Chapter 114: No Compromise, Reshaping the Physique, The Great Solar Furnace!

In the eyes of everyone, King Lu was the strongest person alive.

Who else could suppress the entire world with his presence alone and silence every mutated beast?

Now, a group of people had appeared overseas. Not only were they arrogant and overbearing, they had even brazenly demanded land and population.

Everyone was already furious, but the problem was that modern weapons were completely incapable of harming the Three Immortal Islands.

Having lost their most powerful means, they could not reverse the situation even if they wished to. Thus, everyone thought of Lu Yuan almost simultaneously.

They knew that if King Lu took action, he would certainly be able to change the situation completely.

However, many people also knew that ever since he had returned to Mount Tai, he seemed to have entered secluded cultivation.

He had not shown himself for over a month.

And even more powerful figures from the Three Islands could land at any time.

That was the final deadline. They had to give an answer, or matters would become extremely difficult afterward.

The authorities were indeed somewhat helpless. Since the advent of the New Age, many matters had fallen beyond their control.

They had therefore begun considering what methods they should use in the future to adapt to and resolve the many crises ahead. They could not always rely on others, could they?

Regardless, the current crisis had to be resolved. Thus, Elder Ji came to the coast of the Bohai Sea and convened a meeting of the highest level.

“I oppose asking King Lu for help again. He has already done more than enough for us and for the people.”

“If we cannot even handle this matter ourselves, what will we do in the future?”

Elder Yun was the first to speak in the conference room, clearly stating his position.

Several others sat beside him. They were all members of the Supreme Seven.

“I agree.” Elder Ji looked toward the others. “It is impossible to have King Lu come to our rescue every time something happens. If that is the case, what need is there for old men like us?”

The meaning behind their words was simple. They all believed that Lu Yuan could certainly reverse the current situation if he intervened.

But the key issue was this: if they left every problem to someone else, how would they deal with even more troublesome emergencies in the future?

It had to be understood that whether it was the Longevity Gene and Divine God Technology, the negotiations with the Ten Great Beast Kings atop Mount Tai’s Jade Emperor Peak, the recent events at Mount Olympus, or the chaos unfolding in various places, almost everything had been resolved through Lu Yuan’s efforts alone.

They had contributed very little.

As the people who currently controlled most of the nation’s resources and power, they bore great responsibility for allowing the situation to deteriorate to this point.

“What, then, do you suggest we do next?”

Someone spoke after a moment of thought, clearly feeling that their words made sense.

But now they had to produce a practical plan. How were they supposed to withstand the existence of the Three Immortal Islands overseas?

“Mass troops along the Bohai coast!” Elder Yun suddenly declared, a sharp glint appearing in his eyes. “There may be beings at the Golden Body Realm among the Three Islands, but modern weapons have not yet been rendered obsolete. At worst, we fight.”

“I refuse to believe that, under these circumstances, we cannot stop them from forcing their way ashore!”

He was not like the younger generation, such as the Pure Yang Little Celestial Master, who possessed little relevant experience.

Elder Yun was the man responsible for controlling all military deployments.

When it came to methods and tactics, he was unquestionably beyond comparison with those few juniors.

“Exactly. They have made such outrageous demands. If we tolerate this, what will we not tolerate? So what if we fight?” Elder Ji spoke as well.

To be honest, the two elders truly did not wish to leave every matter to Lu Yuan. Otherwise, they would appear utterly useless.

Besides, all seven people present had reached the Lock Realm. Their strength was by no means weak. It was impossible that they could not handle a situation of this scale.

“That may be possible, but what about Gu Sang, Pure Yang, and the others?”

Someone frowned, worried about the younger generation being held hostage.

That was also why they had been unable to act before.

“I will personally lead a squad and find a way to rescue them when the time comes.” Elder Yun rose to his feet and continued, “If we can save them, that would be best. But if we cannot, then in matters of right and wrong, I believe we must make the correct choice.”

His meaning was clear. This was an unavoidable decision. Since the overall situation was at stake, they had no choice but to act in this manner.

“Very well. It seems this is the only way.”

The man nodded, knowing that it was indeed the correct decision.

When one occupied a position of power, one had to think of the greater number.

The situation was extremely grave. As for those people overseas, they could neither compromise nor afford to compromise.

“Everyone.”

At that moment, Elder Ji stood and looked toward the others. “After this matter, we must change our way of thinking as well.”

“We must devote more resources to creating several truly powerful figures. We cannot leave everything to King Lu.”

After everything that had happened recently, he had finally understood one truth. Having more Awakened Ones was certainly important, but what mattered even more was producing powerful individuals capable of standing guard and serving as the nation’s foundation.

In the New Age, numbers alone were no longer enough. The strength of a single person could overturn everything, just as Lu Yuan had done.

After he finished speaking, everyone present nodded. They understood that change was necessary.

As for Lu Yuan, he was still in seclusion.

No one knew when he would emerge.

Of course, none of that mattered for the moment. They had to put their plan into action.

They had two objectives. First, rescue Pure Yang and Gu Sang. Second, mobilize more troops and modern weapons in preparation for a true, all-out battle against the people overseas.

At the same time, they decided that the public must not learn of these matters. Everything had to be carried out in secret.

To be safe, they also dispatched people to monitor Lu Yuan’s movements at all times.

