Awakening the Martial Dao Heavenly Eye, Chang'an in Peril!

Luoxia Valley was, true to its name, a canyon. Towering, lush green mountains surrounded it on all sides. At the bottom lay a basin overgrown with weeds, looking no different from any other part of Qinling. Perhaps because of its unremarkable nature, there were few mutated beasts here, and their strength was mostly around the first or second stage of the Initial Realm. They constantly traversed, foraged, and hunted through the canyon. Screeech— Soon, however, an authoritative cry rang out from above. Instantly, countless birds took flight in fright, and the mutated beasts scattered and fled in all directions. These mutated beasts may have lacked much intelligence, differing little from ordinary animals, but that cry carried tremendous pressure. It stemmed from the deepest depths of their bloodlines. Under such circumstances, their only thought was to flee; none dared provoke it. Meanwhile, up in the sky, the Golden-Winged Great Peng flapped its wings and descended slowly. Upon its back sat Lu Yuan, amusement in his eyes. To him, the Golden-Winged Great Peng might not be much, but in the eyes of other mutated beasts, it was entirely different—a king possessing an exceptionally powerful bloodline. This was the authentic pressure of a superior being over an inferior one. He knew that in terms of bloodline, nothing in the entire Qinling Mountains was likely stronger. Shaking his head, Lu Yuan gave it no further thought and spoke directly. "All right, this is far enough." "Go patrol the surroundings. Unless absolutely necessary, do not disturb me." With that, Lu Yuan leapt straight down from several hundred meters in the air, landing in the canyon in just a few seconds. Due to immense momentum, he struck the ground like a falling meteor, blasting out a massive crater and decimating over a hundred trees. "What a monster." High above, seeing this, the Golden-Winged Great Peng felt a chill. Even it had to exercise caution from such a height. Yet what about him? He had jumped straight down without suffering the slightest harm. Even to a mutated beast, such a physique seemed terrifying. If he continued evolving like this, where would it end? Rendered speechless, the Golden-Winged Great Peng flapped its wings again, its massive frame vanishing in an instant. After touching down in Luoxia Valley, Lu Yuan surveyed his surroundings. The terrain was far too primitive. Even someone experienced would struggle to discern specific directions and could only proceed by instinct. "Luoxia Valley sounds ordinary enough, but who could imagine that it nurtures an extraordinary divine treasure?" Lu Yuan murmured to himself. This was his ultimate purpose in coming to the Qinling Mountains—an exceedingly rare divine treasure. In terms of value, it was no lesser than the Eleven-Tier Blood Pagoda, perhaps even superior. It could stimulate further evolution in human genes and grant an incredible ability. In Lu Yuan's memories, this item was not supposed to be discovered until a year later. Taking action now was perfect timing to allow him to evolve once more. However, while Luoxia Valley was not enormous, neither was it small. Finding it would indeed take a great deal of time and prove quite troublesome. Promptly, Lu Yuan flicked his right hand. The Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace suddenly materialized, expanding with the wind into a vessel ten feet tall. He had relied on this very artifact to locate the Nine-Leaf Golden Rhyme previously. With it, he would save considerable effort. Without overthinking, Lu Yuan gave it a few taps. The Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace vibrated, yet it did not move toward any particular area. There was no helping it; its search range was limited, so he had to search gradually. Of course, the general location was already confirmed. Thus, after spending the better part of a day searching, the Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace finally reacted, and Lu Yuan followed its guidance. Before long, though, he was disappointed. It was not what he sought, merely a mutated herb of little practical value. Even so, adhering to the principle that any scrap of meat was better than none, he harvested it anyway. "It seems I must find an artifact or method capable of divining divine treasures," Lu Yuan muttered with a sigh of helplessness. "Otherwise, running into situations like this in the future is a pure waste of time." In his memories, there was indeed a similar item located in Shennongjia, another special region. Still, there was no rush; he had to settle the matter at hand first. Buzz, buzz, buzz— Right then, the Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace emitted an intense series of hums. Without a doubt, it had sensed something exceptionally powerful. "No mistake this time." Seeing this, Lu Yuan's heart stirred, and he walked