The beast tide at Chang'an had already captured the attention of the entire nation, and everyone had been anxiously awaiting the outcome.
Once the news and video footage were released, citizens and Awakened alike boiled with excitement, with major forums, news outlets, and other media scrambling to report on it.
No one could have imagined that a beast tide led by eight great kings would conclude in such a manner.
From beginning to end, the arrival of just one person had directly averted a catastrophe.
Countless people engaged in heated discussions, flooding the comment sections beneath the video.
It unfolded just as the Chang'an high command had anticipated.
Following the advent of the New Era, all living beings evolved and beast tides surged relentlessly. Relying on thermal weaponry, humanity could no longer maintain an absolute advantage over mutated beasts, while most Awakened were still in the early stages of evolution, utterly helpless when faced with powerful mutated beasts.
Consequently, a grim sentiment had begun spreading: was humanity destined to be phased out by the New Era?
Many had agreed with this view, feeling that the road ahead was pitch-black and harboring pessimistic outlooks.
Yet today, the video served as a true shot of adrenaline.
It astounded ordinary citizens and Awakened alike.
None had expected that a human could evolve to such an extraordinary extent, akin to a living myth.
Furthermore, judging from the official video, the mysterious figure's mount appeared to be none other than a mutated beast king itself.
Bolstered by all these factors and an aura of awe, some hailed him as a King of Humanity, viewing him as a goal to pursue.
Because of this video, the vast majority of Awakened found renewed drive to cultivate and evolve, yearning to become an existence like him.
Naturally, people also speculated about his identity, though to no avail. In the end, many surmised that he was perhaps a hidden powerhouse summoned by the authorities; otherwise, there was simply no way to explain it.
At the same time, Western nations took notice. Recognizing that the human outside Chang'an was immensely powerful, they sent messages expressing a desire to meet him and initiate certain cooperation.
However, nothing came of it, as even the higher-ups in Chang'an had no clue about his identity.
Netizens discussed this extensively online.
"Looks like the Western nations envy our Huaxia for having a King of Humanity."
"Obviously! Over on their side, they have no answer whatsoever to mutated beasts."
"Cooperation? As if it were that simple. I'd say they have ill intentions and definitely harbor ulterior motives."
"Indeed. Word has it that during the early stages of the mutation, Western nations even wanted to occupy several famous mountains and great rivers in our country, but were rebuffed."
"The authorities refused, but some of the major factions didn't. I've got insider info—rumor has it that Tianshen Technology and Longevity Genetics have close ties and deep cooperation with the leadership of certain Western nations."
"Right, right, right! Weren't there photos of Tianshen Technology personnel with Westerners earlier? They were deleted afterward, though."
"What kind of era is this, and there are still people collaborating abroad? What are they really planning?"
Due to the actions of the Western nations, numerous voices emerged across the internet asserting that their talk of cooperation harbored malice. Some even claimed that certain domestic factions had already colluded with Western figures. Still, with rumors mixed with truth and falsehood, nothing could be verified with certainty.
Nevertheless, the Chang'an beast tide incident had instilled renewed confidence in the future for many within the country. So long as humanity continued to evolve, they could indeed attain extraordinary power rivaling the gods.
***
In Shanghai, inside a villa.
Zhou Yunqiong sat upright on a sofa, while Uncle Zuo stood quietly to the side.
Compared to before, the aura radiating from her had grown increasingly potent. Moreover, a faint, lustrous glow hovered about her body, drawing immediate attention. It was evident that during this period, her strength had undergone a tremendous transformation.
At this moment, however, Zhou Yunqiong was replaying the video of the Chang'an beast tide incident over and over, her brow furrowing deeper and deeper. For some reason, the figure that had slain the eight mutated beast kings seemed familiar, and the more she watched, the stronger that feeling grew.
"Could it be him? That's hardly possible..." Zhou Yunqiong murmured to herself, thinking of Lu Yuan.
Aside from the sheer strength, there were indeed many similarities between the two.
"Yunqiong, what are you watching?"
Just then, Winged Celestial walked in, a smile on his handsome face.
"Someone fought eight mutated beast kings single-handedly and won. Netizens are now calling him the King of Humanity," Zhou Yunqiong said.
"How could that be? Has a human already evolved to the Shackle Realm? Even for me, having fully awakened my bloodline, it will still take some time to reach that realm."
Hearing this, he was somewhat incredulous. Having just exited seclusion, he had made vast improvements across the board. While he might be able to slay a mutated beast king if he went all out, slaying eight in succession was entirely beyond his capability. Hence, he was rather skeptical.
