Two days remained before the Dragon Vein Secret Realm opened.
The atmosphere in Fortune City had become suffocating.
Every hotel was full.
Every major road was monitored.
Every influential family had mobilized experts.
Even ordinary citizens could sense that something enormous was about to happen.
The wealthiest families in the country were arriving one after another.
And among them...
one group attracted more attention than all the others combined.
A convoy of black luxury vehicles slowly entered Fortune City.
The lead car carried no family emblem.
Yet every major force immediately recognized it.
The Xuan Family.
One of the oldest cultivation families in the capital.
Unlike the Qin Family which was known for martial strength.
Or the Nangong Family which dominated business.
The Xuan Family controlled something even more terrifying.
Connections.
Influence.
And hidden experts.
Rumors claimed they had survived three different eras of decline and prosperity.
Rumors also claimed they possessed information dating back hundreds of years.
Whether true or false—
nobody dared underestimate them.
Inside the lead vehicle sat a young man dressed in simple white clothes.
His appearance was handsome but unremarkable.
The only notable feature was his calm gaze.
Nothing seemed capable of disturbing him.
This person was Xuan Lingtian.
The young master of the Xuan Family.
And the future head of one of the strongest powers in the capital.
A middle-aged elder sitting beside him reported calmly.
"Young Master."
"The Qin Family arrived yesterday."
"The Nangong Family arrived this morning."
"The Wang Family and Shen Family have already established temporary camps."
Xuan Lingtian nodded.
"What about Li Tao?"
The elder looked surprised.
Out of all the names present...
that was the first one he asked about.
"He has become one of the strongest local forces."
"He currently controls most of Fortune City's resources."
"Several reports indicate he may possess unknown opportunities."
A faint smile appeared on Xuan Lingtian's face.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
For some reason...
he felt an unusual sense of familiarity toward this name.
As if destiny itself was nudging him toward meeting this person.
Meanwhile.
Inside Li Family headquarters.
Neo suddenly jumped.
[Ding!]
[High-Level Destiny Fluctuation Detected.]
Li Tao frowned.
"What now?"
Neo immediately pulled up a panel.
[Xuan Lingtian]
[Affiliation: Xuan Family]
[Potential Threat: Unknown]
[Potential Ally: Extremely High]
[Recommended Action: Establish Friendly Relations]
Li Tao became silent.
For a moment he remembered another life.
The last days before his death.
The entire world hunting him.
The protagonist faction crushing everything he possessed.
The Xuan Family had been one of the few powers willing to shelter him.
And the person who made that decision...
was Xuan Lingtian.
Even now Li Tao still remembered the words spoken by the other party.
"You owe me nothing."
"If the world wants to kill you, then let the world come."
Unfortunately...
even the Xuan Family could not stop Divine Doctor Xiao at that point.
Yet Li Tao never forgot that favor.
Neo looked confused.
"Host?"
"You know him?"
Li Tao nodded.
"Sort of."
Neo immediately became interested.
"You have another secret?"
Li Tao ignored him.
Some things could not be explained.
That afternoon.
The first meeting finally happened.
A large banquet had been organized by Fortune City's government.
Officially it was meant to welcome the major families.
Unofficially...
everyone knew it was an opportunity to evaluate competitors.
The venue was packed.
Young masters.
Young ladies.
Family heads.
Experts.
Everyone was present.
Even Ye Feng had arrived with his growing protagonist faction.
The moment Li Tao entered—
countless gazes landed on him.
Some admired him.
Some envied him.
Others hated him.
Li Tao ignored them all.
Until a familiar figure approached.
White clothes.
Calm expression.
Steady steps.
Xuan Lingtian.
For the first time since arriving in this timeline...
Li Tao felt genuinely emotional.
The man standing before him had once risked everything to help him.
Even though it belonged to another life.
The debt remained.
Xuan Lingtian stopped.
For a brief moment both stared at each other.
Then he smiled.
"We finally meet."
Li Tao smiled back.
"It seems so."
Neither knew why.
Yet the atmosphere between them felt strangely harmonious.
Almost as if they had known each other for years.
