The moment he stepped off the plane, a group of people immediately came over to surround him.
They were the deans of the other four Zhendan Academies, who had arrived earlier, as well as Zhu Qingyu, the Northern Emperor, the Ice Fairy, and several others. Even the Young Celestial Master Chunyang and Monk Huikong were present.
"Though Mount Tai is mysterious and perilous, it is also an opportunity. These young people can help clear out some of the weaker demon beasts early on for King Lu. Think of it as a form of training for them," Ji Huaiyuan explained with a smile, knowing that practical combat experience was indispensable if one hoped to become a formidable Awakened.
The youths before them were the very seedlings the higher-ups planned to nurture for the future, and this was an ideal opportunity. As for danger, with Lu Yuan present, they were confident nothing would go awry.
Of course, these youths would only accompany him part of the way. Once they could hold out no longer, they would have to turn back so as not to drag him down.
When Ji Huaiyuan finished speaking, Zhu Qingyu and the others turned toward Lu Yuan and bowed slightly.
If they could have interacted on equal terms in the past, doing so was utterly impossible now. An existence in the Shackle Realm who had crushed the South Sea Giant Demon was someone whose back they could only look up to. Thus, every one of them showed immense courtesy, displaying their reverence for the truly strong.
"It seems the resources and strength held by the higher-ups are far greater than I imagined," Lu Yuan said, chuckling as he shook his head.
The Ice Fairy, the Northern Emperor, and the others went without saying; their ties were obvious. Yet the Young Celestial Master Chunyang and Huikong from Mount Jiuhua actually belonged to official channels as well. Even with his ten years of memories from his previous life, he had not known about this. But thinking about it, it was only natural. The authorities were, after all, the authorities. Without sufficient foundation and methods, how could they hope to maintain control in the future?
"King Lu is being modest," Elder Yun, who was in charge of this operation, walked over at that moment and smiled. "We have already announced that the assault on Mount Tai will be broadcast live in its entirety."
"I know. It's fine." Hearing this, Lu Yuan nodded. Dean Zheng had already informed him of this beforehand and obtained his consent. Lu Yuan also understood very well that the higher-ups were doing this merely to demonstrate to both domestic and foreign factions that he, this King of Humanity, stood on the side of the authorities at critical junctures. This would deter petty troublemakers.
Naturally, Lu Yuan did not mind. In truth, the chaotic state of the early New Era truly did require a powerful deterrent. Before long, extraterrestrial beings would descend. Facing them adequately would be impossible by relying on individuals alone; there had to be a guiding authority, and letting the official leadership serve as that guide was clearly the best path.
"Thank you, King Lu." Elder Yun breathed a sigh of relief, feeling reassured. Had Lu Yuan disagreed, the livestream naturally would not have gone forward. At this stage, even the higher-ups had to be mindful of Lu Yuan's reaction.
"Alright, time is pressing. Let's get down to business." Ji Huaiyuan walked over and gathered everyone, convening a briefing on the spot. "Since the global upheaval, Mount Tai has become exceedingly mysterious and teeming with strange beasts. Our earlier scouting expeditions gathered some relevant intelligence. In several areas across Mount Tai, vast stretches of ruined halls exist, as well as certain mysterious underground palaces that appeared out of nowhere. Furthermore, over recent days, a peculiar aura has repeatedly radiated from Mount Tai's summit, drawing in many strange beasts. Additionally, because the area is immense, some foreign Awakened have also infiltrated the mountain."
He relayed the information regarding present-day Mount Tai so the climbing team could prepare themselves, listing hazards such as strange beasts, foreign Awakened, and the mysterious halls and underground palaces.
Of course, their mission this time was not complicated: find a way to eliminate some of the demon beasts. The most critical objective was to deal with the few beasts atop Mount Tai's peak. As long as the strongest could be resolved, the rest could be left to the military.
"There is one more point: the summit of Mount Tai is extremely peculiar. We cannot probe it directly. We only managed to discover through satellite imagery that a dilapidated ruin gate stands there, bearing an inscription: Southern Heavenly Gate!" Ji Huaiyuan directed those final words toward Lu Yuan with an exceptionally solemn expression.
He had laid bare every piece of intelligence the higher-ups possessed. In his eyes, Lu Yuan was the only one who stood a chance of reaching Mount Tai's summit.
"The Southern Heavenly Gate? Could there really be a Heavenly Court?" the Ice Fairy spoke up, her face filled with astonishment. As Ji Huaiyuan's junior, she could speak more freely at such a moment.
The others were equally shocked and curious. After all, the Southern Heavenly Gate was something found only in the myths and legends of the Heavenly Court.
