Chapter 576. Forcing Submission, Wariness, the Ancient Sages Contingency

The Celestial Court had already decided how to use the time they had been given. They would swiftly consolidate their forces while devoting themselves to cultivation, strengthening themselves as much as possible before the crisis arrived. That way, they would be prepared instead of being caught off guard as they had been before.

Neither Zhu Qingyu nor the Jiang Clan members placed all their hopes on Lu Yuan's return. Too much remained uncertain, and at the critical moment, they still had to rely on themselves.

The beings from the various starfields on Earth understood this as well. A clash between the Celestial Court and the two forces seemed inevitable, and its repercussions could be immense.

Should they submit to the Ji Clan and the Eternals, or stand their ground?

Many were deeply conflicted. The two great forces had the Extracosmic Heavenly Demons behind them, and the Celestial Court clearly could not compare to such combined strength.

It was true that Lu Yuan, the Lord of the Celestial Court, had yet to return. But even if he did, what could he accomplish?

The two forces had brought out much of their true strength. Their ranks included both Creation Immortals and Celestial Seat Immortals. Even if Lu Yuan returned, could he really defeat opponents at that level?

Most believed it impossible. They acknowledged that Lu Yuan was powerful and that his rapid rise had made him a true expert, but the gap between him and a Celestial Seat Immortal seemed far too vast.

There were also the Extracosmic Heavenly Demons to consider. They had never appeared, but who could say they would not descend at the decisive moment?

In the eyes of many, the Celestial Court could not emerge unscathed from a confrontation with the two forces. After agonizing over the decision, a considerable number chose submission.

Others thought differently, especially those who viewed Lu Yuan and the Celestial Court favorably. They chose to resist.

The Ji Clan and the Eternals might once have commanded their awe, but things had changed. The two forces now had to be opposed, and submission was out of the question.

Their reasoning was simple. By joining forces with the Extracosmic Heavenly Demons, the Ji Clan and the Eternals had committed betrayal in all but name. Anyone who submitted to them would become complicit in that betrayal.

They would rather stand with the Celestial Court. Even if it meant confronting the two forces and being wiped out, they would never regret their decision.

To them, submission was betrayal.

The Outer Cosmos beings on Earth were thus divided into two main camps—those who chose submission and those who chose resistance. A smaller number remained silent and refused to take a side.

Yet everyone, from the Celestial Court to the other Outer Cosmos beings, continued to wonder why the two forces had not attacked. The situation was already clear, but none of their experts had descended to strike at the Celestial Court.

What were they waiting for?

At that moment, aboard the Eternal Warship, a Celestial Seat Immortal of the Eternals asked solemnly, "How is it?"

"We must wait a little longer. If we attack now, we may trigger the power of this world's laws."

The Ji Clan's Celestial Seat Immortal continued, "Those protections were left behind by Earth's ancient sages, and they remain formidable. Even we cannot withstand them. All we can do is use power from outside this universe to wear them down."

His assessment was clear. It was not yet time to attack.

Just as many had suspected, the two forces had held back because they had no choice. Earth was still protected by contingencies left behind by its ancient sages.

Though those protections were no longer strong enough to shield everyone, any large-scale invasion or devastating attack against Earth's inhabitants would trigger the power woven into the planet's laws. Like the Separation of Heaven and Earth, it would rise to resist the invaders.

This was why the Eternals and the Ji Clan had remained patient. Once they attacked, they intended to eliminate every obstacle at once. If they triggered the ancient experts' defenses too soon and placed themselves in danger, the cost would outweigh the gain.

In short, the two forces intended to destroy the Celestial Court. They even planned to massacre Earth's inhabitants. Even so, they could not ignore a threat that might undermine their later plans.

"Those ancient experts certainly placed great importance on the Milky Way Starfield. It is troublesome, but it changes nothing. We have already reached the final stage. All that remains is to wait."

The expert of the Eternals sounded helpless, but he knew this was no time for impatience. They had already waited so long. What difference would a little more time make?

"By the way, has your Ji Clan destroyed all the Teleportation Dao Platforms around the Milky Way Starfield? If that is not handled properly, it could have considerable consequences."

Any crisis involving Earth or the Milky Way Starfield was bound to shake the universe. Every major starfield was watching this region now, and the slightest disturbance would quickly spread.

When that happened, numerous experts would surely come, just as they had during the incident on the Celestial Star.

However, Earth was even more significant. It had once produced Human Sovereign Celestial Emperors and was now the land of the Great Age, so it would attract far more experts.

The surrounding Teleportation Dao Platforms therefore had to be destroyed. Without them, anyone attempting to reinforce Earth would need much more time to arrive.

"More or less," the Ji Clan immortal replied. After a moment's thought, he frowned. "However, I haven't received any news for quite some time."

The last report had confirmed the destruction of three Teleportation Dao Platforms. No word had come regarding the fourth, and he could no longer contact the clansman responsible.

Even so, he did not believe anything serious had happened. The Ji Clan had sent a Celestial Seat Immortal. Who in the present Xuanhuang Cosmos could threaten an expert of that level?

He assumed the man had destroyed the final Teleportation Dao Platform and was now on his way to Earth, intending to deliver the news in person.

The Eternals' Celestial Seat Immortal nodded. If that was the case, all they really needed to do was wait.