Since the dawn of the New Era, the order of the old era had begun to collapse.
Everyone pursued extraordinary power, yearning to acquire the miraculous abilities of myth and legend. This was essentially true everywhere, both domestically and abroad.
It was simply that everything had arrived too suddenly, leaving the leadership of every faction largely unable to react in time.
Thus, aside from some initial probing, the East and the West had mostly focused on keeping the situation under control. That held until the incident with Tianshen Technology occurred, making it clear that the Vatican Church had already begun reaching its hand in.
Even so, the official high-level leadership headed by Ji Huaiyuan had still kept the matter suppressed.
After all, there was still a great deal to deal with at present. Being overly aggressive could easily spark a full-scale war between factions.
Other factors aside, the crucial point was that thermonuclear weapons remained the pinnacle of modern armaments—ones that even Awakened could not withstand. Therefore, once an all-out war erupted, that would be the true apocalypse.
Yet at this very moment, a single sentence from Lu Yuan thoroughly shook everyone present.
For him to establish a Human Alliance by his own solitary might—was that not essentially sweeping away every faction? On top of that, every mastermind behind this Mount Tai missile incident would be brought to justice.
Involuntarily, Ji Huaiyuan and Elder Yun exchanged glances.
They knew all too well that once they agreed, it would inevitably trigger massive incidents—perhaps even war.
Zhu Qingyu, the Northern Emperor, the Ice Fairy, and the others were also acutely aware of this. Even if Lu Yuan acted merely in an individual capacity, a single misstep could cause the global situation to deteriorate further. Historically, the high-level officials had always taken a very moderate stance on such matters. Under normal circumstances, they would certainly try to dissuade him.
Yet in the next moment, Ji Huaiyuan took a deep breath and said directly, "Very well. Leave this matter to us. At the same time, King Lu, rest assured—we old men will stand firmly behind you."
These words left the young people standing nearby stunned. Elder Ji's statement represented a clear stance—and an exceedingly unyielding one at that. It was equivalent to saying that the official high-level leadership had chosen to lend its complete support, even if it might ultimately lead to war.
"Good."
Lu Yuan smiled, then continued, "Three months from now, they must provide their response. If they do not, I shall make a personal visit."
With that, he gave a slight nod to the crowd, cast a glance at the four or five Westerners without bothering to address them, and turned to depart.
Elder Yun shot a meaningful look, and a soldier hurried forward to lead the way. Evidently, they had arranged temporary quarters for Lu Yuan at the Mount Tai base. After all, he could not simply leave immediately upon concluding his business. Moreover, he still needed to await word regarding the mutated beast kings.
"Elder Ji, are we truly going to do this?"
After Lu Yuan departed, a commander stepped forward, his tone tinged with disbelief. After all, the moment those words were issued, it would be tantamount to an indirect declaration of war.
Zhu Qingyu and the other young people also nodded slightly, feeling it was somewhat radical.
"There is nothing to hesitate over," Elder Yun said bluntly. He oversaw military affairs and possessed a rather fiery temper. He continued, "Now that the New Era has arrived, they've already stretched their hands in and even fired missiles directly at King Lu. We can retreat no further. In my view, establishing the Human Alliance is imperative, because the current distribution of power in this era indeed requires a reshuffle."
"Indeed," Ji Huaiyuan spoke as well, no longer looking as genial as before, but instead radiating formidable majesty. He looked in the direction Lu Yuan had left, his eyes turning resolute as he spoke once more. "What is more, I believe King Lu has the strength to achieve this."
In truth, the leadership had long been considering uniting all factions worldwide rather than letting each rule its own territory and attack one another. It was merely that their strength had been insufficient, forcing them to accumulate power over a long period. But now that Lu Yuan had brought it up on his own initiative and intended to see it through, they naturally chose to offer their full support.
The reason was none other than what had just been said: they believed in his strength.
"All right, let us disperse. There are still many matters to attend to afterward."
Ji Huaiyuan offered no further explanations, beginning instead to assign follow-up tasks. For instance, the fortuitous opportunities on Mount Tai could help them nurture more Awakened, so they needed to carefully plan how to utilize them and maximize their efficacy so Lu Yuan's ascent would not be in vain. In short, this might well be the first step in Huaxia's rise, and no carelessness could be permitted.
"As for these few..." Elder Yun turned his gaze toward the four or five Westerners, his eyes sharp. "Handle them as protocol dictates." He believed there was no need to trouble Lu Yuan with this matter. Since these men had come with murderous intent, they naturally deserved their due fate, without any room for hesitation.
