Before this, Lu Yuan had largely been responding to every situation reactively.
Even when he prepared in advance, he only engaged the enemies after they came knocking. While there was nothing inherently wrong with that approach, it was passive nonetheless.
Everything depended on how the major factions reacted. One could say that without absolute strength, he would never have been able to nip all those crises in the bud.
Now, however, things were different. As his personal strength reached a certain height and the foundations of the Heavenly Court continued to grow stronger, Lu Yuan finally had the capital to scheme against the major factions. He could sit back and reap the fisherman's spoils from within their clashes.
Just like now, where his targets were the Eternal Clan and the Ji clan. In truth, hardly any of the extraterrestrial great clans would escape being drawn in.
This was what it meant to be a chess player: muddying the waters to ultimately achieve his own aims. This approach did not necessarily maximize every single profit, but it seized the initiative.
For the Heavenly Court and for this world, having that initiative was already immensely precious. And the Jiang clan was swift to act.
Taking advantage of the window while the two great factions were still making preparations, they spread the news regarding the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token far and wide. From those who had already descended upon Earth to those still watching from beyond the realm, all learned that the Eternal Clan and the Ji clan were planning to seize the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token, and that the location was Mount Emei.
"What is the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token? Does it have something to do with the Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor?"
"Naturally! Just hearing the name makes it obvious that this thing is extraordinary."
"Indeed. No wonder the two great factions have delayed taking action against that Lu Yuan. Turns out they had far more important business to handle."
"I heard some rumors claiming that anyone who obtains the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token will have a chance to become a Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor!"
"What? It actually possesses such power? In that case, we must make a trip to Mount Emei when the time comes!"
When the news broke, it was like a single stone stirring up a thousand ripples; everyone was utterly astonished.
Even the beings who feared the two great factions felt tempted. After all, this was something connected to the Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor.
What kind of being was the Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor? An acknowledged supreme existence, virtually invincible across the entire universe—a truly pinnacle figure.
If there was a chance to attain such an achievement, it was an irresistible temptation for every living being across the starry sky.
Even those out in the cosmic void could no longer sit still, and they began descending in droves. Every single one shared a common goal: heading to Mount Emei. Even if they felt they stood little chance in a contest against the giants, what if luck favored them? That was a monumental opportunity, one in some ways far more alluring than the great era providence itself. After all, the former was something visible with a tangible objective, whereas the latter remained unseen to this day.
***
"The news regarding the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token actually leaked out! What on earth is the Jiang clan trying to pull?"
When the Ji clan caught wind of this, fury erupted among almost all of them. They had kept it concealed for so long, even setting aside their vengeance for the Divine Son for its sake, only for their efforts to fall short at the final hurdle.
"It must have been that Lu Yuan's idea. Not only is he formidable in strength, but his methods are also truly frightening," the Ji Clan Third Ancestor spoke, narrowing his eyes as irrepressible killing intent flickered within them.
Beside him stood three other elders, each possessing formidable strength in their own right. Hearing his words, the three furrowed their brows, and one spoke up. "This man is truly a grave nemesis to our Ji clan. Not only did he slay the Divine Son, but now every plan we arranged has been wrecked by him."
"I said before that we could temporarily set aside the matter of the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token and focus on killing this Lu Yuan first," the Ji Clan Third Ancestor said, gazing coldly at the other three.
In truth, after that earlier battle, he had returned to their base camp, and not long after, people from the clan descended.
They had arrived with two objectives: one was the death of the Divine Son, and the other was the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token. Both matters needed to be handled.
These were tasks assigned by the master of the Ji clan, so at the time, they had begun deliberating over which matter to address first.
The Ji Clan Third Ancestor's stance had been simple: slay Lu Yuan. He viewed Lu Yuan as their true mortal threat, and only by eliminating him as early as possible could they find peace of mind. However, the other three felt the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token took priority.
Back then, the Ji clan was not the only one to have obtained the information; the Eternal Clan knew of it as well. Lu Yuan remained on Earth, so they could strike at him at any time, but the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token was different.
If the Eternal Clan beat them to it, the situation would change entirely. On the surface, the two great factions were cooperating right now, but when it truly came down to the wire, who would yield to whom? Thus, under the insistence of those three, they ultimately held off on moving against Lu Yuan.
Originally, everything had been planned out well: staying concealed, keeping outsiders in the dark, and settling the prize strictly between the two great factions.
Never had they imagined it would still leak out. In reality, they knew no secret was entirely airtight. The Jiang clan had learned of it, but they had assumed the Jiangs would never spread it, given that it concerned the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token.
Yet to everyone's surprise, events defied all expectations. Not only had the news leaked, but it had spread to the point where every single soul knew of it.
From here on, this would no longer be a contest between two great factions, but a struggle against all the clans of the starry sky. Even if they could intimidate and deter many with their clan's prestige, with the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token at stake, battle was now the only path forward.
"Further talk is useless. What's done is done, so let us move quickly from here on."
"Even if everyone knows, what of it? If we join forces and have the Eternal Clan act alongside us, we can clear out a portion of the rabble first. No matter what, the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token must be ours," one of them spoke. He, too, was a prominent figure of the Ji clan, possessing the cultivation of a Grotto-Heaven Immortal.
He sounded brimming with confidence. Hailing from the Ji clan, he certainly possessed the standing to make such a declaration.
Hearing this, the others nodded one after another, agreeing that this approach posed no issue whatsoever.
"Then let us see if things proceed smoothly when the time comes," the Ji Clan Third Ancestor said at last.
He knew this was their only option now, yet worry inevitably lingered in his heart. After all, ever since he descended into this world, many of the things he had attempted had ended in failure.
Even the Divine Son had been struck down right before his eyes by someone else. And all of it was because of that Lu Yuan.
And now? The man had meddled with the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token as well. At this moment, the Ji Clan Third Ancestor had made his resolve: the next time they crossed paths, he would personally slay Lu Yuan without fail.
Of course, he had no idea that at this very moment, Lu Yuan's realm of cultivation had already reached the exact same level as his own. Had he known, such thoughts would never have crossed his mind.
Afterward, the Ji clan members began deliberating on their subsequent plans and arrangements, while also getting in touch with the Eternal Clan. In short, just as they had declared:
The Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token had to be theirs!
Chapter 399