The members of the Celestial Clan had all thought they could survive, but as things stood, that was impossible. Killing intent had already risen from Lu Yuan.
Witnessing this, terror washed across their faces. Some among them even wanted to say something.
However, Lu Yuan was not going to give them any chances. Having already made his decision, there was no need to waste further time.
As for what thoughts ran through their minds, what did that have to do with him? Across the Thunderstrike Star Domain, on so many inhabited worlds, just how many had perished because of these people's betrayal and defection?
Thus, Lu Yuan bore no mental burden whatsoever. At this moment, terrifying surges of sword intent surfaced once more around the Daluo sword core in his hand, roaring outward without any concealment.
Then, facing every Celestial Clan member present, he swung his sword straight down. Everything that needed to be said had been said; everything that needed to be done had been done.
The Celestial Clan had not responded, nor did he need to wait for any reply.
Clang, clang, clang!
In an instant, sword intent surged rampantly.
A dreadful aura emerged, enshrouding the entire area. Lu Yuan seemed to remain a Creation Immortal on the surface, but he already wielded the strength and combat power of a Heavenly Position Immortal.
As for the Celestial Clan members, the strongest among them was merely a Creation Immortal. Beneath that sword strike, not a single person could withstand the force; within moments, shrill screams erupted.
As far as Lu Yuan's gaze could reach, no one survived—the disparity was simply too vast. Such a scene might have made him appear utterly bloodthirsty, yet in truth, they all received the retribution they deserved.
And so, before long, every trace of aura from the Celestial Clan members had vanished completely.
Not a single person was left alive. While Lu Yuan could not guarantee that he had eradicated every last Celestial Clansman, not one expert or true core figure remained. Everything had come to an end.
"It is time for me to return, assimilate that strand of Heavenly Position Laws, and attain the Heavenly Position Immortal realm." Lu Yuan did not dwell on the slaughter, turning his mind instead to his next step.
He now possessed the means to break through to Heavenly Position Immortal; all that remained was a matter of time. Not wanting to waste any of it, he turned and departed immediately after finishing the task at hand.
Throughout it all, the Extraterrestrial Demons never appeared. While the exact reason was unknown, one thing was certain: in the eyes of those entities, the Celestial Clan held little value. Otherwise, Lu Yuan could not have succeeded so easily.
Before long, within the Thunderstrike Mountain Range:
The place was now occupied by beings from various star domains. Having seized control of this area, they had established the upper hand.
What remained was to consolidate their gains and find a way to press on with their counterattack, ultimately slaying the Extraterrestrial Demons once and for all to end this crisis.
Everyone was brimming with confidence. For under Jiang Taiyu's summons, more and more beings were descending onto the Celestial Star. Their strength grew steadily; they needed only an opportunity to strike back against the Extraterrestrial Demons.
Meanwhile, under their father's guidance, Jiang Ningxian and Jiang Haokong were advancing toward the next realm.
Both were favored scions of heaven. In every respect, so long as they matured, they were bound to become true paragons, standing among the apex existences across the entire universe. The reason they appeared less remarkable at present came down to two factors:
First, the current situation was chaotic in the extreme, with powerhouse figures appearing from all sides and the Extraterrestrial Demons posing a grave existential threat. Second, both had spent an extended period by Lu Yuan's side; compared to him, almost anyone paled in comparison.
Even so, the two siblings remained among the most brilliant heavenly talents in the universe. After receiving Jiang Taiyu's guidance, both made fresh progress. Of course, directly reaching the level of Creation Immortal would still require some time.
"Father, I really don't think there's any rush," Jiang Haokong remarked. "Lu Yuan also spent a long time at Creation Immortal. I'm only one realm behind him, so it's not all that shameful."
Had it been the past, he would never have uttered such words, for his pride would not allow him to fall behind anyone. Now, however, things were completely different. He considered Lu Yuan being stronger than him as only natural. Besides, someone so monstrously powerful was merely one realm higher than him; so what if he was currently at the Grotto-Heaven Immortal realm?
Hearing this, Jiang Taiyu was rendered utterly speechless.
He knew his son's temperament—always fiercely competitive in everything. How had he turned out like this?
He could not help but glance at Jiang Ningxian beside him in bewilderment. She nodded with an understanding look, knowing that under Lu Yuan's repeated displays, her younger brother had long since accepted reality.
Just as Jiang Taiyu was about to say more, he suddenly sensed an aura drawing near, and delight flashed in his eyes. "Little Friend Lu has arrived."
At those words, Jiang Haokong, who had just been acting indifferent about his cultivation and evolution, froze instantly.
He knew full well that Lu Yuan had departed previously with the intention of breaking through to Heavenly Position Immortal. He had assumed it would take a prolonged period, so how was he back already? Could it be that he had made progress in just a few short days? Surely not?
Exchanging a glance with his elder sister, he hesitated no longer and stepped outside together with their father. Soon, the three met Lu Yuan as he arrived.
"How did it go?" Jiang Taiyu asked first. He cared deeply about Lu Yuan's growth—so much so that he forgot to probe with divine sense right away, or perhaps felt it discourteous to do so, and simply asked directly.
"I did gain something indeed. This time, I need to enter secluded cultivation properly to digest what I acquired," Lu Yuan nodded with a smile in his eyes. He had genuinely not expected things to proceed so quickly either. Although he had endured a life-and-death struggle, the battle had not taken long, allowing him to return swiftly.
As for what lay ahead, it was precisely as he had just said: enter seclusion, digest his insights, and seize the opportunity to break straight into the Heavenly Position Immortal realm.
"Good, wonderful!" Hearing this, a broad smile spread across Jiang Taiyu's face. He believed Lu Yuan would undoubtedly become an invaluable ally to him. The stronger this young man became, the better; perhaps in some future catastrophe, he might even have to rely on him.
Soon, however, Jiang Taiyu thought of something else and asked, "Right, what about the Celestial Clan Domain Lord? I can no longer sense his aura. Does that mean...?"
He naturally had his guesses, but wished to confirm it.
Hearing this, Lu Yuan paused slightly before speaking in a measured tone: "The Celestial Clan Domain Lord, as well as the entire Celestial Clan, has been eliminated by me. From now on, in our operations on the Celestial Star, we won't need to take the Celestial Clan into account!"
Chapter 507