in that direction. Whoosh— Yet as soon as he reached the spot, a deep yellow silhouette darted across the distance. Trying to run? Taking a stride forward, he simultaneously stirred the Blood Pagoda within him. An eleven-tier pagoda manifested behind his back, suppressing the surrounding area completely and shattering the nearby trees and boulders. The deep yellow silhouette halted and dropped to the ground. It was a ginseng root. It had already grown into human form. Rosy radiance swirled across its surface, giving off an intoxicating medicinal fragrance. "Legend has it that certain extremely rare spiritual fruits and miraculous herbs, after being nurtured by heaven and earth, can sense danger and flee even without having developed sentience. The thing I am searching for is called the Heaven-and-Earth Mysterious Ginseng. It seems you are indeed the one." Lu Yuan marveled. He was entirely certain this was what he needed. Without any wasted motion, he took the Heaven-and-Earth Mysterious Ginseng into his hands. "Stimulate genetic potential and unlock the human body treasury." "Let us see how effective you really are." Not wishing to waste time, Lu Yuan sat down cross-legged and swallowed the Heaven-and-Earth Mysterious Ginseng whole. The surrounding mutated beasts had been scared off by the Golden-Winged Great Peng, which was still patrolling nearby. This place was exceptionally safe; there was no need to worry. The so-called human body treasury referred to the hidden potential within a person, manifested as a distinct ability. In his previous life, the person he knew of who consumed the Heaven-and-Earth Mysterious Ginseng had their potential unlocked and ultimately developed a special constitution. It allowed them to store several times more energy within their body and release it in bursts during critical moments, serving as an astonishing boost to combat strength. With the Ancestral Dragon Breathing Method, Lu Yuan had no need for that particular trait, but the unlocking of a human body treasury was random and full of uncertainty. Regardless of the outcome, he would not lose out; at the very least, he could break several more genetic shackles in one go. After he swallowed the Heaven-and-Earth Mysterious Ginseng, a mysterious energy gradually emerged. Unlike before, it was profound and enigmatic, surging straight into the deepest depths of his genes. Boom! In an instant, Lu Yuan was enveloped in brilliant light. An overpowering aura radiated from his entire body, rolling outward across the surroundings. The energy was formidable, pouring into every single cell. Crack— Crack— Crack— In mere moments, three genetic shackles shattered. And it was still continuing. Clearly, this was another massive leap forward for Lu Yuan. Naturally, the power of the Heaven-and-Earth Mysterious Ginseng was not limited to this. Outside his body, the energies coalesced into a single speck of dazzling divine light, bobbing up and down as if searching for something. Once its search concluded, an unexpected evolution would occur wherever it settled. As time passed, this speck of dazzling light seemed to make its decision. It split cleanly in two, surging into Lu Yuan's left and right eyes respectively. In other words, the treasury Lu Yuan was about to unlock lay within his eyes. Yet this was merely the initial stage. A complete transformation would take time. Boom! The next moment, the Blood-Qi Pagoda emerged, enveloping him. Sensing that they were out in the open, it had actively manifested to protect its master. Time ticked away, minute by minute. During this period, the Golden-Winged Great Peng soared across Qinling. Moving like lightning, it patrolled the entire area within several hundred li and even returned to its original nesting grounds. "Huh? Many of my kin are gone." Upon returning, it could barely sense any mutated beasts. Feeling perplexed, it continued forward. Before long, the Golden-Winged Great Peng arrived at the outer perimeter of Qinling, where it spotted hundreds upon thousands of mutated beasts stampeding in the same direction, including beings on par with itself. "Further ahead lies a human city, doesn't it?" The Golden-Winged Great Peng was puzzled at first, but soon understood. They had surely answered a summons, forming a beast tide to assault a human city. "Golden-Winged Great Peng?" Just then, a voice rang out. It was the White King. "So it's you." Seeing the colossal python the size of a small mountain, the Golden-Winged Great Peng beat its wings slightly to maintain distance before asking, "Is the White King preparing to attack a human city?" It was not native to the Qinling Mountains, being an outsider. It had clashed with the White King before and had not been its match. After all, it had not fully matured yet. Keeping its distance was merely to avoid unnecessary conflict. "Indeed. Neither the Brown Bear King nor the Tiger-Leopard King has come. If