Global Awakening: I'm the Only One Ready

As always, Lu Yuan's voice remained as resolute and unwavering as ever. Once again, he was at a disadvantage, yet his demeanor remained the same. He looked as if everything was under his control, and it spoke volumes about his self-confidence.

His composure disturbed the Ji Clan's Holy Son and the Eternals' Holy Son. From the very beginning of this ordeal, not once had Lu Yuan shown even a trace of panic. It was like nothing in this world could shake his heart.

The two Holy Sons asked themselves whether they could stay so composed if they were in his shoes, and the two reached the same conclusion—they could not. If not anything else, perhaps this was what they lacked. No, the two Holy Sons were far too proud to admit that they were lacking.

The Ji Clan's Holy Son turned and said, "Child of the Present Buddha, remember our agreement. Lu Yuan does not have to die, but he must never be able to interfere with us again."

"Of course. This humble monk has come here to guide Benefactor Lu out of the sea of suffering so that he might take refuge in the Buddha, that's all. And we have always valued Araṇā, so you two need not be worried," the Child of the Present Buddha replied coolly as though everything sat firmly within his control.

Indeed, he had not come here to kill Lu Yuan. That was not the goal of the Present Buddha. Lu Yuan mattered greatly to the Sukhāvatī Starfield. The Child of the Present Buddha's goal was the same as Xuanci's; he hoped to bring Lu Yuan into their lineage. The only difference between him and Xuanci was their approach.

The Eternals' Holy Son said nothing and simply chose to strike. Jiang Huanyun was already tangled up with an opponent, but Jiang Huanyun was extremely powerful, so the distraction would not last long. Even though two Grotto-Heaven Immortals were holding him back, Jiang Huanyun could still easily turn the tide.

Once he was free to go, dealing with Lu Yuan would become impossible.

The Ji Clan's Holy Son attacked as well. Both Holy Sons had sustained injuries from the earlier exchange of moves, but as the cream of the crop talents even across the universe, a few injuries couldn't possibly slow them down.

"Amitābha." The Child of the Present Buddha pressed his palms together. Behind him, the eighteen Venerables sat cross-legged and chanted Buddhist scriptures at the same time. Wave after wave of power flowed out of them and rushed into the Child of the Present Buddha.

Feeling the changes inside him, the Child of the Present Buddha looked at Lu Yuan and said, "Benefactor Lu, forgive my transgressions."

His figure erupted into a radiant gold light, and he swelled rapidly as he displayed one of the peerless divine abilities of Buddhism—the Sixteen-Foot Golden Body. In this state, one's body would apparently become indestructible, and one could destroy even celestial bodies.

"Good," Lu Yuan replied, saying just one word before stepping forward to respond. The Primordial Dragon Breathing Technique operated on its own, and grotto-heavens appeared one after another, bolstering Lu Yuan's power.

At the same time, a vast and boundless starry river materialized above him. Lu Yuan had manifested his visualization method as well, unleashing every card up his sleeve. With the grotto-heavens behind him and a starry river above his head, Lu Yuan truly looked like a real god.

BOOM!

The four slammed into one another, sending powerful shockwaves across the battlefield. Lu Yuan sent quick punches toward the two Holy Sons and the Child of the Present Buddha.

The battle went as before; there were no flashy moves, only fists. Beings at their level found ordinary divine powers to be of little value. What they usually relied on to defeat their enemy was their overwhelming power.

Crackle!

With a thunderous crackle, lightning bolts manifested in midair. The battle between the four was truly terrifying. All the hills, rivers, and mountains within the boundary of Mount Tai shivered as if they were having a seizure. The earth below cracked wide open, looking as if it were about to collapse.

Just then, lines of intricate patterns appeared across the ruins of the Heavenly Palace on Jade Emperor Peak. No one knew who had left them behind, yet they protected the world, at least for now. The patterns curbed the destruction caused by the four fighting each other, ensuring that the world wouldn't be destroyed.

Jiang Ningxian and the members of the Celestial Court were astonished by the sight. They knew Mount Tai was a special place, but they had never imagined the ruins of the Heavenly Palace still had such a remarkable ability.

Good thing that ability had manifested at the right time. Otherwise, the four-way battle could have destroyed Earth.

"Lu Yuan really is too strong. He's standing alone against those three."

"And one of them is the Child of the Present Buddha. He's truly terrifying."

"I have no idea what's going to happen now."

The onlookers watching the battle were shocked to their very core. There was no helping it. The strength Lu Yuan was putting on display was simply too overwhelming; it was beyond anything they could have imagined.

There was no doubt about it. If Lu Yuan were allowed to keep growing, he would surely become a superpower capable of shifting the balance of the entire universe.

The rise of the Milky Way Starfield and the Celestial Court would become unstoppable. Now, there was no more contempt in their eyes, only respect, the respect that those strong enough deserved.

Rumble!

As the battle raged on, the firmament was torn open again and again; everyone also saw gashes across space itself. From the very start, the four had gone all-out, and the one who stood out the most was the Child of the Present Buddha.

He stood on golden lotuses, and his figure emanated a radiant gold light that made him look like an enlightened Buddha. His lips moved ceaselessly, reciting Buddhist scriptures without pause, which made him grow stronger and stronger.

His aura surpassed the two Holy Sons, and even Lu Yuan seemed to be overwhelmed by it as well. Buddhists were truly formidable, and he also had eighteen Venerables standing next to him.

They appeared to be channeling their power into the Child of the Present Buddha, but the truth was that they had yet to go all-out, as they believed that there was no need for them to do so just yet.

"Not bad. The three of you working together has actually put some pressure on me," Lu Yuan suddenly said, his eyes transfixed on the three. His gaze exuded his fierce will to fight, and the golden vital qi around him became even more dazzling.

If one were to look closely, one would notice that his golden vital qi had taken on a tinge of purple.

The two Holy Sons and the Child of the Present Buddha frowned when they heard Lu Yuan's words. The three of them had decided to work together against him, yet he calmly claimed they had merely given him "some pressure."

The meaning behind his words was obvious. He clearly believed that he could fend off the three of them at once.

"Still acting tough? I really want to see how long you can do that for."

"So you've forced yourself to act tough in the face of death."

The two Holy Sons remarked as killing intent filled their gaze. They were respected figures wherever they went, and never once had they been forced to join hands against a single opponent.

Today, they not only had to do so, but they still hadn't been able to bring him down. It made them feel they had lost all their dignity. No matter what, Lu Yuan had to die today. Otherwise, no one would respect them ever again.

With that in mind, they charged at Lu Yuan with renewed vigor.

The Child of the Present Buddha became somewhat angry as well, and the force behind his attacks became heavier. The three of them were now truly enraged.

As for Lu Yuan, he only grew more exhilarated the longer the fight wore on, when all of a sudden, the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token inside his sea of consciousness stirred!