Chapter 82: A Frenzied Act, a Threat That Destroys All Humanity!

Wang Zhenyun’s face was twisted with rage, his voice booming out in a near-roar. His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead—he resembled an enraged lion, having reached the very limits of his fury. The words he uttered bordered on madness.

Beside him, the two madams were momentarily stunned, exchanging bewildered glances as if unable to comprehend what he was saying.

“Master, what’s wrong?” the first madam asked, her voice trembling with fear.

“That man surnamed Lu is too powerful. No one in the Wang family can stand against him. If he comes, we’re all doomed. But I refuse to accept this. The Wang family cannot simply vanish—there’s still one last way. Even if the Wang family falls, I’ll make sure everyone remembers us,” Wang Zhenyun said, now somewhat calmer, though the madness in his eyes had not abated.

As he spoke, it was clear that time had all but run out for the Wang family. Their true strength had barely been revealed; the new era had only just begun, and everything was still in preparation.

But now, there was no way forward. Wang Zhenyun knew Lu Yuan would not give them another chance. He still could not quite fathom why Lu Yuan was so strong—while most people lingered in the initial or awakening realms, Lu Yuan had already entered the Shackles Stage, and by all appearances, had already broken through for some time. He had single-handedly slaughtered all the agents of the three great powers in Hu City.

In his heart, Wang Zhenyun regretted provoking such a god of slaughter. But regret was pointless now. The only thing left for him to do was to protect the Wang family as much as possible in these final moments. If that proved impossible, then he would drag as many as he could down with him, leaving the Wang family with company in death and imprinting upon the world an indelible, nightmarish memory.

He knew full well that such an act was utterly inhumane. But what did it matter now? The entire Longevity Gene Corporation, the Wang family itself, was on the verge of annihilation—there was no time for scruples.

“Master, what exactly do you plan to do? I’ll support you with everything I have!” the second madam said, her voice laced with hatred. Since her son Wang Tao’s death, her heart had died with him. All she could think of was vengeance, but now, even that seemed beyond her grasp—madness had begun to take root in her as well. To her, all of this was someone else’s fault, and those responsible should pay the price.

The first madam remained silent, her gaze upon her husband clearly showing her support.

“Recently, the seas have been unsettled. Surveillance reports indicate a massive convergence of exotic beasts off the coast of Deep City. They’re gathering, but haven’t made a move yet—they seem to be weighing the strength of humanity. Both Dawn Academy and Beidou Biotech are closely monitoring the situation, maintaining a precarious balance.

“But that balance can be easily broken. A single attack, a single missile, could provoke them. Lu Yuan wants to destroy us? Then let him know—if we die, we’ll strike back, enraging the sea beasts. Let’s see if he dares act then!” Wang Zhenyun, as the true master of Longevity Gene, was well aware of such matters. Until now, they had acted with caution, fearing a sudden outbreak from the sea beasts, whose numbers and strength were immense. Longevity Gene’s headquarters was in Deep City; any trouble would threaten their own survival.

But now, with the Wang family on the brink of extinction, he no longer cared. His plan was simple: use the threat of the sea beasts to counter Lu Yuan, to make him hesitate to destroy the Wang family. If that failed, and Longevity Gene was doomed, then let the world burn with them.

It was a plan of utter madness. Deep City was one of the five great supercities, home to over a hundred million people. If the sea beasts attacked, the devastation would be unimaginable. Wang Zhenyun, however, was beyond caring. His single thought was to use the lives of everyone in Deep City as leverage against Lu Yuan. Was Lu Yuan truly so strong that he could ignore all those lives?

“What are we waiting for, then? Let’s begin now!” the second madam urged, fully endorsing the plan. Like Wang Zhenyun, her face was twisted with a kind of madness—they were truly birds of a feather. The first madam, her son dead and the family doomed, agreed as well. There was nothing left to lose.

