Chapter 140. A Trap? The Two Great Forces Unite—A Journey to the West!

When this news came to light, it shook everyone at the Trials Academy. The top echelons knew numerous beast kings were on the Jade Emperor Peak.

While they couldn't comprehend what had transpired, they knew that, if those existences were to unleash their fury upon mankind, the consequences would definitely be catastrophic.

Unfortunately, their attempts to investigate further yielded nothing, as the energy fluctuations had vanished without a trace, returning everything to an eerie tranquility.

Not wishing to provoke a conflict, Ji Huaiyuan and the others abandoned their investigation. However, this incident had only intensified the anxiety gnawing at everyone's hearts.

Elder Yun was particularly terrified that the beast kings were nursing a grudge over the Titanic Jiao King's death. He feared their previous verbal agreement with the Peacock King was now null and void.

Several days later, Elder Ji and Elder Yun sought out Lu Yuan again, as they could no longer withstand the mounting anxiety gnawing at their hearts.

Knowing the beast kings had yet to depart, they cautiously inquired if he could ascend the peak once more to secure a guarantee. This unknown situation was simply too terrifying for them.

Those were Golden Body Realm beast kings, after all. The consequences would be unimaginable if they were to rally their beast tides and attack a city.

However, Lu Yuan merely smiled, saying, "Rest assured. As long as I'm strong enough, there will never be another beast tide. Moreover, those mutated beasts won't dare trespass into our territories so easily. The Peacock King and the others will be very obedient as well."

His words left Elder Ji and Elder Yun utterly stunned; they had no idea where his overwhelming confidence was coming from. Upon seeing their stunned faces, Lu Yuan calmly produced a feather emanating a multi-colored light.

"I-isn't that the Peacock King's true feather?" Elder Yun's complexion changed at the sight of it.

Elder Ji's eyes widened as realization dawned upon him.

"King Lu," he asked, "the intense energy fluctuations we detected days ago... was it because of a battle between you and the Peacock King?"

Since he had a feather from the Peacock King, what else could it mean? In response, Lu Yuan merely smiled, offering no explanation.

He knew well that the Peacock King and the other beast kings would not submit so easily. The Spirit Monkey was correct. A battle was inevitable. Lu Yuan saw through that, which was why he had ascended the Jade Emperor Peak again several days ago.

As for the battle... it was a confrontation between himself and all the beast kings at once, except the Spirit Monkey.

The outcome needed no explanation.

The Peacock King and the other beast kings were utterly defeated. The Peacock King was even forced to offer its true feather. It knew that, while Lu Yuan could not be everywhere at once to stop multiple beast tides, he was strong enough to slaughter them all.

In the end, both sides reached an agreement.

Lu Yuan offered no further explanation. Instead, he said, "I hope you both will keep this matter confidential. In the New Era, if we wish to grow powerful as soon as possible, then pressure and a sense of crisis are necessary.

"It'd be beneficial to let everyone feel those two constantly as a reminder that they have to become stronger."

He had resolved the greatest crisis of humanity—the mutated beasts. Now, the officials could focus on becoming even stronger. When those from the Outer Cosmos finally descended, they wouldn't be caught underprepared.

"Rest assured, we understand." The two elders nodded, their faces filled with respect as they drew in deep breaths. Naturally, they understood the implications and wholeheartedly supported his approach.

At this moment, Elder Ji and Elder Yun, representing the highest echelons of the government, hung on Lu Yuan's every word. Lu Yuan had, in effect, become a transcendent being of the nation.

Lu Yuan knew that, but he paid it little mind. Though he harbored thoughts of establishing his own faction, now was not the time.

Lu Yuan gazed at the two men. "By the way, has there been any news from the Vatican or Mount Olympus? If I recall correctly, there's only about a month left until the deadline."

Having resolved the most pressing issue, it was time to attend to the second-most pressing issue.

"That's correct," Elder Yun replied. "However, they haven't sent any replies."

The two men glanced at Lu Yuan. Through their interactions, they knew Lu Yuan was a man of his word. If the Vatican and Mount Olympus were to refuse to declare their stance on or before the deadline, war would certainly erupt.

"I see." Lu Yuan's eyelids lowered slightly. "Then issue another announcement. In one month, I will visit them myself."

The two elders exchanged glances and nodded. Having decided to offer their full support, they had no hesitation at all. The three had no more to discuss, so Elder Ji and Elder Yun bid their farewells and left the building.

Once again, Lu Yuan stood alone.

"It seems that my journey to the West is inevitable at this point," he murmured, a smile flickering in his eyes. This time, he had much to accomplish. For instance, the Celestial Archangel of the Vatican... he was a dead man walking.

Before that, however, Lu Yuan had to make use of the remaining time to become even stronger.

When pushed to desperation, those people could resort to desperate measures, perhaps even deploying thermonuclear weapons.

