Ever since Lu Yuan learned that the power of extraterrestrial heavenly demons had begun manifesting on Earth, he had formed a general plan.
First, eliminate all external threats—namely, the two major factions. Most of the powerhouses from the Eternal Clan and the Ji clan had already been slain by his hand, leaving them incapable of stirring up any more trouble. With that concern laid to rest, the next step was to strengthen the Heavenly Court's might and foundation.
Empowered by the destiny power, many had broken through to the Immortal Realm and the Saint Realm, and that was merely the beginning. With that continuous blessing, the future cultivation and evolution of the Heavenly Court's ranks would only become easier. Of course, they still required time to adapt and transition, and on that front, Lu Yuan was in no hurry.
Now both of those objectives had been met.
The next step was to attend to another matter.
"Were you looking for me?"
Just as he was contemplating his next move, Jiang Ningxian ascended Jade Emperor Peak, a smile gracing her lips.
Lu Yuan nodded upon hearing her voice. "The power of extraterrestrial heavenly demons has begun surfacing across the famous mountains and great rivers. This is very likely a portent of their descent. First, we need to determine where it is most severe. If there is a way to delay their arrival on Earth, that would be ideal."
Though a catastrophe could rarely be averted, as the saying went, prevention was always better than cure. If they could indeed delay their descent—or perhaps stop it altogether—it would be a tremendous blessing for Earth's living beings.
"So you intend to tour the famous mountains and great rivers?" Jiang Ningxian understood his intent at once and said, "I'd like to accompany you on this trip."
Lu Yuan smiled at her offer. He could certainly investigate alone, but she hailed from the Jiang clan and was privy to many more ancient secrets. If they encountered anything baffling, he could ask for her insight.
"Then without further delay, let us set off now."
Lu Yuan rose without another word. Taking a step forward, he waved his hand, instantly tearing open a void passage. Neither hesitated as they stepped right inside.
Earth had expanded greatly, yet such distances were negligible to Lu Yuan. With his current strength, crossing the void was second nature.
Their first destination was Mount Longhu—the ancestral court of Daoism.
According to the information Lu Yuan had gathered earlier, this was the first place where the power of the extraterrestrial heavenly demons had emerged.
The moment Lu Yuan arrived, he sensed that familiar, uncanny force. Boundless black mist drifted through the mountains, rising straight toward the firmament in suffocating density. An ordinary mortal would never have been able to set foot here; in fact, even those in the Saint Realm had to tread with caution in the face of such bizarre power.
"There seem to be no living beings left on Mount Longhu," Jiang Ningxian observed after sensing the area, her brow furrowing tightly. She knew the place had become extraordinarily hazardous.
"That power appears to be altering some of the worldly rules here." Having comprehended the Heavenly Position laws, Lu Yuan could perceive everything with crystalline clarity, instantly grasping the purpose behind the extraterrestrial heavenly demons' manifestation: they were reshaping the surrounding world to make it suitable for their arrival.
He immediately stepped forward and channeled his Heavenly Position laws, attempting to purge the corrupting power. Yet to his surprise, he found he was unable to do so.
"It seems both the two factions and the extraterrestrial heavenly demons have been preparing for a long time," Lu Yuan remarked with a hint of regret. Being unable to stop it meant they could only react passively.
"Why not try the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token? Those two powers are mutually opposed," Jiang Ningxian suggested from beside him.
As long as a glimmer of hope remained, it was worth an attempt.
Lu Yuan nodded in agreement. Channeling his inner power, he activated the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token, directing its strength to suppress the demon energy. Yet the outcome remained the same; while the token's radiance caused the surrounding black mist to thin slightly, it failed to achieve the desired effect.
"Let's head inside and see what's going on," Lu Yuan said after a moment of thought.
The black mist was exceptionally dangerous to most, but both he and Jiang Ningxian possessed formidable strength and had little cause for concern.
Together, the two advanced into the depths of Mount Longhu.
Just as they had sensed from outside, no living creatures remained in this domain. Even the vegetation had withered completely, stained pitch-black and exuding the stillness of death. As they ventured deeper, the demon power grew steadily stronger, throwing the surrounding laws into chaotic disarray. Jiang Ningxian even noticed her own strength being hindered.
"It seems the extraterrestrial heavenly demons truly wish to remold this world to suit their nature," Jiang Ningxian said, her frown deepening. "In this environment, we are far too easily suppressed. If the rules across the entire universe were to be forcibly inverted, would the transcendent beings of this world be reduced to ordinary mortals?"
"Inverting the rules of the entire cosmos is no simple feat. If the extraterrestrial heavenly demons possessed that power, they would have acted long ago rather than waiting until now, and they wouldn't have targeted Earth alone," Lu Yuan replied, reassuring her that there was no need to worry just yet. The reason was quite simple: even reshaping a single world like Earth required prolonged scheming, and currently, they had only affected its famous mountains and great rivers—not the entire planet. What was that compared to the vast expanse of the cosmos?
Jiang Ningxian nodded upon hearing his words, finding them sound.
Soon, the two entered the heart of Mount Longhu. The sun in the sky had vanished, leaving only utter pitch-black darkness without a single ray of light. Yet to Lu Yuan and Jiang Ningxian, this posed no hindrance. They pressed forward steadily until they finally traced the origin of the black mist.
"It seems to be coming from the mountain ahead," Jiang Ningxian said, looking up at the towering, ten-thousand-zhang peak before them.
Plumes of black mist churned endlessly around the colossal mountain, carrying an overwhelmingly strange energy. Neither of them could perceive what lay inside with their divine senses, meaning they would have to delve deeper to uncover the truth.
"Allow me," Lu Yuan said calmly.
He stepped forward and reached out with an open hand, closing his grip.
In an instant, the ten-thousand-zhang mountain detonated, crumbling into fine powder. As the Furnace of Heaven and Earth manifested, the countless boulders were smelted away into nothingness. Just like that, the monumental peak vanished without a trace.
To Lu Yuan, such an act was effortless. In the cosmos, he could obliterate a star with equal ease.
And now, both of them could see clearly what lay beneath the shattered mountain.
Chapter 553