Global Awakening: I'm the Only One Ready

Deep within Qinling, two figures faced each other—one man, one peng.

The great peng’s plumage was pure gold, radiating an overwhelming majesty. An ethereal golden light flowed around it as well, a sign that it possessed a legendary bloodline.

Its breathing was reminiscent of a distant thunder’s rumbling, and every feather was as sharp and distinct as a golden divine sword that was capable of slicing through anything.

Across from this magnificent beast, Lu Yuan stood with his back straight, looking utterly ordinary. In the face of the peng’s extraordinary aura, he seemed as insignificant as an ant.

Yet, his eyes held no fear, only curiosity and a hint of amusement.

”Human. So you are the one who wishes to make me a mount?” the Golden-Winged Great Peng asked, its voice dripping with disdain. It cast a dismissive glance at the Brown Bear King’s corpse, and then it fixed its golden eyes on the man below it.

It possessed a mythical bloodline, which was one of the most powerful in the world. No creature of equal rank dared trespass in its territory. And the human before it actually wanted it as a mount?

The idea was so insulting that it was funny.

Lu Yuan smiled. ”Actually, becoming my mount would be the greatest fortune of your life.”

Lu Yuan saw the pride in the beast’s eyes and decided to skip the pleasantries. Creatures with powerful bloodlines were always arrogant, and a fight was the only way to earn their respect. In this world, strength reigned supreme.

”You’re courting death!” The Golden-Winged Great Peng was thoroughly enraged. This human was far too bold and arrogant. With nothing more to say, it shook its wings, unleashing a blinding storm of golden light.

Swoosh!

The rays of light tore through the air, and wherever they passed, solid rock would crumble like tofu. This was no ordinary attack; it was a god-like ability far beyond a normal mutated beast king could unleash.

In response, Lu Yuan calmly smiled and stepped forward. His power erupted from him not as a technique, but as a pure, physical force. To truly subdue this creature, he needed no fancy moves, only his pair of fists.

Subduing it would be harder than killing it, but he had absolute confidence.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

He moved with incredible speed, his punches intercepting each ray of golden light, shattering them into harmless sparks.

”Now that’s interesting...” The Golden-Winged Great Peng instantly appeared before Lu Yuan. Its wings and talons moved in unison as it assumed a peculiar, humanoid stance, like a master of some ancient martial art.

Unlike any human technique, however, its every move pulsed with an immense force while it was wreathed in golden light.

It was a miraculous sight. A great peng was fighting in close combat as if it were a human being.

The massive stones beneath them cracked open; shattered as shockwaves rolled outward for hundreds of meters away, obliterating every tree and vine in their path. The great peng was displaying an offensive technique so powerful that it defied human comprehension.

Legends has it that creatures with mythical bloodlines possess memories inherited from their ancestors. That must be a manifestation of those memories, right? Lu Yuan thought, marveling at the sight before him. Apparently, some Huaxian martial arts were derived from powerful creatures back in the day.

The fact that this beast before me is capable of such movements proves that it is indeed a Golden-Winged Great Peng!

Lu Yuan became even more excited, but his movements remained simple and straightforward as he relied on nothing but brute force.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The two clashed, and their figures blurred as they exchanged over a hundred blows in an instant. The ground around them sank, engulfed by the shockwaves of their exchange.

Had this fight occurred in a city, the city would have been reduced to a wasteland.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng was undeniably strong. Despite having only shattered one genetic shackle, its strength was astonishing, far surpassing the Brown Bear King’s power.

Its physique was so robust that even modern weaponry would struggle to pierce its feathers.

Lu Yuan was thrilled to learn of its durability, and he slowly increased the power contained within his attacks. Every opponent he’d faced until now had crumbled practically in an instant before him.

However, the great peng was different. Its bloodline was powerful enough to withstand his assault.

BOOM!

He threw a punch that broke the sound barrier, and a gust of wind swept out of him, pulverizing a massive boulder standing a hundred meters away.

In stark contrast to Lu Yuan’s excitement, the Golden-Winged Great Peng grew more alarmed with every blow. Its body trembled and its organs rattled under the flurry of powerful blows. At this rate, it would surely be injured.

