Invincible, He Alone Is Enough

Holding a walkie-talkie, the Westerner had a solemn expression. The others beside him continued their surveillance. "Please mark the exact coordinates. Over." A voice soon crackled through the walkie-talkie, spoken with a Western accent as well. "Understood, understood." The middle-aged Western leader responded, then pulled out a device resembling a laptop and began operating it. Evidently, they had long been preparing for this moment, and now they had reached the critical juncture. However, because Mount Tai was vast and shrouded in mystery, marking exact coordinates proved difficult. Of course, for this man, pin-point precision was not strictly required. A rough approximation would suffice. Once finished, he transmitted the coordinates. "It's almost ready. Keep tracking them and make sure not to lose the target, but be careful—do not trail too closely." At this moment, the leader spoke, a sinister glint surfacing in his eyes. "When the missile strikes, we could easily be caught in the blast." "The great Holy Angel has decreed that the man named Lu Yuan must be killed this time. There must be no mishaps. Do you all understand?" "Understood!" Everyone present immediately nodded with grave expressions. Indeed, the reason they had come to Mount Tai to lock onto Lu Yuan's position was to facilitate an incoming missile strike. Every individual here was an Awakened subordinate to the Western Vatican Church. Ever since the Eleven Apostles had been slain in Shanghai, the Church had been furious—especially that Holy Angel. Yet they knew Lu Yuan was formidable, capable of suppressing the South Sea Giant Demon of the Golden Body Realm. His strength could be called utterly terrifying. Soon, they devised a plan: use potent thermal weaponry! This scheme promptly gained the backing of numerous Western council members. Lu Yuan was Huaxia's King of Humanity, presenting an immense disadvantage to the West's future geopolitical standing. If they could eliminate him, it would undoubtedly yield an optimal outcome, allowing them to accomplish far more in the new era. After all, nearly everyone recognized that the world was no longer what it once was. The balance of power among all factions was bound to be reshuffled down the road. An existence like Lu Yuan disrupted the balance far too much. Who knew how terrifyingly strong he might become in the future? They had to strike as early as possible! "Alright, move out." The leader stowed his device and issued the command. Without another word, the others nodded and descended from the ridge at rapid speed. Meanwhile, Lu Yuan led Zhu Qingyu and the others as they continued their ascent toward the summit. Although the current Mount Tai had grown far loftier and more majestic following its mutation and resurgence, the group consisted almost entirely of Awakened individuals endowed with extraordinary might. Ascending the mountain posed little inherent difficulty for them. The problem, however, was that as they climbed higher, the strange beasts they encountered grew increasingly powerful, impeding their progress. A few individuals could not hold out, reaching their limits, and had no choice but to turn back the way they came. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* Above, helicopters and drones poured down continuous firepower. Earth, trees, and rocks were shredded to pieces. At the same time, Zhu Qingyu and the rest clashed with the beasts, each displaying distinct techniques. The Northern Emperor possessed formidable physical strength; bronze radiance enveloped his body as he struck. Around the Ice Fairy, frigid mist surged ceaselessly, freezing beast after beast into solid ice sculptures. There were also the Young Celestial Master Chunyang and Monk Huikong. Their methods, however, were particularly unique, drawing upon the divine arts and breathing methods of the Daoist and Buddhist traditions. Every stance and strike held endless variations, subtly surpassing both the Northern Emperor and the Ice Fairy at this moment. Yet Lu Yuan chose not to intervene. He knew these youths possessed immense potential; this trial was a beneficial tempering for them, destined to help them become formidable powerhouses in the future. Thus, he refrained from stepping in at times. Lu Yuan could also discern that the Young Celestial Master Chunyang and Huikong had likely cultivated some form of visualization method. If they continued along this path, they would surely surpass the Northern Emperor and the Ice Fairy in the future, while Zhu Qingyu's potential was even greater. Still, this was only the beginning. According to his estimates, these youths could not hold out much longer; reaching the mountainside would already be their limit. The beasts awaiting them further up were both stronger and vastly more numerous. "As expected of the elites favored by the higher-ups—their strength is truly impressive." "Indeed, every one of them is in the Awakening Realm." "Why isn't King Lu making a move, though? I really wanted to see him crush some strange beasts." "Are you kidding? You think these minor beasts are worth King Lu stepping in personally? Only the Beast Kings at the summit could warrant that!" "True enough. He is, after all, a King of Humanity." Watching the livestream transmitted through the drone cameras, viewers outside flooded the comments. Most were merely in the Initial Realm. Witnessing the fierce battle between the Ice Fairy's group and the strange beasts, they were deeply impressed. They also came to fully appreciate that the strength wielded by the authorities was far greater than imagined. Even without thermal weaponry, the Awakened under their command were exceedingly potent. More importantly, even the Ice Fairy of Beidou Biology and disciples of the Daoist and Buddhist schools had been mobilized. Ordinary people thought little of it, but civilian factions gleaned a great deal from the display. Even Zhou Yunqiong, who was watching the broadcast, could not help but furrow her brows. The individual strength of these youths was secondary; what mattered was that the authorities possessed the clout to summon them together, flexing their foundation and muscle before the world. Fortunately, Wuzhou Group had maintained a low profile recently and had avoided clashing with the higher-ups. Otherwise, things would have been quite troublesome at this stage. At the very least, they needed more time to prepare. *Hmm?