South Sea Giant Demon? In the Lands of Humanity, Mutated Beasts Halt!

"Lu Yuan is here." "He has already arrived in Shencheng and landed at Longevity Genetics." "Is he really going to wipe out the entire Wang family? If he kills them all, what happens to the citizens in the city?" "That should be impossible, right? The stakes are too high—there are over a hundred thousand mutated beasts in the ocean!" "Look, Commander-in-Chief Zhang of the Shencheng Defense Army has already gone up." "It looks like he wants to talk Lu Yuan down." People who had been closely following the situation and watching the livestream posted one comment after another. The Wang family had undeniably crossed every line this time. Yet the crux of the problem was that, as things stood, no one had any leverage against them. The entire population of Shencheng had been turned into their bargaining chips. Many believed that someone had to dissuade Lu Yuan and convince him to stay his hand, allowing them to steady the Wang family first before making further plans. At that moment, on the rooftop of the Longevity Genetics building. Lu Yuan had barely touched down when Commander-in-Chief Zhang of the Shencheng Defense Army arrived by helicopter. "Mr. Lu, I implore you to stay your hand for the sake of Shencheng's citizens," Commander-in-Chief Zhang pleaded, his tone brimming with sincerity. "The Wang family's demand is very simple. They only ask to leave within a short time—to depart the country and never return. "As long as you agree, once they have evacuated, they will disarm the missiles in the open sea and abandon their plan to trigger the beast tide." As Commander-in-Chief Zhang spoke these words, his voice was laden with helplessness. This was clearly an act of sheer desperation. After all, what the Wang family had done had thoroughly provoked public fury and outrage. With the authorities' might, exterminating them was not difficult in the least. Yet the current predicament was far too perilous; they were forced to consider the millions of lives inside the city. Thus, the only viable course of action right now was to persuade Lu Yuan. Naturally, Commander-in-Chief Zhang knew how strong Lu Yuan was. He was a Shackle Realm expert. Consequently, he was exceedingly polite in his speech, especially since higher authorities had issued direct orders emphasizing how critically important Lu Yuan was. "Oh?" Hearing this, Lu Yuan turned his head and could not help but let out a cold chuckle. "And can you guarantee that after they safely evacuate, they will truly abandon their plan to incite the beast tide? "To save their own skins, they did not hesitate to provoke the beasts, instigate a beast tide, and gamble the lives of everyone in Shencheng as their chips. Their actions have already reached the absolute height of lunacy. If I agree to stop and the Wang family reneges on their word, what then? "With the global mutation underway and the world's landscape shifting by the day, can you guarantee that you will be able to make them pay for this later?" The moment these words fell, Commander-in-Chief Zhang froze. It was true. The entire Wang family had already teetered over the brink of madness. Otherwise, they never would have committed such an atrocity, using the entire city's population as collateral. If they departed and still decided to detonate that missile in the end, what would happen? When that time came, the Wang family would escape unscathed, while Shencheng would still face the apocalyptic threat of the mutated beasts! Seeing that the other man was speechless, Lu Yuan's gaze turned solemn, and he continued, "Therefore, the best solution right now is to strike early and slaughter them all. As for the consequences, I will shoulder them entirely on my own." Having said that, he paid no further attention to Commander-in-Chief Zhang and walked straight down into the building. No matter what, his will would not waver. Watching him go, Commander-in-Chief Zhang wore a look of profound helplessness. Naturally, he wanted to stop Lu Yuan, but his strength fell far short; the gulf between them was simply too vast. In the end, all he could do was sigh and prepare to leave by helicopter to reinforce Shencheng's defenses. Commander-in-Chief Zhang could already sense that before long, a horrifying catastrophe was about to descend. As for Lu Yuan's claim that he would bear all the consequences alone, the commander did not take it to heart. What if he was in the Shackle Realm? Could a single man really withstand an entire beast tide? However, very shortly after, Commander-in-Chief Zhang's phone suddenly rang. It was a call from the top brass, and their message was exceedingly straightforward: Lu Yuan was very likely the mysterious King of Humanity who had held the line outside Chang'an City. Furthermore, the higher-ups had decided they would no longer compromise with Longevity Genetics. Troops from various branches had already been mobilized, and the Shencheng Defense Army was instructed to coordinate. The leadership had recognized that a total war between humanity and the mutated beasts was inevitable sooner or later. Rather than waiting passively, it was better to let the conflict break out early. Although preparations were not yet fully complete, the shifting circumstances left them no other choice. Upon receiving this news, Commander-in-Chief Zhang looked toward Lu Yuan's