If a Heavenly Position Immortal were to make a move, none could match them except beings of the Domain Lord level. Even Lu Yuan, at best, could only hold his ground against one.
He could not defeat them, let alone slay them. Once one reached the Immortal Realm, the gulf between realms—in both power and every other aspect—became immense, far beyond what mere tricks and techniques could bridge.
Thus, almost everyone believed that despite Lu Yuan demonstrating extraordinarily formidable combat strength—utterly crushing anyone in the same realm—he still fell far short when compared to a Heavenly Position Immortal. The disparity in cultivation realm was simply too vast. Therefore, no matter what, the other side should never have chosen to vanish outright at a time like this.
This move left nearly everyone dumbfounded. Nobody could comprehend the reason behind it. That, of course, included Lu Yuan himself; he was truly baffled as well.
The foundation of the two major factions was plain to see: multiple beings at the Heavenly Position Immortal level! Yet now, they had chosen to depart directly, without the slightest prior sign.
Under any other circumstances, this would have been nearly impossible. But now, the reality sat right before them, leaving them no choice but to believe it.
Originally, Lu Yuan had chosen to strike and forcefully slay those people not only to glean information regarding the extraterrestrial heavenly demons, but also to enrage the two factions and rob them of their composure.
Once they lost their composure, the choices they made would naturally differ from before, creating openings he could seize upon.
From there, he could learn more about their plans and the matters surrounding the extraterrestrial heavenly demons—perhaps even use the opportunity to locate the two Domain Lords.
Yet what he had never expected was that the Eternal Warship would simply bear the people of both factions away, vanishing entirely. By now, rumors were already circulating that the Ji clan and the Eternal Clan had truly witnessed Lu Yuan's might and no longer wished to make an enemy of him. Thus, they had chosen to concede, believing he would sooner or later grow into a supreme powerhouse of the cosmos.
Under such circumstances, even two colossal factions would ultimately have no choice but to cease their hostility. Otherwise, how else could one explain it?
This explanation gained widespread traction. Many believed that Lu Yuan had fully matured, striking a sliver of dread into the hearts of the two factions.
Yet Lu Yuan himself felt no pride in this, nor did he share such an assumption. One had to understand that both the Ji clan and the Eternal Clan had attained their standing among the top ten star sectors eons ago. Their profound heritage and sheer number of powerhouses were beyond imagination.
That was precisely why they had stood tall in the cosmos for countless years without falling; their raw strength spoke for itself. It was not something ordinary people could fathom, much less shake.
Otherwise, how could they have earned their renown as forces of the top ten star sectors? Furthermore, there was another crucial point: the Ji clan.
Among their ancestors was one who had become a Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor! True, Lu Yuan was indeed vastly different from before.
Yet what of that? Before such colossi, he had at best stirred up a few ripples. Even if they found him difficult to deal with, expecting it to force two major factions to back down and depart was utterly out of the question. Ultimately, Lu Yuan was certain that their departure was definitely not so simple.
This matter had also brought Jiang Ningxian and the others over. Their thoughts mirrored his own; they all felt something was amiss.
At the very least, it was not a retreat prompted by recent events. The Jiang clan naturally understood the two factions intimately; their foundation and power were undeniable.
How could they concede just because they had suffered a few setbacks and lost a handful of people? One had to remember that back then, the Eternal Clan had gone to war over mere divine metals. And as for the Ji clan, descendants of a Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor, retreating without a fight was distinctly contrary to their nature.
"The Eternal Warship was crafted by the Eternal Clan at astronomical expense," Jiang Huanyun said. "When they left, it was utterly impossible for us to determine their destination, let alone what they intend to do." They naturally had scouts beyond the sector monitoring the two factions, instructed to transmit word the instant the enemy made a move. Yet this time, they had detected nothing.
A touch of self-reproach laced his tone.
"It is not your fault; this happened far too suddenly," Lu Yuan said, not taking it to heart. Even with scouts keeping watch, the enemies were Heavenly Position Immortals.
Unless an expert of matching rank was present, watching them depart yielded virtually no useful intelligence.
Besides, the two factions' actions this time had truly come without warning; no one could be blamed.
"They are currently executing a certain plan," Jiang Ningxian began, something dawning on her as a tremor crossed her eyes. "Logically speaking, after we disrupted it, they should have been even more incensed—perhaps even attacking us directly. Their current reaction defies all reason, unless..."
"Unless their plan has already succeeded," Lu Yuan picked up slowly, "and can proceed smoothly, merely requiring some preparations that won't disrupt what follows."
His words instantly froze everyone present, for they, too, grasped the implication.
Just as she had said, had their plan truly been thwarted, they would have reacted. After all, the two factions' scheme concerned the extraterrestrial heavenly demons—a matter of paramount importance.
Yet now, they showed hardly any reaction at all. Instead, they had simply departed. It was abnormal in the extreme.
"So you mean to say the two factions are already capable of summoning the extraterrestrial heavenly demons?" Jiang Haokong came to his senses and spoke up once more. "But didn't you estimate earlier that the descent would take place in the Milky Way Star Sector? Why would they leave then?" He had kept this firmly in mind all along, which was why he had led the Heavenly Court forces in seizing famous mountains and great rivers—all to prevent the two factions' scheme from succeeding and halt the demons' arrival. If that were the case, the powerhouses of the two factions had no reason to leave at all.
"Perhaps there was a flaw in my earlier conjecture," Lu Yuan said. He could not guarantee that every decision and deduction of his was correct.
Just like now, the sudden departure of the two factions had thoroughly upended his previous assumptions.
"Now is not the time to dwell on that; we must inform my father immediately," Jiang Ningxian said. She knew that if the extraterrestrial heavenly demons were not descending upon Earth, they could arrive in virtually any corner of the cosmos.
Under these circumstances, they had to deliver word so that the Jiang clan and others could prepare. Otherwise, a catastrophic crisis could easily unfold. Yet the crux of the problem lay in one fact: the cosmos was far too vast. Even beings at the Domain Lord level could hardly scour every single corner.
Thus, even if they sent word, they would remain in a passive position. A heavy silence fell over the gathered crowd as their eyes turned toward Lu Yuan.
Chapter 454