Chapter 131. Jade Emperor Peak, The Fallen Heavenly Palace, the King Standing Atop Mount Tai!

"An ordinary Unfettered Realm Awakened could never achieve such a feat... unless he has shattered more than ten genetic shackles." Zhou Yunqiong muttered to herself, her expression turning grave.

She then recalled the sight of Lu Yuan suppressing the Southern Sea Kraken with nothing but his own strength. The more she thought about it, the more she felt her earlier judgment had fallen short.

This man was far stronger than she had imagined. In the current phase of the New Era, he could very well be considered near invincible.

Yet the problem was that she had completely overlooked him before this. Even now, she could not discern how Lu Yuan had climbed to such terrifying heights. By all logic, he possessed no special lineage nor extraordinary bloodline.

Still, regardless of how he had reached his current height, Zhou Yunqiong was clear of one truth—he was someone worthy of her full attention.

If such a man could be brought under her banner...

"Young Miss."

At that moment, Uncle Zuo hurried into the room with a tense expression on his countenance.

Zhou Yunqiong withdrew her thoughts at once. "You've found it?"

He nodded but said not a single word.

"Seems like a troublesome situation then. I'll need to go personally."

Zhou Yunqiong could already read his concerns. She rose to her feet and pondered for a moment before adding, "By the way, Yi should be coming out of his seclusion soon. Go speak with him. Tell him to let go of his grudge against Lu Yuan. If needed, he is to compromise. Make it clear this is my order."

With that, she no longer paid Uncle Zuo any mind and strode out of the room.

There were creatures atop Mount Tai that were even stronger than the Southern Sea Kraken. Originally, she had wanted to witness Lu Yuan's battle with them. But now, something far more important demanded her attention.

Uncle Zuo remained standing where he was, and a flicker of astonishment crossed his features. He understood exactly what the young miss was thinking.

She wanted to recruit Lu Yuan. That was the reason why she wanted Yi to concede, to avoid any conflict between them.

"It seems Lu Yuan holds great importance to the Young Miss indeed," he muttered under his breath and gave a small shake of his head.

Of course, Uncle Zuo knew very well that his young miss harbored schemes as vast as mountains and seas. Drawing Lu Yuan to their side was nothing more than one move in a much greater plan.

He did not dwell on it further and simply turned to leave the room.

***

Back at Mount Tai, Lu Yuan had long since passed the midpoint of the mountain and was continuing his relentless advance toward the summit. At roughly two-thirds of the way, he suddenly noticed something unusual.

The number of mutated beasts in the surroundings was growing fewer and fewer. At the same time, a flight of white jade steps emerged from the mist ahead, leading toward the peak.

That same mysterious power that had lingered faintly in the air before was now far denser and seemed to have merged completely with Mount Tai itself.

But Lu Yuan did not slow his pace. With or without beasts, it made no difference to him. At this stage, there were still very few that could be considered true beast kings.

For those beasts at the Awakened Realm, no matter how pure their bloodline or how fearsome their strength, he could crush them all with sheer force alone. As long as he activated the Bloodforce Pagoda, he wouldn't even need to exert himself.

Very soon, as he continued his ascent, the summit drew ever closer.

Ahead, a colossal memorial archway emerged from the fog. There were three gates in total, though two had already collapsed into ruin; only the central arch remained standing.

Ancient and weathered, it was steeped in the vicissitudes of ages gone by. Cracks veined its surface, yet that only deepened its solemn, archaic charm, making it impossible not to look upon it.

However, it was something else that caught Lu Yuan's attention.

It was the three ancient characters carved upon its beam. They were written in archaic Small Seal script.

Upon closer inspection, he recognized the characters: South Heaven Gate.

Clouds coiled thickly around the heights, and drifted like pale silk. The sight was so unreal and ethereal that even Lu Yuan found himself wondering whether he had stepped into the sky itself.

Behind him, the drones had also caught up and broadcast the scene in real time.

When the livestream audience saw the sight, they gasped in astonishment.

To think that there was a South Heaven Gate. Then... could the summit be the Heavenly Palace?

Everyone knew the legends. In the old era, the highest point of Mount Tai was called Jade Emperor Peak. And every Huaxian knew the meaning of "Jade Emperor".