receding back, his eyes quivering in shock. If this man truly was that King of Humanity... then once the beast tide erupted from the sea, with his cooperation, perhaps they really stood a chance of stopping it. Without hesitation, he boarded the helicopter to make the final battle preparations. Meanwhile, Lu Yuan stepped into the Longevity Genetics building. The Wang family's whereabouts were not hard to find; he had already gathered that intelligence on his way here. As for the building's security guards and personnel, none could hope to block his path. Before long, he arrived outside an immense chamber. Inside, more than twenty people sat around a large conference table. At the head of the table sat none other than the patriarch of Longevity Genetics' Wang family, Wang Zhenyun. Around the room, various cameras were mounted, seemingly broadcasting a live stream. Evidently, Wang Zhenyun intended for everyone to witness this: even a Shackle Realm expert, even someone as mighty as Lu Yuan, would be forced to bow and compromise when the entire population of Shencheng was held hostage. "You should understand the situation by now. If a single one of us dies, "every living soul in Shencheng will suffer an unimaginable catastrophe!" Wang Zhenyun rose to his feet, deep hatred blazing in his eyes. "You are powerful. You killed two of my sons, and you slaughtered five of our clan elders! But so what? Do you dare disregard the lives of Shencheng's millions of citizens?" By now, he was thoroughly deranged. Beside him, his two madams wore venomous expressions, wishing nothing more than to tear Lu Yuan to shreds this very second. Yet they knew that was impossible. Lu Yuan was far too powerful; their sole objective now was self-preservation. As long as the Wang family survived, there would always be another chance in the future. "I do not take kindly to threats." Lu Yuan paid no heed to Wang Zhenyun's raving and stepped forward, stride by stride. A formidable aura welled up from his body as golden blood essence slowly manifested around him. Beneath his feet, the marble floor cracked inch by inch, unable to bear the sheer weight of his presence. Outside, the countless viewers watching through the live camera feeds swallowed hard when they saw that Lu Yuan showed no hesitation. Everyone knew that this time, the Wang family might truly be exterminated. Yet if that happened, Shencheng would inevitably face the assault of the ocean beast tide. What would become of the millions of innocent civilians? For a moment, everyone held their breath. "No! You wouldn't dare!" Sensing the murderous intent radiating from Lu Yuan, fear finally washed over Wang Zhenyun's face. He yanked out a remote detonator. "Stop right there! The detonator for the missiles is in my hand! If you take one more step, everyone in this city will be buried alongside our Wang family!" He truly could not believe that Lu Yuan would still choose to destroy the Wang family under such circumstances. Had Commander-in-Chief Zhang of the Defense Army not tried to dissuade him? Could it be that the lives of millions in Shencheng meant nothing to him? Clearly, Wang Zhenyun had miscalculated. Lu Yuan did not halt his pace in the slightest. Clenching his right fist, his eyes were cold as ice. Surging currents of golden energy rolled off him, shaking the entire floor of the skyscraper. In the next instant, without a shred of hesitation, he threw a punch straight at every member of the Wang family present! *Rumble!* The terrifying force generated a crushing gale of fist energy. In a split second, everything in the room was shattered to dust, exposing the bare reinforced concrete beneath. Wang Zhenyun and his two madams included, their bodies split open and disintegrated. The current Lu Yuan was simply too powerful. Dealing with them did not require the slightest effort. Of the four major factions, two had now been completely eradicated by his hands! After finishing this, he turned his head toward the expansive windows facing the sea. Far in the distance, a colossal explosion thundered. Just as Wang Zhenyun had threatened, the moment they died, the missiles detonated, enraging the mutated beasts in the deep ocean and unleashing a beast tide. "He really killed them! The missiles went off!" "It's over! The ocean beasts will be infuriated—they're going to launch a beast tide!" "What do we do? Can the authorities and the Shencheng Defense Army hold them off?" Several Awakened within Shencheng felt a chill run through their entire bodies as they watched the distant explosions out at sea. The most terrifying outcome had materialized after all. Some thought Lu Yuan had been too reckless, believing he should have found a way to appease the Wang family first. Yet others argued that this was entirely the Wang family's doing and that no one else was to blame; the most urgent task now was to pool all their strength to halt the incoming beast tide. Facing this unfolding crisis, Lu Yuan showed little reaction. Bending his knees, he leaped straight upward. *Boom! Boom! Boom!