Global Awakening: I'm the Only One Ready

Up until now, Lu Yuan had mostly dealt with each situation as it came. Even when he was prepared, he only rose to meet the enemy after they had already attacked him. There was nothing wrong with this approach, but in the end, he was being passive.

His actions always depended on how his aggressors moved. Without enough strength, he couldn't deal with any crises before they could actually come true.

However, things were different now. He had grown strong enough, and the Celestial Court's foundations were still growing deeper day by day. Together, they gave Lu Yuan the leverage to outmaneuver those great clans rather than merely react to them.

He could stand back amidst the fighting and gather up the spoils while others clashed.

His plan against the Eternals and the Ji Clan was a great example of that, but the truth was that almost all clans and races in the Outer Cosmos were part of his scheme. This was what it meant to be the player moving the pieces.

Lu Yuan was going to muddy the waters and take advantage of the chaos to reach his goal.

Of course, this approach wasn't going to maximize his gains, but it allowed him to obtain the initiative. For the Celestial Court and Earth, having the initiative against those two powerful clans was already a huge deal.

The Jiang Clan made their move soon after. While the two great powers were still busy with their preparations, the Jiang Clan spread rumors about the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token.

Everyone on Earth and even those watching from the Outer Cosmos soon learned about it. The Eternals and the Ji Clan wanted to obtain the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token for themselves, and the token was supposedly somewhere on Mount Emei.

"The Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token, what exactly is that? Does it have something to do with that Human Sovereign, the Celestial Emperor?"

"Of course it does. You can tell just from the name itself. It's got to be something amazing."

"Right. No wonder those two clans have been so slow to move against that Lu Yuan. Turns out they had something more important on their hands."

"I've heard a few rumors. They say whoever gets the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token has a shot at becoming the Celestial Emperor!"

"Really? I guess I'd go to Mount Emei then."

The rumor was like a stone dropped into a placid lake. It sent ripples racing out in every direction. Everyone was stunned. Even the beings who feared the Ji Clan and the Eternals felt tempted. After all, the token was related to the Celestial Emperor.

The Celestial Emperor was acknowledged by all as the strongest of the strong. He was nearly invincible across the whole universe; he was a figure who stood at the true apex of power.

If there was a chance at reaching such heights, the beings of the entire universe would surely find it deeply tempting. Even those far out in the Outer Cosmos could no longer sit still, and they began to make their way to Earth.

Everyone shared the same goal—to reach Mount Emei. Even those who believed they couldn't win still held on to the slim chance.

This was a heaven-sent golden opportunity. In a way, it was more enticing than even the Great Age's Providence. The token could be seen, so they had a clear target, while Providence was something no one had ever laid their eyes on.

"So news of the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token has actually gotten out. Just what is the Jiang Clan after?"

When the Ji Clan learned of the rumor, nearly every one of them was furious. They had been keeping the secret for so long, and they even let their Holy Son's death go unavenged for its sake, but in the end, they had fallen just short, as always.

"This has to be that Lu Yuan's doing. That man has a terrifying mind full of schemes," the Ji Clan's Third Ancestor remarked with narrowed eyes. A thick, killing intent oozed out of him.

Three elders stood beside him. Each of them had reached at least the Grotto-Heaven Realm. All were powerhouses of the Ji Clan, and they were of the same generation as the Third Ancestor.

The three frowned, and one of them said, "He's a great enemy of our Ji Clan. He has killed our Holy Son, and he has destroyed every single one of our plans."

"As I said, the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token could wait; we should kill that Lu Yuan first," the Ji Clan's Third Ancestor's gaze turned cold as it moved to the other three.

After that earlier battle, he had returned to their base on Earth. Before long, people from the clan appeared before him to discuss two matters. The Holy Son's death and the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token. The Clan Leader of the Ji Clan had ordered that those two matters had to be handled, so at the time, they talked about which matter they ought to handle first.

The Third Ancestor said that they had to cut down Lu Yuan first. In his eyes, Lu Yuan was a massive threat, and they could only breathe easy once he was dead. Of course, the sooner the better. However, the three elders felt that the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token mattered more than Lu Yuan.

The Ji Clan wasn't the only one that knew of the token. The Eternals knew of it, too. Lu Yuan was always on Earth and could be dealt with whenever they liked to do so, but the token was a different story.

If the Eternals obtained it first, it would change the dynamic between them. After all, even though the two seemed to be working together, neither of them would give way to the other when it came to certain things.

At the three elders' urging, they held off from moving against Lu Yuan. The whole thing was then laid out beautifully. They decided to keep everything hidden and settle the matter between themselves and the Eternals alone.

Unfortunately, news of it had leaked out anyway. Of course, they had always known that no smoke could be hidden forever. The Jiang Clan knew of it, yet they weren't supposed to spread it, as the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token was at stake.

Hence, the Ji Clan was truly astounded by the Jiang Clan's move. At this point, the entire universe was aware of it, so from here on, this would no longer be between the Ji Clan and the Eternals.

Instead, it would be the Ji Clan and the Eternals versus the entire universe. They could frighten many through their sheer prestige and deep foundations, but there was certainly going to be a bloody fight for the sake of the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token.

"Talking is meaningless at this point. What's done is done. From here on, let's move as fast as we can."

"Even if everyone knows, nothing changes. We'll join hands with the Eternals, clear out some of them first, and take the token for ourselves. Whatever it takes, we must obtain the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token."

The speaker was another major figure of the Ji Clan; he was a Grotto-Heaven Immortal. He sounded full of confidence. As a member of the Ji Clan, he had every right to speak with such confidence.

The others nodded one after another, agreeing that the plan was sound.

"Then we'll see whether it goes smoothly when the time comes," the Ji Clan's Third Ancestor said at last. He knew this was the only choice left. Even so, a thread of worry stayed with him.

Ever since descending on this world, much of what he had set out to do had ended in failure. The Holy Son was also killed right before his eyes. Now that he thought about it, every single failure so far was somewhat connected to Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan had meddled with their plan concerning the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token. At this point, the Ji Clan's Third Ancestor had made up his mind. The next time they met, he would cut down Lu Yuan without fail.

Of course, he had no idea that Lu Yuan now stood at the very same stage of evolution as he did. If he were aware of that, he would never entertain such an idea.

Afterward, the Ji Clan discussed their next moves and plans. They reached out to the Eternals as well. In a nutshell, the Ji Clan was dead set on obtaining the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token!