"Understood!" a soldier answered before escorting the captives away.
At the same time, the crowd dispersed completely to carry out the subsequent plans. Between Mount Tai and the proposed Human Alliance, there was still a tremendous amount of work to be done.
***
Meanwhile, guided by the soldier, Lu Yuan arrived at a room in the Mount Tai base.
The decor was tasteful, bearing an ancient style. Inside, there was even a fully equipped cultivation chamber forged from alloys. He knew that this was originally a temporary base with very rudimentary facilities throughout; being assigned such a room was ample proof of how much the leadership valued him.
Lu Yuan said nothing about this. With his strength, he was destined to be the center of attention wherever he went. Naturally, he was indifferent to it all, so long as he had a quiet environment.
After tidying up briefly, Lu Yuan walked straight into the cultivation chamber and sat cross-legged. Thoughts churned in his mind as he recalled the recent events.
In truth, the formation of the Human Alliance had also occurred in his past life, originally proposed by the higher-ups of Huaxia as well. However, the process had been far from smooth or simple; it had triggered several disputes and major wars before finally succeeding through mutual compromise among the factions. But things were different now. He possessed absolute strength that could suppress all voices of opposition. Should anyone object, Lu Yuan would not mind taking action.
The descent of extraterrestrial beings was not far off. Before that happened, this matter had to be thoroughly settled.
The reason he gave them three months was that he needed time to prepare, while also offering a final warning. Nothing could be accomplished overnight, and this window happened to be ideal for advancing his own strength.
Additionally, there was the matter of getting the major mutated beast kings across the country to cease launching beast tides. This too was a difficult task that demanded absolute strength. Of course, the one thing Lu Yuan did not lack was strength.
Moreover, it needed to be completed as early as possible to prevent unforeseen developments. The global mutation was still in its early stages, but another shift would occur in the near future. Famous mountains and great rivers everywhere would thoroughly begin to awaken, just like Mount Tai before him, growing even more mysterious by then. At that time, perhaps even stronger mutated beasts or beings would emerge, accompanied by extraterrestrial presences.
As the situation grew increasingly complex, taking action now was the optimal window. Thus, the next order of business consisted of these two tasks. Once everything was concluded, he would proceed to the next step of his plans. Lu Yuan had already weighed it all in his mind.
"Now, I only need to wait." Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts aside.
He immediately brought out the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token he had just obtained and examined it closely. Its radiance had subsided, leaving it seemingly ordinary.
After a moment's consideration, Lu Yuan decided to try refining it with his blood. Generally, divine artifacts rarely displayed any abnormalities before being stimulated—the so-called self-concealment of divine objects. Back when he integrated the Ancient Bodhi Tree and the Eleven-Tier Blood Pagoda, both had been the same. Thus, he wished to see what purpose this Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token actually served.
Soon, a drop of fresh blood fell, sinking into the ancient token in an instant.
*Hum, hum, hum—*
At that very moment, the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token radiated a purple luster throughout. Wisps and threads of light spread forth, not blinding, yet imbued with an inexplicable, majestic might. It seemed that anyone who laid eyes upon this token would feel an uncontrollable urge to bow in submission. It was extraordinary and difficult to put into words.
Just as Lu Yuan sought to examine it more closely, the ancient token vanished from his hand in an instant.
In the next breath, it unexpectedly appeared within his mind, right before the golden figure that represented the innate spirit and the god of wisdom.
Simultaneously, the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token shed rings of purple radiance that merged into the golden figure.
Lu Yuan instantly experienced a peculiar sensation. He felt as though every blade of grass, every tree, every mountain, and every river in his surroundings were held within his grasp. It was as if he had become the sovereign of heaven and earth, a supreme existence capable of governing all things—just like the Heavenly Emperor perched high upon the clouds of the nine heavens, towering above all living beings and myriad spirits.
Yet this sensation lasted only for an instant before vanishing completely.
The Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token remained in place, its purple halo still drifting down to illuminate the golden figure.
Like an emperor.
Like a sovereign.
Like the heavens themselves.
"This..." Lu Yuan was somewhat astonished.
He still did not know the exact function of the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token, but he understood that it was extraordinary, far from any ordinary divine artifact. It seemed to harbor a power capable of controlling the world, all living beings, and even the myriad things of the universe.
However, it appeared to be incomplete, lacking its full form.
