A Gathering of Storms, a Mutant Beast for a Mount?

Silence. Total, utter silence. The One-Horned Giant Wolf King was dead, without even bones left behind. It had failed to withstand the attack for even a single breath before its body detonated into nothingness, leaving behind not a trace. Everyone stared dumbfounded at the scene, their eyes filled with shock and terror. Such immense power was simply beyond imagination. Was that truly something a human could wield? Nearby, the summoned mutant beasts fell quiet as well, frozen in place at a complete loss. That single arrow had struck them with sheer terror, sending involuntary shivers straight through their souls. After a moment, Zhu Qingyu and the others snapped their heads around. They saw the figure still standing proudly on the rooftop, wreathed in crackling lightning like a god descended to the mortal realm. Just who was he? Never since the global upheaval had anyone heard of such an existence. Up above, Lu Yuan frowned slightly. "Hit it too hard. Didn't even leave a scrap of flesh behind." It seemed he was still too strong; had he known, he wouldn't have infused the power of lightning. Shaking his head, he gave it no further thought and turned his gaze upon the hills and plains swarming with mutant beasts. All at once, another aura radiated from his body—overbearing, terrifying. It was sheer intimidation. *Thump, thump, thump!* In the very next instant, the hundreds upon thousands of mutant beasts turned on their heels without the slightest hesitation. They fled even faster than they had arrived. In less than a minute, every single beast had plunged back into the mountain forests. That man was too horrifying. If they stayed, they would die. Mutant beasts possessed a measure of intelligence, and their leader was gone. Were they supposed to wait around to be slaughtered? Taking the chance to flee was their only option. Seeing this, Lu Yuan reined in his aura. Without the Giant Wolf King leading them, the beast tide could no longer form. In other words, this region would remain safe for some time to come. "Crisis resolved. Time to go." After a brief contemplation, he stowed the Heaven-Shaking Bow, leaped into the air, and vanished into the darkness. Lu Yuan naturally knew that this display of power would leave the teachers and students of Zhendan Academy, as well as Zhu Qingyu, thoroughly shaken. However, he had no intention of making contact with them for now. There would be plenty of time in the future. What mattered was that his business here was finished, and he needed to head to Chang'an. The opening of the Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum was drawing nearer by the day, and he could not afford to miss it. "Teacher Zhao, that person left." Watching Lu Yuan depart, Zhu Qingyu spoke up, then gazed into the distance and murmured, "And... the beast tide crisis is over too." "Yes, it's over. One person, one arrow, all in less than a minute." Zhao Wuji's gaze was dazed, wondering if he was dreaming. Everything that had just transpired felt far too surreal. A catastrophe they had been powerless to stop even at the cost of their lives had been wiped away by a single arrow. That was the Giant Wolf King—an Awakening Realm beast whose sheer might had driven everyone to despair. Yet now, nothing remained of it but dust. "Did any of you get a clear look at his face just now?" Zhao Wuji finally recovered from his shock and asked immediately. Regardless of the details, that person's strength was unfathomable, and he was confirmed to be human. If such a figure could join or assist the academy, the significance would be monumental. Unfortunately, before Zhao Wuji could even react, the man was already gone. The only option now was to remember his appearance, track him down, and make contact! "We didn't." Qin Lan and the others exchanged glances, then all shook their heads. The lightning had been blinding, and the aura overwhelming. Given their level of strength, getting a clear view had been impossible. The only certainty was that whoever shot the Giant Wolf King had evolved to a terrifying height. Zhao Wuji was left speechless. There was nothing to be done. If the man truly didn't want his identity known, no one present had the power to uncover it. Zhao Wuji felt a pang of regret at having missed the chance to connect with such a powerhouse. "Forget it. Let's reassure the civilians first." The crisis had passed, but many people were still unaware. Zhao Wuji took some healing medicine, treated the other injured students and teachers, and entered the city to calm the populace as best he could. Zhu Qingyu and the others assisted him. Not long after, the military reinforcements they had called, along with several vice principals from Zhendan Academy's Chang'an branch, arrived on the scene. Upon learning of the beast tide, they had rushed over at full throttle with armored fighting vehicles, all sorts of heavy weaponry, and even an armed attack helicopter. Yet when they arrived at Qingyang City with everything prepared, they found no trace of a beast tide anywhere. Not even the shadow of a mutant beast remained. Of course, looking at the wrecked roads and buildings, the vice principals knew the city had indeed suffered a beast incursion. But for some reason, it had already ended, leaving them thoroughly bewildered. It was only when Zhao Wuji and his group rendezvoused with the reinforcements that their questions were answered. Learning that a powerful