Chapter 57: The Northern Emperor's Wariness, The Legacy of the Ninety-Nine Sword Monuments

Morning dawned, bathing the world in radiant sunlight. A gentle breeze swept through, invigorating the senses and soothing the soul.

Chang'an City.

On the grounds of a military airfield, several passenger planes sped up, taking off and soaring into the skies. Inside one of them, Lu Yuan sat upright in his seat, eyes closed, quietly gathering his strength.

Today was the day he would journey to Ancient Shu Mountain.

Just as Director Zheng had said, all preparations had been made; there was no need to worry about the journey, for military aircraft would carry them. Though the cabin was not spacious, the speed more than compensated. Since the world’s transformation, the distance between Chang'an and Shu had grown vast—traveling on foot would take an untold amount of time. Even with Lu Yuan's current abilities, it would require considerable effort; with someone to ferry him, why refuse?

Besides him, several others occupied the cabin, all familiar faces: Zhu Qingyu, Qin Lan, and the Northern Emperor, famed as one of the Five Supremes. The rest were students from the Dawn Academy, each displaying impressive strength—at the fifth tier of the Initial Realm—clearly elite, gifted individuals.

As for Director Zheng, he had departed two days prior to make advance arrangements.

"Mr. Lu, the journey will take some time. Please have something to eat," Zhu Qingyu approached, carrying a tray. The food was not ordinary fare, but the meat of exotic beasts, beneficial to awakened ones.

"Thank you."

With the Ancestral Dragon Breathing Technique, Lu Yuan could go ten days or half a month without eating and feel no ill effects. Still, he did not refuse, accepting the offering, though he placed it aside and continued resting.

Since unlocking twelve genetic shackles, Lu Yuan had discovered something new. The remaining shackles were now keenly perceptible. By his estimation, breaking them would not be difficult; the key was to achieve resonance, nourishing them with spiritual and soul power until, with sufficient energy, they could be shattered—not one by one, but several at once, depending on the strength of one’s spirit and soul.

With the support of the Ancient Bodhi Tree, Lu Yuan was well equipped in this regard. Now, he nourished ten shackles simultaneously, awaiting the right moment to break them together. By this reckoning, achieving the Golden Body Realm would not take long.

"Senior, tell me, are you stronger, or is Lu Yuan?" Qin Lan glanced at Lu Yuan, then turned to ask quietly—a question that had troubled her for some time. Online discussions suggested Lu Yuan was superior, but she found it hard to accept, given that her senior was the Northern Emperor.

Hearing this, the Northern Emperor paused, then solemnly replied, "He is stronger than I am."

His words turned every head in the cabin.

Online debates raged over which of the Five Supremes was the strongest, each side with its arguments. Recently, the Winged Celestial, Asura, and the Ice Fairy had all advanced to the Awakening Realm, displaying greater strength, yet no consensus had been reached.

Now, the Northern Emperor admitted, before them all, that he was weaker than Lu Yuan.

"Senior, why do you say that?" Zhu Qingyu grew interested, as did the others, eager to know the reason, especially since there had been no direct confrontation. Lu Yuan had been in Chang'an for some time, and among the elite students present, they often trained together, growing familiar—something that would not have happened before.

At their questioning, the Northern Emperor gazed at Lu Yuan for a long moment.

"You all know my bloodline is special—most notably, my physique. In terms of the human body, I have extraordinary sensitivity. If we speak solely of physical strength, apart from the Winged Celestial, I fear neither of the other two, and could defeat them in short order."

"But Mr. Lu is different. Every time I sense his physique, I feel a shudder in my soul."

"It is as though a true dragon slumbers within him; should it awaken, the consequences would be terrifying."

The Northern Emperor had always been supremely confident in his physique. Even facing the likes of the Winged Celestial, he could battle fiercely, especially in hand-to-hand combat, where his chances were high. Yet now, after closely observing Lu Yuan, his confidence had vanished, replaced by deep apprehension.

This was the first time, since the world’s transformation and his bloodline awakening, that he had felt such unease.

"What?"

The others were astonished—never expecting their senior would admit inferiority in his own area of expertise. Their gazes toward Lu Yuan changed once more.

Pressed further, the question arose: between Lu Yuan and the Winged Celestial, who was stronger? The Northern Emperor offered no definitive answer, knowing the latter’s bloodline potential had been awakened and was now stronger than before.

