"An ordinary Shackle Realm cultivator could never achieve such a feat."
"Unless they have broken more than ten genetic shackles."
Zhou Yunqiong murmured to herself, her expression unusually grave.
Recalling how Lu Yuan had directly subdued the South Sea Giant Demon earlier, she grew even more convinced that he was likely far stronger than she had imagined.
At this stage of the New Era, he could be considered an almost invincible existence.
Yet the problem was that she had completely failed to notice it before.
Furthermore, she could not fathom how Lu Yuan had reached his current level—by all accounts, he should possess no special bloodline whatsoever.
Still, regardless of how he had done it, Zhou Yunqiong believed he was worthy of her utmost attention. If only he could be brought into her service...
"Eldest Miss." Just then, Uncle Zuo entered the room with a hurried look.
Seeing this, Zhou Yunqiong gathered her thoughts and immediately asked, "Did you find it?"
He nodded, saying nothing.
"It seems it won't be easy, then. I'll need to go in person."
Discerning his thoughts, she rose at once. After a moment's consideration, she added, "By the way, Yi is about to emerge from seclusion. Go speak with him and tell him to drop his grudge against Lu Yuan. If necessary, he must compromise. Tell him that this is my order!"
With that, Zhou Yunqiong paid Uncle Zuo no further mind and walked straight out of the room.
At the summit of Mount Tai resided an exotic beast even more formidable than the South Sea Giant Demon.
Though she wished to see Lu Yuan battle it, there were more important matters at hand.
Uncle Zuo remained where he was, slightly astonished, knowing what the Eldest Miss had in mind.
She wished to win Lu Yuan over, so she had ordered Yi to compromise, hoping to prevent a clash between them.
"It seems this Lu Yuan carries great weight in Eldest Miss's eyes," he murmured to himself, shaking his head.
Of course, Uncle Zuo knew full well that she possessed a grand vision; winning over Lu Yuan was merely to serve her subsequent plans.
Without dwelling on it, he too exited the room.
***
Mount Tai.
Lu Yuan had long passed the mountainside, advancing continuously toward the summit.
When he had climbed two-thirds of the way up, he suddenly noticed that the surrounding exotic beasts were growing increasingly sparse.
At the same time, flights of white jade steps appeared before him, leading straight to the mountaintop.
The mysterious energy here was even denser than before, seemingly blending into one with the entirety of Mount Tai.
Lu Yuan did not halt, continuing his ascent.
To him, whether beasts were present made no difference.
After all, at this stage, those capable of reaching the Beast King tier were still few and far between.
As for those in the Awakening Realm, no matter their bloodline or strength, he could crush them with absolute might. He needed only to stir the Blood-Qi Pagoda within his five viscera to dispatch them effortlessly.
Soon, as he climbed higher, he drew closer to the peak.
Ahead, a colossal pailou archway presented itself before him.
It had three portals in total, but two had already collapsed; only the central gateway remained standing.
It appeared exceedingly ancient, steeped in the passage of ages, covered in fissures.
It held a peculiar aura that compelled one to look upon it.
Yet what caught Lu Yuan's attention was not the masonry itself, but three large characters inscribed upon the archway in Huaxia small seal script. Reading closely, one could discern their meaning: Southern Heavenly Gate!
Coupled with his proximity to the summit, shrouded in swirling, ethereal mists that seemed almost unreal, he could not help but wonder if he had stepped into the heavens.
Meanwhile, the drones trailing behind caught up, broadcasting the scene to the outside world.
Spectators watching the feed were utterly stunned.
A Southern Heavenly Gate atop Mount Tai? Could the summit truly house a Heavenly Palace?
Many knew that in the Old Era, the highest point of Mount Tai was named Jade Emperor Peak. No one could misunderstand what the words "Jade Emperor" signified.
Looking at this gateway seemingly drawn from myth, Lu Yuan said nothing, pressing directly onward toward the top.
