The extraterrestrial heavenly demons had been regarded by the ancients as formidable foes. Yet from start to finish, Lu Yuan had never encountered one in person. Even so, that did not prevent him from preparing in advance.
Take the black blood before him, for example. Through it, Lu Yuan had begun to grasp a portion of the extraterrestrial heavenly demons' power.
It completely countered this world, but having cultivated to his current realm, he understood the principle of mutual generation and restraint among all things.
Even if the realm beyond was entirely different from this universe, that law would never change under any circumstances.
Therefore, when he saw that it required an increasing amount of power merely to suppress the black blood, Lu Yuan knew that brute force would not do. If things continued like this, what would happen if all the extraterrestrial heavenly demons descended upon this world?
When that time came, perhaps only the powerful could escape disaster, while the vast majority would meet utter ruin.
Just as had been said before, what Lu Yuan had to face this time was not merely a single star field, but the entire world.
After pondering for a moment, he immediately channeled the destiny power from the Investiture Decree and brought it into contact with the black blood.
*Buzz, buzz, buzz—*
In the next instant, a distinct aura surged forth. Lu Yuan watched as the black blood shuddered violently. The previous suppressive effect vanished entirely.
In its place, the destiny power was steadily grinding away and obliterating its strength.
"Not only can the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token suppress the black blood, but destiny power works as well?" Seeing this, a flicker of curiosity appeared in Lu Yuan's eyes, though another thought quickly crossed his mind.
Perhaps the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token and destiny power were fundamentally the same power all along, merely manifested in different forms.
Otherwise, why would possessing the ancient token allow him to wield destiny power in the first place? Of course, none of that mattered much for now. What truly mattered was that there was finally a way to resolve the black blood.
Resolving the black blood meant having a way to deal with the extraterrestrial heavenly demons. And to achieve that, destiny power was an absolute necessity.
"It is said that the Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor performed great meritorious deeds for this world. Could it be because of this?" Lu Yuan suddenly realized something. Figures of that caliber were truly invincible beings in every sense.
The legends surrounding the Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor certainly did not endure merely because of their immense strength, but because of what they had achieved.
Yet what was it that had allowed their memory to remain forever etched in people's hearts? Previously, Lu Yuan could not say for sure. But now...
He seemed to understand. Only the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token could command destiny power, and that artifact was intimately tied to the Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor.
Did that mean that during a certain era, the ancient Heavenly Court was established specifically to combat the extraterrestrial heavenly demons?
The more Lu Yuan thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. In that case, could everything he was currently doing also count as preparation?
He had bestowed abundant destiny upon the members of the Heavenly Court. With this power bolstering them, the forces of the Heavenly Court would surely have an easier time dealing with beings from beyond compared to other extraterrestrial beings.
"So every single piece is connected," Lu Yuan mused. From the earliest ancient wars, to the sages and heroic paragons who paid with their lives to fight the extraterrestrial heavenly demons, down to the legends of the Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor—he had gradually begun to piece everything together.
Throughout past eras, this universe had suffered invasions by beings from beyond on more than one occasion. Sages and paragons had thrown themselves into the fray wave upon wave, choosing to fight to protect heaven and earth.
Terrifying wars had erupted then, staining the earth red with blood, and countless lives were lost. In the end, however, it was the Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor who brought an end to the calamity.
Because there had been more than one such supreme entity.
As for the events of those distant, ancient times, Lu Yuan did not truly know the full details. Yet after all his experiences and reaching his current realm, he had managed to deduce a great deal from everything that had transpired.
Because of this, he could also be said to have understood the true purpose of the Heavenly Court. And while Lu Yuan was lost in thought, that single drop of extraterrestrial heavenly demon black blood before him was utterly obliterated by the destiny power.
Thus, to counter those entities, one had to rely on the power of the Heavenly Court moving forward. At the very least, one's name had to be inscribed upon the Investiture Decree.
The matter of bestowing titles and investitures had to be accelerated. However, Lu Yuan was well aware that relying solely on his current subordinates to weather the great catastrophe was simply impossible.
More and stronger personnel were needed. After all, beyond the extraterrestrial heavenly demons, there were also the clansmen of the two great factions. Setting aside their overall foundations and strength, their sheer numbers alone were immense.
Naturally, an idea had already formed in his mind: to bring the people of the Jiang clan into the Investiture Decree as well.
Lu Yuan had not considered this before simply because it was a personal secret. But now, Jiang Ningxian knew about the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token, and the Master of the Jiang clan was aware of it as well.
Under these circumstances, there was no longer any need to conceal it. Still, as for the specifics of how to proceed, he would first need to discuss it with them.
Without lingering on it further, Lu Yuan closed his eyes. He continued adapting to the state of a Creation Immortal while exploring various applications of destiny power and the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token.
Only in this way would it be possible to be fully prepared when the true Great Tribulation arrived. Time flowed by, bit by bit.
In the meantime, aside from acclimatizing to his current realm, Lu Yuan sought out Jiang Ningxian and shared his thoughts with her.
Everything was meant to counter the extraterrestrial heavenly demons. Furthermore, the clansmen of the two great factions had likely all acquired that black blood.
If a conflict truly broke out and fighting began, it would certainly prove troublesome. Only by employing destiny power could they deal with it effectively.
Jiang Ningxian naturally understood the gravity of the situation and said she would inform her father to hear his thoughts.
The news on Earth would be sent out alongside this. Although she did not know the exact state of affairs extraterrestrially, the situation here was constantly shifting. The two great factions continued to move against beings of all clans, forcing them to join their alliance, causing their power and influence to expand continuously. No one knew what the two factions ultimately intended to do, but it was certainly no simple matter.
Upon receiving word of this, the other top-ten clans found it quite strange. Even so, the Eternal Clan and the Ji clan were now completely allied.
Even if they sensed something amiss or harbored grievances, they would not rashly choose to intervene. Doing so would mean pitting themselves against two factions comparable to their own, so anyone would have to weigh their options carefully.
As for the Heavenly Court and the Jiang clan, they remained just as before, making no moves whatsoever. So long as no one intruded upon Mount Tai and the five super cities, they would take no action.
Originally, the beings of the various major clans had resented the current actions of the two great factions. They had all hoped to see how Lu Yuan and the Jiang clan would react, thinking that if a clash erupted, they would gladly enjoy the relief of not being targeted themselves.
Yet contrary to their expectations, this was the outcome, leaving them completely baffled.
Weren't the two sides completely irreconcilable, like fire and water? Why did they now seem to lack even the slightest interest in sparing a glance?
Chapter 436