No one could have foreseen such an outcome.
The two great factions had effectively committed the full depth of their power.
A total of four Heavenly Position Immortals.
Moreover, there were multiple Creation Immortals and Grotto-Heaven Immortals.
Such foundations and might, against any region outside the top ten star sectors, were practically enough to sweep across all the major races of the universe without meeting the slightest resistance.
Even the top one hundred star sectors would have posed no obstacle. The reason was simple: in some star sectors, Creation Immortals were already the supreme beings, and Heavenly Position Immortals were entirely beyond imagination.
Yet the two factions had dispatched four of them. Under the weight of such terrifying power, who could possibly stand their ground?
More importantly, their target was the Heavenly Court, which had only risen quite recently.
Its growth rate was indeed astounding, but the problem was that its foundations were far too shallow. Among Immortal Realm beings, it had only gained the Jiang clan, and its Saint Realm cultivators were not especially numerous either. Compared to some of the top one hundred star sectors, it was certainly formidable, yet a clear disparity remained.
Therefore, when the two factions made their move, nearly everyone believed the Heavenly Court was doomed to be wiped out without any unforeseen turns.
Who could have guessed that at the critical juncture, Lu Yuan would descend bearing an aura of invincibility?
Even then, the onlookers' views had not changed. No matter how powerful a single person was, there were limits. Lu Yuan could indeed be called an expert, but compared to Heavenly Position Immortals, he was surely outmatched.
Yet what was the final result? All four Heavenly Position Immortals had been completely slain. Not one survived. Body and soul alike, each had been obliterated clean away until nothing remained.
Even revival was utterly impossible. Such terrifying methods stunned everyone present.
They all knew very well that the current Lu Yuan had almost certainly attained the Heavenly Position Immortal Realm.
A Heavenly Position Immortal—an existence second only to the supreme Domain Lords!
In other words, so long as no Supreme Immortal intervened, Lu Yuan was virtually invincible.
Moreover, they had witnessed the battle from start to finish. In the Heavenly Position Immortal Realm, slaying an opponent of the same level was inherently an extraordinarily difficult task. Yet Lu Yuan had done so, and with considerable ease. What did that signify? It meant his combat prowess had reached a horrifying height—perhaps even rivaling that of a Supreme Immortal.
Of course, this was merely speculation among those present. No one knew just how strong a Supreme Immortal truly was, for a war between Supreme Immortals had not erupted in ages. Even the recent clash had taken place at the cosmic frontier between Jiang Taiyu and the masters of the two great factions.
Yet without question, the Lu Yuan of today was no longer the rising star they once took him to be; even the words "peerless genius" could no longer describe him. He had truly grown up and become an expert—one among the very strongest.
Thus, some beings began to ponder whether it would have been far better if they had chosen to aid the Heavenly Court at that critical moment.
Regrettably, time could not be turned back.
At this moment, having wrapped up everything, Lu Yuan walked straight down from the Eternal Warship.
He glanced at the crowd and instructed, "This Eternal Warship is quite decent. Forged from rare divine metals, it took a great deal of the Eternal Clan's painstaking effort, so we will keep it. In the future, when our Heavenly Court marches into the universe, this will be our weapon. Have someone take charge of it."
Truth be told, Lu Yuan knew that the Heavenly Court's foundations were still too weak and its strength insufficient. This Eternal Warship was genuinely exceptional. If used properly, even a group of Saint Realm cultivators operating it could counter powerful Immortal Realm experts. If pushed to its full potential, it could even give a Heavenly Position Immortal a headache.
Therefore, taking it into the Heavenly Court to serve as a formidable weapon and bolster their foundation was a sound move. It had been delivered right to their doorstep anyway, and there was no reason to refuse a free gift.
Nearby, when the extraterrestrial beings heard this, wry expressions crossed their faces.
*Good heavens. He even dares to seize the Eternal Clan's property.*
Yet before long, they realized it was only natural. After all, he had killed their people; why would he fear taking an Eternal Warship?
"Understood, King Lu!" Young Celestial Master Chunyang and Monk Huikong quickly recovered and immediately dispatched men to handle it. As a vessel forged by the Eternal Clan, the Eternal Warship naturally contained many esoteric secrets. It still bore the marks left by the Eternal Clan to prevent outsiders from using it. However, Lu Yuan had already erased them directly with the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token, leaving the vessel masterless.
"Elder Ji, Elder Yun, I arrived late."
Lu Yuan descended to the top of Jade Emperor Peak and bowed slightly.
No matter how strong he was now or in the future, one thing would never change: they were his elders.
Seeing Lu Yuan approach, Elder Yun and Elder Ji wore expressions of deep emotion and relief.
"No matter, no matter. It is enough that you came—enough that you came!"
For the two of them, their greatest lifelong wish was to protect the common people as much as possible, along with the younger generation. When the two factions struck, Elder Yun and Elder Ji had practically staked their lives. Yet in the end, Lu Yuan's return had resolved every crisis, filling them with gratified excitement.
Looking back, entrusting everything to him had undeniably been the right choice.
Lu Yuan nodded upon hearing their words, then turned his gaze toward Ice Fairy, Zhu Qingyu, and the others, a smile gracing his face. "You all did very well too. At the most critical moment, none of you backed down. I am very pleased."
He had never expected the people before him to resolve everything on their own in such a crisis. What mattered was not losing the courage to resist. They had stood forward, and at that pivotal hour, they had kept the common people in mind.
In that regard, he was truly gratified.
As for resolving the crisis, that required strength. And Lu Yuan knew very well that given enough time, it would not be difficult for them.
"Thank you, King Lu." Hearing his praise, Zhu Qingyu and the others bowed at once. In their hearts, they felt they had merely done what was expected of them.
Next, Lu Yuan looked toward the beings from the various races who had stepped forward at that crucial moment. "I have seen all that you did. From this day forth, the Heavenly Court is also willing to stand together with you all against future crises."
The meaning behind these words was simple: from now on, they were allies of the Heavenly Court.
Upon hearing this, the experts of those races beamed with delight.
One had to realize that before this, aside from the Jiang clan, the Heavenly Court had remained unmoved by anyone's overtures and practically had no allies. Now, with Lu Yuan's personal statement, everything was different.
Besides, after today, they were well aware of just how powerful the Lord of the Heavenly Court was. In the future, he was bound to become a Supreme Immortal—perhaps even transcend the Immortal Realm itself. What would it mean to have such a figure as an ally?
Chapter 548