Chapter 136. Full Support of the Top Echelons, The Might of the Ancient Token

With the dawn of the New Era, the order of the old world began to crumble.

Everyone pursued transcendent power, yearning to obtain mythical abilities. This phenomenon swept across the globe.

The changes, however, happened out of the blue. The top echelons of the major powers and the officials barely managed to react to them.

Eventually, the big nations decided to focus on maintaining control. The temporary peace lasted until the Skygod Technologies incident, which finally revealed that the major powers had made some moves behind the scenes.

Even so, the Aurora Academy and Ji Huaiyuan chose to suppress the matter. Countless other issues demanded their attention, and acting too forcefully could easily spark conflicts on multiple fronts.

Other concerns proved secondary to what was truly important—thermonuclear weapons. They were still humanity’s most formidable weapons, and they were capable of annihilating even the Awakened.

In other words, an all-out war would certainly spell the world’s doom.

Lu Yuan’s statement stunned everyone present. His words were akin to a declaration of his goal to sweep away all opposing forces. He demanded that those behind the incident at Mount Tai face justice.

Ji Huaiyuan and Elder Yun exchanged glances. They understood that agreeing to this would trigger a major incident, perhaps even war.

Zhu Qingyu, Northern Emperor, and Ice Fairy understood that as well. Even though Lu Yuan was going about it in his own personal capacity, everyone present knew that a single misstep could easily escalate into something bigger.

The officials had always maintained a moderate stance in such matters. Under normal circumstances, they would counsel restraint.

However, Ji Huaiyuan drew a deep breath and said, “Very well. Leave this to us. King Lu, rest assured—we old fellows will stand firmly behind you.”

The members of the younger generation froze. The meaning beneath Elder Ji’s words was unmistakable; it meant a firm stance. The officials had decided to completely support Lu Yuan, even at the risk of war.

“Good.” Lu Yuan smiled. “They must answer me in three months. Otherwise, I will have to visit them myself.”

With that, Lu Yuan nodded slightly at everyone and merely glanced at the four or so Westerners before turning around to leave.

Elder Yun signaled with his eyes, and a soldier immediately stepped forward to lead the way. Clearly, they had arranged accommodations for Lu Yuan in the garrison at Mount Tai. After all, he couldn’t just leave immediately after finishing his business. Besides, they were still waiting for the news about the beast kings.

“Elder Ji, are we truly going to do this?” a commander asked, stepping forward as soon as Lu Yuan was out of sight. His voice was tinged with disbelief. Lu Yuan’s words were tantamount to a declaration of war, after all.

Zhu Qingyu and the other young Awakened nodded as well. They also found the approach to be a bit too radical.

“There’s nothing to hesitate about,” Elder Yun chimed in. As someone in charge of the military’s affairs, he had a rather fiery temper. “This is the New Era. And they’ve already extended their reach into our territory and have even gone so far as to launch missiles at King Lu. We cannot stay silent any longer.

“The Alliance of Humankind must be established. The power structure of our current era desperately needs a reshuffling.”

“Indeed,” Ji Huaiyuan added. His previous kind demeanor had vanished, replaced by a face that emanated a firm authority. His gaze turned toward where Lu Yuan had disappeared, and his eyes grew resolute as he said, “And I believe King Lu is strong enough to back up his words.”

In truth, the officials had long considered uniting all global forces to end all conflict, but they were too weak, so they could only stay low-key and wait until they were strong enough to implement their plans.

Unfortunately, it would require a considerable amount of time. However, Lu Yuan had just proposed exactly what they had in mind, so of course, they supported him. Moreover, they truly believed in Lu Yuan’s strength.

“Alright, disperse. We have much work ahead of us,” Ji Huaiyuan said, offering no further explanation as he gave out instructions to those present.

For instance, the boon at the summit of Mount Tai could help them cultivate more Awakened. They needed to maximize it to ensure that Lu Yuan’s journey wouldn’t have been in vain. This could be the first step in Huaxia’s rise to the apex, so they couldn’t afford to be careless at all.

“As for these people…” Elder Yun’s eyes gleamed sharply as his gaze landed on the Westerners. “Do what must be done.”

