Chapter 156: Global Panic, Support? The Void Flame Heavenly Mirror!

Awakened individuals and citizens across the globe began to panic in the face of this development.

For everyone knew that the extraterrestrial holy realms were terrifyingly powerful.

If they were to launch an attack, the consequences would be unimaginably grim.

It would be far more horrifying than the initial beast tides that had assaulted human cities; a single strike could instantly obliterate countless lives.

Such entities possessed mythical, god-like capabilities—truly capable of overturning rivers and splitting seas in the literal sense.

As of yet, no such figures had appeared on Earth, where the highest stage of evolution remained merely the fifth stage.

Even when compared to exotic beasts blessed with potent bloodlines, the disparity was vast, to say the least.

No one doubted Lu Yuan’s combat prowess.

Ever since his emergence,

he had essentially crushed all opponents with an invincible posture.

Yet this time, the adversary was entirely different from any he had faced before.

In particular, certain otherworldly beings had begun to openly propagate

just how terrifying it was to reach the sixth stage of the evolutionary path, plunging countless people into deep despair.

"The holy realm consists of three stages: False Saint, Lesser Saint, and Great Saint. Even the weakest False Saint commands heaven-shaking abilities and can reduce minor stars to dust."

"Beneath the saintly realm, all mortals are mere ants—this is a universally recognized truth. That human Lu Yuan on Earth certainly possesses formidable combat strength, but he is by no means a match for them."

"The situation in this world is about to undergo a drastic transformation, and far more powerful clans will take control of everything."

They asserted with absolute certainty that Lu Yuan stood a very high chance of being suppressed and executed.

At the same time, they believed that the moment he perished,

his previous influence would dissipate completely.

Those extraterrestrial races that had been deterred would inevitably grow aggressive once more, lacking any force to keep them in check.

After all, everyone knew that the majority of living beings in this world were far too weak.

The law of the jungle, where the strong prey upon the weak and might makes right,

was the supreme law of the entire deep cosmos.

In the absence of any powerful figures to anchor the world, it was only natural that they should be subjugated and intimidated.

In truth, many otherworldly entities had descended with the arrogant mindset of beings from a higher civilization visiting a lower one.

They believed they could effortlessly suppress the natives of this world and freely plunder whatever supreme inheritances and fortunes they desired.

Who could have anticipated the sudden emergence of Lu Yuan—a figure of terrifying combat strength and an unyielding, aggressive temperament.

Yet there was nothing they could do, forcing them to lie low and bide their time.

To put it mildly,

many extraterrestrial beings harbored a profound sense of grievance in their hearts.

They attributed this outcome entirely to the barrier that severed heaven and earth; otherwise, had even stronger existences from their own clans been able to descend, what waves could a mere King Realm cultivator possibly stir up? But now, matters had changed. Saint-level figures from the great clans were descending to claim his life.

Consequently, they awaited this upcoming great battle with intense anticipation.

As for Earth's native awakened ones and ordinary citizens,

they fell into a heavy silence.

Words failed them.

The enemies they had to face were simply too powerful; could King Lu truly emerge victorious against such odds?

Amidst these contrasting thoughts and states of mind among both factions,

time slipped away minute by minute.

More than half a month flashed past in the blink of an eye.

The day of the descent of the three great clans' saints grew closer and closer.

Mount Tai Trial Academy.

Elder Ji, Elder Yun, and others had mobilized forces from all directions.

Conventional modern military units, alongside newly trained awakened warriors, had all arrived in full force.

A monumental battle and a grave crisis were impending—this was a consensus shared by all.

They chose to offer Lu Yuan their unwavering support, standing together with him through thick and thin.

Countless individuals responded to the call.

Meanwhile, figures belonging to the Heavenly Court, such as Zhu Qingyu, were also cultivating and evolving with all their might, hoping to elevate their strength within a short span of time.

Should the need arise, they would step into the fray at the critical moment. To outsiders, this might appear to be an act of utter foolishness and overestimating one's capabilities.

Yet, what sustained them was the courage rooted deep within their hearts, driven by the belief that King Lu had already done more than enough.