Several surrounding observers immediately noticed.
The Qin Family noticed.
The Nangong Family noticed.
Even Ye Feng noticed.
And none of them liked it.
Qin Chanchan frowned.
"When did they become friends?"
Nangong Li shook her head.
"No idea."
Yet she knew one thing.
If Li Tao gained the support of the Xuan Family...
the balance of power would shift dramatically.
Ye Feng's expression also darkened.
His instincts warned him.
Xuan Lingtian was dangerous.
Extremely dangerous.
In his previous life...
this man had eventually become one of the country's hidden rulers.
Fortunately they had never become enemies.
Unfortunately...
that no longer seemed guaranteed.
Meanwhile.
The conversation continued.
Xuan Lingtian suddenly smiled.
"I heard you caused quite a lot of trouble recently."
Li Tao laughed.
"I could say the same about the capital."
The two immediately began talking as if they were old friends.
This left everyone nearby completely dumbfounded.
Even the Xuan Family elders looked surprised.
Their young master rarely showed such interest in strangers.
Yet here he was casually discussing life with Li Tao.
Murong Qing quietly observed everything.
Then her eyes narrowed slightly.
Female intuition told her something.
Xuan Lingtian was not approaching Li Tao because of benefits.
Nor because of politics.
It felt more like...
recognition.
A strange form of mutual respect.
As if both already knew the other was worth befriending.
The banquet continued.
However another disturbance soon occurred.
A powerful aura descended upon the venue.
Everyone turned.
Several unfamiliar figures entered.
Their clothing was unusual.
Their pressure even more so.
Luo Chen walked at the center.
Behind him stood numerous experts acquired from neighboring provinces.
Over the past weeks...
his influence had expanded rapidly.
Now he could no longer be ignored.
The moment Luo Chen entered—
Neo immediately became nervous.
"That guy is getting stronger again."
Li Tao could already see it.
Half-step Core Formation.
The pressure around Luo Chen had become increasingly dangerous.
Even Murong Qing became serious.
Luo Chen's gaze swept across the crowd.
Then paused.
Li Tao.
Murong Qing.
Xuan Lingtian.
For the first time...
his expression changed slightly.
One Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator.
One mysterious variable.
And one person he couldn't read at all.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
This realm expedition might finally become worthwhile.
The banquet gradually ended.
Yet before leaving—
Xuan Lingtian suddenly spoke.
"Li Tao."
"Hm?"
"When the realm opens."
"Our families should cooperate."
The surrounding crowd froze.
Even several Xuan Family elders widened their eyes.
That statement carried enormous weight.
It was not personal friendship.
It was political support.
Official support.
Support from one of the strongest families in the capital.
Li Tao smiled.
"Sounds good."
Xuan Lingtian extended his hand.
Li Tao accepted.
The alliance was formed.
Simple.
Direct.
And powerful.
Far away.
Ye Feng's expression darkened.
Luo Chen narrowed his eyes.
Several capital families immediately began recalculating their plans.
Because everyone understood the same thing.
The moment the Xuan Family stood beside Li Tao...
the latter had officially become a player on the national stage.
No longer a local tyrant.
No longer a rising genius.
But a genuine contender.
That night.
Inside his room.
Neo looked at the alliance notification and sighed.
[Ding.]
[Major Destiny Shift Detected.]
[Host has gained support from Capital-Level Force.]
[Future Survival Probability Increased.]
Li Tao smirked.
"See?"
"Sometimes I don't need your cheating."
Neo immediately snorted.
"Don't get cocky."
"The real fight starts inside the realm."
Li Tao looked toward the distant mountains.
The Dragon Vein Secret Realm was only two days away.
Ye Feng was preparing.
Luo Chen was preparing.
The capital families were preparing.
And beneath the mountains...
the Black Gate continued pulsing silently.
Waiting.
Watching.
As if anticipating the arrival of prey.
The final battle for Fortune City's future was approaching.
And for the first time since his rebirth...
Li Tao had secured an ally powerful enough to stand beside him when the storm arrived.
_______________________
System strain increased to 80%