External News, Super City, Five Great Supremes?

Wuzhou Group, Chang Sheng Gene, Tianshen Technology, Beidou Biology.

The major powers, coordinating with the authorities, formulated a series of regulations to restrict Awakened individuals.

Any violations.

Would face joint sanctions.

At the same time.

The authorities announced that, in response to the new era, they had begun constructing five super cities within the country.

The east centered on Shanghai City, the south on Shenzhen City, the west on the Snowy Region.

The north centered on Shuntian City, and the center on the ancient capital Chang'an, a millennium-old city.

These five super cities would be fully opened.

People could all enter.

The goal was to protect more civilians' lives and safety amid the future chaotic situation.

Also, during this period, after a series of studies by the major powers and the authorities.

They classified and ranked the evolutionary paths of Awakened individuals into levels and stages.

Used to judge strength and danger levels.

Lu Yuan glanced at it; it was exactly the same as what he already knew, especially the classification of Awakened.

But as for protecting more civilians' safety, he was somewhat noncommittal.

That was difficult.

Once the path of evolution opened.

The authorities no longer had the ability to fully control everything. Some problems simply couldn't be solved. No way around it—the changes were too great, the time too rushed. In an era like this, the only thing you could trust was your own strength.

Browsing through the official news, Lu Yuan then opened a few forums to catch up on civilian information.

Almost all of it was discussing Awakened individuals; the topic was extremely hot.

There were even successful people.

Who posted to share their own successful experiences.

For example, going deep into the mountains to search for mysterious ancient trees and fruits.

Or paying attention to certain ancient artifacts.

In short, it was all kinds of strange, true and false mixed together, with people saying all sorts of things.

This made Lu Yuan shake his head involuntarily.

Walking the path of evolution and gaining transcendent power—how could it be that simple?

For ordinary people, it was a rare opportunity, just like in his previous life, when he had endured countless hardships.

Just as he was about to close it.

He noticed a few very popular posts that caught his attention.

It was that people had started voting on the most powerful Awakened individuals under the current circumstances.

A total of five people were elected with high votes.

And netizens had given them quite domineering titles.

They were the Winged Sky God, the Northern Emperor, the Asura, the Ice Fairy, and the Southern Emperor.

They were collectively called the Five Great Supremes.

And under this post.

Videos and pictures related to these five Awakened were also attached, to showcase their combat power and methods.

Lu Yuan smiled and clicked to take a look.

First was the Winged Sky God.

He was a young man with a slender build and silver hair reaching his waist.

He bore twin wings of wind and thunder, standing in midair, arcs of electricity flowing all over his body, with an ethereal temperament.

In the footage, this Winged Sky God was in a great battle with a beast dozens of meters tall. With a single flap of his wings, the power of wind and thunder surged, shattering patches of forest directly. His entire body was shrouded in electric light, resembling the legendary Thunder God of the celestial court.

And the beast he fought was taken down within minutes, blood staining the earth.

Next was the Northern Emperor, rumored to come from the north.

A man two meters tall with bronze-colored skin.

He had short black hair, was bare-chested, and his entire body radiated a strange light.

He wrestled with a giant elephant as tall as a building, sporting a pair of long tusks. With every punch he threw, the ground shook.

Then came the Asura, clad in black battle gear, only his eyes visible, wielding a blood-colored war blade as he charged into a horde of beasts, bringing slaughter and bloodlust.

And the Ice Fairy, a woman in a white dress. Wherever she went, it became a frozen wasteland. Finally, the Southern Emperor, as his title suggested, with a noble bearing, his entire person concealed in light, and his methods very peculiar—any beast that drew near simply exploded.

These Five Great Supremes each had immense popularity and were incredibly powerful.

Some netizens argued over who was the strongest.

Most believed it was the Winged Sky God, feeling he was too extraordinary and would become a true god in the future.

Lu Yuan even saw that this person had many fans, just like a celebrity.

And most of them were women.

They all said the Winged Sky God was not only powerful but also had an ethereal aura and handsome features.

Moreover, every time he fought, he was protecting the weak, with a sense of righteousness in his heart, completely different from other Awakened.

Someone countered, saying this was all a persona, with forces behind the scenes pushing it.

This statement gained agreement.

There was indeed a lot of information online—the Five Great Supremes each came from different factions. The Winged Sky God was rumored to be connected to the Wuzhou Group, though some thought it was baseless speculation without solid evidence.

