Chapter 145: Upheaval at Mount Kongtong, Emergence of the Secret Realm, and Prodigies from Beyond the Realm

"Kongtong Mountain."

Reading this piece of news, a faint gleam flickered in Lu Yuan's eyes.

Because he knew what was going to happen there.

This was the first mythical secret realm to appear following the second global revival, and it was also located within a folded space.

Inside lay legacies left behind since ancient times.

As for whose legacy it was,

it was easy to guess without any doubt.

Legend had it that Kongtong Mountain was one of the Daoist sanctuaries of the immortal Guangchengzi, and it was also hailed as the number one mountain of the Daoist gate.

Guangchengzi was a renowned and illustrious figure; the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan had sought the Dao from him on multiple occasions.

According to some historical records, this person lived for over twelve hundred years.

If this had been said before, it might have all been dismissed as mere legend.

But now, no one would think that way.

As for what the legacy inside actually was, Lu Yuan was not entirely certain, as he had never entered it himself. He only knew that the upheaval at Kongtong Mountain would send shockwaves throughout the entire world, even drawing in extraterrestrial beings. It could certainly be considered a major event.

At the same time, such events would likely occur frequently from now on, because following the second revival,

all kinds of famous mountains and grand rivers would undergo transformations, revealing their true divine and wondrous nature.

"It seems it is time to make a trip to Kongtong Mountain."

Lu Yuan pondered inwardly.

This was already part of his original plan.

Calculating the time, it was just about right.

However, just like before, he should not go alone.

A mythical secret realm was a fine place to temper oneself,

especially with extraterrestrial beings participating in it.

There was much that could be done.

Next, he would likely have a busy time ahead.

With this thought, Lu Yuan immediately closed his communicator and walked out of the room.

He did not leave right away, instead pausing to wait, as he sensed someone walking toward his location.

Sure enough, before long, Elder Ji and Elder Yun arrived. Their expressions were somewhat grim, clearly due to the overwhelming volume of matters and exhaustion they had faced recently. If not for the fact that both of them were awakeners and possessed considerable cultivation realms,

at their age, under the weight of such complex and tangled affairs, they would have long since collapsed.

As soon as the two entered and wanted to say something, they were interrupted by Lu Yuan.

"I already know about the matter concerning Kongtong Mountain."

"Are there any other updates?"

Lu Yuan knew what the two had come for, so he simply cut straight to the point.

"King Lu, according to the intelligence we gathered, there is indeed a massive surge of energy fluctuations at Kongtong Mountain. At the same time, a number of extraterrestrial beings are approaching the area in considerable numbers, spanning multiple races. I intend for us to take action as well."

Elder Yun spoke with a furrowed brow. Under normal circumstances, it would be one thing, but now anyone with eyes knew there was great fortune to be seized at Kongtong Mountain.

His meaning was actually very simple: Heavenly Court and the official authorities should also participate.

Even if nothing was said in the end,

they could not simply do nothing, could they?

Furthermore, the extraterrestrial beings descending from the stars

were not all immensely powerful; there were those in the Awakening Realm as well as the Shackles Realm.

Because Earth possessed a certain special mechanism, the stronger an individual was, the harder it was for them to descend.

Conversely, the weaker ones faced no obstruction at all, and nowadays more and more extraterrestrial beings were lingering outside Earth's atmosphere.

They were descending almost every day, and Elder Yun felt that if this continued, wouldn't all the fortunes and opportunities of this world be snatched away by outsiders?

"I share the exact same view," Elder Ji chimed in, continuing, "We don't necessarily need to reap grand rewards, but we must at least participate."

"Your thoughts are very clear to me. Just like with the East China Sea Dragon Palace, I will personally lead the team to Kongtong Mountain this time."

Lu Yuan spoke, having already made his considerations. The conditions of this realm were quite favorable,

and since he had the capability, he might as well take advantage of the limited time available to cultivate and nurture more powerful individuals.

"You are going as well?" Upon hearing this, the two were momentarily stunned before their eyes lit up.

They thought that with King Lu leading the team, the situation would be entirely different—perhaps it would turn out just like last time at the East China Sea Dragon Palace.

However, seeing this, Lu Yuan immediately spoke up: "Kongtong Mountain is different. Not only will there be many extraterrestrial beings going, but they will all be extremely strong. It won't be that simple, and I cannot guarantee the final outcome or whether there will casualties."

This time, he intended to let Zhu Qingyu and the others undergo a true trial through fire, and he would not arbitrarily interfere midway.

A true powerhouse had to emerge from hardship, survive, and grow strong.

Possessing these two current conditions was the only way to walk further and further down the path of evolution in the future.

"Rest assured, King Lu, we are mentally prepared."

Elder Ji nodded, naturally understanding this principle.

They could not rely on others' protection forever; they had to be able to stand on their own two feet in the future.

Just like the official authorities, who knew full well that Lu Yuan could resolve many issues, yet chose not to rely on him for everything. The fundamental reason lay in the need for self-reliance.

"King Lu, there is some other news. We have discovered the traces of the Zhou family members, though none of them are core personnel. Among them, there is someone whose demeanor is strikingly similar to that Celestial Wing God from before." Elder Yun recalled something and immediately pulled a photograph from his breast pocket.

One had to admit that the intelligence-gathering capability of the official authorities was indeed formidable, capable of tracking down specific individuals even under the current chaotic circumstances.

In the photograph, a group of people were walking through a small town located very close to Kongtong Mountain.

They could have continued tracking, but they were eventually discovered and had no choice but to withdraw.

"The Celestial Clan?"

With just a single glance, Lu Yuan recognized the origin of that man.

