Chapter 618. The Will of Heaven and Earth, a Pleasant Change

From the beginning, Lu Yuan had never considered bestowing the Great Age's Providence upon himself.

At most, it would offer a marginal benefit. Its value to him was limited.

He was certain of this because his strength had already reached its current level and because he had mastered Providence itself. After studying the Great Age's Providence for so long, he understood it well.

For now, he simply wanted to observe the others as they refined their strands and see what changes followed.

Lu Yuan knew they would not break through merely by refining the Great Age's Providence. It improved them in many ways, but it did not directly increase their strength.

That was the nature of Providence, and he had worked with it long enough to understand.

If Providence could instantly raise someone's cultivation realm, then given the immense amount Lu Yuan had gathered through the Nine Tripod Cauldrons, how powerful would he have become?

The answer was clear. It could not.

However, Providence could help someone overcome a bottleneck within a short time.

Lu Yuan had already used repeated blessings of Providence to draw out much of the Celestial Court members' potential. Their cultivation and strength had undergone tremendous changes, and they had all reached the Immortal Realm.

Even so, none of them was close to the Grotto-Heaven Immortal Realm. The Great Age's Providence could not make them break through immediately. They still needed time.

Lu Yuan looked across Jade Emperor Peak. Everyone sat with their eyes closed, surrounded by purple qi. A unique power shrouded each of them, making them appear favored by Heaven and Earth.

This was the effect of the Great Age's Providence. One strand was already enough; adding more would accomplish little.

It seems they'll need some time to refine it.

A smile appeared on Lu Yuan's face. He was in no hurry. The great calamity had not fully descended, and he still had time. Besides, he did not expect the refinement to take long.

Lu Yuan closed his eyes.

His primary task was to stand guard so he could intervene if anything went wrong. But he did not intend to waste this time. He could continue studying the Great Age's Providence and see whether the will of heaven and earth contained within it offered any insight.

Perhaps it would bring him closer to the Supreme Immortal Realm.

That remained his immediate goal.

Lu Yuan knew he could not rush, but the two factions and the Extracosmic Heavenly Demons might not give him the time he needed. He had no choice but to pursue every possible opportunity.

The Great Age's Providence had been nurtured by heaven and earth and carried a trace of its will. It might provide the inspiration he needed.

Even so, Lu Yuan could not help feeling frustrated whenever he considered what lay ahead. At every stage of his journey, he had been forced to confront stronger enemies.

This time was different.

The enemies he now faced surpassed all those who had come before.

Even setting aside the Extracosmic Heavenly Demons, the Starfield Lords of the Ji Clan and the Eternals had long since become Supreme Immortals and were already showing signs of breaking beyond the limits of the Immortal Realm. When the two joined forces in the past, even Jiang Taiyu had gotten the worse of the exchange.

The two Starfield Lords were undoubtedly immensely powerful. At the very least, no one in the Xuanhuang Cosmos could currently match them.

If they attacked now, Lu Yuan would be in grave danger.

He was already searching for a way to break through and advance further. The problem remained the same; he had been given far too little time.

Rumble!

A sudden roar interrupted his thoughts.

Lu Yuan looked up. Powerful energy was gathering around Zhu Qingyu, who sat cross-legged on Jade Emperor Peak, and it seemed to have reached a critical point.

This... is she about to reach the Grotto-Heaven Immortal Realm?

Even Lu Yuan was surprised. He had expected any increase in cultivation to require more time after the Great Age's Providence was refined. Yet Zhu Qingyu was already on the verge of a breakthrough.

Lu Yuan raised a hand and released a surge of power, suppressing the aura around her before it could disturb the others.

"Whether you can truly break through will depend on your own fortune," he murmured.

The Great Age's Providence had given Zhu Qingyu an opportunity and brought her closer to the Grotto-Heaven Immortal Realm. It could not force a breakthrough on its own, at least not yet. But if her previous accumulation was sufficient, she might still succeed.

In that case, I can't delay any longer.

After confirming that no one was in danger, Lu Yuan left Jade Emperor Peak and found Jiang Ningxian. He bestowed one strand of Great Age's Providence upon her.

"Didn't we agree to wait until the Celestial Court's members finished refining theirs?" Jiang Ningxian asked.

That had been their previous agreement, and she did not know why he had suddenly changed his mind.

"The Great Age's Providence offers considerable benefits, and I know you've recently encountered a bottleneck. You're already on the verge of entering the Creation Immortal Realm, but you haven't been able to take that final step.

"We don't have much time left. The sooner you break through, the better."

Lu Yuan explained his reasoning. He did not simply want Jiang Ningxian to become stronger so she could help him face the great calamity. He wanted her to possess enough strength to lead the Celestial Court and protect herself.

The sooner she advanced, the better.

"I understand." Jiang Ningxian nodded.

Lu Yuan left without saying anything more. Jiang Ningxian sealed her residence and began refining the Great Age's Providence in peace.

She knew how important this was and did not dare approach it carelessly.

When Lu Yuan returned to Jade Emperor Peak, he was pleasantly surprised to find that some had already completed the refinement and gained considerable benefits, though not in their cultivation realm.