Chapter 51. Everyone Has Gathered, Conflict Looms? An Apology? (1)

As the sun rose in the east, its rays cut through the morning mist, making the mountain's forest appear even more mysterious.

Mount Li was never a famous mountain, but everything changed when the Primordial Dragon chose it as its resting place over two thousand years ago. Since then, rumors about the Mausoleum in Mount Li had been popping up every now and then.

When the New Era began, the mountain grew, and a dragon shaped from qi coiled above it. The sight told everyone, including the Awakened, that the mountain had become a place of great fortune, and claiming it meant unlocking a mythical power and securing a path to greatness.

Despite knowing they were weak, they still wanted to try. What if they succeeded?

It had to be done; they were in an unfamiliar era, after all, where the strong preyed upon the weak, and power reigned supreme. Everyone yearned to reach the apex of this era.

The usually deserted valley before Mount Li's Mausoleum swarmed with people just before daybreak. All had come to try and make a name for themselves upon hearing about the news concerning Mount Li.

Where there were people, there would be conflicts. Of course, these conflicts weren't limited to just man versus man; there were numerous encounters between the Awakened and mutated beasts as well.

On his way to the Mausoleum, Lu Yuan discovered many bloodstains and human corpses with their clothes disheveled. Perhaps they were intercepted and killed by their enemies.

In Chang'an, people would show some restraint, but the same couldn't be said in these wildlands. People were inherently wild, and the New Era bolstered such wildness within everyone.

Lu Yuan had seen too much during those ten years that he had long grown accustomed to such scenes. However, such scenes became fewer the closer he got to Mount Li.

Clearly, everyone's goal was the same, and none wanted to waste too much time on the road.

Soon, Lu Yuan saw his destination. His destination still stood more than five kilometers away, but shrouded entirely in a black hue, the mountain couldn't be mistaken for something else.

It was unique, and even the vegetation all over it was entirely pitch-black. Its exceptional size meant human beings standing before it would appear extremely small in comparison.

From the mountain's peak, halos of light surged upward nonstop, becoming a seven-colored radiance that took the form of a great dragon shaped from qi. Ten thousand meters high, its head loomed over the land.

Towering ten thousand meters tall, Mount Li couldn't be considered high nowadays, but its aura was too majestic to ignore.

Many people had already gathered at the foot of the mountain; there were several thousand of them at a quick glance. The majority of them were the Awakened who heard the news and rushed toward Mount Li at short notice.

They conversed with each other but were clearly wary of each other. It was understandable, as no one could say for sure whether those beside them would stab them in the back or not once the tomb was open. Of course, those who were already friends prior to their arrival here could be said to be an exception.

Lu Yuan walked over and mingled with the crowd, staying low-key and unassuming.

He looked up and saw black energy churning from within the mountain. The black energy converged above them, transforming into a hundred-meter-tall gateway.

The ancient gateway appeared illusory and indistinct, but one thing was clear—its doors remained tightly shut.

As time went on, the gateway gradually stabilized. Soon, it would completely manifest, allowing entry to everyone.

After the Global Awakening, all sorts of transcendent powers emerged, and such mystical phenomena became commonplace, especially in certain famed mountains and great rivers.

Hence, the Awakened closely observing the gateway remained composed despite the stunning sight.

No wonder they managed to deduce when the tomb will open...

Lu Yuan thought. In his previous life, he managed to enter the Mausoleum in Mount Li after becoming an Awakened.

However, he was too weak at the time and could only watch from the sidelines. Of course, none of the good stuff inside landed in his hands. Today, he was still standing at the sidelines, but everything had changed.

Just then, whirling noises pervaded the sky above, attracting the gazes of those in the crowd.

Looking up, they saw helicopters streaking across the air. Shockingly, these helicopters were actually equipped with heavy weapons.

"Those emblems... they're from the Wuzhou Group, Polaris Biotech, Skygod Technologies, and Longevity Genetics!"

"I heard that at the beginning of the Global Awakening, the government made some deals with them to maintain stability, allowing them to make use of powerful weapons of mass destruction. I guess those rumors were true."

