At the Mount Tai Trial Academy, a detached building stood quietly.
This was a residence specially arranged and built by the higher-ups. Its decor was classical and elegant, utilizing rare timber in many areas. Some rooms were forged directly from special alloys—not overly extravagant, but emphasizing comfort.
At that moment, inside one of the rooms, Lu Yuan sat cross-legged with his eyes slightly closed.
A powerful aura vibrated around his body. The golden radiance had fully receded, no longer visible on the surface. Yet despite this restraint, the imposing might he exuded only grew increasingly formidable.
Before him, the Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace hummed from time to time as surges of surging power converged within. After several days of concoction, the pill inside had finally taken form, slowly floating up to hover over the furnace mouth.
It was roughly thumb-sized, crystal clear and translucent, emanating streaks of auspicious light. Upon closer inspection, obscure, profound patterns could be seen carved into its surface, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the legendary transcendent grand elixirs recorded in ancient texts.
Before long, Lu Yuan opened his eyes. Gazing at the pill, a smile surfaced on his lips. "I have already broken seventy genetic shackles. I wonder what height I will reach after consuming this pill."
Seventy genetic shackles was no longer far from the ultimate limit of one hundred and eight. Given his current foundation, all he required now was sufficient energy.
This pill had been refined from the spirit fruits and exotic herbs he had harvested on Mount Olympus. Extracting the essence while discarding the dregs produced energy far purer and more potent than before.
Without hesitation, Lu Yuan reached out, took the pill, and swallowed it directly.
The pill melted the moment it touched his tongue, transforming into an exceptionally pure and vast torrent of power. It instantly surged through his limbs, bones, and every inch of flesh and skin. Closing his eyes again, he operated the Ancestral Dragon Breathing Method, beginning to integrate it thoroughly into his body.
Hum, hum, hum...
The moment Lu Yuan began absorbing it, his aura surged outward once more. Auspicious light enveloped his figure, illuminating the entire room.
The pill had been crafted from multiple spirit fruits and herbs, packing an immense reserve of energy. This powerful energy rushed straight toward Lu Yuan's mind. Generally speaking, sudden, overwhelming power would inflate one's confidence, fostering arrogance and causing one to lose oneself. Ancient texts referred to this as an obstacle on the path of cultivation—overcome it, and one achieves perfection; fail to conquer it, and one faces mortal peril.
Yet he remained composed. Shifting his focus, he recited the full version of the Daodejing, visualizing the boundless expanse of the universe.
In his mind, that innate spirit, the god of wisdom, sat quietly beneath the Ancient Bodhi Tree.
In a single instant, the destabilizing sensation vanished. The vast energy was brought completely under his control.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
Three crisp sounds resonated in rapid succession from within Lu Yuan's body, signifying that three genetic shackles were shattered on the spot. Behind him, nine grotto-heavens manifested, each nurturing a true god, and the tenth began to take shape.
Lu Yuan knew that under the pill's effects, this closed-door cultivation session would yield immense gains, allowing his strength to take another massive leap. Putting all stray thoughts aside, he concentrated on running his visualization method and breathing method, gradually refining the tremendous power.
He was in no rush. Haste made waste; his foundation was already solid, and all that remained was to advance step by step.
Time slipped by, second by second, and the power bursting from his body grew ever stronger.
The tenth grotto-heaven stabilized.
The eleventh was already brewing.
One genetic shackle after another snapped.
More than half a month flashed past.
On this day, Lu Yuan opened his eyes in the room, a sharp glint flashing across his gaze. His surrounding aura no longer churned, remaining concealed within, yet a faint, pure fragrance wafted from his body. His skin glistened with radiant, iridescent light—a clear sign that his physical constitution had reached an extraordinary new tier.
His internal organs no longer rumbled as before, settling into silence, yet they were like an active volcano ready to erupt at any second. The moment he unleashed them, they would unleash terrifying, unimaginable power.
Inside him, the number of shattered genetic shackles had reached ninety-five.
In other words, he was only thirteen shackles away from the absolute limit.
His cultivation of the Ancestral Dragon Breathing Method had likewise attained notable progress, opening a total of fifteen grotto-heavens—which translated to a fifteen-fold amplification and boost to his combat prowess.
Physical constitution.
Overall strength.
Nearly every aspect had experienced a tremendous leap during this seclusion.
Furthermore, the innate spirit in his mind, under the prolonged nourishment of the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token, had begun to emanate a faint purple halo—dignified, noble, and carrying an aura of looking down upon all living beings. Naturally, this was only the preliminary stage; as time passed, it would become even more extraordinary and divine.
"The gains from this retreat are truly exceptional."
Lu Yuan rose to his feet and clenched his fists. Instantly, his muscles and bones cracked in unison. As his blood-qi surged, the surrounding air popped with a sharp detonation.
Making a brief assessment, he realized he was far stronger now than prior to entering seclusion. If he had to face a thermonuclear weapon again, he could likely emerge unscathed even without the grotto-heaven amplification of the Ancestral Dragon Breathing Method.
All in all, his gains were colossal. He was nearing the absolute peak of the third evolutionary stage, the Shackle Realm. Going forward, he would soon push toward the fourth stage: the Golden Body Realm.
"Let's see how much the Daluo sword core has transformed."
Lu Yuan retrieved the sword core and inspected it carefully.
