The moment the word "apologize" was spoken.
The Awakened surrounding them couldn't help shivering.
They had only just been about to apologize when the other party had attacked without warning and killed a major figure.
And five or six other Awakened.
Now
at the sound of those same two words again, everyone's scalp prickled.
If Zhou Yunqiong pushed him too far, would he go on another killing spree?
And his opponent was the Zhou Family of the Wuzhou Group. Could she really afford to be so forceful? Was she unwilling to yield even a little?
In this new era, everyone knew the law of the jungle, and many were gradually getting used to it. Some already had several lives on their hands.
Yet they still couldn't imagine Lu Yuan acting this way.
They could sum it up in one word.
Reckless!
"Ah!"
Just then, an angry voice rang out.
The man Lu Yuan had struck into the mountainside appeared.
His hair was a tangled mess, his face filthy, and he looked utterly disheveled. Bloodstains covered his body.
He rushed toward them, fury filling his eyes, as if flames were about to burst from them.
Clearly, Yi was truly enraged.
Ever since the new era began and their abilities had emerged,
he had never suffered such a blow. It was intolerable.
He had been injured earlier because he'd let his guard down, but that wouldn't happen again.
At the same time, the Awakened from the Wuzhou Group also closed in one by one, their faces hostile.
"Yi, calm down. And all of you, stand down."
But the next moment,
Zhou Yunqiong spoke, her tone stern and commanding.
Sure enough, as soon as she spoke, both Yi and the Wuzhou Group's people withdrew. They didn't attack again, simply standing where they were.
Many were stunned, finding it hard to believe. The Third Miss had been killed, and they could still hold back?
One order, and they all stood down?
That showed just how much authority the young lady held within the Wuzhou Group.
Still, they were curious how she would handle the aftermath. After all, the person who'd been killed was her own younger sister.
Seeing Yi and the people beside her held back,
Zhou Yunqiong looked at Lu Yuan once more, but soon her gaze shifted to the Great Luo Sword Embryo.
Yes. He was completely different from the person in her memory.
Especially after what had just happened.
His speed had been incredible.
Had he stumbled upon some great fortune?
Though she couldn't sense his exact strength, Zhou Yunqiong was certain.
Lu Yuan was no longer ordinary. At the very least, he was vastly different from the person they had studied before.
So... was it because of that black sword?
Indeed.
After the new era began, all sorts of divine objects would appear. The Wuzhou Group had some too, containing extraordinary power beyond the bounds of imagination. But they were usually difficult to control, and could easily backfire.
That had to be it.
Zhou Yunqiong pondered.
Lu Yuan wasn't in a hurry either. He stood there, his clothes immaculate, without a speck of dust.
"No."
Zhou Yunqiong finally spoke. Her voice was lovely. "My Third Sister was too reckless just now. She got what she deserved. I'm the one who should apologize to you."
As she spoke, she lowered her head slightly, as though she didn't even care that her younger sister had died.
She had no intention of seeking revenge.
In fact, she was apologizing on her sister's behalf.
That sight
left everyone stunned.
She could let go of such a deep grudge—and then choose to apologize?
The Zhou Family's eldest daughter really was extraordinary.
Was it composure
or coldness?
Beside her, Yi and the Wuzhou Group's people also looked at her in confusion.
More importantly, not one of them voiced any objection to Zhou Yunqiong's decision.
But Lu Yuan wasn't surprised. He knew exactly what kind of person she was. Her bloodline was the strongest in the Zhou Family, and her talent surpassed even the so-called Five Great Supremes. In his previous life, she had achieved extraordinary heights with the resources of the Wuzhou Group.
Zhou Yunqiong's defining traits were her composure and meticulousness. She never let her emotions sway her.
Combined with her powerful bloodline,
even the Zhou Family Patriarch would likely heed her words.
Perhaps
she would simply forget everything that had just happened and continue trying to win him over.
"But, as I said before."
"If you're interested, you can come find me at the Wuzhou Group."
Sure enough, Zhou Yunqiong spoke again the next moment, a faint smile on her face.
It was as if her sister's death and the deaths of her subordinates were no more than the loss of a few cats or dogs—not worth getting angry or upset over.
Even the group of Awakened beside her were stunned.
They could hardly believe it.
Was that it?
The young lady had backed down, ignored her sister's death, and was now actively trying to recruit him. What was going on?
Of course, they couldn't understand what Zhou Yunqiong was thinking.
They simply weren't on the same level.
"I'm really not interested."
Lu Yuan shook his head and said nothing more.
