Beyond Earth, within the star sector, numerous extraterrestrial beings had gathered.
Their auras were formidable, every one of them having reached at least the fifth stage of evolution. And now, in the region bordering Earth, there stood eighteen beings whose presence was truly terrifying.
The might they displayed seemed capable of shattering the very stars. Waves of immense power emanated from their bodies.
Normally, with their strength, they would be an extraordinarily formidable force anywhere they went, capable of conquering an entire star sector.
Yet now, the emergence of a single aura was completely suppressing them all. At the very center of their circle shone a radiance of incomparable brilliance.
This light was dazzling to the extreme, manifested from the mighty power of heaven and earth, and now all of it was converging upon Lu Yuan.
"How can this be? How could he have broken through to the Great Saint Realm in such a short time?"
"Could this man's talent truly rival that of the Divine Sons and Holy Maidens?"
"No, we can never allow him to continue growing!"
At this moment, sensing that overwhelming aura, each and every Great Saint was thoroughly shaken.
They could clearly perceive that Lu Yuan had shattered the barrier between Demi-Saint and Great Saint.
Right now, he was already adapting to the power of the Great Saint Realm. But it had only been a single instant since his breakthrough began—how could it be so fast?
Everyone knew that Lu Yuan could not be allowed to proceed, or a catastrophe would follow. Immediately, they prepared to strike and stop him.
Unfortunately for them, the moment Lu Yuan decided to break through, everything had already been sealed. As the power within him surged relentlessly, a terrifying, indescribable aura emanated from his body, fundamentally distinct from anything before.
Yet before Lu Yuan even had time to adapt, he saw the eighteen Great Saints, led by Ji Hongyu, surging toward him.
Without a word, he merely raised a hand slightly.
Jade Emperor Orthodox Heavenly Thunder Art!
*Rumble—*
In an instant, countless bolts of thunder erupted across the starry expanse.
This was no ordinary lightning; it was an ocean of thunder spanning ten thousand li. It was vastly more terrifying than some nations on Earth, or even small celestial bodies, laden with the sheer aura of destruction.
Thunder arts had always represented the power of Heaven, yet each time Lu Yuan had used them in the past, their might had been limited.
The fundamental reason was simply that his cultivation had not been high enough. But now, Lu Yuan had reached the Great Saint Realm.
One step higher was an immortal. Such power, let alone on Earth, was an undeniable force across the entire star sector.
And now, facing the encirclement of eighteen Great Saints, he made no wasted movements. He simply employed the Jade Emperor Orthodox Heavenly Thunder Art.
He merely wanted to test just how strong he had become.
The result was astonishing. Under the violent deluge of thunder, all the Great Saints were engulfed.
Formidable though they were, they had no counter whatsoever; they could not even flee. Beneath that sea of thunder, the Great Saints led by Ji Hongyu turned paler and paler, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
It was worth noting that not long ago, when Lu Yuan fought them, he could only maintain an even match. Although he had not unleashed his full might back then, now, having just broken through to the Great Saint Realm, he had suppressed all eighteen Great Saints—including Ji Hongyu—with barely any effort at all.
"It seems that reaching the Great Saint Realm truly brings an earth-shaking transformation. No wonder such power was consistently suppressed by the Severance of Heaven and Earth. If strength like this were brought to Earth, moving mountains and filling seas would be child's play—truly omnipotent."
Lu Yuan gave a quiet sigh, realizing that his strength had multiplied once again.
Such power, on Earth, could truly be called that of a genuine god. Of course, he also understood that as Earth continued to revive, that world would grow increasingly resilient; even future immortals would find it hard to shatter.
Pushing all other thoughts aside, Lu Yuan raised his head and looked at the eighteen Great Saints, now reduced to an utterly wretched state.
"Just now, you said you wanted me to remain in outer space. Why haven't you made a move yet?"
His voice was soft, yet it carried an overwhelmingly suffocating pressure.
Ji Hongyu said nothing, but the other Great Saints were trembling. For they all understood that the current Lu Yuan already possessed the full power to slaughter them.
Seeing that none of them dared speak, Lu Yuan chuckled softly, then shifted his gaze toward Zhou Yunqiong, who stood not far away.
In an instant, killing intent surged from around him. From the very beginning, this had been his goal.
"Lu Yuan, stop!" Seeing this, Ji Hongyu spoke up at once. "I know the enmity between you two, but Zhou Yunqiong has caught the eye of an important figure in our clan. If you strike, you will make yourself an enemy of our entire Ji clan! I fear that is a price you cannot bear."
He knew well that the esteemed figure valued Zhou Yunqiong immensely, though he did not know why. But right now, whatever the reason, he had to protect her.
"Noisy."
The very next instant, Lu Yuan struck. A bolt of heavenly thunder materialized directly in the starry void.
In the blink of an eye, it completely engulfed the Great Saint standing before Zhou Yunqiong. His entire body shattered directly, his physical form vanishing without a trace.
With merely a single strike, a Great Saint had died just like that.
As for Lu Yuan, his gaze did not waver in the least. Even at this juncture, they still dared to threaten him with the Ji clan. If that had ever been of any use, would things have reached this point?
Shaking his head, Lu Yuan took a step forward.
Zhou Yunqiong wanted to flee, but she could not.
At this moment, Lu Yuan had reached the Great Saint Realm. He was no longer merely invincible beneath the starry skies; even within the Milky Way Star Sector, he was an unbeatable existence. Not a single extraterrestrial being could pose a threat to him.
"Do... do you truly want to kill me?" Zhou Yunqiong looked at the man before her, her expression complicated to the extreme.
She truly could not understand. Every time she saw Lu Yuan cornered into what seemed like a dead end, what was the final result?
It had always been her own wishful thinking. Every single time, he managed to overturn the situation. And this time, he had broken directly into the Great Saint Realm.
"Back in the Kunlun Secret Realm, I already gave you my answer." There was not the slightest trace of emotion in Lu Yuan's voice. Looking coldly at her, he continued, "I know there is a powerful existence standing behind you, and naturally, he has granted you certain means to protect yourself. While you still have the chance, bring them out now. Otherwise, you won't have another."
Being able to obtain a Death Immunity Talisman meant that Zhou Yunqiong was evidently of immense importance in the eyes of the Ji clan; killing her would not be simple.
Yet now, he was thoroughly prepared and feared nothing.
"Fine."
Hearing his words, Zhou Yunqiong took a deep breath. From her sleeve, she produced an ancient mirror. It was archaic in design, with ripples of purple radiance slowly flowing across its surface, appearing exceedingly extraordinary.
Chapter 309