Chapter 84. The Ancestral Planet and the Saintess, Operation Mounting the Mount Begins! (2)

One morning, as dawn brushed the skies above Aurora Academy, Dean Zheng stood at the main gates alongside Zhu Qingyu and a few others.

"Mr. Lu... Are you really leaving so soon?" he asked, his voice laced with reluctance. "There are many students in the academy who see you as their idol now."

Lu Yuan offered a polite smile, shaking his head. "I've still got matters to handle. Thank you for your hospitality during this time."

He had fully adapted to the changes in him and the tasks he came to finish were done. There was no reason to linger.

"Alright, then." Dean Zheng knew there was no use trying to stop Lu Yuan. He extended his hand, and continued in a solemn and sincere manner. "There's something I hope you'll remember, Mr. Lu. You will always be an honored guest at the Aurora Academy. And if you ever face difficulties, just say the word. We'll do everything in our power to help."

The message was clear. They saw Lu Yuan as one of their own, even if that sentiment was one-sided.

"Thank you. I understand," Lu Yuan replied with a nod and grasped the dean's hand in a firm shake. "Don't worry, we'll meet again."

With that, he bid farewell to Zhu Qingyu and the others. Without another word, he turned and walked away, not looking back even once.

His next destination was the Qinling Mountains, north of Chang'an.

"Dean, Mr. Lu has left," Zhu Qingyu spoke softly.

"Yes." Dean Zheng let out a quiet sigh. "It's about time we return as well."

Then, turning toward the young woman beside him, his gaze softened.

"From here on, you must give it your all," Dean Zheng said to Zhu Qingyu. "The academy will be cultivating you with full support. Your future potential is not to be underestimated."

"I will." A gentle and radiant smile bloomed across Zhu Qingyu's visage.

But just then, a voice broke through the quiet morning.

"Dean! Dean!"

It was Zhao Wuji, one of the academy's instructors. He rushed over with urgency written all over his face.

"The Defense Force's Commander Xu just arrived," he said quickly. "He reported signs of restless mutated beasts in the Qinling region. The situation is unstable and they seem to be gathering large-scale. He's asking you to head to the command room for an emergency meeting."

"What? Already?"

Dean Zheng's heart dropped at the news.

Without hesitation, his voice turned sharp as he instructed, "Under the name of Aurora Academy, issue a citywide announcement. Assemble all Awakened immediately."

"And notify the other academies as well. If a beast siege really happens, we'll need everyone's cooperation."

Chang'an was one of the supercities and its population had swelled as nearby towns were relocated within its borders. If an attack came without warning, and they were caught unprepared, the consequences would be catastrophic.

That was a risk he would not allow and one the nation couldn't afford.

"Yes, sir!"

Zhao Wuji gave a firm nod.

Dean Zheng didn't pause. He rattled off a few more orders before striding straight toward the conference room.

At that very moment, within the academy's central conference hall, nearly all high-ranking personnel had already arrived. A few were clad in military uniforms, standing with arms crossed and faces grim, their eyes fixed on the large display screen ahead.

The screen was connected to a high-precision lifeform scanner capable of detecting powerful biological signatures. And now, dozens... no, hundreds of tiny red dots were swarming across the map, converging toward the same location. The dots were dense, countless, hard to tally at a glance.

The sight made Dean Zheng's chest tighten. Something big was coming. For a brief moment, one thought flickered across his mind.

Should I call Lu Yuan back?

But he quickly dismissed the idea. Lu Yuan wasn't part of Aurora Academy. There was no obligation on his part. Besides, the man had already left. This was a crisis Chang'an would have to face on its own.

At the same time, in Hu City...

The towering steel walls were still under construction. Inside, skyscrapers reached for the clouds, and the streets bustled with life.

Even after the Global Awakening, this place—once hailed as the Magic City of the old era—still retained its unique, magnetic charm.

Yet because it bordered the sea, its coastal defenses were the thickest of them all. They were all solid steel, layer upon layer.

Far beyond those walls, mountain ranges rose, exuding a wild, untamed aura.

And atop one of those peaks, a lone figure stood silently in the wind.

It was a woman. Her long, obsidian hair spilled down to her waist like flowing silk. Slender, elegant, and devastatingly beautiful, she carried an air so refined it seemed not of this world. Her eyes were deep as galaxies and bright as starlight. They held the clarity of celestial frost, the grace of a divine maiden.

