Whether it was Zhu Qingyu or the others beside her, everyone present felt the miraculous nature of that power. With it, they could take another step forward and reach even higher realms.
For a moment, all of them were astounded, finding it difficult to believe. After all, it was simply too wondrous. Generally speaking, a person's bloodline and innate talent were predetermined and almost never changed. Yet now, they could clearly perceive these profound transformations within themselves; how could they not be shocked?
After a brief daze, joy surged within their hearts. Zhu Qingyu in particular had originally believed her potential capped out at the Great Saint Realm at best. As for the higher Immortal Realm, reaching it would require heaven-defying fortune. But things were different now—the Immortal Realm might only be the beginning.
*Finally, I can chase after his footsteps once more.* That was the sole thought in her mind.
"While this power can allow you to reach higher realms and achieve greater feats in the future, remember this," Lu Yuan spoke up, his tone solemn. "What you can rely on most is still your own strength. When the Heavenly Court truly flourishes in the future and stands on equal footing with the various star sectors and their powerhouse factions, you will be the ones deciding many things. And everything is built upon personal strength.
"Therefore, no matter what, never neglect your diligent cultivation and evolution. Right now, this is only the beginning."
Lu Yuan harbored high expectations for them, which was why he took the time to instruct them. He was also fully confident that they would take his words to heart.
Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Qingyu and the others nodded and voiced their agreement in unison.
Seeing this, Lu Yuan said no more and dismissed them, knowing they needed time to acclimate to the power of providence and that everything necessary had already been said.
In the days that followed, Lu Yuan spent most of his time cultivating. He still needed to adapt to the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Tokens.
He believed their utility could not possibly be limited to this. Yet, in the end, he discovered that just as he had expected, even with five of them, the number was still too small. Though they held immense power, what he could wield now was merely a fraction of it.
Thus, Lu Yuan devoted himself primarily to adapting to that power of providence, temporarily putting other matters aside.
Meanwhile, he also heard news regarding the Eternal Clan and the Ji clan, learning that both factions had pulled back their strength.
However, he paid it no heed. The reason was simple: so long as they did not actively provoke him, he would not seek them out. As for whether they harbored some ulterior motive, Lu Yuan did not dwell on it either. A person could only control their own actions, not those of others.
Of course, if the two great factions sought a comeback, Lu Yuan was more than willing to see it through to the end.
Because of this, the world once again enjoyed a period of peace. The beings of other star sectors had essentially come to fully acknowledge the Heavenly Court. Those of lesser strength dared not provoke them in the slightest. Clans such as the Celestial Clan hardly made appearances anymore; whenever their members encountered someone from the Heavenly Court, they went out of their way to take a detour. There was no helping it—the roles of offense and defense had completely reversed!
Even the ordinary citizens of this world could clearly sense the shift. Extraterrestrial beings finally no longer dared approach the five super cities. When they did interact, they were thoroughly courteous, not daring to step out of line. This alone proved indirectly that the Heavenly Court had truly grown formidable.
Those who felt this most deeply were Elder Ji and Elder Yun. From their initial panic when the world first transformed to their current composure and ease, they had lived through an immense ordeal. They counted their blessings that someone like Lu Yuan was here; otherwise, neither of them knew what the final outcome or the state of affairs would have become.
Just like that, a few more months passed.
Many of the Beast Kings directly broke through into the Great Saint Realm during this time, their strength advancing by leaps and bounds compared to before. Naturally, the greatest change took place in Zhu Qingyu and the others. From that day onward, they made daily progress, their power climbing steadily. After all, the empowerment bestowed by that providence was simply too potent.
At the same time, more members of the Jiang clan descended. As allies, the two sides practically had nothing to fear from any extraterrestrial beings anymore, even if they were from the top ten powers of comparable might.
Everything seemed to be heading in a good direction.
Until one day, Jiang Ningxian and Jiang Huanyun arrived at Lu Yuan's courtyard.
"There's still no word on those two factions, but I heard from my father that the Domain Lord of the Ji clan and the Domain Lord of the Eternal Clan seem to have journeyed far off to the borders of the universe long ago, though no one knows what they went there to do," Jiang Ningxian said gravely. Her father was naturally the Domain Lord of the Jiang clan, an undisputed titan standing at the very pinnacle beneath the starry sky, and even he found the actions of those two Domain Lords rather peculiar.
"To disregard even the great era providence is truly baffling. It makes no sense," Jiang Huanyun added. As a senior powerhouse, he understood full well what the great era providence signified. Even if it could no longer strengthen beings at the Domain Lord level, it could at least reap immense benefits for their descendants, which meant securing the continuation of their clan's glory.
"Is that so?" Lu Yuan found it odd as well. He had originally thought the two factions had stayed quiet because they were plotting something, but now it appeared that was not the case.
"Indeed. We initially tried gathering information, but whether from the Celestial Clan or elsewhere, there was nothing of value," Jiang Huanyun nodded. The Celestial Clan was a subordinate of the Ji clan; ordinarily, if something occurred, they would know at least a fraction of it. Yet even they were kept entirely in the dark, which was thoroughly perplexing. The Eternal Clan's subordinates were in the same position.
Hearing this, Lu Yuan fell into deep thought.
Strictly speaking, this matter had nothing to do with him. Yet for some reason, an ominous premonition stirred in his heart, as though some impending crisis were looming over him.
"So the strongest figures of both factions have gone to the borders of the universe. What exactly is at the borders of the universe?" Lu Yuan asked, puzzled and lamenting his limited knowledge.
"That isn't clear, because hardly any living beings exist there, and chaotic spatial currents run rampant," Jiang Huanyun replied, shaking his head to indicate he knew very little. "Anyone beneath the Immortal realm would face immense peril upon going there, and even those who have reached the Immortal Realm must tread with extreme caution. Almost nobody ever travels there. If we knew what was there, we might be able to guess what those two powerhouses went to do."
Lu Yuan sank into contemplative silence once more.
Soon, however, a sudden thought flashed across his mind!
Chapter 417