Without lingering on further thoughts, Lu Yuan returned to his residence.
At the same time, he summoned the Golden-Winged Great Peng and instructed him to prepare some spiritual fruits and strange herbs to deliver to Yinglong. Yinglong was injured, and although it could heal using its own power, it would take time.
Currently, the Heavenly Court possessed plenty of resources, bolstered further by the support of the Jiang clan. Parting with some to let Yinglong recover in a short time was of little consequence.
Besides, this was something he had promised earlier.
During this process, Lu Yuan ran into Jiang Ningxian.
Her younger brother Jiang Haokong still seemed to be in seclusion, so he was nowhere to be seen.
When Jiang Ningxian saw him, her very first words were, "Did you kill people from the Celestial Clan again?"
Her tone carried a hint of astonishment. She had thought it would take some time before friction flared up between the two sides again, but who could have foreseen this...
"I think if things keep going like this, you will truly become the enemy of the whole world sooner or later. What will you do then?"
Hearing Jiang Ningxian's words, Lu Yuan merely smiled and said, "What harm is there even if I make an enemy of the whole world? From start to finish, I have never actively provoked anyone, nor is it possible for me to blindly endure."
"You should know that between the Celestial Clan and me, we have long been as incompatible as fire and water."
His tone was calm and flat, as though he had done something entirely routine, not taking it to heart at all.
The Celestial Clan had set up lethal traps for Lu Yuan several times. Had his own strength not been formidable enough, he would have been slain long ago. His meaning was simple: no matter what, they had always been the instigators.
Jiang Ningxian felt somewhat helpless, finding Lu Yuan's temperament truly too domineering.
Yet she genuinely did not want anything to happen to him. She also understood and supported him; after all, had she been in his shoes, she might have reacted even more drastically.
Lu Yuan smiled, then continued, "Since that's the case, rather than allowing them to pose a threat to me, the Heavenly Court, or the people around me in the future, isn't it better to strike first? Besides, the Celestial Clan repeatedly provoked me before; I had to collect some interest, didn't I?"
"I understand what you mean," Jiang Ningxian nodded, then continued. She had come here to convey this news—while not critically urgent, it served as a warning to a certain extent.
"I've already received some word from within my clan. Most of those who descended this time are the younger generation of various star domains. Even so, these individuals must never be underestimated; they are the best among their peers."
"Each one is a sequence prodigy possessing their own unique methods, and those ranked near the very top are especially formidable."
"I believe that in the upcoming revival process, they will appear one after another."
"Thank you," Lu Yuan nodded, then asked, "The Jiang clan should be making moves as well, right?"
The current situation was by no means favorable for Earth. If they relied solely on their own strength, contending against those major star domain clans would be exceedingly difficult. But if the Jiang clan acted, that would be different—it could at least alter the landscape.
"Indeed, we have been preparing all along." Jiang Ningxian's gaze turned solemn. "Rest assured. Since we decided on cooperation long ago, the Jiang clan will not merely do lip service behind the scenes. When it is time to act, we will certainly make our move."
As the Holy Maiden of the Jiang clan lineage, her words naturally carried significant weight.
And Lu Yuan believed her.
The two chatted for a few more moments before parting ways.
Lu Yuan returned to his residence and resumed his seclusion. He had not pinned all his hopes entirely on outsiders. Of course, having their assistance would be even better.
After reaching the Demi-Saint Realm, advancing further was bound to be extraordinarily difficult.
Yet that did not mean he had no way to further increase his strength.
The two were not directly bound together.
The higher the realm, the more terrifying one's strength. Rather than stubbornly pursuing an elevation in realm, what mattered more was an increase in actual power.
Lu Yuan knew that while his realm could not temporarily advance, there were numerous ways to bolster his combat capabilities: visualization methods, breathing methods, strengthening the physical body, and more—any improvement in any area was gain.
His objective was simple.
Without doing anything else, Lu Yuan slowly closed his eyes and practiced the Ancestral Dragon Breathing Method.
In an instant, the surrounding power of heaven and earth surged toward his body.
Strands of radiant light enveloped him. Between his mouth and nose, draconic essences emerged one after another.
Perhaps because his innate spirit had been in contact with the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token for so long, Lu Yuan now also bore streams of purple aura carrying an imposing might.
At this moment, his entire being exuded a sacred aura.
Simultaneously, boundless thunder roared across the firmament.
Of course, for now, he felt no overly distinct sensation yet.
Outside, the death of Lei Zhong and the other Celestial Clan Saints caused quite a stir.
Yet the Heavenly Court remained much the same as usual; neither side made any drastic moves in the wake of the four Celestial Clan Saints' demise.
As for the Celestial Clan, having four of their Saint Realm experts slain was inherently an extraordinary humiliation.
Everyone knew this matter was impossible to resolve peacefully.
Either they launched an all-out war—though if they did, who would emerge victorious remained uncertain.
In the end, the Celestial Clan chose to endure.
And now, the Celestial Clan's silence also kept the other extraterrestrial beings silent.
The extraterrestrial beings remained quiet as before.
In reality, when thought through carefully, this seemed quite natural. These extraterrestrial beings had established their own strongholds in various places to expand their influence.
On Earth today, aside from the five super cities, most areas—such as various mountains and rivers—had essentially been occupied by extraterrestrial beings.
The situation on Earth was intricate and volatile.
The reason they had not struck yet and remained dormant was merely that they were waiting for the opportune moment.
None of this would last for long.
Thus, time slipped by bit by bit.
Until one day, a massive earthquake struck the region of Mount Huang within Huaxia.
A fissure cracked open in the deepest part of Mount Huang, revealing a cavern entrance from which dazzling seven-colored rainbow mist shot forth, resembling the grotto-heaven of an immortal.
Nearby Awakened captured videos of the phenomenon.
Some even chose to head straight over to see what was happening.
They knew that Mount Huang was bound to contain various tremendous fortunes.
This was perhaps yet another revival.
As soon as this event occurred, it immediately drew the focused attention of both the Heavenly Court and the extraterrestrial beings, who turned their gazes toward it.
At the same time, the extraterrestrial beings did not sit idle either; they set out at once.
Previously, by offering breathing and visualization methods, they had recruited a group of people from this world. Upon learning that Mount Huang held many legends in Huaxia, they instantly realized this development was extraordinary and an opportunity that could not be missed.
Under these circumstances, many began to mobilize.
The third mutation had officially begun!
Chapter 259