The blade remained black, its inner brilliance restrained, yet the sword-might it radiated was distinctly stronger than before. The patterns upon it had grown increasingly distinct and profound. With a slight channeling of his energy, the Daluo sword light flared to life, carrying a chilling killing intent that caused even his own flesh to feel a sense of threat.
Evidently, after absorbing the Five Ancient Vatican Sacred Relics and several divine materials, the Daluo sword core had advanced once again. If wielded through the One Sword of Heaven and Earth, its destructive power would be terrifying—cleaving an entire hill in two would surely be child's play.
"What a pity that divine materials are so hard to come by. Otherwise, with enough of them, the sword core could grow even stronger."
Lu Yuan sighed in slight regret. Materials capable of facilitating the sword core's metamorphosis were exceedingly scarce. For now, they were almost impossible to find, but he was not overly greedy; taking things step by step would suffice. After all, he was already many strides ahead of everyone else, and his future path would only be smoother. There was no need to rush.
Setting aside his contemplation, Lu Yuan had no immediate intention of stepping outside. He retrieved his communicator to check what had been happening in the outside world.
First and foremost, the establishment of the Human Alliance was proceeding smoothly. None of the factions raised any objections, and all looked to Huaxia as the leader.
There were also numerous news reports concerning him, bearing all manner of headlines such as "The True King of Humanity" and "The Strongest Human Alive." This level of public fervor had completely eclipsed that of the former Five Great Sovereigns. Of course, by now, no one even brought up the term "Sovereign" anymore, realizing that title had been pure exaggeration.
At the same time, more and more Awakened were rising to prominence—people like Zhu Qingyu, Young Celestial Master Chunyang, Monk Huikong, and others. Having all broken through to the Awakening Realm, they were hailed as the pride of the country's younger generation and attracted immense attention.
However, no one compared any of them to him. In the eyes of all, Lu Yuan stood in a league of his own.
Even so, he paid little attention to these reports, turning instead to other headlines. There were reports of sudden earthquakes, blizzards, torrential downpours, lightning storms, and other extreme weather patterns popping up everywhere. It gave the impression of frequent, cascading disasters.
In Shuntian, for example, snow had been falling continuously for half a month with no sign of stopping. In Shencheng, sea levels had risen dramatically.
Yet none of this drew much public concern. In this New Era, people's attention was almost entirely fixed on extraordinary powers.
Looking at the news, however, Lu Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke in a low voice, "Judging by the timing, the second global mutation should be about to begin."
Aside from the first mutation, the subsequent second and third mutations occurred silently. Had it not been for his memories of his past life, it would have been difficult even for him to notice the precise signs. This also brought to mind what the Spirit Monkey had mentioned: the mutated beast kings in the sea had grown anxious and restless lately. Presumably, certain dormant entities were about to show themselves.
And after that would come the gradual arrival of extraterrestrial beings.
"A magnificent, golden era, is it?" Lu Yuan muttered to himself, his gaze turning solemn. A great era also heralded great tribulation.
Then he recalled Elder Ji's previous message regarding those two extraterrestrial visitors. They were supposed to visit the Mount Tai Trial Academy again. More than half a month had passed by now, meaning their return should be imminent.
Since nothing was certain, Lu Yuan considered the matter and decided to wait a few more days. It would also give him time to properly digest the fruits of his recent seclusion.
And so, several more days went by.
On this morning, the Ice Fairy and Zhu Qingyu had just stepped out of their rooms, preparing to head to their training session. Along the path, however, they noticed two strange figures ahead: a young woman and an old man.
The young woman was tall and slender, with long legs, snow-white skin, and an extraordinary temperament. Her appearance was even more striking than theirs, yet she wore traditional ancient robes. Beside her, an elderly man clad in a loose red robe walked a step behind, both advancing steadily.
"Excuse me, may I ask what brings you two to the Mount Tai Trial Academy?" the Ice Fairy stepped forward to inquire. She was certain she did not recognize either of them, having never seen them here before.
The young woman turned her head and smiled warmly, revealing two lovely dimples that made her look both exquisite and endearing. She replied politely, "I am here to find Lu Yuan. May I ask if he has returned?"
*Lu Yuan?*
The Ice Fairy and Zhu Qingyu exchanged a glance, both seeing a trace of curiosity in each other's eyes.
"Greetings to you both."
Right at that moment, Elder Yun approached from a distance and cupped his hands slightly. "King Lu has indeed returned. He previously instructed that if you two arrived, you could seek him out directly. Allow me to lead the way."
Elder Yun had met them on their previous visit. Knowing their identities were profoundly mysterious and their strength immense, he had hurried over immediately upon hearing of their arrival.
"Then many thanks, Elder," the young woman said with a sweet, courteous smile. She glanced at the Ice Fairy and Zhu Qingyu, gave a polite nod, and fell into step behind Elder Yun.
As for the red-robed elder, he remained entirely silent from beginning to end.
"Her presence and beauty aren't inferior to Zhou Yunqiong's—in fact, she might even surpass her..." Watching the three depart, the Ice Fairy chuckled softly. "It seems King Lu not only possesses terrifying strength, but his fortune with women is rather remarkable too."
Beside her, Zhu Qingyu chose not to respond. She merely stood rooted in place, watching the young woman's retreating figure with an intent, focused gaze.
Meanwhile, in another part of the academy, Lu Yuan had thoroughly consolidated his recent gains over the past few days. He opened his eyes and was about to stretch his muscles when he suddenly looked toward the outside, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips. "Have they finally arrived?"
Chapter 106