Chapter 613. Settling Accounts, Descending, Intimidating the Various Starfields

When the two factions first descended, they summoned the beings from the various starfields that had submitted to them and ordered an attack on the Celestial Court and the five supercities. Many had chosen to obey.

The conflict came to a temporary end after Lu Yuan arrived and wiped out the forces sent by the Eternals and the Ji Clan. Although the Celestial Court had yet to settle those old accounts, that did not mean everything had been forgotten. Those who had participated lived in fear each day, moving with extreme caution and not daring to provoke the Celestial Court again.

They had come to Mount Kunlun only because the imminent emergence of the Great Age's Providence offered them a chance to transform their fortunes. Even then, they feared the Celestial Court might intervene.

Now Lu Yuan had arrived with overwhelming might, deepening that fear. If he decided to settle those accounts, none of those who had attacked the Celestial Court would escape.

Some beings from those starfields began edging backward, desperately suppressing their auras in the hope of escaping notice.

Even the races that had remained neutral were uneasy. If Lu Yuan acted, all of them combined would still be no match for him. How could they possibly compete for the Great Age's Providence now?

They could only hope he would not claim all of it. If he left some behind, they might still receive a share. Otherwise, they had no chance.

As the Eternal Warship appeared overhead, its immense pressure swept across Mount Kunlun and set the entire mountain trembling.

The warship was a supreme treasure forged by the Eternals at tremendous cost. Even after passing into the Celestial Court's hands, its might remained undiminished, bearing down heavily upon the beings of the various starfields below.

Rumble!

Before long, the Eternal Warship came to a stop.

The Outer Cosmos beings exchanged looks. In the end, they bowed one after another and called out, "Greetings, Lord of the Celestial Court."

They would never have done this in the past. Back then, they had believed there was still a vast gulf between the Celestial Court and their own clans. Lu Yuan's rise had changed everything.

This was their respect for the strong, and someone of his strength deserved such treatment.

The members of the Celestial Court were astonished. Although they had continued growing stronger, the Outer Cosmos beings had always regarded them as somewhat weak and looked down on them. The two sides might have appeared to stand on equal footing, but it had never been true equality.

However, the respect in their voices was unmistakably sincere now. The races of the various starfields had finally acknowledged the Celestial Court's strength, and its members could not help feeling pleased.

At last, they could stand as equals with the Outer Cosmos beings.

Lu Yuan paid little attention to any of this.

He looked toward the purple radiance pouring from Mount Kunlun and sensed the unusual power taking shape within it. This was almost certainly the Great Age's Providence.

He could use this opportunity to strengthen the Celestial Court and prepare his people for the calamity ahead.

Lu Yuan also understood what the beings of the various starfields were thinking. But he was no saint, and at such a critical moment, he had no intention of concerning himself with fairness. When these Outer Cosmos beings first descended, they had shown Earth no such consideration.

The situation had changed only because Lu Yuan and the Celestial Court had become powerful. If he did not possess his current cultivation, everything would be different.

Lu Yuan stepped into the sky and said calmly, "Everyone, the Great Age's Providence is about to emerge. I hope you'll show me some consideration and withdraw from the contest."

His tone was mild, as though he were discussing an ordinary matter. Yet with a single sentence, he had told every starfield present to abandon the Great Age's Providence.

Silence fell.

Some wondered whether they had heard him correctly. They knew Lu Yuan had always been forceful, but he rarely treated those who had not offended him this way. The Great Age's Providence had not even fully emerged, yet he was already demanding that everyone withdraw.

Those who had still held out hope froze before finally voicing their objections.

"On what grounds? The Great Age's Providence was nurtured by heaven and earth. Why shouldn't we be allowed to compete for it?"

"That's right. We admit we cannot defeat you, but opportunities like this should depend on strength and fortune."

"Lord of the Celestial Court, we hope you won't force us. This should be decided fairly."

Once the first person spoke, others quickly followed, all expressing their dissatisfaction.

This was the Great Age's Providence, an opportunity capable of transforming not only their own futures, but those of their entire clans. How could they give it up so easily?

Lu Yuan was immensely powerful and not someone they could afford to provoke. Even so, with so much at stake, they still wanted to compete.

Most of those objecting were the same beings who had remained neutral when the two great factions attacked the Celestial Court. There was another name for people like them—fence-sitters.

Zhu Qingyu and the others frowned as they listened. In their view, allowing the other races to compete would not matter. None of them could defeat the Celestial Court now.

Even so, they remained silent.

Lu Yuan's expression did not change at the objections. Instead, a faint smile touched his lips. "You are free to compete. But when the time comes, I will personally intervene. Weigh the consequences yourselves."

Silence fell once more, and every heart began pounding.

Whatever else they might say, Lu Yuan was now invincible on Earth. If he acted, his attack would descend with overwhelming force. No one present could withstand him. They might be erased before they could even reach the Great Age's Providence.

Everyone knew this, and they knew he was not joking.

Those who had objected froze. Once Lu Yuan intervened, they had no hope of competing.

But were they supposed to stand by and watch the Great Age's Providence fall into someone else's hands?

They wanted to protest, but after thinking it through, they realized there was nothing they could do. Their only alternative was to fight to the death, and even that would achieve nothing.

Once Lu Yuan acted, the Great Age's Providence was already as good as his.