Twenty Days Before The Wedding.
The entire Fortune City entered a strange period of calm.
On the surface—
everything appeared peaceful.
Businesses continued operating.
Schools remained open.
The wealthy continued spending money.
Young masters continued showing off.
Young ladies continued competing over luxury goods.
Nothing seemed different.
Yet beneath the calm surface...
currents were moving.
Powerful currents.
Currents capable of overturning the entire city.
Good Fortune Mountain.
Ye Feng slowly opened his eyes.
A dense stream of spiritual energy circulated around his body before returning to his dantian.
A powerful aura flashed briefly.
Early Stage Dan Forging Realm.
If this achievement were placed in his previous life, it would have taken him nearly two years.
Now he had completed it in a fraction of the time.
His rebirth advantage was beginning to show.
The opportunities hidden throughout the province.
The inheritances buried beneath forgotten ruins.
The treasures overlooked by others.
Ye Feng knew where all of them were.
The only thing limiting him now was time.
He slowly clenched his fist.
Power surged through his body.
A smile appeared on his face.
The humiliation suffered at the Xue Family...
The strange appearance of Li Tao...
The mysterious expert hiding behind him...
All of it could wait.
Strength was everything.
As long as he continued becoming stronger, every problem would eventually disappear.
Nearby—
Tang Jing was practicing martial arts.
Shen Yao was organizing medicinal herbs.
Lin Bingxue was sitting beneath a tree reading documents.
The scene looked peaceful.
Almost harmonious.
Only Xu Yue occasionally glanced toward the others with slight hostility.
The atmosphere between the women was becoming increasingly strange.
Nobody openly acknowledged the situation.
Yet everyone understood.
They were all competing.
Competing for Ye Feng's attention.
Competing for his affection.
Competing for their position within the future they believed awaited him.
Ye Feng naturally noticed.
But he pretended not to.
After all...
a protagonist's greatest skill was selective blindness.
Meanwhile.
Wang Family Estate.
Old Master Wang looked at a report before him.
His expression gradually became serious.
The report contained a single name.
Li Tao.
The more information he collected...
the more uncomfortable he felt.
The young man appeared ordinary.
Yet every investigation eventually reached a dead end.
Almost as if someone was deliberately concealing information.
Beside him sat Wang Jun.
The latter's expression was considerably more relaxed.
"Grandfather."
"You worry too much."
"Brother Ye is the disciple of a Medicine Saint."
"Even if Li Tao has some hidden background, it won't matter."
Old Master Wang remained silent.
Years of experience told him otherwise.
People feared what they understood.
Not what they didn't.
Li Tao belonged to the second category.
Tang Family.
Tang Jing's grandfather finally left seclusion.
His cultivation had advanced another step.
Late Stage Grandmaster.
The entire Tang Family celebrated.
Countless guests arrived to offer congratulations.
The Tang Family's influence increased further.
The old man listened to reports regarding Ye Feng.
The more he listened...
the more satisfied he became.
A talented young man.
Outstanding medical skills.
Exceptional martial talent.
Most importantly—
his granddaughter liked him.
The old man's approval steadily rose.
Medicine Shen Family.
Patriarch Shen stared at several newly developed medicinal formulas.
All of them originated from Ye Feng.
His eyes shone brightly.
The family's pharmaceutical business was expanding rapidly.
Their profits nearly doubled within a month.
For the Shen Family—
Ye Feng was no different from a moving treasure vault.
Naturally.
His importance increased accordingly.
Nangong Li and Qin Chanchan remained in Fortune City longer than expected.
Originally they intended only a brief inspection.
Instead...
they discovered something interesting.
Or rather—
someone interesting.
Ye Feng.
Every interaction left a favorable impression.
Polite.
Talented.
Capable.
Mysterious.
Most importantly—
unlike Li Tao, he actually behaved like a normal human being.
The two women gradually found themselves interacting with him more often.
Several misunderstandings were resolved.
Several favors were exchanged.
Several opportunities were created.
By the end of the second week—
both women unconsciously viewed him favorably.
At the same time—
their opinion of Li Tao continued declining.
Neither side realized they were already standing on opposite camps.
Li Family Villa.
The atmosphere was entirely different.
No celebrations.
No parties.
No social gatherings.
Only cultivation.
Every member of the Li Family cultivated like madmen.
The sudden increase in strength shocked even themselves.
Li Tian consolidated his Middle Stage Dan Forging cultivation.
Uncle Cheng achieved the same.
Mother Li and Aunt Ling steadily approached the Dan Forging Realm.
Li Jing...
remained Li Jing.
After being defeated by Li Tao for the twenty-third time—
she declared her next challenge.
After being defeated for the twenty-fourth time—
she declared another.
Her confidence remained immortal.
Even Grandmasters admired her persistence.
Or stupidity.
The two qualities were surprisingly similar.
Murong Family.
Preparations for the wedding were progressing rapidly.
The entire family treated the matter with extreme importance.
Not because of tradition.
Not because of reputation.
But because of Li Tao himself.
Nobody could deny his value anymore.
The more they learned...
the more absurd he appeared.
His cultivation speed.
His resources.
His foresight.
His connections.
Everything exceeded common sense.
Murong Qing became the happiest person during this period.
Her smile rarely disappeared.
Whenever someone mentioned the wedding—
her face immediately turned red.
Even the usually stern family elders began teasing her.
Inside his room.
Li Tao stood before a window overlooking the city.
The sunset painted the skyline red.
Neo floated nearby.
Both remained unusually quiet.
The recent penalty had changed many things.
Neo could no longer casually solve every problem.
Which meant Li Tao needed to become stronger himself.
Fortunately—
he had already expected such a day.
His greatest advantage was never the system.
It was knowledge.
Knowledge of the future.
Knowledge of people.
Knowledge of opportunities.
The system merely accelerated the process.
Neo suddenly spoke.
[Ding.]
[Ding! Host.]
"What?"
[Ding! Good news.]
Li Tao immediately became cautious.
Whenever Neo said those words—
bad things usually followed.
"What happened?"
Neo hesitated.
Then replied.
[Ding! System strain hasn't increased for three days.]
"..."
"..."
"That's your good news?"
[Ding! Considering recent events, yes.]
Li Tao almost laughed.
Then his expression gradually became serious.
His gaze shifted toward the distant mountains.
Toward the Endless Mountain Range.
Toward the ancient black gate hidden within.
Ye Feng was growing stronger.
Luo Chen was hiding somewhere.
The province's major forces were beginning to move.
The wedding was approaching.
And beneath everything—
that mysterious gate continued waiting.
Waiting for someone to open it.
Waiting for something to awaken.
The calm before the storm had already begun.
The only question remaining was—
who would survive when the storm finally arrived.