The reason lay in the immense power of providence.
It had enveloped the entire Investiture Decree, and even his own name was within it. Because of this, Lu Yuan seemed to have reaped no small benefit, gaining brand-new insights into cultivation in the Immortal Realm. More importantly, the speed of his cultivation and evolution had become even faster than before, with new transformations occurring almost daily.
This was a terrifying thing. Generally speaking, even geniuses had to spend a great deal of time adjusting after reaching the Immortal Realm before they could continue pressing forward to higher realms. Just as Lu Yuan himself had needed two or three months after entering the Immortal Realm to fully adapt.
Yet now, the process of cultivation was even more effortless than before. This was something he had never anticipated.
Lu Yuan made a rough estimate. If things continued at this rate, it wouldn't be long before he reached the peak of the Undying Immortal realm and began advancing toward the Grotto-Heaven Immortal realm.
Yet it must be known that less than a year had passed since his breakthrough. One year—from an Undying Immortal to a Grotto-Heaven Immortal.
If word of this got out, probably no one in the entire starry sky would believe it. Lu Yuan had never expected that the vast providence released after gathering the Nine Cauldrons would bring him such benefits.
Especially after careful study, he discovered that this providence posed no harm to him whatsoever. Instead, through the influence of the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token, it intertwined with that purple radiance, continuously transforming and sublimating his physical body and soul.
"Time. It all comes down to time. If I have enough time...
"I will definitely reach the supreme pinnacle and truly establish a Heavenly Court that can awe all eternity."
At this moment, Lu Yuan murmured to himself, his confidence in his future cultivation and evolution swelling ever greater.
He had initially thought that dealing with those formidable extraterrestrial beings would already be extremely difficult, let alone the Extraterrestrial Demons who would follow.
Yet the present changes had finally given him absolute confidence. The Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token and the Nine Cauldrons were indeed extraordinary treasures.
Without overthinking it, Lu Yuan immersed himself once more in his cultivation. Time slipped away bit by bit in this manner.
Meanwhile, in the outside world, because the Heavenly Court had taken the initiative to strike, many people had been slain in a short time. Among them were no few Saint Realm existences, and an Immortal had even been injured. The extraterrestrial beings witnessed the Heavenly Court's might for the first time.
Those who had previously acted out of line now finally dared not do so again, behaving with far greater restraint. Some even felt that the Heavenly Court was intentionally trampling on them to rise.
Though rage smoldered in their hearts, they were utterly helpless. After all, the present Heavenly Court was truly powerful.
With Lu Yuan and the Jiang clan backing it, perhaps only the star sectors ranked in the top ten would dare to provoke them intentionally.
"Looking at the Milky Way Star Sector, under these circumstances, it's bound to rise sooner or later."
"Indeed. Back in ancient times, it was an existence ranked among the top ten."
"It seems it will restore its former glory."
Some extraterrestrial beings began to sigh in lamentation. They had assumed that because this world had been sealed for so long, they could dominate everything upon descending, especially since the world had only just begun its revival and evolution.
Who could have known that the other side would reach such heights in so short a time? In the end, they were the ones who ended up afraid.
Yet others believed this state of affairs could hardly last long. News had already spread that the Eternal Clan and the Ji clan were preparing to make their move.
All their prior preparations were in order, and now they had an alliance with the Bliss Star Sector. All three star sectors were top-ten existences, and among them was a faction that could arguably be called the foremost power.
Even with the Jiang clan's cooperation, what of it? Could the Heavenly Court truly withstand them?
Still, some held opposing views for a very simple reason:
This world had encountered countless crises, most of them catastrophic. Yet how had things turned out in the end? None of the disasters had come to pass, because Lu Yuan was here.
He always had a way to resolve everything!
Because of these differing opinions, everyone waited and watched, eager to see what the final outcome would be.
Then, on this day, the Ji clan and the Eternal Clan jointly released a message:
They demanded that the so-called Heavenly Court and Lu Yuan leave Mount Tai within half a month.
As soon as the message went out, it sent shockwaves through everyone. They had known the two great factions would take action, but they had not expected it to be in such a manner.
Judging solely from the message, the two great factions seemed to have set their sights on Mount Tai. But that was hardly surprising—Mount Tai was one of the most extraordinary places in this world.
Legends and records concerning it were no fewer than those of Kunlun. The extraterrestrial beings all believed that occupying Mount Tai might allow them to intercept more of the great era's providence in the future.
Yet no one had chosen to do so before, as everyone knew Lu Yuan stood guard there. Now, however, the two great factions had directly made their move, intent on seizing it.
Everyone wondered what kind of response the Heavenly Court would give. But most beings understood that regardless of whether a response came, a climactic battle was inevitable. The ultimatum from the two factions was merely an excuse to initiate hostilities.
Yet to everyone's surprise, the Heavenly Court gave no response. Even members of the Jiang clan never showed themselves from start to finish.
They ignored it. That was it—complete disregard!
Instantly, many extraterrestrial beings felt the Heavenly Court was truly arrogant beyond measure. Those were two great factions, perhaps with a third backing them, yet they were completely disregarded.
On second thought, however, it seemed reasonable enough. The great war was going to start regardless, so what difference did it make whether they replied?
Soon, half a month passed. Seeing that Lu Yuan's side remained entirely unmoved, the two great factions finally could no longer hold back and issued another declaration.
It was very simple:
"Three days from now, we ascend Mount Tai."
A few short words, yet packed with tremendous fury.
Everyone knew this might be the decisive battle that determined the fate of this world. Indeed, whether the Milky Way Star Sector could truly rise might well depend on what happened three days later.
If the two great factions emerged victorious, the so-called Heavenly Court would surely be turned to ash.
Yet if Lu Yuan triumphed, the Milky Way Star Sector would once again present itself before all beings, compelling everyone to look upon it with respect in the most domineering manner.
Time continued to flow. Everyone waited in anticipation.
Yet not many chose to watch the battle in person; only a few Immortal Realm existences dared draw near.
After all, once the battle began, who knew what might happen? What if a clash between Grotto-Heaven Immortals broke out?
If bystanders were caught in the crossfire, even Great Saints wouldn't be able to withstand it. Everyone knew the two great factions intended to annihilate the Heavenly Court and Lu Yuan. This time, they would not stop under any circumstances. Once the great war erupted and reached its fiercest pitch, who would care about who stood nearby?
This was the so-called principle: when immortals fight, mortals suffer.
And in the eyes of the Immortal Realm, even Great Saints were mortals!
Chapter 383