Qin Lan and the others could only sigh and turn the conversation to the upcoming journey to Ancient Shu Mountain.

Dawn Academy had invited many awakened ones, with estimates suggesting at least ten thousand would attend.

Ancient Shu Mountain was famed for tales of the Sword Immortal. If one could comprehend and inherit such a legacy, the benefits would be immense; no one could resist the temptation.

Each academy branch would send elite students, including those with modest strength but exceptional insight.

Most powerful awakened ones possessed strong bloodlines, or had consumed spiritual fruits and exotic herbs, awakening their inner power.

Bloodline and insight were often discussed together, but in truth, they were distinct. Bloodline determined potential and rapid advancement, while insight manifested in sensitivity to breathing and meditation techniques, enabling swift comprehension and mastery. Such individuals might lack current strength, but given time, their achievements would be great.

Usually, bloodline and insight coexisted.

Those heading to Ancient Shu Mountain were supremely confident in their own insight.

Qin Lan and the others listed several candidates, debating who might best comprehend the legacy.

One person caught Lu Yuan's attention: the Young Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, Pure Yang. Though not counted among the Five Supremes, he was universally acknowledged for his extraordinary insight, having mastered numerous Dragon Tiger Mountain traditions to great acclaim.

"It seems this journey to Ancient Shu Mountain will not lack excitement," Lu Yuan mused, lips curling into a smile. He was not truly meditating; he heard all the discussion, especially the Northern Emperor’s appraisal, which surprised him. Clearly, the man’s physique was remarkable, and despite wearing the Innate One Qi Garment, Lu Yuan was still partly discerned. But it mattered little.

He turned his attention inward, continuing to nourish the deep genetic shackles.

Time passed.

Several days later—

Boom!

A loud explosion jolted Lu Yuan from his meditation. A fierce raptor had been provoking them at high altitude, and only a missile had brought it down. Such incidents had occurred repeatedly in recent days; there was always the risk of pursuit. Now, only military planes dared fly at such heights; civilian flights had long ceased.

Unconcerned, Lu Yuan checked the time—it seemed they were nearly there. He peered through the window.

A chain of towering mountains stretched skyward, their peaks reaching parallel with the plane, attesting to their incredible height. The mountains were lush, covered in ancient trees, and from time to time, the cries of primordial beasts echoed.

Nowadays, outside certain cities, most of the world had reverted to a primal wilderness, suffused with a wild, untamed atmosphere.

"Mr. Lu, we’ll be descending soon—about half an hour left," Zhu Qingyu called out, reminding him to prepare.

"All right," Lu Yuan replied, rising to stretch.

They had arrived.

Meanwhile—

On a newly cleared field beneath Ancient Shu Mountain, armed troops stood guard, forming a tight perimeter. Tanks and armored vehicles lined up in formation. Any attempt to cross the threshold would be met with overwhelming firepower. Concealed in the shadows, even more formidable weapons were trained on the area.

Within the cordon, a crowd surged—awakened ones, numbering over twenty thousand by initial estimates. Clearly, as time passed, more and more had gained extraordinary power and begun their journey of evolution.

The awakened gathered on the field, each brimming with excitement, gazing toward the mountain. The legacy of Ancient Shu Mountain—who would not desire it? Unlike the expedition to the Emperor’s Tomb at Lishan, which involved three deadly trials and many casualties, here, one merely needed to meditate and comprehend, making it far less dangerous and all the more enticing.

All eyes focused ahead.

There, a colossal peak towered, its summit shaped like a sword thrusting into the heavens, radiating immense power. From the summit, a series of steps descended to the base, and at intervals, stood black stone steles, each three meters tall. Though unremarkable at first glance, each was engraved with a lifelike sword motif, as if a true divine blade resided within.

Counting them, there were ninety-nine sword steles, arrayed in sequence, with the highest at the summit. Everyone knew that the stele at the top contained the strongest and most extraordinary legacy.

Of course, many believed there was no need to reach the summit; even comprehending the stele at the mountain's foot would suffice.

"Old Zheng, how many sword stele legacies do you think we’ll unlock this time?" At the mountain's base, an elder addressed Director Zheng.

The elder was Chen, head of the Dawn Academy in Shuntian City, the highest-ranking among all branches. Three others—two men and a woman—were heads of the other great cities.

"Hard to say. If we manage to unlock a dozen or so, that would be good," Director Zheng replied, shaking his head. "And I suspect most will be around the thirtieth level."

