As Charlie was overwhelmed with guilt toward his parents, Vera, sitting beside him, was also filled with complex emotions. She continued flipping through the content in the Preface of the Apocalyptic Book and became increasingly astonished the more she read. Picking up one particular sheet of paper, she said, "Look here. This section records the method of locating Mount Tason. It seems that your parents back then must have used this information to find the secret of longevity hidden within Mount Tason and brought back the Apocalyptic Book from there." Charlie nodded and said, "Mr. Chardon mentioned the secret to longevity during our battle back then, and all the clues lined up with your speculations." Vera's expression changed abruptly as she gasped, "Huh... Why do I feel like Master Marcius might have started planning a massive conspiracy over 300 years ago?" Charlie asked, "Are you saying that everything I am experiencing today was orchestrated by him centuries ago?" Vera
Vera then continued, "So, regarding this trap, I think there are two possibilities. One is that the trap has a time-sensitive trigger, meaning it must be activated while Master Marcius is still alive for it to work. However, the Master himself might not have expected the trap to be delayed for so long. By the time he died, he still hadn't found anyone to trigger it, and it only activated when your father discovered the Preface of the Apocalyptic Book. If this is the case, Mount Tason shouldn't pose any real threat to you." She paused, her tone growing more serious as she added, "The other possibility is that the Master knew the trap could be triggered at any time, and it didn't matter when—just as long as it was triggered. If that's the case, Master Marcius... is most likely still alive!" "Still alive?" Charlie frowned and asked, "If he's still alive, he must have found a way to extend his lifespan beyond a thousand years. And if he's still alive, he should be many times stronger t
Charlie exhaled heavily and suggested, "So... what he needs is a body of the Ascended Dragon Fate, right?" "That's right!" Vera nodded swiftly. "I believe this logic is very reasonable, and it also aligns with what the fake nun said. She mentioned that anyone could go to Mount Tason except for you, and she also said that the person there is far more terrifying than Fleur. Now, it seems that the person she was referring to is Master Marcius, and he has been waiting for you in Mount Tason!" Charlie accepted this speculation, gritting his teeth and saying, "Good old Marcius! I've seen people use black magic before, but using a drifting bottle as a black magic vessel? This is the first time I've heard of it!" He then added, "Since we've figured out his plan, does that mean that as long as we never go to Mount Tason, he'll have to wait there indefinitely?" "I think so too!" Vera agreed and said. "Alright, then." Charlie heaved a sigh of relief and said, "From now on, I won't go an
At this time, Charlie looked at the photocopied contents of the Preface of the Apocalyptic Book and sighed. "If our hunch is correct, then the fake nun saved my life."Vera nodded gently, then held her chin and muttered, "I think the fake nun should be following someone's orders, and the one who helped you should be the person behind her." Charlie fully agreed with her point but was somewhat puzzled. "This person can see through Master Marcius's meticulous plot, and they were able to stop me at a critical moment. Their background must be extraordinary. But I can't understand it. If this person is willing to help me and knows all about me, why are they unwilling to show their true face? If we meet face-to-face, perhaps we could cooperate and fight against the Qing Eliminating Society together." Vera said with a smile, "Perhaps everyone has their own secrets to protect, just like me. If you hadn't saved my life and if my father's ring hadn't brought me here, I would never have revea
Vera nodded knowingly and asked, "What do we do with these photocopies?" Charlie thought for a moment and said, "I'll leave them to you. You can put them away or burn them." "Alright." Vera nodded. "I'll take care of it." Vera saw Charlie out and asked Logan to arrange for Marilyn to drive Charlie to Champs Elys. She then went back to the top-floor courtyard and sorted out all the photocopies of the Preface of the Apocalyptic Book. Initially, she planned to throw these papers into the stove and burn them. However, after meditating for a few minutes, she suddenly stood up determinedly, grabbed her backpack, stuffed all the papers in the bag, and then walked out of the courtyard with the bag on her back. After going down the stone stairs, she said to Decan, who was standing guard, "Ask Logan to prepare a car for me. There's a place I need to go now." "Alright, Miss." Decan asked hastily, "Would you like me to accompany you?" "No." Vera waved him off firmly. "I'll go by my
Ashley suddenly remembered something, her expression turning slightly anxious, and she said, "There's a chance that Vera might come here to see you. To be cautious, I'll leave Aurous Hill and head to Mount Pantro for a few days later today. You should stay here for one more day. If Vera hasn't come by this time tomorrow, meet me at Mount Pantro. If she does come and is alone, find an opportunity to meet her. Confirm whether Charlie has any intention of cultivating the Apocalyptic Heart Formula. Also, inquire about what agreements Charlie reached with the Rothschild family during his trip to America." "This morning, I received news that several Silicon Valley companies waiting for Nvidia to supply GPUs have had their deliveries inexplicably delayed. I can't shake the feeling that this is somehow connected to Charlie." With a puzzled expression, Suzanne asked, "Why do you suddenly feel that Vera is coming here to see me?" Ashley replied, "Last time, when you intercepted her in Moun
