Global Awakening: I'm the Only One Ready

Lu Yuan’s voice remained calm. He didn’t argue. He didn’t need to.

Standing atop the Golden-Winged Great Peng, he looked down upon the surging tide of beasts below before his eyes turned to the leader of the horde, the White King.

”You’re not wrong,” he said, his voice like a blade of reason cutting through the clamor. ”In the new era, it’s the law of the jungle and the survival of the fittest. Problems are solved not with words, but fists.

”Naturally, you were able to gather this beast tide and threaten a human city because of your strength.

”And I—alone— can slaughter every single beast king among you. And so...my words will then become the law.”

His voice fell like a meteor, echoing across the mountains, carried by the wind into the ears of the eight beast kings.

A low growl.

Then another.

And then, howls burst forth like thunder. The beast kings exploded in fury.

How dare a puny human stand before them and claim he could end them all with his own hands?

Such arrogance.

No—this was an insult, outright provocation and declaration of war!

In an instant, the beast kings moved, their howls shaking the forested peaks in the distance. Leaves fell like rain, and tremors rippled through the earth.

Each of these eight beast kings had long since stepped into the Unfettered Realm, possessing not only monstrous power, but also human-level intelligence. Their pride was unmatched and their wrath now boundless.

They were determined to kill the human before them and shred him into pieces.

”Bold words,” White King growled, crimson eyes narrowing. ”Let’s see if you have such capability.”

Murderous intent coiled off its scaled body like a gale, forming a tangible storm that howled toward Lu Yuan in the sky.

”Wait for me from afar,” he said to the Golden-Winged Great Peng. Then without hesitation, he raised his right hand and swept the oncoming storm away like it was nothing but mist. Then, he leaped off the beast.

With a single flap of its wings, the Golden-Winged Great Peng ascended further into the skies.

Air screamed around Lu Yuan as he plummeted, and when he landed—

BOOM!

The earth cracked. The heavens trembled.

Lu Yuan drew his right arm back and aimed it at the White King. The force from the punch alone carved out a thunderous wind, shredding the air like a blade through silk.

Buzz—

A low hum rippled through the air.

The weaker beasts in the vicinity began to shrink back under the immense pressure. Compared to humans, beasts possessed far sharper instincts. And at this moment, even without Lu Yuan unleashing the full weight of his aura, they could feel it. Their instincts screamed at them to flee. And so, they retreated, step by trembling step.

But Lu Yuan had only one goal: as long as the leading beast kings fell, this entire beast tide would disperse.

ROAR!

Just then, a wild bison emerged from within the horde. Its twin horns curled upward like black scimitars and glinted with a metallic gleam. It was another beast king and it had already broken through two genetic shackles.

Its hooves, broad as grinding slabs, stamped the earth as it charged, murderous intent bursting like a wave. Its intent was clear; it aimed to trample Lu Yuan into dust.

The battle had finally begun.

Chang’an — Temporary Frontline Command Post.

Meanwhile, Commander Xu and the others were staring at the grainy footage on the giant screen. Their mouths were slightly agape and their faces suffused with disbelief.

A single human had appeared out of nowhere, walked straight into the eye of the storm, confronted the White King, and within mere minutes, dealt the first blow.

That was a beast king at the Unfettered Realm. They wanted to know what happened but they couldn’t hear anything. The signal was too poor.

”Can you sharpen the image? I want to see clearly who that is,” Commander Xu instructed. He was shaken to the core. To think that a lone man dared to plunge into a tide of mutated beasts and go head-to-head with a beast king?

That screamed madness.

So even if he couldn’t hear anything, he wanted to know who the person was. As far as he knew, there were humans who had reached the Unfettered Realm, yes. But they had just barely met the mark, and the figure on the screen didn’t match any of the names he knew.

”Sir, the beast kings’ energy fields are interfering with signal strength. And with the battle now in full swing, the energy fluctuations are too intense. At current technology, being able to even keep the visuals stable is already the limit,” the soldier replied with a grim expression. He tried his best but it was beyond his ability.

”Commander Xu, should we intervene? He’s fighting alone, and might die.”

”Yeah. All eight beast kings are in the Unfettered Realm and the White King is holding the line.”

”We have to provide assistance, else that man will die.”

The room buzzed with anxious voices.

That lone cultivator had plunged headlong into the beast tide, so he was certainly at least at the Unfettered Realm. But so what? He was just one man against eight Unfettered Realm monsters. How could he possibly win?

