countless secrets, he had seen glimpses of many such figures—the Ancestral Dragon, Guangchengzi, and others—who had fought with all their might in their respective eras, holding calamity at bay.
Like the Ancestral Dragon: no one truly knew whether he had fallen, but one thing was certain. His intervention had kept catastrophic disasters from descending upon the mortal realm.
In that regard, humanity's continued survival was no coincidence.
"By the way, you need to be careful this time. The coalition of extraterrestrial clans will certainly not be limited to the Sovereign King Realm," Jiang Ningxian said, shifting the topic to warn him. As an outsider, her perception in this regard was sharper, especially since she would soon be able to further loosen her restrictions and break into the Saint Realm. "With the world’s ongoing transformation, Saint Realm beings can descend if they use certain methods and pay a price. The enemies you face this time may not be as simple as they appear on the surface."
"Even if Saint Realm beings descend, what of it?" Lu Yuan replied softly, his tone completely placid.
Even with the world changing, Saint Realm beings who descended initially could not possibly be at the level of Demi-Saints or Great Saints. If they were merely Void Saints, he could suppress them single-handedly without expending much effort.
Confidence was born of strength!
"True enough," Jiang Ningxian chuckled. "You have entered the Saint Realm yourself, so there's no need to fret."
A question lingered in her mind: she longed to know just how many genetic shackles Lu Yuan had shattered back in the Shackle Realm. Yet, understanding that this was a private secret, she refrained from asking.
She swept the Go stones back into their bowls and said, "Well, since we have nothing else to do, let's play another round."
Lu Yuan did not refuse.
***
Meanwhile, in the outside world, approaching ever closer to Mount Tai...
Above certain mountain forests and cities, powerful auras streaked through the sky in endless succession. Every aura belonged to an entity at least in the Golden Body Realm. None of them were human, and their forms varied wildly as they moved in dense numbers.
Some possessed human faces atop beast bodies; some were draped in black flames; others were titanically massive. Everywhere they passed, nearly all native mutated beasts trembled in terror, not daring even to draw a loud breath.
"At our speed, we will reach Mount Tai in a few days at most," a member of the Nether Bull Clan snarled, his voice thick with hatred.
"I heard some Earth natives are currently rushing to Mount Tai as well, hoping to stop us and protect Lu Yuan."
"Utterly overestimating themselves! It seems humanity truly is doomed to decline. The glory of the Milky Way Star Sector was merely a thing of the past; it will never return."
"Indeed. Once we arrive at Mount Tai, if those people show good sense and choose to submit, so be it. But if those natives fail to recognize what's good for them and insist on resisting, there will be no need for mercy—slaughter them on the spot."
The last speaker was a Yin Sparrow. Though only in the Sovereign King Realm, its combat strength was formidable thanks to its extraordinary bloodline. After all, the Yin Sparrow Clan ranked among the top hundred great clans, on par with the Celestial Clan. It looked down with utter disdain upon the fallen Milky Way Star Sector.
The Yin Sparrow Clan led this march on Mount Tai and had dispatched several powerful figures for the campaign. In their eyes, as long as Lu Yuan died, the natives of this world could be kneaded and molded at will, and the opportunities of Earth's resurgence would be carved up and controlled by the various clans.
More importantly, countless fortunes would be free for their picking. This had once been a glorious star sector. Even without contending against supreme figures, claiming merely a small portion would represent an immense opportunity.
It was not just the Yin Sparrow Clan; nearly every extraterrestrial race that had joined the coalition shared the exact same thought.
No creature spoke another word as the vast, imposing host surged in unison toward the same destination.
Little did they know what awaited them there.
Chapter 218