The Ji Clan Domain Lord and the Eternal Domain Lord both wore solemn expressions.
In their eyes, they had no choice but to take action now; the stakes were simply too high. As previously said, the two had already risked everything, staking everything on the extraterrestrial heavenly demons. If anything went awry, the ensuing backlash would be impossible to endure. Even though they had not yet fully adapted to the power of the Quasi-Sovereign realm, they could no longer afford to care about that. Besides, having already broken through, even if they could not exert their full power, a careful thought told them that in today's Xuanhuang Universe, there was likely no one who could stand against them.
No matter what, the two had directly attained a realm that no one in this universe had reached in ages.
Surpassing the Immortal Realm—a Quasi-Sovereign held overwhelming dominance over anyone at the Supreme Immortal level.
Thus, without another thought, the two took a step forward and departed.
They were also well aware that during the time they spent traveling, more extraterrestrial heavenly demons would continuously descend upon Earth. Naturally, whether truly formidable beings—such as those surpassing the Supreme Immortal realm—would appear remained to be seen, as certain preparations were not yet fully in place. By taking action now, they were essentially ensuring that the plan proceeded smoothly.
In the next moment, their silhouettes vanished in an instant.
It was easy to foresee that before long, a true war would erupt.
The Eternal Domain Lord and the Ji Clan Domain Lord understood that the Heaven-Forsaken Clan would soon launch a full-scale invasion, and the balance of power across the entire Xuanhuang Universe would be overturned.
And this was merely their first step toward reigning over this world.
***
Earth. Mount Tai, Jade Emperor Peak.
Ever since returning from Mount Longhu, Zhu Qingyu and the others had been contemplating that great battle, analyzing the methods of the extraterrestrial heavenly demons based on the way the thirteen demons had fought.
Their progress was quite good.
Naturally, they knew what the crucial point was: a unique power ran through the bloodline of the extraterrestrial heavenly demons that could suppress their methods. However, with the blessing of destiny within their own bodies, they seemed capable of disregarding it. Ultimately, they concluded that while those beings were certainly formidable, they were not invincible, just as Lu Yuan had said, provided one found the right approach.
Even so, the most important thing was still their own strength, which needed to keep improving. Only then, when the great war truly erupted, could they genuinely defeat them.
Afterward, Zhu Qingyu and the others shared their findings with Lu Yuan.
Upon hearing this, he was quite pleased. In truth, his goal had not been for them to figure out exactly what the extraterrestrial heavenly demons were or what abilities they possessed, but rather to instill confidence in everyone, freeing them from fear and stoking their will to fight. Now that this initial goal had been accomplished, he felt somewhat relieved.
Lu Yuan then instructed them to share their findings with every member of the Heavenly Court.
After all, everyone knew that the extraterrestrial heavenly demons were about to descend and that they would soon face a great war, and the unknown enemy was always the most terrifying. Lu Yuan knew full well that the members of the Heavenly Court felt uncertain and apprehensive. What they needed now was to build confidence in everyone.
Understanding his intention, Zhu Qingyu and the others immediately went to carry it out.
Having handled all this, Lu Yuan felt slightly more at ease, but only slightly.
Although they had won a decisive victory in the battle against the extraterrestrial heavenly demons, it was merely the first step. When the full catastrophe arrived, could he truly protect everyone? Probably not.
Unless, in this intervening time, he could directly become a Human Sovereign Heavenly Emperor.
Indeed, even reaching the Supreme Immortal realm would be of limited use, allowing him to do only a little more. Once the truly powerful beings among the extraterrestrial heavenly demons descended, he would certainly be no match for them.
Before long, Jiang Ningxian arrived as well. The moment she laid eyes on Lu Yuan, she knew what was on his mind.
By now, the two had grown close enough that she chose to speak candidly. "Are you still worried about the descent of the extraterrestrial heavenly demons?"
Facing Jiang Ningxian, Lu Yuan had no qualms about being honest, so he nodded. "Yes."
No matter how one looked at it, Earth's current strength was simply too weak. Even though Jiang Huanyun had already been dispatched into outer space to notify the powerhouses of the various star domains, in reality, a direct comparison still showed them falling short against the extraterrestrial heavenly demons. Even without having seen them in full force, one could deduce from various signs that this enemy surpassed anything they had faced before.
"If only the Heavenly Court's strength could rise another level—if someone could break through into the Grotto-Heaven Immortal realm, or even the Creation Immortal realm, and if all the heavenly soldiers and generals could grow even a bit stronger—that would be much better," Lu Yuan said. He knew that relying on top powerhouses alone could never protect everyone. What mattered most was that the members of the Heavenly Court possessed the ability to protect themselves.
Yet he knew all too well that time was simply too short; there was no way to achieve that.
"I think," Jiang Ningxian said, though she had no real solution either, wishing only to comfort him, "no matter what we face next, doing our best is enough."
As she spoke, she could not help taking his hand. "At the same time, I am willing to walk alongside you all the way, even if the final outcome isn't good."
Their relationship had indeed become different from before, and they no longer danced around certain feelings when speaking.
Lu Yuan understood that she was trying to comfort him, and a smile surfaced on his face. Thinking too much now served no purpose anyway; what truly mattered was when the Great Tribulation actually arrived.
After that, neither of them spoke, choosing to gaze quietly into the distance.
After a while, Jiang Ningxian left.
As for Lu Yuan, he chose to continue cultivating. Although doing so was of little help at his realm, he had no other recourse. Even if he could only improve by a fraction, it was still worthwhile; Lu Yuan understood this thoroughly.
During this period, he also continued to bestow the blessing of destiny upon members of the Heavenly Court according to their individual circumstances. In truth, many had already reached their limits, so what he could do was confined to a select few. If the blessing of destiny exceeded what a person could withstand, it would backfire. Were it not for that, with Lu Yuan's current capabilities and the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token within him, he could have produced another large batch of experts. Unfortunately, he did not want to force their growth like pulling up seedlings. Even with a great war looming ahead, he was unwilling to sacrifice their future paths.
Such was Lu Yuan's mindset. Thus, after bestowing a portion of destiny, he stopped and focused on his own cultivation.
Time trickled by.
Another half-month passed.
And on this day, a major piece of news suddenly arrived.
Chapter 566