Chapter 128. Land of Official Rites Mount Tai, Drawing National Attention!

Yinglong was a legendary existence and lord of the clouds, rain, mountains, and rivers. According to the

Classic of Mountains and Seas,

the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan once fought alongside it to defeat Chiyou.

Rumors also claimed that when the Yellow Emperor ascended to heaven, he rode upon Yinglong. Yinglong was involved in many myths and had even served as an idol of the ancient Huaxians.

Hence, when sightings involving Yinglong were published on the Internet, they instantly attracted the attention of the netizens. In truth, had this been the Old Era, perhaps no one would believe such claims.

Thanks to the Global Awakening, however, humans became capable of doing the impossible. Some had even displayed legendary levels of strength. In other words, the people could accept just about anything, regardless of how bizarre it was.

Though news about Yinglong was plentiful, no one had produced any videos or photographs as evidence. This led some to harbor doubts, believing such news was posted for the sake of clout. As a result, the heated discussions surrounding Yinglong lasted for only three days before subsiding.

Before long, news broke that the Aurora Academy's top echelons were going to seize control of Mount Tai. It would happen in just a few days, and it was confirmed that King Lu would participate.

The announcement shocked and captivated everyone, as this was the Aurora Academy's first major expedition since Mount Shu.

Moreover, Lu Yuan would be there. Everyone knew Lu Yuan was the King of Humanity, possessing incomparable strength. Some even called him the nation's strongest Awakened, and he was an idol to many people. His popularity far exceeded the fame of the past Five Supremes combined.

"Feng Shan was usually offered at Mount Tai, shrouding the mountain in mystery. I even heard that the heavenly palace apparently manifested there at the beginning of the Global Awakening."

"Will the officials actually succeed? I heard there are many beast kings there."

"They'll definitely succeed! King Lu will be there as well."

"King Lu is strong, but still... Anyway, I heard that atop Mount Tai dwells an incomparably powerful beast king—a monkey with golden fur all over it."

"I heard that, too. Some people recklessly ventured into Mount Tai, and they were never seen again."

"Sounds terrifying. I wonder who will win? That monkey or King Lu?"

"Sadly, government operations are often done in secret. We won't get to see anything."

Everyone excitedly discussed the upcoming expedition online.

Many knew Mount Tai had become incomparably mysterious, and to make matters worse, it was now perpetually shrouded in layers of mist. Day and night, terrifying beast roars would reverberate from within. Some even reported witnessing a myriad lights along with a heavenly palace manifesting within its depths.

Despite knowing that heaven-defying boons lay within, no Awakened dared to enter it casually, as they knew they could easily die within.

Those privy to insider information spread word that many formidable beast kings dwelled within. In a nutshell, Mount Tai had completely become a forbidden land where no human being could nonchalantly venture into.

Just like that, several days flew by...

Unlike the clandestine operation at Mount Shu, the officials decided not to hide their goal to seize Mount Tai. Late at night, they officially announced their plan to wrestle control over Mount Tai from the mutated beasts lurking within it.

To make matters even more shocking, the officials had stated that the entire operation would be broadcast live. Everyone was stunned upon reading their announcement, and then a wave of excitement washed over them.

The officials previously preferred secrecy, and a great example of it was Mount Shu. Before anyone realized what had happened, the officials had already seized control of Mount Shu.

But now, in addition to revealing the schedule of their operation, they were also going to broadcast it live. The officials' strange move had truly surprised everyone.

Those who had awakened were particularly excited. For them, witnessing Mount Tai's brand-new glory in the New Era was secondary; they all cared about witnessing Lu Yuan's god-like might once again. This time, it wouldn't be just through blurry videos.

They all wanted to know the true power of the King of Humanity.

If this were any other expedition, the netizens believed Lu Yuan wouldn't be forced to go all-out, but Mount Tai was different. Apparently, it housed many beast kings, and perhaps even Golden Body Realm mutated beast kings.

In other words, they all believed that they would get to witness an earth-shaking battle.

As for the civilian forces, they had a different opinion regarding the announcement. The destruction of Skygod Technologies and Longevity Genetics meant the top echelons' control over the five supercities had grown even stronger.

They believed the live broadcast was a message—the officials would no longer tolerate any forces ignoring the Awakened Ordinance. This was a clear display of their

guns

and muscles.

