A burial ground. Lu Yuan knew that Guangchengzi had buried himself in the very place where he had once attained the Dao.
Unfortunately, he still did not know what the immortal had faced before his death. Yet one thing was certain: those Extraterrestrial Demons were extraordinarily powerful and terrifying.
Otherwise, even a legendary figure like him would not have fallen. At the same time, Lu Yuan deduced that a great battle must have erupted here in the Immortal Cave Secret Realm as well.
Otherwise, the power of those Extraterrestrial Demons could never have spawned in this place. Without dwelling further on it, he departed the Immortal Cave Secret Realm together with the others.
Around Mount Huang, many Awakened and extraterrestrial beings still lingered. Most simply had not ventured inside, suspecting the dangers within. Among them were subordinates of the Eternal Clan and the Celestial Clan—namely, the Nether Bull Clan and the Spirit Clan.
When the two clans saw Lu Yuan and his companions emerge, they instinctively stepped back. They had witnessed the great battle that had taken place here earlier, fully aware that this human from the Milky Way Star Sector was someone they could not afford to provoke under any circumstances.
Naturally, Lu Yuan paid little mind to either clan. Summoning the Golden-Winged Great Peng, he took Zhu Qingyu, Jiang Haokong, and the others, leaving Mount Huang directly. The purpose of this trip was accomplished; lingering any longer served no purpose. It was far better to return first and let his subordinates assimilate their gains.
Moreover, Lu Yuan knew that the world was currently in the midst of the third global mutation. Conditions across the outside world shifted almost daily. Without him holding down the fort, serious trouble could easily break out—something he refused to let happen.
Before long, the figures of Lu Yuan and his group vanished completely.
The Nether Bull Clan and the Spirit Clan remained by the exit of the Immortal Cave, watching anxiously. As time passed, however, an ominous premonition gradually crept into their hearts.
The space of the secret realm was growing exceptionally unstable, on the verge of collapsing and sealing shut. Yet there was still no sign of Lei Xiao, Yu Heng, or the others.
A sudden thought crossed their minds: had something truly happened to them? But they ultimately dismissed it as improbable. After all, both of them had reached the Demi-Saint Realm.
Yet when the secret realm's spatial entrance closed entirely and still no figures emerged, panic set in.
They finally knew for certain: disaster had struck.
Meanwhile, after traveling for some time, the Golden-Winged Great Peng carrying Zhu Qingyu and the others finally returned to Mount Tai.
Having reaped immense benefits from the Innate Spirit Water, the group immediately entered secluded cultivation. As for the Golden-Winged Great Peng, Lu Yuan naturally did not let its hard work go unrewarded; using the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token, he channeled even more providence into the beast. The Peng immediately returned to Jade Emperor Peak to absorb it.
Afterward, Lu Yuan went to meet Elder Ji, Elder Yun, and the others. Hearing that nothing major had occurred in the interim, he felt slightly relieved. Even so, he learned that mutations across various regions were growing increasingly turbulent. Beyond changes involving extraterrestrial forces, numerous mutated beasts had emerged and continued to evolve, swelling in number. Naturally, the Peacock King and the Nine-Tailed Fox King were handling them, absorbing some of the more formidable beasts directly into the Heavenly Court to bolster its strength.
This surprised Lu Yuan somewhat, as it differed entirely from his previous life. But on second thought, it made perfect sense.
After all, he had established the Heavenly Court!
Shortly after, Lu Yuan and Jiang Haokong prepared to head back to their quarters. By chance, however, they crossed paths with Jiang Ningxian, who had just emerged from seclusion.
Her aura was even faintly above Lu Yuan's.
"My sister's talent is even higher than mine. Before she left, she had already reached the Demi-Saint Realm, and now she's about to step into the Great Saint Realm. How about that?" Jiang Haokong remarked with a broad grin at the sight. In the past, among his peers, his sister was the only one he truly admired.
"Lu Yuan, what did you discover in the Immortal Cave Secret Realm?" Ignoring her younger brother entirely, Jiang Ningxian looked straight at Lu Yuan.
"Something very unusual—a momentous secret." Lu Yuan did not hide Guangchengzi's words in the slightest. He knew all too well that the Extraterrestrial Demons were a crisis facing the entire universe. It could not be resolved through individual strength alone. As one of the top ten forces among the hundred strongest star sectors, the Jiang clan naturally needed to be informed.
"Extraterrestrial Demons... what a familiar name," Jiang Haokong muttered upon hearing this. "Sis, isn't there an entry about them in our Jiang family's ancient records?"
"There is. It comes from an ancestor's personal notes, which referred to them as a great enemy." Jiang Ningxian nodded, then continued, "However, we always used to assume the Extraterrestrial Demon was merely a single person. Now it seems things aren't so simple—they are formidable enemies from beyond our realm."
Hearing Lu Yuan's explanation, both siblings turned grave, evidently recognizing the gravity of the situation. Especially since this had come from the mouth of the immortal Guangchengzi, its weight was beyond doubt: a catastrophic threat looming over the entire starry cosmos.
"Then the campaign Ancestral Dragon spoke of back in the Kunlun Secret Realm—was that also because of these Extraterrestrial Demons?" Jiang Ningxian recalled their past encounters. She was exceptionally sharp and connected the dots at once.
Hearing that, Lu Yuan nodded and told them what he had discovered in Shennongjia—regarding the ancestor of the Jiang clan, the Human Sovereign Shennong.
This revelation made the two even more solemn.
"I'll send a message back to investigate the background of these so-called Extraterrestrial Demons." Jiang Ningxian felt their current knowledge was still far too sparse, whereas their family possessed countless ancient texts that might hold answers.
Lu Yuan agreed. At present, they only knew that the Extraterrestrial Demons posed an immense threat, with no concrete details. As the saying went, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be imperiled in a hundred battles. If they did not even know what their enemy was, how could they face the future?
Even though the great enemy had not yet arrived and the Great Tribulation had not yet descended, preparations had to be made in advance.
The three conversed a while longer. As Lu Yuan was about to head back, Jiang Haokong spoke up: "Wait, we still have unfinished business."
He was naturally referring to the duel they had agreed upon.
Jiang Ningxian was about to intervene, but Lu Yuan waved a hand with a faint smile. "Alright."
With that, both figures vanished on the spot.
Seeing this, Jiang Ningxian felt a faint headache, though she chose not to interfere. She knew neither of them would fight with true killing intent. As for who would win, she already had a good guess in mind.
Just like that, half a day passed.
Lu Yuan was the first to return to Mount Tai. Jiang Ningxian happened to be in the courtyard; the two exchanged a glance without saying a word, and Lu Yuan went straight into his room to resume cultivating in seclusion.
Not long after, Jiang Haokong returned as well. Crestfallen and disheveled, he ran right into his sister.
"Well? Did you lose?" Jiang Ningxian asked, amused.
Stung by her words, Jiang Haokong immediately threw down a defiant claim: "Defeat is only temporary! I'm going right back into seclusion. When I come out next time, I'm definitely winning it back!"
With that, he marched straight into his quarters.
Chapter 285