* Suddenly, Zhou Yunqiong's eyes locked onto the screen. She sensed that Lu Yuan was finally about to step in. In the feed, the group had nearly reached the mountainside of Mount Tai, where the majority of the demon beasts had reached the Awakening Realm. Standard barrage fire could no longer suppress them, and more and more people opted to descend. In the end, even the Northern Emperor and the Ice Fairy felt the strain. "I can't go on. The beasts are growing too strong; continuing the climb will be difficult." Having just slain a beast, the Ice Fairy looked somewhat pale, her inner energy severely depleted. She was truly nearing her limit. Given her cultivation, reaching this point was already a commendable feat. "The same goes for me. To think I couldn't even make it past the halfway mark," the Northern Emperor remarked at that moment. Several wounds marked his bronze-hued upper torso. Before him lay a massive, jade-like wolf he had slain. Clearly, the creature's physical resilience had been exceptional. Though he had managed to strike it down after a desperate struggle, he had sustained injuries in the process. Nearby, Zhu Qingyu, the Young Celestial Master Chunyang, and the others were also panting heavily. Yet before them, dozens of Awakening Realm beasts still lurked. Were it not for the suppressing fire from above, they would not have had a moment to catch their breath. "Alright," Lu Yuan said, stepping forward. "The purpose of this trial has been fulfilled. You may stop here." With a faint smile in his eyes, he checked the time. Sensing the hour was right, he had no intention of wasting any more of it. Without another word, he took a step forward. *Boom!* In an instant, an immense aura erupted from his body. Golden vitality surged around him, bursting with dazzling, radiant light that lanced outward inch by inch. Beneath his feet, the earth cracked and boulders shattered as his overwhelming power stirred up violent gales. Lu Yuan's figure felt as imposing as a primeval mountain. A single step radiated unmatched majesty. *Pfft! Pfft!* Ahead of him, the hundred or so strange beasts that had pushed Zhu Qingyu and the others to their limits were instantly crushed by this overbearing aura. Their flesh fractured, and several exploded directly into clouds of blood mist. In mere seconds, every beast before him lay dead. The entire clearing fell dead silent. Having done this, Lu Yuan did not look back. He merely said softly, "Head back down, all of you. Leave the rest to me." With that, he bent his knees slightly and launched himself forward like an artillery shell. The golden vitality surrounding him billowed even more magnificently than before, rampaging without restraint. The mountain forest trembled. Several birds of prey in the air screeched mournfully and crashed to the ground. The armed helicopters and drones finally snapped back to their senses and hurried to pursue him; after all, they had come with a mission to record. "Why do I feel like the only reason we hadn't reached the halfway point was because we were holding him back?" The Young Celestial Master Chunyang blurted out these words, a bewildered daze filling his eyes. They had set out from the foot of the mountain, fighting harder and harder as their numbers dwindled. Yet the moment Lu Yuan stepped in, he resolved everything just as effortlessly as before. The Awakening Realm beasts stood no chance against him. The moment his aura erupted, they were shattered into dust. "Indeed. Just like back at Ancient Shu Sword Mountain," Monk Huikong chimed in, feeling thoroughly dejected. He had trained diligently during this period and made great progress. Yet compared to Lu Yuan, he fell completely short; the chasm between them was simply too vast. "Dean Zheng mentioned that this climb had two purposes: first, to train us, and second, to clear out some of the beasts early on so King Lu would have an easier time," Zhu Qingyu said softly, her voice quiet yet carrying clearly to everyone present. "But now I feel... he alone is enough." The others froze momentarily, then nodded in profound agreement. Indeed. Judging by that display, he had no need for their assistance whatsoever. Exchanging glances, a unified thought crossed their minds: head down the mountain! On the other side, Lu Yuan continued his rapid ascent, blurring into an afterimage. Every strange beast along his path was either crushed by his raw power or terrified by his aura, fleeing as far away as possible—including a Beast King in the Shackle Realm. Throughout the entire climb, he did not even need to lift a hand. Surging directly upward, he blew past the mountainside in no time at all. He was utterly invincible! High above, the drone cameras struggled just to keep him in frame, barely able to transmit the footage. Watching the livestream, the audience was struck dumb with shock. This was the first time they had observed Lu Yuan's power so clearly and at such close range. He was far stronger than they had ever imagined. "King Lu is invincible! He's barely human at this point, isn't he?" "How long has it been? He already blew right past the halfway mark! Insanely strong!" "Crushing everything in his path without even throwing a punch, using pure aura alone... Is this the true might of a King of Humanity?" "Even a Beast King couldn't stand against him, powerless to slow his stride! Striding across a horde of strange beasts as if walking on flat ground—this is what true invincibility looks like!" Everyone was awestruck, overwhelmed by how preposterous it all seemed. In the truest sense: silent until now, but astonishing the world with a single display! Awakening Realm, Shackle Realm—before Lu Yuan, they crumbled like paper. Even Zhou Yunqiong's beautiful eyes widened in astonishment, a brilliant light gleaming within them. His strength had far exceeded even her expectations.