Global Awakening: I'm the Only One Ready-Chapter 100. Nationwide Uproar, Shennongjia, Western Intrusion (2)
Zhou Yunqiong's tone remained light, her words indifferent. "He's now being hailed as the Human Sovereign. Your equal."
"Equal?" The Winged Celestial God narrowed his eyes, a sharp glint of disdain flashing through them. "That parity won't last long."
With that, he turned on his heel. "Enough, Yunqiong. I must resume my seclusion. I need to reach the Unfettered Realm soon."
And then he was gone. Clearly, the appearance of someone capable of slaying eight beast kings had ignited a fire within him.
He couldn't afford to be left behind.
As for Lu Yuan, he knew, sooner or later, they would cross blades.
"Young Miss, that Winged Celestial God is reckless, and he carries himself with far too much pride." Once the man had taken his leave, Uncle Zuo stepped forward, his voice kept deliberately low.
Back when the Wuzhou Group first discovered him, he'd been nothing more than a mere mortal. His bloodline was still dormant and unawakened. It was they who had nurtured him, they who had paved his path forward.
And yet now, his arrogance grew by the day. His pride was extremely razor-sharp and hard to rein in. If this continued, he would soon become difficult to control.
"It doesn't matter," Zhou Yunqiong replied with a light shake of her head. "All we need from him is that bloodline.
"So long as we establish contact with the Celestial Race, his usefulness will naturally fade into nothing."
To her, the Winged Celestial God was merely a vessel, a stepping stone toward something far greater. What mattered wasn't the man, but the lineage he carried. The key was to make use of that bloodline to aid the Zhou Family in rising and becoming a true powerhouse in the new era, or even expand its influence into the depths of space.
The Wuzhou Group, the Zhou Family had never concerned themselves with petty gains or losses. Their eyes had always been fixed on the greater game.
"I understand." Uncle Zuo nodded solemnly. If the eldest miss already had her plan, then his only duty was to obey.
"Also," Zhou Yunqiong continued, her gaze sharpening like a blade. "Find out who is that man who repelled the beast tide outside Chang'an. A being of that caliber unsettles me."
Right now, the Wuzhou Group was her personal court. Even the family elders and her own father deferred to her word. Under such dominance, there were few secrets the official authorities could keep from her.
And yet, this mysterious figure had appeared out of nowhere. His presence disrupted her understanding of the current world order.
Though his silhouette did bear some resemblance to Lu Yuan, deep down, Zhou Yunqiong didn't think it was him.
"Yes, Miss," Uncle Zuo responded immediately and swiftly left the room.
But it wasn't only the Wuzhou Group that had been stirred into action. Across the land, the other powers had begun to respond as well.
The mysterious figure in the video was simply too powerful. Everyone wanted to uncover his identity. Everyone wanted to know was this truly someone the official authorities had hidden all along?
Because if that were true, then their entire view of the official power order would be in need of drastic revision.
In the days that followed, the storm stirred by the Chang'an beast tide showed no signs of quieting. From cities to villages, markets to military forums, there was but one name on every tongue—"the King of Humanity."
Before long, nearly the entire country had caught wind of what had transpired beyond the walls of Chang'an.
And because of this, across the internet, among Awakened forums and cultivation communities, a single realization dawned with stunning clarity—their former worldview had been far too narrow.
Those once exalted as the Five Supremes—Winged Celestial God, Northern Emperor, Ice Fairy, and the rest—were indeed powerful. But when placed beside the King of Humanity, their so-called supremacy seemed laughably hollow.
Thus, the grandiose title of "Five Supremes" was quietly replaced by a more tempered label—"the Top Five Awakened." Perhaps it would take some time before a true Supreme would emerge, but it seemed elusive in the short term.
In parallel, as the Global Awakening deepened, coupled with the emergence of the King of Humanity, people began to believe that evolution was an opportunity for mankind.
A leap across the bounds of mortality.
A door flung open by fate, inviting every soul to rewrite their destiny.
Talks of hidden fortunes and spiritual fruits once again flooded the forums. The buzz this time was louder than ever.
And as time ticked by, as more Awakened emerged and more of them grew in strength, everyone realized that the old era had crumbled behind them.
The New Era had at last begun to earn the world's recognition.