you join us, you will provide tremendous combat strength." The White King spoke. The Golden-Winged Great Peng before it possessed a mythical bloodline with terrifying potential. Its speed in particular was incredible, making it capable of countering human fighter jets. Hence the direct invitation. Moreover, its strength in this region was second only to the White King itself. "Forget it. I have no interest in this." The Golden-Winged Great Peng shook its head, adding, "I should remind you, though: there are formidable experts among humans. You had better be careful not to get killed." It thought of its master, Lu Yuan, who was an utterly terrifying existence, leading it to believe there must be many such humans. However, its words also carried a hint of mockery. "No need for your concern." Knowing the peng had no desire to join, the White King did not press the matter. With one bound to the land and the other ruling the skies, a fight between them would be difficult anyway. The python's massive frame simply slithered away. This time, it had prepared for a long time and was determined to make humanity pay a heavy price. "Hmph." The Golden-Winged Great Peng snorted coldly and ignored it, turning to soar back into the high skies. At that moment, it was debating whether to inform Lu Yuan, considering he was human after all. Ultimately, the peng decided it might as well mention it. It would not affect anything regardless, and it disliked the White King anyway. When it first arrived here, the White King had coveted its mythical bloodline; had it not been prepared and possessed aerial superiority, it would have been swallowed long ago. Without dwelling further, it beat its wings and flew back into the sky. Soon, it arrived above Luoxia Valley. Just as it prepared to land, the Golden-Winged Great Peng froze. In the distance, Lu Yuan sat cross-legged, bathed in brilliant light like a deity. Waves of powerful aura emanated continuously, distinctly palpable even high up in the sky. "Is he... evolving? How can it be so fast?" The Golden-Winged Great Peng was shaken, finding it hard to believe. The man was already overwhelmingly strong. How much stronger would he become after another breakthrough? Furthermore, judging from that aura, it reached a bold conclusion. During their previous battle, Lu Yuan had not even used his true strength. Otherwise, had he genuinely intended to kill it, it would never have survived. "This human is terrifyingly strong, with an unimaginably profound foundation. Though I sense no special bloodline in him, he will undoubtedly stand at the very forefront of the evolutionary path in the future." Unlike humans, the Golden-Winged Great Peng possessed inherited memories. It could deduce many things purely from an aura. Previously, it had felt bitter about becoming Lu Yuan's mount, but now it seemed that being his mount was not so terrible after all. However, since he was currently evolving, he could not be disturbed lightly. The matter of the White King leading a beast tide to assault the city would have to wait until later. After a moment's thought, the Golden-Winged Great Peng refrained from landing and resumed patrolling the area. At the same time, it released its aura to drive away nearby beasts. Since it was now his mount, it had to fulfill its duties. A Blood Contract bound them; if something happened to Lu Yuan, it would suffer harm as well. Thus, several days slipped by in a flash. Lu Yuan remained cross-legged in the same spot, though his aura was beginning to recede. The power of the Heaven-and-Earth Mysterious Ginseng had now been fully digested. Thanks to this vast energy, he had broken eight genetic shackles in a short span. Combined with the twelve from before, twenty genetic shackles were now shattered—a feat beyond comprehension if word got out. After all, looking across the entire human world at present, those who had reached the Shackle Realm could be counted on one hand, if any existed at all. Someone at Lu Yuan's level was practically invincible. Moreover, breaking shackles was merely a secondary gain. Rumble— As time passed, the earth trembled. Abruptly, he opened his eyes. Two pillars of golden light burst from his pupils, shooting straight into the sky a thousand meters high and exuding a profound aura. Within those golden pillars of light, nothing seemed able to hide. "The Martial Dao Heavenly Eye? He actually awakened the Martial Dao Heavenly Eye?" In the distance, the watching Golden-Winged Great Peng was stunned once again. This scene matched the descriptions in its inherited memories. When a creature evolved to a certain degree, it could completely shatter its limitations and manifest an incredible ability. And the Martial Dao Heavenly Eye was the most difficult of them all to awaken. Possessing this ability allowed one to see through every technique an enemy used in battle and master it rapidly. Even more terrifyingly, the