Chapter 98. Identity Shrouded in Mystery, Boiling Frenzy, Human Sovereign! (2)

"Indeed. But my inherited memories are fragmented... chaotic even. I don't know when or how I arrived here. Only that, deep within my bloodline, there's a sense of kinship with this world as if I were drawn here for a reason. And in this place, I can evolve faster than ever before." The Golden-Winged Great Peng revealed what little it knew, but the fragments were vague and elusive.

Perhaps the arrival of beings from beyond the outer cosmos had begun far earlier than anyone realized.

And the reason Lu Yuan had remained unaware in his past lifetime was simply because his influence had been too minimal. He hadn't even qualified to glimpse that hidden layer of truth.

"No wonder, during a certain time in my previous life, these Outsiders suddenly sprang up with power and influence..."

Lu Yuan fell into momentary silence, his thoughts swirling. Realization dawned upon him that he was beginning to brush against secrets buried deep within this world. But he still required time to reveal the truth.

But one thing was certain. The truth would not remain hidden forever. One day, he would stand face-to-face with those very beings.

"But I am not strong enough now..."

Lu Yuan shook his head and cast the thoughts aside for now.

With a quiet breath, he patted the Golden-Winged Great Peng's golden feathers and leapt onto its back. "Let's go to Shennongjia. Your opportunity lies there. But there's no need to rush. I still need time to adjust to the Martial Dao Heavenly Eyes I just awakened."

He had reaped so many benefits in recent days and his evolution had advanced swiftly. Now was the time to refine them, to stabilize, to absorb, to prepare before the next storm arrived.

The fortune that awaited them lay within that place, and it wasn't going anywhere.

Besides, this was the perfect time to fully integrate and master the three divine arts he had just obtained.

As for Chang'an, the crisis had passed; there was no longer much reason to remain.

"Yes," the Golden-Winged Great Peng answered. Then with a mighty flap of its wings, it soared skyward, slicing through the clouds and vanishing beyond the horizon.

Meanwhile, at Chang'an temporary command post...

The room was still. Everyone stared blankly at the screen in front of them, at the final image of Lu Yuan vanishing into the sky.

A long silence stretched across the room. Then, one by one, they exchanged gazes with each other.

"So... the beast tide has retreated? Chang'an's crisis is resolved... just like that?"

"It seems so. But we didn't lift a finger throughout it all."

"A single man... repelled thousands of savage beasts..."

The upper brass of Chang'an were utterly stunned. They had spent weeks—no, months—meticulously preparing for this moment. They had mobilized every available resource and even requested reinforcements from other cities.

And yet, even with all that effort, they hadn't dared hope for total victory. At best, they had braced for a brutal, drawn-out siege. Many among them had already steeled themselves for death.

But in the end, their blades were never drawn. Their formations never activated. It was as if they had dreamed the entire thing. But more than that, they rejoice at the situation.

What should've been a catastrophic battle ended before it even began without a single casualty. It was a miracle. A blessing.

But the shock that a human could possess such terrifying strength ran even deeper. And more than that, he seemed to have tamed a raptor whose presence rivaled the kings of the beast horde. From its form and golden feathers, it bore an uncanny resemblance to the mythical Golden-Winged Great Peng.

"Commander Xu," a voice finally broke the silence. It was Dean Zheng. "Now that the beast tide has ended, what are our next steps?"

The beast tide was over, yes. But there was still a series of aftermath to deal with. Questions. Political waves. Rebuilding.

All eyes turned to Commander Xu and waited for his orders.

"Spread the news. Let it be known that just outside the walls of Chang'an, a lone cultivator stood against the beast tide, slaying eight beast kings single-handedly and saved the city from the brink of disaster. Upload the footage online at once."

Commander Xu's voice rang firm and clear with determination shining in his eyes.

The entire nation was watching. The citizens within the city were gripped by unease, their hearts weighed down by dread. It was time they knew the good news and received a glimmer of hope.

