Chapter 123. News Flash! He's the King of Humanity!

Currently, over the outer waters of Shen City, the storm had vanished, and the sea lay calm.

Crimson tides mingled with the deep blue seawater. The mighty Southern Sea Kraken now floated in silence. Four of its colossal tentacles were severed; blood still streamed from the wounds, staining the waves around it.

It dared not take another step.

Even the tide that numbered over a hundred thousand sea beasts beneath the surface had gone still. They were utterly deterred.

High above, Lu Yuan stood upon the back of the Golden-Winged Great Peng. The golden bloodforce coursing through him blazed fiercer than ever before. Deep within his veins now flowed the Blood of the Human Emperor that he fused with back in Shennongjia.

The aura radiating from him surpassed even that of the Peng's own mythical bloodline.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Mutated beasts were extremely sensitive to the superiority of one's bloodline. Before them, Lu Yuan was no human; rather, he was a sovereign beast, a king among kings.

The pressure that rolled from him crushed their instincts flat. His previous display of might had already etched fear into their souls.

One man. One sword. That was enough to silence the entire tide of monsters.

Though deterred, the Southern Sea Kraken still managed to retort. "Even if I retreat, the war between humans and beasts will continue. Can you stop it all?"

Evidently, as a Golden Body Realm mutated beast, it understood many things, and that the conflict between humans and beasts is eternal.

It could retreat, yes, but this was just the beginning. There were mutated beasts in the sea and also upon land. Within mountains such as Qinling, there were even more powerful existences in hiding.

The Kraken felt that even if Lu Yuan were strong enough to kill it, he alone would not be able to stand against all of them.

Lu Yuan's eyes were calm as he stared at the Kraken before him. "Just one thing. Humanity shall guard its realm, and beasts shall keep to theirs. Whoever dares step into human lands, it doesn't matter to me who or what they are; they shall die."

"And you," Lu Yuan's gaze pierced through the Kraken's towering form, "will carry this message to your kin."

He was clear that among powerful mutated beasts, they had a special method of communication.

Just as per the words of the White King of Qinling before its death, it mentioned that the beasts were weaving a grand scheme in the shadows.

Lu Yuan had taken the warning to heart before, though not too seriously. But this Southern Sea Kraken clearly knew more. So his only thought now was to send a warning through this creature to all mutated beasts.

Lu Yuan was confident that at this point in time, no one—whether human or beast—could surpass him in strength.

The strongest that existed barely touched the Golden Body Realm.

This was why even when the Wang Family of Longevity Genetics had threatened to unleash a beast tide upon Shen City, he had remained unshaken.

Because he knew he could end it all himself.

"I see now. I understand."

Not far away, the Southern Sea Kraken seemed to have understood Lu Yuan's thoughts.

It knew the truth as well. The human world was no longer one it could invade, not unless it wished to die first. It was certain that the man before it possessed that power.

The only reason it still lived was because Lu Yuan had chosen to spare it.

With that, the Kraken's titanic body slowly sank back into the ocean depths, the water parting around it in silent retreat. All around, the countless mutated sea beasts followed suit, diving one after another beneath the surface.

Moments ago, roused by the missile strike of Longevity Genetics, they had gathered with fury. They believed that this was an act of provocation and were ready to declare war upon humans.

But now, it was clear that it would be impossible since they had encountered a being whose strength they could not comprehend.

This

was deterrence.

In this New Era, the strong command, the weak obey. The beasts knew this better than anyone. And so, they withdrew.

Lu Yuan exhaled softly. His purpose had been achieved. He aimed to end the crisis over Shen City, not plain, cold slaughter.

Meanwhile, back within the city's command center...

"Commander, those... those sea beasts are retreating! They seem to be returning to the deep sea."

A soldier's voice broke through the tense silence as he watched the radar. One by one, the red dots that had once filled the screen were vanishing.

"I see it."

Commander Zhang said softly, yet his eyes were filled with awe.

From the moment Lu Yuan clashed with the Southern Sea Kraken up till now, barely any time had passed. Yet all the sea beasts had retreated. Not one dared approach Shen City.

Lu Yuan had really driven them all back by himself.

At that moment, it wasn't only Commander Zhang who stood in stunned silence.

On the Internet, those watching the live broadcast saw the same thing, and the chat feeds erupted like a flood.

—OMG, he really went solo and severed four of the Kraken's tentacles plus forced a hundred thousand beasts to retreat!

—Strong af. I thought Lu Yuan was just one of the Top 5 Awakened. But now, he's definitely the strongest!

—One man, one sword, and he averted Shen City's crisis. He really lives up to his name as the Human Sovereign.

—That mount of his seemed to be some mutated beast king, too.

