In truth, Lu Yuan had long harbored doubts regarding this matter.
Even though he already had a few guesses, he still wanted to be certain. Under the circumstances, only she could clear up his confusion.
Through her, he could gain a deeper understanding, particularly concerning the origins of the Daluo sword core. He only knew that the sword core was extraordinarily extraordinary, but where it truly came from remained impossible to tell.
"Eternal Saint Gold?"
When Jiang Ningxian heard this, a thought struck her, and she could not help blurting out, "Could the sword in your hand be made of Eternal Saint Gold?"
Her tone was markedly different from before, laden with surprise and genuine shock.
"That's right. According to that sequence prodigy of the Spirit Clan, that is what it is."
Jiang Ningxian answered, "From what I know, Eternal Saint Gold is also known as Divine Gold. It is one of the supreme divine materials that can rarely be found anywhere in the universe. Even within the Eternal Clan, they possess very little of it. Every single piece is extraordinarily precious and under strictly guarded control."
She continued, "I told you before that in this regard, the Eternal Clan is exceptionally possessive and domineering. Even for ordinary divine materials, they would not hesitate to wage a massive war—let alone for Eternal Divine Gold."
According to her explanation, Eternal Divine Gold was exceedingly rare, even to the Eternal Clan itself. No wonder it was so extraordinary, and no wonder even the Eternal Clan cherished it so deeply.
As for the Daluo sword core, it had not been exceedingly formidable at the beginning, but it possessed the ability to steadily enhance its might by absorbing divine materials. Just like now: though it had yet to reach the rank of a Saint weapon, in terms of sheer power, it had long surpassed one.
Jiang Ningxian began to speak, but her gaze soon trembled slightly, and she murmured, "I remember now. Back in my clan, I heard a rumor that long ago, someone from the Eternal Clan gathered vast quantities of eternal divine materials, claiming they would forge the ultimate divine weapon, but they vanished in the end. It couldn't be... the sword in your hand, could it?"
She was thoroughly astonished. That rumor had caused a massive uproar across the starry sky back then, only to fade away into obscurity shortly after. Now, she could not help connecting the two matters, as Eternal Divine Gold was exceedingly scarce to begin with.
Lu Yuan did not deny it. "The one in my hand?"
As for the specifics, he had no idea. He himself did not know the ultimate origins of the Daluo sword core. There was simply no helping it; he knew far too little, and too many things remained mysteries to him. Yet on the path of cultivation and evolution, these secrets could very well prove of paramount importance.
"Furthermore, the Spirit Clan you mentioned—their backer is actually the Eternal Clan," Jiang Ningxian said, her expression turning solemn. "The relationship between these two clans is exceptionally close. Now that you have Eternal Divine Gold in your possession, if it is discovered, the Eternal Clan will definitely launch a ruthless hunt against you—especially since this Eternal Divine Gold has already been forged into shape."
That was the Eternal Clan, a power no weaker than the Jiang or Ji clans, an ancient overlord of the deep space. Even the Jiang clan would find dealing with them an immense headache.
However, Lu Yuan did not seem troubled by this. Instead, he turned and asked, "What about being forged into shape? Does it make any difference?"
"What is meant by forging into shape is taking a divine material and refining it into a weapon—the art of weapon forging. Normally, such a task is not difficult," Jiang Ningxian explained. "But Eternal Divine Gold is different. It is exceedingly scarce, and refining it is unimaginably arduous. Even within the Eternal Clan, very few can accomplish it."
At this point, Jiang Ningxian could not help offering another reminder. Thinking carefully about it, he had truly offended far too many prominent figures: the Yin Sparrow Clan, the Three-Headed Ghost Clan, the Celestial Clan, the Spirit Clan, the Eternal Clan, and the Ji clan.
Furthermore, she recalled another issue—he had already made an enemy of the Ji clan. Being besieged by two paramount interstellar clans was something almost anyone else would be utterly powerless to withstand.
Just as he had said before, he was truly making enemies of the entire world.
One could already foresee that battles would erupt one after another, and his foes would only become more reckless and desperate. And all of it would fall squarely upon Lu Yuan alone.
Hearing this, Lu Yuan was momentarily taken aback. Then, he shook his head.
"In truth, whether I offended those people or not, I would eventually end up standing opposite them," Lu Yuan said calmly, his tone devoid of emotional fluctuation and containing not the slightest bit of bluster. "Our interests and purposes conflict on every level. Therefore, I have no fear. If they want a fight, then so be it.
"No matter what, come what may—no matter how hard or perilous the road ahead, or how many stand in my way—I will press forward without hesitation."
Jiang Ningxian looked at Lu Yuan, a smile gracing her face. She understood his true thoughts, and she admired someone like him.
"All right. If you ever need help, you can speak to me directly."
Lu Yuan paused briefly upon hearing that, then nodded without making grand promises. "Thank you."
The two of them chatted about several other matters. Both were clever people, and often few words were needed. There were many things they could now share openly, except for their deepest secrets such as the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token. All in all, as they grew more familiar, Jiang Ningxian felt that she could truly stand by his side.
She spoke at length, sharing her predictions for the future situation. They both agreed that the major clans of various star sectors had already used special means to force open passages and descend. Perhaps those who had arrived already were extraordinary figures—sequence prodigies of their respective clans. Supreme chosen prides and powerhouses of all races would come here to contend for supremacy. The future situation would only become more chaotic.
Foreign clans from across the starry sky would descend, and Earth would become the epicenter. No one could guarantee they could control everything—not even existences like the Jiang clan. In particular, for that sliver of great era providence, even beings above the Immortals would make their move.
Of course, Lu Yuan was well aware of this, having lived through it before. But he only possessed the memories of his past life, which spanned a mere ten years. When it came to profound methods, especially since those beings did not hail from the Milky Way Star Sector, Lu Yuan—who had grown up in this world—would inevitably face countless challenges. It was unavoidable.
Earth was his only homeland; he had grown up here. After all, the many plans and preparations he had laid from the very beginning were largely for a single goal: to do everything in his power to protect the living beings of this world from harm. The foreign invasion was a catastrophe in the truest sense, and he was determined to stop it all.
In the end, Jiang Ningxian rose to take her leave. She needed to continue her seclusion, undo the constraints within her body, and advance toward higher realms. With her peerless talent and status as a Holy Maiden, her progress was naturally swift and fierce now that the suppression had lifted.
Before departing, however, she looked up toward the firmament and murmured softly to herself:
"A great era... Who will truly make it to the very end?"
Chapter 240