Countless stars began to recede behind them. Neither Lu Yuan nor Jiang Ningxian found this unusual. Even so, they knew that tearing through space just once could not possibly bring them directly to Earth; it would take some time. Still, as long as they drew closer, they wouldn't be too far away.
As they stepped into the void passage, Jiang Ningxian spoke up, her expression turning solemn. "I wonder if the two great factions have already made a move against Earth. Could the people of the Heavenly Court be in danger? I hope that by the time we arrive, nothing has started yet."
Beside her, Lu Yuan did not dwell on it too much. He merely gazed calmly at the receding starry sky. "It would be best if nothing has happened. Otherwise..."
As he said this, an intense killing intent instantly flared in his eyes. A terrifying aura surged from his body without the slightest restraint.
No matter what, Earth was his homeland. If the two great factions truly set their sights on it and brought disaster upon it, Lu Yuan would never hold back. There would be only war. In any case, deep-seated enmity had already been forged between him, the Eternal Clan, and the Ji clan, leaving them basically locked in a fight to the death. Under such circumstances, battle was inevitable. Under normal conditions, Lu Yuan would not create needless slaughter. But if they moved against Earth, he would show no mercy.
Jiang Ningxian understood Lu Yuan's thoughts very clearly. During her time on Earth, she had established good relations with many in the Heavenly Court, often discussing cultivation with the likes of Zhu Qingyu and Ice Fairy. However, she did not say this out loud.
The two vanished into the void passage. Upon reaching a destination, space was torn open once again. Repeating this cycle, they steadily drew nearer to Earth.
***
Earth. Mount Tai, the Heavenly Court.
The Eternal Warship had descended completely, radiating layer upon layer of formidable pressure. The sheer weight of its terrifying might had already crushed parts of the mountains and earth below.
Although the supreme experts aboard the warship had not chosen to descend in person, it was enough to strike terror into every living being across Earth.
Ever since the Eternal Clan and Ji clan commanded the surrendered beings of various star sectors to act against Earth and the Heavenly Court, incidents had continually erupted across various regions, beginning with famous mountains and great rivers.
The Heavenly Court could afford to disregard those at first. But as time went on, and more and more beings submitted to the two great factions, trouble began reaching the five super cities as well.
"The five super cities have all suffered varying degrees of harassment, and people in remote areas have even met disaster. Our forces are insufficient to cover everywhere."
Ice Fairy delivered the latest news, her expression grim and her eyes filled with immense anger.
After all, not everyone had relocated to the super cities. Some people insisted on staying in their hometowns, while others were Awakened who ventured abroad seeking adventure and further breakthroughs. The extraterrestrial beings had preyed upon such individuals, constantly launching attacks and causing steady casualties.
Ice Fairy was furious over this, and the trouble around the five super cities only added to her anger. In her eyes, this was an outright provocation.
Now that the enemy was pressing at their doorstep, the Heavenly Court was finding it difficult to cope.
Zhu Qingyu spoke up, pausing in thought before adding, "What we can do now is only what lies within our power. As for everywhere else, it is beyond our reach."
She truly wanted to protect everyone, but the difficulty was simply too great. Even if the Heavenly Court's current foundation were to double, it would still remain impossible.
Zhu Qingyu was no longer as youthful and inexperienced as before; she carried a powerful presence now. In handling various affairs, she had become proficient and at ease. Even knowing she could not resolve everything for the time being, she maintained her composure. By now, she had essentially become the leading figure of the Heavenly Court.
Indeed, since King Lu had entrusted Earth and the safety of its people to them, they had to do everything in their power to protect everyone. Therefore, as previously stated, they needed to concentrate their strength to safeguard the greatest number of people. The five super cities held the largest population and naturally received the strongest protection, so nothing would happen to them for now.
"We don't have much strength to spare," Zhu Qingyu said. "The five super cities are our primary focus for protection; there must be no mistakes. In short, things can go wrong anywhere else, but the ordinary populace cannot come to harm."
Soon, Zhu Qingyu issued orders to pull back their forces further into the five super cities. At the same time, she mobilized a contingent of heavenly soldiers and generals from Mount Tai to deploy there directly, accompanied by members of the Jiang clan. To this end, they had previously appealed to Jiang Huanyun, having him lay down defensive formations outside the five super cities. In addition, Spirit Monkey, the Golden-Winged Great Peng, and the Peacock King were tasked with rallying all the exotic beasts to keep watch for any unusual movements.
In summary, the Heavenly Court had deployed its most formidable strength to safeguard the safety of all citizens, and the facts proved they had done well. Even with beings from various star sectors making moves, no catastrophic threat had materialized yet—and this was without taking the offensive. Those beings lacked the courage to attack the populace directly, but they posed an immense threat nonetheless.
Even so, this stability held only because the Heavenly Court continually dispatched personnel; otherwise, things would have been far worse.
Nearby, Little Heavenly Master Chunyang spoke up, his tone serious and solemn. Because of his Daoist cultivation, he was usually gentle, but now he said gravely:
"I fear that sooner or later, a day will come when we can no longer hold out. The reason is simple: as the old saying goes, a thief may plot for a thousand days, but who can guard against a thief for a thousand days? When that time comes, we may not be able to stop them at all. Furthermore, the people of the two great factions are watching us like hawks from above. The key issue is: what if the forces of the Eternal Clan and the Ji clan suddenly launch a surprise attack?"
Ice Fairy understood his meaning and couldn't help letting out a sigh. If it were merely the other extraterrestrial beings, it wouldn't matter much.
"That's true. But I worry that if this continues..."
"Indeed. But even if we can't hold them back when the time comes, don't they still have to go through us? In any case, no harm can come to the five super cities. Since King Lu entrusted the Heavenly Court and the people to us, we cannot let him down."
Hearing these words, the core members of the Heavenly Court nodded one after another. Certain things simply had to run their course.
Chapter 534