He believed this issue required no input from Lu Yuan. Since they had come here to kill, they ought to be prepared to die.

“Yes, sir,” a soldier responded and escorted them away.

Everyone dispersed to perform what their role demanded of them. There was much work to be done, especially concerning the Mount Tai incident and the proposed Alliance of Humankind.

Meanwhile, Lu Yuan soon arrived at a building within the garrison at Mount Tai.

The interior featured timeless and classic decor, and it wasn’t just all looks. There was substance as well in the form of a reinforced training chamber, along with great amenities.

Lu Yuan knew he was in a temporary garrison, so the fact that they had arranged something like this for him told him that the officials truly held him in regard.

Lu Yuan said nothing about it. His strength ensured he would receive attention wherever he went, but he didn’t mind such arrangements at all. In fact, all he cared about was a quiet environment.

After settling in, Lu Yuan entered the training chamber and sat down cross-legged. Then, he began recalling the recent events. The Alliance of Humankind existed in his previous life as well, and Huaxia’s officials spearheaded its creation.

The process, however, was full of hardships. There were major conflicts and a myriad of skirmishes before everyone finally compromised and agreed to it.

However, things were different now. He had the absolute strength to suppress all opposition. If anyone were to object, Lu Yuan wouldn’t hesitate to make a move.

Soon, beings from the Outer Cosmos would descend. He had to resolve this issue before then. He granted them three months as a final warning, but it was also a way of buying time for himself.

After all, Rome was not built overnight; he would make use of the next three months to become even stronger.

In addition, persuading the beast kings across the nation to cease launching beast tides would be a difficult endeavor—one definitely needed absolute strength to convince those beast kings.

Of course, Lu Yuan certainly did not lack strength. Still, he ought to resolve those issues soon, or complications could arise.

The Global Awakening was still in its early stages, but another awakening loomed. Once the famed mountains and great rivers across the nation truly awakened, just like Mount Tai, they’d become even more perilous. By then, powerful mutated beasts and beings would appear, along with entities from the Outer Cosmos.

The situation was only going to become increasingly complex, so this was the best moment to make a move.

Once he was done with those issues, he would proceed with the next phase of his plan—the plan Lu Yuan had formulated a long time ago.

“Now I need only wait,” Lu Yuan murmured, clearing his mind. Then, he retrieved the Celestial Emperor’s Ancient Token and examined it. The radiance had faded, leaving it looking utterly ordinary.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Lu Yuan chose to refine it with his blood. Divine artifacts typically revealed no abnormalities before refinement; this principle of divine artifacts concealing their nature held true for both the Bodhi Tree and the Eleven-Tier Blood Pagoda.

He wanted to know what purpose the ancient token served.

Drops of his blood fell onto the token, and they melted into it in an instant.

Hum!

A purple light erupted from the ancient token. The light flowing in strands and wisps was not exactly dazzling, yet it carried an inexplicable might. All beholding the token would involuntarily submit before it.

It was a peculiar and indescribable sensation for Lu Yuan.

When Lu Yuan attempted a closer look, the token vanished from his hand.

The next moment, it reappeared within his sea of consciousness and hovered before the golden figure representing his Innate Spirit, the god of wisdom. At the same time, the ancient token cast purple halos that merged with the golden figure.

In the proverbial blink of an eye, Lu Yuan was struck by a strange sensation; he felt as if every blade of grass, tree, mountain, and great river lay within his grasp. He felt as though he had become the unparalleled sovereign of heaven and earth—a supreme existence.

He felt as if he had become Celestial Emperor seated high upon the clouds, looking down at the myriad living beings. The strange sensation lasted only an instant before vanishing as quickly as it appeared.

The Celestial Emperor’s Ancient Token hovered, casting a purple light upon the golden figure as if it were the emperor, the ruler, and Heaven itself.

“This is…” Shock rippled through Lu Yuan. He still had not a single clue about how the ancient token worked, but he knew it had to be more than just extraordinary. It was far from an ordinary divine artifact.

It seemed to harbor a power capable of controlling all living beings, perhaps even the myriad beings of the universe.

However, it felt… incomplete.