Meanwhile, Vera, as Ashley had predicted, drove her car onto the elevated road leading to Qi Temple. Her thoughts aligned closely with Ashley's reasoning. She believed that since the fake nun had been constantly monitoring Charlie and even stepping in to protect him at critical moments, it was likely that these individuals were still keeping an eye on him. There was a possibility that they were currently in Aurous Hill. If that were the case, they would surely be tracking her actions as well. By suddenly heading to Qi Temple alone, she expected that they would interpret this move as her desire to meet with them. Of course, Vera was also aware that the situation might not be as she had guessed. It was entirely possible that all of this was just her wishful thinking and that the other party wasn't monitoring her at all. However, Vera didn't mind. After all, trying this approach wouldn't cost her much. If nothing came of it, she could simply drive back home. The traffic at n
"Good to know that." Suzanne heaved a sigh of relief and said, "At this moment, as long as he doesn't go to Mount Tason and stays away from the Preface of the Apocalyptic Book, he can basically avoid the crisis." "The crisis you're talking about is Master Marcius, right?" Vera asked. "Yes." Suzanne nodded. "It's Master Marcius." Vera asked again, "Is he really not dead?" Suzanne thought for a moment before answering, "He died, but not completely. Once the right moment arrives, he can be reborn." Vera nodded. "It seems he really is trying to cultivate an Ascended Dragon Fate body for himself to be used for soul possession." "That's right," Suzanne replied, not surprised that Vera could see through this. She nodded and explained, "Although Marcius managed to survive for a thousand years, that was the ultimate limit of all his opportunities. Even if he were to be reborn ten times, he would never surpass a thousand years of life. If he wants to reach the peak of the Heavenly Pa
Noticing Elaine's disappointment, Charlie quickly spoke up, "Honey, when are you coming back? Have you set a time?" Claire replied, "I plan to first finalize the project's documents and progress here as well as resolve any outstanding issues. If there's nothing else, I'll go back. If I can't finish today, it will probably be the day after tomorrow at the latest." "Have you checked the flights?" Charlie asked. "Are there any suitable flights for the day after tomorrow?" Claire replied, "Miss Fox suggested arranging her family's private jet to send me back, but I feel bad about it. A flight on a private jet costs over a million, and I can't let them spend that money." Elaine quickly interrupted, "Then just take a regular flight back and let her give you the money for the private jet. Convert it into a million!" Charlie hurriedly said, "They have plenty of planes. Even when they're not in use, they have to be maintained. The actual cost of flying one more trip isn't that high. B
Jacob and Elaine happened to be in the living room, so Charlie waved his phone at them and said, "Mom, Dad, it's Claire. I'll answer it here." The two stopped bickering instantly, and Charlie pressed the answer button. After the call was connected, Claire's beautiful face appeared on the phone screen. Seeing the background, Claire said in surprise, "Honey! You're home!" Charlie nodded. "I just got back today. Let me show you Mom and Dad." As he said that, he turned his phone around and pointed the front camera at Jacob and Elaine. Jacob asked worriedly, "Darling, when will you come back? I miss you!" Elaine interjected hastily, "Don't listen to your dad's nonsense. I miss you too, but it's a great opportunity that you're finally working with the Fox family in America. You must focus on your career. If you want, I can go over to take care of you!" "Mom, this is why I'm calling Charlie," Claire said with a smile. "I just finished the morning meeting with Miss Fox and the
Charlie responded with a smile, "Don't bother. I've already eaten." Jacob quickly stood up, walked over, and asked, "Why were you away for so many days this time?" Charlie answered, "The workload was a bit heavy this time. I visited several houses and factories, mainly because the client has strong financial power." "Wow!" Elaine exclaimed, very pleased, "A client with such strength must have paid quite a bit, right?" "Exactly." Charlie nodded and casually said, "This client was very generous with the payment. They even gave me an extra one million as travel expenses before I left." "My goodness!" Elaine shrieked. "One million just for travel expenses? What kind of godsent client is this?!" Jacob couldn't help but sigh, "Now, this is what it means to be rich. Giving an extra one million, that's just like a tip, right? They're really throwing money around like it's nothing!" At this point, Elaine seemed to remember something and quickly said, "I saw in the news that the yo