Is this guy really human? Why does it feel like I’m fighting a true dragon? The Golden-Winged Great Peng was in disbelief. It couldn’t comprehend how a mere human being had such a formidable physique. The great peng was employing a divine fist art from its inherited memories.

The fist art was supposedly capable of subduing true dragons, yet it seemed far too weak against the man before it.

”Now that is exciting!” Lu Yuan roared. The Bloodforce Pagoda flickered behind him, and his aura surged once more. He threw another punch. The air boomed and trembled in its wake.

The great peng raised its wings to block, refusing to believe that a mere human could defeat it in a contest of strength. It met the blow with its strongest feathers.

Clang!

A loud sound of metal striking against metal rang out, and it was immediately followed by a spray of blood along with a rain of golden feathers. The Golden-Winged Great Peng was blasted away; its radiant features cracked as it smashed into a small hill.

He’s strong! He’s too strong! The Golden-Winged Great Peng was stunned. A pair of human fists had actually shattered its feathers!

The Golden-Winged Great Peng’s wings trembled as it took to the skies. Knowing that it would surely suffer defeat at close combat, it abandoned all thoughts of fighting Lu Yuan that way.

A radiant golden light emanated from its figure, and a tiny golden peng manifested from the golden light. Moments later, the golden peng plummeted to the ground at breakneck speed.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng had just unleashed its inherited divine art—a powerful strike containing immense energy.

However, Lu Yuan remained unmoved in the face of it. Then, a brilliant light burst from his eyes as he brought two fingers together and muttered, ”Jade Emperor’s Divine Thunder Art.”

As soon as the words left his lips, a bolt of lightning thicker than a water bucket erupted from between his two fingers. It collided with the golden peng, shattering it in an instant.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng stared dumbfounded from the sky. He can manipulate lightning?

The Golden-Winged Great Peng was shocked, but it wasn’t panicking. ”Human, I admit that you’re strong, but so what? At your current tier of evolution, you cannot fly at all, while the sky is the territory of my kind.

”Today, I shall make use of my flight to wear you down until you die.”

The Golden-Winged Great Peng shook its wings, and a storm of golden feathers materialized around it. There were thousands of them, and each one looked as sharp as a divine sword. They emanated a blazing light, pulsing with enough power to annihilate every living thing nearby.

”You’re not wrong,” Lu Yuan said. Indeed, he couldn’t fly and couldn’t fight a bird in mid-air. Before the Golden-Winged Great Peng could act smug, however, a smile tugged at Lu Yuan’s lips.

A sense of foreboding washed over the Golden-Winged Great Peng as soon as it saw that smile, and its very soul even trembled at the sight of it.

The next moment, a bow appeared in Lu Yuan’s hands—Heavenquake! Without hesitation, he drew the string, and the air itself seemed to groan as a vast energy gathered, coalescing into a golden arrow that brimmed with his killing intent.

A storm erupted around Lu Yuan, shattering vines and uprooting what was left of the vegetation nearby. At that exact moment, he resembled a demon god as he unleashed his unparalleled might.

High above, the great peng felt a primal fear deep in its soul. This is bad! If that hits me, I’m going to die!

The Golden-Winged Great Peng’s wings trembled. Before it could attempt to flee, however, it froze upon realizing something—it was already too late. If it were to make even the slightest movement, the arrow would fly and shoot it down.

”Okay, let’s not do it this way. If I end up winning, it won’t be a fair victory if I stay up here during the entire fight,” the Golden-Winged Great Peng said. It backed down even faster than the Brown Bear King upon assessing the situation.

It withdrew its divine art and descended.

Of course, Lu Yuan wouldn’t shoot it dead. Where else would he find such a fine mount? He put away the Heavenquake Bow, and his formidable aura vanished.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng’s eyes flashed upon seeing that—the golden opportunity to strike. Despite its mythical bloodline, it couldn’t care less about its image and ambushed Lu Yuan.

The very next moment, however, it reeled as a massive palm manifested overhead, covering the skies. Buddhist characters forming supreme mantras appeared all over the palm.

The scenery peeled away, and the Golden-Winged Great Peng suddenly found itself staring at a myriad of ancient temples. Within each temple, a Buddha manifested, chanting sutras.