***
Far above, among the clouds, a golden-winged peng soared across the skies. Its wings sliced through the clouds, its form a streak of radiant lightning blazing across the heavens.
Along its journey, it had brushed past other fierce aerial beasts. Some were even beast kings at the Unfettered Realm.
But no true battles broke out.
For even among beings of equal cultivation realm, bloodline was king. And the blood that surged within the Golden-Winged Great Peng far surpassed that of ordinary mutated beasts. With bloodline alone, it suppressed its rivals with ease.
"Master, I believe we're nearing the Shennongjia region," the Peng spoke. Below them stretched great rivers and veiled mountains.
Though it couldn't pinpoint the exact location, its inherited memories pulsed faintly in its mind, guiding it forward like an invisible compass.
"Oh? After a month, we've finally arrived?" A quiet voice responded.
Seated upon the Peng's back, Lu Yuan opened his eyes.
There was no denying it. After the Global Awakening, the world had transformed beyond recognition. Aside from a few fortified cities, the rest of the land had reverted to a primal state. Towering trees stretched toward the heavens. It was as if the earth had regressed to the primordial age of millions of years past.
Throughout the journey, everything Lu Yuan laid eyes on echoed that madness. The occasional glimpse of broken highways or rusted steel frames flashed by like fleeting illusions, swallowed swiftly by the sea of wilderness.
It had been a full month since they left Qinling. Truth be told, the journey to Shennongjia shouldn't have taken this long. The Golden-Winged Great Peng could have reached it in a few days with its speed.
But Lu Yuan had deliberately chosen otherwise. Rather than go full speed forward, they traveled in starts and stops. Though it delayed their arrival, the gains were worth every second.
On the way, he had polished multiple divine arts to perfection. The Heaven-Earth Sword, the Buddha's Palm Domain, and the Jade Emperor's Divine Thunder Art—each was now second nature to him. He had also acclimatized to the Martial Dao Heavenly Eyes. Though his cultivation realm hadn't advanced, his combat strength had surged to a whole new level.
Especially now that he had reached the Unfettered Realm, he had complete control over his divine arts. Mastery over oneself was the first step to wielding true might.
"Since we've arrived, go find the fortune that belongs to you, according to your inherited memories."
He hadn't come to Shennongjia on a whim. He had his own reasons. But first, it was time for the Golden-Winged Great Peng to undergo another purification of its bloodline.
Truth be told, the Peng's current strength was a little lacking. For a mythical bloodline, the more refined it was, the greater the power it could awaken. And upon crossing a certain threshold, a racial divine ability could even be unlocked.
Otherwise, what separated a mythical bloodline from the ordinary?
"Yes, Master!" The Golden-Winged Great Peng's eyes gleamed with fervor. With a flap of its wings, it dove downward.
Before long, a vast mountain came into view, its peak piercing the clouds.
This was no ordinary terrain. It radiated an ancient aura far more potent than anything they'd passed. Dense mists curled over the ridges, cloaking the land in mystery. Even the clouds above shimmered faintly with hues of divine light.
And as they neared, an indescribable force began to creep along Lu Yuan's skin, sending a chill into his bones.
It was as if within that vast expanse, some ancient and unspeakable danger lay veiled in silence.
The place was far more enigmatic than Qinling.
Shennongjia... even before the new era, it was a forbidden zone within the country. Who knows what secrets it holds now?
Lu Yuan gazed upon the land before him as anticipation stirred quietly within his heart.
"Master, to the east... I think I see humans," the Golden-Winged Great Peng suddenly spoke, its sharp eyes locked on a distant ridge.
Humans? Here? In a place as steeped in mystery as Shennongjia?
Lu Yuan turned his head in the direction indicated, but the distance was too great and he couldn't see clearly.
He said nothing more. Instead, he calmly activated his Martial Dao Heavenly Eyes.
Just as the Golden-Winged Great Peng had reported, several figures moved in the eastern area.
But what caught his attention was their appearance. Among them, a few bore golden hair and blue eyes, their features unmistakably foreign—outsiders, from the western nations. And at their forefront walked several from Huaxia itself.
But the one leading the group...
Lu Yuan narrowed his eyes.
He had seen that face before.
