"The Nine-Color Altar has cracked." Seeing this, even Jiang Ningxian's expression shifted slightly. Not knowing what was going on, she could not help remarking, "In the ancient records, isn't this altar described as some kind of passage? Why would it hold the power of Extraterrestrial Demons? Could it be that they can emerge from it?"
As a Saintess, Jiang Ningxian was naturally well-informed. Beholding such a sight, her mind was instantly flooded with thoughts and questions, though she had no clear answers.
"What if this altar isn't just a passage, but also a seal?" Lu Yuan spoke up, continuing, "A means to seal the Extraterrestrial Demons away from entering this world—and now, that seal has been damaged."
He voiced his suspicion, and upon hearing it, Jiang Ningxian's face grew solemn.
If that was truly the case, then once the seal was completely shattered, those Extraterrestrial Demons would be able to descend.
"I recall that this isn't the only Nine-Color Altar," Jiang Ningxian said gravely.
The two exchanged a long look. With just a glance, each knew what the other was thinking. Without hesitation, they immediately chose to leave the Kunlun Secret Realm.
They headed for Shennongjia, the Mount Li imperial mausoleum, and other places to see if there were any changes. For Lu Yuan now, entering those secret realms was no longer difficult.
Thus, he visited virtually every place where he remembered a Nine-Color Altar existed.
And there, he discovered that every single Nine-Color Altar had developed cracks. Wisps of black mist were wafting from all of them—the power of Extraterrestrial Demons.
More critically, the fissures on some of the altars were enormous, appearing ready to burst at any moment. Clearly, this condition had persisted for some time.
Lu Yuan tried to mend them, but could not do so at all. In other words, the Extraterrestrial Demons would inevitably appear.
Yet because there was no reference point, it was impossible to determine when.
"What should we do?" Jiang Ningxian felt somewhat at a loss. Such beings had only ever existed in ancient records; what they were actually like was completely unknown. Not just to her—even her father had never faced such a crisis. After all, countless ages had passed, and the surviving information was fragmented. How were they supposed to handle it?
"The best course of action right now is to inform your father," Lu Yuan said. "At the same time, have him find out what the masters of the two great factions are actually doing in the cosmic borderlands."
Lu Yuan still felt that this was deeply connected to the Ji clan and the Eternal Clan. If they could obtain intelligence and piece things together, they could deduce a great deal.
"Understood." Jiang Ningxian knew that this was their only option for now; such matters could not be rushed. After investigating a while longer, the two chose to depart.
Returning to Mount Tai, Jiang Ningxian shared her discoveries with Jiang Huanyun and the clan members.
As for Lu Yuan, he used the Investiture Decree to confer titles upon several more people. The destiny power he possessed now was sufficient for him to accomplish many things; amassing one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals was no longer out of reach.
The reason he had not conducted mass conferrals was simple: sometimes, more was not necessarily better. The key lay in whether they could make a difference, as with Zhu Qingyu and the others.
He had been waiting until he could fully control that destiny power. That way, the benefits they received would be even greater; otherwise, it would merely be a waste.
First, the masters of the two great factions had headed to the cosmic borderlands, and now came the ominous changes across the Nine-Color Altars. Everything indicated that whatever was coming next would be extraordinary.
Involuntarily, Lu Yuan felt that his current strength was still insufficient. After all, even a figure like Guangchengzi had treated them with the utmost gravity, and had seemingly perished in that great war. Lu Yuan did not think that with his current cultivation, he could match someone of that stature.
"Regardless, it still has to be taken step by step," he sighed in the end. Nothing could be accomplished overnight.
The current sense of urgency stemmed only from how suddenly things were unfolding. Without any solid intelligence, they could only take things one step at a time.
Of course, it was never in Lu Yuan's character to remain passive. He began issuing orders to the members of the Heavenly Court, sending them to train across various regions. As this world revived, many secret realms remained unexplored, making them ideal grounds for tempering their strength.
This was also meant to help them adapt in advance. Lu Yuan had a feeling that if the Extraterrestrial Demons truly descended, relying purely on his own power might not be enough.
Even so, Lu Yuan knew he had to keep increasing his own cultivation. And so, time slipped away bit by bit.
Lu Yuan relied on the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token to confer titles on several individuals, while bestowing even more destiny power upon Zhu Qingyu, the Golden-Winged Great Peng, and others. His goal was very simple: to help them reach the Immortal Realm as soon as possible, so that they could become true powerhouses.
However, he had somewhat overestimated the effect of destiny power. Even with such immense support, the Immortal Realm was the Immortal Realm after all. For Zhu Qingyu and the Beast Kings to attain such heights was nearly impossible—at least not in the short term. Not everyone could progress as rapidly as Lu Yuan.
He could not force the issue, only doing the best he could.
The siblings Jiang Haokong and Jiang Ningxian were also cultivating, frequently entering seclusion. They, too, seemed to sense the danger brewing, recognizing that they needed greater cultivation and strength to cope with what lay ahead.
Yet for them, breaking through to the Grotto-Heaven Immortal realm within a short span of time was exceptionally difficult. As the saying went, every step within the Immortal Realm was fraught with hardship; otherwise, how could one truly be called a powerhouse?
During this period, Lu Yuan also inquired about the two Domain Lords of the Eternal Clan and the Ji clan lineage, wanting to know why they had traveled to the cosmic borderlands.
Unfortunately, even with the Jiang clan's resources, nothing could be uncovered for the time being. The two great factions had deliberately kept it shrouded in secrecy. Even their own low-ranking members were completely in the dark. It seemed the only way to find out was to journey to the edge of the cosmos as well.
Yet ordinary people dared not attempt such a venture. The universe was simply too vast; only truly top-tier experts could traverse it at will. It was not merely a matter of fearing getting lost, but rather that the starry sky held countless perils and secrets—who knew what one might encounter?
Eventually, Jiang Ningxian brought word: her father, the Master of the Jiang Clan and Domain Lord of the Desolate Flame Star Domain, would personally journey to the cosmic border.
Having heard about the Extraterrestrial Demons and understanding the gravity of the situation, he needed to see for himself what was truly happening.
Chapter 419