Awakened had slain the Giant Wolf King with a single arrow and scared off the entire horde, everyone was once again stunned. Though they had not witnessed it firsthand, they could easily imagine the scene, convinced beyond doubt that the archer was a supreme powerhouse. Consequently, the vice principals decided to mobilize every resource at their disposal to establish contact with him. Regardless of his strength, simply saving tens of thousands of civilians made the effort worthwhile. At the same time, they resolved to publish the incident online as a gesture of goodwill, hoping it might yield some leads. They knew the chances were slim, but it was an effort worth making. Soon, under Zhendan Academy's direction, the news of Qingyang City's beast tide spread across the internet. Beast tides assaulting cities had become frequent since the global upheaval, with reports appearing across the country daily. People had paid close attention at first, never knowing when disaster might strike their own homes, but over time, many grew accustomed to it. With the ongoing construction of the five super cities, public interest had begun to wane. In the past, every beast tide had wrought catastrophic devastation and severe casualties. This time was different. Representatives from Zhendan Academy announced that at the critical juncture, a mysterious figure had intervened, felling the beast king with a single arrow and rescuing hundreds of thousands of civilians. Public attention surged, and everyone was speculating on the mysterious figure's identity. The event also underscored to the masses that surviving in the New Era required absolute strength. More and more people began searching for any way to embark on the path of evolution. During the early stages of the upheaval, spirit fruits and miraculous herbs were abundant. A fair number of people were fortunate enough to encounter them and become Awakened. As a result, the ranks of those wielding supernatural power continued to grow, though their strength remained modest. *[Mutant Beasts Attack Qingyang City: Zhendan Academy Faculty and Students Fight Fearlessly Against Beast King; Mysterious Figure Intervenes at the Critical Hour, Slaying Beast King and Rescuing Hundreds of Thousands]* Several days later, in a desolate mountain range, Lu Yuan looked at the push notification on his phone and chuckled. He understood that his arrow that day had left a deep impression on Zhendan Academy. He had not expected them to publicize the incident. Were they trying to draw his attention? Shaking his head, Lu Yuan gave it no further thought. He knew Zhendan Academy represented the government, which had been actively recruiting powerful Awakened to stabilize the situation in the New Era. However, he had no interest in joining, so he paid it no mind. Putting his phone away, Lu Yuan checked his bearings and sprinted forward at full speed. His physique was overwhelmingly powerful. A single stride carried him nearly a hundred meters, and at full speed, even a high-speed train could not keep up. Traveling like this naturally eliminated any need for vehicles, with the sole drawback being that it was somewhat tiring. "Relying entirely on my own legs won't work in the long run. When I get the chance, I'll have to tame a mutant beast as a mount." Lu Yuan muttered to himself. The world was expanding, and running everywhere was far too troublesome. Soaring through the air under his own power was still beyond his reach for now, so finding a flying creature to serve as a mount was clearly the best choice. Of course, he couldn't settle for just anything. In fact, Lu Yuan already had a candidate in mind that would certainly fit the bill: an exceptionally potent bloodline, enormous potential, and formidable combat power. Still, all of that would have to wait until after the Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum expedition. Planning as he moved, Lu Yuan pressed on. About half an hour later, he came to a halt and looked into the distance toward Chang'an. There, a colossal city loomed on the horizon, filled with high-rise towers. More importantly, the city was enclosed by a massive wall of steel. Standing a full hundred meters high and made entirely of metal, it set Chang'an apart from every other city he had seen, transforming it into a true fortress of steel. The perimeter wall was not yet fully complete, and ongoing construction could still be seen in many sections. But under the current conditions, with Awakened appearing in ever-greater numbers, finishing it would not take very long. In truth, before leaving Shanghai, Lu Yuan had already observed large-scale defensive fortifications being erected everywhere. The locations chosen for the five super cities were exceptionally well thought out, covering the east, west, south, north, and central regions, with two positioned along the coast to guard against maritime mutant beasts and prevent incursions. Yet the initiative to construct these super cities was currently happening only in Huaxia, while foreign nations showed little response. This was only natural. Only Huaxia possessed such organizational capability and perseverance. After pausing briefly, Lu Yuan picked up his pace toward Chang'an, though he deliberately kept his speed modest. Along the way, he noticed many people heading into the city as well. Some drove cars, some ran, some rode horses, and helicopters dotted the sky. Awakened who had stepped onto the path of evolution could be seen