—Yeah! It looks just like the legendary Golden-Winged Great Peng!

Messages poured in one after another, waves of awe spreading across every corner of the web.

The battle between Lu Yuan and the Southern Sea Kraken had been recorded and streamed from start to finish. Every citizen, every Awakened, watching from all across the country, had witnessed it with their own eyes.

Initially, they had believed this would be Shen City's greatest catastrophe. But they had never expected a single human could wield overwhelming might enough to terrify a hundred thousand sea beasts into submission.

Without his intervention, everyone knew the city would have been reduced to ruins.

This was nothing short of a divine achievement.

And Lu Yuan's mount was even suspected to be the legendary Golden-Winged Great Peng.

"He... really did it."

Within the academy, Dean Zheng's usually calm face trembled with emotion. Before, he had only suspected. But now he was certain that Lu Yuan was

the

King of Humanity.

Because only such an existence could stand alone against the beast tides.

Even the Northern Emperor couldn't help but let out a wry smile. The gap between him and Lu Yuan had grown far too vast.

Not long ago, they had still been standing on the same tier, but now that thought felt laughable—naïve even.

Perhaps, back at the Mausoleum of Mount Li, Lu Yuan had already surpassed them all.

Back then, everyone believed his strength came from the sword he wielded.

But now, it was clear that they were a frog in a well, not to think that there was always someone beyond the heavens, someone greater than what their eyes could perceive.

Zhu Qingyu said nothing. She had never doubted him. From the start, she had believed Lu Yuan would succeed.

"Twice he has stood against the beast tides," Dean Zheng finally spoke. "He has saved not one, but two supercities. Achievements like these cannot go unknown."

Back in Chang'an, Lu Yuan had slain eight beast kings in succession, and that was an unparalleled feat in itself. At the time, his true identity had remained a mystery.

But now, he had shielded Shen City as well.

Dean Zheng knew these deeds had to be told to the world.

In this new era of chaos, where humanity wandered in confusion, a figure like Lu Yuan was more than a hero; he was a beacon.

The higher authorities had long shared this thought. And so, without hesitation, Dean Zheng acted.

In the name of the Aurora Academy's Chang'an Branch, he released an official announcement online. The news spread like wildfire, and once again, the entire internet exploded.

During the beast tide that ravaged Chang'an, the man who had stood alone at the forefront, slaying eight beast kings and saving the entire supercity, was none other than Lu Yuan.

This came not from rumor, but from an official statement which verified its authenticity.

The world was shaken to its core. Everyone had thought that the so-called King of Humanity was a figure summoned by the government.

After all, how could one man so effortlessly crush beast kings and save Chang'an from destruction itself?

But now, they were being told that Lu Yuan was that very King of Humanity!

The internet erupted in waves of frenzy. Some even went so far as to proclaim him the strongest Awakened in the nation.

But Lu Yuan remained unaware of all of this. And even if he had known, he would not have cared.

At this moment, after subduing the Southern Sea Kraken and forcing a hundred thousand sea beasts into retreat, he said nothing more. He simply rode the Golden-Winged Great Peng back toward Shen City's towering steel walls.

"The crisis has passed. From today on, those sea beasts will not dare approach Shen City unless provoked. You may inform your superiors to withdraw their reinforcements," Lu Yuan spoke calmly to Commander Zhang before him.

He knew that because of the mutated sea beasts, the entire city was on high alert, and perhaps the official authorities had already planned their moves. But since the matter was already resolved, there was no point in wasting resources.

After all, the strength of the government was meant to safeguard all five supercities.

"Understood." Commander Zhang nodded and straightened his posture at once.

Before, he knew Lu Yuan was strong and had always treated him with awe and respect. But now, he realized that the man before him was the King of Humanity who had saved two supercities in succession.

Such a figure commanded reverence by mere existence.

Even as a Defense Corps Commander and a strong Awakened himself, Commander Zhang knew that before Lu Yuan, his strength amounted to nothing.

Wherever a true powerhouse walked, respect followed naturally.

Lu Yuan only nodded faintly in acknowledgement. His task here was done. There was no reason to linger.

Without another word, he turned and leaped once more onto the back of the Golden-Winged Great Peng, ready to depart.

But just as Commander Zhang opened his mouth to speak, the sharp crackle of a communicator interrupted him.

As a military officer, he naturally would not use civilian phones but rather a high-grade military device.

He answered immediately. Upon hearing the voice on the other end, Commander Zhang stood rigid and nodded repeatedly.

When the call ended, Commander Zhang turned toward Lu Yuan and asked, "Mr. Lu, if you have no pressing matters, the higher authorities would like to invite you to remain in Shen City for a discussion."

The higher authorities? Isn't that the government?