“I’ll prepare at once!” Wang Zhenyun declared, rising and leaving the office. Though the five clan elders were dead, Longevity Gene remained one of the four great powers, with resources yet untapped. Now, he would set his scheme in motion—provoke the sea beasts and unleash a beast tide upon Deep City. If the Wang family was to be destroyed, they would leave a mark no one could forget.

A few days later.

Aboard a flight from Hu City to Deep City—

Ji Yuzhen, the head of Beidou Biotech, answered a call. As she listened, her expression turned from shock to fury.

“So, Wang Zhenyun has mobilized five armed helicopters, heading toward the offshore gathering of sea beasts?” Her face paled; she clenched her left fist so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh. She had never imagined Longevity Gene would dare take such a step.

“Understood. But you must not act rashly. The sea beast horde is enormous—any misstep could make the situation uncontrollable. Tell Commander Zhang to monitor the Wang family’s every move. If necessary, issue a Level One Beast Tide Alert immediately.”

After giving her instructions, Ji Yuzhen made several more urgent calls. When she finally set down her phone, her expression remained grim.

“Aunt, what’s happened?” The Ice Fairy entered, carrying a platter of fruit, and immediately noticed her aunt’s mood. She had rarely seen her aunt in such a state and knew something serious had occurred.

“Longevity Gene has dispatched people to the offshore waters of Deep City, intent on provoking the sea beasts. I believe Wang Zhenyun means to shatter the balance between Deep City and the sea beasts, to incite a beast tide against the city,” Ji Yuzhen replied, reading the situation from scant information.

“Are they insane?” the Ice Fairy exclaimed, her eyes wide with fury. Such a plan disregarded the lives of all the city’s people. Even though Deep City’s defenses were more robust than those of Chang’an in the past, the sea beasts, both in number and strength, far outmatched their terrestrial counterparts. Beidou Biotech’s surveillance had even identified several powerful beast kings—not entities to be provoked. Should a beast tide descend, Deep City would be hard-pressed to withstand it, spelling catastrophe.

Those in power had struggled with how to manage the looming threat, but now Longevity Gene was actively provoking disaster—madness, pure and simple.

“It’s too late for recriminations,” Ji Yuzhen sighed. “Rou Rou, call Mr. Lu.”

She knew the root of Wang Zhenyun’s actions was Lu Yuan. Everyone was aware that Lu Yuan had reached the Shackles Stage, his power unmatched. The Wang family must have sensed their own doom, and in desperation, lost all reason, hoping to drag everyone into oblivion with them. Perhaps, too, they meant to use the sea beasts as leverage to force the authorities and Lu Yuan to back down, preserving Longevity Gene and the Wang family.

Ji Yuzhen’s intent was simple: inform Lu Yuan, then await orders from above before deciding their next move.

The Ice Fairy understood and immediately placed the call, not hesitating for a moment.

Meanwhile—

High above the clouds—

Lu Yuan sat cross-legged atop the back of a Golden-Winged Roc, flying toward Deep City, when he received the Ice Fairy’s call.

“Deliberately provoking the sea beasts to incite a beast tide?” he murmured, eyes narrowing. He hadn’t expected Longevity Gene’s madness to reach such extremes, using the lives of Deep City’s populace as a bargaining chip against him. Their evil knew no bounds.

Yet the more they acted thus, the more intense Lu Yuan’s killing intent became. The Wang family—must not be allowed to survive.

“Mr. Lu, in summary, when you reach Deep City, please wait for further news. We’ve already notified the authorities—they should soon assemble their forces. The sea beasts are far more numerous than those that threatened Chang’an; it’ll be a grave challenge,” the Ice Fairy said, echoing Ji Yuzhen’s concerns. While they knew Lu Yuan was powerful, they did not yet realize he was the human king himself. Their plan was to have him wait for updates, as the fate of Deep City was at stake. The Wang family’s destruction was a small matter by comparison. The main concern was forcing the Wang family to abandon their plan, or at least to hold back from provoking the beast tide.