“Could there be other tokens like this out there?” Lu Yuan asked himself, pondering seriously before confirming his suspicion. Indeed, the ancient token was incomplete. To truly unleash its might, he would need to collect them all.

Unfortunately, he had no idea how many of them were out there, and he had too little information about them.

One step at a time, Lu Yuan thought.

With his current level of strength, even if he somehow obtained them all, controlling them would still prove far too difficult. The power within the ancient token was simply too strong, too unfathomable for him.

In the end, Lu Yuan emptied his mind. He left the token within his sea of consciousness and closed his eyes.

There were still two issues that required his attention. Since he still had some time, he decided to continue digesting what he had obtained and shattering more genetic shackles. Now, he had shattered forty and was still some distance away from a hundred and eight.

The faster he reached the extreme limits of this realm, the faster he would reach the next stage of evolution—the Golden Body Realm! As he began channeling the power within him, strands of golden energy erupted from him and enveloped him.

However, something had clearly changed. After refining the ancient token, Lu Yuan’s aura had transformed, but he remained oblivious to it.

And as time trickled by while Lu Yuan was in seclusion, the outside world erupted into chaos once again, all thanks to him.

First of all, the beast king atop Mount Tai had agreed to allow humans entry, which meant the officials had secured another blessed land after Mount Shu.

Secondly, news that Lu Yuan somehow managed to withstand missiles spread like wildfire. Everyone fell into disbelief upon realizing that the King of Humanity had evolved to a terrifying degree.

Modern weaponry had become virtually ineffective against him, transcending the limits of humanity. In the hearts of the nation’s Awakened, Lu Yuan was the strongest Awakened, and none could match him.

The netizens speculated that perhaps only thermonuclear weapons could pose a threat to Lu Yuan. After all, thermonuclear weapons embodied the peak of humanity’s knowledge and were the most terrifying weapons of mass destruction.

Finally, and most importantly, the officials declared the founding of the Alliance of Humankind with King Lu at the helm of the alliance. They had also stated that the Vatican, Mount Olympus, and all other major forces around the globe had just three months to respond, or King Lu would “visit” them personally.

Everyone was stunned upon hearing that.

└Is King Lu trying to reshuffle the power structure of the entire world? Is that why he wants them to respond to the call?

└That’s definitely it! And there’s also the time limit! It’s an official statement from the officials, too!

└My goodness. I think King Lu intends to suppress the world through his strength alone. I’ve got to admit that he’s bold, but… could he truly succeed?

└If he succeeds, then—no, I can’t even imagine what’s going to happen.

The nation boiled over beneath the fierce heat of the people’s fervent discussions, and everyone expressed their views on the matter. The incident at Mount Tai had to have enraged King Lu—everyone believed this to be the case. They suspected the mastermind was the Vatican’s Celestial Archangel to seek vengeance for the Twelve Apostles.

In response, Lu Yuan proposed the founding of the Alliance of Humankind. This was both an indirect pressure and a warning.

Just like that, Huaxia’s citizens and its Awakened eagerly awaited the major forces’ response. However, both the Vatican and Mount Olympus remained silent, offering no response whatsoever.

Clearly, they were intimidated, not by the founding of the Alliance of Humankind, but by the fact that even dozens of missiles couldn’t kill their target. Lu Yuan’s strength clearly exceeded their imagination. An existence like him had upset the balance, and now, they were frantically thinking of a way to respond.

A direct confrontation was no good, and they couldn’t let Lu Yuan “visit” them.

Several days later, the Celestial Archangel finally responded in the form of a video he posted online.

In the video, the Celestial Archangel sported three pairs of wings of light. He had long golden hair, handsome features, and pale skin that seemed to be seeping with light. A scepter was in his hand, and his entire being was shrouded in a holy light.

By looks alone, he truly resembled an archangel from Heaven.

The Celestial Archangel’s extraordinary power remained apparent, even through mere footage. He was immensely powerful, and his presence demanded capitulation.

“We will never agree to the founding of the Alliance of Humankind,” the Celestial Archangel said with a firm and haughty tone of voice. “We are the champions of freedom, as it is God’s blessing upon us. We will not submit to any force. Should you come here, God’s judgement will befall you!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep