Chapter 88: Ancient Mount Tai, the Land of Imperial Rites, Captivating the Nation

The Divine Dragon governed clouds, rain, mountains, and rivers.

A being of legend.

According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

The Yellow Emperor of the Xuanyuan line had once fought beside it and defeated Chiyou.

There were also rumors that when the Yellow Emperor ascended to heaven riding a dragon, it was this very dragon he rode.

It could be said that it carried a great deal of mythic splendor, and for a certain period it had become a totem of the ancient human race of China.

Thus, when rumors of the Divine Dragon emerged, they immediately drew the attention and discussion of countless people.

In earlier times, perhaps no one would have believed it.

But now the world had changed.

Human beings had gained extraordinary powers, and even more, some had displayed godlike might.

So whatever appeared, no one found it strange anymore.

Only.

Although there were many reports about the Divine Dragon, no one produced any videos or photographs.

So some people could not help but remain skeptical, believing it might be fake.

That surge of heat lasted only two or three days before it began to fade.

And soon after.

News broke that the higher levels of the authorities were preparing to attack and seize Mount Tai.

It was said the day would come within a few days, and that King Lu would definitely take part.

When this news appeared.

For the people of the country, it was undoubtedly shocking and attention-grabbing.

After all, this would be the first official operation since ancient Mount Shu.

And Lu Yuan would be involved.

Everyone knew.

Lu Yuan was the king of China, possessing unimaginably powerful strength that could crush the kings of ferocious beasts.

Some even called him the strongest awakened one in the country, an idol to many.

In popularity, he far surpassed the so-called Five Supremes of the past.

"Mount Tai, the place of imperial sacrifices to heaven and earth, incredibly mysterious. Since the world changed, a heavenly palace has manifested there."

"Do you really think the authorities can succeed? I heard there are many beast kings there."

"Of course they can. This time, King Lu is making a personal move."

"Still, King Lu may be strong, but I heard some inside information saying that at the summit of Mount Tai there is an incomparably powerful beast king, a macaque covered in golden fur."

"I heard that too. Back then, someone also barged into Mount Tai on impulse, only to vanish without a trace."

"Sounds formidable. I wonder who would truly prevail, it or King Lu."

"Sigh, official operations have always been secretive. We won't get to see it."

People discussed the matter online.

Many knew that Mount Tai was incomparably mysterious, now shrouded day and night in layers of mist.

Within it, one could hear the screams of many terrifying ferocious beasts night and day, and for a time it had even blazed with myriad rays of light, revealing a heavenly palace.

So even knowing that there was heaven-defying fortune inside, no awakened one dared enter rashly, fearing they would fall into danger.

Those aware of more inside details also said that many beast kings dwelled there, all of them extremely formidable.

In short, Mount Tai had completely become a forbidden land for humanity.

And amid such discussion, time passed.

At last, several more days went by.

The authorities, unlike their previous concealment at Mount Ancient Shu, directly and officially announced the details of the plan to attack Mount Tai and eradicate the ferocious beasts that same night.

What drew the most attention was one item in particular: the entire operation would be broadcast live.

In an instant, everyone was stunned, and then thrilled.

In the past, the authorities had always acted in secret.

Just like Mount Ancient Shu last time, before outsiders could even react, it was already occupied.

Now not only was the schedule announced, but the whole operation was to be live-streamed?

This was completely beyond everyone’s expectations.

And so very quickly.

The awakened ones became excited, for them, seeing the current state of Mount Tai was secondary.

What mattered most was that they could once again witness the divine bearing displayed by Lu Yuan.

Unlike the previous two times, the footage had been very blurry.

People also wanted to know.

Just how powerful this true human king, Lu Yuan, could become.

In another place, perhaps it would not be clear, but Mount Tai was different.

There were many beast kings there, perhaps even beings of the Golden Body realm.

Everyone felt.

This would be a battle that would shake the world.

As for the private factions, they had a different view.

With the destruction of Heavenly God Technology and Longevity Gene, the authorities’ control over the five supercities had become ever more formidable.

The reason for this live broadcast, perhaps, was to send a message to the outside world that the authorities would no longer tolerate certain powers ignoring the awakened-ones regulations, and that this was also a show of force.

After all, since the heavens and earth underwent great change, the authorities had often remained hidden, appearing only at critical moments.

Now, with two of the four private factions gone and a figure like Lu Yuan among humanity, this broadcast was also, in a sense, a deterrent.

But regardless.

