Indeed. In that earlier duel, Jiang Haokong had suffered defeat once again.
Unlike last time, where the disparity lay only in physical constitution, Lu Yuan had exerted total, comprehensive suppression over him in every aspect.
Whether in physical strength or any other facet, the gap was absolute. Facing this reality, Jiang Haokong was left dazed.
He found it hard to believe and had truly taken a hit to his pride. That was why he had resolved once more to enter secluded cultivation, elevating his power further before returning for another match.
As his elder sister, Jiang Ningxian naturally saw through this and felt all the more exasperated. Yet a trace of shock lingered in her heart as well; she had known Lu Yuan was strong.
The outcome of the duel had never been in doubt—Lu Yuan was bound to win. But Jiang Ningxian knew her brother even better.
Even if one could not call him invincible among his peers, he was undoubtedly an apex figure in every dimension. Particularly when fighting at the same cultivation level, he had almost never tasted defeat. After all, she knew that he had risen to prominence within their clan precisely because of this—not on account of his status, but through sheer strength.
Yet just now, the two had fought for barely half a day before the victor was decided. For a moment, Jiang Ningxian felt she had to revise her estimate of Lu Yuan's power upward yet again.
Among those hailed as Sons of the Great Era, there would definitely be a place for him.
"If he keeps growing like this..."
"Just what heights will he reach? Could he truly establish a Heavenly Court that shakes the cosmos?" Looking toward the small courtyard nearby, Jiang Ningxian murmured to herself, a faint smile gracing the corner of her lips.
Lu Yuan's strength brought her genuine joy as well. Setting aside stray thoughts, she returned directly to her courtyard. The restrictions placed on this world by the Severance of Heaven and Earth were continuing to weaken.
Jiang Ningxian knew full well that before long, she would have the opportunity to ascend to the Great Saint Realm. Before that day arrived, she needed to make proper preparations.
Inside his room, Lu Yuan sat cross-legged. The aura radiating from him grew steadily more formidable. The battle against Jiang Haokong had brought him substantial benefits as well.
After all, his opponent was the Divine Son of a clan. Battling such a chosen pride could easily be considered a rare opportunity.
Just as now, Lu Yuan realized that during the intense clash, his Great Sun Smelting Furnace had failed to grant him overwhelming physical dominance over his opponent. While his physical might let him overlook most people, he was by no means invincible in that regard.
Especially when facing someone like Jiang Haokong, who was even stronger than Yu Heng of the Eternal Clan. Otherwise, Lu Yuan would not have needed to spend over half a day to secure victory.
Of course, there was an even greater gain. He found that after obtaining various fortuitous encounters during his venture to the Immortal Cave...
...his cultivation in the Demi-Saint Realm had basically reached the peak. If he took another step forward, it would be the Great Saint Realm.
The Great Saint. It was the final boundary of the Saint Realm, granting the ability to briefly carve out a small pocket of space. What was even more terrifying was that one could traverse the cosmos unhindered under their own power.
Given sufficient time, one could even cross entire star realms.
"Judging by every sign, Jiang Ningxian will probably reach the Great Saint Realm before long, and Jiang Haokong won't be far behind. Which means that soon, Great Saint-level beings from extraterrestrial realms will be able to descend. The situation going forward will only grow more severe." As Lu Yuan spoke these words, his gaze was exceptionally solemn. The reason was very simple:
The enemies he would have to face would be far stronger than before. Yet he no longer felt the crushing pressure he once had.
Because soon, the Heavenly Court would also give rise to cultivators of the Saint Realm, spearheaded by Zhu Qingyu and the most exceptional among them. And Lu Yuan knew full well that while the Saint Realm was not considered top-tier combat power across the vast starry sky, it still represented a core pillar of strength.
The Heavenly Court was truly beginning to grow. Therefore, moving forward, he established two goals.
First, to continue enhancing the strength of the Heavenly Court through a two-pronged approach encompassing both humans and mutated beasts. Beast Kings like the Peacock King and the Nine-Tailed Fox King possessed immensely potent bloodlines and tremendous potential.
By preparing on both fronts, the Heavenly Court would amass strength far more swiftly than before. Second, his own combat power and cultivation realm.
Lu Yuan knew full well that reaching the Great Saint Realm within three to five months was out of the question. After all, crossing an entire realm required a process, no matter how gifted one might be.
Thus, he could only focus on bolstering his direct combat prowess. He had no need to worry about his soul; empowered by the Ancient Bodhi Tree, his innate spirit had already awakened, so his soul would never be a weakness.
His physical body, however, demanded more effort. The Great Sun Smelting Furnace was beginning to fall short of keeping pace. Of course, it was not that the technique was weak, but rather that Lu Yuan held exceptionally high standards.
And he knew of an item that would soon emerge—a divine treasure. If he obtained it and integrated it into his flesh and blood, his physique would advance another step.
"There is still time to carry out all the plans." Lu Yuan calculated the timeline, knowing that the power of the Severance of Heaven and Earth would not vanish completely so soon. During this window, not only could he elevate his own strength, but more importantly, he could continuously build up the foundation and reserves of the Heavenly Court across all fronts.
When the extraterrestrial beings fully descended, they would have sufficient might to resist. That was what he had been working toward all along, and now, it had finally hit its stride.
With these thoughts in mind, Lu Yuan cleared his head and closed his eyes. The battle with Jiang Haokong had consumed a considerable amount of his energy and strength as well.
He needed to recover. Time slipped by bit by bit. Within the Heavenly Court, the younger generation led by Zhu Qingyu...
...having gained tremendous benefits in the Immortal Cave Secret Realm, all saw improvements. Zhu Qingyu in particular broke straight into the Saint Realm shortly afterward, making her the first human on Earth to attain this realm apart from Lu Yuan. This news even astonished Beast Kings like the Peacock King.
Although several Beast Kings, including the Peacock King and the Spirit Monkey, attained the realm half a month later, they were ultimately a step behind her.
Pleasantly surprising as well, good news kept pouring in. Little Heavenly Master Chunyang and Monk Huikong—two young talents whose innate aptitude and comprehension were already top-notch—also achieved the Saint Realm.
The Saint Realm! The sixth stage of evolution. It was something they had never dared to dream of before, yet they had achieved it.
This invigorated many Heavenly Court members and heavenly soldiers and generals, as they felt Earth steadily growing stronger.
Naturally, under Lu Yuan's instructions, the news remained strictly internal and was not leaked to the outside world.
Because he knew full well that the deaths of Yu Heng and Lei Xiao would surely provoke intense reactions from numerous extraterrestrial beings, perhaps even driving them to wage war.
Thus, he had to prepare a surprise for them. After all, many of the extraterrestrial Saint Realm experts had already been wiped out by Lu Yuan inside the Immortal Cave Secret Realm; among those who had descended to Earth, not many remained.
Once they could no longer hold back from making a move, he could unleash Zhu Qingyu and the others to strike. And then... it would be time for the Heavenly Court to display its true might before the world for the very first time!
Chapter 286