Lu Yuan took one final look at the archway that resembled the very South Heaven Gate of myth, but he wasted no time marveling. He simply stepped forward and continued his climb.

Up here, there were no longer any mutated beasts. Instead, they were replaced by vast seas of drifting clouds, and that ancient, mysterious aura that grew stronger with every breath.

Even the surrounding stone walls were extraordinary. Some gleamed with faint radiance, while others bore ancient trees that clung to them. Spiritual fruits and rare herbs were also in abundance, and saturated with dense vitality.

When these scenes went out through the drone feed, the entire nation stirred. Many viewers flushed with excitement. Any single herb here, if acquired, would be a life-changing boon.

Especially those ancient trees. Their presence alone screamed of unimaginable value. But the viewers could only watch as they could never reach this place.

Lu Yuan, however, spared none of them a second glance. He had his own goal.

To him, ordinary spiritual fruits or herbs were meaningless. To acquire any real breakthrough in the short term, he needed a true divine artifact.

Finally, after some time, Lu Yuan stepped onto Jade Emperor Peak.

A vast plateau spread out before him. It was wide, open, and far larger than anything he had imagined. Clouds surged endlessly along the edges; the place no longer felt like Mount Tai.

It felt like another world.

All around lay ruins—collapsed walls, shattered pillars, broken tiles. Further out, he saw ancient palaces. Their grand structure had seemed to be eroded by time and were reduced to remnants and rubble

Even so, if these halls were ever restored, their majesty would be beyond imagining.

"Is that really the Heavenly Palace?"

At the foot of Mount Tai, Zhu Qingyu and the others stared at the livestream, utterly shaken. Ji Huaiyuan and Elder Yun exchanged a glance. They both saw the disbelief mirrored in the other's eyes.

First came the South Heaven Gate. And now, a vast complex of ancient ruins. These structures had never existed on the old-era Mount Tai.

Yet here they were, revealed before all. It was a miracle none of them could explain.

No one spoke further. Everyone simply watched in silence.

***

Jade Emperor Peak.

Lu Yuan moved deeper into the ruins, studying every shattered beam and toppled column. His pace was steady, but his eyes held flickers of curiosity.

Not long after, he halted. A rare look of astonishment rippled through his gaze.

He had reached the very center of the summit. And there, just a short distance ahead, stood a towering platform.

It was very so familiar. Almost identical in design to the Primordial Dragon Hall, to the Shennong Altar. But most importantly, atop the platform rested yet a nine-colored altar that had been weathered by endless years.

This was the second time he had seen such an altar.

Lu Yuan steadied his breath and prepared to step forward.

"Halt!"

A roar tore through the air.

A colossal pressure burst outward across Jade Emperor Peak. It was so fierce that even Lu Yuan felt a razor-thin edge of danger.

𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

He shifted instantly at ghostlike speed and lifted his gaze.

A spirit monkey stood before him. Its height was near that of a human, but its entire body was cloaked in shimmering golden fur, each strand flickering like a tiny flame.

Its pupils, bright and sharp, held not a trace of animal instinct but rather intelligence.

Beside it lay a black iron cudgel which surface was etched with profound patterns. Though, the exact components of the cudgel remained unknown.

The spirit monkey spoke, its voice deep and with a hint of hostility.

"Human. This is not a place for your kind."

The aura rolling off its body was unimaginably dense and far surpassed the Southern Sea Kraken.

Evidently, this spirit monkey was the true beast king of Mount Tai. For it was the only creature upon the entire Jade Emperor Peak.

"Even if you didn't want me here, I've already come," Lu Yuan spoke with a faint smile. "I have something to discuss with you."

Before climbing the mountain, Ji Huaiyuan had quietly advised him that if necessary, he should try communicating with the beast king of Mount Tai first.

If the beast king was willing to permit human presence, then a battle could be avoided. After all, humans and mutated beasts were not destined to fight to the death. They were all living beings of the same world. Coexistence, not slaughter, was the best outcome.

Lu Yuan agreed with this idea. Thus, he had no intention of attacking at first sight.

But the spirit monkey gave him no such opportunity.

