Chapter 174. The Power to Bestow Titles, the Celestial Court Founded, Rank Ten

"What's wrong?" asked Lu Yuan, noticing the change in Jiang Ningxian's face.

He couldn't help but smile at the sight. After all, it was his first time seeing such a reaction from her.

"It's nothing," Jiang Ningxian said as she came back to her senses. "I just remembered something from my clan's ancestral records. Our ancestor once said something very similar to what you just said."

The ancestor she referred to was Shennong, one of the three Human Sovereigns and progenitors of Huaxia. Shennong was the ancestor she admired the most. He had carved out a path for humanity in ancient times, remained calm even against powerhouses from the great clans of the Outer Cosmos, and he slew every enemy that stood before him.

He was a supreme being renowned across the universe, according to the Jiang Clan's ancestral records.

When Lu Yuan spoke the same words as Jiang Ningxian's ancestor, the latter was at a loss for words.

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

After hearing her reply, Lu Yuan merely nodded and said nothing. However, the cogs in his mind were turning rapidly. From the information he had obtained so far, Human Sovereign Shennong was once the Celestial Emperor.

This gave Lu Yuan new insight into the so-called Celestial Emperor's ancient token, especially with the so-called authority of bestowing titles upon someone.

It had to be known that beings worthy of being called "immortals" or "gods" were beings beyond the eighth stage of evolution. They were capable of sending violent tremors across entire worlds across the universe, yet even their status was merely conferred by the Celestial Emperor.

Just what stage of evolution one had to reach to become capable of doing such a thing?

It was no wonder a single drop of Shennong's blood essence had transformed his bloodline completely, elevating it to the same level as a progenitor.

"The Separation of Heaven and Earth will continue to weaken, and more clans will descend. The world is changing rapidly, and you must remember one thing. Unless it's necessary, don't draw too much attention to yourself."

This was a stark reminder that, even though Lu Yuan was powerful, talented, and a native of Earth, he had yet to evolve to a terrifying level. He had to stay lowkey if he could.

After all, only by staying alive could one walk to the very end of the path of evolution.

"Thanks for the reminder. I know what to do," Lu Yuan replied, his eyes glimmering.

The beings from outer space were powerful, but he was not afraid of them at all.

If he truly had no choice, he would strike decisively instead of retreating. Jiang Ningxian sensed his resolve and sighed, reminding him that if trouble arose later, he could seek her out for help at any time.

Since they were allies, they had to stand together against anyone with ill intentions. In fact, reminding him to rely on her was the reason she had approached him today in the first place.

Having achieved her goal, Jiang Ningxian left.

Lu Yuan returned to his room with a slight smile, thinking about what she said. The Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token was a forbidden artifact with extraordinary power, and he finally had enough time to study it properly.

In the blink of an eye, several days passed. By now, everyone had learned about how beings from outer space had descended upon Mount Tai, only to be slain by Lu Yuan.

Everyone heard the news, including the leaders of major organizations.

The world erupted into cheers, and they declared King Lu as invincible as well as humanity's unparalleled Awakened. Now, all acknowledged Lu Yuan to be at the apex of humanity.

When the disciples and the sect masters of the Three Immortal Islands heard the news, they immediately sighed in relief. Thankfully, they had not insisted on opposing Lu Yuan back then.

With his strength, he could have wiped out the Three Immortal Islands. In comparison to that horrible fate, staying alive and teaching some students on the mainland no longer seemed like such a bad fate.

Huaxia's officials, however, did not relax at all. The Aurora Academy's branches continued recruiting students, and they also continued to monitor the beings from outer space, even though it was becoming exceedingly difficult.

Fortunately, the help of Huaxia's Awakened allowed the officials to still gather some information about their movement.

In addition to the Nether Bulls, members of other clans from outer space were spotted, but the fact that everyone was wary of them meant they knew little about them.

The officials treated Lu Yuan's warnings seriously, so they dared not act rashly.

Soon, an announcement shook every Awakened across the nation. It was the announcement of the founding of the Celestial Court. Of course, King Lu stood as its leader.

Those strong enough and willing to become a part of the Celestial Court could sign up for it. After passing its trials, one would become a part of the organization.

The Spirit Monkey, the Peacock King, and the Nine-tailed Fox King of Mount Tai were already members of the Celestial Court, telling everyone that they truly wanted to hold hands with humanity.

The announcement caused a massive stir.

Lu Yuan had a myriad of supporters and admirers, and many longed for even a glimpse of him.

Quite a few Awakened deduced that joining the Celestial Court could grant them the chance to follow King Lu in the future, leading to an overwhelming number of registrations.

Unfortunately, joining the Celestial Court was easier said than done. The first trial was already difficult, as it demanded that one had to be at the Unfettered Realm, at the very least.

