The so-called Dao protectors were tasked with guarding certain chosen prides so they could mature smoothly.
Their strength was extraordinary; the greater a chosen pride's talent, the stronger their Dao protector would be. However, such figures rarely made an appearance under normal circumstances. If a Dao protector solved every obstacle, the journey of cultivation would lose its purpose. Even if one managed to reach a certain realm, it would be nothing more than a castle in the air—fragile as paper.
Now, both divine sons sensed an immense crisis. They knew that if they did not resort to their ultimate measure, they would truly perish. Thus, neither hesitated for another moment.
In the instant they activated their trump cards, brilliant streaks of light swirled around their bodies. At the same time, a formidable aura surged forth.
A dull rumble echoed across heaven and earth. Everyone looked up. Above the two divine sons, two silhouettes materialized. They were not true bodies, yet the aura they radiated was utterly terrifying.
These phantoms, condensed through some secret art, possessed at least eighty percent of their original bodies' power. Furthermore, the strength of the silhouettes themselves surpassed that of Grotto-Heaven Immortals; they were beings of the Immortal Realm's third stage.
The phantoms swept their gaze over the surroundings, immediately grasping the situation, and locked their eyes directly onto Lu Yuan.
"Strike! Kill him directly—do not hold back no matter what! We cannot allow him to grow any further, or he will pose a threat to our entire Ji clan!" the Ji Clan Divine Son shouted at that moment.
His eyes brimmed with boundless killing intent as he issued the command. As for his prior agreement with the Present Buddhist Son, he cast it aside completely. He knew all too well that Lu Yuan could not be allowed to live. If he survived, not only himself, but the entire Ji clan would face immense trouble. Under these circumstances, slaying Lu Yuan was the only correct choice. Even the Present Buddhist Son remained silent, seemingly agreeing with this view.
Hearing this, the Dao protectors of both clans furrowed their brows slightly. They were not subordinates to the divine sons; their sole duty was to protect their path. Under normal circumstances, they would only intervene when the divine sons faced mortal peril. To receive an order to slaughter Lu Yuan was something they would have refused at any other time.
Yet the present situation was somewhat different. Both had heard of Lu Yuan's reputation and knew he had reached the Immortal Realm in an astonishingly short time. If he were allowed to continue growing, his future would be boundless. Now that the divine son claimed this man would threaten their entire clan, they were forced to take it seriously. Looking at Lu Yuan, killing intent began to surface in their eyes as well.
"Very well. We shall strike," the two Dao protectors agreed with a nod, hesitating no longer.
In the next instant, an intensely overpowering aura erupted from both phantoms. Far exceeding the level of a Grotto-Heaven Immortal, their might seemed capable of suppressing heaven and earth itself.
Everyone shook with shock, and the Immortals from various clans watching the battle paled drastically. They had truly never expected the two Dao protectors not merely to intervene, but to... slaughter Lu Yuan.
In their eyes, such an act was unprecedented. A Dao protector was merely a Dao protector; aside from safeguarding their charges, they were never supposed to take extraneous action. Yet now...
Jiang Ningxian and her brother were equally shaken. They had never anticipated the Ji clan and the Eternal Clan would sink to such shameless depths. What should they do? He could not possibly be a match for them!
Meanwhile, feeling the crushing pressure bearing down on him from all directions, Lu Yuan furrowed his brow. He naturally knew the two divine sons would not be so easy to kill and had prepared for this beforehand. Since the enemy's strength had exceeded his own, he would have to draw upon external power as well. Conveniently, ever since refining the Nine Cauldrons, he had never once tapped into that destiny power. He was curious to see just how far this power could take him.
*Boom!*
In a flash, Lu Yuan made his move, channeling the vast destiny power within his body. At the same time, the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token vibrated, casting off streaks of purple radiance. At this moment, Lu Yuan looked as though he had truly become a Heavenly Emperor, his entire form enveloped in infinite light.
It was destiny power—immense to a terrifying degree—and now, every drop of it was bestowed upon Lu Yuan.
*Hum, hum, hum—*
A formidable power erupted from his body. Facing the Dao protectors of both clans, he did not hesitate in the slightest. Circulating the destiny power, he threw a punch.
*Thud—!*
In an instant, the entire world trembled. Even Mount Tai below shuddered faintly. The power was simply too overwhelming.
Directly overhead, the two Dao protectors had just unleashed their strength with the intention of obliterating Lu Yuan. Yet they never expected that in the very next instant, an unimaginably terrifying power would erupt from him. The mysterious aura in particular left them suffocating. The moment Lu Yuan struck, the surging force rattled the void.
In practically the next breath, the two could not even mount a defense and retreated frantically. Their phantasmal bodies turned slightly more translucent, and utter shock filled their eyes. They could sense that Lu Yuan was merely an Undying Immortal. Compared to them, he was lower by two entire major realms.
Within the Immortal Realm, separated by two major realms, how could he defeat them in a single instant?
Not only could the two Dao protectors not fathom it, but the two divine sons were left utterly dumbfounded as well.
What had just happened? No one knew. But at this moment, the only certainty was that Lu Yuan had held back yet another trump card.
Yet wasn't this trump card far too terrifying? Everyone was stunned.
Lu Yuan, however, merely knitted his brows, seemingly unsatisfied with the strike he had just delivered. He understood that because he had only just received this destiny power, it was difficult to control right away, and he had not yet fully adapted to it.
Thus, in the next moment, Lu Yuan looked toward the two divine sons and the two Dao protectors in the distance, a faint smile playing in his eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, he channeled his internal strength and that destiny power once more. Then, he punched forward.
*Rumble—*
A roaring sound surged forth, yet it did not carry the immense destructive force one would have expected. However, as the sound faded, the projections of the two Dao protectors vanished.
All of creation seemed to fall into a momentary silence. Everyone stood frozen in place. No one understood what had transpired. But seeing that the two Dao protectors had vanished as though they had never existed at all, almost every spectator could not help but swallow hard.
Naturally, Lu Yuan did not seem to take it to heart. He strode forward step by step until he stood before the two divine sons.
"You have completely lost your final reliance. Now, nothing can stop me."
His meaning was exceedingly simple: today, both divine sons would die!
Chapter 391