Chapter 114. Judgement Day! He Who Arrives on the Golden-Winged Peng! (2)

"Aunt, no one from Longevity Genetics has appeared," Ice Fairy said as she scanned the perimeter with quiet gravity. "They're definitely hiding in the shadows and waiting to strike when the time is right."

"Don't worry. Our people are already in place," Ji Yuzhen replied with a composed expression.

During the time since they had arrived in Hu City, they had been making their preparations. Everything had been arranged down to the last detail.

In short, today was the day the higher-ups decided to take action on Skygod Technologies and Longevity Genetics.

Elsewhere, Dean Zheng approached Dean Liu of the Academy's Hu City branch and lowered his voice, "There's an order from above. We strike when they make their move against Asura."

Naturally, they had knowledge of the situation just like the Ice Fairy. They knew that Asura was innocent; he was also a Huaxian and one of their own. They could not simply stand by and watch the foreigners stage a trial.

"Good. We'll wait for the last moment." Dean Liu nodded in agreement. She had attempted to negotiate with Skygod's executives before. She wanted to keep things from spiraling but they had refused to relent. Since that was the case, there was no reason left to spare them courtesy.

This was also the perfect moment not only to stop an injustice but to also send a message, to rein in domestic factions that had been cozying up to foreign interests.

Erasing Skygod Technologies' unchecked influence would be a blunt, yet swift, and effective move!

"Senior, do you think Mr. Lu will come?" Not far away, Zhu Qingyu spoke, her gaze fixed upon the distant horizon.

In truth, she hoped he wouldn't.

Beside her, the Northern Emperor merely shook his head. He didn't know.

But there was one thing he could be certain of. Skygod Technologies and the Eleven Apostles had joined hands to weave a deadly snare.

Most of these people were already at the Awakened Realm, and some even carried high-caliber modern weapons. If caught in that crossfire, even he would likely perish with regret.

Lu Yuan might be strong, but this time, he was walking straight into a peril that might swallow him whole.

Still, until the final moment, no one could say for sure what would happen.

At this hour, everyone waited with bated breath as time slowly ticked by.

It felt like an eternity, and two hours finally passed.

At the center of the gathering, First Apostle Wade sat beside Liu Changyuan. The two exchanged a glance but spoke no word.

"There's less than half an hour left," a female Apostle finally broke the silence. Her voice was edged with scorn. "I'd say that man doesn't have the guts to show up."

She bore a striking resemblance to Jennifer; they were sisters. The hatred glinting in her eyes mirrored her disappointment about Lu Yuan's absence.

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"I thought he'd be made of sterner stuff." Wade shook his head, a trace of disappointment surfacing on his face. If Lu Yuan didn't take the bait, they'd have to start the manhunt, and that was an annoyance he didn't wish to deal with.

"Mr. Wade, our alliance consists of not just the Eleven Apostles and Skygod Technologies, but also Longevity Genetics in the shadows," Liu Changyuan said. "Even if Lu Yuan had the courage of a god, he would still think twice before coming here."

Liu Changyuan's smile deepened as he looked at the eleven Apostles next to him and then at his rows of subordinates clad in mechanized armory.

He had even arranged for armed helicopters to hover nearby; such mobilization was enough firepower to ignite a small-scale war.

He knew such action would provoke the authorities' displeasure. But since he had chosen to collude with foreign powers, he couldn't be the least bothered.

The old world had crumbled. The rules no longer applied. They were in the New Era. His backers were powerful enough that he no longer needed to care.

If things came to that, then after today, he would simply tear off the last pretenses and let the world burn.

"What a bore." Wade rose to his feet, brushing imaginary dust from his coat as his voice carried through the silence. "Enough. It's about time we began."

At his words, the remaining ten Apostles rose in unison. Each of them grasped a cross-shaped staff and slowly moved toward the cross at the center.

Around them, the gathered crowd tensed as one. Everyone knew the ritual was about to begin.

Soon, Wade and the others stood in a circle surrounding the cross.

As the First Apostle, Wade turned his cold gaze upon the bound Asura and spoke, his tone laced with arrogance.

