While Lu Yuan remained in secluded cultivation to stabilize his realm, changes continued in the outside world.
First was the situation surrounding the Heavenly Court. Because the extraterrestrial beings' second coalition against him had ended in defeat, their forces pulled back once more.
This time was entirely different from the past. After all, even Great Saints had been mobilized. Yet what was the final outcome?
It was the same as before. More importantly, this coalition had united both the Eternal Clan and the Ji clan. Once again, countless Demi-Saints from both sides had been slaughtered on Earth.
News of the battle in outer space also reached everyone's ears. Eighteen Great Saints had joined forces seeking to slay Lu Yuan, only for most of them to be cut down, while the cultivation realms of others were cleaved away on the spot.
This battle result not only filled the members of the Heavenly Court with boundless excitement—each and every one loudly hailing King Lu as invincible—but also made the extraterrestrial beings realize once and for all that seizing control and conquering this world was all but impossible.
Earth had produced someone like Lu Yuan, who had attained the Great Saint Realm in such a short span of time. What was more terrifying was his combat prowess, rendering him peerless within the same realm.
Everyone knew that taking this man down would require the descent of the Immortal Realm. Yet the extraterrestrials were well aware that this star sector was shielded by the power of the Severance of Heaven and Earth. Formidable though the Immortal Realm was, it remained heavily restricted. Earth, after all, had once been the birthplace of the Heavenly Court; how many ancient sages and powerhouses had walked its lands throughout its endless history?
To completely disregard this barrier would require an alliance among the top ten star sectors, and true supreme powerhouses would have to take action personally.
However, that was impossible. Every major clan harbored grievances and grudges against the others to some degree. Furthermore, tearing through the Severance of Heaven and Earth entirely would surely exact a steep price, so virtually no one was willing to do it.
The extraterrestrial beings who had already descended now saw the truth clearly: holding sway over this world was out of the question.
In fact, they considered themselves lucky not to be crushed underfoot, so all of them adopted a low profile.
There was no helping it. Lu Yuan was simply too powerful. Having broken straight through to the Great Saint Realm, his battle strength was unmatched. No one in this sea of stars was his equal; the man was practically invincible.
What could they possibly use to fight him? To be safe, the major clans began pulling back their forces.
Of course, their skirmishes to claim famous mountains and great rivers continued. The Heavenly Court did not stop this, leaving it to each party's capability. Lu Yuan had previously stated that he had no intention of making enemies of every living being in the starry sky; so long as they posed no threat to this world, he would pay them little heed.
Even so, the Heavenly Court's prominence was virtually unmatched. Wherever its people went, the extraterrestrial beings backed away.
Who could say for sure whether Lu Yuan might fly into action over some minor issue? No one could guarantee he wouldn't.
Their very lives were now in his hands.
As for the ordinary populace, upon hearing that the extraterrestrial beings had retreated from the Solar System, everyone was overjoyed. It was as though a colossal mountain that had constantly weighed down upon their heads had been temporarily lifted, finally allowing them to breathe.
Nearly everyone bowed toward Mount Tai. They all knew this turn of events was entirely thanks to Lu Yuan.
Gradually, the title of "Human Sovereign" began circulating among the common folk once again. He defended the lives of the multitude and fought against foreign foes—why shouldn't he be called that? Even though the Heavenly Court repeatedly tried to restrict the title afterward, it still could not stop the people.
Such was his supreme prestige.
Within a courtyard on Mount Tai, the Golden-Winged Great Peng, the Peacock King, the Nine-Tailed Fox King, the Spirit Monkey, and various other Beast Kings had all assembled.
These were all beings who had broken through to the Saint Realm, forming the Heavenly Court's strongest fighting force apart from Lu Yuan.
There were nearly twenty of them in total. Bolstered by their bloodlines, their actual combat strength would prove even greater than it appeared.
At this moment, Lu Yuan spoke. He had summoned the Beast Kings naturally to search for the remaining Nine Cauldrons.
Although it was impossible for all of the Nine Cauldrons to remain on Earth, there were bound to be more than three. And this was closely tied to his investiture of deities. Each cauldron contained potent human race providence, and finding even one more would be of tremendous benefit to him.
"Understood. Rest assured, King Lu." Hearing his words, the Beast Kings nodded one after another, understanding what needed to be done.
After all, this was not the first time the Nine-Tailed Fox King and the others had carried out such a task. As long as no one interfered, they could find any cauldrons that still remained on Earth. What was more, Lu Yuan had provided them with the methods to locate them.
"Very well, I will say no more. I hope to hear good news from you soon." Lu Yuan smiled and kept his instructions brief, offering just a few final reminders before sending them on their way.
Currently, the only beings on Earth stronger than the Beast Kings were the extraterrestrials. However, most of their Saints and Demi-Saints had been slain by Lu Yuan, and the survivors were thoroughly intimidated, certainly not daring to make a move. Thus, the Beast Kings faced no real danger. The only entities capable of posing a threat now were those of the Immortal Realm, yet with the Immortal Realm suppressed and unable to descend, there was no need to worry about the Beast Kings' safety.
Led by the Golden-Winged Great Peng, the Beast Kings soon departed, taking flight from Mount Tai. The world was vast now, so it was impossible for Lu Yuan to search for the cauldrons in person, and he had patience to spare.
"Once another cauldron is found, I should be able to confer divinity upon another batch of followers and bestow them with the power of providence. That way, the Heavenly Court's strength will rise to another level," Lu Yuan murmured to himself as he watched the Beast Kings' receding silhouettes.
Resources and fortuitous encounters were only part of what was needed to rapidly elevate the Heavenly Court's forces. With the backing of providence, the results would be far more substantial, serving as their foundation for dealing with extraterrestrial beings and Extraterrestrial Demons in the days to come. For now, all he could ask for was enough time.
Without lingering on these thoughts, Lu Yuan prepared to return to his room to continue cultivating. Just then, Jiang Ningxian walked over from the side.
"Is Brother Jiang in seclusion again?" Seeing her arrive without Jiang Haokong, Lu Yuan smiled. Could that fellow still be harboring thoughts of defeating him?
"Yes, he's stubborn as a mule. Pay him no mind." Jiang Ningxian shook her head. Her younger brother was fine in every other regard, but he was simply too stubborn. He had been exceedingly proud when he first descended, only to suffer a heavy blow from his clash with Lu Yuan. Still, that wasn't a bad thing; it served as a disguised motivation.
Jiang Ningxian said no more on the topic. Her expression grew solemn as she took a deep breath and said directly, "I came because news arrived from my clan. One of the reports concerns those Extraterrestrial Demons!"
Chapter 316