Preparation

As everyone else had left, only Gu Tian and Guang Limei remained in the room. The atmosphere was eerily silent, with only a faint breeze drifting through, as if waiting for something unseen.

Gu Tian remained seated, a slight smile playing at his lips, as if he had been expecting this moment. Meanwhile, Guang Limei, still visibly flustered, bit her lower lip slightly before rising slowly to her feet. Then, without hesitation, she dropped to her knees and spoke with unwavering determination.

"I… I swear upon my blood that I will be loyal to Young Master Gu for eternity, until the day I die."

Though her voice was resolute, a faint blush crept onto her face, betraying the complex emotions stirring within her. Gu Tian's expression remained unchanged. He simply gave a small nod before replying calmly.

"Thank you, Miss Guang."

At that moment, a golden light shot straight into Guang Limei's heart. The brilliant glow signified the formation of an unbreakable pact. She could feel a mysterious power settling deep within her soul. Taking a deep breath, she whispered her farewell.

"Goodbye… you little devil."

Gu Tian chuckled softly and waved his hand lightly in response, signaling their farewell. Without another word, Guang Limei quickly stood and soared out of the room, as though fleeing from the emotions bubbling inside her. Her face burned red as she sped away, unwilling to linger a moment longer.

The instant she was gone, Gu Tian's expression turned serious. Without hesitation, his figure vanished into the void.

One day later

Inside Gu Tian's secret laboratory, the air was thick with tension.

Present in the room were Gu Tian, Gu Mo, Meng Qing, Guang Yue, and Gu Long—the five most influential figures in his inner circle. As they waited for him to speak, Gu Tian finally broke the silence with a grave tone.

"It seems that this world is accelerating its evolution at an alarming rate. The energy levels have increased tenfold in less than two months, and they continue to rise with no signs of stopping."

Everyone's expressions grew somber as they absorbed his words. Gu Tian continued.

"Based on my original calculations, we had two years before the major shift, but with the current pace of change, that estimate has been drastically shortened to three months at most. And if things take a turn for the worse… it could happen as soon as next week."

The room fell into a heavy silence. The weight of the impending transformation loomed over them like an unseen force pressing down on their shoulders. Meng Qing, sensing the gravity of the situation, spoke up with a serious expression.

"What do you think we should do?"

Gu Tian pondered briefly before responding.

"For now, we need to establish Rainfall City as our main command center and strengthen it as much as possible. We must build bunkers and escape routes in preparation for the worst-case scenario. Additionally, we need to expand the city's territory, and I'll assign this task to my father while assisting as needed."

Gu Long nodded in understanding, his expression growing serious as he listened attentively.

Gu Tian continued.

"As for resources, I'll leave that to my mother as usual, but I'll also send more people to accelerate procurement and expand our network further. Moreover, I need all high-level untamed beasts contained in proper holding cells, and every insect and ant within the city must be exterminated completely."

Everyone exchanged glances, fully grasping the importance of his words. While insects and ants might seem insignificant now, with the world's spiritual energy surging, these creatures could evolve unpredictably. If that happened, it would be a catastrophe their sheer numbers alone would make them an uncontrollable threat.

Gu Tian narrowed his eyes slightly before continuing.

"Next, Grandfather, Grandmother, and I will begin traveling across the world. Now that Grandmother has fully recovered, and all of us have reached the peak of the Emperor level, our duty is to search for talented individuals and undiscovered hidden realms, as well as gather as many resources as possible."

He then added, "If we find individuals with great talent and potential, invite them to Rainfall City immediately. This city will become a haven for the powerful in the future. But if they refuse… leave them be. We don't need people we can't control."

Everyone nodded in agreement, the full scope of Gu Tian's vision becoming clear. They all understood that a great shift was coming, and this was no trivial matter.

Gu Long let out a small sigh before remarking, "Looks like we have a lot of work ahead of us…"

Meng Qing looked at her nephew in astonishment. Ever since she had been healed by Guang Yue, she had learned a great deal about Gu Tian things she had never even imagined. His unparalleled talent, extraordinary abilities, strategic thinking, leadership skills, and decisiveness were all beyond anything she had encountered before.

What shocked her the most was the FU Substance, which elevated her innate talent to an even greater level. Despite already possessing an SSS-ranked talent, after receiving the FU Substance, her abilities had advanced to a point that even she found unbelievable. She had once thought her talent was already among the best, but Gu Tian had gifted her something far beyond that. At this moment, Meng Qing realized that comparing Gu Tian to anyone else would be an insult to him.

Gu Mo, who had remained silent all this time, finally spoke.

"And what about the Emperor-level Secret Realm you were planning to explore? Are you still going?"

Gu Tian shook his head slightly before responding in a firm tone.

"I've already seen beasts far beyond the Emperor level, and with the world in its current unstable state, I won't take unnecessary risks. That secret realm isn't nearly as important as the challenges we are about to face."

The room fell silent. Everyone understood his reasoning. A moment later, Gu Tian smiled slightly before speaking again.

"Alright, this week will be tough on everyone, but I need you all to give it your best."

Hearing this, everyone in the room couldn't help but smile. Though the tasks ahead were heavy, they were all willing to work for the future of their family. They reached out and placed their hands together, symbolizing their unity before shouting in unison:

"Gu Family!"

After that, each of them set off to fulfill their respective duties, though deep inside, they all had one thought in common.

"What the hell did I just do? That was embarrassing as hell..."

At the same time, Gu Tian began contacting all the forces under his control, informing them of the revised strategy and delegating new tasks accordingly.

The Meng Family was assigned to assist Gu Long in expanding and fortifying Rainfall City. They were also responsible for surveying and scouting hidden realms, gathering intelligence to report back to Gu Tian, Gu Mo, and Meng Qing.

The Peacock Chamber of Commerce was given orders to utilize its vast financial power to purchase all possible resources at an insane rate, hoarding supplies in Rainfall City in preparation for potential disasters.

Lin Yuntian had now permanently relocated to Rainfall City, officially becoming a professor at the university. Gu Tian entrusted him with the task of recruiting talented individuals with extraordinary potential, just like himself.

However, it was not just Gu Tian's forces that were moving. The Imperial Families and the Sacred Clans had also sensed the impending change. They, too, had begun mobilizing at an alarming pace, preparing for what was to come.

The true war of power and succession was about to begin!