"To slay the servants of God is to defile His glory. According to the teachings of our faith, the punishment for such blasphemy is fire. You shall atone with your life. Repent your mortal sins, and beg for the mercy of our Lord."

The words dripped with sanctimony, righteous in form yet soaked in bloodlust.

The Awakened watching found their fists clenching, knuckles whitening with anger. Some could barely restrain themselves from charging forward.

But Wade was far from done. He turned from Asura to face the assembled masses.

"And since the true culprit has yet to appear," he declared, "I, Wade, First Apostle of the Vatican Church, hereby proclaim, in the name of God and the Celestial Archangel that from this moment forth, the Eleven Apostles shall hunt down the man known as Lu Yuan.

"Until he repents with his life and pays in full for his sins!"

His volume was measured, but his words were laced with domineering arrogance.

Beside him, the other ten Apostles slammed their cross staff against the ground.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In an instant, waves of blinding white light descended upon them like a divine tide. The ground trembled beneath the holy resonance. Each Apostle stood shrouded in sacred radiance.

Those beams of light then converged, merging into a single column that pierced the heavens and descended upon Asura.

Clearly, the trial had begun.

At the edge of the crowd, Dean Zheng, Dean Liu, and Ji Yuzhen leaned forward slightly, their expressions grave and resolute.

They, too, were preparing to act.

Just then, a sharp cry split the sky.

At once, the crowd stirred. They tilted their gaze upward in unison, eyes narrowing against the blinding light.

Far above, a colossal avian form hovered in the air. Its wings gilded in radiant gold, and each feather shimmered like molten sunlight. It exuded an aura so immense it seemed to press down upon the earth itself. The pressure rolled over the crowd like a tidal wave, and several of the weaker Awakened turned pale on the spot, their knees trembling under its weight.

Before they could even comprehend what manner of divine beast had descended upon them, a young man's voice rang out

"Don't waste time."

A figure leapt from the golden beast's back, and plummeted like a comet toward the earth.

Boom!

The ground quaked upon impact. Dust billowed outward in swirling waves.

From within that storm of grit and smoke, Lu Yuan emerged.

He stood tall and lean, his expression calm and almost indifferent.

Meeting the gazes of the eleven Apostles led by Wade, and of Liu Changyuan, the owner of Skygod Technologies, he said, "I'm here."

He's here!

He's really here!

Gasps rippled through the ranks. Countless eyes widened in disbelief.

Even the Ice Fairy, the Northern Emperor, and Zhu Qingyu were momentarily stunned. They had speculated he might come, yes—but not like this. Not atop a ferocious raptor that cleaved through the clouds to deliver him to the heart of the storm.

Wait!

A raptor?!

Most people were still frozen in awe, but Dean Zheng's pupils suddenly contracted as he stared at the golden-winged creature hovering above.

He had seen it before, somewhere...

"Great!" Liu Changyuan's hearty laughter rang out. His gaze turned sharp as he continued, "Friends, if not now, when?"

With that, he flicked a hand and from the shadows, the Awakened piloting Skygod's newest technology stepped forward. Black muzzles swung into alignment, each barrel locked onto Lu Yuan.

The Apostles answered in kind. They advanced as one, their cross staff flaring with cold white light.

More importantly, five figures closed in from the periphery. They were the elders of the Wang Family, representatives of the Longevity Genetics and also Awakened Realm experts.

They formed a ring around Lu Yuan, their faces carved into masks of murderous intent.

"Excellent. True courage," Wade spoke and took another step forward. The holy light shrouding him swelled. "You have slain an Apostle and incurred the wrath of God. Today is the day you shall be cast into the abyss of hell. Prostrate before the Lord to beg for His mercy for today will be your last!"

This is bad!

Panic flared among Dean Zheng and the others. This was the moment. They braced to act. But before they could move—

"How noisy!"

Lu Yuan stepped forward. From his skin, faint rings of golden qi began to bloom. He lifted his gaze to look at his foes and declared, "Today, I will send every one of you to meet your so-called god!"