Indeed, it was unmistakably the same planet, yet the vistas it presented were entirely different—as though it had been violently split in two, creating a profoundly jarring contrast.
"Is the portion shrouded in black mist the work of the Extraterrestrial Demons?" Jiang Ningxian asked Lu Yuan beside her, unable to be certain.
Lu Yuan nodded in confirmation and said, "Yes. That region has been thoroughly corrupted by that power. Moreover, their power is terrifyingly potent. Do not underestimate it simply because it appears to afflict only a single planet.
"Celestial Star is the very core of the Thunderstrike Star Domain, as well as its most extraordinary domain.
"So my guess is that if the entire planet is consumed, the entire star domain will fall into crisis as well." This was what Lu Yuan deduced, based on what he had perceived through the power of destiny.
Even so, he had not anticipated that the situation would deteriorate to this extent. Weren't formidable experts like Jiang Taiyu stationed here?
With their immense prowess, were they truly incapable of standing against those Extraterrestrial Demons? Doubts lingered in his mind.
"Come, let us meet my father first," Jiang Haokong spoke up. He had already sensed where his father was.
His father was located in the untainted region. If they wished to learn what had truly happened on Celestial Star and throughout the Thunderstrike Star Domain, they had to rendezvous first.
Lu Yuan naturally had no objection. Stepping forward, he led the group directly onto Celestial Star.
Celestial Star was boundless and vast. Sprawling mountain ranges and immense rivers stretched endlessly, resembling an amplified version of Earth.
Furthermore, it was akin to Earth after its great upheaval—every peak rose tens of thousands of meters high, and every river was as vast as an ocean, stretching beyond the horizon.
In the sky, several dozen suns shone brightly, radiating scorching heat. Even so, after feeling it for a moment, Lu Yuan realized that this planet remained suitable for ordinary living beings.
It made sense. Even in an extraordinary world of cultivation, there would always be mortals who started out just like the vast majority of living beings across the cosmos.
Naturally, this did not exclude those born inherently powerful, such as the Celestial Clan and several other races.
Yet since they all lived within the same universe, the fundamental conditions were mostly similar.
"It's just up ahead," Jiang Haokong spoke again, pointing forward. There stood a magnificent hall that looked as if sculpted from pure crystal. A closer look revealed arcs of lightning coiling around it, accentuating its extraordinary grandeur.
Although it seemed close, there was still quite a distance to cover; it only appeared easily reachable because everyone present was in the Immortal Realm.
For ordinary beings, even aboard the fastest craft on Earth, it would take months of travel to arrive.
The vastness of the cosmos was truly beyond imagination. Soon, the group drew near and felt several domineering auras.
Before long, figures flew out from the hall. Leading them was a young man. Behind him were beings that appeared to belong to various other races—some colossal in stature, some bearing no human semblance at all, and others possessing the body of a lion and the face of a man. In short, they were remarkably diverse.
Nonetheless, these beings were essentially at or above the Immortal Realm, including the youth at the front.
"Divine Son, Saintess!" the young leader called out, excitement shining in his eyes as he approached.
Without hesitation, he bowed deeply and said, "The Domain Lord told us you would be coming, but I never imagined it would be true—and so soon!"
Hearing this, Jiang Haokong smiled. "I didn't expect it either, though we ran into some trouble along the way. Ah, right, allow me to introduce you. This is Lu Yuan." He had intended to ask about other matters, but suddenly remembered that introductions were still in order.
The Jiang clan members beside them were familiar, but Lu Yuan was the crucial figure.
"That King Lu?" The youth's eyes immediately brightened upon hearing the name, and he bowed deeply once more. "Jiang Feiyi, Second Sequence of the Jiang Clan, greets King Lu!"
As he spoke, he lowered himself even further than before, his voice brimming with utmost respect.
This elicited a puzzled look from Lu Yuan, who could not help asking, "You know me?"
"Far more than just knowing you!
"The renown of King Lu, Lord of the Heavenly Court of the Milky Way Star Sector, has long spread throughout the entire cosmos!" the surrounding beings chimed in one after another. Though not of human form, they all showed profound reverence toward Lu Yuan.
It was just as they said. Even though Lu Yuan had never ventured beyond Earth until recently, the feats he had accomplished were staggering. He had slain several Divine Son-level figures, and even many older-generation powerhouses had fallen at his hands.
For example, word had already spread far and wide when he utilized the Severance of Heaven and Earth to shake immortal beings.
Afterward, news of the Ji clan and the Eternal Clan repeatedly suffering setbacks because of him continued to surface. Thus, in the eyes of countless beings, Lu Yuan's immense power and formidable reputation had long been deeply etched into their minds.
He was simply unaware of it himself. Listening to their explanations, Lu Yuan could only shake his head with a wry smile.
Still, he did not dwell on the matter, as there was no need.
"Feiyi, where is my father?" Jiang Haokong spoke up again. Everyone urgently needed to understand the current situation.
Clearly, meeting Jiang Taiyu was the best course of action.
"After telling us to welcome you, he left immediately," Jiang Feiyi answered. "We received word that Extraterrestrial Demons intend to seize one of Celestial Star's famous mountains. It is said that a terrifying entity is accompanying them this time. Fearing that something might go wrong, the Domain Lord took a group and set off straight away."
"Does a single famous mountain truly require Father to intervene in person?" Jiang Ningxian asked, her voice filled with confusion.
The other Jiang clan members beside them nodded repeatedly, equally mystified.
"It's just as well—allow me to explain," Jiang Feiyi said, understanding that the Divine Son and Saintess had just arrived and knew very little, especially regarding the Extraterrestrial Demons.
Following his explanation, Lu Yuan and the others gradually came to understand.
The Extraterrestrial Demons possessed a unique power capable of corroding the source power of this world. However, no matter how powerful they were, it was impossible for them to wage war against the entire cosmos directly, so they had devised a specific strategy.
Throughout history, the great mountains and rivers of any planet formed its most essential components, functioning as the conduits of heaven and earth. The Extraterrestrial Demons were using their power to corrupt those very conduits.
Once completed, they could use their power to utterly reshape a domain of heaven and earth. Accordingly, Celestial Star was the core and most critical land of the Thunderstrike Star Domain.
If Celestial Star fell, the entire star domain would be thrown into crisis. This aligned closely with Lu Yuan's earlier assessment.
The present reality was that half of Celestial Star's mountains and rivers had already been corrupted, turning that entire half into what was essentially a land of death.
Any living creature within that half was forcibly subjected to the power of the Extraterrestrial Demons. The weak would eventually be reduced to mindless fiends driven only by slaughter.
To ensure the Thunderstrike Star Domain did not collapse, Jiang Taiyu and the others had no choice but to contest every famous mountain and great river against the Extraterrestrial Demons!
Chapter 479