Completely Unrestrained, Crushing the Southern Sovereign!

Lu Yuan's voice was completely calm, yet carried an undeniable finality. The Ice Fairy felt all the more helpless. From the way he had decapitated Zhou Biqiong without hesitation earlier, she had known his disposition was unyielding. Otherwise, he never would have struck without a second word, nor would he have risked offending his former classmate Zhou Yunqiong. Now Wang Tao's greed over the divine sword had driven him to mobilize thermal weapons, putting Longevity Genetics and Lu Yuan thoroughly on opposing sides. Seeking retaliation now was only natural. To this, the Ice Fairy had nothing to say. The problem was that Longevity Genetics possessed immense power. If the situation continued to deteriorate, the conflict would only spiral further. Thus, she wanted to say more to see if she could persuade him to change his mind. Yet the middle-aged man in the suit beside her shook his head. The Ice Fairy frowned in confusion, not understanding why. "Lu Yuan!" Just then, a furious roar suddenly rang out. In the distance, another group appeared, numbering several dozen. Standing at the very front was none other than the Southern Sovereign, one of the Five Great Sovereigns. He closed in at terrifying speed, his expression exceedingly icy. "Lu Yuan, you killed my brother! Do you realize you've committed a capital crime?!" He had received the report earlier, but instead of setting out immediately, he had chosen to gather his forces first. He knew full well that the sword was formidable; otherwise, multiple squads of Awakened equipped with thermal weapons would not have failed to halt Lu Yuan's advance. Now, standing behind him were all the elites Longevity Genetics had stationed within Chang'an. Among them were no small number of Sixth and Seventh Stage Initial Realm figures. All of them arrayed themselves before Lu Yuan, their gazes sharp and overflowing with killing intent. The people originally heading into the city were drawn by the commotion, and many gathered to watch. They did not know what had transpired, but judging by the standoff, Longevity Genetics was about to make a move against someone. Even the Southern Sovereign had arrived in person. Seeing this, Lu Yuan smiled. He had been pondering whether hunting people down after entering the city would be troublesome, since he would have had to search for them. To think they had delivered themselves right to his doorstep. Good—it saved him time. Naturally, he was also grateful for the goodwill shown by the Ice Fairy and Beidou Biology. "The Southern Sovereign has reached the Awakening Realm," the middle-aged man from Beidou Biology murmured, his gaze grave. Among the Five Great Sovereigns, both the Winged Celestial and Asura had temporarily departed, reportedly to enter secluded cultivation. He had not expected the Southern Sovereign to be the first to reach the Awakening Realm, which took him by surprise. "They've mobilized all their elites. This will be difficult to settle peacefully." Seeing this, the Ice Fairy knew matters had become thorny. She whispered, "Rest assured, Mr. Lu. Beidou Biology will stand on your side." With that, she prepared to step forward to negotiate with the Southern Sovereign. "Ice Fairy!" The Southern Sovereign abruptly barked, "Wang Tao may not have been my brother of the same mother, but he was a child of our Wang family, carrying Wang family blood. His death is a monstrous disgrace to Longevity Genetics, an unforgivable offense! Today, the culprit behind it must be brought to justice!" He knew what the Ice Fairy intended to do and understood that Beidou Biology wished to shield Lu Yuan. Therefore, he spoke bluntly and forcefully, severing any hope of mediation. "Anyone who slaughters a child of our Longevity Genetics will surely die!" "Wang Tao's life must be repaid in blood!" the Southern Sovereign declared proudly, his tone carrying an air of condescension. Even if he knew Wang Tao had brought this upon himself, what did it matter? He did not care, nor did he need to look into the details. All that mattered was knowing who the culprit was. For a descendant of Longevity Genetics to be slain by an outsider was a humiliation, a slap to his face. Of course, he also knew he could not give Lu Yuan time to draw that divine sword, or things would become exceedingly troublesome. Even though he had broken through to the Awakening Realm, his foundation had not yet fully