However, Ji Huaiyuan shook his head, indicating he did not know either. In any case, this campaign against Mount Tai was definitely not going to be simple.
"My side is fully prepared and ready to begin at any time," Elder Yun said as he stepped forward. Everything was already arranged. Behind him, beside attack helicopters, drones, and other modern aerial strike weaponry, stood ranks of soldiers at attention. At a single command, they could instantly deploy a formidable web of firepower.
At that moment, all eyes turned to Lu Yuan, awaiting his word.
Lu Yuan simply smiled, turning his gaze toward the towering, boundless peak of Mount Tai. Without further preamble, he said softly, "In that case, let us begin."
Following his words, swarms of drones took to the sky.
At the same time, the official livestream channel set up on the network went live.
"The signal is finally up! I've been waiting forever!"
"Look, quick! It's King Lu! And the Northern Emperor, the Ice Fairy, and the others—they're already heading up!"
"I have a feeling that a world-shaking battle between humanity and strange beasts will erupt on Mount Tai today!"
The moment the official livestream began, a massive flood of viewers poured in. This was undoubtedly the biggest domestic news of recent times, commanding everyone's attention. Everyone knew Lu Yuan was the King of Humanity and Mount Tai harbored many formidable beasts; witnessing an event like this might be impossible in the future.
Meanwhile, in Shanghai, Zhou Yunqiong also opened the livestream right on cue. Her curiosity about Lu Yuan was growing keener by the day. This was the perfect chance to see just how he had become so powerful.
On the screen, Lu Yuan had set out at the head of over twenty people, including the Northern Emperor.
There were many paths leading to Mount Tai's summit, but Elder Yun and his team had already charted a route beforehand, so they simply followed it. The moment they entered the mountain, everyone sensed a peculiar aura—piercingly cold, completely distinct from the outside world. Zhu Qingyu and the others focused their minds, vigilantly scanning their surroundings. Among them, quite a few had battled strange beasts before, but Mount Tai was, after all, unique.
Above them circled attack helicopters and drones, providing fire support while broadcasting the group's progress to the public and surveying the distant terrain.
Walking at the very front of the group, Lu Yuan extended his six senses. He noticed that the strange beasts on Mount Tai seemed different from those outside, far surpassing their peers. Still, the creatures near the base of the mountain were generally not very strong, mostly falling within the first or second stages of the Initial Realm. With attack helicopters and drones suppressing them with firepower to clear the obstacles, the group aimed to conserve their energy for higher up the slopes.
Yet as they pushed higher, the beasts grew increasingly numerous, forcing Zhu Qingyu, the Ice Fairy, and the others to take action.
Lu Yuan, however, kept his gaze fixed on the summit. Thinking of the Southern Heavenly Gate mentioned earlier by Elder Ji, a brilliant light gleamed in his eyes.
"It seems this journey up Mount Tai won't be simple," he murmured to himself. Counting his past life, this was his first time ascending Mount Tai, and he knew very little about it, but he felt immense anticipation. On one hand, he wanted to see how powerful the strongest beast on Mount Tai truly was, and whether it could give him a fight to his heart's content. On the other hand, he knew that once he reached the summit, he could claim that divine object for himself.
Clearing his mind, Lu Yuan glanced ahead.
Zhu Qingyu and the others were locked in battle with a pack of strange beasts. Though they were powerful—most of them in the Awakening Realm—the beasts were numerous, and even with the aid of firearms, wiping them out quickly was proving difficult.
Seeing this, Lu Yuan said nothing. With a thump of his heart, his golden vitality rippled outward. In an instant, an overwhelming aura surged from his body like a colossal wave.
*Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!*
In the next breath, over a hundred strange beasts burst apart, showering the mountain forest in blood.
Stunned, Zhu Qingyu, the Ice Fairy, and the twenty-odd youths—whom the higher-ups regarded as the seeds of the future—turned around in shock. The Young Celestial Master Chunyang and Monk Huikong, both men of the cloth, could not help exchanging glances. They could see the same thought in each other's eyes: Just a single strike? He hadn't even lifted a hand! What kind of training were they supposed to get from this?
Lu Yuan paid no mind to their reactions. He simply called out, telling them to pick up the pace. Although the higher-ups wanted to train the youths, he had no desire to waste too much time.
Just as the group continued their ascent up Mount Tai, on a distant knoll far away, four or five Westerners clad in camouflage were observing Lu Yuan and his companions through binoculars. The middle-aged man leading them immediately drew a walkie-talkie and spoke into it: "Report... Report. The target has appeared and is advancing toward the objective. Over!"
Chapter 89