* In an instant, his formidable physique smashed straight through the ceiling. Within a fraction of a breath, he punctured through dozens of floors, arriving directly on the rooftop. Above, the Golden-Winged Great Peng had landed and was waiting for him. Nearby stood several Defense Army soldiers. Seeing Lu Yuan emerge, they hurried over and said, "Mr. Lu, our tanks and fighter jets are all prepped and ready! The Commander-in-Chief invites you to head to the city walls so we can resist the beast tide together!" "No need. I alone am sufficient." Lu Yuan shook his head, gazing into the distance. "I said that I would shoulder all the consequences myself. That beast tide will not set foot in Shencheng." With that, he leaped onto the back of the Golden-Winged Great Peng and soared off toward the open sea outside Shencheng. Meanwhile, in the command center where Commander-in-Chief Zhang was stationed, the monitoring equipment lit up with countless life signatures. He immediately raised his binoculars to observe the distant waters. A single glance was enough to drain the color from his face. Out on the open sea beyond Shencheng, towering waves surged violently. A colossal mutated beast hundreds of meters in size surfaced, with countless tentacles hidden beneath the churning waves. It resembled an octopus, but its mass was so immense that skyscrapers would look puny before it. The aura it radiated had already surpassed that of ordinary mutated beast kings, and the monstrous waves were churned up by its very movement. Behind it surged countless mutated sea beasts of every shape and description, packing the waters in dense, writhing swarms as they advanced relentlessly toward Shencheng. "The South Sea Giant Demon! It's the South Sea Giant Demon!" Along the towering steel walls of Shencheng facing the ocean, numerous Awakened had gathered. All of them had answered the Defense Army's call, and some held phones or cameras to document the scene. When they caught sight of the gigantic octopus, every single one of them was left dumbfounded. They knew of this creature. It had appeared early in the global mutation, stirring up titanic waves and destroying countless vessels. Dubbed the South Sea Giant Demon, it was unimaginably powerful and had become a mutated beast king long ago. It had vanished for a time, yet no one expected it to reemerge today. Evidently, the explosion of the Wang family's missiles had completely enraged this monstrous terror. Through their lenses, the sight was broadcast to audiences across the nation, sending shockwaves through all who watched. Beasts of the sea were indeed far more terrifying than those on land. Against such a force, how could Shencheng possibly hold out? "Commander-in-Chief, what do we do?" a soldier on the steel wall called out anxiously. An entity like this seemed beyond the power of even Awakened to contest. "No matter what, scramble the fighter jets and ready the heavy artillery! The moment they enter the inner sea, open fire!" Commander-in-Chief Zhang knew the disaster had already arrived. The only option now was to stop those beasts at all costs. "Yes, sir!" The subordinate snapped a salute and hurried off to relay the orders. Beside them, however, the Awakened were pale-faced. As Awakened, even from such a great distance, they could distinctly sense the terrifying might of the South Sea Giant Demon. The hundred-meter-tall steel wall would hardly slow it down. Furthermore, though these beasts lived in the ocean, they were mutated beasts; coming ashore would not pose much of a challenge for them. How could they possibly fight this? *Skreee—!* Right at that moment, a piercing cry split the heavens. Everyone looked up. There in the sky, Lu Yuan rode atop the Golden-Winged Great Peng, streaking directly over the steel wall and heading out into the open sea. "That's Lu Yuan! What is he doing?" "Is he planning to face the ocean beast tide all by himself?" "How is that possible? Even though he has reached the Shackle Realm, there are simply too many beasts! Not to mention the one leading them is the South Sea Giant Demon!" The Awakened along the steel wall stood frozen in shock, cries of disbelief breaking out among them. Through their livestreams, viewers across the country stared in stunned silence. Judging by Lu Yuan's path, he truly intended to confront the entire beast tide alone... This was beyond insane. Even Commander-in-Chief Zhang was dazed, his mind flashing back to their conversation on the rooftop of Longevity Genetics. Was he truly going to shoulder this all on his own? At the same time, Dean Zheng, Dean Liu, and the others were watching the broadcast. They were among the very few who knew that Lu Yuan was that King of Humanity. Yet this beast tide was far more horrifying than the one outside Chang'an City. Could any single person truly stop it? Naturally, Lu Yuan had no knowledge of their thoughts. Standing atop the Golden-Winged Great Peng, he crossed the inner bay in mere moments and arrived over the open sea. In the distance, an enormous octopus advanced with terrifying speed toward Shencheng, driving monstrous waves before it alongside swarms of beasts packing the water beneath. Seeing this, Lu Yuan drew the Daluo sword core. Dazzling sword radiance cascaded endlessly from the blade. Golden blood essence surged from his body, billowing outward like an oceanic tide. At this moment, he no longer concealed the might of the Shackle Realm, unleashing his full power without reservation. Lifting the Daluo sword core, his eyes burned with razor-sharp brilliance. Facing the hundred-story-tall waves and the surging sea of beasts, he spoke each word with deliberate calm: "In the lands of humanity, mutated beasts halt!"