A powerful aura radiated from the young man. He was a Sage and far stronger than the three Void Sages who had previously descended. His bloodline and talent were clearly exceptional as well.

He looked around, surveying the world before him when he noticed that the passageway behind him appeared unstable. It could shatter at any moment.

With a mere will on his end, threads of light flowed from him. He used his own power to stabilize the passageway.

Moments later, more figures emerged from within the passageway. Every one of them was at the Venerable King Realm, but their numbers were small, no more than ten. They all had human forms, yet the auras they gave off were savage and violent, akin to the auras of wild beasts.

Naturally, each of them had a remarkable bloodline and outstanding talent. They looked young as well.

"This should be everyone, my lord. The elders said they can only send this many for now. Any more and the Separation of Heaven and Earth might react, destroying the passageway entirely," one of them said, his expression grave.

"Understood. Let's move out, then." The young man nodded. He took a single step, exiting the passageway to formally set foot on Earth.

"My lord, where do we go now?" someone asked from behind. Their clan's orders were to remain hidden after descending to avoid being discovered by Lu Yuan, which could certainly trigger a conflict.

"No rush. I just noticed two native beasts at the Venerable King Realm heading into that mountain. This is one of Earth's ancient mountain ranges. Let's wait for them to come out and see what they find. There might be something unexpected in there... something that will be useful for our Spirit Clan's plans."

The young man's words revealed his origin. He belonged to the Spirit Clan, and his standing within it was that of a Ranker, and he wasn't a low-ranked one at that. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

The Spirit Clan members around him nodded in agreement.

"That's great. I don't think that human Lu Yuan will come to such a remote place."

They were all young elites of the clan. They were not particularly strong, but their potential was immense. This was why they were sent down first; it was to ensure they would acclimate to this world.

Under normal circumstances, such precautions would not have been necessary, but Earth had somehow produced Lu Yuan—a terrifying monster capable of destroying the Immortals' plan.

The elders of the Spirit Clan had issued an order that they had to follow upon their descent—lay low.

Every race and clan was finding ways to send their people down on Earth. When it was time, they could just come out of hiding. Of course, all of these were done in consideration of Earth's deterrent, Lu Yuan.

They had just arrived and were deep in the mountains somewhere. There was no need for any worries. Surely, he wouldn't come all the way out here, would he? This world was far too vast for one person to watch over every corner.

They could take this opportunity to see what fortunes and opportunities this newly awakened world had to offer. They didn't have to go in and look for those opportunities themselves; they just had to wait like the mantis stalking the cicada.

The Spirit Clan members quietly spread out to surround the distant mountain.

Time trickled by, and the Golden-Winged Great Peng and the Nine-tailed Fox King had been inside for over an hour now. They narrowed down the approximate location of the cauldron and eventually found it.

Unfortunately, extracting it was clearly not going to be so easy.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng sent word to Lu Yuan. It knew its master had already set out and would arrive soon. Rather than leave, it decided to stay and explore the surrounding area with the Nine-tailed Fox King.

This was one of Huaxia's famed mountains, after all. It would be a waste to come all this way and leave empty-handed.

"I didn't expect to find one of the Nine Cauldrons that Master needs in just over a month. I wonder if the Peacock King has found anything," the Golden-Winged Great Peng remarked, looking pleased with itself. It was certain that it had not let its master down. Now, all that remained was to wait for his arrival.

The Nine-tailed Fox King felt the same, and she smiled in delight.

Just as they were about to leave the area, they were stopped dead in their tracks by a powerful aura. The next moment, several figures materialized directly in front of them, and light flickered across their figures.

"Invaders from outer space?" The Golden-Winged Great Peng was caught off guard. These beings had been keeping an extremely low profile lately. What were they doing here? However, it was not particularly worried. With its master's reputation, there was nothing for it to fear.

"You two have just emerged from that mountain. You must've found something in there," said the Spirit Clan's Ranker with his arms folded across his chest. His aura pulsed outward in waves, sweeping across the Golden-Winged Great Peng and the Nine-tailed Fox King. His clansmen also surrounded the two mutated beasts.

"It's none of your business," the Golden-Winged Great Peng replied.

It was about to say more when the Nine-tailed Fox King cut in sharply.

"That one is strong. He's a Sage."

The Golden-Winged Great Peng stiffened. It hadn't expected to stumble upon a Sage in the middle of nowhere. Even so, it showed no fear and said, "You should know who my master is. I suggest you step aside."

Lu Yuan ordered them to avoid any conflict with those beings from outer space unless it was necessary. The Golden-Winged Great Peng became mindful of it upon learning that the figure before it had reached the Sage Realm.

There was another reason, too. One of the cauldrons lay hidden behind them. They couldn't let these invaders learn about its existence, as it would certainly spell endless trouble.

"Your master?" The Spirit Clan's Ranker had just descended, so he did not recognize the Golden-Winged Great Peng or the Nine-tailed Fox King, but he could tell at a glance that both possessed extraordinary bloodlines and talent.

They just hadn't reached their full potential yet.

"My lord, there's no need to waste words with them. We should attack them first. We can get our answers afterward," one of the Spirit Clan members said, seeing no point in dragging things out. Their side held absolute superiority in strength.

"Perfect timing." The Spirit Clan's Ranker nodded with a smile. "I happen to be in need of a mount. Their talent is strong enough. They're certainly qualified."

Without another word, he took a single step forward. The will of a Sage within him erupted. His clansmen moved as well, and their powerful auras blared to life.

They're actually going to attack us? The Golden-Winged Great Peng and the Nine-tailed Fox King were stunned. They had never imagined that these invaders would dare to act so brazenly at a time like this. However, none of that mattered right now. They could not afford to hesitate any longer; they had to fight back.

Boom!

A radiant light erupted from the Golden-Winged Great Peng, and its golden feathers stood on end like swords from the heavens. The Nine-tailed Fox King wasted no time either, reverting to her true form. Nine fox tails whipped and churned the air, sending shockwaves across the surrounding mountains.

"As I thought. Their bloodlines are extraordinary. I guess we are indeed in the Milky Way Starfield," the Spirit Clan's Ranker remarked with growing delight.

He had already decided to turn the Golden-Winged Great Peng and the Nine-tailed Fox King into his mounts. They were going to become his pets. He saw no reason to waste any more time. He raised his hand slowly, and violent tremors ran across the nearby mountains!