In the end, strength truly reigned supreme. As long as he was strong enough, everything else was irrelevant.

He sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. One month. He would break through as many genetic shackles as possible before then. Lu Yuan planned on making use of both his visualization and breathing techniques at the same time to strengthen his physique and become even stronger.

Soon, Elder Ji and Elder Yun issued the second announcement.

In one month, King Lu will visit the Vatican and Mount Olympus to discuss the founding of the Alliance of Humankind.

The announcement immediately sparked heated discussions among the netizens online. After all, there had been two months of silence until the top echelons finally shattered it with the second announcement.

Everyone realized just then that Lu Yuan was serious. This was not a drill, and everyone believed it to be the case when both the Vatican and Mount Olympus had never acknowledged the first announcement.

The Celestial Archangel's act of defiance also stirred discontent throughout the nation.

However, the second announcement made countless people feel excited, and they discussed what would happen once King Lu had made his move. Most believed the Alliance of Humankind would certainly be founded, as Lu Yuan was just too strong, while some hoped to witness war between the East and the West.

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

The outcome, of course, depended on the response of the two forces. Everyone waited with bated breath to see if they would either acquiesce, keep delaying their answer, or finally submit.

Three days after the announcement, the Holy Knight finally responded.

The Holy Knight invites the King of the East, King Lu, to visit Mount Olympus. The Holy Knight hopes that King Lu will come in one month to discuss the establishment of the Alliance of Humankind along with the Celestial Archangel.

They will be waiting at Mount Olympus.

Though brief, the response contained a ton of information, especially the words "they will be waiting." These words immediately raised suspicions that the two forces had formed an alliance; otherwise, why even write it that way?

Some perceived the response as a veiled threat, as it sounded too ominous.

Ultimately, the netizens reached a unanimous conclusion—this was a trap.

The two forces had no genuine desire to talk about the Alliance of Humankind but were feeling cornered. Knowing they could not oppose Lu Yuan on their own, they decided to hold hands and stand together. This seemed especially true given the Holy Knight's tyrannical nature, which meant he wasn't the type to compromise.

Elder Ji and Elder Yun reached the same conclusion when they heard the news. Their intelligence also confirmed that Awakened from both the Vatican and Mount Olympus had begun congregating, likely preparing for a battle.

They sought out Lu Yuan, advising him to wait.

The elders warned that the two forces possessed formidable military might and a veritable modern arsenal. However, Lu Yuan simply nodded in acceptance. Having everyone in one location was not bad at all, as it would save him an extra trip.

Elder Ji and Elder Yun grew anxious, warning him again that it was most likely a trap and that they did not want him walking into danger.

In response, Lu Yuan remained unconcerned. He had already made his decision.

A journey to the West before the arrival of those beings from the Outer Cosmos wouldn't hurt, and Mount Olympus harbored some rather

intriguing

items as well.

He had suspicions about their schemes, but so what? Any scheme would crumble before absolute strength, and he was

that

confident against them.

The elders knew they couldn't change Lu Yuan's mind, so they offered to dispatch people to shadow him instead. Of course, he refused their offer, as he needed no protection whatsoever, considering his current level of strength.

On the contrary, people shadowing him could prove burdensome instead.

Elder Ji and Elder Yun fell silent, knowing this was true. In the end, they had no choice and simply responded to the Holy Knight's words on Lu Yuan's behalf.

With that, the meeting was set. In a month, they would meet at Mount Olympus.

The people were stunned. It was obviously a trap, so why had they accepted it instead of ignoring it? Many people believed that Lu Yuan was strong enough to do whatever he wished to those two forces.

Moreover, dealing with the Holy Knight and Celestial Archangel and forcing them to submit required a display of force. With that, Lu Yuan's journey was officially confirmed. By now, countries around the globe were transfixed on this event; it wasn't just Huaxia at this point.

Every media outlet covered it daily, and the fervor never diminished. Everyone knew Lu Yuan's journey to the West could reshape the world's landscape. They all waited, anticipating the arrival of that day.

As for Lu Yuan, he entered seclusion, and this time, he remained undisturbed. He focused on shattering the sixty-fifth genetic shackle while simultaneously tempering his physique.

Lu Yuan improved in all aspects by leaps and bounds. It wasn't a qualitative transformation, but now, he definitely stood at the apex of humanity.

In no time, a month passed, and the world paid rapt attention to Lu Yuan's next move.

Sitting cross-legged in a training chamber within the Mount Tai Trials Academy, wisps of golden vital qi retracted into Lu Yuan, and the Primordial Qi Robe concealed his overwhelmingly powerful aura.

He had adjusted his physique and everything else to the optimal condition. Before long, he opened his eyes and observed his own condition. Moments later, a satisfied look suffused his face as he muttered, "Time to go to the West!"