Whether to extraterrestrial beings or the inhabitants of Earth, Lu Yuan’s influence was simply too vast. A single man, yet fully capable of swaying the balance of power across the entire world. Naturally, his condition was under intense scrutiny from everyone.
Lately, rumors of his severe injuries had run rampant. Many believed them to be true, convinced that Lu Yuan did not have long to live.
Even Earth’s Awakened were beginning to harbor such doubts. And now, extraterrestrial beings had finally begun their probes. The authorities' response would determine what the truth really was.
Everyone was waiting. As time dragged on, the public grew increasingly anxious. In contrast, the extraterrestrial beings became ever more excited, taking the silence as a sign of weakness and guilt.
Finally, three days after the three clans launched their public provocation, the authorities responded. A brief notice was published online, concise to the extreme.
The gist was simple: everything that had happened was brought upon the three clans by their own actions; King Lu had merely risen in self-defense; the matter was not up for debate, and it was hoped the three clans would bear all the consequences.
Indeed, it was just a plain rebuttal without anything further. As for Lu Yuan, he never showed his face from beginning to end.
It was precisely because of this that everyone, including the people of Earth, became convinced that Lu Yuan was unquestionably injured.
Otherwise, the authorities would never have reacted so mildly. It was simply too abnormal. In the past, whenever faced with provocations from extraterrestrial races, even if Lu Yuan did not appear in person, the Heavenly Court had always maintained an overwhelmingly aggressive stance. How could it be like this, offering merely a light explanation when enemies were stepping right on their faces?
"The human Lu Yuan's injury is real. He doesn't have long to live—perhaps he's already dead!"
"Confirming it is simple enough. After returning from beyond the planet, didn't he go to Mount Tai? We can just head straight there."
"That’s his base of operations, and there are native experts stationed there. Wouldn't going there be too risky?"
"What risk is there? They're nothing more than natives. We have formed a united coalition of various races now, with countless experts in the Sovereign King Realm. Furthermore, clans like the Nether Bull Clan will soon have Saints secretly descending!"
"That's right! Straight to Mount Tai!"
At this moment, the clans from across the star sectors that had chosen to unite grew completely electrified.
This was especially true for the Nether Bull Clan, the Three-Headed Ghost Clan, and the Origin Demon Clan. Their blood feuds with Lu Yuan had never been set aside. It was only because their strength had previously been insufficient, and their stronger elders unable to descend, that they had chosen forbearance.
Now, with Lu Yuan heavily injured, his combat strength was definitely far from its peak—he might very well already be dead. It could be said that in this world, there was no longer anyone capable of suppressing them.
In the end, the clans reached a consensus to march directly upon Mount Tai.
They would confirm whether Lu Yuan was dead or alive. If he was dead, they would take the opportunity to seize ultimate authority over the entire Earth. If he was still breathing, they would strike directly, snuffing out this unpredictable threat once and for all.
Once their plans were laid, led by the three clans, they all sprang into motion, advancing toward Mount Tai.
The people and Awakened of Earth immediately caught wind of this development, their hearts dropping in shock.
"Mount Tai—all the official leadership and the Heavenly Court are stationed there! What do they think they're doing?"
"These outsiders must think King Lu is injured and near death, so they want to kick him while he's down!"
"How can we stand for this? How many times has King Lu protected the people and us? The Qinling beast tide, the South Sea Giant Demon, the turmoil of the Beast Kings, and the recent manifestation of the Ranked Immortals—if not for King Lu, who knows how many lives would have been hurt, how many would have died? No, we can't let them get away with this!"
Across the internet, a wave of righteous indignation swept through the Awakened upon learning the news.
They believed without a doubt that the extraterrestrial beings were coming for King Lu. One could say King Lu was now facing an unprecedented crisis.
Under these circumstances, everyone felt they could not simply sit by and watch. Their lives had been preserved by King Lu, whose countless deeds had spared countless people from catastrophe. Standing idly by would be nothing short of ingratitude.
Thus, after brief deliberation, someone suggested that the Awakened across Earth unite to confront the extraterrestrial beings and protect King Lu.
This call immediately drew responses from countless people. In less than three days, tens of thousands of Awakened signed up, resolving to head for Mount Tai.
In the past, King Lu had protected them. Now, it was their turn to protect King Lu!
And so, the extraterrestrial clans and a multitude of Awakened advanced in the same direction.
Meanwhile, in a courtyard on Mount Tai, Lu Yuan and Jiang Ningxian sat opposite each other. A game board rested on the table between them.
It was Huaxia Go. In the old era, Lu Yuan would occasionally play a match when free. As for his skill—on the board before them, Jiang Ningxian had already established total dominance.
"I concede." Seeing the state of the board, Lu Yuan smiled and waved his hand in surrender. Over the past few days, he had completely stabilized his cultivation. Instead of remaining in seclusion, he had decided to unwind. It just so happened that Jiang Ningxian mentioned knowing how to play Go, so the two had sat down for a game.
He had assumed that being from beyond Earth, she must have only picked up Go after her descent. Who could have guessed that he would lose three games in a row?
"The way of Go corresponds to the Heavenly Dao. Legend has it that Emperor Yao, one of the Five Emperors, invented it to fathom the ultimate truths of heaven and earth," Jiang Ningxian remarked, her delicate face brimming with smug pride. "My father taught me often when I was young, so it's only natural you can't beat me."
Hearing this, Lu Yuan smiled and shook his head. Regarding the origins of Go, the tale of Emperor Yao creating the game did exist, though it remained unverified by history. Even so, during play, he had indeed felt that Go possessed the effect of tempering the mind and nourishing the soul.
Just then, Elder Ji and Elder Yun arrived. Without hesitation, they spoke directly. "King Lu, everything has unfolded precisely as you anticipated. The extraterrestrial beings could not hold back. They have mobilized toward Mount Tai, likely planning to strike against you.
"In addition, several corporate consortiums and financial cartels have made moves to support them. Every development is within our grasp.
"Furthermore, regarding the Zhou family, we have tracked down their hiding place."
Saying this, the two elders could not help but feel a surge of admiration.
Though King Lu was young, he was thoroughly calculating. With a single rumor of grave injury, he had lured out every hidden tumor.
Next, all that remained was to strike with overwhelming force and resolve all issues in one fell swoop. When that time came, the authorities would once again hold total control of the situation.
"They couldn't help themselves after all," Lu Yuan said with a smile. "Where are those extraterrestrial beings now?"
"It will take them roughly seven days to converge at Mount Tai," Elder Yun replied after a quick mental calculation. At this moment, he was thoroughly excited, immensely thrilled at the thought of using this opportunity to eradicate those parasites once and for all.
Those people still believed King Lu was severely wounded, his survival uncertain. When Elder Yun first received the news, he had nearly burst out laughing, wondering what kind of expressions they would wear upon discovering the truth. Had the right time arrived, he would have loved to broadcast the reality to the world right now.
"Seven days?" Lu Yuan repeated softly. He rose slowly to his feet, gazing out at the withered, yellowing leaves in the distance, his expression placid. "Winter is approaching. It's time to spill some blood."
Chapter 217