Previously, Lu Yuan had assumed that dealing with the extraterrestrial heavenly demons would be a gradual affair. Those beings would descend upon this world one after another, throwing sector after sector into turmoil, just as had occurred on Celestial Star. In other words, the struggle against the extraterrestrial heavenly demons would be a war of attrition.
Only whoever held out until the bitter end—or until a truly invincible being emerged—could bring everything to a close.
That was bound to be a drawn-out process, and he had long since prepared himself to wage that war. But circumstances were different now. The recent events and everything he had witnessed along the way gave Lu Yuan a very different impression, leading him to realize something that had been true from the start: the target of the two major factions and the extraterrestrial heavenly demons had likely been Earth all along, while the crises elsewhere were merely misdirection.
Thus, he understood completely that the true decisive battle would be fought on Earth.
Naturally, Lu Yuan knew what was worrying the people around him.
Earth, and indeed the entire Milky Way Star Sector, had grown to a formidable degree in a remarkably short span of time. It had even caught up to some well-established top one hundred star sectors. Yet, as before, time was simply too short. Given another few centuries, the Milky Way Star Sector might well have entered the ranks of the top ten star sectors. Whether in terms of top-tier powerhouses, the backbone forces, or foundational depth, it could have attained an exceptional standing.
When that time came, no matter what kind of adversary they faced, there would be no need for excessive worry, as they would possess the might to confront almost anything.
Right now, however, they were still plagued by inherent deficiencies. Once a devastating war broke out, vast numbers of ordinary mortals would undoubtedly be endangered, and every single soul might be staring death in the face.
After all, the enemies they faced were not from other star sectors, but entities from an entirely different world.
Beings hailing from the same universe would not push things to utter annihilation. Extraterrestrial heavenly demons, however, were fundamentally different; they acted without the slightest compunction. Even the universe as a whole would face such ruthlessness.
Yet this could not be avoided.
The logic was straightforward.
The plans of the Eternal Clan and the Ji clan had already succeeded, and the aura of the extraterrestrial heavenly demons had begun surfacing across Earth's famous mountains and great rivers. Clearly, no one could halt this development—not even the descent of a Supreme Immortal. All they could do was confront it.
Lu Yuan's current thinking was equally simple: those creatures would inevitably require time to descend. During that window, they had to amass as much strength as possible, including spreading the word across all corners of the starry cosmos. If reinforcements from more experts could be secured, their situation would be considerably better.
Regardless of what came to pass, everyone now had to accept a harsh reality: a great war against the extraterrestrial heavenly demons was upon them.
Without delay, Lu Yuan shared his thoughts and plans with everyone present. Some represented the Jiang clan, while others were core members of the Heavenly Court. Ultimately, when it came to facing great extraterrestrial foes in the future, these individuals were the most trustworthy forces at hand.
"King Lu, we understand everything you've said. Rest assured, whatever the future holds, we will face it together to the very end."
Zhu Qingyu stood up, her expression resolute.
Beside her, Ice Fairy, Junior Celestial Master Chunyang, and the rest wore the same determined look. They had stood together in the past, and now, led by King Lu, none of them harbored the slightest hesitation.
Hearing this, Lu Yuan offered an immediate smile. After a moment of thought, he spoke once more. "Very well. Qingyu, from now on, you will oversee all decisions within the Heavenly Court. There is no need to report every minor matter to me; you have full authority to handle them."
After observing her for some time, he knew that Zhu Qingyu was exceptionally capable in many regards. Moreover, by his perception, the first person within the Heavenly Court likely to break through into the Immortal Realm would be her.
Even so, Lu Yuan had found it somewhat curious that Zhu Qingyu was not the most talented among the Heavenly Court's core members. Why she had managed this feat was unclear, but he did not dwell on it. In the realm of cultivation and evolution, innate talent did not dictate everything. Given her thorough and circumspect mind, he believed she was well-suited to handle all affairs.
Hearing his decree, Zhu Qingyu hesitated at first, but ultimately said nothing further, simply nodding her assent.
After Lu Yuan added a few more instructions, he dismissed the gathering.
Before long, only three people remained atop Jade Emperor Peak: Jiang Ningxian, Jiang Huanyun, and Lu Yuan himself.
"Are you confident in dealing with the extraterrestrial heavenly demons?" Jiang Huanyun was the first to speak. He no longer acted with the air of an elder. More importantly, knowing that extraterrestrial heavenly demons presaged a catastrophe, he was particularly concerned.
"I will do everything within my power."
Lu Yuan pondered for a moment before continuing, "Senior, I must trouble you with a matter. The teleportation platforms around the Milky Way Star Sector have now been completely destroyed. Spreading word into the starry sky will be exceedingly difficult, so I need you to make the journey yourself."
Had this been earlier, he would not have made such a choice, for the simple reason that extraterrestrial heavenly demons had been watching covetously. Venturing into the starry cosmos would have been perilous in the extreme, and any misstep could invite catastrophe. But things were different now. The enemy was clearly targeting Earth and the Milky Way Star Sector, making the outer regions of the starry sky comparatively safer.
Thus, Lu Yuan asked him to head out into the starry domain to spread the news and request reinforcements.
After all, he understood very well that relying on his strength alone to resolve such a crisis was likely impossible. He needed the assistance of more powerhouses to have any hope of protecting more people.
"I understand what you mean. Leave it to me."
Jiang Huanyun had already entertained that thought, so upon hearing the request, he did not hesitate in the slightest. Furthermore, believing that time was of the essence, he chose to depart immediately for the cosmos after briefing them on several current developments regarding Earth. As for the other clansmen, now that Jiang Ningxian had returned, they would naturally be fine.
"To think the situation has deteriorated to this point," Jiang Ningxian murmured, watching his departing figure before sinking into contemplation. "You have wiped out the upper echelons of both the Ji clan and the Eternal Clan. Those two factions will never let this rest. In particular, their two Domain Lords will likely appear before long. I wonder what realm those two have reached by now... It will surely be dangerous."
Her expression was profoundly solemn. Back then, her father had suffered a bitter loss and sustained injuries when clashing with those two. Naturally, she worried about what Lu Yuan would do if both Domain Lords came after him.
In particular, according to her father, those two had gone into seclusion and might well be on the verge of surpassing the Supreme Immortal realm.
Her words were laced with deep concern for Lu Yuan. Yet upon hearing her warnings, he merely let out a light laugh, seeming not to take it entirely to heart. Things had reached this juncture; further worry was futile. Only battle remained!
Chapter 550