Elder Ji and Elder Yun intended to resolve everything through the power of the state.

Once the decision was made, they immediately began to act.

That very night, troops from various regions began moving out, continuously arriving along the coast of the Bohai Sea.

Inside one of the buildings at the Mount Tai Trial Institute, Lu Yuan sat cross-legged in a room.

The scorching aura surrounding him was gradually fading.

Around his body, golden blood and vital energy continued to tremble before finally sinking back into him.

Yet the might radiating from his body had grown even denser and heavier than before.

Even sitting there, he gave off an oppressive presence like a mountain.

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

No one knew how much time had passed.

Strange sounds began to emerge from within his body.

They were soon followed by the rhythmic pounding of his heart, echoing like war drums.

Before long, fifteen heavenly caverns appeared, then vanished just as quickly.

And behind him, a great sun suddenly emerged.

That was right—a great sun.

It radiated searing light, as though its temperature exceeded ten thousand degrees and could melt everything in existence.

However, under Lu Yuan’s deliberate control, its aura remained confined to the space within three inches of his body and did not spread outward.

Otherwise, the entire room might have been destroyed in an instant.

At the same time, the great sun radiated an indescribable power, as if it could melt anything. This force fused with the blood and vital energy surrounding his body, erupting with even greater might.

The great sun seemed to represent his blood and physical form—unceasingly vigorous, illuminating all things.

Within his body, the Eleventh-Level Blood Pagoda had vanished, and so had the Great Sun Flame Divine Furnace.

The two divine treasures had fused into an entirely new power.

The Great Sun Furnace.

Suddenly, Lu Yuan opened his eyes.

Strands of light emerged from his pupils, as though they could see through everything.

Behind him, the great sun grew ever more brilliant. Its temperature continued to rise, distorting the air around it.

“The two divine treasures fused and tempered my body once again?” Lu Yuan murmured to himself. But he soon realized that something was wrong. “No. This is not tempering. It is reconstruction. My body has not only become stronger; it may have also developed an entirely new ability.”

The human body contained endless mysteries. Once the physique reached a certain level, unexpected transformations could occur.

However, he was not certain what that ability might be. After thinking for a moment, he took out the Daluo Sword Embryo.

Then he drew it across the center of his palm.

Golden blood appeared.

But unlike before, it did not flow out.

More astonishingly, the wound began healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In less than a minute, it had recovered completely, without even leaving a scar.

Previously, when Lu Yuan’s physical body was injured, it could heal, but not quickly. It required a certain amount of time.

Now, however, the healing was astonishingly fast. His palm had returned to its original state in an instant.

“Is this the new ability—self-healing from injuries?” Lu Yuan was delighted.

He was already considering another question. If his body continued to grow stronger, might he one day be able to regenerate flesh and blood?

No matter how severe the injury, as long as his soul remained intact, he might be able to reconstruct his body, just as in the myths and legends.

This was very likely possible. He was certain of it; he simply was not strong enough yet.

But as long as he continued evolving, it would be entirely achievable.

“The gift from the Jiang clan truly suits me perfectly.”

At that thought, Lu Yuan revealed a faint smile. The Great Sun Flame Divine Furnace was indeed a supreme treasure.

Otherwise, it could not have brought about such a transformation after merging with him. Naturally, the Eleventh-Level Blood Pagoda had played a part as well.

In short, his physique now combined the strengths of both divine treasures. In particular, the Great Sun Furnace, which had replaced the Blood Pagoda of Vital Energy, could even serve as a method of combat in certain respects.

Furthermore, during this process, Lu Yuan had broken through five more genetic shackles.

He was now only eight shackles away from the one hundred and eight required to reach the pinnacle of the Lock Realm.

He was drawing ever closer.

He was filled with anticipation.

Once he completed the breakthrough, he would enter the Golden Body Realm. At that level, humanity would gain the ability to fly through the air.

Without giving it further thought, he cleared his mind completely.

Lu Yuan rose and walked out of the room.

He had no idea how long he had been in seclusion, but it had certainly been some time. Evolution and cultivation, after all, required a balance between exertion and rest.

“King Lu, you have emerged from seclusion.”

A voice sounded from outside the door. Zhu Qingyu walked in.

She had been assigned to monitor Lu Yuan’s movements. The moment he emerged from seclusion, she was required to report it.

The situation along the Bohai coast was such that a battle could break out at any moment. The authorities intended to resolve the crisis through their own strength.

They had instructed Zhu Qingyu to keep the matter concealed for the time being. She had thought Lu Yuan would need several more days before emerging.

She had not expected to be wrong. He had come out far sooner than anticipated.

But the matter was too serious.

How could she possibly conceal it?

“Mm.” Lu Yuan nodded.

He did not dwell on it and casually asked, “How is the situation outside?”

He might have to leave soon, so he wanted to give them advance notice.

“Ah, everything is perfectly normal.”

Zhu Qingyu answered, believing there was no problem.

But Lu Yuan immediately frowned.

The Second Mutation was already underway.

He had experienced it himself before. There had been all kinds of natural disasters. How could everything possibly be normal?

She was definitely hiding something from him.

He turned around at once and looked at the young woman before him. In a quiet voice, he asked, “Something has happened, hasn’t it?”

(End of Chapter)