When the crucial moment arrived, they too ought to shoulder the responsibility and hold the line alone.

All in all, everyone was preparing.

No one chose to sit passively and await their doom,

nor did they pin all their hopes on a single individual to resolve the present crisis.

At that very moment,

within his chamber,

Lu Yuan sat cross-legged with his eyes lightly closed.

Suspended in mid-air before him was the Heaven-Turning Seal.

It radiated layer upon layer of brilliant light, looking extraordinarily divine and mystical.

Even in its damaged state, an ineffable power surged and slumbered within its depths.

Crack~

After an unknown duration,

a faint sound echoed from within the artifact.

Lu Yuan opened his eyes right on cue, a look of joy flashing across his face: "All the seals have been fully refined, much faster than anticipated."

He had still underestimated the efficacy of fusing the Human Emperor's bloodline. He had initially expected it to take nearly a month, yet to his pleasant surprise, he had succeeded in less than twenty days.

With all the restrictive seals of the Heaven-Turning Seal refined, it seemed he could now manipulate it entirely at will.

The method of utilization came to him naturally without a master, letting Lu Yuan know precisely what to do

in order to maximize its potential.

Without wasting words, he shifted his thoughts, and the Heaven-Turning Seal began to emanate a resplendent glow.

Though its physical form underwent little change, an immensely heavy aura began to leak from it.

Every single inch of the surging radiance contained an unfathomable, mysterious power, akin to an immemorial colossal mountain.

Hiss, hiss~

Crack, crack~

The Heaven-Turning Seal had not even descended yet.

Yet wherever its light shone, the surroundings began to fracture and shatter.

One had to bear in mind that the chamber where Lu Yuan cultivated was constructed entirely from specialized alloys.

Even awakened ones who had just stepped into the Shackled Realm would find it exceedingly difficult to break through these walls with ease.

And yet, merely the spilling light alone had produced such destructive effects.

Without further ado,

he shifted his mind, and the brilliance retracted.

"The ability of the Heaven-Turning Seal is essentially singular—it is sheer, crushing weight. Especially as one's realm grows higher, to the point where it can eventually shatter a star; that is its ultimate utility."

At this moment, Lu Yuan had grasped its fundamental purpose. Its attacking method was remarkably straightforward: it was meant for smashing people.

As long as his own strength grew sufficiently formidable, the Heaven-Turning Seal would scale with it, reducing stars to powder without breaking a sweat.

In other words, its utility now surpassed even that of the Taiji Dragon Sword.

This sparked a twinge of curiosity within him.

What manner of material was this artifact forged from, exactly?

Naturally, Lu Yuan's curiosity was merely passing.

At the same time, he felt a wave of internal emotion.

As expected of a supreme treasure left behind by the Immortal Guangchengzi.

If he chose to unleash his full strength, combined with the twenty-eight heavenly grottoes of the Ancestral Dragon Breathing Technique granting him twenty-eight times his baseline combat power, just what kind of might would the Heaven-Turning Seal display? Obliterating an entire range of mountains would surely be effortless, right?

It was only a pity that the item was incomplete. If it were intact, the outcome would undoubtedly be entirely different.

Of course, Lu Yuan was not greedy; he understood that no matter how powerful a supreme treasure might be,

one's own strength had to match it.

Otherwise, its maximum might could never be unleashed.

Concurrently,

he was acutely aware

that he would soon be facing the holy realm, and more than a single saint at that.

Lu Yuan knew the terrifying nature of the holy realm; under no circumstances could he afford to lower his guard.

Therefore, his next course of action was to continue elevating his personal strength, pushing himself to the most complete state possible.

Just as he prepared to continue his seclusion, however,

his perception registered someone approaching.

Without hesitation,

he rose directly and walked out of the door.

It was Jiang Ningxian. She had already emerged from seclusion.

The power radiating from her body felt far more profound and weighty than before.

Yet Lu Yuan was still unable to sense her exact level of cultivation, as if it were masked by some mysterious technique.