at any moment, though most were merely in the Initial Realm. Some bore ox horns upon their heads, while others had grown long tails. Each displayed their own bizarre mutations, making them instantly recognizable as Awakened. This was normal. They had not yet mastered the power and bloodlines within their bodies and remained at a very rudimentary stage. After all, not everyone could be like Lu Yuan. "Looks like news about the Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum has leaked out entirely," Lu Yuan remarked to himself. Initially, only the major factions knew about it, but keeping it secret forever was impossible—especially with human settlements surrounding Mount Li. As time passed, more people were bound to find out. Moreover, some major faction might have intentionally spread the word to draw in more Awakened. If enough people got involved, a chaotic brawl would inevitably erupt, allowing certain schemers to fish in troubled waters. The Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum, the resting place of the Ancestral Dragon, had always been extraordinary. If it underwent a supernatural upheaval, something remarkable was guaranteed to emerge, rivaling the treasures of famous mountains and rivers. Furthermore, the more famous a mountain, the more likely it was to harbor formidable mutant beasts. In comparison, the Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum might actually pose less danger. Under these circumstances, the mausoleum naturally drew the eyes of the entire world, gathering clouds and storms. When the time came, even more and stronger Awakened would surely arrive. None of that mattered to Lu Yuan. He was determined to claim whatever lay within, and no one would stand in his way. Without lingering on the thought, he walked straight toward the gates of Chang'an. At that very moment, several helicopters appeared in the sky, slowly descending toward the city. Someone who had found their path blocked was about to complain, but upon catching sight of the words "Wuzhou Group" emblazoned on the aircraft, they immediately ducked their head and slunk away. Wuzhou Group had been a prominent enterprise nationwide even before the upheaval, and it had risen with astounding speed afterward, producing numerous Awakened. In particular, the controlling Zhou family possessed a mysterious bloodline, with several members achieving ancestral reversion and gaining formidable strength. More importantly, rumors swirled that Winged Celestial, one of the Five Great Sovereigns, had deep, intricate ties with Wuzhou Group. Soon, the helicopters touched down smoothly. Several figures stepped out. At their head were three individuals—two women and one man, all roughly twenty years old. The two women bore a resemblance to each other and appeared to be sisters, though the elder was distinctly more striking. Though plainly dressed, she possessed a slender figure, waterfall-like hair, and breathtaking beauty. Her aloof, ethereal bearing made her seem like a fairy descended from the heavens, keeping people from daring to approach. Stepping down from the helicopter, she looked toward the city gates. For an instant, she seemed to glimpse Lu Yuan's back among the crowd, but it vanished almost immediately. The woman halted her steps, her brows furrowing slightly. "Yunqiong, what is it?" The young man walked over, a look of mild curiosity on his face. He was extraordinary in appearance, with sharp brows, bright eyes, and fair skin. His countenance carried an effortless authority, exuding an aura of haughty nobility. It was hard to imagine such a presence belonging to a man in his early twenties. Moreover, a closer look revealed that his pupils were golden. "Nothing. I just caught sight of a familiar figure—resembled an old college classmate, but I'm not certain," Zhou Yunqiong said. When she looked again, the figure was nowhere to be found. "A college classmate?" The man chuckled. "Wouldn't that just be an ordinary mortal? Are they worth your attention?" His voice was calm and steady, spoken without haste, brimming with absolute confidence. "Perhaps I was mistaken," Zhou Yunqiong said, shaking her head upon finding no trace of the person. Lu Yuan had merged with multiple divine treasures, drastically altering his presence and temperament in every respect. Unless standing directly before him, recognizing him was nearly impossible. She said nothing more and turned back toward the helicopter; she had only stepped out to inspect the construction of Chang'an's city walls up close and get a breath of fresh air. However, her reaction caused the man's brows to knit together. Zhou Yunqiong had always maintained a calm, aloof demeanor, yet a ripple of emotion had stirred within her just now. Whatever the reason, he could not simply ignore it. He turned at once to the other woman beside him. "Biqiong, does your sister have any memorable college classmates?" "How could she? All her classmates were just ordinary people not worth a second glance." The woman was named Zhou Biqiong, Zhou Yunqiong's younger sister. Dressed in emerald-green attire, she was also strikingly pretty, though her demeanor carried a hint of haughtiness. She answered the man's question dismissively. Yet after a moment, something seemed to cross her mind, and she added, "Though before, my sister did mention a name... something like Lu Yuan." "Lu Yuan?" "Yes!" Having confirmed the name, the man's eyes narrowed slightly. "I dislike this person very much."