Yet when he watched the video, his gaze gradually shifted, filling with shock. "Impossible. Could the video be faked?"
Zhou Yunqiong shook her head, explaining that it had been released by the Chang'an high command, so that was out of the question. Besides, the beast tide had genuinely occurred; how could such a thing be fabricated?
"Then this person must possess an extraordinarily powerful bloodline, or like me, does not belong to this world and hails from beyond the domain," Winged Celestial concluded after a brief contemplation. He reasoned that the New Era had only begun not long ago, so how could such a formidable existence have emerged? He could not verify the Shackle Realm with absolute certainty, but Winged Celestial could tell that none of the eight mutated beast kings were to be trifled with. The giant white serpent in particular was terrifying; judging from its combat performance, it had clearly broken multiple shackles.
Yet it had been directly slain by a single person. Such a feat was simply too horrifying to be accomplished by anyone from this world. It was not that he looked down on humanity, but rather that he believed such an existence was simply impossible at this stage.
In truth, Winged Celestial also belonged to a branch of humanity, differing only in bloodline.
"Is that so?" Zhou Yunqiong did not pursue the topic, instead continuing, "We have used our means to launch a satellite into outer space. I believe we will establish contact with your clan before long."
At this, she rubbed the space between her brows. With the global upheaval, the entire Earth had expanded, making the task of launching a satellite into deep space far more difficult than imagined. It had consumed a tremendous amount of Wuzhou Group's manpower and material resources, as well as numerous advanced technologies. Of course, as long as it succeeded, it would all be well worth it.
"I, too, look forward to their descent."
Hearing this, a sharp gleam flashed in Winged Celestial's eyes, and a smile curved his lips. He knew that now that he had awakened his bloodline, he was eligible to gain that clan's recognition. Once those existences descended, his future path would be far smoother.
With this thought, something suddenly occurred to him, and he asked, "During my seclusion, what became of that Lu Yuan?"
Lu Yuan—a man who had made Winged Celestial suffer setbacks twice in a row—had remained etched in his mind. He had long resolved to make that man pay the price.
"He is currently hailed as the Human Sovereign, ranked alongside you," Zhou Yunqiong replied flatly, offering only a brief explanation.
"Alongside me? That won't last for long." Hearing that, light glinted in Winged Celestial's eyes as he added, "Well, Yunqiong, I'm heading back into seclusion to strive for the Shackle Realm as soon as possible."
With that, he walked straight out of the room. Evidently, someone capable of slaying eight mutated beast kings had exerted tremendous pressure on him. He refused to fall behind others and wanted to grow stronger as quickly as possible. As for Lu Yuan, he knew a battle between them would inevitably take place when the time came.
"Eldest Young Mistress, this Yi's temper is rather impulsive, and he is far too arrogant," Uncle Zuo stepped forward and spoke in a low voice once Winged Celestial left.
When the Wuzhou Group first found him, he had been merely an ordinary person whose bloodline was not yet fully awakened; it was entirely thanks to them that he had reached his current level. Yet now, he grew ever more haughty, his pride swelling so high that he would be difficult to control going forward.
"It doesn't matter. All we want is his bloodline. Once we make contact with the Celestial Clan, his usefulness will naturally become expendable."
Zhou Yunqiong shook her head dismissively, unconcerned. What mattered was how to exploit him so that the Zhou family could become true overlords in the New Era and even extend their influence into deep space. The Wuzhou Group and the Zhou family had never cared about temporary gains and losses within this world.
"Understood." Uncle Zuo nodded. Since the Eldest Young Mistress had a plan, he needed only to obey.
"By the way, go investigate who exactly it was that repelled the Chang'an beast tide. Such an existence makes me somewhat uneasy," Zhou Yunqiong said, her gaze sharpening.
The Wuzhou Group was now virtually her sole domain; even the clan elders and her father had to defer to her. With such power, even the authorities' hidden depths held few secrets from her. Yet this person who had suddenly emerged puzzled Zhou Yunqiong and exceeded her expectations. Although the silhouette resembled Lu Yuan, she felt it couldn't be him.
"Yes!" Uncle Zuo acknowledged the order and promptly left the room.
Beyond the Wuzhou Group, the other major factions responded one after another. The mysterious person in the video was simply too powerful. Everyone wanted to know his identity, and whether he was truly someone invited out by the government. If so, their perception of the authorities would change completely.
One could say that in the period that followed, nearly everyone was discussing the Chang'an beast tide incident. The scope of its impact was so immense that the vast majority of citizens nationwide came to know of it: within the country, there was a King of Humanity.