For this sword stele legacy meditation, Dawn Academy had prepared extensively. There were ninety-nine levels; the higher the number, the greater the prestige and difficulty.

Thirty was about one-third of the way.

"Indeed, compared to the first level, comprehending the thirtieth requires extraordinary insight," responded another, the headmistress of the Shanghai Academy, a woman in her thirties or forties. She sighed, having attempted herself, successfully comprehending one legacy, but only at the fifteenth level.

In fact, when Dawn Academy had marshaled its elite, even summoning seasoned Daoist priests, the highest anyone reached was the twenty-first level, and none succeeded in fully comprehending a sword stele legacy. The difficulty was immense, requiring exceptional insight.

Thus, their hopes rested on a broad approach, inviting many to try, though the outcome remained uncertain.

"Look, Asura is here—Asura of Celestial Technology," someone exclaimed, seeing several people emerge along the mountain path.

"Asura uses blades, doesn’t he? Why is he here to meditate on sword stele legacies?"

"That’s the Ice Fairy—she’s arrived too."

"Two of the Five Supremes are here. This is almost as lively as the Emperor’s Tomb."

"Don’t you know? The Northern Emperor and the newly ascended Human Emperor Lu Yuan are expected as well."

"So, only the Winged Celestial is absent."

As Asura and the Ice Fairy approached, the crowd buzzed with discussion. Although sword stele legacies depended on insight, the strong often had keen insight as well. Speculation abounded as to who might claim the highest rank, but there was no certainty; insight and bloodline power were fundamentally different, impossible to judge by outward appearance.

As time passed, more and more arrived—some from the so-called Top Hundred rankings. Yet the five Dawn Academy heads remained unmoved. Even before the event began, they knew, from past performances, that most were comparable in insight; reaching the twentieth level was already impressive.

Until, not long after, a young man in Daoist robes appeared, and the five heads’ faces lit up with joy.

"The Young Celestial Master Pure Yang from Dragon Tiger Mountain—remarkably gifted. The old master calls him a once-in-a-century genius."

"This time, whether we obtain a stronger legacy depends on Pure Yang’s performance."

"I believe he can reach at least the thirtieth level—perhaps higher."

They spoke in turn, holding high hopes for the young master, and soon went over to greet him.

Shortly after, their eyes brightened again—another young monk arrived, Huikong from Jiuhua Mountain, the current abbot’s disciple, ranked in the top ten of the Hundred List, equally gifted as Pure Yang.

It was no surprise; monks and Daoists had always been paragons of meditation and enlightenment. The profound and obscure doctrines of Buddhism and Daoism were easily grasped by such people.

In terms of insight, Pure Yang and Huikong surpassed the Five Supremes, held back only by their bloodlines for now. Given time, they would surely become powerful awakened ones—bloodline sets the baseline, but talent and insight determine the ceiling.

Thus, the arrival of the Daoist and the monk sparked heated debate. Even the Ice Fairy and Asura glanced over, understanding that this time, the contest for ranking would likely be between these two.

"Has Mr. Lu arrived yet?" the Ice Fairy asked, glancing toward the mountain path, thoughtful.

She had long heard that Lu Yuan would attend the Ancient Shu Mountain sword stele meditation, and by rights, he should have arrived.

Indeed, a few minutes later, a group appeared in the distance. At the forefront was the Northern Emperor, with Zhu Qingyu and Qin Lan beside him. Lu Yuan followed behind, low-key as ever.

But times had changed.

Lu Yuan was now one of the Five Supremes, bearing the title of Human Emperor. Recently, he had repeatedly struck at key figures in the Wu Zhou Group and Longevity Gene, even slaying the Southern Emperor, making him a figure of intense attention.

Many were curious about him; now, seeing him in person, nearly all turned to get a better look. Yet none approached, for all knew he was a fearsome presence—not to be trifled with, especially after daring to kill in Chang'an.

"Mr. Lu, you’re quite famous now," Zhu Qingyu teased with a bright smile.

Lu Yuan simply smiled back, indifferent to fame.

At that moment, he looked up, gazing at the Ancient Shu Sword Mountain—specifically, the ninety-ninth sword stele at the summit.

Having obtained the Grand Luo Sword Embryo, how could he not seek the most fitting sword art legacy?

Today, he would claim it.

Brothers, cast your votes! The child is crying for food.

(End of chapter)