Chapter 68: Identity in Doubt, Uproar, King of Humanity!

Although the video only revealed a shadowy figure, that silhouette was strikingly familiar—especially the commanding posture, the unwavering momentum, and the arrow released with such force. Zhu Qingyu was convinced she hadn't mistaken the identity.

Yet, she hesitated. That person was unquestionably powerful—but could they truly possess the strength to slay the king of exotic beasts?

"Qingyu, what are you talking about?" Director Zheng, standing nearby, interjected.

"Ah, Director," Zhu Qingyu snapped out of her reverie, voicing her thoughts. "I feel the mysterious person is familiar."

Her words immediately drew everyone's attention. Eyes filled with surprise, they gathered around her.

"Familiar? So you know who they are? Do you know their name?"
"Qingyu, what's going on? Where did you encounter someone like that?"
"The Lock Realm? Are you sure you didn't misjudge?"

Everyone spoke at once, eager to uncover the identity of the mysterious figure. The reason was simple: anyone capable of slaughtering eight exotic beast kings in such a short time was worthy of their attention—a true powerhouse, and more than that, a hero who had saved Chang'an City.

"It seems... it's Lu Yuan, but I'm not certain," Zhu Qingyu replied, sharing her speculation. She recounted the incident in Qingyang City, where a thunderous arrow was unleashed.

Of course, it was merely her conjecture, and she couldn't guarantee its accuracy, for there were differences from her memory.

Lu Yuan?

Everyone was taken aback, exchanging glances. This name had grown increasingly prominent lately. Upon his appearance, he had offended both Wu Zhou and Longevity, slain important figures—including the Southern Emperor—and was now considered on par with the likes of Winged Sky God. Especially after the journey to Ancient Shu Mountain, signs of surpassing them had emerged.

But the problem was, in their eyes, Lu Yuan's strength should have only reached the Awakening Realm. Did he have hidden depths? That would be astonishing. The Lock Realm—among exotic beasts, a king; among humans, likewise.

Commander Xu turned to Director Zheng, his gaze filled with doubt. Zheng had interacted with Lu Yuan longer and knew more, so he wanted his opinion.

"Well..." Director Zheng began, but was soon interrupted.

"Look, the figure is moving again."

The soldier monitoring the video called out, drawing everyone's attention. The question of identity could wait; the pressing matter was the beast tide. Though the eight beast kings had fallen, the crisis wasn’t over. They were curious how the mysterious figure would handle the situation. And once all was resolved, would he come to Chang'an City—then his identity would be clear.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield.

Lu Yuan withdrew his aura. The Heaven-Shaking Bow was placed inside the Meridian Furnace. He glanced at the corpses of the eight Lock Realm beasts, then turned to face the beast tide.

In his eyes, radiant brilliance surged. Though he was small compared to the beasts, his presence was overwhelming. Having just swept through the battlefield, invincible and unmatched, he caused the thousands of beasts opposite to stir restlessly, some even retreating outright.

Their sense of danger was sharper than humans'. The human before them was simply too powerful. Their kings had been slain without resistance—a scene too shocking.

Thus, at this moment, Lu Yuan's gaze alone subdued the vast beast tide.

Yet he did nothing, merely stood in place and beckoned.

The Golden-Winged Roc descended, no longer circling, its head lowered slightly. It knew its master was strong, but not to this extent—truly terrifying. For a moment, it wondered if its master was an immortal descended.

"Tell them: from today forward, never invade human cities or slaughter humans. They may return safely," Lu Yuan spoke. He had no intention of slaughtering all the beasts—there was no need.

After all, the war between humans and exotic beasts didn't require one side's total annihilation to end. The lowest tier of beasts were only driven by their stronger kin. Slaughter alone wouldn't solve everything. He had neither the energy nor the necessity.

Besides, whether beast or human, both were creatures of this world—endless enmity was unnecessary. In the future, they might have to face common enemies, perhaps even join forces.

"Understood." The Golden-Winged Roc spread its wings and moved before the beast tide.

A piercing cry echoed, vibrating the air. The beasts seemed to understand; the more powerful leaders bowed their heads toward the Roc and Lu Yuan in a gesture resembling gratitude, then turned and retreated along their original path back to the Qin Mountains.

Seeing this, a smile appeared on Lu Yuan's face as he folded his arms.

Why did the beast tide retreat, even showing gratitude? Were they thankful for his mercy? That was part of it. But the fundamental reason was his absolute strength.

Humans weighed pros and cons, as did beast kings like White King. Ordinary beasts, though, remained beasts at heart. Only overwhelming power could truly make them submit.

"Let's go," Lu Yuan said, seeing the tide disperse.

"Master, the blood of Lock Realm beasts is unusual. Refining it brings great benefit—won't you take some?" the Roc asked. Beast blood was nothing special, but beast kings like White King had undergone many transformations, their blood rich with energy.

For certain beings, it was akin to spiritual fruit or rare herbs, capable of triggering evolution.

"The so-called blood of beast kings is of no use to me," Lu Yuan replied.

He possessed a deep foundation, fused with various divine artifacts. In terms of bloodline, his power was immense—ordinary substances were useless. Beast blood carried animalistic tendencies; taking it lightly could even have adverse effects.

Of course, for other Awakeners, as the Roc said, refining the essence was beneficial. To Lu Yuan, though, flesh was preferable—at least it could sate hunger.

The Roc understood and said no more. Its situation was similar—it had a divine bloodline and cared little for ordinary beasts.

