As the fourth Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token fused into him, surges of brilliant purple radiance continuously billowed from it.
It swept over every inch of Lu Yuan's flesh and blood, cloaking even his cellular particles. Deep within that radiant light seemed to dwell an immensely profound power, steadily transforming him in every way.
This was an evolution toward an even greater state, elevating Lu Yuan's progenitor bloodline to another level. Though he could not yet tell what this transformation would ultimately bring, one thing was certain: it held immense benefits for him. Because of this, Lu Yuan felt all the more convinced that he had to find a way to locate the remaining Ancient Heavenly Emperor Tokens. Only then could he truly comprehend the token's purpose.
During this process, Lu Yuan discovered that his comprehension of the Great Saint Realm was running deeper than ever before. He seemed to have grasped the methods and the path to attain the Immortal Realm.
"Did the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token bring about this change?" Lu Yuan was slightly surprised. Previously, despite standing at the absolute pinnacle of the Great Saint Realm, he had lacked even the faintest clue on how to break through to the so-called immortal level, leaving him no choice but to keep accumulating strength and seeking a way. But now?
After fusing with the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token and receiving this providential blessing, understanding seemed to dawn on him.
So this was what it felt like to be blessed by providence?
Before this, Lu Yuan had always used the Investiture Decree to confer divinity and bestow providence onto others. This was his first time receiving the blessing of providence himself, and the sensation was indeed distinct. Naturally, he understood well that the providence bestowed upon him was somewhat different from that channeled through the Investiture Decree.
"If this continues, it won't be long before I can truly find the path to immortality." Sensing his current condition, Lu Yuan felt a spark of anticipation rise in his eyes.
Only by attaining the Immortal Realm could he guarantee his ability to confront the coming upheavals. The extraterrestrial beings would surely stage a comeback, and the next wave would consist of truly peerless powerhouses.
With that in mind, he halted his cultivation and stepped straight out of his room.
Having refined the Yangzhou Cauldron, he was ready to conduct another round of investitures. Earlier, Lu Yuan had considered waiting a bit longer, but he could no longer afford to delay. No one knew when the extraterrestrial beings might suddenly descend. What seemed peaceful on the surface could easily be shattered. If an unexpected crisis arose, he might find himself backed into a passive corner.
What Lu Yuan needed to do now was seize the initiative. The stronger the Heavenly Court became, the more easily he could handle whatever changes lay ahead.
This time, Lu Yuan conferred titles upon a great many individuals, bringing the total to fifty thousand—not far from the legendary hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals.
Witnessing the Heavenly Court grow stronger by the day, Elder Ji and Elder Yun were overjoyed. Both men had spent their entire lives making countless sacrifices for the safety of the people of Huaxia. Seeing the Heavenly Court rise in power was naturally a tremendous blessing in their eyes. They understood that as long as Lu Yuan continued to grow stronger, nothing across the entire starry sky would be able to threaten this world. To Elder Ji and Elder Yun, nothing could bring greater joy.
In fact, Lu Yuan had once offered to confer titles upon the two elders to help them advance further. However, Elder Ji and Elder Yun had flatly refused, stating that they were already old. If such opportunities existed, they said, it was far better to leave them for the younger generation. The youth were the true future.
Seeing the Heavenly Court established and watching it thrive was more than enough satisfaction for them. Lu Yuan had not pressed the matter; each person was entitled to their own choice. He also understood deeply that it was precisely because of people like them that Huaxia's heritage and bloodline had endured through the ages. Just like in his previous life—had it not been for generations of such figures charging forward that a canopy was held up through the darkest eras?
Over the next few days, Lu Yuan did not cultivate. Whenever he was free, he guided Zhu Qingyu and the others in their practice, resolving bottlenecks along their path of evolution. With the blessing of providence, their growth had simply been too rapid; many had already reached the Saint Realm. One had to remember that previously, not a single master or disciple from the Three Immortal Islands had ever attained that level.
Consequently, the difficulties Zhu Qingyu and the others encountered on their cultivation path could now only be resolved by Lu Yuan. Since he had time on his hands, Lu Yuan naturally held nothing back, answering everything they asked. Having stronger subordinates was only an asset to him.
Then came the day when someone noticed a sudden surge of powerful auras appearing outside Earth.
By preliminary estimates, they were all at least at the Saint Realm. Immediately, tension gripped everyone, especially the younger generation led by Zhu Qingyu.
They knew the extraterrestrial beings had already been deterred. Under normal circumstances, descending to Earth was practically impossible for them. After all, Lu Yuan was present, and this world did not yet permit beings at the immortal level to descend. But their sudden appearance almost certainly signaled an impending crisis, and the defenders were not yet prepared.
"How strange. They're merely in the Saint Realm—how could they dare come down? Aren't they afraid of King Lu?" the Ice Fairy asked in confusion. In her eyes, as long as King Lu was around, any number of Saints arriving would be meaningless. Coming down now would be nothing short of suicide. Could those extraterrestrial beings truly not know that?
"Naturally, they aren't afraid, because although they are indeed extraterrestrial beings, they haven't come to cause trouble." Just as everyone was perplexed, Jiang Ningxian stepped forward, wearing a smile.
Her words puzzled the crowd even further. In their eyes, extraterrestrial beings were almost invariably enemies.
Only Lu Yuan caught the implication behind her statement and smiled immediately. "Are you saying the Jiang clan has arrived?"
"That's right. Some of my clansmen have arrived," Jiang Ningxian acknowledged without hesitation. In truth, not long after her own descent, members of the Jiang clan had already set off. However, because the distance was so vast, the journey had taken a considerable amount of time. As for why Jiang Haokong had arrived so quickly, he was a Divine Son and possessed his own unique methods.
"Since they are allies, how could we not welcome them?" Lu Yuan said, his eyes carrying a smile. To face the mighty extraterrestrial enemies, relying solely on the power of the Heavenly Court would not suffice; having the Jiang clan join as an ally was the ideal outcome.
After all, they were a great clan ranked among the top ten across the starry sky, possessing immense foundation and heritage. By forming an alliance with them, the Heavenly Court would be spared countless worries. The mere reputation of the Jiang clan would be enough to deter many.
Soon, led by Lu Yuan, representatives of the younger generation, along with Elder Ji, Elder Yun, and the rest, all arrived at the Southern Heavenly Gate on Mount Tai. Guests had arrived, and regardless of his personal rapport with Jiang Ningxian, proper courtesy had to be observed.
Furthermore, this concerned the future alliance. Only with the Jiang clan's backing could the Heavenly Court develop even faster and truly grow into the legendary Heavenly Court in every sense of the name.
Chapter 332