As a Divine Son of his clan, Jiang Haokong possessed absolute confidence in his strength and talent. In his mind, there were very few among his generation who could truly rival him. Even though he had previously admitted that both the Ji Clan Divine Son and the Eternal Clan Divine Son were stronger than him, that had been based on a difference in realms. So long as he reached the same realm as the two of them, he would have no fear in facing them, and could even triumph outright.
Such was his confidence as a Divine Son, a favored child of heaven—not arrogance, but certainty born of his talent and strength.
In fact, no one—not even the Ji clan or the Eternal Clan—would have doubted his words had they heard them. After all, among chosen prides of this caliber, the gaps between them were never vast. Yet now, things felt different, especially after witnessing the battle between Lu Yuan and the two Divine Sons.
Jiang Haokong suddenly realized that ever since he descended upon Earth full of confidence, he had been thoroughly suppressed from start to finish from the moment he encountered Lu Yuan. No matter how he entered secluded cultivation or enhanced his strength, the end result never changed in the slightest.
Just like now: the man had actually relied on his own power to reach the Immortal Realm. One had to keep in mind that there had been no one ahead to guide him along the path.
Moreover, he had done so in the midst of a fierce battle. And immediately upon breaking through, he had effortlessly crushed the projections of two Divine Sons. Someone like Jiang Haokong could naturally tell that those projections carried the wills of the two Divine Sons. It could be said that they possessed the strength the two would have wielded upon first stepping into the Immortal Realm. Yet in the end, they were still defeated—an undisputed, total curb-stomp from beginning to end, taking hardly any time at all.
Involuntarily, Jiang Haokong began to feel an unsettling thought take root: after that initial defeat, would he truly never be able to overcome Lu Yuan for the rest of his life?
Jiang Haokong was an exceptionally proud individual. Forcing him to admit he was no match for someone else was immensely difficult. Truth be told, he loathed harboring such thoughts, but reality was laid bare right before his eyes.
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan also sensed his state of mind, but chose not to say anything; certain things truly had to be digested on one's own. Moreover, having just stepped into the Immortal Realm and gone through such an intense clash, Lu Yuan felt drained across the board, so he did not give elaborate instructions to the crowd.
He simply smiled and said, "It's all over for now, but we still need to keep an eye on those extraterrestrial beings. None of them are trustworthy. Next, I need to acclimate to the Immortal Realm, which might take some time. I'll leave everything else to all of you."
Although he said this, Lu Yuan knew in his heart that after the deterrence he had just displayed, even if those extraterrestrial beings harbored illicit thoughts, they would suppress them completely. The reason was simple: he was powerful—so powerful that no extraterrestrial being dared disregard him.
Still, certain instructions had to be given. After all, Lu Yuan did not know how long his secluded cultivation would take this time. The Immortal Realm was fundamentally different from all prior realms; it demanded far more energy to comprehend and adjust to. He was well aware of this.
In addition, his curiosity regarding the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token had grown even stronger. The opportunity that had allowed him to break through to the Immortal Realm so smoothly—aside from his own foundation and the battle will erupting under dire straits—had crucially depended on the purple radiance emanated by the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token. He knew his understanding was still insufficient and required further exploration. This secluded session was an excellent opportunity.
"Yes, King Lu!" At this moment, hearing Lu Yuan's instructions, everyone present nodded one after another. He certainly needed to recover properly, especially right after a breakthrough.
Having finished his instructions, Lu Yuan turned his gaze toward Jiang Ningxian.
"With me here, there are certain things you won't need to worry about," she said, naturally knowing what was on his mind. Thus, she spoke up directly to put his mind at ease.
"Mm." Lu Yuan did not utter a word of thanks. Given the relationship they had developed up to this point, there was no longer any need. Saying nothing more, he turned and vanished from before everyone.
This was one of the abilities granted by achieving immortality: tearing through the void in an instant. Just like in mythological tales, a single shift in movement could cross vast distances.
"An immortal... King Lu has actually become an immortal."
"Has our era truly stepped into an age of myths?"
After Lu Yuan departed, the people present finally managed to digest everything that had just occurred. All along, in anyone's heart, the word "immortal" carried immense weight—especially throughout Huaxia's history and various mythological legends, where it held an even greater prestige. Eternal life, summoning wind and rain, omnipotence... In short, even in this era of awakening for all and global evolution, an immortal remained something extraordinary in the eyes of many. And now? King Lu, the existence they revered most in their hearts, had become an immortal.
To everyone, this was myth in the truest sense.
"All right, let's not dwell on this any further. Remember what Lu Yuan just instructed. Although the battle is over, we still need to exercise caution," Jiang Ningxian said, shaking her head as she addressed the crowd once more.
Although she was not from Earth, given her cooperation with the Heavenly Court and the long time they had spent together, no one hesitated to heed her words. Immediately, Zhu Qingyu and the others, alongside Elder Ji and Elder Yun, departed together.
Just as they had thought earlier, while this battle seemed over, the impact it caused had only just begun. The Heavenly Court certainly could not afford to let its guard down at such a moment and had to treat matters with the utmost seriousness. This was of vital importance to them; after all, this situation had been painstakingly carved out by King Lu.
Moreover, after this battle, the members of the Heavenly Court finally harbored no fear toward those extraterrestrial beings. Even if they were peerless chosen prides or Divine Sons, so what? Hadn't they still been defeated? As long as they continued cultivating and evolving, continually elevating their own strength, none of the crises ahead would pose a threat. Perhaps, just as Jiang Ningxian had said, they could forge the Milky Way Star Sector into one of the top hundred domains, or even restore the glory of ancient times!
And now, everything was merely at the beginning. Factoring in Earth's current conditions—after all, how much time had passed since the resurgence began?
This was the wild ambition burning in everyone's hearts. They all believed that under King Lu's leadership, this goal was by no means unattainable!
Chapter 354