Atop Jade Emperor Peak on Mount Tai.
After hearing Lu Yuan's words, suspicious looks appeared in the eyes of the three Beast Kings, unsure of what he meant.
"May King Lu explain clearly," the Nine-Tailed Fox King was the first to speak.
Its bloodline was extraordinary; it had simply had too little time to mature, leaving its true potential yet to fully awaken.
Once it fully grew, it would be terrifying. Otherwise, it would never have managed to escape the clutches of the Nether Bull Clan while being an entire realm lower.
The same was true for the Peacock King and the Spirit Monkey. What they truly lacked was merely time; in the future, they would undoubtedly become formidable combat forces.
Lu Yuan knew this well, so he offered a faint smile and said softly, "We on the human side have established an organization named the Heavenly Court, led by me. The standards are very high, but the three of you are certainly qualified. Therefore, I hope that after this, you will join the Heavenly Court."
Joining, in other words, meant casting aside all past grievances and collaborating with the humans represented by the authorities.
Before this, their discussion had merely concerned mutual non-aggression, whereas now, it was an alliance in the truest sense.
Moreover, the implication was that humans would lead, and the mutated beasts would assist.
The three Beast Kings before him wielded great influence among the mutated beasts.
If they joined the Heavenly Court, it would definitely impact the future landscape.
Eventually, humans and mutated beasts might stand entirely as one, merging into a single faction.
This was Lu Yuan's goal: to take command of greater power in this world and contend with the extraterrestrial beings in the days to come.
As the saying went, there was only so much one person could accomplish alone.
He could serve as a formidable deterrent, but concrete matters had to rely on others. And as the situation shifted, the subordinates beneath him needed sufficient strength as well.
The three Beast Kings happened to meet these criteria perfectly, capable of becoming invaluable aids in the future.
Furthermore, an idea had already formed in Lu Yuan's mind: now that the Heavenly Court had been established, why not forge this faction to its fullest?
A grand era was dawning, and various star domains were contending for supremacy.
To carve a path through it and accomplish greater things, this was precisely what had to be done.
At this moment, the Peacock King and the Spirit Monkey exchanged glances. Being highly intelligent, they naturally understood the implications, which left them somewhat hesitant.
After all, as beasts, they were accustomed to wandering wild and free. Moreover, as Beast Kings and masters of their domains, thousands of beasts had bowed before them.
Agreeing would not bring much harm, but the crux was that they feared being subject to others in the future.
For instance, if this so-called Heavenly Court issued orders, would they have to obey?
"Very well. Since King Lu has invited us, I will gladly join," the Nine-Tailed Fox King spoke up first, declaring its decision to enter the Heavenly Court.
Having spoken, it turned to look at the Spirit Monkey and the Peacock King. "Right now, our greatest enemies are the extraterrestrial beings. They have descended to seize the famous mountains and great rivers, stealing our homes. More powerful entities will arrive in the future. As native creatures, we should unite.
"You also know King Lu's strength. Today, he is the only one who can overcome the Nether Bull Clan from the Thunderstrike Star Domain."
Both sides had dealt with each other before and understood each other's capabilities. With the extraterrestrial beings invading so aggressively, the threat could not be ignored.
The problem was that the mutated beasts had almost all suffered defeat, utterly unable to fight back.
In that case, why not choose a true alliance?
The Nine-Tailed Fox King saw this clearly and knew what choice to make.
"What a pity. If given a bit more time to nurse my wounds, I would soon reach the Sovereign King Realm," the Peacock King thought with regret. Yet it knew the Nine-Tailed Fox King was right, so it spoke up again: "Very well, I agree to join as well."
"I naturally have no objection," the Spirit Monkey finally declared its stance. Lu Yuan suited its tastes very well.
Another factor was that it had never held much grievance against humans to begin with.
Right now, the most urgent matter was dealing with the extraterrestrial beings.
"Thank you for your support," Lu Yuan said with a smile upon hearing this.
With the three Beast Kings joining, the Heavenly Court had indirectly brought a portion of the mutated beasts under its wing.
Of course, this was only the beginning. To continue expanding the faction, this was not enough, but one could not rush things.
With the business concluded, after chatting a bit longer with the three Beast Kings, Lu Yuan departed directly from Mount Tai.
He then sought out Elder Ji, Elder Yun, and the others, informing them of the three Beast Kings' decision to join the Heavenly Court.
Upon hearing this, the two elders found it somewhat incredible. After all, mutated beasts had always possessed wild, untamable natures, yet a single visit from King Lu had succeeded—and with beings at the level of Beast Kings, no less. They could not help but be stunned.
As for Lu Yuan, his intent was that specific matters regarding future interactions with mutated beasts would temporarily be handled by the upper echelons of the authorities.
He would only provide broad strategic direction; after all, he could not handle every detail in person.
Furthermore, there was the matter of extraterrestrial beings potentially descending upon Mount Tai.
In recent days, panic and fear had gripped the populace.
Those entities were unknown beings, and they appeared far too ferocious. If they turned their wrath upon humanity, what kind of disaster would ensue?
Therefore, Lu Yuan informed them that he would intervene personally; all they needed to do was wait.
Other famous mountains and great rivers could be set aside for the moment, but Mount Tai was vital.
It was tied to his future plans and could never be allowed to fall into extraterrestrial hands.
Even so, Elder Ji, Elder Yun, and the others remained somewhat worried.
The strength displayed by the Nether Bull Clan was truly formidable.
