Yinglong, master of the clouds, rain, mountains, and rivers.
A legendary existence.
According to the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*, Xuanyuan the Yellow Emperor once fought alongside it to defeat Chiyou. There were also rumors that when the Yellow Emperor ascended to heaven riding a dragon, the mount he rode was Yinglong.
One could say it was steeped in mythological color, and for a period in antiquity, it had even served as a totem of the Huaxia race.
Therefore, the moment rumors of Yinglong emerged, they instantly drew the attention and heated discussion of countless people.
In truth, had this been the old era, perhaps no one would have believed it. Yet now, amid the global mutation, humanity had attained supernatural powers, and some had even displayed mythic might. Thus, whatever appeared, no one found it strange anymore.
However, although there was plenty of news about Yinglong, no one could produce any photos or videos. Some people naturally grew skeptical, suspecting it might be false. As such, the buzz lasted only two or three days before beginning to fade.
Soon after, news leaked that the top brass of the authorities were preparing to launch an assault to take control of Mount Tai. It claimed the date was only a few days away, and King Lu's participation was already confirmed.
When this news broke, it was undeniably shocking and captured the domestic populace's attention. After all, this was the authorities' first major operation since Ancient Mount Shu. Furthermore, Lu Yuan was taking part.
Everyone knew Lu Yuan was a king of Huaxia, possessing peerless power capable of crushing mutated beast kings. Some even called him the strongest Awakened in the country, the idol of many. In terms of popularity, he far surpassed the once-famed Five Great Sovereigns.
"Mount Tai, the sacred site of Fengshan! It's unimaginably mystical—a celestial palace manifested there right at the beginning of the mutation."
"Do you think the authorities can really succeed? I heard there are many Beast Kings there."
"Definitely. King Lu is taking action personally this time."
"Still, as strong as King Lu is, I've heard some inside information saying that atop Mount Tai sits an unimaginably powerful Beast King—an ape covered in golden fur."
"I heard that too. Back then, some people rashly trespassed onto Mount Tai, only to vanish without a trace."
"Sounds terrifyingly strong. I wonder who will actually triumph between it and King Lu."
"Sigh, official operations have always been shrouded in secrecy. We probably won't get to see it."
People discussed the upcoming event all across the internet. Many knew Mount Tai was profoundly mysterious, shrouded year-round in layers of dense mist. Day and night, terrifying roars of mutated beasts echoed from within, and for a time, ten thousand beams of radiant light had burst forth, revealing a celestial palace.
Therefore, even knowing immense, heaven-defying fortune lay within, no Awakened dared enter recklessly for fear of peril. Insiders claimed that numerous Beast Kings resided there, each possessing formidable strength.
In short, the Mount Tai of today had become a complete forbidden zone for humanity.
As the discussions continued, time slipped by. Finally, a few days passed.
Instead of keeping things hidden as they had with Ancient Mount Shu, the authorities formally announced the details of their plan to assault Mount Tai and eliminate the mutated beasts that evening. Most striking of all was one particular clause: the entire operation would be livestreamed!
For a moment, everyone was stunned, followed by sheer exhilaration.
In the past, the authorities had always acted in secrecy. Just like last time at Ancient Mount Shu—before outsiders could even react, it had already been secured. Now, not only did they announce the schedule, but they were also livestreaming the entire event? No one had anticipated this.
Awakened everywhere grew thrilled. To them, catching a glimpse of Mount Tai in its current state was secondary. What mattered most was the chance to witness Lu Yuan's divine bearing once more.
Unlike the previous two occasions where the footage had been blurry, people wanted to see just how powerful Lu Yuan, this true King of Humanity, truly was. In other places, perhaps his true limits wouldn't show, but Mount Tai was different. There were many mutated beast kings there, perhaps even beings in the Golden Body Realm.
Everyone believed this would be an earth-shattering battle.
As for the civilian factions, they held a different view. With Tianshen Technology and Longevity Genetics destroyed, the authorities' grip on the five super cities had grown ever stronger. The decision to livestream now was likely meant to send a message to the outside world: moving forward, the authorities would no longer tolerate factions ignoring the Awakened Regulations. It was a flex of their muscles.
After all, since the great cataclysm, the authorities had remained hidden from sight for the most part, only appearing at critical junctures. Now, two of the four major civilian factions were gone, and they had a King of Humanity like Lu Yuan on their side. Hence, this livestream served as a form of deterrence.
