Chapter 141. Preparations Complete, the Brilliant Path of Evolution

At the foot of Mount Tai, the construction of the Trials Academy proceeded at full throttle. Most facilities were already complete, and only the final adjustments were underway.

The government's remarkable speed was truly worth admiring, as the entire project took merely three months. The Trials Academy had training chambers, living quarters, and logistics zones. Once fully operational, the massive Trials Academy would use Mount Tai's boons to cultivate even more Awakened.

Today, dozens of figures were gathered on the already completed airstrip. They were led by Elder Ji and Elder Yun, with Dean Zheng and Ji Yuzhen standing alongside them. All of them were the leaders of their respective domains, but respect gleamed in every eye as they gazed upon one individual—Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan was about to depart on his journey to the West.

"King Lu, I'll say it again—this could very well be a trap. You don't have to go," Elder Ji said. He had gathered extensive intelligence over the month, and every piece of information told him that this journey was not going to be easy at all.

Though he believed in Lu Yuan's strength, he wished to avoid any mishaps. After all, Lu Yuan had rendered great service and was the most powerful Awakened in the nation.

Elder Yun and the others nodded, agreeing that the founding of the Alliance of Humankind could be postponed. With proper planning and enough strength, founding it later would certainly not be too difficult.

"I've made up my mind." Lu Yuan shook his head. "Rest assured, they cannot harm me."

His words were calm, yet they harbored an unquestionable, overwhelming confidence.

Hearing that, everyone exchanged glances, feeling somewhat helpless.

Just then, Elder Yun produced a communication device. It was similar to a phone, but it was far more advanced than one, as it would never lose signal reception. In other words, any news could be relayed to Lu Yuan as soon as possible.

Lu Yuan accepted it and expressed his gratitude. Then, he looked at the sky.

Screech!

A piercing cry echoed from above, and a golden streak of light appeared before everyone. It tore through the sky, breaking the sound barrier as it descended.

When the dust settled, a mutated beast with a body covered in golden feathers with streams of light flowing across them was revealed before everyone. A formidable aura emanated from it, causing Elder Yun and Elder Ji's hearts to tremble.

"Master." It was none other than the Golden-Winged Great Peng. Having received the summons earlier, it rushed over at breakneck speed.

"You've shattered nine shackles?" Lu Yuan's eyes shone as he smiled.

"Yes." The Golden-Winged Great Peng was elated. "I've hunted several beasts with dragon blood in them, and I've become vastly stronger than before. Before long, I'll be able to advance once more and shatter more genetic shackles."

"Not bad at all." Lu Yuan nodded. Though its strength couldn't match

true

beast kings like the Spirit Monkey, its bloodline remained powerful; catching up was a matter of time. After all, it had made such excellent progress in just barely three months.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng's potential was high, as it had just passed its juvenile stage. In Lu Yuan's journey to the West, airplanes were unnecessary, as they were far too slow compared to his mount.

Elder Ji and the others exchanged shocked glances. How could they fail to recognize the legendary Golden-Winged Great Peng?

King Lu truly lived up to his reputation, as even his mount had a mythical-tier bloodline. Once the Golden-Winged Great Peng was mature, it would undoubtedly become even more extraordinary.

Lu Yuan jumped onto the Golden-Winged Great Peng's back and waved at everyone. Moments later, the Golden-Winged Great Peng beat its wings once and soared straight into the heavens.

"Monitor the Vatican and Mount Olympus's every move. No detail can be overlooked. Report everything immediately," Ji Huaiyuan said, gazing at the firmament. He needed to know everything to react and support

him

.

"Understood." Elder Yun nodded, looking solemn. Lu Yuan could not be involved in any accidents. They would save him, even if it meant deploying thermonuclear weapons.

After a while, everyone quietly left to fulfill their own role.

***

Meanwhile, two figures appeared at the foot of Mount Tai—an elderly man and a young woman. The woman was young, and she was dressed in what looked like traditional clothing with exceptional bearing and beauty.

"So this is the so-called Mount Tai from the records I've read on the Ancestral Planet. It is truly extraordinary," the young woman remarked. Her eyes glimmered with curiosity as she sized up Mount Tai.

"But," she added, frowning, "it doesn't seem quite as

mysterious

as I expected."

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Well, this world has just experienced its first awakening. Its mysteries will manifest later," the elderly man beside her explained with a smile. Clearly, he knew a lot.

"I see." The young woman nodded and looked up. "The latest news from the Ancestral Planet says the first group will soon arrive, right?"

"Yes, Saintess, but our race is not among them. The first to descend should be the Celestials," the elderly man replied. Then, he added, "Those from the Ji Clan who are still in this world have uncovered the Celestial bloodline. They seem to have successfully made contact with the Celestials."

"And it's not going to be just the Celestials, powerful races and clans from many different starfields will appear," the elderly man said. "When the Great Age truly begins, it will affect the entire cosmos."