Precisely because of this, the Awakened online realized that their previous perceptions had been too narrow. The likes of Winged Celestial, the Northern Emperor, and Ice Fairy had actually been dubbed Sovereigns. While these figures were indeed strong, compared to that King of Humanity, they paled into insignificance. Consequently, the title of the Five Great Sovereigns began losing recognition, reduced instead to the Five Great Awakened; people believed that true Sovereigns might only emerge far in the future, but certainly not now.
Naturally, during this period, with the deepening of the global mutation and the emergence of a King of Humanity, people also came to believe that evolution represented an opportunity for humanity at this stage—a true leap in life form, and a chance for everyone to change their destiny. Discussions about seeking fortune and consuming spiritual fruits flared up once more, with even greater fervency than before. And as time passed, Awakened grew more numerous and increasingly powerful.
Everyone understood: the old era of the past was gone forever. The New Era was finally accepted by all.
***
High in the sky, amidst the sea of clouds, the Golden-Winged Great Peng spread its wings, soaring swiftly through the expanse like a streak of golden lightning.
Along the way, they encountered numerous formidable avian creatures, and occasionally even kings among mutated beasts—Shackle Realm beings. However, no danger or fierce battles ensued; against ordinary mutated beasts of common bloodlines, the Golden-Winged Great Peng exerted steady suppression even against peers of the same level. Among mutated beasts, bloodline mattered immensely.
"Master, it seems we are nearing the Shennongjia region," the Golden-Winged Great Peng spoke at this moment, gazing down at the mountains and great rivers below. It did not geographically know where Shennongjia was, but guided by its ancestral memories, it could sense it.
"Oh? A whole month... We're finally here?"
Aboard its back, Lu Yuan opened his eyes.
It had to be said that following the mutation, the world had transformed drastically. Apart from certain cities, the rest of the land had turned into primeval forests steeped in a barbaric aura, resembling the primordial era from tens of millions of years ago. Throughout his journey, nearly all he saw was this wild spectacle, with modern architectural structures appearing only as fleeting glimpses.
A full month had elapsed since leaving Qinling. Naturally, the journey took so long because Lu Yuan had not ordered the Golden-Winged Great Peng to fly straight to Shennongjia; instead, he chose to stop and go. Though this slowed them down considerably, his gains were substantial. Abilities like One Sword of Heaven and Earth, Buddha Kingdom in the Palm, and the Jade Emperor Orthodox Heavenly Thunder Art had all been thoroughly mastered, and he had completely acclimated to his Martial Dao Heavenly Eye. While his realm had not advanced, his combat prowess had grown noticeably stronger than before.
Especially now that Lu Yuan had long reached the Shackle Realm, he could command the full might of his divine abilities. Only by understanding oneself could one truly unleash peak power.
"Since we've arrived, follow your ancestral memories and search for your fortune first," Lu Yuan spoke again. He naturally had his own purposes for coming to Shennongjia, but the immediate priority was to further purify the Golden-Winged Great Peng's bloodline; at its current stage, its strength was indeed somewhat lacking for him.
For a mythical bloodline like its own, continuous purification would not only boost its strength but also unlock an innate racial divine ability. Otherwise, what difference would there be between a mythical bloodline and an ordinary one?
"Yes!" The Golden-Winged Great Peng replied, its eyes brightening, before swooping downward in a rapid dive.
Soon, a towering mountain range came into view. Unlike other regions, this place was not only far more primeval, but also shrouded in dense fog, with the clouds above tinged with faint rosy light. As they drew closer, one could even sense a peculiar aura rolling forward, sending chills down the spine, as though unknown dangers lurked deep within that territory, even more mysterious than the Qinling Mountains.
"Shennongjia was a forbidden zone in the country even before the New Era. I wonder what kind of secrets it holds now," Lu Yuan murmured to himself as he looked at the mysterious domain before him, a sense of anticipation rising within.
"Master, there appear to be humans to the east," the Golden-Winged Great Peng noted, gazing into the distance.
Someone dared intrude upon a mysterious place like Shennongjia at a time like this?
Hearing this, Lu Yuan turned his gaze, though at such great distance, things were blurry. Without a word, he directly opened his Martial Dao Heavenly Eye.
Just as the Golden-Winged Great Peng had said, several figures were visible to the east. Strangely, however, some of them had blond hair and blue eyes, possessing Western features. Leading at the very front were several Huaxia locals serving as guides.
And the one at the head...
was someone Lu Yuan had actually encountered before!
Chapter 69