"There is nothing to discuss," it growled. "If you won't leave... then I'll send you away myself!"

Its temper was as fiery as its golden fur. Before its words even faded, it lunged forward.

It didn't grab the black iron cudgel beside it. Instead, its entire body erupted with dazzling light as it dashed forward.

Layer upon layer of aura surged from its body. Its golden fur stood upright like burning needles and shimmered with a brilliant light.

Without flowery techniques or mystic spells, a pair of fists crashed straight toward Lu Yuan.

"Very well."

Lu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.

If the beast refused to talk, then he would simply beat it into submission!

He took a step forward; a golden aura roared from him like a tidal sea.

He mirrored the monkey's simplicity—no techniques, no flourish—just one punch thrown forward.

Boom—!!

Their fists collided with a deafening explosion.

The violent impact shattered the clouds in a radius of hundreds of meters.

Shockwaves swept across the Jade Emperor Peak. However, the summit was peculiar. The broken palaces and fallen pillars here seemed to be tougher than common stone.

Even under such terrifying force, they did not collapse.

"Impossible..."

When the dust settled, Lu Yuan remained standing exactly where he'd been.

The spirit monkey, however, had been blasted backward for several hundred meters before regaining its footing.

A numbing ache throbbed through its arm. Its eyes widened in disbelief.

It knew its own strength. Its bloodline was of extraordinary purity, and its physique was comparable to true dragons. It had also stepped into the Golden Body Realm.

At its level, it could be considered one of the strongest existences among all mutated beasts.

And yet, this human before it had overpowered it in raw strength alone. And this human was even one cultivation realm lower.

As for Lu Yuan, he was somewhat taken aback. His physical body had been reforged again and again with countless divine artifacts and had long since reached a state ordinary creatures could not imagine.

Even though he hadn't unleashed his full power, this monkey was able to clash with him head-on.

Could it be...

Fragments of his past life's memories flickered in his mind.

"You're strong," the spirit monkey growled, snapping out of its momentary daze. "Strong enough for me to use my true strength!"

With a sharp shout, it opened its palm.

The black iron cudgel standing in the distance trembled violently. In the blink of an eye, it shot through the air and landed firmly in the monkey's hand.

It didn't advance. Instead, it gripped the rod with both hands and unleashed a thunderous roar. With a force like cleaving Mount Hua in half, it swung the cudgel down.

The iron staff elongated instantly, stretching to a full hundred meters. It erupted in radiant light and crashed toward Lu Yuan from above like a falling pillar of heaven.

The entire Jade Emperor Peak shuddered with a resounding resonance.

The spirit monkey's strength was overwhelming, its might terrifying to behold. One strike alone seemed enough to smash apart an entire mountain.

Lu Yuan's expression hardened.

He planted his feet firmly into the ground. He clenched his right fist, and the Bloodforce Pagoda manifested from within his chest.

Wooong~

The pagoda roared like a great bronze bell, shaking the sky itself.

Then, meeting the descending iron cudgel head-on, Lu Yuan swung his fist upward.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions rolled through the summit. Even the heavens and earth seemed to be shaking under the clash.

Lu Yuan remained unyielding, his aura overflowing and immovable, while the massive iron cudgel bent slightly under the force.

But the spirit monkey didn't relent. With another furious bellow, the cudgel's tip swelled and expanded to the size of a millstone before crashing down again.

This time the force was even greater.

Like Mount Tai itself descending, its crushing aura was enough to pulverize a small peak with ease.

Such a technique, such overwhelming power left every spectator breathless.

The beast king of Mount Tai was indeed a being far beyond what any of them had imagined.

And yet, Lu Yuan still confronted it directly.

Golden beams spilled from the Bloodforce Pagoda, cascading like divine light. In an instant, the entire Jade Emperor Peak was bathed in gold.

A world-shaking battle between a human and a beast king had officially begun!

The livestream viewers were struck speechless. Shock, awe, and disbelief overwhelmed their speech capacity.

They couldn't fathom the strength of Lu Yuan and the spirit monkey. Nor could they ignore the uncanny detail...

That iron cudgel had the ability to grow and shrink at will.

Also, it was wielded by a golden-furred monkey.

Why does this scene feel so strangely familiar?