In the past, no matter what kind of opponent he faced, and even if the enemy was an entire realm higher, Lu Yuan had always firmly held the upper hand in the opening exchange thanks to his profound foundation.
Now, however, he had fallen into a disadvantage right from the start. This was truly the first time he had ever experienced such a thing.
Even so, Lu Yuan's expression did not waver. Instead, he looked at the Extraterrestrial Demon before him and murmured softly, "Interesting."
With that, immense combat power surged from his body, and his golden vital energy churned violently.
Roaring forth incessantly like molten magma, it cast an overwhelming aura across the surroundings. In the next instant, he struck once more.
Lu Yuan had originally departed Earth for the cosmos specifically to find opponents worthy of an all-out clash.
Above all, he sought life-and-death battles, for only through them could he break through to the next realm more swiftly. The Extraterrestrial Demon before him was beginning to meet those requirements. Of course, whether the creature could truly force him to go all out would only become clear as the battle progressed.
Seeing this, the demon was also somewhat astonished. He knew well that his power possessed an immense suppressive effect against the creatures of this world.
Therefore, even at a lower rank, he could still maintain the upper hand. Yet the youth before him showed no fear; instead, his fighting spirit had only been stoked.
"Then let me see just how much you can do," the Extraterrestrial Demon said, and in a flash, he attacked as well, gloomy mist boiling around him.
He collided head-on with Lu Yuan. A thunderous boom resounded in the next instant, shaking the earth violently, and the volcanoes below immediately erupted.
The might of the two was simply too terrifying. Unleashed now without restraint, it proved far too much for this planet to bear.
Because ninety-nine percent of the living beings here had been sacrificed, the cosmic laws protecting the world had also grown exceedingly feeble.
*The battlefield must be moved to outer space,* Lu Yuan resolved inwardly. He had saved a portion of the inhabitants; if the battle continued here, the entire world would shatter.
When that happened, everything they had accomplished would be in vain. He could not allow this planet to be completely torn apart.
With this resolve, facing the Extraterrestrial Demon before him, he circulated his internal vital energy, seized the opportune moment, and unleashed a shattering punch.
*Boom!* Seeing the blow incoming, the demon immediately raised his guard. Yet the force behind it was overwhelmingly immense. In just an instant, he took the brunt of the strike and was knocked flying straight into outer space.
"Wait here," Lu Yuan instructed Jiang Ningxian and the others. In a single flash, he too appeared in the cosmos. Giving his foe no time to recover, he unleashed the full majesty of his aura.
By now, the Extraterrestrial Demon was thoroughly enraged, and the dark mist enveloping him churned with increasing fury. The two clashed directly in combat, devoid of any flamboyant flourishes.
It was a sheer contest of raw, all-out might. Boom, boom, boom! Fists battered against fists. Every punch they threw caused the surrounding stars to tremble and flicker between radiance and shadow.
Smaller meteorites could not withstand the shockwaves at all, disintegrating in midair like fireworks. Eventually, Lu Yuan raised a hand, hauled an entire star straight through the void, and hurled it down upon his opponent.
Not to be outdone, the Extraterrestrial Demon unleashed a billowing black haze as if intending to devour the entire universe, engulfing, swallowing, and annihilating the massive star in its entirety.
In a brief span of time, over a hundred stars were obliterated in their clash. Such was a battle above the Immortal Realm—given the will, it could reduce even a small star system to ruin. Fortunately, those astral bodies were devoid of life, allowing Lu Yuan to fight without hesitation.
As the battle dragged on, his golden vital energy grew ever more intense. It directly blanketed the starry river, submerging the surrounding cosmos in a vast ocean of gold.
It confronted and contested the black mist in fierce opposition. Down below, Jiang Ningxian and her companions were left dazed by the sight, having already gauged the scale of the carnage.
Were they to step onto that battlefield, they would instantly face mortal peril. This duel had already far exceeded the bounds of what a Grotto-Heaven Immortal could achieve.
Even a Creation Immortal could not match it.
"Is this power already drawing close to the Heavenly Position Immortal realm?" Jiang Haokong muttered to himself, feeling more acutely than ever that the gulf between himself and Lu Yuan was widening.
At the same time, he was deeply shaken by the Extraterrestrial Demon's prowess. To think that the very first one they encountered was already this formidable, nearing the realm of a Heavenly Position Immortal!
What if they descended en masse?
Jiang Haokong felt he finally understood why the ancient Human Sovereigns, Heavenly Emperors, and sages had faced the Extraterrestrial Demons with such solemnity, even steeling themselves for certain death. Such beings were truly far too formidable.
*Rumble!* Across the starry river, as the two collided once more, countless bolts of lightning erupted alongside fissures tearing through the void.
Lu Yuan's battle intent grew increasingly fierce with every exchange. At this moment, he had not drawn upon his destiny power, relying solely on his own strength.
The reason was simple. Although that destiny power had the effect of suppressing Extraterrestrial Demons, relying on it would defeat the original purpose of his journey. Fighting with everything he had was the true path, the only way he could comprehend a higher level of cultivation through this crucible.
As for the Extraterrestrial Demon, he was no longer as calm and composed as before. The black mist enveloping him had dimmed considerably, and his power was beginning to wane.
At the same time, he was astounded by the sheer might of the man before him.
*How can this be?*
*The very first opponent I encounter in the Xuanhuang Universe is this powerful?*
His thoughts mirrored Jiang Haokong's. Within his own universe, the Xuanhuang Universe was considered somewhat troublesome among the many cosmic worlds, boasting a few immovable beings, but the vast majority of its dwellers were relatively weak and easily dealt with.
Yet now, the very first person he met was this terrifying. He had already estimated his own strength: strictly speaking, he was virtually on par with a Heavenly Position Immortal.
He stood at the absolute pinnacle of power in the Xuanhuang Universe.
Yet here he was, unable to suppress a single man. Worse still, he had actually fallen into a disadvantage. How was that possible?
Without hesitation, he once again stimulated the power within his body—a unique energy belonging to another world. He sought to completely swallow the golden vital energy before him and corrupt the man behind it.
In an instant, endless black mist surged forth. Unlike before, this fog seemed to possess a life of its own.
Every star it touched was instantly plunged into a deathly black silence, undergoing an eerie transformation.
Even Lu Yuan sensed the power within his own body being thoroughly suppressed beneath the influence of that black fog. A suffocating, violent impulse erupted in his mind, driving him to destroy everything in sight.
*Buzz, buzz, buzz!* Right at that moment, the Ancient Bodhi Tree radiated brilliant light, and the innate spirit opened its eyes.
A wave of cool, pure energy swept through his entire body, snapping him out of that state. At the same time, an unprecedented fighting spirit blazed fiercely in his eyes!
Chapter 475