In short, the buzz around these Five Great Supremes was extremely high, with discussions and debates everywhere.

What era was this, that people dared to directly call themselves gods, emperors, and sovereigns?

Lu Yuan couldn't help but feel speechless.

If it were his past life, he might not have felt much about it.

He might even have agreed with those netizens.

Because in his previous life, he, like most people, looked up to these beings with longing.

But now it was different.

Now was just the initial stage of the global mutation; true powerhouses had yet to appear or emerge.

Even though it was just a video, Lu Yuan could still judge.

These five indeed had good potential.

But they hadn't even reached the Awakening Realm.

To him, they were only slightly stronger than that Chang Sheng Gene squad.

So after watching for a while, Lu Yuan directly closed the video and continued browsing.

Besides these five, some netizens and authoritative institutions were talking about creating a top hundred ranking list for Awakened. But since it was still early, not many people were on it—only about a dozen or so.

Among them, a familiar name stood out.

The Young Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, Chunyang.

This person was ranked in the top five, recognized as being on par with those Supremes.

Apart from that, there were other strong contenders posting videos of their battles with mutated beasts to gain attention.

In short, three months of seclusion had completely changed this world.

Strength and power were now revered.

"The worst of times, the best of times, and my time!"

Lu Yuan put down his phone and let out a breath. After seeing so much, the blood in his heart was burning.

Deep down, he was someone who loved to compete. In his past life, he started too slowly.

But this life was different; he would have a brand-new path.

A path that could surpass everyone!

Next, it was time to start the next phase of his plan.

Lu Yuan held ten years of foresight, knowing how to gain the greatest benefits at the smallest cost. All his plans were stored in his mind.

Ring ring.

Just as he was thinking, his phone rang.

He picked it up and saw it was Old Master Ge.

They hadn't contacted each other since last time when Lu Yuan helped him get his granddaughter into school.

Lu Yuan knew Old Master Ge's character well; he wouldn't usually seek him out on his own.

If he did, something must have happened.

Without much hesitation, he picked up the phone and answered.

"Hello? Is this Xiao Lu?"

"It's me. What's the matter, Old Master?" Lu Yuan replied.

"Thank heavens," the other side seemed relieved, then continued, "I've called many times these past few days, but you didn't answer. I thought something had happened to you. How are you? Doing okay?"

The global mutation had affected everyone. Old Master Ge had few friends and a poor relationship with his son and daughter-in-law.

If he had to say it, he had a very good impression of Lu Yuan—otherwise, he wouldn't have taken out his family's ancient book back then.

That matter had nothing to do with his granddaughter's schooling; it was purely a gesture of goodwill.

So knowing that Lu Yuan was safe, the old man was actually somewhat pleased.

"I'm fine, Old Master. And you? Is your whole family doing well?" Lu Yuan glanced at the phone.

He noticed that the other party had indeed called him many times—every day for three months—but back then his phone was off, so he hadn't received them.

Thus, he spoke appropriately, offering a simple greeting.

"I'm fine too. I've moved to a new place to live, very safe."

As he said this, Old Master Ge sighed. "It's just that my granddaughter is a handful. She keeps clamoring to go out, to explore with her classmates and gain some kind of extraordinary power. I can barely control her anymore."

"Oh? What exactly did she say?" Lu Yuan smiled.

In his memory, Old Master Ge's granddaughter was no simple person in the future either.

"She said she saw news online—that the Mount Li Imperial Tomb has undergone major changes recently, and it's an opportunity she absolutely must seize."

Old Master Ge said casually, then continued, "But the outside world is really too dangerous now. She's just a teenager, so I've directly locked her up at home."

Clearly, he didn't think his granddaughter could accomplish anything in such chaos.

After all, for ordinary people like himself, the only thing to do was to find a way to survive.

As for so-called Awakened—that was a bit too far off.

Mount Li Imperial Tomb?

Hearing this, Lu Yuan was slightly startled inside.

Then he calculated the time—it was indeed about right.

That was the resting place of the Ancestral Dragon, steeped in many legends, and also one of his own plans.

He just hadn't expected the news to have spread online already. But that was normal.

With information so developed now, major changes were happening everywhere.

Mount Li would certainly draw heavy attention.

Then, after exchanging a few pleasantries with Old Master Ge, he opened his phone and searched.