The plan to attack Mount Tai drew enormous attention from both awakened ones and ordinary citizens.

Everyone was looking forward to that day.

It was truly the focus of the entire nation.

On this day.

A military aircraft departed from Deep City and headed for the place of imperial sacrifice.

On the plane, Ji Huaiyuan of the Dragon-Viewing Pavilion, Dean Zheng, and the others were all present.

Everyone was looking in the same direction.

There.

Lu Yuan sat with eyes lowered, his expression utterly calm.

Though nothing special could be seen in his bearing, he possessed an elusive and faint majesty.

During his time in Deep City, he had almost entirely secluded himself in cultivation, not only breaking through ten genetic shackles again, but also opening a new inner world. More importantly, the blood essence of the Human Emperor had already been completely fused into his flesh and cells.

So now, even when he did nothing and simply sat there, he seemed anything but ordinary, impossible to ignore.

Seeing this, Ji Huaiyuan could not help but sigh. "King Lu has grown even stronger than he was more than ten days ago."

"Who can say otherwise? Just how high is his talent and bloodline?" another elder said. This was Elder Yun, one of the seven of the Dragon-Viewing Pavilion, who oversaw military affairs.

He was also the chief person in charge of this operation to attack Mount Tai.

Looking at Lu Yuan, reverence surfaced in his eyes, and he only felt that the other man was utterly unfathomable.

"Elder Yun, those are secondary. The key is King Lu's comprehension," Dean Zheng said with a smile from the side. Thinking of the scene back at Mount Ancient Shu, when everyone else had been left behind and only that one person had climbed to the summit, he still found it unbelievable.

Comprehension was vital to an awakened one, no less important than talent or bloodline.

As the dean of Dawn Academy, he knew very well that many students in the academy possessed extraordinary talent.

Yet when cultivating breathing methods or contemplation methods, they struggled greatly and needed vast amounts of time to understand them.

But Lu Yuan had spent less than a few minutes on the strongest inheritance of Mount Ancient Shu.

Combined with such formidable strength, Dean Zheng could hardly imagine just how far the man might ultimately evolve.

In the past, he had even wanted to regard him as a junior on par with the Northern Emperor.

Thinking of that now, he felt that he had once been a frog at the bottom of a well.

Ji Huaiyuan and Elder Yun said nothing.

They nodded slowly.

Clearly, they agreed with Dean Zheng’s words.

Then the two of them turned to look out the window, exchanging a glance.

"Mount Tai is almost here."

On the other side.

Lu Yuan also opened his eyes.

Through the window, he saw in the distance an incomparably magnificent mountain.

It was so high, so vast, that it pierced straight through the clouds. Even seated on the plane, one could not see its summit. It surpassed imagination.

The mountain was lush and verdant, ancient forests standing in dense profusion, vast enough to blot out the sky and sun, their shape discernible even from far away.

At times, seven-colored mist drifted up from within, turning into radiant clouds.

This reminded Lu Yuan of some records concerning Mount Tai.

The place of imperial sacrifice.

No mountain is greater, no history more ancient.

That is, there is no mountain under heaven larger or more majestic than it, nor any mountain whose history is more ancient.

Already in the pre-Qin era, ancient emperors had come here to sacrifice to heaven and pray to the gods. Later, the First Emperor unified the world and chose this mountain for his rites of imperial sacrifice, offering to heaven and earth to proclaim his achievements.

If there were anything in China more special than Mount Tai, it would probably be only Kunlun, the homeland of ten thousand gods.

At this moment, Lu Yuan sat on the plane, gazing at this magnificent Mount Tai.

A thought suddenly arose in his heart.

Could it be...

that this was Mount Tai's true form?

As he pondered, the plane gradually descended.

At the foot of Mount Tai, an airport had already been built, along with many armories.

Teams of soldiers loaded with live ammunition patrolled constantly nearby, and fighter jets roared past from time to time.

Clearly.

The authorities attached great importance to this.

This time Lu Yuan had not brought the Golden-Winged Great Roc with him, allowing it to move about on its own and be summoned later through the blood contract if needed.

At that moment.

Everyone in the cabin stood up, yet no one spoke.

Lu Yuan smiled helplessly, knowing that because of his strength these people held him in great respect and did not wish to go ahead first.

He had not intended it to be this way, but there was no helping it; words alone would not change their minds. In this new era, the law that strength was supreme had gradually been carved into everyone's heart.

So Lu Yuan smiled and said, "Let's go. Into Mount Tai!"