"Nothing we can do about that. With their influence, I think they even have the right to purchase powerful weapons overseas, considering our current situation."

"T-they aren't going to use those weapons on us... are they?"

The crowd instantly recognized which forces those helicopters belonged to. They were shocked, as they hadn't expected those forces to possess such powerful weapons.

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

For a moment, the crowd grew restless, afraid that those weapons would be pointed at them at a critical juncture.

After all, except for a small portion of Awakened with peculiar abilities, the majority of the Awakened remained too weak to withstand the might of the modern era's weaponry.

Lu Yuan saw their weapons as well, but he couldn't care less about them. Organizations like the Wuzhou Group had an exceedingly deep foundation, and the Zhou Family was an ancient clan with their own visualization methods and breathing techniques; they were simply hiding them.

Even without making deals with the government, they could easily obtain modern weaponry, especially in these trying times.

The government also had to use any means necessary for the sake of maintaining order.

Paying them no heed, Lu Yuan looked ahead, waiting for the gateway to open.

Just then, those helicopters landed one by one, and figures emerged from within. Without exception, all were powerful Awakened. These figures from ancient families finally bared their fangs upon realizing that their era had come.

"I heard the Wuzhou Group has a connection with the Winged Celestial God? Where is he, then?"

"Yeah, I don't see the Southern Sovereign from Longevity Genetics either."

"Could they be hiding?"

The crowd talked among themselves. At this point, almost everyone had realized that each of the Five Supremes represented an organization—Longevity Genetics, the Southern Sovereign; the Wuzhou Group, the Winged Celestial God; the Skygod Technologies, Asura; the Polaris Biotech, the Ice Fairy; and the Aurora Academy had the Northern Emperor representing them at the forefront.

Of course, this wasn't a strange sight. Only these organizations could possibly produce the Five Supremes, figures at the apex of the current Awakened.

"There are so many people out here..." Zhou Biqiong remarked, frowning. She had just alighted and was instantly greeted by the sight of thousands of people. "Looks like there's going to be a major fight today."

The stunning and beautiful Zhou Yunqiong stood next to her. As always, she had on that cool, calm, and indifferent demeanor. A group of people of varying age stood behind the two sisters, and their auras alone told everyone their formidable strength.

"They can't affect the bigger picture. We should pay attention to the Southern Sovereign and the others," said Yi as he alighted from the helicopter. At the same time, he cast a glance at the group from Longevity Genetics.

Upon not finding his target, he withdrew his gaze. He held an esteemed status, proven by how those from the Wuzhou Group bowed slightly in respect toward him.

"Of course, Brother Yi's here, so they're nothing but a mere mob. Even I can handle them myself," Zhou Biqiong replied. She admired the young man and immediately spoke up.

As a member of the Zhou Family, she had also awakened her ancestral bloodline. Even though her bloodline wasn't as concentrated as her sister's bloodline, it still granted her enough power to be arrogant and look down on the majority of the Awakened out there.

"Yunqiong, what are you looking at?" Yi asked, noticing that Zhou Yunqiong's attention was elsewhere. Her gaze was sweeping across the crowd, seemingly searching for someone.

"I just want to confirm something," Zhou Yunqiong answered blandly, and then she continued scanning the crowd.

Since that visit to Chang'an, she hadn't been able to forget that familiar figure. At first, she thought she was mistaken, but when she thought about it further, she became convinced that she hadn't seen it incorrectly.

In other words, his figure had to have changed quite a bit since then.

It had to be known that Zhou Yunqiong's bloodline was the strongest in the Zhou Family, and her strength had long surpassed ordinary people's, which meant she couldn't have made such a mistake.

Zhou Yunqiong was certain that

he

had also been to Chang'an.

There was still some time before the tomb's opening, and it would be great if she could locate him before then. That reunion was

very

special to Zhou Yunqiong, and it was the first time she had been ignored. Considering her temperament, it wasn't strange that she hadn't been able to forget it.

"Is that so?" The young man's eyes gleamed with a peculiar light.

Zhou Biqiong saw that and felt somewhat displeased. She would hate whoever Yi hated.