"Everything is just about ready. All that's left is the final battle." Lu Yuan rose to his feet, ending his seclusion. He walked out through his door and into the courtyard, then slowly raised his head toward the sky.

He saw it. High above, radiant light streaked across the firmament. Thin veins of lightning crackled alongside them, and the faint outline of a passageway flickered in and out of visibility.

In truth, Lu Yuan noticed the changes while still in seclusion. He knew the two Holy Sons had already made their move, but he also knew that the battle wouldn't happen so soon.

By his estimate, the battle would happen in the next few days. Fortunately, he was finally ready. Regardless of how much power those two had decided to send down on Earth, Lu Yuan felt no fear whatsoever. This seclusion of his had not been purely about raising his combat strength.

It had been about obtaining a certain mindset. Evolution and training demanded an unyielding will as well as the mindset and heart of someone truly invincible. In his journey down the path of evolution, Lu Yuan's enemies had never forced him to actually go all-out.

None had ever pushed him to abandon everything else and think of only one thing—the ongoing battle. It was a pure, unadulterated thought, and it would be his path to the Immortal Realm.

After all, without the mindset of invincibility, how could one ever reach the apex?

Lu Yuan emptied his mind and left his courtyard.

Jiang Ningxian and her younger brother had also chosen to end their seclusion. Both had now reached the apex of the Great Sage Realm and were only a single step away from the Immortal Realm.

For the two of them, that step was not particularly daunting. If they wished, it would not take long for them to make a breakthrough. What truly held the siblings back was Earth itself.

The siblings had learned that the two Holy Sons had already set things in motion and would descend soon. What was coming would be the true test for Earth and the Celestial Court.

Lu Yuan could handle the two Holy Sons on his own, but what about the other invaders?

The Jiang Clan's elders and Jiang Ningxian had come to an agreement with Lu Yuan. If those invaders were to do anything underhanded while the two Holy Sons were busy with Lu Yuan, the Jiang Clan would show them no mercy whatsoever.

The alliance between them had long been established, and the clans from the Outer Cosmos were aware of it. There was no point in hiding it, after all.

In fact, the Jiang Clan members who had descended on Earth early had all expressed their willingness to fight when the time came.

No matter how powerful Lu Yuan was, he was ultimately one person. If the Jiang Clan truly wanted to prove their sincerity to him, this was the best chance to do so.

Lu Yuan accepted their support with gratitude. He could face anything without fear, but the people around him could not afford to do so.

In the days that followed, he did not return to seclusion. He spent his time alongside the Celestial Court's division members and the top officials. By now, almost everyone was ready to face what was to come.

Rumble!

One day, the firmament shook, and peals of thunder echoed one after another. A boundless aura descended directly from outer space, and everyone looked up to find a massive opening in the void. Through it, they saw stars and powerful figures standing among them. In this new era, many had grown accustomed to scenes out of legends and myth, but the sight still left people stunned.

"They've opened a passageway. The two Holy Sons of the Eternals and the Ji Clan are about to make their move, aren't they?"

"When are we going to make a move? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We can't afford to miss it."

"I say we wait a bit longer. That human, Lu Yuan, has always been unpredictable."

The beings from the Outer Cosmos could barely contain themselves. They had come here for the sole purpose of carving up this world for themselves, only for their plans to fall apart time and time again, courtesy of Lu Yuan.

Fortunately, two Holy Sons had decided to specifically kill Lu Yuan. The goal they had been chasing was finally within reach.

Still, some believed that it would not be so simple, believing that Lu Yuan would still be very difficult. Everyone also knew that the Jiang Clan and Lu Yuan had formed an alliance. The Jiang Clan was a formidable top-tier clan, and acting rashly could draw their unwanted attention.

While others hesitated, some decisively moved. The world slowly became chaotic as the invaders decided to bare their fangs and make their move.

Three days later, figures began descending through the passageway. They belonged to the Eternals and the Ji Clan. All of them were Great Sages; some were old, and some were Rankers. Instead of landing, they remained suspended in midair, seemingly waiting for something.

The passageway was constructed directly above Mount Tai, so these figures looked down at those on Mount Tai from up high.

Below, the Celestial Court's division members led by Zhu Qingyu stepped forward and frowned at the sight above them.

"Are they descending?" Ice Fairy asked, her face slightly pale. Almost all of the beings overhead were Great Sages. The pressure pressing down on them was simply immense.

"Not yet," Jiang Ningxian replied while standing next to them. "They're nothing; the ones who matter are the two behind them. It's not that easy to cast an avatar down here, and their goal is to kill Lu Yuan, so they can't afford to be careless. They'll take their time preparing themselves."

Just as Jing Ningxian had predicted, the two Holy Sons remained missing, but a few moments later, two illusory figures materialized at the very center of the passage. They were the Holy Son of the Eternals and the Holy Son of the Ji Clan.

As mere projections, they had no power whatsoever, yet they looked down at Mount Tai with cold gazes as if they were gods.

"Human Lu Yuan. The passageway for our descent is made," the Holy Son of the Eternals said. He sounded contemptuous as if everyone beneath him weren't worthy of his gaze. "In three days, we will descend in our avatars. You will die by then."

"I warned you not to kill Zhou Yunqiong," the Holy Son of the Ji Clan chimed in, his voice even colder than the voice of the Eternals' Holy Son, and it was also laced with boundless killing intent. "Now, it's too late. In three days, I will take your life."

Zhou Yunqiong had been someone of great importance to him, and Lu Yuan had killed her. He would never forgive him for it. He had been preparing for this day for a long time, and in his eyes, Lu Yuan was a dead man walking.

In fact, the reason they even decided to talk to him was to publicly pass judgement on him.

As their voices rang out, wave after wave of crushing pressure swept across Mount Tai, making it tremble like an aspen tree. If those figures standing proudly in the air were taken into consideration, it truly looked like the gods themselves had descended to pass divine judgement on Lu Yuan!