"Could there be other Ancient Heavenly Emperor Tokens?" Lu Yuan murmured, pondering deeply until he reached a conclusion.
Indeed, the ancient token he obtained was likely incomplete. To truly unleash its might and function, he would have to collect them all. As for how many remained, he had no idea, given the scant information available.
*One step at a time,* Lu Yuan thought. With his current strength, even if he obtained all of them, he would hardly be able to master them. The majestic might contained within the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token was simply too vast and unfathomable. In the end, he ceased overthinking and left it alone, allowing the item to reside within his mind.
Next, he closed his eyes.
There were two major tasks ahead. During this period, he could take the opportunity to continue digesting his accumulated foundation and break his genetic shackles. After all, having broken forty shackles, he still had some distance to go before reaching one hundred and eight. Reaching the peak of this realm earlier would allow him to advance sooner to the next stage of evolution: the Golden Body Realm!
Soon, as he began to mobilize the power within his body, strands of golden blood-qi surged forth, swirling around him.
Yet unlike before, Lu Yuan's aura now bore a subtle difference—a transformation born from refining the ancient token that even he had not noticed.
Thus, time slipped by bit by bit.
***
While he was in secluded cultivation, the outside world was once again thrown into an uproar because of Lu Yuan.
First, the king of Mount Tai had agreed to allow humans to enter, proving that following the Sword Mountain of ancient Shu, the official high-level leadership had secured yet another land of fortuitous opportunity.
Second, word that Lu Yuan had withstood missiles with his bare strength atop Jade Emperor Peak spread completely. Everyone was stunned to discover that this King of Humanity had likely evolved to an unimaginable degree. Conventional firearms and heavy ordnance were practically useless against him, transcending the bounds of humanity entirely. One could say Lu Yuan had now become the truly peerless, supreme existence in the hearts of all domestic Awakened, unmatched by anyone.
People speculated that thermonuclear weapons were likely the only things left on Earth capable of posing a threat to him. After all, those were the culmination of humanity's highest wisdom, the most terrifying weapons of slaughter.
Finally, and most importantly, the official high-level leadership issued a public announcement.
At the demand of King Lu, with Huaxia taking the lead, they announced the formation of a Human Alliance. The Vatican Church, Mount Olympus, and other factions were given a strict deadline of three months to provide an answer. Otherwise, King Lu would personally pay a visit to each major faction afterward!
The moment this news broke, everyone was thoroughly shaken.
"Establishing a Human Alliance led by Huaxia—is King Lu planning to reshuffle all the factions?"
"It has to be! Didn't you see the time limit? And the announcement was issued by the authorities themselves!"
"Heavens, King Lu intends to suppress the entire world by his own strength alone! Such sheer audacity... Could it actually succeed?"
"If it truly succeeds, I don't even dare imagine what comes next."
For a time, the entire nation was in a frenzy. People engaged in fervent discussions, voicing their thoughts on the matter.
They knew the missile incident on Mount Tai had enraged King Lu. The mastermind was suspected to be the Holy Angel of the church, who sought vengeance for the Twelve Apostles. In response, though King Lu had not attacked immediately, his proposal of a Human Alliance was an indirect form of pressure as well as a warning.
Thus, the citizens and Awakened across the country began waiting for a reply.
Yet after the announcement was made, both the Vatican Church and Mount Olympus fell completely silent, offering no response.
Evidently, they were unnerved—not by the announcement of the Human Alliance, but by the fact that after dozens of missiles had rained down, the man was not dead.
This had exceeded the scope of humanity, surpassing the bounds of imagination. Such an existence could be said to have disrupted the global balance. They were deliberating over how to respond. In an outright fight, they certainly could not win; they knew that once Lu Yuan descended upon them, it would be a catastrophic crisis.
Finally, several days later, the Holy Angel responded.
He recorded a video and posted it online.
In the video, the Holy Angel possessed three pairs of light wings upon his back. With long golden hair, handsome features, and fair skin that radiated light, he held a cross scepter and was enveloped in holy light, appearing truly like a god descending upon the mortal world.
From the video alone, one could discern the Holy Angel's extraordinary nature. He was exceedingly powerful, and his aura was terrifying.
He spoke with an unyielding and arrogant demeanor: "Establishing a Human Alliance is utterly impossible. What we champion is freedom; this is a grace bestowed upon us by God, and we will never submit to mere force. If you dare descend upon us, God shall surely pass judgment!"
Chapter 96