The fall of a Domain Lord would undoubtedly trigger an immense earthquake throughout the cosmos, drawing the attention of virtually everyone and prompting them to take precautions.
The extraterrestrial heavenly demons had certainly anticipated this as well. Yet they had done it anyway, showing they were not worried about the repercussions and that further moves would follow.
Moreover, according to Lu Yuan's deductions, those moves would not be long in coming and would unfold in rapid succession. That was why he felt that everything was only just beginning.
At this thought, Lu Yuan's expression grew solemn. Still, he knew that regardless of what lay ahead, he could only do as he had told himself: meet troops with generals, and stem the flood with earth.
At a critical juncture like this, all they could do was wait for the other side to make the first move. For now, Lu Yuan's only hope was that the extraterrestrial heavenly demons would not descend en masse anytime soon. If a being beyond the Supreme Immortal realm appeared, the situation would become unimaginably perilous and thorny.
In this cosmos, no one was a match for such an entity—not even himself. He had considered whether he could take another step forward and break into the Supreme Immortal realm, but he also understood that it was unrealistic. The reason was simple: he had only just broken through to the Heavenly Position Immortal realm, and even that had taken a substantial amount of time.
Ascending another level would certainly not be easy, especially since it was the pinnacle of the immortal path. Before long, the group said no more on the matter. Mo Gang departed immediately to gather further information.
As for Jiang Taiyu, he exerted his own methods and prepared to collect intelligence from across the cosmos.
He knew full well that now that the extraterrestrial heavenly demons had struck, they would not stop. What lay ahead would be a series of even thornier crises; in short, peaceful days were over.
All they could do now was find a way to maintain stability across the cosmos while simultaneously figuring out how to deal with the extraterrestrial heavenly demons and the two factions that had yet to show themselves.
The only thing capable of accomplishing this was strength. Indeed—sheer, overwhelming power. Thinking of this gave Jiang Taiyu an intense headache.
He understood his own strength and limits all too well. Reaching the Supreme Immortal realm in this lifetime was already an extraordinary feat; any hopes of taking another step forward were exceedingly slim.
Previously, he had always believed that even if he could not defeat the extraterrestrial heavenly demons with this power, he could at least maintain the cosmos's stability. But looking at things now, that was simply impossible. After all, even the Domain Lord of the Maha Clan had fallen. What would happen if those entities targeted him instead?
Could he escape such a fate? Jiang Taiyu did not know, though he understood it would be immensely difficult. If so, what could he possibly do when even stronger extraterrestrial heavenly demons descended?
Thus, a being surpassing the pinnacle of immortality had to be nurtured before they could truly confront this crisis in any meaningful sense.
He could not achieve it, and neither could most people in this cosmos. Yet Jiang Taiyu still believed there was hope. At this moment, he fixed his gaze upon Lu Yuan.
After a brief period of silent contemplation, he made a swift decision. Jiang Taiyu spoke up, "Little Friend Lu, in order to cope with the coming crisis, I would like to invite you to the Desolate Flame Star Domain."
At these words, Lu Yuan froze in surprise and could not help but ask, "Senior, does my going to the Desolate Flame Star Domain have anything to do with confronting the crisis?"
He had originally assumed he would remain on Celestial Star for the time being, waiting for intelligence to arrive from all sides before devising a way to deal with the extraterrestrial heavenly demons. Why should he leave, and to the Desolate Flame Star Domain—the Jiang clan's stronghold—no less?
Naturally, he understood that Jiang Taiyu would not make such a suggestion without a reason, so he waited for him to elaborate.
"As you know, my Jiang clan are the descendants of the Heavenly Emperor and Human Sovereign, and we possess our own ancestral heritage," Jiang Taiyu said calmly. "The most crucial piece of that heritage was left behind by our ancestor, and we have never once utilized it.
"This is because our ancestor left a final instruction stating that this item could only be unsealed under specific, extraordinary circumstances.
"Now, the entire cosmos is on the brink of disaster. I have been wondering whether this qualifies as such an occasion." Jiang Taiyu continued in an even tone, "Therefore, I would like you to journey to the Desolate Flame Star Domain, to what is now the Jiang clan's ancestral star, and unseal that item."
Although he did not explicitly state what it was, anything left behind by the Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor had to be of supreme importance.
Furthermore, Lu Yuan read between the lines. The heritage was kept within the Jiang clan, yet they had never used it—or rather, they had been unable to. Otherwise, they would not have brought it up only now and asked him to go try his hand at it.
He did not answer immediately, instead glancing at the siblings, Jiang Ningxian and Jiang Haokong, beside him. The two of them had wide eyes, visibly shocked.
Neither of them spoke or voiced an opinion at first. In the end, Jiang Ningxian looked at Lu Yuan and gave a slow nod, indicating that she thought he should go.
Seeing this, Lu Yuan hesitated no longer and replied directly, "Alright, I'll go."
Since even Jiang Ningxian agreed, there was no problem. Besides, he genuinely wanted to know what kind of heritage had been left behind by the Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor—a legacy treated with such solemn gravity even by someone of Jiang Taiyu's stature.
On top of that, Lu Yuan truly wanted to see the Desolate Flame Star Domain for himself. After leaving his origins, he had always intended to explore the major star domains anyway.
"Good. If there are no other matters, we can set out right now." Jiang Taiyu seemed reluctant to waste any time. The reason was simple: no one knew when the extraterrestrial heavenly demons or the other two factions would make their next move, nor what kind of catastrophe it would bring. The sooner, the better.
Even Lu Yuan was somewhat taken aback by the urgency. Upon closer thought, however, he realized the haste was entirely justified. Besides, the issues on Celestial Star had already been settled, so he was free to leave.
"Father, let me come with you," Jiang Ningxian spoke up at that moment.
Jiang Taiyu considered it for a brief moment before nodding in agreement. He deemed it necessary, and he could also tell that the dynamic between his daughter and Lu Yuan was indeed unusual.
As a father, granting his daughter's wish and giving the two more time together was natural enough. With that in mind, he turned to his son and said sternly, "Don't even think about it. Stay on Celestial Star. Soon, several clan elders will arrive; stay by their side for now. Understood?"
Even a Domain Lord at the Supreme Immortal realm had moments of favoritism. His tone and expression when speaking to his son were exceptionally stern, though the words were fundamentally meant to protect him, especially given that he had explicitly arranged for elders of the clan to watch over him.
Jiang Haokong opened his mouth to protest, but in the end found himself speechless. Weary and defeated, he simply nodded in acquiescence.
Chapter 514