More than that, he wanted to make one thing unmistakably clear. That there now walked a true powerhouse among humans.

In the uncertain days of this new age, many wandered in fear and doubt, directionless and frail in spirit. What the people needed, what the nation needed, was a rallying point.

And this victory was no doubt the perfect salve for those wounded hearts.

With a hero as the rallying point, the authorities and Aurora Academy alike would be able to proceed with their next phase.

"But what of that mysterious figure's identity?" Dean Zheng frowned. After all, they had witnessed the battle from beginning to end. And yet, they still had no name. Zhu Qingyu had offered her guess. But it remained as just a guess since the footage was too blurred to confirm anything.

They witnessed the battle but they couldn't see a clear face. Something about it felt incomplete.

"I don't think that matters," an elderly man said calmly after a moment's thought. "What truly matters now is hope. Let the people believe. That's the power we need most right now.

"As for the truth behind that man's identity... we'll find out in time."

Several heads nodded in agreement.

Indeed, if someone of such overwhelming might wished to remain hidden, no force could unveil him. But sooner or later, light always found its way to greatness. Perhaps the man himself did not yet wish to stand beneath the spotlight.

What mattered now, above all else, was the result of the battle and its significance to the country.

"Very well," Dean Zheng relented. In truth, he had no better option.

And as for whether that mysterious figure was truly Lu Yuan, no one raised the question.

The gap between their known understanding of Lu Yuan's strength and the terrifying power displayed today was simply too vast. None dared connect the two.

Soon, orders were issued with swift finality. At Commander Xu's command, the message was dispatched across the city: the battle outside the walls was over and all personnel were to retreat back into Chang'an.

On top of that, a public announcement was made without delay.

Beast tide approaches Chang'an. A mysterious figure appears. Eight beast kings fall. The city is saved.

The moment this statement hit the airwaves, a storm of emotion tore through the city. Just hours ago, dread had coiled through the populace like a serpent. Most had resigned themselves to the worst, prepared to meet death beneath the claws and fangs of the incoming tide.

But now, the beast tide had not even touched the city walls, and it had already been quelled.

And it was the doing of but a single man.

The notion alone was staggering. If not for the fact that this came directly from the city's command center, no one would've believed it.

But shock swiftly gave way to joy.

The fearsome tide of beasts had been stopped before a single life was lost. If it had breached the city walls, no one would have been spared. It would've been a catastrophe of unprecedented scale. But now, before the disaster even had a chance to descend, it was already over. The days of fear and dread were gone.

Cheers erupted through the streets. Some burst into tears and collapsed to their knees, sobbing with disbelief. Others laughed and clutched their loved ones, overcome with relief. There was no gift greater than survival.

Yet the ripples didn't stop there.

Like a storm sweeping the plains, the news raced beyond Chang'an. It surged across the nation, stirring even the other four supercities. Entire populations turned their eyes toward Chang'an.

The forums and news feeds were ablaze. Everyone wanted to know what had happened?

Since the dawn of this new era, never before had a beast tide ended in such an alarming fashion.

Their answer came swiftly.

The upper echelon of Chang'an uploaded the battle footage.

The video was blurry, distorted by energy fields, yet clear enough for one thing to be seen: a lone figure descended from the sky and landed before the horde of beasts.

And then—

Slaughter.

Effortless, absolute, divine.

Eight beast kings fell in mere moments. No hesitation. No struggle. He cut through them like a celestial blade through mist.

"Unbelievable. A human has evolved... to this level?"

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"One man. Eight beast kings. Alone."

"All this time, we thought the Five Supremes were the pinnacle. We were too narrow-minded."

"Yes, yes! This is what a true powerhouse looks like! I swear, he's the one I'll strive to catch up to from now on!"

"In the past, we were helpless before the beast kings. But not anymore. From this day forth, we, the people of Huaxia... we have our own king. The King of Humanity!"