"I just came out of seclusion and heard that three saintly entities from the Celestial Clan are about to descend to take your life?" Jiang Ningxian spoke first, a trace of gravity in her eyes as if she genuinely cared about the matter.

"Indeed."

Lu Yuan nodded and could not help asking, "Does Miss Jiang have any suggestions?"

For her to seek him out the moment she stepped out of seclusion meant she undoubtedly had words to share.

"In this world, the power of the barrier that severs heaven and earth still persists."

"For them to descend, they will inevitably have to pay a certain price, and they may be unable to unleash their peak strength."

Jiang Ningxian pondered for a moment before continuing, "However, a saint is still a saint. To be crowned holy on the path of evolution is no simple feat. Furthermore, Lei You of the Celestial Clan is a Lesser Saint who has reached the seventh stage, making him even more formidable. You—"

"Are you trying to say that I cannot possibly be their match?" Lu Yuan smiled faintly. "Yet matters have reached this point; I have no other choice."

"After the death of Winged God, the enmity between the Celestial Clan and myself was already sealed, and the subsequent trap I laid only deepened it."

"None of this was something I actively sought to provoke."

The subtext of his words was remarkably simple.

It was the three great clans that were hell-bent on taking his life.

Thus, this upcoming battle was utterly unavoidable.

"I know," Jiang Ningxian nodded. "You are not someone who can be restrained by anyone; whatever decision you make, nothing will change your mind."

"In truth, I support you. Those three clans have indeed been overstepping their bounds lately. Their juniors were no match for you, so the elders couldn't sit still and wanted to come down to salvage their pride—it is a complete disregard for shame. In such circumstances, they ought to be taught a lesson, except..."

At this point, she looked at Lu Yuan, leaving her sentence unfinished, though the implication behind her words was abundantly clear.

Jiang Ningxian knew that this battle was inevitable, yet she was equally aware of Lu Yuan's current standing.

Dealing with the holy realm was exceedingly difficult,

especially since three such entities were descending this time.

Without beating around the bush, Jiang Ningxian stated plainly: "If you need my help, I will not refuse. After all, we do have a cooperative relationship, don't we?"

As she spoke, two charming dimples appeared on her cheeks, and she smiled brilliantly, making it evident that she genuinely wished to assist Lu Yuan.

As for her specific motives, however, none could say for certain.

"Every action demands a price."

Lu Yuan thought for a moment before replying, "Since they are coming for me, it is only natural that I resolve it myself."

Jiang Ningxian belonged to the Jiang family, one of the top ten dominant clans among the top-tier star domains. Within her clan, there might well exist beings worthy of being called immortals, let alone saints, and they undoubtedly possessed numerous methods to handle such situations.

The trouble lay in the fact that Earth was currently protected by the barrier that severed heaven and earth, which would suppress any power exceeding the holy realm.

Therefore, he could deduce that if Jiang Ningxian were to offer assistance, she would inevitably have to pay a certain price.

Lu Yuan had never been fond of owing favors, which was why he chose to refuse.

Perhaps she harbored no ulterior motives,

but what about the Jiang family standing behind her?

Hearing this, Jiang Ningxian did not respond immediately, falling instead into contemplation.

Before long, she seemed to grasp the thoughts running through Lu Yuan's mind and let out a soft sigh: "I understand. However, I hold a very favorable impression of you, King Lu, and given our partnership, I truly don't wish to see anything happen to you."

"How about this? I have an item that I have no use for at the moment; I will lend it to you temporarily as a token of my personal support. How does that sound?" Kkkk

"This item is called the Void Flaming Heaven Mirror. It serves for both offense and defense, and was given to me by an elder in my clan."

With that, Jiang Ningxian retrieved an ancient bronze mirror from her sleeve, roughly the size of a palm.

Inscribed upon its surface were intricate and profound dao patterns, with a blazing, majestic sun resting dead center.

The mere moment it appeared, the surrounding space warped and distorted.

It felt as though within that small mirror

resided a terrifying, boundless might.

Upon seeing it, Lu Yuan could not conceal his astonishment: "A holy weapon?"