“Thank you for the warning. I have my own plans,” Lu Yuan replied, then hung up.

Sea beasts were indeed more numerous and powerful than their land-dwelling kin—but so what? Longevity Gene must be destroyed; no one could stop him. As for the consequences, he was fully aware, but it did not trouble him—he was confident in his ability to avert disaster. Among the sea beasts were intelligent beings, capable of weighing gains and losses. Their previous restraint was due to uncertainty about humanity’s strength. So long as he was formidable enough to deter them, the calamity could be averted.

Longevity Gene’s plan was one of desperation—grasping for a final straw. But would their wish be granted?

“Faster. Hurry to Deep City,” Lu Yuan ordered the Golden-Winged Roc. His tone was calm, but the great bird could sense the fury simmering in its master’s heart. Without hesitation, it unleashed its power and raced toward Deep City at full speed.

At the same time, Deep City issued a Level One Beast Tide Alert. The city was filled with the blaring of sirens. All defense forces mobilized to the steel walls, evacuating civilians to safer locations. Dawn Academy’s students were also called upon—every available resource had to be gathered in such a crisis. The people did not know exactly what was happening, but, thanks to thorough preparedness for beast tide disasters, the evacuation was orderly, unlike the chaos that had gripped Qingyang City in the past.

Commander Zhang of the defense forces immediately ordered the Longevity Gene Tower sealed off, intending to negotiate with Wang Zhenyun. But the situation had unfolded too quickly for proper preparations—his only option was to try to stabilize the Wang family. He was, however, rebuffed without even being granted an audience; it was clear the Wang family was utterly resolute.

Soon after, a live video appeared online. It showed Wang Zhenyun of Longevity Gene, flanked by the two madams and other high-ranking Wang family members. The message was simple: the Wang family had already dispatched agents to Deep City’s offshore waters, planting multiple missiles; if Longevity Gene was destroyed or if Wang Zhenyun died, the missiles would launch automatically, provoking a beast tide against Deep City. He announced the numbers: over a hundred thousand beasts, including several beast kings. Should they enter Deep City, disaster would be unimaginable.

The video instantly sparked a storm online. Since the battle of Hu City, everyone knew the Wang family was likely to be destroyed by Lu Yuan and had been following developments closely, but no one expected Longevity Gene to gamble with the lives of Deep City’s people. Outrage erupted, with many condemning the Wang family as monstrous. The lives of so many had become mere bargaining chips. Some, however, counseled restraint—if the Wang family were provoked, none could bear the consequences.

In short, Longevity Gene had made itself the enemy of all, but they did not care. Their sole demand was that Lu Yuan stand down.

The video was quickly seen by Dean Zheng, Dean Liu, and the upper echelons, who immediately deployed forces from across the land. If the sea beasts truly attacked in force, none could withstand them. Some even suggested using thermonuclear weapons, but this was rejected; the only viable course was to placate the Wang family.

Clearly, there was only one person who could resolve this crisis—Lu Yuan. All eyes were now on him, waiting to see when he would arrive in Deep City. Some even began streaming live coverage, eager to break the news.

Thus, time crept forward. The standoff between the defense forces and Longevity Gene continued. Most civilians had reached relative safety, though in the face of a beast tide, nowhere was truly secure. All attempts to defuse the situation had failed; the beast horde had already gathered, and any rash move could only make things worse. All anyone could do was wait.

At last, after several more days, with the cry of the Golden-Winged Roc, Lu Yuan arrived in Deep City. News of his arrival reached every major power at once, and was captured by live cameras. All eyes witnessed Lu Yuan, like a god of slaughter descending from the heavens, leaping from the sky to land atop Longevity Gene Tower.

At that moment, every heart tightened with apprehension.

Would he, today, annihilate the Wang family and Longevity Gene?

(End of chapter)