A magnificent, profound aura continuously swept out from Lu Yuan.
Brilliant rays of resplendent light coiled around him. Terrifying power surged through his body, far exceeding anything he had possessed before.
After a period of dedicated cultivation, Lu Yuan had finally taken that crucial step. The transition from Grotto-Heaven Immortal to Creation Immortal might seem like a difference of only a single realm, yet it represented an entirely new comprehension of the laws.
Now that he had touched upon those profound principles, his state had naturally undergone a complete transformation, and the aura radiating from him was utterly distinct.
As time passed, this surging power grew increasingly formidable until it breached a critical threshold. A sudden rumble of thunder echoed within the chamber as a frightening force surged forth. It was potent enough to annihilate everything within sight—so terrifying that even those in the Saint Realm would struggle to comprehend it.
Under such circumstances, Lu Yuan stirred his mind, and the tempestuous, majestic aura vanished in an instant. At his current stage of cultivation, restraining his own might was effortless. Lu Yuan had no choice but to keep it strictly contained; letting even a sliver leak out would bring catastrophic consequences.
"It seems I won't be able to cultivate here going forward," he murmured with a helpless shake of his head.
He had no choice. His realm was simply too high and his power too immense. If he failed to control it for even a fraction of a second, the destruction would be horrific. After all, reaching the Creation Immortal realm granted one the power to obliterate stars. Yet Lu Yuan managed to constrain all of it within a tiny room, an accomplishment made possible only by his profound foundation and numerous techniques, which allowed him to control everything down to the most microscopic detail. As his strength continued to rise, however, he would inevitably have to find another place for future cultivation and secluded retreats.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Lu Yuan quieted his mind. He raised a hand, and with a slight flick of intention, a flower materialized out of thin air.
The blossom then shifted continually, transforming into a blade of grass, then a tree, and more. This was creation: the ability to bring things into existence directly out of nothingness.
If Lu Yuan wished it, he could even raise a colossal mountain straight from the earth. Naturally, shaping an entire star remained exceedingly difficult. The energy required was far too vast, and having only just entered the Creation realm, he had not yet fully acclimated.
"Although I can manifest things from the void, what I create is like water without a source or duckweed without roots; it will dissipate before long. Furthermore, if the creator perishes, the creation vanishes immediately. This is merely an initial touch upon the relevant laws of heaven and earth." Lu Yuan looked at the shifting flora in his palm, his expression contemplative.
Only upon attaining this realm could one truly perceive its subtleties. In short, a Creation Immortal was still a vast distance away from true, enduring creation. Yet that was only natural. In ancient myths, entities capable of creating things out of nothingness between heaven and earth were invariably top-tier existences. Creation Immortals clearly had not reached that echelon.
This realization led Lu Yuan to suspect that higher realms must exist beyond ordinary immortals. For instance, everyone knew that the ten Domain Lords were all Supreme Immortals. But what realm had the Human Sovereign and Heavenly Emperor reached? The path of evolution and cultivation was truly long and arduous.
When these thoughts surfaced, Lu Yuan smiled faintly and reined in his focus. Having just broken through to the Creation Immortal realm, he still needed to adjust to many things, especially regarding the control of his strength and how to unleash the peak combat prowess of this realm. Attaining a realm did not mean one could simply sit back and rest easy. For instance, the difference between him and the Ji clan's Creation Immortal was undoubtedly immense. Such was the immortal realm; even within the same stage, profound disparities existed.
Therefore, he had to adapt and comprehend his new power. Moreover, Lu Yuan's ambition did not stop at Creation Immortal; above it lay Heavenly Position Immortal, and even Supreme Immortal. Throughout this journey, he could not afford to slacken in the slightest.
Time continued to slip by.
Another half month passed before Lu Yuan finally walked out of his room. The aura about him had completely vanished, leaving him appearing no different from an ordinary person. He had fully stabilized his current realm; all that remained was gradual acclimation, a process that could not be rushed.
Furthermore, the external situation seemed to change by the day, with the two major factions constantly making moves. He naturally needed to keep a close watch at all times, especially regarding the intelligence Ice Fairy had shared earlier.
The clansmen of those two factions had been behaving very unusually. Their speed of cultivation and evolution had accelerated dramatically, and their temperaments had shifted as well. All of it carried a bizarre undertone that demanded attention. Meanwhile, the two siblings of the Jiang clan remained in secluded cultivation, showing no sign of emerging.