If she didn't want to provoke him again, that suited him just fine.
Then he turned around and looked toward Mount Li in the distance.
Lu Yuan could already feel the world around him beginning to change.
Rumble!
Sure enough,
the next moment, a tremendous roar rang out from the sky.
The Awakened, who had just been shocked by Lu Yuan's forceful actions, were immediately drawn to it.
They saw that the great gate before Mount Li had stabilized. It now stood fully revealed, as though it truly existed.
Streams of light poured into the gate, and ancient images gradually appeared across its surface.
Everyone knew the Imperial Tomb was about to open. Perhaps it would happen at any moment.
The aura was violent, distorting the surrounding world.
Even the sky had darkened completely.
The overwhelming pressure seemed to squeeze the breath from their lungs. The dragon-shaped vital energy atop the mountain looked as though it were about to come alive, its body beginning to take solid form. The sight left everyone shaken.
"I'll be waiting for your answer."
Seeing this, Zhou Yunqiong
left Lu Yuan with those words, then turned around.
She had come for the Mount Li Imperial Tomb, so she left at once, giving her subordinates orders to prepare.
Yi took a long look at Lu Yuan but said nothing, then followed her.
Yet with each step he took, his injuries began to heal.
At the same time, the aura within him continued to pour outward.
Then, in the next instant, a powerful aura surged from his entire body.
In the blink of an eye,
light enveloped Yi from head to toe.
His black hair grew long and turned silver, while his body began to change and grow taller.
Most strikingly, a pair of white wings suddenly appeared on his back. With a slight beat, he shot into the sky, soaring above everyone as arcs of lightning coiled around his wings.
He looked utterly different now. Light swirled around him, and his silver hair cascaded like a waterfall. He was nothing short of flawless.
"Yi is the Winged Sky God!"
"That person just now was the Winged Sky God?"
"No wonder he's been nowhere to be seen. He can change his appearance!"
The Awakened surrounding them were all stunned by what they saw, their faces filled with disbelief.
Who could have imagined the Winged Sky God would appear in the guise of an ordinary person?
The form he had revealed now
was surely his strongest, wasn't it?
Soon,
some of them turned their eyes toward Lu Yuan.
The Winged Sky God had just left him a meaningful look.
No one present was a fool. They knew Yi was truly enraged. Anyone could feel the displeasure of the man standing at the summit of the Awakened, and it was clear he had set his sights on Lu Yuan.
This was going to end badly.
They were sure Lu Yuan would be in trouble.
That was the Winged Sky God, one of the Five Great Supremes.
He was immensely powerful, and his pair of wind-and-thunder wings contained a fearsome force.
A moment ago, he had been in an ordinary form. Now that he had revealed his true appearance, he truly looked like a god.
At that moment,
everyone looked at Lu Yuan with sympathy.
Of all people, why had he chosen to offend the powerful Winged Sky God?
The Zhou Family's eldest daughter might be shielding him now, but what about later?
They knew
Lu Yuan might be quite strong too.
But the Winged Sky God's reputation was immense, and he had the Wuzhou Group backing him.
Yet Lu Yuan remained where he was, his gaze calm.
He really hadn't expected this.
After all, in his previous life, he had been far too weak to cross paths with the so-called Winged Sky God, let alone meet him.
But
now Lu Yuan was pondering something else.
The Winged Sky God's true identity.
He possessed a special bloodline that did not belong to this world. He wasn't even a pure-blooded member of the human race, but came from beyond the stars, from a peerless race born powerful.
The global upheaval had not affected this world alone. It had changed the entire universe, bringing a cataclysm unseen for tens of millions of years.
Before long, people from distant star systems would descend at a certain point in time.
All the terrifying myths and legends would gradually have their veils lifted.
For now, only a corner had been unveiled.
That was the true crisis.
And it was the real reason Lu Yuan had always wanted to grow stronger.
A sense of urgency had always weighed on him, driving him to evolve and grow stronger at a rapid pace.
As for Chang Sheng Gene and the Wuzhou Group, he had never taken them too seriously. He had never considered them enemies, because by then, everything they knew would have changed.
Lu Yuan shook his head,
casting aside his distracting thoughts.
Now, he focused intently on the Mount Li Imperial Tomb.
The place where the Ancestral Dragon lay in slumber.
It would be the site of another transformation—a land of great fortune for him.
Even so,
pair after pair of eyes remained fixed on him.
"I didn't expect that guy surnamed Lu to actually show up."
On the Chang Sheng Gene side, Wang Tao had also turned his gaze toward him after the earlier clash.
