Chapter 74. The Title of Human Sovereign? Ancient Mount Shu, the Legend of Sword Immortals! (2)

Heated discussions erupted across all online platforms. In the blink of an eye, Lu Yuan's name became known to all Awakened, and even civilians began paying close attention to him.

The consensus was that he was powerful beyond comparison. Otherwise, the people wouldn't call him the strongest of the Five Supremes. He skipped the top one hundred and reached the apex in one fell swoop. Some enthusiasts even went so far as to give Lu Yuan a brand-new title—Human Sovereign.

Naturally, their decision was met with fierce opposition, and many claimed that the title carried too much weight for anyone to bear. Supporters of the Winged Celestial God also argued, saying that their Supreme, in his true form, had ten times his normal power.

They also claimed that the Winged Celestial God immediately entered seclusion to completely awaken his bloodline's potential. Once he was out of seclusion, they claimed that he would be even stronger than Lu Yuan.

The supporters of the other three Supremes also spoke up, believing that Lu Yuan couldn't possibly be the strongest. In a nutshell, a great war of many different opinions erupted online.

Regardless of their opinions, there was an undeniable fact—there was a new Supreme, and the unofficial newcomer obtained the title, "Human Sovereign."

Beyond this debate, the Awakened also focused their attention on another critical matter—the Southern Sovereign was dead, so what would Longevity Genetics do about it?

After all, they were one of the five major forces, with deep foundations and power that was said to even surpass Aurora Academy's. An important figure among them was killed, so everyone believed that they wouldn't simply let the matter go.

Surprisingly enough, Longevity Genetics posted no official announcement on the incident, remaining completely silent. Some speculated that their silence was thanks to the Aurora Academy's intervention. After all, Lu Yuan was invited into the city by the Dean of Chang'an's Aurora Academy.

Could that gesture represent the stance of the government?

It was all speculation, and for now, no one could say for sure.

***

High atop the Longevity Genetics building in Shen City, two women and a man stood in a room where the atmosphere was so heavy and oppressive that it was tangible.

"Zhenyun, are we simply going to let this go? Our son was killed! He was killed!"

"He also killed my Tao'er!"

The two women trembled; their eyes red and swollen from crying. They were the two madams of the Wang Family. These women usually spent their days scheming against one another, but today, they stood united in the same grief.

After all, both of their sons were murdered, killed by the same man. They couldn't think of anything else but revenge; they wished to make the murderer suffer a fate worse than death.

As for what their own sons had done to provoke this outcome... it didn't matter at all. The murderer had to pay with his life, regardless of the truth.

"Both of you, shut up," Wang Zhenyun said. He was a tall and imposing man; anger knitted his brows as he looked at the two women. "Of course, we will not let this matter go. Those two were my most outstanding sons. However, there are more important matters at hand right now, and we cannot afford to be distracted.

"We have just successfully extracted the genes of our ancestors. Soon, we will be able to create many powerful experts."

"As for that Lu Yuan—let him live a little while longer. When the time is right, I will ensure he dies without a proper burial place," Wang Zhenyun said coldly. Despite saying that, a part of him wanted to move right now.

However, the Wang Family was not his personal property. Above him, the elders were conducting plans on a much larger scale.

Moreover, the Aurora Academy's move to protect Lu Yuan was a clear statement of the government's attitude toward the incident. Acting rashly could implicate the entire Wang Family, so their only choice was to wait until they were strong enough.

"How long must we wait?" asked the Second Madam, her voice hollow. Her only hope for the future had been her son, Wang Tao. With him dead, her eyes held nothing but despair and a burning regret. Why had they even targeted Lu Yuan in the first place?

"It won't be long," Wang Zhenyun stated flatly, "Now, both of you go and rest."

Knowing that any further discussion would be pointless, he dismissed the two women. The two women understood that they had no choice but to obey his words, and they finally left the room, carrying their broken hearts with them.

Once he was finally alone, Wang Zhenyun's facade of composure shattered, and his face distorted in fury as he growled. "Lu Yuan! I swear I will make you pay for what you've done!"

***

In a luxurious villa in Hu City, Zhou Yunqiong stared at her phone displaying news articles discussing Lu Yuan. She no longer looked composed, marred by a rare solemnity.

"To think you'll end up killing the Southern Sovereign," she murmured, "Did I really misjudge you back then?"

Recalling their time in school, Lu Yuan had been nothing special, and she thought that she would eventually forget him. Instead, Lu Yuan rose through the ranks, rising like a true dragon in the blink of an eye.

Now, even Zhou Yunqiong had to admit that she had to treat him seriously.

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Young Miss," Uncle Zuo said, walking over to Zhou Yunqiong. He appeared the same as always, but the aura he exuded was now incredibly heavy. He had actually evolved to the Awakened Realm, and his foundation was stable.