stabilized. Under such circumstances, he had to make quick work of the battle. At the same time, the Southern Sovereign spoke in a booming voice: "If anyone dares obstruct me, you will make yourself an enemy of Longevity Genetics. Think carefully before you act!" His voice reverberated across the surroundings, directed at everyone present, warning them against meddling in matters that did not concern them. This was especially aimed at Beidou Biology. Both were major domestic factions, and under normal circumstances, neither would easily fall out with the other. That was precisely the leverage he was exploiting. Yet because of his proclamation, more and more people gathered around—both independent Awakened and members of various factions. "What? That guy killed Wang Tao of Longevity Genetics?" "It's Lu Yuan! The Lu Yuan who displayed such terrifying might outside the imperial mausoleum! How did he offend Longevity Genetics now?" "No idea, but looks like a good show is about to unfold. That sword Lu Yuan wields is a divine artifact. Can the Southern Sovereign beat him?" "Hard to say. They say the Southern Sovereign has already reached the Awakening Realm." The crowd was completely drawn in. Even people inside the city caught wind of the news and rushed outside the gates to witness the spectacle. "You see?" "It's not that I'm looking for trouble. Someone wants my life." Lu Yuan looked at the Ice Fairy with a faint smile, then stepped directly to the very forefront. "Wait for now," the middle-aged man advised, signaling for the Ice Fairy to hold her tongue, as a major battle was inevitable. "If this Mr. Lu is outmatched, we will step in and protect him." Even as he said this, looking at Lu Yuan's confident demeanor, he suddenly felt that matters might not be so simple. The Ice Fairy said nothing and nodded. "Not hiding behind a woman—I'll grant you some credit for that." "Even so, you must die today." The Southern Sovereign narrowed his eyes, then barked out an order: "Kill him!" The moment the command fell, the elites of Longevity Genetics beside him surged with power without the slightest hesitation. They were exceptionally strong, each at or above the Fifth Stage Initial Realm, and many had cultivated ancient martial arts. Such figures were far stronger than ordinary Awakened, as ancient martial arts typically encompassed specific breathing methods and visualization methods, granting them a wide variety of combat techniques. "What a waste of breath." At that moment, Lu Yuan's patience had run completely dry. He took a single step forward, and the aura around him surged. Today, he had come purely to kill; he had no desire for meaningless chatter. In the next instant, he appeared directly in front of the Longevity Genetics elites. His speed was so astonishing that almost nobody could react before a terrifying, overwhelming presence bore down upon them. Seeing this, both the Ice Fairy and the middle-aged man were visibly startled. The man had not even drawn his sword yet! Yet what followed next left them both utterly dumbfounded, as though their very understanding of reality had been upended. Lu Yuan stood where he was, not even lifting a hand. Within his body, an eleven-tiered Blood-Qi Pagoda materialized faintly, resonating with his internal organs. Rumble! At that very moment, virtually everyone present felt an indescribable pressure, their blood freezing in their veins. Around Lu Yuan, the dozens of Longevity Genetics elites, all at or above the Fifth Stage Initial Realm, could muster no resistance whatsoever. Their bodies ruptured, their bones shattered, and they were crushed violently into the earth. In a single instant, every last one of them died. Standing farther away, the Southern Sovereign was hurled backward before he could even register what was happening. However, a surge of light suddenly flared across his person, warding off most of the Blood-Qi Pagoda's crushing force. Even so, he was severely wounded, having had no time to bring his Awakening Realm might to bear. "This..." "What just happened?" "Annihilated in one blow? That's impossible!" The onlookers were all struck dumb. It had happened so fast that they wondered if their eyes were playing tricks on them. Yet it was unmistakably real. "Even without using that sword, he's actually this powerful?!" The Ice Fairy was thoroughly shaken, her face turning slightly pale. Even though that force had not been directed at her, she had still felt an