Charlie shook his head and replied, "I live in another building." As he said that, he pressed the button for the first floor in the elevator. The woman nodded slightly and said with a smile, "I thought you two were a couple. You look so well-matched." "No, no..." Nanako, feeling embarrassed, quickly replied, "Uh... We're just friends." The woman nodded and stopped teasing her. The elevator soon reached the first floor. Charlie bid farewell to the two women, got off the elevator, and walked toward the villa area. At this moment, he could never have imagined that the woman who had been in the same elevator with him was actually an underling of his biological mother. The reason she had returned a step ahead of him was also part of a carefully planned arrangement. Ashley was worried that Charlie might overthink things, so she had deliberately arranged for the woman to appear in front of him, allowing him to confirm that the woman was just an ordinary person who knew nothing a
Just as Charlie and Nanako were about to get out of the car, a female driver exited her car in the parking space diagonally opposite. After locking her car, she carried her bag and walked toward the elevator hall. When Nanako saw the woman, she turned to Charlie and said, "Charlie, that is the neighbor I mentioned. That day, I overheard her talking to a friend on the phone, and that's how I found out that Master Jeevika was coming to Aurous Hill." Charlie nodded slightly and smiled, saying, "It seems we should thank her when we get the chance. With just one phone call, she inadvertently helped you attain enlightenment." "Yes!" Nanako fully agreed with Charlie's point, saying, "If it weren't for her, I might not have had the chance to attain enlightenment." She then asked, "Do you want to meet Master Jeevika? Maybe he can give you some inspiration." Charlie shook his head. "My situation is special, so it's better to avoid meeting strangers who have already attained enlightenme
Due to the time difference, Charlie did not immediately call Kathleen. However, he believed that this matter was a piece of cake for her, so he planned to call her in the evening to discuss it and then start working on the follow-up plans. So, Charlie said to Nanako, "I think there's no need for you to continue practicing martial arts. Instead, why not come with me to the villa this afternoon and help me out? Once we're done, we can both head back to Thompson First." Without hesitation, Nanako nodded and said, "I'm all yours." She then asked, "Should I inform Master Howton of my departure?" Charlie waved his hand and said, "He must still be teaching. Let's talk to him privately later." "Okay." After that, Charlie and Nanako went to his villa halfway up the mountain. Once they got to the basement of the villa, Nanako was taken aback by the sight of a simple fluid-filling machine with many unused bottles and caps nearby. She asked, "Why do you have pharmaceutical equipment
With this thought in mind, Charlie silently decided to spend more time at the villa in the future, where he could focus on studying cultivation. Perhaps he might discover a breakthrough path based on his current foundation. However, the thought of Holly's family living in the villa next door posed a dilemma. If he went there every day to practice in seclusion, he would inevitably have to pass by Holly's house. Out of courtesy, it would be impossible not to greet them. But once he started exchanging pleasantries, his efficiency would naturally decrease. Moreover, it would eventually cause a misunderstanding if Nanako were to go there every day as well. Thus, Charlie felt an eagerness to find a new place for cultivation. After some thought, the lakeside mansion that Kathleen had purchased under the alias Kylie when she was in Aurous Hill came to mind. The Quinton family's villa, located in the Sonfo Valley far from the city, was nestled among mountains and waters, boasting exce
Nanako could also feel that the energy available for her to draw upon in her Sea of Consciousness had suddenly surged. Her sensory abilities, which had already improved significantly after achieving enlightenment, instantly leaped to an even higher level. The Reiki within her body became exceptionally abundant. With just a slight movement of her divine sense, the Reiki immediately dispersed from within her, making the entire office feel as if it was under her bird's-eye view, completely under her control. Moreover, this sense of control continued to extend outward. In just a short moment, eight nearby rooms also fell within her perception range. Charlie could sense the Reiki Nanako was releasing. Observing her closely, he noticed that her body was already brimming with Reiki, suggesting that it was no longer possible for her to continue taking the elixir. After a while, Nanako retracted the Reiki she had been using for perception and looked up at Charlie, saying, "Previously I co
Although Nanako had just attained enlightenment, she had already realized a critical problem: the Reiki available to her was very little, and there was almost no external channel for obtaining Reiki. For cultivators today, getting Reiki was the most difficult thing. There was no Reiki in the world, so the only external channels to obtain Reiki were elixirs, spiritual stones, or formations. If someone had a complete cultivation method, he could generate Reiki in his body by practicing the method, but for people like Charlie and Nanako who lacked such methods, this self-sufficient path was not feasible. Therefore, the small amount of Reiki that was generated in Nanako's body when she attained enlightenment was basically used up after she tried to sense Reiki. Charlie was slightly better than Nanako. The spiritual stones he accidentally obtained in the early days provided him with a lot of Reiki. Later, he relied on Cultivating Pills to barely make up for the gap in Reiki. Altho