He knew that, much like the Celestial Wing God, this person belonged to the Celestial Clan of the Thunder Struck Star Domain.

True to Jiang Ningxian's words, the lineage of Ji maintained a close relationship with the Celestial Clan.

It was abundantly clear from the fact that they were associating with the Zhou family.

"Do we need to continue investigating?" Elder Yun asked, indicating that they could mobilize the forces at their disposal.

Knowing that the so-called Celestial Clan might pose a threat to Lu Yuan was something they would never allow.

"No need."

Lu Yuan shook his head. "It seems they are also heading to Kongtong Mountain."

A premonition had long since stirred in his heart: the Celestial Clan might have targeted him, perhaps because of Zhou Yunqiong, or perhaps because of the Celestial Wing God, but it no longer mattered. For now, entities in the Sanctuary Realm could not descend.

One could say that in this world, Lu Yuan was practically invincible.

Moreover, he had considered this:

Since they were preparing to deal with him,

why should he back down? It was better to face them directly.

Lu Yuan disliked beating around the bush, and this would happen to provide a chance to resolve everything at once.

"Very well, then we will immediately begin preparations for this trip to Kongtong Mountain,"

Elder Ji said, understanding that time was of the essence. With the upheaval of heaven and earth, Kongtong Mountain was a vast distance away from Mount Tai.

Even with military fighter jets, it would take a considerable amount of time to arrive.

Fortunately, according to their previous detections,

the folded space of Kongtong Mountain—the mythical secret realm—was not opening just yet.

To this, Lu Yuan had no objections and told them to make the arrangements.

He was not in a rush; taking things a bit slowly was actually quite good.

During this period of time,

he could continue his cultivation and temper his internal organs and viscera.

As for the Golden-Winged Great Peng and the Spiritual Monkey, they would not be accompanying him and would remain behind at Mount Tai.

In a mere three days, everything was prepared. Zhu Qingyu, Fairy Ice, and the others were eager to try, as their trip to the East China Sea had greatly enhanced their strength, and now that a mythical secret realm was opening, they naturally wanted to go and witness it.

As for the official authorities—or more accurately, the Heavenly Court—their actions were not concealed from the outside world, and the news was officially released.

The populace and the awakeners all knew that such a massive commotion at Kongtong Mountain undoubtedly harbored legacy fortunes.

Many originally intended to go as well, but upon learning that numerous extraterrestrial beings were converging there,

they involuntarily thought better of it.

People from different worlds colliding was no laughing matter.

Furthermore, during this very period, various powerful extraterrestrial beings began to show themselves.

"The Three-Headed Ghost Clan has assembled, welcoming a meteorite from beyond the skies, and a figure walked out from it, known as a 'Scion'."

"The Primordial Demon Clan also has a Scion who has appeared; they descended long ago, but are only now revealing their identity."

"A 'Scion'? This title is heard for the first time. Does it hold any special significance?"

"Unclear, but judging by appearances, they seem immensely powerful."

The names of the various extraterrestrial races were no longer secrets, and many people knew them.

However, the so-called Scions left many feeling puzzled,

uncertain of what the title represented.

Of course, the answer was soon revealed.

"I saw the Zhou family escorting a young man as they charged into a certain great mountain, deterring several other extraterrestrial races. There's even video footage."

"This... this looks so much like the Celestial Wing God, only stronger! I've long heard that the Celestial Wing God wasn't from this world—are they of the same clan?"

"They definitely are, and this person is also called a Scion. It seems the word 'Scion' represents the meaning of a supreme prodigy."

The appearance of the Zhou family members brought forth another 'Celestial Wing God'.

Except this one was far more terrifying.

Within the span of several days, he visited multiple locations consecutively, targeting other extraterrestrial beings.

During this process, this individual made several moves, displaying an overbearing dominance.

He adopted a crushing stance toward everyone, appearing deeply displeased with certain extraterrestrial races randomly occupying famous mountains and grand rivers.

Additionally, the Scions of the Three-Headed Ghost Clan and the Primordial Demon Clan had also made a few moves, which were described as terrifyingly formidable.

Consequently, the reputations of these three individuals spread rapidly within a short time, drawing widespread attention.

Although no video footage of them emerged, anyone could deduce

that a Scion

meant a supreme prodigy.

Those few individuals likely belonged to the core echelons of major extraterrestrial clans.

Through observation of their routes, it was discovered that the destinations of these three major clan Scions were all Kongtong Mountain.

This caused many people to become restless, wishing to go and take a look, especially since King Lu was also on his way.

What would happen when the extraterrestrial beings and the true powerhouses of Earth collided?

Would it be a full-scale war,

or would they each fight to seize their respective legacy fortunes?

For a time, factions of all kinds marched toward Kongtong Mountain.

However, only a portion of them were purely going for the legacy fortunes.

What many truly wanted to witness

was what would happen if the extraterrestrial prodigies and the supreme combat powerhouse of Earth were to cross paths.

Naturally, the domestic populace and awakeners placed great faith in Lu Yuan and did not wish to see him fail, for he represented China, and he represented Earth. No matter how strong outsiders were, they were still outsiders.

One could say that winds and clouds were gathering at Kongtong Mountain. Not since the imperial mausoleum of Mount Li had there been such a lively spectacle.

Yet unlike before, extraterrestrial beings were directly intervening this time,

which inevitably brought anxiety,

lest the fragile balance between Earth and the extraterrestrial realms be shattered once and for all.

The Chinese authorities shared this apprehension, yet they supported every single decision made by Lu Yuan.

And at this very moment, nearly all gazes

converged upon Kongtong Mountain.