Global Awakening: I'm the Only One Ready

Chapter 241. The Way to Break Through, the Four Divisions, Investiture

Lu Yuan was genuinely surprised to hear that.

He hadn't sensed the aura of a Sage from Jiang Ningxian. If she had done something to conceal it, that would be one thing, but the two of them had spent enough time together that he would have noticed any major breakthrough on her end.

Take himself, for example. He had reached the pinnacle of the Venerable King Realm, and Jiang Ningxian saw through it immediately. So how had he missed her breakthrough into the Sage Realm?

"I've reached it a while ago," Jiang Ningxian said, smiling. "I reached the Sage Realm back on our Ancestral Planet. Before I came here, the elders sealed my power, and I've been slowly unlocking it since then.

"We're not actually that far from each other, but it won't be long before I remove the next seal and return to the Sage Realm. What do you think? Sounds cool, doesn't it?"

She raised her fist, showing it to Lu Yuan. She was clearly feeling proud of herself and couldn't resist the temptation to show off a bit. This was the kind of thing she would do only around someone she truly trusted. Obviously, she didn't treat Lu Yuan as if he was an outsider.

"You reached it a while ago?" Lu Yuan was surprised. He knew she was powerful, but this was something else entirely. In terms of age, she was actually a year or two younger than him. A Sage in her early twenties... that was terrifying.

Moreover, she had reached it a while ago rather than recently. If he had to guess, it had to have been several years ago at least.

"So in the Jiang Clan, are you a Ranker or what they call a Saintess?" Lu Yuan asked. He knew that among the clans of the Outer Cosmos, anyone with exceptional talent would earn the title of Ranker.

However, the cream of the crop and the absolute pinnacle of the younger generation would receive the title Saintess if they were female and Holy Son if they were male.

The fact that Jiang Ningxian became a Sage at such a young age meant she was incomparably stronger than someone like Lei Xuan. There was no mistaking it; she had to be a Saintess.

"That's right." Jiang Ningxian admitted it openly, then raised an eyebrow. "But do you really have to look at me like I'm some kind of freak? Compared to you, I'm nothing special.

"This world has awakened just a few years ago. How long have you even been on the path of evolution? Meanwhile, I've had access to the finest visualization methods and breathing techniques since I was young.

"Our starting points are completely different, so if we're talking about growth speed, you're the real freak here."

She meant every word, and she expressed the same shock she felt when she first saw Lu Yuan fight.

"Let's not use the word 'freak' here," Lu Yuan said, chuckling. "Anyway, tell me more about your experience of making a breakthrough into the Sage Realm."

He genuinely needed to hear that. After all, he had to grow stronger to face whatever the future had in store.

"The key is in your visualization method. The Sage Realm requires comprehending the principles of heaven and earth. Most people can't grasp those principles on their own, but a visualization method acts as the key to comprehending those things.

"Start from that angle, and your gains will be massive."

Jiang Ningxian smiled. "Your talent is even better than I had imagined, so you should understand what I'm saying."

The Sage Realm couldn't be reached through resources alone. This was precisely why it was considered the most important threshold on the path of evolution. The so-called principles of heaven and earth weren't easy to understand either.

Heaven and earth encompassed all things. If the key to understanding it was one's visualization method, then for Lu Yuan, who practiced the Supreme Visualization Method, it meant he had to start by comprehending the principles of the universe itself.

A daunting task for sure, but with his terrifying talent amplified by the Bodhi Tree, it wasn't an insurmountable challenge. As long as he found the right approach and was given enough time, reaching the Sage Realm was a certainty.

"I understand." Lu Yuan nodded.

With that, the two of them went their separate ways to do their own business.

Lu Yuan split his attention between two objectives—contemplating his breakthrough into the Sage Realm and destroying the Immortals' plan to allow a complete descent of those clans from the Outer Cosmos.

He shared all of this with Elder Ji and the others, as he saw no reason to keep it hidden from them.

When they learned that Lu Yuan could be forced to go to the moon to fight the invaders, they were stunned. Even though bizarre and mythical scenes had already become commonplace on Earth, they still felt as if a scene straight out of mythology was about to unfold before their very eyes.

Upon coming back to their senses, they instantly became worried about him. They feared something would happen to him and argued for a more cautious approach.

The outer space above Earth teemed with powerhouses from the Outer Cosmos. None of them were Sages, but they were still formidable. They'd definitely notice any attempt to reach the moon, and they'd surely intercept Lu Yuan, which could lead to a fight breaking out in outer space.

In a nutshell, Lu Yuan's plan was extremely dangerous.

However, Lu Yuan had already made his decision. He told them plainly that if they had to act now before it was too late, as this world simply couldn't withstand a full-on invasion. It was better to move while the chance to do so still existed.

In the end, Elder Ji and the others could only nod. There was no stopping him.

Zhu Qingyu, however, sensed something in Lu Yuan's words that made her feel a sense of foreboding. For some reason, she felt like King Lu would leave once this crisis was resolved.

She couldn't say it aloud, as she wasn't even sure.

Meanwhile, Elder Ji and the others briefed Lu Yuan on the state of the outside world. The beings from the Outer Cosmos were becoming increasingly active. Numerous new clans had recently descended, establishing footholds across the globe and absorbing Awakened and ordinary humans alike into their ranks.

The officials of Huaxia had fought with them on several occasions, but each time, the conflicts had fizzled out. Both sides exercised restraint and stopped short of an all-out confrontation.

After hearing all of that, Lu Yuan made a decision. If it happened again, there would be no more holding back. He wanted to deploy the newly-formed divisions under Zhu Qingyu and the others to battle.

Even if his plan succeeded, the invaders' descent remained inevitable. Hence, they needed people who could hold their own against those beings.

With that in mind, he personally made divisions and named them after the Four Symbols—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise.

The Azure Dragon Division was led by Chunyang and Monk Huikong; the White Tiger Division was led by Gu Sang and Asura; the Vermilion Bird Division was led by Zhu Qingyu and Ice Fairy; and the Black Tortoise Division was composed of formidable disciples from the Three Immortal Islands.

In addition, Lu Yuan assigned the Spirit Monkey, the Peacock King, and the other beast kings as the guardian beasts of the four divisions.

This was his first step in building the Celestial Court.

In the future, if the Celestial Court was truly established once again, these four divisions would become the Celestial Court's troops, and they would contain troops that would wage war across all fronts.

Chunyang and the others were thrilled to see the creation of the four divisions, as it was the very first step in building the Celestial Court.

They all believed that the Celestial Court would become one of the most important organizations on Earth during the Great Age.

Lu Yuan stared at them with a quiet smile.

Building the Celestial Court had always been part of his goals, but after obtaining the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token and the Yongzhou Cauldron, his ambitions had expanded.

Why couldn't he re-establish the Celestial Court?

At the same time, an idea crossed his mind. Now that the Investiture Edict could accommodate more names, why not use it again and write more names on it?

Zhu Qingyu, Ice Fairy, and the others were still too young and needed more time to grow, so he didn't even consider them.

However, the Peacock King, the Spirit Monkey, the Nine-tailed Fox King, and the other beast kings were different. They were already powerful in their own right, so once their names were written on the Investiture Edict, the effects would be immediately apparent, and they'd become a powerful asset of the Celestial Court.

The question was how he could get them to accept his offer.

Trust wasn't the issue here. The real question was whether the beast kings would be willing to formally become his subordinates. After all, his name was at the highest spot on the Investiture Edict.

Just as Lu Yuan was mulling over this problem, the beast kings came to him of their own accord.