Chapter 202. Earth's Power, the Descent, Conquer

Inside his training chamber, Lu Yuan maintained a calm expression and a resolute gaze, and he radiated unwavering confidence. This confidence stemmed from a deep-seated trust in his own strength.

Even knowing he would soon face three Sages, he felt no trace of panic.

They were the strongest enemies he had ever encountered, whether in his past life or this one.

They were formidable in both evolution and strength, yet he remained unperturbed.

After all, Earth was still protected by the power of the Separation of Heaven and Earth. If those three wished to descend, they would have to pay a steep price to do so.

As Jiang Ningxian had said, they would not be at full strength, and it was the key to Lu Yuan's victory. However, he knew that even a weakened Sage was still a Sage.

Hence, this battle would be grueling, unlike anything he had ever faced before.

The outcome would also affect many things. Lu Yuan was perfectly aware of that, yet even if he were to travel back in time, he would still make the same decision.

He reined in all the power within him and walked calmly out of the room.

Outside, Elder Ji, Zhu Qingyu, Chunyang, and others had gathered. The top echelons of Huaxia and the elites of the Celestial Court's younger generation were all present.

They all seemed to have been waiting for quite some time. Upon seeing Lu Yuan, they hurried over. Each of them had many words to say, but when the moment came, they remained silent.

The upcoming battle was inevitable and would happen regardless. The three Sages would descend today, and no one could stop them.

"I know what you want to say, but let's save it for when I return." Lu Yuan smiled at their hesitant faces. He knew they were worried about him, which was why he spoke first.

He had long understood that the Celestial Court and the officials had gone all out for this day. Though their efforts wouldn't accomplish much in practice, they represented their attitude and stance. He noted their actions inwardly.

For now, words were useless; there was still a battle ahead.

"Very well," Elder Ji said before anyone else, and his gaze remained solemn. He understood that the most important thing they could do right now was to trust King Lu.

After all, there was truly nothing they could do. They could not stop the battle, nor could they prevent the descent of those Sages.

They all looked at Lu Yuan and nodded.

Lu Yuan smiled in return, and then he rose into the sky. His destination was the summit of Mount Tai.

The three great Sages would certainly know his exact location upon their descent. Once the battle commenced, the exchange of moves would surely endanger countless people.

The ruins of what was suspected to be the Celestial Court in ancient times lay on Jade Emperor Peak. Lu Yuan planned to use those ruins as their battlefield.

Below, the crowd watched his departing figure with complicated expressions.

No one knew how this battle would end.

"I believe King Lu will remain unstoppable and unmatched as always," Zhu Qingyu suddenly said, her expression resolute.

Of everyone present, she had the most faith in Lu Yuan. In her eyes, Lu Yuan could resolve whatever crisis. As long as Lu Yuan was there, anything could be resolved.

Even though this crisis was markedly different from anything they ever had to deal with, she believed the outcome would remain the same.

The others fell silent at her words, and then they nodded one by one.

They had faith in Lu Yuan as well, and they believed he would win!

***

Meanwhile, Lu Yuan soon reached Jade Emperor Peak.

The Peacock King, the Nine-tailed Fox King, and the Spirit Monkey gathered around him. These mutated beast kings had joined the Celestial Court, which meant they could be considered as Lu Yuan's subordinates.

"Those Sages are descending today," said the Peacock King. It spoke first, sounding concerned. It stood as the most powerful of the three mutated beast kings, and it was on the verge of becoming a Venerable King.

Its inherited memories had revealed to it the true might of Sages, so it felt worried. In addition to their ties to the Celestial Court, humanity and the mutated beasts had formed an alliance. They would rise or fall together.

Lu Yuan stood at the very forefront of both sides, and he was also their strongest Awakened.

Naturally, the Peacock King did not want anything to happen to him.

"If you need help, just tell us," the Spirit Monkey said. It didn't say a lot, but the meaning behind its words was unmistakably clear. Even if it were weak, it was willing to fight alongside Lu Yuan.

"That's right, King Lu. There's no need for formalities between us." The Nine-tailed Fox King stepped forward, looking solemn as well.

The Peacock King said nothing but nodded in agreement. Since they had chosen to form an alliance with each other, they were willing to risk their lives for each other's sake.

Even if it meant facing literal Sages.

"Thank you." Lu Yuan nodded, staring at the three beast kings. Their willingness to stand with him proved that the alliance had been the right decision.

In the end, he said nothing more and sat cross-legged on Jade Emperor Peak before looking at the firmament.

Lu Yuan could already sense it—waves of formidable energy were sweeping toward Earth from up above.

***

At this moment, nearly all living beings across the universe all held their breaths, waiting nervously for the inevitable battle.

Under Elder Ji's orders, satellites were used to capture footage of what was going on just above Earth, and every single piece of footage was immediately uploaded to the Internet.