Martial Dao Heavenly Eye was itself a divine ability. With continuous cultivation in the future, a mere opening and closing of the eyes could unleash colossal might while dispelling all illusions—an awe-inspiring power. The Golden-Winged Great Peng was dumbfounded. Generally, even for mutated beasts with potent bloodlines, unlocking the Martial Dao Heavenly Eye was exceedingly difficult and required absolute strength; for humans, it was nearly impossible due to ancient restrictions imposed by heaven and earth. Yet this human had accomplished it while merely in the Shackle Realm. This... Being his mount suddenly did not seem bad at all. Such a thought surfaced in the Golden-Winged Great Peng's mind. In its eyes, he was no longer an ordinary human—he was more terrifying than even a beast with a mythical bloodline. Meanwhile, Lu Yuan reined in his aura completely. Naturally, he knew he had awakened the legendary Martial Dao Heavenly Eye. It was an extraordinary power, ranking among the strongest of all human body treasuries. With it, his combat strength would increase once again. In the later stages, the Martial Dao Heavenly Eye could even branch out into far greater powers. During the future extraterrestrial invasion, very few beings had ever attained such heights. "It truly did not disappoint. This trip to Qinling has been immensely fruitful." Lu Yuan was elated. In his decade of memories, there were still many treasures waiting to be claimed. If things continued like this, when enemies from the depths of the starry sky arrived, he would still be able to sweep across all opposition with unmatched might, and forge a path straight to the pinnacle! "Come down," Lu Yuan called out calmly, collecting his thoughts. He had known the Golden-Winged Great Peng was nearby and did not mind. Only by making it realize his overwhelming strength would it submit in earnest. "Congratulations, Master, on awakening the Martial Dao Heavenly Eye. In the future, you will certainly become a supreme expert of this world." The Golden-Winged Great Peng flew down to his side, its tone noticeably more respectful than before, knowing its master had grown even stronger. "No need for such flattery. Tell me, how many days have passed during my seclusion?" "Five days in total. Not too long." "Has anything happened outside during this time?" Lu Yuan asked. Deep in Qinling, there was no cellular signal, leaving him cut off from news. "Nothing major. I kept patrolling the area, though I later ran into the White King. It is the overlord of this region, extremely formidable. The Brown Bear King was one of its subordinates, and even I am no match for it." The Golden-Winged Great Peng paused, feeling somewhat awkward—wasn't it belittling itself? So it quickly added, "Only for now, of course. My bloodline is not yet pure. Once I find the next land of fortune to refine the Golden-Winged Great Peng bloodline, it won't be a match for me." It was well aware that its potential far exceeded most mutated beasts in this world; it simply required continuous effort to purify its bloodline. "Is that so?" Lu Yuan smiled faintly. "Do you know where this next land of fortune is?" A place valued by the peng that could purify its bloodline might be useful to him as well. It might be worth visiting. "Shennongjia," the Golden-Winged Great Peng replied, drawing from memories buried deep within its bloodline. "Oh?" Hearing this, Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow. What a coincidence—his next destination happened to be that very place. He could put it on the schedule now. With a mount for travel, he could depart at any moment. "Right, Master, there is one more thing I forgot to mention," the Golden-Winged Great Peng said as it remembered something. "When I encountered the White King, it was leading a beast tide southward to attack a human city." A city south of Qinling? Chang'an? Hearing this, Lu Yuan's eyes turned sharp. Indeed. Dean Zheng had mentioned that a beast tide would assault the city in the near future; this must be it. A mutated beast king that even the Golden-Winged Great Peng admitted being inferior to—if it reached Chang'an, the consequences would be catastrophic. A beast tide would inevitably lead to a horrific slaughter of humanity. He had lived through it in his past life; it had been devastating. As a human, he could not simply stand by and watch it happen before his eyes. Back then, Lu Yuan had wanted to do something, but he had been far too weak and had required the protection of others. Now, things were different. He had more than enough power! "When did they set out?" he asked solemnly. "On the day you entered seclusion. Judging by the time, the battle should be starting soon," the Golden-Winged Great Peng replied after a moment's thought. "It hasn't started yet?" "Good!" Lu Yuan rose to his feet, a sharp gleam in his eyes. "In that case, accompany me to Chang'an first!"