Before long, Lu Yuan met with Zhu Qingyu, the others, and Jiang Huanyun. Over the recent period, both the Heavenly Court and the Jiang clan had kept a close eye on external developments and intelligence, refusing to overlook the slightest clue. Jiang Huanyun in particular understood the gravity of the matter. Since both major factions had already come into contact with extraterrestrial heavenly demons, how could they ignore their movements?
He cared little about the Eternal Clan and the Ji clan targeting the various star sector factions. What truly concerned him was what Ice Fairy had reported: the clansmen of those two factions were undeniably different from before. Through his own observations, Jiang Huanyun had noticed that their strength was advancing at an astonishing pace, as if bolstered by some mysterious power.
As fellow members of the ten great star sectors, they had all been well aware of one another's backgrounds and foundations. Yet the recent turn of events defied Jiang Huanyun's expectations, striking him as exceedingly bizarre.
"Do you mean to say that the extraterrestrial heavenly demons might have already extended their reach into our realm?" Lu Yuan asked, instantly understanding the implication.
For the members of those two clans to make such massive leaps in strength within such a short time was genuinely abnormal. Even in a golden age of great revival, this should not be happening; an external power was almost certainly at play. Thus, his thoughts immediately went to the extraterrestrial heavenly demons.
"Indeed," Jiang Huanyun nodded. He had previously heard about the incident involving the Black Dragon and knew that the extraterrestrial heavenly demons possessed special means to grant native beings of this universe immense breakthroughs in a brief span. Given how strange every aspect of the situation appeared, along with the information they had gathered, he had arrived at this deduction.
"It is possible," Lu Yuan said. "However... the extraterrestrial heavenly demons shouldn't be able to enter this realm just yet." He had spoken with the Jiang clan master not long ago and learned a great deal, especially concerning those extraterrestrial beings. If members of the two factions had indeed received their power, where had that power originated?
Lu Yuan did not know much about the strength of extraterrestrial heavenly demons, having only sensed a fraction of it from the Black Dragon. Based on that battle, the dragon had absorbed a single drop of black blood to gain a colossal surge in strength. At the same time, that black blood was extraordinarily sinister; upon contacting Lu Yuan himself, it had suppressed all his power, resisting every effort to dispel it. In the end, he had only managed to completely obliterate it by deploying the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token. Lu Yuan wondered whether the members of the two factions had absorbed that same kind of black blood.
Yet he could not be certain, having not fought them personally. After a moment of contemplation, he looked at Jiang Huanyun and continued, "Senior, aside from this, have you discovered anything else?"
Even though his strength had completely surpassed Jiang Huanyun's, the man was still an elder who had stepped forward when the Heavenly Court needed aid most. Addressing him as a senior had nothing to do with cultivation realm. Lu Yuan also recognized that, having lived for an extensive age, Jiang Huanyun possessed far deeper knowledge. From him, they might discover whether the Eternal Clan and the Ji clan had truly accepted the power of the extraterrestrial heavenly demons.
"Nothing for now; everything is merely my speculation," Jiang Huanyun replied with a shake of his head before adding, "However, I have already issued instructions. Someone will take action to capture one of their members so we can find out what is truly going on."
The Heavenly Court and the Jiang clan were open adversaries of the two factions, and both sides remained on high alert against each other. Any direct move on their part would be detected immediately. Thus, Jiang Huanyun's plan was simple: use cultivators from other star sectors to seize a member of either the Eternal Clan or the Ji clan. Once captured, a thorough interrogation or soul search would reveal the truth. Though executing such a scheme carried risks, the gravity of the situation left them with little choice. If this truly involved the extraterrestrial heavenly demons, the ramifications would be catastrophic.
"I agree," Lu Yuan said, recognizing the merits of the plan. It would save them a great deal of trouble.
After exchanging a few more words, Jiang Huanyun took his leave. Lu Yuan then instructed Zhu Qingyu and the others on their upcoming tasks. There was nothing overly complex; their primary duty was to guard the locations harboring nine-color altars and ensure the two major factions did not discover them. It was now confirmed that both clans were entangled with the extraterrestrial heavenly demons, and the nine-color altars functioned as conduits of some kind. Lu Yuan even suspected that the demonic entities might attempt to charge through those very altars, making preemptive precautions essential. Regardless of how the situation unfolded, vigilance was never a mistake.
"Understood!" Zhu Qingyu and the others responded without delay, immediately setting off to make preparations.
Watching them depart, a sharp glint flashed in Lu Yuan's eyes. "I only hope the two factions are merely conducting some transaction with the extraterrestrial heavenly demons, rather than actually intending to usher those beings into our realm."
Chapter 432