At this moment, upon the Jade Emperor Peak of Mount Tai, the forces of the Heavenly Court were virtually fully assembled.
The formidable Beast Kings stood alongside them. Be they human or mutant beast, every one of these beings stood resolutely behind Lu Yuan.
Even though those standing in the vault of heaven belonged to the Eternal Clan and the Ji clan—two factions ranked among the top ten across the cosmos—not a single soul showed fear.
Ever since the global revival and mutations, they had weathered countless trials and faced catastrophic disasters of every kind, yet they had ultimately survived them all. King Lu was the one who had brought about this salvation. Thus, at this critical juncture, every person present unhesitatingly chose to stand together, even if death awaited them.
And so what if it did?
If anything happened to King Lu, none of them would be spared. When the Heavenly Court faced this immense calamity, they had not uttered a single word of complaint, nor had they sought help from anyone else. Had they done so, nearly every living being on Earth would have rushed to Mount Tai without the slightest hesitation.
Lu Yuan's prestige was truly peerless, commanding the deep reverence of all. Thus, at this moment, no one harbored any doubt regarding the words he had just spoken.
Even facing two supreme factions, what did it matter? There was only one path left: battle!
"Good!"
"You have courage." Hearing this, the Ji Clan Third Ancestor's gaze shifted, losing its prior cold indifference.
A surge of murderous intent welled from him, rippling out in waves. Evidently, he had no intention of delaying any longer and stepped forward directly.
Beside him, the elder of the Eternal Clan followed closely. Both were Grotto-Heaven Immortals of overwhelming strength, standing among the apex of beings wherever they went.
Now, for the sake of someone who had only recently entered the Immortal Realm, they chose to join forces. Their goal was to ensure absolute victory—and, of course, they harbored another intention: to claim Mount Tai for themselves.
"Considering your standing, both of you are elders. For you to personally take action against a junior would be rather unseemly, wouldn't it? Allow me to be your opponent!" At that moment, Jiang Huanyun appeared.
His aura surged forward to meet the two mighty experts head-on, a faint smile gracing his eyes. Though all three stood within the same realm, disparities in combat prowess still existed. Neither the Ji Clan Third Ancestor nor the elder from the Eternal Clan could make Jiang Huanyun shrink back.
"Then let us see just how long you can hold out." Neither of the two elders showed surprise at his words. They had known he would step forward to block them at such a moment, so if they wished to slay Lu Yuan, they had to deal with the man before them first.
Naturally, they did not need to kill him; they only had to pin him down so he could not intervene elsewhere, leaving the rest to others.
In the next instant, the Ji Clan Third Ancestor exchanged a glance with the Ji Clan Divine Son. Then, taking a single step forward, he vanished into thin air.
Without hesitation, the elder from the Eternal Clan vanished simultaneously. Jiang Huanyun did not hold back either; transforming into a streak of radiance, he shot off toward an unknown battlefield.
All three were Grotto-Heaven Immortals whose might was simply terrifying. Every gesture and strike of theirs could wreak widespread havoc, so under such circumstances, the battlefield could not remain on Mount Tai.
Yet even with the departure of the three supreme experts, numerous figures of the Immortal Realm remained, led by the Ji Clan Divine Son and the Eternal Clan Divine Son.
Without hesitation, they turned toward Lu Yuan and declared in unison, "Today marks the day of your death!"
This time, they had not merely dispatched projections; their true bodies had descended. The sheer power they displayed was horrifying, shaking the firmament the moment they mobilized their strength.
Behind them, experts from both clans glared hungrily like tigers eyeing prey, their auras rolling outward.
"Leave these two Divine Sons to me. Keep an eye on the rest," Lu Yuan instructed Jiang Ningxian and her brother.
He intended to face both Divine Sons alone because there was no other choice. Although the Heavenly Court had the assistance of the Jiang clan, its overall foundation remained too shallow.
The two opposing clans had more than ten Immortal Realm cultivators combined. By taking on the two most troublesome foes himself, he left the rest to Jiang Ningxian and Jiang Haokong, who, as top-tier prodigies of the universe, would have no trouble dealing with the others.
Moreover, he understood perfectly well that aside from him, the two clans would never dare to deliver fatal strikes against the Jiang clan's scions. Jiang Ningxian and Jiang Haokong held extraordinary statuses; if anything happened to them, the Jiang clan would retaliate recklessly, an outcome neither the Ji clan nor the Eternal Clan wished to see.
This arrangement ensured the siblings would not be in mortal peril. Having finished his instructions, Lu Yuan did not linger and flashed forward.
In the blink of an eye, he materialized before the two Divine Sons. His golden vital blood erupted in full force as he murmured softly, "Last time, I destroyed your projections. Today, the outcome will be no different."
As the words left his lips, he drove a fist forward, unleashing a colossal wave of force.
Matters had reached a head, leaving no room for pleasantries. When life and death hung in the balance, there was no need for tentative probing.
"Arrogant fool!" Both Divine Sons roared, eyes blazing with murderous intent. Almost simultaneously, their own power erupted.
The Ji Clan Divine Son was engulfed in boundless iridescent light, resembling a radiant deity. Meanwhile, the Eternal Clan Divine Son fused directly with the divine halo behind his head, unleashing his peak strength from the very start.
"Sister, should I go help?" On the Jade Emperor Peak, Jiang Haokong spoke up upon witnessing the clash.
Having recently attained the Immortal Realm, his strength had experienced a qualitative leap. Eager to test himself against the two Divine Sons, his heart surged with anticipation.
"Since Lu Yuan told us to stay, we should wait," Jiang Ningxian replied, shaking her head. "More importantly, we must protect the members of the Heavenly Court so he has no worries holding him back. If you jump into the fray, you might only disrupt the flow of battle."
If the two of them intervened against the opposing forces recklessly, major trouble could ensue. After all, even if some Heavenly Court members had attained the Saint Realm, they were still far too weak before those of the Immortal Realm. Thus, their reason for remaining was exceedingly simple: to protect.
"Alright. I understand," Jiang Haokong nodded immediately. He knew this was not the time to be willful. Moreover, he had developed an attachment to the Heavenly Court's forces, having personally guided several of them in the past. Naturally, he did not want any harm to befall them.
"Still..." Jiang Ningxian soon furrowed her brows, a look of worry creeping into her eyes.
"What's wrong, Sister?" Jiang Haokong asked in confusion. Had everything not already been arranged?
Jiang Ningxian lifted her gaze and surveyed the surroundings, speaking slowly, "The great battle has already begun, yet even now, I have not seen anyone from the Bliss Star Sector."
Chapter 386