As for the reason, it was actually quite simple. Jiang Huanyun could sense a very powerful strength latent within Lu Yuan.
It had remained held back from start to finish, never unleashed. Though to Jiang Huanyun, this power might not seem terribly frightening, one had to consider that Lu Yuan had only been cultivating and evolving for a few years. If compared against their own clan's Divine Son and Holy Maiden, the latter would fall far short.
Even if Lu Yuan had likely ridden the momentum of this world's revival, it was still astounding. Jiang Huanyun had observed him earlier; in terms of cultivation and evolution, Lu Yuan truly led the pack by a vast margin. A figure like this naturally deserved his concern.
"The future is the future, but at least for now, Senior's arrival has been of immense help to this world." Even knowing that Jiang Huanyun had been dispatched by the Jiang clan, one thing did not cancel out another—gratitude should be expressed where it was due.
"Good, then I won't stand on ceremony." Jiang Huanyun chuckled, then turned to look at the Jiang siblings.
"Fifth Ancestor." Without any hesitation, the two bowed slightly. This was their elder, someone of higher seniority even than their father. Regardless of how haughty or willful they had been before, they behaved themselves completely in the presence of this elder.
"Now that the seal of the Severance of Heaven and Earth is completely lifted, neither of you should slack off in your cultivation and evolution. The coming situation will only grow more complex, and even our Jiang clan cannot stand aloof.
"As the Divine Son and Holy Maiden, you two must grow stronger as quickly as possible. You cannot carry on as you did before." Jiang Huanyun spoke in the tone of an elder imparting earnest guidance.
Jiang Haokong, the bad-tempered yet peerlessly talented Jiang Clan Divine Son, showed not the slightest hint of defiance upon hearing this. Instead, he was remarkably obedient and promptly nodded. "Yes, I understand." Beside him, Jiang Ningxian naturally reacted the same way, offering no rebuttal.
"Though I have forced the Ji clan to withdraw for now, there is no guarantee they won't stage a comeback. We must be fully prepared for what comes next." Jiang Huanyun spoke once more. He knew the Ji clan would definitely not let the matter rest, and in the end, he was only one person.
To prevent any mishaps, he suggested that Lu Yuan relocate all vital personnel into Mount Tai. That way, there would be no need to divide their attention, while Jiang Huanyun himself would continuously patrol the major supercities.
Countless ordinary citizens resided in those cities, and abandoning them was out of the question under any circumstances. When the Jiang clan initially decided to cooperate with Lu Yuan, their aim was also to avoid widespread devastation and slaughter.
Just as Jiang Ningxian had said earlier, the human race of this world shared ties of blood and bone with the Jiang clan. How could they bear to watch innocent people suffer casualties?
To this, Lu Yuan naturally raised no objection. In fact, he had already begun taking action. Hearing this, Jiang Huanyun could not help feeling somewhat surprised.
Then, recalling Jiang Ningxian's evaluation of Lu Yuan—that he always prepared in advance and laid out plans for the future—he nodded in approval.
He grew increasingly certain that as long as Earth and the Heavenly Court safely weathered this crisis, they would inevitably rise to complete prominence in the future under Lu Yuan's leadership. When that day came, it would prove beyond doubt that the Jiang clan's initial choice had been entirely correct.
Afterward, without saying much more, everyone departed from Mount Tai's Jade Emperor Peak. Today, the seal of the Severance of Heaven and Earth had completely vanished.
They still had a great deal of work to do. For now at least, they could not afford to let down their guard.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
"Third Ancestor, why did you choose to leave? Jiang Huanyun is strong, but you are not weak either. There was no need to fear him. If we took action, he might not have gained the upper hand, and with me assisting from the side, slaying Lu Yuan was not impossible." At this moment, the Ji Clan Divine Son spoke. He truly could not fathom why they had let go of such a golden opportunity.
Still, the man was an elder, so his tone contained no hint of interrogation.
"I naturally do not fear Jiang Huanyun, but if we fight, both sides will suffer heavy losses.
"At this point, they have already entered the Immortal Realm. Can you handle them?" the Ji Clan Third Ancestor said, not a flicker of change in his eyes.
"Those few are basically only newly entered into the Immortal Realm. I fear none of them," the Ji Clan Divine Son replied. In this regard, he was confident, even if all three attacked together.
"I naturally know your strength, but the crux is that we must ensure absolute certainty. If we act rashly this time and fail, there won't be another opportunity this good next time." The Third Ancestor shook his head and continued, "Furthermore, the Eternal Clan did not join us this time. We had an agreement beforehand; a task like this cannot fall upon our Ji clan alone. The Eternal Clan must make a move as well."
The Eternal Clan was extremely powerful, and a figure roughly on par with him in strength had also arrived from their ranks.
If the two of them joined forces, they naturally would have nothing to fear from Jiang Huanyun. Combined with the foundations of both clans, dealing with Lu Yuan would be child's play.
Thus, when all was said and done, what he worried about most was the Jiang clan. The Ji Clan Third Ancestor reasoned that the Ji clan must not stand alone against the Jiang clan; they had to drag the Eternal Clan into the fray as well.
"So that's how it is. I understand." Hearing this, the Ji Clan Divine Son immediately realized what needed to be done.
Currently, the true objective behind the various clans descending was the great era providence. Lu Yuan was indeed important, but what if getting bogged down by him compromised their greater agenda?
What if they lost their qualification to vie for the great era providence? The key right now was to preserve their own strength as much as possible while ensuring Lu Yuan's demise. That was the matter of utmost importance.
"Let us go. We'll find the Eternal Clan. Just as you said, some matters are best handled as quickly as possible. This man Lu Yuan truly feels exceedingly dangerous to me. We cannot allow him to continue growing." The Ji Clan Third Ancestor spoke once more, and without further elaboration, he led everyone present away.
Today, with the seal of the Severance of Heaven and Earth gone, the situation was bound to become chaotic. Even the Ji clan would find it difficult to maintain stability.
Uniting allies was what needed to be done right now.
And on this very day, the living beings of Earth—whether humans or mutated beasts—all witnessed countless beams of radiant light descending from the sky at intervals. Without any seal in place, the beings from beyond had chosen to descend without restraint.
As for what these beings would do after descending, no one knew. But one thing was certain: peace was gone from this world.
Perhaps even the Heavenly Court would be unable to keep a full handle on the situation.
Even so, many people still chose to believe in Lu Yuan and the Heavenly Court.
Because over this entire period, no matter what happened, King Lu had resolved it all. Therefore, the ordinary citizens in the five major cities did not panic.
Meanwhile, at the Mount Tai Trial Academy, under Lu Yuan's arrangements, the Heavenly Court issued multiple orders to address the current crisis. It could be said that although no major battle broke out today, it was indeed a day of immense busyness.
There was no helping it; he had to act this way. This was also the original intent behind founding the Heavenly Court:
To lay out plans against every crisis yet to arrive!
Chapter 375