Regardless, the operation to assault Mount Tai drew massive attention from both Awakened and the public alike. Everyone eagerly awaited the arrival of that day. It was truly the focus of the entire nation!
On this day, a military aircraft departed Shencheng and arrived at the land of Fengshan.
Aboard the plane were Ji Huaiyuan of Wanglong Pavilion, Dean Zheng, and others. Everyone was looking in the same direction.
There, Lu Yuan sat upright with downcast eyes, looking thoroughly composed. Although nothing outwardly unusual could be seen about him, an ethereal aura of majesty drifted around his form.
During his time in Shencheng, he had spent nearly all of it in secluded cultivation. Not only had he broken another ten genetic shackles and opened a grotto-heaven, but more importantly, he had fully merged with the Human Sovereign essence blood, integrating it into his flesh and cells. Thus, even doing nothing and simply sitting there, an extraordinary aura hung about him, compelling others to glance his way.
Seeing this, Ji Huaiyuan could not help but sigh. "King Lu has grown even stronger than he was ten days ago."
"Indeed. Just how high is his innate bloodline talent?" Another elderly man spoke up, addressed as Elder Yun.
He was one of the seven members of Wanglong Pavilion, in charge of military affairs, and also the chief director of this Mount Tai assault operation. Looking at Lu Yuan, a hint of reverence surfaced in his eyes, feeling that the young man was fathomless.
"Elder Yun, that is only secondary. What truly matters is King Lu's comprehension," Dean Zheng said with a smile from the side. Recalling how back at Ancient Mount Shu, everyone else had fallen behind while Lu Yuan alone had reached the summit, he still found it unbelievable even now.
Comprehension was of paramount importance to an Awakened, no less significant than innate bloodline talent.
As the dean of Zhendan Academy, he knew very well that many students in the academy had immense talent, yet when practicing breathing methods or visualization methods, they struggled greatly and required immense time to comprehend them. Yet Lu Yuan had taken less than a few minutes to grasp Ancient Mount Shu's strongest heritage. Paired with such overwhelming power, Dean Zheng could hardly imagine what heights of evolution Lu Yuan might achieve.
In the past, he had even thought of treating him as a junior on par with the Northern Emperor. Thinking back on it, he felt he had truly been like a frog looking up from the bottom of a well.
Ji Huaiyuan and Elder Yun said nothing. They slowly nodded, evidently in agreement with Dean Zheng's words.
Then, the two turned their heads to look out the window and exchanged glances. "Mount Tai... we're almost there."
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan opened his eyes.
Through the window, he saw a magnificent, colossal mountain mass in the distance. It was unimaginably towering and vast, piercing straight through the clouds—even from aboard the aircraft, its peak was beyond sight. The mountain was lush and verdant, thick with ancient trees that blotted out the sky, clearly visible even from such a great distance. From time to time, seven-colored mist billowed out from it, transforming into radiant clouds.
This reminded Lu Yuan of certain ancient records regarding Mount Tai.
The site of Fengshan.
*No mountain is greater than it; no history is more ancient than its.*
It meant that under heaven, no mountain was grander or more majestic, nor did any possess a longer history. In pre-Qin times, ancient sovereigns had offered sacrifices to heaven here, praying to the gods. Later, when the Ancestral Dragon united the world, he chose this very mountain to perform the Fengshan sacrifice, paying homage to heaven and earth to proclaim his achievements.
If there was any place in Huaxia even more unique than Mount Tai, it was likely only Kunlun, the home of myriad deities.
At this moment, sitting in the aircraft and gazing at the magnificent Mount Tai from afar, a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind:
Could it be... that this was what Mount Tai was originally meant to look like?
As his thoughts wandered, the aircraft gradually descended.
At the foot of Mount Tai, an airfield had long since been established, alongside numerous armories. Squads of soldiers with live ammunition patrolled continuously nearby, and fighter jets roared past overhead from time to time. Clearly, the authorities attached immense importance to this.
Lu Yuan had not brought the Golden-Winged Great Peng this time, allowing it to roam freely instead; if needed, he could summon it using the Blood Contract.
At that moment, everyone in the cabin stood up, yet none spoke.
Helpless, Lu Yuan knew that due to his strength, these people held him in deep reverence and were unwilling to disembark before him. He had not wished for things to be this way, but there was no helping it; words would never convince them. The New Era's law—where strength reigned supreme—had already etched itself into everyone's hearts.
With a light smile, Lu Yuan said, "Let's go. Into Mount Tai!"
Chapter 88