The power of the Extraterrestrial Demons was truly bizarre, seemingly capable of influencing a person's mind and spirit. Even Lu Yuan had been unable to guard against it at first, nearly succumbing to its trickery.
Fortunately, within his mind resided the Ancient Bodhi Tree—the tree beneath which the Buddha had attained enlightenment, possessing all manner of unfathomable, miraculous powers.
In an instant, it snapped him back to lucidity, leaving him impervious to such influence. Lu Yuan also realized that in the midst of their fierce battle, his opponent had already been driven to a corner.
Otherwise, the demon would never have resorted to such a technique so readily; it was something used only when other options ran dry.
One could say that this kind of power was difficult to unleash even for an Extraterrestrial Demon, perhaps exacting some form of toll or price.
His deduction was well-founded. Had it been effortless to employ, the Extraterrestrial Demon before him would likely have unleashed it right from the beginning rather than waiting until now.
Thus came Lu Yuan's resolve. The moment he broke free of that corrupting force, he took a step forward.
The aura across his entire body surged once again, his battle intent soaring into the heavens. Almost in the next instant, he appeared right in front of the Extraterrestrial Demon.
"How is this possible? My power... has no effect on him?" Utter disbelief and shock colored the demon's voice at the sight.
Ever since arriving in the Xuanhuang Universe, this power of his had been virtually invincible. Even the powerhouses of the Celestial Clan, despite their formidable cultivations, had ultimately been powerless to resist it.
He knew all too well that his race relied primarily on this power to roam the various universes undying, and even to destroy entire worlds.
Yet now, it seemed to have no effect on the man standing before him. Stunned, he momentarily forgot to defend himself.
Lu Yuan seized this opening immediately. In the next breath, his fist slammed forward!
Rumble—! A colossal roar of thunder erupted once more.
The surrounding meteorites shattered instantly, exploding into blinding brilliance. The black mist that had previously blanketed the area was pierced through directly, beginning to dissipate.
The Extraterrestrial Demon retreated continuously, attempting to use his own power to neutralize Lu Yuan's assault. But Lu Yuan gave him no such opportunity. Closing in once again, his golden fists blazed with peerless divine radiance as he hammered forward, blow after blow.
Under this relentless onslaught, the black mist swirling around the demon began to grow thinner and thinner. By now, Lu Yuan could tell that the thick black fog enveloping the Extraterrestrial Demon was exceedingly peculiar.
It functioned as a form of defense; if he could not destroy it, defeating or slaying the Extraterrestrial Demon would be entirely out of the question.
Therefore, boundless might poured into every punch Lu Yuan threw. The terrifying pressure radiating from his strikes caused the surrounding stars to fracture repeatedly.
This clash was truly like something out of myth. Lu Yuan held nothing back, unleashing his strongest techniques with a singular goal: to vanquish his foe.
However, the black mist was extraordinarily resilient; even under his continuous bombardment, it dissipated only at a crawl.
Under the unrelenting barrage, the Extraterrestrial Demon finally recovered his wits. Rallying the power within his body to resist, the two collided once more, fist against fist.
The fierce clash raged on. Though the Extraterrestrial Demon appeared to have fallen into a disadvantage, defeating him still seemed a long way off.
Down below, Jiang Ningxian and the others watched with rising shock. This was the first time they had ever seen anyone hold out against Lu Yuan for so long.
In their experience, whenever Lu Yuan made a move, victory came almost swiftly. It never mattered who the opponent was, how renowned they were, or how overwhelmingly powerful they seemed.
Even when facing opponents an entire realm higher, the outcome had never changed. Yet now, the Extraterrestrial Demon was holding his ground.
Even while at a disadvantage, the demon held on. Jiang Ningxian and Jiang Haokong could both see that Lu Yuan had brought forth the absolute pinnacle of his current power, yet breaking through the demon's defense remained an uphill battle.
"Are the Extraterrestrial Demons truly so formidable?" Jiang Haokong's expression turned grim. He had expected them to be troublesome, but never imagined it would reach such a degree.
He knew Lu Yuan's strength intimately—it was nothing short of terrifying. Yet against this single Extraterrestrial Demon—the very first one they had encountered—the battle had dragged on this long. If it were him stepping forward, Jiang Haokong was certain he could fight, but defeat would be inevitable.
Even perishing would not be out of the question. Not to mention the Jiang clansmen beside him, whose faces all paled as they watched the battle.
So this was an Extraterrestrial Demon. If they were the ones up there, only death awaited them. Fortunately, Lu Yuan was leading them this time.
Even so, anxiety gnawed at everyone's hearts. At this point, none of them could be certain how the battle would unfold.
Boom—! Another thunderous roar shook the starry sky. Lightning ran rampant, and stars burst apart. A single punch from Lu Yuan felt capable of crushing the entire galaxy.
Opposite him, no matter how formidable the Extraterrestrial Demon was, the sheer ferocity of Lu Yuan's assault finally whittled down the black haze clinging to his body. The intimidating aura radiating from within him also began to weaken.
In short, Lu Yuan's offensive was finally bearing fruit.
"This bastard..." The Extraterrestrial Demon struggled to hold on, his heart awash with shock. He had never anticipated running into someone so monstrously strong.
Now, he could barely mount a defense and could hardly maintain the mist. Letting out a fierce roar, he forced the black haze across his body to surge wildly once again, blotting out the heavens and the sun as if preparing to swallow the entire universe whole.
At this moment, Lu Yuan sensed a wisp of danger. Golden vital energy surged forth ceaselessly around him to counter the mist, determined to suppress that malevolent power.
Thud! Thud! Thud! The starry river trembled violently.
Finally, at a certain point, the power Lu Yuan unleashed completely obliterated every last trace of the black mist.
Though the surrounding celestial bodies had dimmed considerably, Lu Yuan's aura and battle intent were fiercer than ever. Standing tall in the void, he looked like a pillar supporting heaven and earth.
Yet he paid none of that any mind, fixing his gaze intently on the distance. With all the black mist thoroughly erased, the Extraterrestrial Demon could no longer conceal his true form.
Lu Yuan was intensely curious to see what such an entity truly looked like.
Down below, Jiang Ningxian, Jiang Haokong, and the others harbored the exact same thought. What would an existence regarded as a mortal enemy look like?
Hideous? Evil? A demonic monstrosity?
Such thoughts crossed everyone's minds. Soon, all the blinding radiance receded, and Lu Yuan, along with everyone below, caught a clear view of the Extraterrestrial Demon's appearance!
Chapter 476