Indeed, Mount Li had changed—the mountain itself had reached a height of a thousand zhang, revealing many mysterious entrances.

But beyond that, there was very little information—just scattered bits, with few people discussing it on forums either.

"It seems this matter has been suppressed too," Lu Yuan mused.

He had entered it in his past life and knew far more.

This was still the early stage of the mutation.

Many strange objects were emerging endlessly, making the situation extremely chaotic.

Because some factions would take advantage of this period, using every means to seize those items, hoping to dominate everything in the future.

Such chaos wouldn't settle until several years later.

For instance, the Mount Li Imperial Tomb was being watched by many major powers, including the likes of Wuzhou Group and Chang Sheng Gene.

They would suppress the news, send their own people, and seize the initiative.

Their goal was to enter and find divine artifacts, thereby expanding their own strength.

But even so, some things still leaked out.

It was foreseeable that soon, the first battle among Awakened would erupt.

Only Lu Yuan knew, however, that within the imperial tomb lay great terror—extremely dangerous.

Without the key, most people would return in defeat, with countless deaths and injuries.

Of course, for Lu Yuan, it was a completely different story.

Without overthinking, he took out the Mysterious Small Tripod and the Ghost Seal.

"I can't delay any longer. Next stop: Mount Li Imperial Tomb."

Lu Yuan thought to himself that his current strength had already reached a terrifying level.

With visualization techniques and supernatural powers now in hand, the only thing left was a top-tier breathing method—it was absolutely indispensable.

Thus, the imperial tomb was a must-visit.

Moreover, Shanghai City was already far from Chang'an City.

With the land now expanded, the travel time would only grow longer.

Finally.

Lu Yuan planned to rest for one night, prepare everything, and then head straight to his destination.

Shenzhen City.

This was the economic hub of the south.

Within the country, its status was no less than that of the Magic City, Shanghai.

Otherwise, it wouldn't have become one of the main zones for the five future super-cities.

In the city center stood a hundred-meter-tall skyscraper.

From the top floor, one could overlook most of the urban area.

The interior of the building was lavishly decorated, brightly lit.

And this entire building.

Belonged entirely to one company: Chang Sheng Gene.

After the global mutation, money turned into worthless paper, and countless wealthy individuals went bankrupt overnight, becoming ordinary people.

But during this time, Chang Sheng Gene seized the opportunity and gained the upper hand.

Its research institutes.

Extracted mysterious substances from certain spiritual fruits and exotic grasses, managing to create Awakened.

More importantly, the family controlling Chang Sheng Gene had revived some kind of powerful bloodline. In just one month, they took control of most of Shenzhen City, their influence greater than ever.

Even the government, in the early stages of the mutation, managed to stabilize Shenzhen City's situation only through cooperation with Chang Sheng Gene.

They directly became a force rivaling domestic powers like Wuzhou Group and Tianshen Technology.

In fact.

Among the five super-cities planned by the government, aside from Shuntian City.

Four of them.

Were now each occupied by a powerful faction.

Just like Shenzhen City at present, Chang Sheng Gene was the de facto ruler.

Now.

In a room on a high floor of the Longevity Building.

Dozens of men in black suits stood upright, hands behind their backs.

Judging by their demeanor, none were ordinary.

All were well-trained.

And nearly all were Awakened—beings looked up to from the outside.

But now, these men all wore respectful expressions, gazing in the same direction.

There, a middle-aged woman leaned back on a sofa, dressed in a wine-red qipao, very elegant. On her wrist was an emerald jade bracelet, radiating a warm luster, appearing somewhat extraordinary.

"So, the people we sent to investigate the Meteorite Incident at Wuzhou Farm are all dead?"

The woman spoke, lifting a bowl of strong tea, her tone cold.

"Yes."

"Two teams in a row were lost outright. This time, I was careless. I guarantee it won't happen again."

A middle-aged man spoke with his head lowered.

The elite squad from Chang Sheng Gene carried special devices.

Once they died, those behind them would know immediately.

He had learned the news.

And came right away.

After all, the mission was incomplete, and he had to bear responsibility, so his words begged the woman for another chance.

"How interesting."

The woman took a light sip of tea, her gaze icy, then fixed her eyes on a document on the table.

The document wasn't thick, and on top lay a photo.

As for the person in that photo.

It was none other than Lu Yuan!