Thus, the moment Lu Yuan finished speaking, most of the extraterrestrial beings present abandoned any thought of contesting him.
Everyone knew that if this man did not strike, all was still, but the instant he did, thunderous fury would inevitably follow. Facing him might cost them their lives, let alone allow them to seize the great era providence.
Yet some remained recalcitrant, thinking they might make a move when the time came. In their eyes, this was their only chance to alter their destiny. Great era providence was a supreme fortune in the truest sense. Who could easily let it slip through their fingers, even knowing it carried mortal peril? Of course, none of them dared speak up or step forward right now.
As for Lu Yuan, he paid no heed to what the crowd thought. What needed to be said had already been stated in advance; whatever choice they made next was entirely on them.
Standing in the heavens, he turned his gaze back to the distant, colossal peak from which purple qi was continuously gushing. Inside, the great era providence continued to gestate, having now reached a certain critical threshold. It could emerge at any moment, and that was what truly demanded his attention.
Lu Yuan understood all too well that regardless of what was said now, there would always be those desperate enough to take reckless gambles. To prevent the situation from slipping out of hand, he needed to suppress everything decisively at the critical juncture.
Time ticked away, and the purple halo in the sky grew ever denser.
Rumble!
After an unknown interval, a sudden roar erupted. Everyone felt a surge of immense, inexplicable power brewing. At the same time, the colossal mountain began to tremble. Surging waves of potent might and rippling auras spread across the entire sky.
Boom!
The next instant, the mountain peak detonated.
A tremendous force reverberated as beams of purple radiance surged forth. Looking closely, one could see they were actually purple dragons. Counting them revealed as many as ninety-nine. The central dragon was a thousand meters long. If not for the total absence of any aura of life, one would have mistaken it for a True Dragon.
"Great era providence! That is the great era providence—it has finally emerged!"
"To think there are ninety-nine of them!"
"Let's make a move! Even claiming a single wisp would be enough!"
Down below, the extraterrestrial beings who had previously chosen to give up felt their ambitions reignited upon seeing this spectacle. True, they could refrain from fighting for the greatest portion of the fortune, but what about the remaining ninety-eight lesser strands of great era providence? Surely they stood a chance at those.
Instantly, one extraterrestrial being after another erupted with their auras. Formidable power rippled outward, shaking the earth. Everyone prepared to strike. Even obtaining a single wisp would hold tremendous significance for them.
Yet before they could act, Lu Yuan suddenly took a step forward across the sky.
Rumble!
Heaven and earth roared. An unprecedented, overwhelming pressure descended, bearing down on everything. A terrifying aura surged forward, making every soul present feel as though an immemorial divine mountain had crashed onto their shoulders. It left them utterly breathless. Paleness washed over their faces, and both their bodies and souls trembled uncontrollably.
Looking up at Lu Yuan, they saw his surging blood vitality expand across the sky, dyeing the firmament in gold and crimson. It was precisely this immense blood vitality that smothered them into helplessness.
At the same time, the ninety-nine strands of great era providence were confined by this overwhelming power, entirely unable to break free.
Seeing this, everyone froze in place.
Not far away aboard the Eternal Warship, the Heavenly Court's forces and Jiang Ningxian remained silent. Having arrived with such grandeur, they certainly had no intention of leaving empty-handed. Meanwhile, Zhu Qingyu and the others issued orders for everyone to take their positions and channel the power within the Eternal Warship. The moment the command fell, they would strike without hesitation against the beings below. The great era providence was too crucial, demanding utmost vigilance.
As Lu Yuan released his overwhelming might and locked down the ninety-nine strands of great era providence, he did not rush to take them into his possession. Instead, he looked down and spoke in a calm, soft voice: "All of the great era providence shall belong to my Heavenly Court. If you wish to fight for it, you are welcome to try. Of course, I will show no mercy when the time comes."
His tone was identical to before, devoid of emotional fluctuation. Yet the calmer he was, the heavier the oppressive weight pressed upon them.
Everyone knew this was no joke. If they truly dared to act, he would never spare them.
On one side lay the great era providence, and on the other, the threat of death. The extraterrestrial beings present understood clearly what choice had to be made. More importantly, as had been realized before, even if they risked their lives to compete, could they actually win? They knew the probability was nonexistent; the disparity in strength was simply too vast. In this realm, Lu Yuan was indisputably invincible.
Having delivered his warning, Lu Yuan did not idle. Reaching out his hand, a dull chime rang out.
Clang!
The Yongzhou Cauldron, one of the Nine Cauldrons, manifested. Infusing it with his power, he drew all ninety-nine strands of great era providence into the vessel.
Everyone could only watch helplessly as the very treasure they had yearned for vanished before their eyes. Powerless to intervene, they stood frozen where they were.
Soon, Lu Yuan finished the collection. Across the sky, the boundless purple radiance vanished completely, as every trace of the great era providence had been gathered without leaving a single sliver behind.
Originally, a fierce battle should have erupted. Yet no one expected the struggle for the great era providence to conclude in such a manner. Some wanted to say something, but found themselves at a loss for words.
There was no helping it; Lu Yuan was simply too powerful. Even if every living soul present joined forces, they could not shake him in the slightest. He had slain figures at the Heavenly Position Immortal realm without hesitation or holding back. How could those vastly inferior to them hope to contest him?
Lu Yuan took the Yongzhou Cauldron back into his body, turned, and stepped back onto the warship. Then he declared, "A portion of you will remain stationed at the Kunlun branch of the Heavenly Court. The rest, return with me."
He knew very well that no unexpected developments would arise from what he had done unless a Supreme Immortal appeared—which was unfortunately impossible for the time being. Now that the great era providence had been secured, it was time to consider the next step.
Lu Yuan's original intention in collecting the providence was to bolster the Heavenly Court's strength. Now, the first step was complete. However, he did not plan to begin right away; he wanted to wait a little longer, at least until he fully comprehended the true nature of this great era providence.
Soon, under Lu Yuan's command, the Eternal Warship departed Kunlun.
Chapter 570