overwhelming, boundless pressure. Beside her, the middle-aged man wore an expression of sheer horror. Too strong—he was simply far too strong! "Oh?" Lu Yuan, however, paid no mind to their reactions. He merely let out a light murmur of surprise, noticing the glow that had flared over the Southern Sovereign. Although he had only exerted twenty percent of his power, an ordinary Awakening Realm cultivator still should not have been able to withstand it. "How can this be?!" The Southern Sovereign was utterly shaken, his eyes staring blankly in sheer terror. Just now, he felt as if he had stood before an unfathomable demon king. There had been no room to resist. Had he not been carrying his family's life-saving treasure, he would unquestionably be dead. *Run!* At this moment, only a single thought remained in the Southern Sovereign's mind. In the next instant, he flipped to his feet without hesitation and fled toward the gates of Chang'an. The major factions and the authorities had long enacted regulations strictly prohibiting Awakened from private duels within megacities, under penalty of severe punishment. In other words, the law and order of the realm! "You won't get the chance." Seeing this, Lu Yuan smiled faintly and shifted his stance. The Southern Sovereign instantly felt an indescribable crisis loom over him, every hair on his body standing on end. He knew he had to do something, or the consequences would be unthinkable. Without delay, he pulled a crimson furnace from his robes and hurled it outward. The furnace was only the size of a fist, but once cast into the air, it immediately unleashed a towering expanse of raging flames that rolled outward. The fire was a vivid blue and burned at an extraordinarily high temperature, warping the air and capable of melting steel. "Mr. Lu, watch out!" the Ice Fairy warned instinctively. "That's an ancestral artifact handed down by the Wang family of Longevity Genetics, called the Lihuo Furnace! It can unleash terrifying flames—it's extremely dangerous!" As representatives of major factions, the Five Great Sovereigns not only possessed formidable individual strength, but more importantly, each carried trump cards—life-saving treasures. Such items were invariably terrifyingly lethal. The Ice Fairy naturally knew this better than most, which was why she called out to warn him. Yet what of Lu Yuan? He paid it no heed at all. He charged straight into the flames and seized the Lihuo Furnace in his grasp. His Innate Qi flared with light on its own, forming a full protective barrier around him. Though the flames around him were hot enough to liquefy steel, he remained entirely unfazed. "And here I thought it was some divine artifact. Looks like it falls quite short." Lu Yuan gripped the Lihuo Furnace and gave it a glance. He recognized that the item was indeed decent enough to threaten an Awakening Realm cultivator, but compared to him, it was far too lacking. Without another word, he tightened his grip. *Crack! Boom!* In the next instant, the Lihuo Furnace was crushed to pieces, shattering into fragments. The towering flames vanished into nothingness that very moment. He... he crushed the Lihuo Furnace with one bare hand?! Everyone was shocked once more. Just what kind of monster was this?! Having done this, Lu Yuan did not linger, immediately resuming his pursuit. By this time, the Southern Sovereign had indeed reached the base of Chang'an's city gates. Reinforcements from Longevity Genetics' local branch had arrived as well, but none were particularly strong, as their elites had just been wiped out. This drew a quiet sigh from Lu Yuan. The Southern Sovereign's combat prowess might be lacking, but his speed in fleeing was surprisingly impressive. Yet could he truly escape? "Not good." Seeing that Lu Yuan had no intention of sparing him, the Ice Fairy felt her heart leap into her throat. On the other side, having stepped within the perimeter of Chang'an, the Southern Sovereign halted his steps and revealed a sinister sneer. "Lu Yuan, this is Chang'an! If you dare strike again, you will face joint sanctions from both the authorities and every major faction!" He hurled threats, confident that Lu Yuan would not dare make a move. "You talk too much," Lu Yuan murmured softly. In the next instant, he crossed the boundary line. Then he raised his foot and stomped down onto the Southern Sovereign's chest. How could the Southern Sovereign hope to match him? He fell straight back and