This was a crisis of unprecedented proportions, and they wanted to let everyone witness it.

At this point, hiding the truth served no purpose. It was better to let the public and the Awakened alike know the truth, so they could be mentally prepared.

***

As always, silence reigned within the cold and desolate vacuum of outer space.

Crackle!

Just then, a massive bolt of lightning tore through the darkness for untold meters.

A winged figure streaked across the vacuum of space, approaching Earth. The Void Sages of the Primeval Daemon Race and the Three-Headed Ghost Race flew behind him.

Their gazes were sharp as they stared at the planet before them.

"The Separation of Heaven and Earth is still in effect. We are prepared, but we will still end up being suppressed. We can't go down there with our full strength," said the Void Sage of the Primeval Daemon Race while being shrouded by fog.

"Killing Lu Yuan will not take long, even if we are weakened." The Void Sage of the Three-Headed Ghost Race smiled.

The gap between the Sage Realm and the Venerable King Realm was something only those who had experienced it could truly understand.

Lu Yuan was strong, and they all acknowledged that fact.

However, he was

not

a Sage.

"Let us descend," Lei You said as lightning crackled across him. The next instant, the three decisively plunged toward Earth. They noticed the satellites but paid them no heed. Their descent required their full concentration, after all.

The Separation of Heaven and Earth was not so easily bypassed. At first, they encountered no resistance. As the three continued their descent and drew closer to Earth's atmosphere, however, they were faced with fierce resistance.

Boom!

Countless profound runes materialized and engulfed the entire planet, making it appear as if there were a layer of ocean on top of Earth, but instead of water, the ocean was full of mysterious and profound runes.

The runes emanated a formidable aura capable of repelling all invaders. Earth's Sages in ancient times had left behind these runes for the planet, and they constituted the so-called "Separation of Heaven and Earth."

It suppressed Earth's evolution, but it protected its inhabitants from external threats to a certain degree.

The three Sages were prepared, and Lei You plunged into the ocean of runes first.

Lightning erupted from his wings and engulfed him as crackling noises filled the void. The Void Sages of the Primeval Daemon Race and the Three-Headed Ghost Race followed without hesitation, descending alongside Lei You.

Rumble!

The runes rushed toward them at once. The power they radiated was vast, boundless, and seemingly endless. However, the three Sages did not falter in the face of them, and each employed their own techniques to remove the effects of the runes on themselves.

The three Sages were truly powerful.

The strength erupting from them reached terrifying heights. Lei You in particular resembled a heavenly god descending to the mortal realm as wind and lightning raged around him, creating a scene captured by the satellites.

The three Sages drew steadily closer to Earth. Bolts of lightning a thousand meters long streaked across the void and obliterated the runes in their path.

These beings were truly formidable. Their advance remained unimpeded amidst the ocean of runes.

In response, the Separation of Heaven and Earth unleashed its uncompressed fury on them. The runes transformed into all manner of weapons—sabers, spears, swords, halberds, and more.

Those weapons erupted with radiant light as they bombarded the invaders, creating a horrifying spectacle to behold.

It looked as if a cataclysmic battle was unfolding high above Earth. The three Sages unleashed their own techniques, but as time went on, the pressure on them only intensified.

"As expected of the Separation of Heaven and Earth, it is indeed troublesome. This cannot continue," Lei You remarked. Then, he unleashed a massive bolt of lightning, shattering countless weapons made of runes.

His expression turned grave. Despite his formidable power, the runes were virtually inexhaustible. The longer this dragged on, the fiercer the assault would become.

If they were to stay here, they'd eventually drown.

The other two nodded in agreement. Then, they abruptly concealed their auras. In an instant, the aura of a Sage emanating from them vanished entirely. It was like all of them had suddenly fallen down from the Sage Realm.

The power of the surrounding runes diminished dramatically, and the assault slowed down.

This was the nature of the Separation of Heaven and Earth. It was stronger against the strong and weaker against the weak. This was the reason nearly all invaders so far were Venerable Kings.

The three Sages had decided to take advantage of that fact and suppress their own level of strength by mysterious means.

The pressure they faced lessened significantly as a result. They were still Sages, but they could not use their full power as a Sage while they were on Earth. Otherwise, Earth itself would suppress them.

Even so, the three Sages were still sages. In other words, they remained far stronger than any Venerable King.

Upon concealing their true power, they encountered almost no further resistance. Their descent accelerated, and in the end, they reached Earth.

Soon, everyone watching the live broadcast witnessed a terrifying sight as the three Sages shattered the clouds, shaking the very sky itself, making it seem as if the sky was about to collapse on everyone.

Now that they were on Earth, the three Sages could finally feel that mysterious power, and it told them that Earth was still in the midst of its Awakening. It also told them that Earth brimmed with boundless vitality and was full of boons for the taking.

Lei You spread his wings and gazed down on the land beneath him.

"I've come, and I shall conquer," he said softly.