”No...he just killed a beast king.” A voice cut through the anxiety in the room. It was the Northern Emperor. His eyes were locked onto the screen and shock marred his countenance.

Every gaze snapped to the display.

Despite the grainy image, they saw the humanoid shadow move. He soared into the air and without using any divine arts or displaying any technique, he merely swung his two bare fists.

But that was enough. With a single strike, the beast king shattered like porcelain beneath a warhammer. Flesh exploded as mist of blood erupted into the air, raining down in a grotesque, red curtain. The earth beneath was instantly drenched, dyed crimson in a widening pool.

”My heavens... Just how long has it been since the battle started? And he already slain an Unfettered Realm mutated beast?” someone gasped.

”Is this really happening? Could the instruments be malfunctioning?”

”Impossible. But it’s real. He’s really... that strong.”

Commander Xu, Dean Zheng, and the elders in white robes dispatched by the higher authorities were all taken aback. Their gazes were transfixed on the screen.

Just minutes ago, they were ready to sacrifice for the crisis but now, the situation had completely gone astray from everyone’s expectations.

The silence broke again.

”Send the order. All personnel: stand down. Hold position,” Commander Xu spoke after he gathered his composure. He felt that this was not the time to interfere. One stray attack, one poorly timed strike, could pull that lone powerhouse’s attention and disrupt his focus.

The others shared the same thought. Even the thick cloud of dread that had shrouded the common post began to lift. They felt that this beast tide would not bloom into disaster after all.

If they were to assist and deploy thermal weaponry now, there was a real risk they might injure him and that would only complicate matters further. After all, a single individual had just appeared and, in the blink of an eye, slain a beast king. He alone might be enough to shift the tide of war.

”This is bad, he’s being surrounded!” someone exclaimed, eyes fixed on the screen as a ring of enemies closed in on the lone human.

At once, everyone’s hearts leapt to their throats. Tension gripped the command room, all eyes glued to the screen.

And just as the footage showed, after Lu Yuan slew the wild bison, the White King was left stunned.

Without delay, it gave the order for the remaining six beast kings to strike. And it itself surged forward as well.

This human was indeed powerful. No wonder the Golden-Winged Great Peng had chosen him as its master. But so what? Its plan to attack humanity would not end here.

”They’re all coming at once? Well then... saves me the trouble of hunting them down one by one.”

Lu Yuan showed no hint of panic. His face remained composed as ever.

He took a single step forward. Within him, the Bloodforce Pagoda rumbled to life. His five viscera roared like war drums, his blood surging like molten iron. A savage aura erupted from his frame as though a primordial beast had stepped out of antiquity to walk the earth once more.

Boom boom boom!

The very heavens trembled. The earth groaned in response.

Lu Yuan’s blood surged, gilded with golden light. Evidently, he had only utilized the strength of his flesh alone.

Ahead, a mantis the size of a human appeared. Its two forelimbs gleamed like curved scythes, cold and gleaming with a metallic sheen. It was powerful as it had shattered three genetic shackles. It fought like a martial artist, drawing close with mantis-like footwork, its blade-arms slicing through the air with flickering afterimages—swift and precise.

”Too flashy,” Lu Yuan commented with a shake of his head.

Then, he struck. A single punch flew toward the mantis like a falling star. His comprehension of the Heaven-Earth Sword had taught him one truth.

Fancy moves and intricate styles were all meaningless. Absolute strength was everything.

A single force could break all techniques.

Boom!

His fist collided with the air, setting it alight with roaring shockwaves. Golden light surged around him, emanating from his very blood. Lu Yuan stood enshrouded in golden radiance like a god descending to the mortal realm.

The mantis’s bladed arms clashed with the incoming fist.

Pshhh!

In the blink of an eye, the creature exploded—its exoskeleton shattered, its internal core ruptured.

And Lu Yuan didn’t even pause. Before the next beast king could react, he had already lifted a foot and stomped down.

Boom!

Unable to withstand the force, the earth cracked open. The head of the beast king beneath Lu Yuan’s foot exploded on the spot—its skull reduced to splinters.

Dead, without the faintest resistance.

A breath later, the Bloodforce Pagoda inside Lu Yuan cast a phantom. Its image loomed faintly behind him. His heart thundered like a war drum, shaking the very air with each pulse.

Pshhh—

A shadow approached from the flank.