tried to struggle, only to find himself suppressed by an immense force, as if a towering mountain were bearing down upon him. He could not even lift a hand. "Mr. Lu, stop!" "Mr. Lu, you must not!" The middle-aged man from Beidou Biology and the Ice Fairy both cried out. Everything that had just unfolded had convinced them that Beidou Biology needed a powerhouse like this. Yet they knew that if the Southern Sovereign died, Longevity Genetics would deploy every means at their disposal to seek revenge. Presently, humanity's greatest enemy was the mutated beasts, which required balance rather than internal strife. And most importantly of all: Lu Yuan's action violated the Awakened Regulations! "What I dislike most is being threatened. Longevity Genetics has provoked me three times; this time, I am merely collecting a bit of interest." Lu Yuan ignored their pleas entirely, speaking in a measured voice as he applied slight pressure with his foot. *Squelch!* The Southern Sovereign's chest tore open, blood erupting forth. Even with his extraordinary bloodline, he was utterly incapable of enduring such tremendous force. After only a brief struggle, his head lolled to the side. His aura vanished entirely, and he drew his final breath. This scene unfolded right before everyone's eyes. One of the Five Great Sovereigns, the eldest son of the patriarch of Longevity Genetics, the man hailed as the Southern Sovereign—dead, just like that? And he had died within the heavily regulated boundaries of Chang'an. Silence! Total, suffocating silence. No one dared speak; the entire area was hushed. Disaster—a monumental disaster was about to break out! "Tyrannical, overbearing, completely unbound by any taboo... unbound by any taboo at all!" the high-ranking executive from Beidou Biology muttered to himself. At this moment, in the eyes of everyone present, Lu Yuan was a demon king unbound by rules or taboos. He disregarded regulations, unconcerned with the calamity he might unleash. He acted solely as his heart desired. Of course, Lu Yuan did not care about their reactions, nor would he ever. After slaying the Southern Sovereign, his gaze shifted toward the remaining members of Longevity Genetics. Feeling that piercing gaze fall upon them, the men stumbled backward in unison, trembling with terror. Fight? Avenge the young master? How could they? They would only die! "Tell the Wang family of Longevity Genetics: today, I have merely collected some interest. In the future, I will pay them a personal visit. Now, scram!" Lu Yuan barked. The two sides were already locked in a mortal feud, so there was no need for pleasantries. Besides, he had already intended to wipe them out. As for the lackeys before him, they were mere nobodies beneath his notice. Once the Wang family was eradicated, all their subordinates would naturally scatter. Of course, had any of them shown hesitation, Lu Yuan would have struck them down in a heartbeat. He was no saint, nor did he harbor reservations. The weak were meat for the strong, and power reigned supreme. Had he not possessed his current strength, the roles would undoubtedly be reversed. Such was the law of survival in the New Era. The Longevity Genetics members exchanged panicked glances, then scattered in a chaotic rush. Everyone knew that lingering meant certain death. Besides, after today, whether they would even remain with Longevity Genetics was an open question. Why throw away their lives? Once the crowd had fled, Lu Yuan glanced at the lifeless Southern Sovereign and reined in his aura, appearing once again like an ordinary man. Turning toward the middle-aged man from Beidou Biology and the Ice Fairy, he smiled faintly. "You two, what was it you wished to say just now?" At those words, the Ice Fairy and the man looked at each other. The man was already dead; did whatever they had to say still matter? Moreover, those parting words just now were undeniably a formal declaration of war against Longevity Genetics. Where did his confidence come from? This question lingered in their minds, but then they realized: with such terrifying strength, wasn't his confidence plainly obvious? Thinking of this, the Ice Fairy was about to speak when she suddenly looked toward the interior of the city. Lu Yuan turned his head as well. There, Zheng Wenyuan, the dean of Zhendan Academy, was approaching at the head of a group clad in military uniforms, belonging to the armed forces. They represented the authorities.