In other words, Zhou Yunqiong's personal bodyguard had already surpassed figures like the Northern Emperor.

"How is Yi?"

Zhou Yunqiong was not surprised by Uncle Zuo's breakthrough. A power like the Wuzhou Group had deep and ancient foundations. Otherwise, how could it command the attention of the government officials?

"He has consumed the essence we refined from the spirit fruits and herbs and is now in seclusion. When he emerges, the latent potential within his bloodline will be activated by then," Uncle Zuo answered respectfully.

"Even though the purity is only at eighty percent, it will be sufficient," Zhou Yunqiong said, nodding. "Contact with his clansmen is a priority. Launching satellites and other such tasks shouldn't be difficult for the Wuzhou Group."

"Understood!" Uncle Zuo lowered his head slightly. "Also, the family head said that the Third Miss's death is simply that—a mere death. You need not concern yourself with it."

Uncle Zuo spoke shocking words without any hesitation. Clearly, Zhou Yunqiong's father couldn't care less about the life of his own daughter.

"Understood. You may go," Zhou Yunqiong said, waving her hand. Her figure was as proud and unshakable as ever. Uncle Zuo bowed and turned to leave, understanding that the Eldest Miss was the sole hope of the Zhou Family.

The Winged Celestial God? He was merely a chess piece in her grand game.

Meanwhile, the heated discussions about Lu Yuan gradually subsided, as even greater incidents occurred all over the globe.

The mutated beasts were somehow thrown into turmoil, but instead of attacking human cities, they hid deep within the mountains with their howls echoing across the land.

The scene was eerily familiar, just like the days preceding the abrupt changes to the world. And several days later, rumblings tore through the world once more.

Overnight, numerous mountains appeared across the nation.

Some Awakened hunting outside found themselves appearing in unknown regions that felt like independent spacetime regions. Fortunately, they exited just in time, avoiding the fate of being trapped forever.

There was even news about ordinary people becoming Awakened upon obtaining spirit fruits and exotic herbs inside an unknown region. The same was happening abroad.

The Holy Knight and the Celestial Archangel led their own legions of Awakened, claiming to have received God's grace once again.

Their strength greatly increased, and it was said they no longer feared even the most powerful weapons of mass destruction. In no time, they solidified their positions as key figures in the West.

Everyone believed that this could be another transformation, one that was even more intense than the last. Countless Awakened began moving, seeking their own opportunities to become even stronger.

A day later, a new piece of news erupted. As soon as it appeared, it instantly became the subject of heated discussion among countless people.

"Hundreds of new mountains have appeared in the Shu region, and they are as tall as Mount Emei and Mount Qingcheng!"

"I've read some ancient records, and they bear a suspicious resemblance to the ancient Mount Shu recorded in those records!"

"The ancient Mount Shu is here! There must be some great opportunities to obtain from within. We definitely have to go there!"

The term "Mount Shu" was a general term for the famous mountains in that region, but these new mountains closely resembled the mountains depicted in ancient legends, especially the central peak that pierced the clouds as if it were a divine sword.

The news sparked the imagination of the nation's Awakened, who recalled the many legends of Mount Shu's sword immortals. Believing that priceless inheritances and great boons were waiting to be found, they flocked toward the region.

Some of the major forces also mobilized, intending to occupy the mountains to expand their own influence.

Unfortunately for them, a piece of news spread like wildfire, stating that government officials had already stationed tens of thousands of troops to guard the mountains, prohibiting any outsiders from entering without permission.

Simultaneously, the Aurora Academy announced that the region was temporarily under their control for a series of research studies and that it would be opened at some point in the future.

Some objected, saying that such an opportunity had to be available to everyone, and many opposing voices appeared online as well. However, their complaints did not last long before they were immediately silenced.

Many people saw dozens of fighter jets patrolling the airspace above Ancient Mount Shu around the clock, while down below, tanks and other heavy vehicles gathered in massive groups.

There was even news about how the military was constructing missile launch facilities near the mountains.

Upon hearing that, the major forces changed their tune, expressing their consensus that Ancient Mount Shu ought to be managed by Aurora Academy. The ordinary Awakened also accepted this reality without further objection.

Thus, the incident was assuaged, even though it could have easily led to a bloody outcry. In addition, the incident made many people acknowledge the true strength of the officials. They usually remained still, but once they moved, they could shake the heavens and the earth.

Of course, everyone's attention remained focused on Ancient Mount Shu, while matters concerning Lu Yuan had completely faded away into obscurity.

Deep within the branch of Aurora Academy in Chang'an, a series of deafening explosions echoed, accompanied by the faint roars of a dragon. Moments later, a blazing light surged within the cultivation chamber.

Under the sheer force of the power being unleashed within the chamber, even its reinforced steel walls showed signs of shattering into pieces.

Lu Yuan had been in seclusion for more than ten days, and today, he reached the final, critical juncture.