At first, the Celestial Clan had chosen submission solely because they believed the power of the Extraterrestrial Demons could benefit them and elevate their entire clan to a higher plane.
The Celestial Clan harbored vast ambitions. They had no desire to merely remain within the top hundred star sectors; they wanted to become one of the top ten star sectors, or even one of the supreme rulers of this universe. After all, what meaning was there in remaining eternally beneath others?
Furthermore, they possessed an Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token of their own. Knowing that such an object was left behind by supreme powerhouses like the Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor and harbored inscrutable power, the Celestial Clan Domain Lord and the numerous elders had all reasoned similarly.
Under such circumstances, if they initially submitted to the Extraterrestrial Demons and then bided their time until they grew sufficiently powerful, they might use the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token to completely turn the tables.
When that day came, they would bow to no one. Nor would they ever again have to follow the Ji clan's lead as they had in the past.
In the eyes of the Celestial Clan, this was their chance. For this, what did it matter if they were branded traitors?
Even if it meant making enemies of all the clans across the universe, what of it? As long as they could become powerful and achieve a complete ascent, nothing else mattered.
Yet now, following the battle in the Lei Ji Mountain Range, and after receiving news that the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token had mysteriously vanished...
The expressions of the Celestial Clan Domain Lord and the surrounding elders shifted drastically. During that battle, numerous elites of their clan had already been directly slain.
The entire Celestial Clan had suffered a severe blow, and a rift had even formed between them and the Extraterrestrial Demons. Most of their hope had rested upon the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token, but now, even that had vanished.
Did this not mean that all hope was gone?
"No, it cannot end like this."
"We paid such an enormous price—is the final outcome simply to lose everything?" the Celestial Clan Domain Lord said, his eyes filled with rancor. "No, under no circumstances will I accept such an end!"
Matters had already come to this. They had betrayed the entire Xuanhuang Universe and were regarded as enemies by both the Jiang clan and the Maha Clan. If this continued, there would likely be no place left in the world for the Celestial Clan to exist.
As for the Extraterrestrial Demons? He had never placed any genuine hope in such beings. The reason was exceedingly simple: they were outsiders, after all.
The Celestial Clan Domain Lord had merely intended to use them as a stepping stone and had never trusted them. In other words, the Celestial Clan had managed to alienate both sides.
He had never anticipated such an outcome, nor had any of the elders present. What they needed to do now was find a way to turn the situation around.
Yet the problem remained: what could they do? Return to the Extraterrestrial Demons?
The elders stood speechless, their spirits thoroughly deflated.
The current predicament was something they had never imagined possible.
Rumble!
Right at that moment, a tremendous roar echoed from the vault of heaven.
The Celestial Clan members present lifted their heads at once, their expressions shifting slightly. A powerful aura was descending slowly from above.
Everyone was stunned, bewildered by what was happening. From that aura, they could clearly tell it did not belong to an Extraterrestrial Demon.
What was going on?
Just as the Celestial Clan was gripped by doubt, the void above the firmament tore open. A figure stepped forth from the rift—a young man.
He was shrouded in golden blood vitality. Merely standing there, he exuded an immense, stifling pressure. The newcomer was naturally Lu Yuan.
"It's him?"
The Celestial Clan recognized him instantly, their expressions shaken. In the earlier battle in the Lei Ji Mountain Range, they had initially held the upper hand, standing firm against the allied clans. Yet it was precisely the arrival of this person, who had slaughtered many of the Celestial Clan's elites, that had turned the tide. One could say that their current plight was largely his doing.
"We haven't even sought you out yet, and you dare show yourself!" a Celestial Clan expert barked, his voice laden with fury and murderous intent.
Without another word, he stepped forward, appearing directly before Lu Yuan. Hesitating not for an instant, his aura erupted violently, crackling with arcs of black lightning.
Just as he believed, the Celestial Clan's dire circumstances were caused by the person before him. Yet Lu Yuan's expression did not change in the slightest; he merely struck out with a casual palm.
In an instant, the Celestial Clan expert was thrown back at breakneck speed. Half his body blew apart directly, spraying fresh blood across the firmament.
His cultivation was at the Creation Immortal realm, but compared to Lu Yuan, he was far too weak to matter. The moment they clashed, he was utterly defeated and gravely wounded.
Moreover, from beginning to end, Lu Yuan had not even deployed his full strength. In his eyes, the man before him could not even be called an opponent.
Furthermore, ever since his arrival, his gaze had remained fixed entirely upon the Celestial Clan Domain Lord. His intention could not have been clearer.
"He came for me," the Celestial Clan Domain Lord murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly. His black wings beat unceasingly, churning with the power of wind and lightning.
He did not know who this person was. Inwardly, however, he could already sense that although Lu Yuan appeared young, he was exceptionally formidable.
Without utmost caution, disaster could strike. Furthermore, the youth had clearly come with the intention of fighting him.
He then glanced at his kinsmen beside him and said, "All of you stay back and watch for now. Leave this to me."
The clansmen around him were Grotto-Heaven Immortals and Creation Immortals, but without exception, none were a match for the person before them.
If they joined in, it would amount to throwing away their lives for nothing. The clansmen truly could not intervene in what was to come.
A battle at the Heavenly Position Immortal level was not something ordinary people could endure. Having said this, the Celestial Clan Domain Lord's gaze hardened.
With a slight flap of his wings, he appeared directly across from Lu Yuan.
"I can see that you are strong, but you have not yet reached the Heavenly Position Immortal realm. While I admire your fighting spirit, I must say that since you have delivered yourself to my doorstep today, you shall not leave," the Celestial Clan Domain Lord declared. To him, whatever purpose the youth had in coming here was irrelevant.
What mattered was that this person's arrival presented an opportunity—an opportunity to avenge his fallen kinsmen.
After all, without having attained the Heavenly Position Immortal realm, no matter how extraordinary one's combat strength might be, crossing that threshold to fight was impossible.
As it happened, troubles had mounted relentlessly of late, leaving a towering wave of resentment festering within his chest with nowhere to vent.
In the eyes of the Celestial Clan Domain Lord, Lu Yuan's appearance was nothing short of seeking death. In the next instant, his aura erupted in full force.
The power of wind and lightning surged violently, as though about to tear the firmament asunder.
Chapter 500