"By the way, White King mentioned that the beasts are planning something big. Do you know anything about it?" Lu Yuan suddenly remembered and asked.

"I don't know. I'm an outsider, different from the native creatures," the Roc shook its head. Otherwise, it would have joined the beast tide earlier.

Outsider?

These words made Lu Yuan narrow his eyes slightly. "You mean you're not a native of this world?"

This was significant, with far-reaching implications, for soon outsiders would invade.

He hadn't expected such beings to already exist.

Thinking of the woman Chen Song had mentioned, Lu Yuan pondered deeply.

"Yes, but my inherited memories are chaotic. I don't know when I came here, but deep in my blood, I feel close to this world. In short, I can evolve faster here," the Roc explained, though its knowledge was vague.

Perhaps, the arrival of outsiders was earlier than he imagined. In his previous life, he hadn't known simply because his level was too low—he couldn’t interact with them.

"No wonder, in a certain period, outsiders suddenly established their own forces," Lu Yuan mused, realizing he was beginning to touch upon more secrets. However, finding the answers would take time.

One thing was certain: someday, he would face those beings.

"My current strength isn’t enough," he murmured, shaking his head.

Lu Yuan stopped pondering, called out, and leaped onto the Roc's back. "Let's go to Shennongjia. That’s where your fortune lies—but no rush. My Martial Path Eye has just opened, and I need to adapt."

He had gained much recently, evolving rapidly, and needed time to digest. The opportunity wouldn't escape, and he could use the time to fully master his three divine abilities.

As for Chang'an City, now that the crisis was resolved, there was little reason to stay.

"Yes," the Roc replied, then soared into the sky and vanished.

Meanwhile, in Chang'an City's temporary command center.

Everyone stared at the video before them, watching the departing Lu Yuan, stunned for a long while before exchanging glances.

"So, the beast tide has retreated, and Chang'an City's crisis is resolved—just like that?"

"Seems so, but we did nothing from beginning to end."

"One person alone drove away thousands of beasts!"

The city’s leaders were astounded.

They had prepared extensively for this beast tide, even called for reinforcements, mustered all available strength. Yet even so, they couldn’t guarantee Chang'an's safety.

When the final moment arrived, they were ready to fight to the death in a brutal battle.

Yet in the end, none of it was needed—it felt unreal, but above all, they were relieved.

A disaster ended early, without any casualties—a blessing for all.

Of course, what shocked them most was that a human could be so powerful. And more importantly, that person commanded a fierce bird as formidable as a beast king—the Golden-Winged Roc of legend.

"Commander Xu, what should we do next?" Director Zheng spoke first. The beast tide had ended, but there were many tasks ahead. Everyone turned to him, awaiting a decision.

"Spread the news: outside Chang'an, someone fought the beast tide, slew eight beast kings alone, resolved the crisis. Post the video online," Commander Xu said, eyes bright. The whole country was watching, and citizens were anxious.

He felt it necessary to share the good news. Most importantly, to let everyone know: among humanity, there was a powerful figure.

With the new era, many were lost and fearful, uncertain about the future. He wanted to unite hearts—after all, the old era had ended.

This news would be a tonic, establishing a hero and helping the authorities and Shendan Academy advance their plans.

"But what about the mysterious person’s identity?" Director Zheng pondered. They had watched the whole battle but didn’t know who it was—Zhu Qingyu had a guess, but it was just that.

Moreover, the video was blurry—only the fight could be seen, not the man.

It felt like something was missing.

"I don’t think it matters," an elder mused. "The most important thing is giving people confidence."

"As for the identity, we’ll find out sooner or later."

His words found agreement among some; after all, someone so powerful couldn’t remain hidden for long. Perhaps the person didn’t want to be exposed yet—what mattered was victory, which was significant for the nation.

"All right," Director Zheng was convinced; in fact, he had no other solution.

As for whether the mysterious figure was Lu Yuan, no one discussed it further. They felt the gap in strength too great to connect the two.

Soon, at Commander Xu’s order, word spread that the battle was over, everyone withdrew into Chang'an, and the news was announced to the public:

[Outside Chang'an, beast tide struck. A mysterious figure appeared, single-handedly slaying eight beast kings and resolving the city's crisis.]

The news immediately caused a sensation in the city. Many had been pessimistic, but the beast tide was dealt with before it even came close—and by just one person.

It was astounding. Were it not officially released, no one would believe it.

After the initial shock, the citizens cheered. The beast tide was terrifying; once inside, none could escape—a disaster. But now, the crisis ended before it began, not a single injury, no more fear—a great blessing.

Upon hearing the news, some wept, some rejoiced—nothing was better than being alive.

Beyond Chang'an, the event swept the country like a hurricane, shaking the other four super cities. Countless people took notice; forums buzzed with debate.

Everyone wanted to know what had happened.

Since the new era began, this was the first time a beast tide ended this way—astonishing.

Soon, they saw the answer: Chang'an’s leaders posted the battle video online. Though blurry, everyone could see a man descending from the sky, landing before the beast tide.

With an invincible demeanor, he slew eight beast kings in short order—effortlessly, utterly dominant.

"So strong—humans can actually evolve to this level!"

"Eight beast kings, and one man alone faced them!"

"The Five Supremes? We were too narrow-minded before."

"Exactly! This is a true powerhouse—I declare, this is my goal from now on!"

"In the past, faced with beast kings, we were powerless. But now, it’s different. Because we humans, we Chinese, have our own king—a king among humans!"

(End of chapter)