Here, exotic beasts were nowhere to be seen, replaced everywhere by dense shrouds of mist.
That mysterious aura grew ever more pronounced.
The surrounding cliff faces were particularly extraordinary: some glowed with iridescent light, some bore ancient trees, and many spiritual fruits and exotic herbs grew in abundance, radiating intensely rich heaven and earth spiritual energy.
As these sights were broadcast live via the drones, viewers turned red with excitement, well aware that obtaining even a single stalk would be a magnificent fortune.
The ancient trees, in particular, looked remarkable at a glance, yet unfortunately, ordinary people could never hope to reach them.
Lu Yuan, however, paid them no heed; he had his own objectives.
To him, achieving a massive breakthrough in a short time required divine objects; ordinary spiritual fruits and exotic herbs were of no use.
Before long, Lu Yuan finally set foot upon Jade Emperor Peak.
It was an expanse of flat ground, vastly open and unimaginably broad. The surrounding mists were even thicker here, giving the impression of an entirely different world, completely unlike the Mount Tai below. Broken walls, colossal boulders, and rubble lay scattered everywhere, with the remnants of numerous ancient palaces visible in the distance.
Yet seemingly due to the immense passage of time, all the structures had collapsed into a chaotic ruin.
Even so, if they were ever restored, they would undoubtedly be magnificent beyond measure.
"Could it really be a Heavenly Palace?"
At the foot of the mountain, Zhu Qingyu and the others were dumbfounded as they watched the live broadcast.
Ji Huaiyuan and Elder Yun exchanged glances, seeing the sheer disbelief in each other's eyes.
First the Southern Heavenly Gate, then an enormous expanse of architectural ruins.
None of this had existed on Mount Tai in the Old Era.
Yet now, it stood before everyone's eyes—a marvel beyond belief.
Still, none of them spoke, quietly watching the screen.
Atop Jade Emperor Peak.
Lu Yuan observed his surroundings carefully. As he pressed deeper, curiosity stirred within him.
A moment later, however, he halted, a flicker of astonishment surfacing in his eyes.
He had reached the very center of the summit. Not far off stood a towering platform.
It looked remarkably familiar—identical to the ones in the Ancestral Dragon Hall and at the Shennong Altar. More importantly, atop this platform stood another Nine-Color Altar, steeped in the aura of primeval antiquity.
This was the second time he had encountered one.
Calming his mind, Lu Yuan prepared to walk toward it.
"Halt!"
Just then, a thunderous shout erupted.
At the same time, an immensely powerful aura swept across Jade Emperor Peak.
Even Lu Yuan caught a trace of danger in the air.
Without a word, he shifted his body aside and looked up.
Before him stood a spirit monkey, roughly the height of a human, covered in golden fur that flickered like dancing flames.
Its eyes carried not the slightest hint of a beast's savagery, but were brimming with intelligence. Beside it stood a dark iron staff forged from an unknown material, carved all over with profound, arcane patterns.
"Human, this is no place for you," the spirit monkey spoke, its voice deep and laced with warning.
The imposing aura radiating from its body was overwhelmingly heavy, completely surpassing that of the South Sea Giant Demon.
Evidently, this spirit monkey was the true Beast King of Mount Tai.
For on the entirety of Jade Emperor Peak, only it remained!
"I've already come, haven't I?"
Lu Yuan smiled, then continued, "I came here to discuss a matter with you."
Before ascending the mountain, Ji Huaiyuan had spoken to him in private.
If necessary, he could first negotiate with the Beast King of Mount Tai to permit human entry, which would satisfy their objective. Ji Huaiyuan understood that humans and exotic beasts were not necessarily locked in an endless blood feud; as fellow living beings of this world, peaceful coexistence was ideal.
Lu Yuan agreed with this sentiment, which was why he had not struck immediately.
"There is nothing to discuss!"
"If you will not leave, I will help you!"
