Chapter 113. Judgement Day! He Who Arrives on the Golden-Winged Peng! (1)

"Our ancestor's blood essence has already been taken away. We're too late again." The young woman stood before Shennong's Altar, her words clearly tinged with regret.

It happened at the Mausoleum, and now, again. She was always just a step too late.

"What?" Behind her, the old man's expression darkened. "Saintess, that drop of blood essence is left behind by our Jiang Family's forefather—the only one left in existence. Even our Ancestral Planet has none! We must retrieve it, no matter what."

Shennong was one of the Three Human Sovereigns, known as the Yan Emperor, and also bore the surname Jiang.

"Why retrieve it?" the young woman asked. "That drop of blood essence was left for its destined heir. Let it fall to the worthy. If someone truly claimed it, then that means it was meant to be. Such destiny cannot be forced."

She paused, a trace of disappointment flashing in her eyes. "It's just a shame... First, we missed the breathing technique from the Mausoleum at Mount Li. And now, the ancestral blood essence has slipped through our fingers, too. We're always one step behind. Is this fate simply not mine to grasp?"

The old man let out a heavy sigh. "Saintess, if only you had obtained

that

cauldron. Then perhaps we wouldn't be a step late every single time.

"I suspect the breathing technique... and our ancestor's blood essence... have likely fallen into the hands of the same person."

A soft, bitter laugh escaped her lips. "I wish I knew who this person was." She shook her head in helplessness. Yet in her eyes, there was no resentment but only a deep and lingering curiosity.

After all, the treasures were already taken, perhaps even fully assimilated.

At this point, nothing said could change anything.

The old man shook his head. Then, he added, "Oh, right, Saintess, there's still a branch of the Ji Family's bloodline left in this world. The Holy Master has tasked us with investigating this matter as well. I've already found some leads.

"Also, word has arrived from the Ancestral Planet that many great clans across the various star realms have already begun mobilizing. It won't be long before they descend.

"We should act swiftly and find a way to establish a foothold here. If we don't, the Ji Family will seize the initiative once more."

The two most critical objectives had already been intercepted, taken by another before they could reach them.

There was no helping it. They could only move on to the next phase.

"Huh?" The girl pursed her lips slightly. "But there are still so many fun things in this world I haven't seen yet. Can't we just delay a little longer? Just a bit more time to explore the people and things here... pretty please?

"Besides, the restrictions on this starfield haven't been fully lifted. We're not in that much of a hurry."

Clearly, ever since she arrived, she had found this world to be filled with delightful novelty. There were things here that didn't exist even on their home planet. Just for now, her playful side had taken over.

"Fine," the old man relented and nodded with a touch of indulgence. "I heard something happened recently in Hu City. It stirred up quite a storm.

"If you're truly interested, Saintess, this may be your opportunity. But just this once."

After all, she was the Saintess. And when she made a request, who was he to deny her?

"No problem!" the young woman beamed, her dazzling smile lighting up her delicate features, and two shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks.

With that, the two ceased talking. Their figures slowly faded, dissolving into thin air above Shennong's Altar.

And just like that, the place returned to how it once was—still and quiet. As if no one had ever been there at all.

***

"Master, we should arrive in Hu City within a day."

Amidst the sea of clouds, the Golden-Winged Great Peng beat its mighty wings, its entire body streaking across the sky like a bolt of golden lightning.

On its back, Lu Yuan sat cross-legged as he scrolled through his phone. He gave a slight nod. "Perfect. Tomorrow is the final day."

Ever since the call with the Ice Fairy, he had been racing toward Hu City at full speed. But now that the world had expanded, even with the Golden-Winged Great Peng's unparalleled speed, it still took time to traverse such vast distances.

During this journey, Lu Yuan turned his attention to the digital world, catching up on the online chatter and news.

Sure enough, just as he had anticipated, Skygod Technologies and the Vatican had laid down a trap, waiting for him to walk into it.

