In truth, if those two Holy Sons were to descend on their true bodies, the pressure on Lu Yuan would be immense.

Lu Yuan had deep foundations and strength on par with the most exceptional prodigies of the cosmos. However, those two Holy Sons were exceptional figures like him. At that level of strength, the gap between them was razor-thin.

Before embarking on the path of evolution, Lu Yuan had made extensive preparations, gathering all manner of divine treasures, spiritual fruits, and exotic herbs.

The Holy Son of the Eternals and the Ji Clan were great personages with access to supreme treasures and abundant resources. In that regard, they would not fall behind him at all. Combined with the fact that they were a full major realm above Lu Yuan, a direct clash would leave the latter with very little advantage.

However, according to Jiang Ningxian, the Ji Clan's way of circumventing the Separation of Heaven and Earth could only allow those two to cast something similar to an avatar down on Earth.

In other words, they were significantly weaker. This was the key to Lu Yuan's victory. Of course, Lu Yuan understood that the experience would be nothing like the last time. The "avatars" of those two Holy Sons would certainly surpass the Great Sage Realm in power, and perhaps even an Immortal at the initial stages of the realm would be no match for them.

Hence, Lu Yuan had to approach this upcoming battle with extreme caution. He could not let his guard down. Lu Yuan's goal wasn't that hard to deduce. He planned to use this golden opportunity to reach the Immortal Realm. He was going to transcend his limits through combat.

Soon, the news that two Holy Sons from the stars were preparing to descend and eliminate Lu Yuan spread across the entire planet. Every being from the Outer Cosmos and ordinary citizens alike heard of it.

The people of Earth were not particularly shaken. In their eyes, King Lu had already been through too many great battles. Every single one had looked impossible to survive from, yet every single time, he was the last one standing.

The title "Holy Son" sounded extraordinary, but everyone still believed that this time would be no different. They believed that King Lu would prevail, just as he always had.

However, their confidence was quickly shattered as beings from the Outer Cosmos began to make their move. More and more Sages descended and launched aggressive campaigns to seize the boons hidden within the blessed lands across Earth.

They blatantly ignored the rules that the Celestial Court had set, and some of them even provoked the Celestial Court. What was more terrifying was the news that many of the latest arrivals were Great Sages.

Their orders were clear—Once Lu Yuan was dead, they would carve up this world for themselves. Clearly, they were long convinced of the coming battle's outcome.

The people of Earth realized just how extraordinary those two Holy Sons were. They were the strongest prodigies out there, and the two had long since reached the Immortal Realm. Their power and even their talent stood at terrifying heights.

In addition, they had slain an uncountable number of powerful foes, and it could be said that everyone across the universe had heard of their name. Moreover, they had never suffered a single defeat.

According to the beings from the Outer Cosmos, they were destined to become powerhouses who would one day dominate the universe.

Once the people heard of that, the calm from before vanished. They had faith in Lu Yuan, but the sheer volume of absurd claims about those two Holy Sons was just overwhelming. They were strong; the cream of the crop among prodigies; famous across the universe.

Each claim piled more pressure on the people's hearts, and they realized that this upcoming battle would be unlike any that had come before. As a result, anxiety spread among the civilians and the Awakened.

Out of trust in Lu Yuan, they did not flock toward Mount Tai. Of course, if Lu Yuan wanted it to happen, they would not hesitate to follow his orders. His prestige meant no one had any doubt in him.

As for the Celestial Court's divisions, they had pulled back their forces as ordered, and they were still growing stronger. The display of weakness was only to prepare for the far more complicated situation in the near future.

***

Inside the Mount Tai Trials Academy, Lu Yuan was with Zhu Qingyu and the other members of the younger generation. The beast kings, led by the Peacock King and the Spirit Monkey, were present as well.

They had gathered here because Zhu Qingyu had run into some difficulties in her evolution at the Sage Realm. Regardless of whether one was a mutated beast or a human, the challenges one would face in the Sage Realm were very similar.

Lu Yuan happened to have some time, so he called everyone and gave a comprehensive lecture, helping them avoid any detours that would waste their time.

Lu Yuan covered a great deal, incorporating the texts the Jiang Clan had sent over into his explanations. He was more than strong enough, and thanks to the talent granted upon him by the Bodhi Tree, imparting experience came naturally to him.

If Lu Yuan wanted to do so, he could become a renowned teacher at any time. The Bodhi Tree was called the Tree of Wisdom, after all, and there was a great reason why it was given such a title.

In no time, the beast kings and the youngsters, including Zhu Qingyu, profited massively from the lecture. They finally understood what they had to do to move forward on their path of evolution.

As usual, Lu Yuan left as soon as the lecture ended. He had done this sort of thing many times lately, and of course, helping the Celestial Court grow stronger wasn't exactly a bad thing.

Just as Lu Yuan was about to return to his quarters, he stopped. He turned and saw that Zhu Qingyu and the others were looking up at the firmament with confusion written across their faces.

High above, radiant streaks of light streaked across the skies. As time went on, those streaks of light trembled and transformed into golden lotuses, one after another. No one present had ever seen anything like it.

"Are those two Holy Sons finally descending?!" Ice Fairy cried out in alarm. Her words put everyone on high alert. They all knew that those two Holy Sons were nothing like the enemies they had faced before.

"It's too early. They still need more time to prepare," Lu Yuan said, shaking his head. He turned to face west, then narrowed his eyes slightly. He sensed an aura unlike anything he had encountered before. A being from the Outer Cosmos was approaching, but he could not determine whether they were a friend or a foe.

"While practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva perceived that the five Skandhas are equally empty, and was thus delivered from all ill-being..."

A voice chanting a scripture drifted in from the west, falling upon the ears of every person present.

Monk Huikong recognized it at once and exclaimed, "That's the Heart Sutra!"

The Heart Sutra was the most profound and exalted text in all of Buddhism, and it was also known as the Mahāyāna. The realization stunned everyone. Who was chanting the Heart Sutra?

Immediately afterward, they learned the answer as a young monk in white kāṣāya approached them from the west. He had been quite distant from them at first, but in the blink of an eye, he stood before them.

He stopped directly in front of Lu Yuan. He smiled softly and bowed slightly. "Amitābha. Benefactor, you have an affinity with Buddha."