After seeing Lu Yuan, Wang Tao compared him with the photograph and confirmed that he was the person he had been looking for.
But he hadn't expected the man to dare clash with Wuzhou Group—and in the end, he had nearly come to blows with Winged Sky God.
"It must be that sword."
Suddenly,
Wang Tao thought of the Great Luo Sword Embryo in Lu Yuan's hands.
It was after that sword appeared that Lu Yuan had displayed such terrifying strength, far beyond anyone's expectations.
He was certain that, just as his mother had said, the man had gained something from that meteorite from beyond the heavens. Otherwise, he wouldn't dare face Wuzhou Group head-on. He must have a trump card to rely on—and that trump card was the sword.
If Wang Tao got his hands on it, wouldn't he be able to challenge that elder brother of his directly?
For a moment, Wang Tao's heart raced with desire.
"Second Young Master."
However, the Long-robed Elder soon came over. "You're no match for him. It's best not to get any ideas."
He was a powerful Awakened too, and he had watched the battle just now, but he couldn't gauge Lu Yuan's exact strength.
Even so, he could tell that Lu Yuan was extremely powerful, especially with that sword.
It was definitely some kind of mysterious divine treasure.
That was why he'd come to advise Wang Tao.
"I know."
Wang Tao smiled. "But no matter how strong he is, he's still just one person. We have plenty of advanced weapons. Of course, I'll put the greater good first."
His thinking was simple. Once Mount Li Imperial Tomb opened, it would surely contain a great opportunity—but it wouldn't be his. Most of it would go to that elder brother of his.
If that was the case, he might as well change targets and go after Lu Yuan instead. That could be much easier.
Still, Wang Tao said that to keep the elder calm.
Of course,
Wang Tao wasn't the only one thinking that way.
Beidou Biology, Tianshen Technology, and the other factions had all taken notice of Lu Yuan.
They all thought the sword was unusual, perhaps some kind of divine treasure, and began considering whether to recruit him—or do something else.
But none of those factions acted rashly. Their main target for now was still Mount Li Imperial Tomb. What lay inside was more important.
"That's him?"
Elsewhere, at the site where Zhendan Academy had gathered,
Zhu Qingyu stared at Lu Yuan's back, astonishment in her eyes.
She had been focused on Mount Li Imperial Tomb, but the clash had just been too intense. Even Winged Sky God had shown up, so she couldn't help looking over. And the moment she did, she was stunned. It was the man she'd met in the forest outside Qingyang City.
He was actually this powerful.
How had she not noticed before?
"What is it? Do you know him?" Dean Zheng asked, looking down at her in puzzlement.
Lu Yuan's display just now had certainly caught everyone's attention. Even he couldn't ignore it.
He had even wondered
whether they could get him to join Zhendan Academy.
As for killing, there had been too much of that since the new era began. As long as it didn't happen in one of the five supercities, it could be overlooked.
"I've met him, but I don't know his name," Zhu Qingyu said after a moment's thought.
"That's because he was rude and wouldn't say a word."
Qin Lan chimed in, but quickly hunched her shoulders as she recalled the moment Zhou Biqiong had been killed.
She suddenly felt lucky Zhu Qingyu had stopped her back then. If she'd said another couple of words—
Judging by his attitude now, wouldn't he have attacked her too?
She shuddered.
He was a little scary.
"Is that so?"
Dean Zheng didn't ask any more questions. He turned his attention back to Mount Li Imperial Tomb.
Now, almost everyone was doing the same thing, waiting for it to open.
Rumble!
As time passed,
the ancient gate began to tremble, its rumbling echoing through the air.
At the same time, surging waves of power rushed upward, gathering the clouds overhead and blotting out the sunlight. The spectacle grew more and more astonishing.
Boom!
A bolt of lightning struck down, stretching an unknown distance as it pierced the heavens and earth.
It had been caused by Mount Li Imperial Tomb, enough to make the whole world pale.
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
Soon, the air began to tremble.
Everyone felt as if a weight were pressing down on them, making it hard to breathe.
At the same time, the gate became completely solid, and the designs upon it began to glow.
There were auspicious beasts such as Qilin, Pixiu, and Dragon and Phoenix, but also evil beasts like Qiongqi, Taowu, and Taotie. They seemed about to come to life, wrench free of the gate, and appear in the world to show off their might.
The place where Ancestral Dragon slept was truly extraordinary!
Some people took out their phones and cameras to capture photos and videos, ready to post them online. They knew this would be huge news and draw an enormous amount of attention.
