In the courtyard, the two sat facing each other. As Jiang Taiyu's words fell, silence descended upon their surroundings.
Opposite him, astonishment flickered in Lu Yuan's eyes upon hearing those words.
He had considered many possibilities. He held five ancient tokens—an extraordinary feat that opened up countless possibilities. Even someone at the Domain Lord level would never simply overlook this upon finding out. The reason was quite simple: while others might not know the purpose of the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Tokens, a figure of his stature certainly understood it very well.
What was more, the man had deduced on his own that Lu Yuan had wielded destiny power, despite not being present at the scene. Clearly, Jiang Taiyu possessed a certain level of understanding regarding the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Tokens. Thus, Lu Yuan had assumed that what he said earlier might be a demand to hand them over.
After all, if an existence at the Domain Lord level possessed such items, things would be entirely different. It might even allow him to take another step forward and transcend the level of a Supreme Immortal.
Yet Lu Yuan never imagined that the man actually intended to take out his own token and hand it over to him.
This truly puzzled him, prompting him to ask, "Senior, why is that?"
Though Lu Yuan wished to collect more Ancient Heavenly Emperor Tokens to better command the power of destiny and uncover all the secrets of these artifacts, he was not reckless. He always made sure to understand the reasons behind things before making a decision. Moreover, since Jiang Taiyu had personally descended upon the Milky Way Star Sector, he clearly had far more to discuss than just an Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token.
"Calm and unhurried, preparing beforehand, acting only after planning. Xian'er's assessment of you is indeed very accurate." Hearing this, a faint smile appeared in Jiang Taiyu's eyes.
He looked at Lu Yuan and pondered for a moment before continuing, "To be frank with you, I cannot use the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token. Even if I had more of them, it would be meaningless. You, on the other hand, are different. Though I am curious as to how you managed it, that is not important for now. What matters is giving it to you."
It had to be said that the Jiang clan, from top to bottom, truly lived up to their reputation. They were thoroughly upright and never coveted what belonged to others. Just like back then, when Jiang Ningxian clearly knew Lu Yuan had acquired many of her things, she harbored no thought of fighting over them. Instead, she viewed it as destiny, and in every subsequent cooperation, she laid everything out on the table. The Jiang clan that followed did the same. Now that the clan head had arrived, he gave Lu Yuan that exact same impression.
What were the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Tokens? They were tied to the Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor, and anything associated with that name commanded everyone's attention. Otherwise, the Eternal Clan and the Ji clan would never have set aside their grievances just to prioritize the tokens as their topmost objective, specifically dispatching personnel down to seize them. Someone like Jiang Taiyu understood this even better.
Yet he showed no intention of probing further. Instead, he simply explained why he was giving the token away.
Hearing this, doubt arose in Lu Yuan's mind: "You mean you possess an Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token, yet cannot use it, while I can? Why is that?"
When he first obtained an Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token, he had been unable to use it as well. It was only after gathering three that the Investiture Decree appeared, allowing him to command destiny power thereafter. He wondered if Jiang Taiyu's inability to use it was merely due to this reason. It seemed too simple, so he wanted to find out.
"I am not certain either," Jiang Taiyu shook his head and continued. "I am not the only one in the cosmos who has obtained an Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token. The Eternal Domain Lord and the Ji Clan Domain Lord also hold them. As for how many they have, I cannot say. But without exception, for now, they are all mere ornaments in our hands. You are different. First of all, obtaining five is already extraordinary in itself, and on top of that, you can actually wield that power. I suspect this may foreshadow something, which is why the token is better off in your hands."
As one of the most supreme figures in the universe, Jiang Taiyu naturally knew many things hidden from others. Taking the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Tokens as an example, they represented far more than their mere symbolic value. Still, even he could not fathom the specifics, though as he had just said, it certainly presaged something monumental.
Hearing this explanation, Lu Yuan recalled the time he encountered the remnant will left by Guangchengzi. Guangchengzi had said a great deal—mentioning the word 'Emperor,' as well as remarks about it being 'too early.' He wondered whether those words were related to this.
"Very well. Aside from the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token, there is another matter." At this point, Jiang Taiyu shifted the topic and continued, "It concerns those two Domain Lords. They headed for the borders of the universe, where I engaged them in battle and was wounded. You know about this, but do you know why we fought?"
Without waiting for Lu Yuan to answer, he rose to his feet, a solemn expression crossing his face.
Then he spoke slowly, "I discovered that both of them carried an aura that did not belong to this world at all. Based on my deductions, it originated from the Extraterrestrial Demons. And it was precisely that power that caused a slight shift in their strength. Over time, they might even transcend the Supreme Immortal realm. I immediately realized something was amiss. Later, I discovered they had erected an altar and were channeling something."
This universe was not the only realm. As a Domain Lord, Jiang Taiyu knew this very well. However, barriers had always existed between realms, impossible to breach. Not even beings like Supreme Immortals could break through them, for doing so required shattering the rules of this world. Yet the altar constructed by those two factions served as such a medium.
At that moment, they had also received power foreign to this world. Jiang Taiyu had instantly realized what the Eternal Clan and the Ji clan were plotting—they were summoning the Extraterrestrial Demons into this realm!
As Jiang Taiyu explained, Lu Yuan was inwardly shaken. He had already harbored suspicions regarding this, but now it was truly confirmed. As figures standing at the pinnacle of this world, they actually sought to summon outside entities?
Soon, however, a thought struck him, and he asked, "Then, Senior, did you see the Extraterrestrial Demons?"
That was the true crux of the matter. If he had seen them, it would mean those entities were already on the verge of descending. The great tribulation that the ancient sages had endured countless hardships to quell might well be descending once more.
"No," Jiang Taiyu shook his head and said. "How could the barrier between realms be so easily breached? Even if there are beings among the Extraterrestrial Demons that surpass the Supreme Immortal realm, they still cannot cross over effortlessly. But since those two factions have taken action, it will not be long."
The implication was simple: the two Domain Lords had taken action and accepted power from the Extraterrestrial Demons, meaning they had certainly struck some sort of deal.
Thus, the battle between the three had erupted. However, Jiang Taiyu had been somewhat unprepared, and with the other two possessing another source of power, he was ultimately wounded.
Chapter 428