Yet there was really no other alternative. What they could do right now was limited—mobilizing their most powerful nuclear weapons, perhaps, to lend a hand at a crucial moment.
Beyond that, their duties lay in stabilizing conditions across the country and protecting the people. For them, these tasks were not difficult and remained fully under control.
And so, the matter was settled.
The news was officially released through government channels: if extraterrestrial beings truly descended upon Mount Tai, King Lu would step forward in person.
This instantly stirred waves and fervent discussions across the internet, drawing close attention even from abroad.
Overseas nations faced the exact same situation, powerless before the extraterrestrial beings.
Now, Lu Yuan was universally acknowledged worldwide as the foremost powerhouse.
Perhaps only he could alter the course of events.
Yet many people abroad held pessimistic views.
"Even the Beast Kings were hunted down one by one, completely powerless to resist. Huaxia's King Lu might not stand a chance either."
"Yeah, those are beings that descended from outer space, like legends out of myth."
"We'd better just accept it meekly. We can't afford a conflict."
"You foreigners are all talking nonsense!"
"Exactly! King Lu is the strongest today. He resisted nuclear weapons and crushed the Three Immortal Islands—his strength shakes the heavens!"
"I believe it too. If that Nether Bull Clan shows up at Mount Tai, King Lu will surely overpower them!"
These were the dissenting voices of the domestic Awakened, who felt the foreigners were far too pessimistic, lacking any fighting spirit and resigning themselves to passive submission.
They believed in Lu Yuan's strength.
Of course, some also harbored secret doubts and anxiety. King Lu was invincible on Earth, but these newcomers were from the depths of space...
However, endless discussions were meaningless now; everything depended on the final outcome. The authorities also announced that, with King Lu's consent, the entire confrontation would be livestreamed on the day the Nether Bull Clan arrived at Mount Tai.
This time, it truly captured the eyes of the entire world.
Time trickled by.
Throughout this period, Lu Yuan did not go into seclusion, continuing instead to familiarize himself with his power.
He had already reached the peak of the Golden Body Realm; the next step was the fifth stage, the Sovereign King Realm.
With his foundation, breaking through still presented a challenge, as it was a major realm boundary.
Yet it would not be too far off, given his immense prior accumulation.
Moreover, the authorities kept close watch on the movements of the Nether Bull Clan.
However, due to limited means, tracking their whereabouts proved exceedingly difficult, especially since the aliens possessed methods to shield themselves from detection, making things very troublesome.
Of course, through the diverse methods of domestic Awakened, some scraps of information were still gathered.
The Nether Bull Clan was continuing to seize territory, occupying famous mountains and great rivers at a rapid pace.
Yet because their numbers among those who descended were not large, they generally moved directly to the next location after slaying a Beast King, leaving behind a marker.
As for the steel-cast battleships out in the starry sky, after sending down a few beings, they made no further moves.
They seemed to be waiting for something. According to Jiang Ningxian's explanation and what Lu Yuan understood, the measures left behind by the ancient sages—the Severance of Heaven and Earth—still persisted on Earth, preventing them from descending en masse and temporarily preserving Earth's living creatures.
Consequently, almost all eyes were now focused on Mount Tai.
Finally, nearly half a month later, someone broke the news.
"A member of the Nether Bull Clan from the Thunderstrike Star Domain is heading toward Mount Tai!"
"Based on its estimated speed, it will arrive within three days!"
"King Lu stands guard—is the great battle truly about to begin?"
Countless people watched closely, scouring every available source of information to get first-hand updates.
On the other side, the authorities were also alerted and ultimately activated the livestream, sending up drones to cover Mount Tai from every possible angle.
Some Awakened had also rushed over, taking positions along distant ridges to observe vigilantly. In short, everyone understood that this might be the very first major battle between Earth's inhabitants and extraterrestrial entities.
No one knew what the outcome would be, not even those with absolute confidence in Lu Yuan.
On this day, roughly a hundred li from Mount Tai.
A formidable aura surged forth, black energy sweeping through the air.
A massive Nether Bull appeared, its fleshy wings beating and kicking up tempestuous squalls.
It was truly powerful, looking exceedingly ferocious, exuding a horrifying presence that sent mutated beasts fleeing for their lives wherever it passed.
And its destination was none other than Mount Tai.
"It's here! It's really here!"
"An extraterrestrial Nether Bull—it must be in the Sovereign King Realm!"
"Evolved to the fifth stage! Terrifying! Can it really be defeated?"
"I heard that King Lu reached the Golden Body Realm too, and his strength shot up drastically!"
People watched with rapt attention, quickly noticing that the Nether Bull had entered the vicinity of Mount Tai, and promptly turned their focus to the livestream.
The broadcasting equipment had been custom-built, with multiple redundancies, allowing a clear view of the entire scene. Most notable was Jade Emperor Peak, where the Spirit Monkey, Peacock King, and Nine-Tailed Fox King stood solemnly, gazing at the power surging continuously in the distance.
It was stronger than them and had had more time to grow; it was difficult to handle, and they were no match for it.
"Wait, something's wrong... why does there seem to be another cloud of black energy?"
At this moment, someone watching the livestream noticed an anomaly and their face instantly drained of color.
The Awakened stationed near Mount Tai spotted it as well. Gazing toward the horizon, their eyes widened: "Besides that first Nether Bull, there seem to be two more identical auras! Does that mean... three extraterrestrial beings might be coming to Mount Tai this time?!"
Chapter 128