The officials had been staying silent behind the scenes since the Global Awakening, and they had only ever made a move during true emergencies. The destruction of two of the four major forces and the fact that King of Humanity, Lu Yuan, was on their side meant they had a decent deterrent against such forces.

Their plan to seize Mount Tai drew massive attention from both the Awakened and citizens alike. Everyone eagerly waited for the scheduled day—no, the entire nation held their breaths in anticipation!

***

Today, a military aircraft departed Shen City and made its way to Mount Tai. Aboard were Ji Huaiyuan, Dean Zheng, and others. Everyone was looking in the same direction; they were staring at Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan sat with closed eyes and a serene face. Though nothing special could be discerned about him, an intangible aura of authority emanated from his entire being.

Lu Yuan had spent most of his time in Shen City in seclusion. As a result, he shattered ten more genetic shackles and opened another grotto-heaven. More importantly, he had completely assimilated Shennong's blood essence.

He merely sat there, doing nothing, but his entire person exuded an extraordinary air that commanded attention. Ji Huaiyuan couldn't help but sigh at the sight. "King Lu has grown even more powerful than ten days ago."

"Indeed. Just how powerful are his talent and bloodline?" another elder chimed in. He was Elder Yun, one of the Wanglong Pavilion's seven members, and he specialized in military affairs. He was also the chief coordinator of this expedition at Mount Tai.

Looking at Lu Yuan, a glimmer of respect shimmered in his eyes. He found the former to be unfathomable.

"Elder Yun, the key is King Lu's level of comprehension," Dean Zheng said with a smile. At Mount Shu, everyone else had fallen behind, but Lu Yuan reached the summit. Even now, it was still an incredible sight.

Comprehension was no less important than talent or bloodline for an Awakened. As a dean of the Aurora Academy, Dean Zheng was keenly aware of that. Many students with excellent talent often struggle with understanding breathing techniques and visualization methods.

But Lu Yuan? He comprehended Mount Shu's strongest legacy in mere minutes. Combined with his formidable strength... Dean Zheng could hardly imagine the heights Lu Yuan was destined to achieve.

At first, he regarded Lu Yuan the same as he regarded the Northern Emperor, but now that he thought about it, he realized that he had been underestimating Lu Yuan at the time.

Ji Huaiyuan and Elder Yun said nothing as they nodded. Clearly, they agreed with Dean Zheng's words.

Just then, the two turned to look out the window.

"We're almost there."

Lu Yuan opened his eyes. Through the window, he saw an imposing mountain in the distance. It was so tall that it pierced the clouds. Even from the aircraft's cruising altitude, they couldn't see its peak. It truly surpassed everyone's imagination.

The mountain was lush and verdant; its towering trees were clearly visible even from afar. Occasionally, colorful mists would rise from within, transforming into colorful clouds.

The sight reminded Lu Yuan of the ancient records describing Mount Tai—"No virtue is greater than Mount Tai; no history is more ancient than Mount Tai."

In other words, Mount Tai represented the peak of all mountains both in majesty, size, and history.

During the pre-Qin period, the sovereigns at the time would pay homage to heaven and earth at Mount Tai.

Later on, when the First Emperor unified the nation, he carried out what could be considered the first

Feng Shan

at Mount Tai to celebrate his achievement. If anything in Huaxia was more special than Mount Tai, it could only be Kunlun, where a myriad of gods resided.

While staring at the magnificent Mount Tai from afar, Lu Yuan couldn't help but think,

Could it be... that this is Mount Tai's true appearance all along?

As he pondered, the aircraft descended.

An airfield was already built at the base of Mount Tai along with numerous weapons depots. Soldiers continuously patrolled the perimeter, while fighter jets screamed overhead. Clearly, the Aurora Academy was taking this matter seriously.

Lu Yuan hadn't brought the Golden-Winged Great Peng with him, as he had decided to let it roam freely. Once he needed it, he would summon it through their Blood Bond.

Just then, everyone stood up, but no one spoke up.

Lu Yuan felt helpless; he knew that due to his power, these people held him in great respect and were unwilling to walk out before him. He hadn't wanted to do this, but there was no helping it. He also wouldn't be able to persuade them to do otherwise.

After all, the New Era's law of "strength reigns supreme' had already been carved into everyone's hearts.

With that, Lu Yuan smiled and declared, "Let's go. Let's enter Mount Tai!"