Even Longevity Genetics had a hand in this, though information on them was scarce. Had it not been for the Ice Fairy's prior warning, he wouldn't have known they were involved at all.

The picture was clear now. Three major powers had joined forces. Their combined resources and the strength of their experts were no doubt terrifying.

Under normal circumstances, even an Awakened who had just stepped into the Unfettered Realm would find themselves pushed to the brink in such a setup.

There was no mistaking it. This was a death trap, meticulously woven with no gaps.

But to Lu Yuan, it was laughably insufficient.

A perilous situation? To him, it merely meant all the nuisances had conveniently gathered in one place.

And these so-called experts? Their strength was hardly worth mentioning.

Especially Longevity Genetics. They had provoked him time and again. And now they had even aligned themselves with Skygod Technologies.

A murderous resolve had already kindled in Lu Yuan's chest. This time, he intended to wipe them all clean and leave no lingering trouble behind.

The so-called trap in the eyes of others was nothing less than the doomsday of Skygod Technologies, the Eleven Apostles, and Longevity Genetics from his perspective.

He locked his phone, shut his eyes, and his mind settled into an unnervingly calm state. Before, blood shed could not stop bloodshed. Now, he would bury his enemies entirely.

Whoosh~

The Golden‑Winged Great Peng seemed to have sensed its master's mood. It beat its vast wings and tore the surrounding mists apart. It accelerated, and once again, they broke the sound barrier and advanced ahead!

***

On the "judgement day", masses had arrived in droves outside Hu City. All of them were Awakened, and the crowd stretched endlessly on a vast open plain.

Dean Zheng of Aurora Academy, the Northern Emperor, Zhu Qingyu, Dean Liu of the Academy's Hu City branch, and many students had arrived as well.

The representatives from Polaris Biotech, Ji Yuzhen, and the Ice Fairy were also present. Each group occupied its own patch of ground by virtue of its status.

All eyes converged on a single point at the center of the field.

A cross was erected at that spot. And beneath that cross, bound and immobile, was Asura.

Perhaps it was to hide the signs of torture, Skygod Technologies had draped a cloak over Asura's body to veil the wounds from view. Yet even with the concealing fabric, everyone present could feel it. Asura was weak, far different from one who was once considered one of the top five Awakened. The aura he once exuded had dimmed to a whisper.

Behind the cross, rows of seats were arranged in solemn formation.

At the forefront sat the Eleven Apostles, led by Wade himself. Beside Wade, Liu Changyuan sat in silence, his expression unreadable as he stared ahead. Around them stood humanoid figures draped in cold mechanical plating. These were the latest combat prototypes from Skygod Technologies.

Armored constructs piloted by Awakened.

By the Awakened Ordinance, such weapons were forbidden from appearing without sanction, but this was beyond the outlined boundary of Hu City, and out here, there were no restrictions.

Besides, the higher authorities had already reached an agreement to let them be for now. They would wait until the final moment to intervene.

"This is outrageous! They're really going to judge Asura in the name of some so-called god?"

"Doesn't seem like a stunt anymore. It's real."

"They've set the trial for noon. That's two hours from now."

"We're just supposed to stand here and watch? It's infuriating."

"

Sigh...

I thought that with Aurora Academy around, Skygod Technologies would restrain themselves. Who knew? They've only gotten worse."

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The crowd muttered in growing anger. Frustration simmered in their voices, but none dared take a step forward.

This was the New Era. The rules had changed, and the power balance along with it.

People were adjusting, yes. But in moments like these, helplessness still left a bitter taste in their mouths.

Seeing the Eleven Apostles seated only a short distance away, the crowd's anger boiled over. If it were just Skygod Technologies, perhaps some would have gritted their teeth and accepted it. But the involvement of foreign powers made the scene intolerable.

Also, they realized that Longevity Genetics had not shown up.

That absence puzzled many; did Longevity Genetics' conscience suddenly prick them at the crucial moment?