The spirit monkey offered no quarter. Fiery-tempered, it lunged the instant the words left its mouth.
Without deploying the dark iron staff, it charged straight forward, bathed in dazzling brilliance.
Waves of formidable aura surged from its form, its fur gleaming a brilliant gold with every hair standing on end. Stripped of all fancy flourishes, its fists drove straight ahead.
"Fine."
Lu Yuan narrowed his eyes.
If it refused to talk, he would beat it into submission first!
Taking a step forward, golden vitality surged around him like crashing waves.
Just like his opponent, he met the strike with a punch of his own.
Rumble!
The fists collided with a tremendous roar.
Under the clash of the two forces, the air shuddered violently, scattering the mists within hundreds of meters.
Yet Jade Emperor Peak was extraordinary; seemingly indestructible, the surrounding boulders and architectural ruins held firm under the shockwave without shattering.
"How is this possible?"
After that single exchange, Lu Yuan stood rooted to the spot, unmoving.
The spirit monkey, on the other hand, had been thrown back several hundred meters, its arm numb as shock crept across its face.
It knew full well that its bloodline was extraordinarily potent, its physical body comparable to that of a true dragon.
Its cultivation had even reached the Golden Body Realm.
Even across the wider world, among exotic beasts it was arguably one of the very strongest.
Yet now, it found itself at a disadvantage against a human—and a human whose cultivation level was lower than its own.
As for Lu Yuan, he too felt a touch of surprise.
His physical body had been refined and augmented by multiple divine objects, long reaching an unfathomable level.
Though he had not brought his full power to bear just now, the spirit monkey before him had withstood the blow head-on.
'Could it be...'
Involuntarily, memories of his previous life surfaced in Lu Yuan's mind.
"You are not bad. You have earned the right to see my true strength!" After a brief daze, the spirit monkey roared and splayed its palm.
Thud!
The next moment, the dark iron staff standing nearby trembled.
In a flash, it flew straight into the spirit monkey's grip.
Instead of closing the distance, the monkey gripped the staff and let out a long howl, swinging it down with mountain-splitting force.
At that exact moment, the iron staff elongated abruptly, extending a hundred meters as it radiated dazzling light, plummeting toward Lu Yuan's head.
Hum, hum, hum—
The entirety of Jade Emperor Peak quivered.
The spirit monkey possessed staggering might and terrifying strength.
A single strike seemed capable of smashing a mountain to pieces!
Seeing this, Lu Yuan's expression grew solemn.
Bracing his feet against the earth, he clenched his right fist, and the Blood-Qi Pagoda manifested upon his chest.
Dong—
The pagoda tolled like a great bronze bell, echoing across the firmament.
Facing the descending dark iron staff, Lu Yuan met it with his bare fist once more.
Boom, boom, boom!
Boom, boom, boom!
The peak erupted with deafening blasts, as though heaven and earth shuddered.
Beneath that punch, Lu Yuan remained majestic and unyielding, while the iron staff bent slightly under the force.
Yet the spirit monkey did not relent. Roaring again, one end of the iron staff expanded to the size of a millstone and came crashing down anew, bearing an even more terrifying momentum—like Mount Tai crushing down from above, packing enough power to obliterate a hill with ease!
Such techniques, such sheer might—
Everyone watching was awestruck.
The King of Mount Tai truly exceeded all expectations.
Yet Lu Yuan still met it head-on, streamers of golden radiance cascading from the Blood-Qi Pagoda.
In an instant, all of Jade Emperor Peak was engulfed in brilliant light.
An earth-shattering battle between a human and a Beast King had begun!
The viewers watching the livestream were so thoroughly shocked they were left speechless.
They were stunned by the power of Lu Yuan and the spirit monkey alike.
What stirred their curiosity even more, however, was that the iron staff could freely expand and contract, grow larger and shrink at will, wielded by a spirit monkey. This scene... seemed awfully familiar...
Chapter 91