In both appearance and bearing, she eclipsed Zhou Yunqiong without contest. Yet she wore not modern attire, but a flowing hanfu-style gown. An ornate hairpin nestled in her crown, completing the look of someone who had walked straight out of ancient times.

"Saintess," a hoarse voice drifted through the air, yet there was no one in sight. "That man—Chen Song. He was clearly lying. Why didn't you press him further?"

It was as if the wind itself had learned to speak. Were an outsider to stumble across this moment, they might well believe they had encountered a ghost in broad daylight.

"I've checked. The cauldron is indeed gone. Whether we ask or not makes no difference." The Saintess shook her head, her voice calm and elegant, like an orchid blooming in a secluded valley—fragrant, soft, and serene.

"It must be in someone's hands. Finding out who has it shouldn't be too difficult." The unseen voice sounded old, yet its owner still chose not to reveal its form.

"It's pointless. There are two keys in total. Both have vanished without a trace. Even if we find one, it's useless without the other."

The Saintess spoke again, "With our means, infiltrating the Primordial Dragon Mausoleum may prove difficult, but not impossible. We only need time. Let him be, for now."

"But that little cauldron is not ordinary." The voice crackled with doubt. "It holds a huge secret. Even if we want to force our way into the Mausoleum, we still need the cauldron, no?"

"We'll take it slow." The Saintess's eyes softened. "By the way, any news from Ancestral Planet?"

"None," came the reply. "It's too far. It takes time."

"This is truly difficult..." The Saintess let out the faintest sigh. How long until you're fully recovered? We need to enter the Mausoleum soon and retrieve that breathing technique. My powers are still sealed. I'll need your strength."

"One or two months," the voice replied.

"Then, let's explore this world a little while longer. It's been centuries. And the world has changed far more than what is recorded in the historical archives on our planet."

Her gaze swept toward Hu City, curiosity glinting in her eyes.

"Yes, Saintess," the reply echoed softly. And then space itself shimmered, rippling like water under moonlight.

And just like that, the woman vanished without a trace.

***

Days later...

On a vast mountain range that resembled a sleeping dragon, its ridges undulating endlessly, majestic and boundless, disappearing into mist and horizon alike.

Ancient trees towered across its slopes, each hundreds of meters tall, their trunks so wide it would take dozens of people to encircle even one. Here, the mountain terrain was steep and treacherous, its foliage lush and dense, as if this land had never left the primordial age.

Further out, layers of cloud mist rolled across the peaks like waves.

Within the forest depths, ancient trees towered skyward, their gnarled roots gripping the earth like claws. Vines as thick as arms coiled between trunks, and the cries of apes and roars of tigers echoed through the canopies, sending leaves fluttering to the ground.

High above, a raptor soared. Its wings stretched a full hundred meters across, casting a great shadow over the forest below. In a flash of motion, it dove like a bolt of lightning and when it rose again, clutched in its talons was a wild boar the size of an elephant, its body limp and lifeless.

But before it could enjoy its prize, a monstrous python, its girth no less than ten meters wide, erupted from the underbrush. In one swift lunge, it coiled through the air and sank its fangs into the raptor's side.

In that brutal clash of beasts, the law of the jungle was laid bare.

Only the strong survived.

And just beyond the mountain range, a lone figure stood watching.

A young man, his eyes bright, his posture calm and commanding.

He was Lu Yuan.

The current phase of human evolution is still in its infancy. One can't go all out in a clash. But the mutated beasts evolve with nature. They're stronger, faster and fiercer.

He smiled faintly, gaze locked on the vast expanse before him.

A perfect training ground.

Before the Awakening, the famed Qinling Mountains had already stretched over a thousand kilometers. Now, they were even longer.

And within it? Beasts beyond number. Their strength... immeasurable.

Lu Yuan came here for two reasons. First, to seek what he needed for his next breakthrough. Second, to find worthy opponents. There were rumors that some of the beasts had already broken into the Unfettered Realm. Clashing against such creatures would sharpen his edge.

Still, after days of travel, another idea took root in his mind. He had always relied on his own two legs to get from place to place. It was tedious and inefficient.

But here, within these endless mountains lived a flying beast of terrifying power. With his current strength, taming it would be a simple matter.

He closed his eyes briefly. A strange aura pulsed from within the Qinling depths. The beasts were restless. Their bloodlust saturated the air.

Irritable? Even better. Let's see who's more savage.

The thought alone made his blood stir. Without another word, Lu Yuan surged forward and plunged into the heart of the Qinling Mountains.