A glimmer of excitement flashed in his aged eyes.

He knew that the current era was unlike any other era. Soon, the brilliant path of evolution would manifest, and it would appear in this world first before anywhere else.

"The Great Age means great wars. It's not really worth looking forward to," the young woman said, shaking her head. "But that Lu Yuan is quite interesting. He obtained the ancestor's blood essence and the Primordial Dragon Breathing Technique, after all."

Having said that, she produced a phone from somewhere and operated it a bit clumsily. Upon finding a photo of Lu Yuan, interest flickered in her eyes as she murmured, "Looks like I'll need to find some time to chat with him."

The elderly man heard that but said nothing, merely reminding her that it was time to leave.

The young woman smiled and ascended Mount Tai with him. She was planning to take one final look at it before its complete revival. After all, she would soon be unable to afford such leisure.

***

As always, Mount Olympus looked as majestic as ever. It towered over the landscape, spanning at least ten thousand meters while surrounded by swirling clouds and mist.

This extensive massif was a mythological birthplace of the West, rich with legends and worshipped by countless people.

When the New Era began, miracles manifested on Mount Olympus, and many obtained transcendent powers within its domain. Eventually, it earned the title "Pure Land of the Gods," and it became a great land since then.

At this moment, dozens of figures stood within a massive ancient castle on the summit of Mount Olympus. Their auras were as formidable as they looked.

In the seats of honor sat two individuals. One of them was a towering figure clad in golden armor with a halberd in hand. He sported long reddish-brown hair, and he exuded an imposing aura while being surrounded by mystical lights.

A horse wreathed in crimson flames stood beside him—a king among beast kings.

The second figure sported wings of light with a scepter in his hand. He had golden hair, fair skin, and was clad in pure white robes that made him appear as if he were an angel who had descended upon the mortal realm.

There was no mistaking it; they were the Holy Knight and the Celestial Archangel. Their respective subordinates stood behind them, and each subordinate was a formidable Awakened in their own right.

"We've received word that Lu Yuan has already left. It won't be long before he arrives at Mount Olympus," someone said, bowing slightly toward the Holy Knight with deep respect on his face.

"I didn't expect that he'd actually dare to come." The Holy Knight's eyes narrowed upon hearing that, but a slight smile tugged at his lips.

"Since he's coming, then we shall follow God's decree and slay him to help him atone for his sins of killing the Twelve Apostles," the Celestial Archangel said. His words contained killing intent utterly incongruous with his appearance.

The Twelve Apostles he had dispatched were killed, and even the Vatican's holy relics had been left behind. To him, this was a complete humiliation. Behind him, the other members of the Vatican revealed expressions of hatred.

"Mr. Edward, I must say, with your current level of strength, you're no match for him at all," the Holy Knight said, shaking his head. "If we attack him directly, we'll most likely be the ones who'll end up dying."

He had investigated Lu Yuan, and what he had uncovered allowed him to know that Lu Yuan had evolved to a considerable degree. It wasn't just him; even if everyone present combined their strength, they likely would be slaughtered all the same.

"Then do you have any ideas?" the Celestial Archangel asked with narrowed eyes. In truth, he also knew he wasn't Lu Yuan's match, but he would rather die than accept that fact.

"This is precisely why we're working together," the Holy Knight said. Then, he pondered briefly before saying, "Since we are too weak against him, why don't we just make use of modern weaponry?

"That man is perhaps the East's most powerful Awakened. As the world continues to change, he will only grow stronger. As long as he lives, our future is grim. The consequences be damned, he must die."

"Unfortunately, the missiles I had deployed against him were ineffective," the Celestial Archangel said, his eyes dimming. Even modern weapons were useless against Lu Yuan, and he truly had no more ideas.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have left the Vatican to go to Mount Olympus. He had come here hoping that the Holy Knight would have some ideas.

"Of course I know that." The Holy Knight smiled, his eyes gradually growing somewhat crazed as he enunciated each word. "But what if we use a nuke?"

"I've talked to the councilors about it, and they agreed to deploy just one nuke. The reason I invited you here is to work together. The Vatican still has five holy relics, right? Those relics can be used to completely seal off a space.

"You just have to agree, and we can get to it right away!"

The netizens were right. The Holy Knight was indeed far more ruthless than ordinary people. A nuke? When everyone heard him, they were all in disbelief.

Thermonuclear weapons represented the apex of humanity's technology and wisdom; they were humanity's most powerful weapons. Their power was simply unimaginable, but they had actually decided to use one just to deal with a single human being.

After a few moments of contemplation, they realized that Lu Yuan was indeed strong enough to warrant such a response. By now, perhaps only nukes could kill him.

Just then, all eyes turned toward the Celestial Archangel.

The Celestial Archangel's eyes narrowed as he gazed at the Holy Knight. After a brief moment of hesitation, he nodded and replied, "All right, let's do it!"