This requirement eliminated many hopefuls, but the second Global Awakening had allowed numerous Awakened to make a breakthrough.

Zhu Qingyu, Ice Fairy, Chunyang, Monk Huikong, and even Asura, who rapidly grew stronger after Lu Yuan had destroyed Skygod Technologies, passed the trials.

Quite a few unknown Awakened showed up to reveal their formidable strength, passing the trials as well.

Soon, the Celestial Court surpassed a hundred members. They were all outstanding Awakened, with Lu Yuan standing at the helm of them as the Lord of the Celestial Court.

They received priority access to government resources. They also received a few spiritual fruits and exotic herbs from Jiang Ningxian. Under these conditions, it would be strange if the Celestial Court's foundations remained weak.

Given enough time, it would inevitably grow into the most terrifying organization in the world.

***

Somewhere in Huaxia was a forest that had changed drastically since the Global Awakening. Dense mist blanketed it, hiding it completely from the eyes of modern technology. Even mutated beasts instinctively avoided the area.

Remote and isolated regions like this had become common across the world, yet this remote forest was different. If a third party were to make their way here, they would think that they had somehow traveled back in time to ancient times, as orderly rows of ancient-looking pavilions, towers, artificial hills, and clean streams of flowing water dotted the landscape before them.

"The Celestial Court?" muttered a tall man in disdain. He was inside one of the pavilions and was dressed entirely in black. "How bold for a mere native of this Milky Way Starfield."

He was strikingly handsome, with fair skin and sharp eyes. An overwhelming aura radiated from him. Every subtle movement on his end stirred both wind and lightning. He also had an oppressive presence that made ordinary people instinctively recoil at the sight of him.

"I never expected that Lu Yuan harbored such great ambitions." A woman's voice sounded from behind him. When the tall man turned, he saw Zhou Yunqiong. Zhou Yunqiong had vanished from the eyes of the public quite some time ago.

The cluster of ancient-looking buildings was part of the Wuzhou Group's new headquarters, which they had secured after abandoning their old headquarters.

The feud between Lu Yuan and the Zhou Family was no secret, and the Zhou Family's executives had long been worried about it.

Lu Yuan was too strong. He was so strong that they chose to retreat and hide from him, as they simply couldn't afford to fight him.

"You call this great ambition? He's merely seeking his own death!" the tall man in black replied, showing not the slightest fear of Lu Yuan.

"Oh?" Zhou Yunqiong frowned. "Are you going to make a move? He killed Yi, your fellow clansman."

"He's not worth my attention." The tall man shook his head. "And that piece of garbage Yi is already dead, that's it. End of story. It's no big deal."

"However, offending the Celestials comes at a price," the tall man added. "I'll have the Nether Bulls cause him some more trouble."

Zhou Yunqiong nodded. She clearly understood his words, yet doubt soon crept into her face as she asked, "And if that still isn't enough?"

"It doesn't matter." The tall man waved his hand dismissively. "Once this world is no longer suppressing me and I've recovered my strength, I'll personally take his life."

"You're the tenth strongest among the younger generation, and you're from the Celestial Race as well. I don't think there's going to be any issues if you make a move," a middle-aged man said as he stepped forward. He was Zhou Yunqiong's father, and his voice carried deep respect for the tall man.

The most gifted younger generation of the Outer Cosmos' top hundred clans would earn a ranking according to their bloodline and talent.

The young man before them was one of such prodigies. He was a genius acknowledged by the starfields out there.

"Before I leave, I have to hand this over to you. An esteemed figure from the Ji Clan has asked me to pass this to you," the tall man ignored the head of the Zhou Family and turned to Zhou Yunqiong.

"This can help you awaken the deepest reaches of your bloodline, and it'll help you purify it as well. That esteemed figure holds you in high regard. Don't disappoint him," he said, producing a jade box.

"Don't worry. I know." Zhou Yunqiong stared at the jade box, her eyes bright with delight. She had been scheming for so long, and her efforts were finally paying off in spades.

The Head of the Zhou Family was equally excited, showing no resentment at being ignored. Once his daughter had refined that item, the Zhou Family would rise rapidly, perhaps even becoming an independent major clan in the future.

"You need to move fast," the tall man from the Celestial Race added with a grave face. "This world is changing rapidly, and many people from outside will eventually descend here. The strongest rankers from the starfields outside will arrive here soon, including a few Holy Sons and Saintesses."

For the first time, the tall man frowned, despite his arrogance. The so-called Holy Sons and Saintesses stood at the very peak among the rankers, and each major clan only had two of them at most.

Even he would have no choice but to retreat in the face of them.

He had already heard about the descent of the Jiang Clan's Saintess, but there had been no traces of her so far, which made him feel unsettled.

Fortunately, this was a special world with countless opportunities for the taking, thanks to the advent of the Global Awakening. This, too, was his chance to rise to the apex!