Elder Ji spoke first, a faint smile in his eyes.
Just as he had said, he had long anticipated this. Moreover, Lu Yuan had laid plans beforehand, so everything was well within their control.
After what had occurred at Mount Huang, the extraterrestrial beings would certainly not let the matter rest. They would undoubtedly seek to reclaim their honor.
It was just that they had no way to deal with Lu Yuan, so they could only target others instead. Currently, many ordinary people still resided within the five super cities.
These people were under the protection of the Heavenly Court now, but against those who had stepped onto the evolutionary path, they possessed no power to resist.
Precisely because of this, the extraterrestrial beings chose to strike—it was easy, and they held no regard for the people of the Heavenly Court.
They wanted to make the people of this world pay a price in this manner, and they had already made their moves. Yet everything remained under the close watch of the Heavenly Court.
"Are our people ready?" Elder Yun spoke now, a domineering aura in his eyes. After all, he had wielded immense power in the old era, and having occupied high positions for years, that imposing presence had never faded.
All along, he had wanted to teach those extraterrestrial beings a lesson, but was held back by their lack of strength. Now, however, the Heavenly Court had finally begun to grow and possessed considerable might.
"Yes, everyone is prepared. In each of the five super cities, there are Saint Realm experts standing guard," Zhu Qingyu replied. Although she looked young, she had already attained the sixth stage of evolution.
Especially as she gradually took on greater authority, both her bearing and abilities had grown far more remarkable than before.
Now, the Heavenly Court's strength was steadily rising, and many Beast Kings had joined their ranks. The number of Saint Realm experts had already reached double digits.
All five super cities were protected. As for the extraterrestrial beings, while they also had Saint Realm experts, ever since the Mount Huang incident where a hundred Saints were slain by Lu Yuan, very few remained among the various clans.
Those left behind by the various clans were practically negligible now. Furthermore, they had never taken the beings of this world seriously, so even if they acted, they would not deploy anyone overly formidable.
Members of the Heavenly Court were now stationed throughout the five super cities and possessed intelligence channels on all fronts. They knew that most of the extraterrestrial beings sent to strike were merely at the Sovereign King Realm; the Saints were only there to oversee the situation and did not even dare to make a move.
They merely wanted to salvage some pride rather than truly spark an all-out war, fearing they might infuriate Lu Yuan.
Everyone knew that this human, Lu Yuan, had reached an exceedingly high level in both cultivation realm and combat strength.
Without the descent of genuinely supreme figures, no one could restrain him.
"Very well. Now, let us see how they act," Elder Ji spoke once more, continuing, "Remember, King Lu has already decreed: should they dare cross the line in the slightest, strike back with thunderous force."
In truth, he had waited for such an opportunity for a long time. Ever since the extraterrestrial beings had been discovered, most people had been suppressed, forced into passivity in everything they did.
Now, at last, they had a chance to seize the initiative, and they would not hesitate for a second.
"Understood," Zhu Qingyu and Ice Fairy nodded in unison. They knew that this time would mark the Heavenly Court's display of power.
King Lu had made all arrangements long ago. Next, it was simply a matter of execution.
***
At Mount Longhu.
Jiang Ningxian sat cross-legged in midair.
Strands of radiant light continuously emanated from her body, and a formidable aura descended at intervals. Any creature that sensed this aura fled immediately.
They could clearly perceive the danger it held; barging in heedlessly would only invite catastrophe.
"Three days have passed. Is he still not done?" Jiang Ningxian opened her eyes and looked thoughtfully toward the small folded space not far away.
A touch of helplessness surfaced on her face. She thought to herself: had she really ended up becoming his guardian?
She remembered her younger brother saying he had done the exact same thing back in the Immortal Cave Secret Realm.
Jiang Ningxian felt that Lu Yuan might be the first person to have both of them serve as his protectors.
Of course, she did not mind; she simply remained where she was, waiting without the slightest impatience.
On the other side, inside the small space:
The area had been completely submerged in surging golden vital energy and blood, with a powerful aura filling every corner.
Within it, Lu Yuan sat cross-legged, the might exuding from his physical body terrifyingly strong. Every pore across his body breathed in and out golden brilliance.
The man looked truly like a deity.
After integrating the Zhengyi Yin-Yang Furnace, Lu Yuan's physique had been growing stronger almost by the moment. As time elapsed, it had now reached a certain limit.
Therefore, throughout this period, he had been seeking a way to break through this limit. If he succeeded, it would be yet another breakthrough.
And after three full days of effort, Lu Yuan had finally achieved it.
At this moment, golden vital energy and blood surged. A torrent of power welled up within him, like an exploding star.
A chaotic aura flooded every corner of the space, while all manner of divine lights continuously poured into his body.
This power was simply too overwhelming; even he found it difficult to fully control.
Finally, after a while longer:
These energies surged outward from his body and converged above his head.
At this point, the Great Sun Smelting Furnace that had previously manifested from his powerful physique had vanished completely.
Taking its place was an entirely new power. It slowly gathered into the form of a smelting furnace—neither a pill cauldron nor a stupa pagoda, but a true smelting furnace. The upper half was yang, the lower half yin, representing heaven and earth, endlessly generating and renewing. The power radiating from it seemed boundless and inexhaustible.
Weng, weng, weng—
Soon, as the furnace vibrated, a horrifying might erupted from Lu Yuan.
It turned into ripples of power spreading outward, shaking the entire small space.
And this was merely the aura exuded by Lu Yuan's physical body.
Compared to before, it had reached an utterly terrifying level.
The next moment, he opened his eyes.
A beam of light shot forth from his pupils, and Lu Yuan's entire bearing began to transform.
"Finally, it worked. My physique has undergone a metamorphosis and ascended to another level," he murmured, a look of gratification appearing in his eyes, for this had been his exact objective.
By his estimation, while his current physique might not utterly crush someone like Jiang Haokong, it could unquestionably suppress him beyond doubt.
Lu Yuan looked at the furnace that had manifested from his overwhelming physical might, lost in thought.
"The way of yin and yang is the way of heaven and earth. For now, I shall simply call this phenomenon manifested from my body the Furnace of Heaven and Earth," he said slowly, acutely aware that this furnace represented his physical constitution.
And as his strength continued to grow, the furnace would become even more terrifying.
Chapter 290