From the direction of the voice, three figures stood aloft in the air, strolling forward slowly.
They bore smiles on their faces, possessing extraordinary grace. Even more eye-catching was that behind each person's head rested a divine halo radiating constant streams of brilliant light. Under the aura of these divine halos, the three resembled deities descending from beyond the heavens, evoking instinctive reverence from those who beheld them.
Behind the three followed five or six other beings. Though similar in appearance to humans, they fell far short in bearing and every other aspect compared to the leading trio, clearly belonging to a different race.
Upon seeing the three leaders, Lei Xiao and the others of the Celestial Clan could not help their expressions shifting slightly. As for the other races, a touch of dread seemed to surface within their hearts. They could not help restraining their auras, filled with immense wariness.
The newcomers were domineering and formidable, ranked among the top ten across the top hundred star sectors. Under such majesty, no one could summon the will to voice any dissent. Members of this clan largely bore the surname Yu, as in the "yu" of cosmos.
Even Jiang Haokong, who had looked thoroughly calm until now, grew grave the moment he saw them.
The arrival of this group caused subtle shifts among all the beings present.
Lu Yuan noticed the change in Jiang Haokong's expression and immediately asked, "Do you know them?"
Jiang Haokong shook his head and explained in a low voice, "If I am not mistaken, they should be from the Eternal Clan. I had only heard of them before; this is my first time seeing them in person."
"The Eternal Clan?"
Lu Yuan frowned at those words. He had heard Jiang Ningxian mention their exploits many times. The Eternal Clan was indeed extraordinary—especially their bearing, which, combined with the divine halos behind their heads, made them look like veritable gods.
From their earlier call, he knew these people had come looking for him. The issue was that he did not know them at all and had never even seen them before, leaving him entirely in the dark.
Why would they take the initiative to seek him out? Had they come to cause trouble? Or would the two sides come straight to blows?
More importantly, the Daluo sword core in his possession was forged from Eternal Saint Gold, an exceptionally vital divine material to that clan. He had already foreseen this issue: in the end, both sides would inevitably find themselves at odds.
Yet even so, Lu Yuan's countenance remained placid.
The Eternal Clan was powerful, of course, and he had no wish to actively make an enemy of them. If Earth could gain a few more allies, its future circumstances would be far better. Moreover, this was not for himself, but for the living beings of this world; if there was an opportunity to improve relations, he naturally would not let it slip.
Whatever the other party intended, he could face them with confidence. He had no misgivings whatsoever, for Jiang Haokong was at his side and could protect Zhu Qingyu and the rest. Even if a great battle broke out, he would have no worries about the rear.
Standing in place facing the three approaching members of the Eternal Clan, Lu Yuan said softly, "That is me."
By now, the group had walked over.
Lu Yuan felt a flicker of doubt and observed them closely, realizing that the aura of the beings trailing behind the three felt somewhat familiar—they seemed to belong to the Spirit Clan.
Back then, members of the Spirit Clan had descended upon the Hengduan Mountains intending to target the Golden-Winged Great Peng and the Nine-Tailed Fox King. Fortunately, he had arrived in time and slain them all.
Lu Yuan had known that doing so would certainly invite trouble, but he had not cared. He had simply not expected the Spirit Clan to come so quickly, and accompanied by the Eternal Clan no less. Then again, it seemed quite natural. The Spirit Clan relied on the Eternal Clan; now that the Eternal Clan had spoken, they could hardly disobey.
Having grasped this, Lu Yuan looked toward the Spirit Clan members behind the trio and said, "I wonder if your arrival is related to my previous slaying of the Spirit Clan. If you seek revenge, I shall gladly oblige."
Hearing Lu Yuan's words, the smile on Yu Heng's face deepened.
The young man leading the Eternal Clan said with a smile, "I am Yu Heng, from the Eternal Clan. These two are my clansmen, Yu Hong and Yu Qing."
With that, he gestured toward the man and woman beside him.
"Vigorous blood and qi, a union of soul and body—truly impressive," Yu Heng added.
"You overpraise me," Lu Yuan replied.
"I know Lu Yuan of the human race has always had his own code of conduct," Yu Heng continued with a smile. "Back then, Ling Que must have done something out of line to meet such an end."
He paused, then said, "I have already spoken with the Spirit Clan. Everything in the past can be wiped clean. How about it?"
"All right," Lu Yuan agreed.
Sure enough, the Spirit Clan members behind him bowed slightly upon hearing this. Whatever their private thoughts, not the slightest hint of displeasure showed on their faces, completely obedient to his word.
At this, Lu Yuan grew even more puzzled, unable to fathom why the other party would do such a thing. He knew full well that those words amounted to an overture of goodwill.
If the Spirit Clan truly would not provoke him going forward, there was indeed no need to foster a grudge. He was hardly a bloodthirsty man; at times, others simply insisted on courting trouble.
Seeing this, Lu Yuan furrowed his brow slightly. But since one does not strike a smiling face, he said, "Thank you."
This scene drew the eyes of all the surrounding beings, every gaze filled with curiosity. What sort of sparks would fly between the legendary Eternal Clan and Lu Yuan of the human race?
It also left the extraterrestrial beings who harbored grudges against Lu Yuan looking incredulous.
Lei Xiao of the Celestial Clan and his companions had looked forward to this confrontation, knowing Lu Yuan was extremely strong and beyond their ability to deal with. But if the Eternal Clan built good ties with him—or even formed an alliance—what would happen to their own clans? Ling Que was a sequence prodigy; was his death simply to be forgotten?
That was the Eternal Clan! The Eternal Clan seeking someone out directly could never mean anything good.
However, Lu Yuan showed little enthusiasm. The reason was simple: he knew the Eternal Clan had to harbor ulterior motives. Even if they did not right now, what would happen once they discovered the presence of the Daluo sword core?
Yu Heng, meanwhile, knew his first objective had been achieved.
Just when the onlookers found the turn of events hard to believe, Yu Qing, the woman of the Eternal Clan, stepped directly forward and said bluntly, "Very well, Lu Yuan of the human race. Since we have resolved a grudge for you, shouldn't you show some appreciation in return?"
Chapter 264