Lu Yuan understood. Even if the two great factions had not fully allied with the extraterrestrial heavenly demons, it was certain that both sides had exchanged benefits.
Moreover, the entanglement ran exceptionally deep, which was why even ordinary clansmen possessed that black blood. Having black blood seemed capable of vastly elevating one's potential for cultivation and evolution.
More importantly, it boosted combat prowess along with an array of other advantages. It was just like how the Black Dragon had survived being sealed for so long, enduring even through the great transformation of heaven and earth without perishing. The reason was exceedingly simple: that single drop of black blood was at work, keeping it alive across an immense span of time.
In short, the black blood was a power belonging to the extraterrestrial heavenly demons, endowed with myriad abilities. That was why the members of the two great factions had been able to make such immense leaps in strength within such a short period.
Beside him, the three from the Jiang clan also came to understand what was happening, their brows furrowing deeply one after another.
Jiang Ningxian was especially affected. Having personally witnessed how terrifying the black blood was, seeing it again led her to imagine what would happen if every clansman in the two great factions possessed it. If an all-out war truly erupted later on, what would they do? Perhaps this was the true crisis in every sense of the word.
"How can this be?" By now, the Ji clansman had also come to his senses. Staring at the black blood hovering above him, he could not comprehend how Lu Yuan had discovered it, let alone forced it from his body. It made no sense—that was a power not of this world.
Yet as he was lost in bewildered disbelief, Lu Yuan turned away. "Things are clear enough now. There is no need to question him further. This person no longer has any value."
Having no value meant he could die.
Of course, Lu Yuan would not dirty his own hands. There was simply no need. As for whether such an act was ruthless—what a joke; the man had already accepted the power of the extraterrestrial heavenly demons, becoming an imminent threat to the living beings of this world. Who had the luxury to harbor misplaced mercy?
"I understand," Jiang Huanyun said from the side, instantly grasping what needed to be done. Without another word, the three of them took their leave, while that Ji clansman would naturally be dealt with by others.
"Now it is certain that the two great factions are entwined deeper and deeper with the extraterrestrial heavenly demons. Even their ordinary clansmen possess that black blood, which poses a serious problem," Lu Yuan began, his expression turning exceedingly solemn. "I fought the Black Dragon before. The black blood grants them a unique ability. An ordinary cultivator would stand virtually no chance against them, even if one whole realm higher. More importantly, those who possess the black blood are extraordinarily difficult to kill."
There was no helping it; the stakes were simply too vast. When he clashed with the Black Dragon back then, had the beast not voluntarily expelled its black blood, it would have been impossible for him to slay it. That was precisely why the two great factions dared to take direct action against the extraterrestrial beings at this juncture: they had their own backing—the support of the extraterrestrial heavenly demons.
"Then what should we do next?" Jiang Huanyun felt somewhat at a loss as well. Anything concerning the extraterrestrial heavenly demons was beyond his ability to control. After all, even their own Domain Lord had been wounded when facing them at the same realm. Now, the two great factions appeared to have embraced the demons' power on a massive scale, leaving him truly uncertain of how to proceed.
"Dealing with the black blood is not entirely impossible," Lu Yuan said after a moment's reflection. "However, for now, we should hold our ground and see what the two factions are truly planning. In addition, I hope you will relay this news to Senior Taiyu."
During his prior battle with the Black Dragon, his own strength had been completely suppressed. Yet the moment the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token appeared, it completely obliterated the demonic power. Thus, Lu Yuan wondered whether combining the ancient token with destiny power could yield a method to counter the black blood—and it could not be limited to him alone. Otherwise, if an all-out war broke out in the future, he could never protect everyone by himself.
"Understood." Jiang Huanyun naturally raised no objection. Besides, at present, this was the only viable path. In truth, with the combined might of the Jiang clan and the Heavenly Court, curbing the two great factions was not out of reach. The crux of the matter was that they had no idea how far the Ji clan and the Eternal Clan had already gone. Moving against them directly would inevitably alert the enemy.
Without further discussion, they parted ways.
Lu Yuan returned directly to his chamber. Rather than entering seclusion, he chose to bring out the black blood. Wisps of an eerie, bizarre power radiated from it. Even when he opened his Martial Dao Heavenly Eye, he could not discern its true essence.
He experimented briefly, finding that when ordinary power came into contact with the black blood, his energy was actually suppressed. To subdue the black blood, one had to exert vastly greater and stronger force. In other words, only someone an entire realm higher could affect it. The confidence of the two factions' clansmen likely stemmed from this very advantage.
*This is merely black blood. If it were a true extraterrestrial heavenly demon, what would it be like?*
Lu Yuan's thoughts raced. His examination of the black blood was not only to find a countermeasure, but more importantly, to understand those extraterrestrial heavenly demons through it. From the very beginning until now, he had only learned of those entities through ancient records or the words passed down by predecessors; he had never encountered one face-to-face. An unknown enemy was the most terrifying, which was why he needed to understand them.
From the black blood, he gleaned a crucial piece of insight: those extraterrestrial heavenly demons possessed a power that inherently countered this world. No wonder figures like the Ancestral Dragon and Guangchengzi had carried such resolute determination in their final moments. Those were the peerless heroes of their respective eras, yet even they had displayed such a mindset, illustrating just how formidable the extraterrestrial heavenly demons truly were. Now, Lu Yuan understood part of the reason: this world seemed naturally countered by them.
*The next step is to find out what means and power can be used to combat the extraterrestrial heavenly demons.* Lu Yuan sank into deep contemplation. In truth, he had never regarded the Eternal Clan and the Ji clan as his ultimate adversaries. The only threat that instilled a genuine sense of crisis in him was the extraterrestrial heavenly demons, for they were an unknown foe. Furthermore, no matter how powerful the two factions were, they occupied only a single star domain, whereas those extraterrestrial enemies might encompass an entire world.
Lu Yuan had never liked waiting until problems were right in front of him before seeking solutions. That had been his guiding principle from the onset of the global upheaval to the present day. Thus, he had to devise a way to confront the extraterrestrial heavenly demons in advance! Only then would he be ready when the true Great Tribulation arrived.
Chapter 435