Lu Yuan discovered that fusing the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token did not grant an immediate, direct boost to his physical strength.
Instead, it acted more like a catalyst, helping him comprehend many profound truths. Previously, it had granted him mastery over destiny power. Now, it brought enlightenment. For instance, as he fused the fifth Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token, his consciousness seemed to align with billions of stars.
It was an unprecedented sensation, one that no visualization technique could replicate. It was as if everything between heaven and earth had been laid bare before his eyes.
Even if possessing the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Tokens did not instantly make him the fabled Human Sovereign or Heavenly Emperor, the tokens had already provided Lu Yuan with immense assistance. More importantly, they had resolved numerous crises for him throughout his prior battles. In short, their utility was boundless—and went far beyond mere strength.
Putting stray thoughts aside, Lu Yuan calmed his mind and continued the fusion.
Buzz... Buzz...
As time passed, ripples of potent aura surged from his body. Lu Yuan was thoroughly enveloped in radiant purple light. At long last, the fifth Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token fused completely.
Boom!
With another thunderous roar, Lu Yuan noticed a change in the Investiture Decree. The destiny power residing within it seemed to answer a distant calling. An even greater reservoir of destiny power became available for him to command, and the names inscribed upon its surface shone with unprecedented brilliance.
At that very moment, the Golden-Winged Great Peng, the Peacock King, the Spirit Monkey, and every other being whose name was written upon the Investiture Decree felt a mysterious force bless their bodies.
It was destiny power, vastly richer than before. In an instant, the bloodlines of several Beast Kings began to evolve, undergoing radical transformations. Some even broke through their cultivation realms on the spot.
The members of the Heavenly Court were similarly blessed, each left bewildered and awed. In the unseen depths of fate, they seemed to have received the direct favor of destiny.
Lu Yuan, however, was unaware of their specific reactions. All he saw was that the names on the Investiture Decree had also turned purple, radiating an enigmatic, indescribable power.
"This..."
Finding himself unable to command this new force, Lu Yuan chuckled helplessly. Yet it was precisely this mysterious energy that enabled him to wield even greater amounts of destiny power.
"So, I need to find more Ancient Heavenly Emperor Tokens?" Lu Yuan realized. His inability to fully unleash the decree stemmed from having an incomplete set. An instinct told him that he had to keep collecting the remaining tokens. Otherwise, the deepest secrets locked within them would forever elude him.
The question was, how many were left? He had no clear answer. Still, there was no rush.
Lu Yuan knew that overthinking would accomplish nothing. He was better off settling his mind to thoroughly study the current effects of the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token and determine the exact extent of his control over destiny power. These were things he needed to master, for if he could not advance his realm in the near future, destiny power would be his greatest trump card.
***
Meanwhile, deep in the starry sky, an immense divine palace drifted through the void. It surged with brilliant streams of divine light, radiating a ponderous aura far grander than any star. Moving at incredible speed, its destination was none other than the Milky Way Star Sector.
"So, all because of an Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token, we lost three Grotto-Heaven Immortals and a Creation Immortal?" a cold voice echoed from within the great hall. It seemed capable of piercing the cosmos itself, causing stars in the far distance to tremble.
"Yes, Domain Lord," someone answered reverently, their voice quivering with dread. They could tell that the Domain Lord was thoroughly enraged.
Three Grotto-Heaven Immortals and a Creation Immortal—even for a clan of their stature, such a loss cut deep.
"Good. Very good!"
The Domain Lord spoke again as he stepped forward, standing tall in the cosmic void. He was a man clad in black robes, not particularly tall, yet the moment he appeared, he projected a towering, majestic aura. Merely standing there, he seemed to look down upon the heavens.
This man was the master of the Ziwei Star Sector and the head of the Ji clan—Ji Hengdao!
As one of the pinnacle powerhouses of the entire universe, he burned with fury over the death of his kin. He had even contemplated striking out directly to obliterate Lu Yuan.
However, Ji Hengdao was well aware that the Jiang clan placed immense value on Lu Yuan, especially given the substantial support they had provided him lately. If he took action, the Jiang clan's supreme figures would not simply sit by. At their level, virtually every move had far-reaching consequences.
With these thoughts in mind, Ji Hengdao asked, "How has the Eternal Clan reacted?"
The Eternal Clan had also lost two experts in that battle. Given their vengeful nature, they would surely retaliate. Yet they currently appeared remarkably quiet, which struck him as strange.
"It is unclear. The Eternal Clan has remained entirely silent lately," replied an elder beside him. Also a member of the Ji clan, this elder possessed the aura of a Creation Immortal.
"It seems the Eternal Clan wants to beat us to the punch," Ji Hengdao sneered. "Instruct our clansmen to temporarily refrain from seeking vengeance against Lu Yuan. Even if they act, they must proceed with extreme caution. Furthermore, recall all clan members at the Creation Immortal realm and above. We have far more important matters to attend to."
Without another word, he stepped into the void and vanished.
The Ji clan elder bowed deeply. As he gazed toward the Milky Way Star Sector, hatred flickered in his eyes. Members of their clan—pillars of their strength—had been slain, yet they were forced to stay their hand. Naturally, resentment festered. Still, he understood that the matter mentioned by the Domain Lord was of paramount importance, concerning the entire universe. Under such circumstances, the Ji clan indeed needed to keep a low profile. The Eternal Clan had already begun their move; if they beat the Ji clan to it, years of meticulous preparation would be wasted.
The elder said nothing more and set off to relay the orders to the clan.
As for the Eternal Clan, even after learning that their Divine Son and clansmen had been killed, they made no retaliatory moves whatsoever. They acted as though nothing had occurred, which left the Jiang clan and various cosmic clans deeply perplexed.
It was entirely abnormal. Even more startlingly, observers noticed that both the Ji clan and the Eternal Clan had scaled back their forces, with some experts departing Earth altogether.
Could they truly be abandoning the struggle for that wisp of great era providence?
Chapter 415