Thud, thud, thud.
At last,
after all the light had faded,
the gate trembled slowly, then began to open, revealing a narrow gap.
A primitive, desolate aura spilled out, as if a vast primeval world lay within.
Under that aura, some of the weaker Awakened turned pale, their hearts pounding.
Lu Yuan was still among the crowd.
Alone, of course.
The Awakened around him automatically moved aside, out of respect for the strong.
He gazed at Mount Li Imperial Tomb, his expression growing solemn.
If one were to name the most mysterious places in the country, places said to hold supreme fortune and surpass countless famous mountains and rivers, this would certainly be among them. Others included Kunlun, Taihang, Qinling, and Shennongjia.
So it was only natural for the imperial tomb to reveal such strange phenomena as it opened.
There were too many legends surrounding it, shrouding it in mystery.
Especially in this new era.
Nothing that happened inside would be surprising.
Rumble, rumble~
Another thunderous boom rang out.
The gap in the gate widened steadily until, at last, it opened completely.
Beyond the gate stood a flight of White Jade Stairs, glowing faintly. But they didn't descend—they climbed upward, disappearing from sight, like a heavenly road leading to the immortal realm!
Could it be
that the place where Ancestral Dragon slept was not underground, but in the heavens?
That was everyone's first thought when they saw the stairs.
But it lasted only an instant.
A strange aura appeared before them, seeming to tell everyone that if they went inside, they would undergo a transformation!
"Mount Li Imperial Tomb has opened! Everyone, follow me inside. Another evolution is right before us!"
"Ancestral Dragon sleeps within, and supreme fortune awaits. Whoever gets it will reach the summit!"
"Charge! I'll be the first to go!"
At that moment,
under the influence of that aura,
the Awakened, who had been keeping their cool, all began to go a little mad.
Only those whose strength was at least the fifth tier of the Initial Realm remained where they were.
They sensed danger the instant the imperial tomb's gate opened—and it was intense.
Lu Yuan felt the same. He stood his ground, arms folded.
Rumble!
Sure enough,
the earth shook, a quake breaking out.
A vast stretch of land beneath the huge gate collapsed, opening countless pits, each about a hundred meters long and wide.
"W-what's going on?" someone cried out, stopping in their tracks and regaining a little of their composure.
"Those are... they look like Terracotta Warriors. That's right, they're fired clay soldiers."
"Yes, I've seen them on TV. They're Qin Dynasty Terracotta Warriors."
People who had drawn closer spoke up.
They had seen what lay in the pits, and their faces were filled with shock.
No one had expected Terracotta Warriors to be hidden here too. They were packed together, at least ten thousand of them.
Some held spears, some carried swords, some drove chariots, and some rode horses. Every one of them looked lifelike, like real people, and now they stood revealed before the world, leaving everyone stunned.
"What's there to be afraid of? They're just some Terracotta Warriors. Let's enter the imperial tomb."
One particularly bold Awakened quickly recovered from his brief shock.
He told the people behind him not to be afraid and urged them to enter the tomb.
He himself took the lead, striding at the very front.
Seeing this, some people didn't want to lose their head start and prepared to follow him inside.
They couldn't compare to the major factions. The only thing they could do was take a chance and rely on their nerve to seize an advantage.
"Those who trespass into His Majesty's tomb shall be executed without mercy!"
But just then,
the Terracotta Warrior general at the front actually spoke.
Behind him, the ten thousand Terracotta Warriors all took a step forward, raised their weapons, and shouted, "Executed without mercy!"
The cry seemed to cross two thousand years of time, resounding in every person's heart.
The tens of thousands of Terracotta Warriors formed ranks and marched out of the pits.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Step by step, they marched toward the crowd.
They had no human aura.
And yet they had come back to life, blocking the entrance to the imperial tomb, their blades pointed at every Awakened.
Everyone who saw this felt their scalps go numb, their faces filled with utter shock.
Mount Li Imperial Tomb had Terracotta Warriors more than two thousand years old.
And they had come to life.
Brothers, hear me out.
The protagonist has been preparing for three months. Once he leaves seclusion, he'll do only two things: sweep all before him and crush his opponents.
There'll be no saintly do-gooder, no suffering grievances. Whatever he encounters, he'll strike back with force.
And this is only the beginning. It won't get less satisfying from here—only more.
The author has an outline and a plan, so read with confidence!
And brothers, if you're enjoying the story, show your support with votes and five-star reviews. I'm down on my knees thanking you!
Before you continue