The thought that surfaced in Lu Yuan's mind was simple, yet it had appeared out of nowhere—almost like a sixth sense.
The abrupt disappearance of the two great factions, coupled with their Domain Lord–level figures fleeing to the cosmic borderlands, was very likely connected to the Extraterrestrial Demons.
That was what he was pondering. As for why, even Lu Yuan himself could not explain it clearly, but his intuition told him so.
Beside him, seeing that he had remained silent for so long, Jiang Ningxian and Jiang Huanyun both furrowed their brows. Jiang Ningxian spoke up first. "What is it? Did you think of something?"
Jiang Huanyun was particularly curious. He knew that existences at the Domain Lord level would never casually travel abroad, let alone venture out to the cosmic borderlands. That made the situation even more baffling, for there was nothing of note out there—only boundless chaos. Their departure defied reason.
After hearing her question, Lu Yuan pondered for a moment before saying, "I suspect things aren't that simple. Perhaps this is closely tied to the Extraterrestrial Demons. Of course, this is merely a conjecture."
He could not be blamed for speaking his mind so directly; the matter was simply too grave. Anything involving the Extraterrestrial Demons was never trivial. If it could endanger the starry sky of the entire cosmos, then more people needed to know.
For better or worse, they needed to investigate and prepare in advance. What if an unforeseen disaster struck?
"Extraterrestrial Demons?"
Hearing those words, both Jiang Ningxian and Jiang Huanyun felt their hearts jolt. They had only read about such beings in ancient records and had never taken the tales seriously before. But ever since Lu Yuan inquired about them, the Jiang clan had been keeping a close eye on the topic. In the end, they discovered that these beings were a terrifyingly formidable enemy.
Though surviving information was scarce, they had still pieced clues together. Even the Jiang clan's ancestor, the Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor, had mentioned the Extraterrestrial Demons.
"Why would you think that?" Jiang Huanyun asked, a hint of confusion in his eyes. To him, the two matters seemed completely unrelated, though he also knew Lu Yuan would not bring them up without good reason.
"I don't know either. Call it an intuition," Lu Yuan replied with a shake of his head before adding, "Even so, I hope the Jiang clan can look into what's going on. This is far too important; we cannot afford the slightest carelessness."
The prominent figures of the past had all regarded the Extraterrestrial Demons as their mortal enemies, even sacrificing their lives to eradicate them. In the Kunlun Secret Realm, the Ancestral Dragon had seemingly led forces out on a campaign against them as well. With such a premonition, Lu Yuan could not bring himself to ignore it.
"Intuition?" Jiang Huanyun's gaze grew exceptionally solemn. When a figure grew to a certain level of power, their intuition might not be foresight, but it certainly signified something. After a brief pause to think, he nodded. "Understood. I will definitely bring you a clear answer."
Jiang Huanyun no longer viewed Lu Yuan as a junior. Instead, he treated him as an equal. After all, if they were truly to fight, he would be no match for Lu Yuan.
"Thank you." Lu Yuan understood that verifying his theory would likely require the Jiang clan's intervention. As one of the top ten factions, they could gather far more information, and do so much faster. Soon, Jiang Huanyun departed to report the matter to his clan.
And so, only the two of them remained.
"I can't say for sure, but I feel that this bodes ill," Lu Yuan said gravely. He had remained on guard against the Extraterrestrial Demons all along. While there had been no news of them, which proved that such existences would not appear anytime soon and offered some peace of mind, now was different. With this intuition stirring within him, he suddenly felt that a major disaster might be looming—a particularly unsettling prospect when he had done so little to prepare.
"Could it be that, like the Black Dragon of the Dragon Clan, they want to draw out the Extraterrestrial Demons?" Jiang Ningxian suddenly suggested, voicing the possibility.
She immediately shocked herself with the thought. If that were true, they were intentionally inviting an enemy in. These were beings that did not belong to this world, and various records indicated that they had invaded this realm more than once in the distant past.
Lu Yuan's expression shifted slightly. If that were truly the case, things would be even more troublesome.
"Let's go. We'll head to the Dragon Prison together to take a look," Lu Yuan said. They could not simply pin their hopes on whatever information the Jiang clan might uncover; they needed to investigate on their own.
Fortunately, he knew of a few places, and the Dragon Prison was the best first stop. After all, it was currently the only location where the power of the Extraterrestrial Demons had ever manifested.
Jiang Ningxian naturally raised no objections, recognizing the urgency of the situation. Without further delay or parting words, the two immediately left Mount Tai and set out for the Dragon Prison.
Originally, reaching that place required Yinglong's assistance, without which the journey would have been arduous. But Lu Yuan was now a Grotto-Heaven Immortal and could wield the power of the void. Entering the Dragon Prison was therefore far simpler.
With their strength, the two soon arrived at their destination. The place remained as it had been before, filled with lingering wisps of an eerie aura. The surrounding environment showed no change, and more importantly, they found nothing out of the ordinary. It seemed nothing had changed since the Black Dragon's death.
"There is no aura of the Extraterrestrial Demons' power," Lu Yuan said, shaking his head. He could sense nothing. He had clashed with that power before, and the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token was normally very sensitive to it, yet it showed no reaction now.
"The Black Dragon was merely a recipient of that power; it's normal that we found nothing." Jiang Ningxian thought for a moment before continuing, "Let's head straight to Kunlun." Inside the Kunlun Secret Realm were the altar and the various records left behind by the Ancestral Dragon. For them, heading there might yield more useful information.
Lu Yuan promptly nodded; that was indeed a good idea. As for the fact that the secret realm had already closed, that was hardly an obstacle for him. A Grotto-Heaven Immortal wielded mastery over spatial domains; what others could not do was not beyond Lu Yuan's reach.
Without hesitation, the two immediately set off for the Kunlun Secret Realm.
There, they beheld the Netherworld Heavenly Palace once more. Yet unlike before, the area had turned utterly lifeless. Various chaotic auras were intertwined, casting the surroundings into murky disorder.
When Lu Yuan reached the Nine-Color Altar where he had obtained the Nine Cauldrons, his expression changed dramatically.
Cracks had fractured the perimeter of the altar, and from the very center of those fissures, wisps of black mist were steadily billowing upward. That black mist was virtually identical to the power that had radiated from the Black Dragon.
Chapter 418