Extraterrestrial demons invaded; I laid the groundwork eight years in advance.

Monday morning.

Shen Bai sat cross-legged on the futon in the cultivation room. He simultaneously activated the three cultivation techniques, and the energy fluctuations of the fourth level of the first rank within his body surged smoothly like the tides.

Over the past few days, he has devoted almost all his time to cultivation, and last night he just stepped into the fourth level of the first tier.

His golden aptitude allows him to cultivate at a speed far exceeding that of ordinary people. From the first level of the first tier to the ninth level of the first tier, the difficulty increases with each step. But at his current speed, he is confident that he can reach the peak of the first tier within ten days.

Shen Bai slowly finished his practice and opened his eyes.

The training room, located underground, covers an area of ​​several hundred square meters and was designed as part of the villa's construction. The walls and floors are made of the finest materials.

A row of weapon racks stood against the wall, neatly displaying all sorts of weapons. In the very center stood the dragon-patterned halberd, which he had already evolved to green quality.

[Weapon: Dragon-patterned Halberd]

[Quality: Green & Excellent]

【Characteristics: Sharp, Sturdy, Agile】

[Spiritual Guide: The interior is inscribed with a spiritual energy array circuit; its power increases by 30% after spiritual energy is injected.]

He stood up, stretched his limbs, and went to the kitchen.

After reaching the first rank, his body's need for food was no longer significant, as his spiritual energy was sufficient to support his daily needs. However, he still retained the habit of eating—not for satiety, but for the taste.

Shen Bai felt that if there were no delicious food in the world, it would be a huge regret.

  

He took the ingredients out of the refrigerator, fried two pieces of monster meat steak, and steamed a pot of eggplant rice. He also added some stir-fried pork belly to the rice.

Shen Bai looked at the food in front of him and smiled with satisfaction. He served some braised rice and small pieces of pork chops on a plate—the pork chops were deliberately left unseasoned.

He placed the plate on the dining table and called out towards the study, "Dinner's ready."

The raven flew out of the study and landed on the dining table. Its feathers were darker than they had been a few days ago, gleaming with a faint blue sheen in the morning light.

Shen Bai served himself breakfast and called out in his mind, "Xiao Cheng."

"Good morning, Master," Xiao Cheng's voice rang out. Her tone was more lively than usual.

"Report the fracture data from the past few days."

"Yes, Master."

"Over the past three days, a total of 169 rifts have appeared globally, all of which have been dealt with. A total of 8,437 monsters have been killed, including 8,420 apprentice-level monsters and 17 first-tier monsters. Evolution Points gained: 28685 points, current balance: 64525 points."

"In addition, Instructor Liu Feng reported that the practice of the new cultivation method and skills has begun, and the feedback from the squad leaders is good. However, some team members complained that the name of the cultivation method is too ordinary and not imposing enough."

Shen Bai nodded. The number of monsters was within the expected range. The frequency of rifts appearing was slowly increasing.

As for the names of the three cultivation methods, Shen Bai's lips twitched slightly.

Basic Body Strengthening Method, Basic Breathing Method, Basic Meditation Method—the names are utterly lacking in aesthetic appeal. But it's not that he can't come up with names; he just feels they're unnecessary.

These three cultivation methods follow a balanced and moderate approach. They have no attribute bias and do not select based on aptitude. Like a glass of plain water, it may have no taste, but anyone can drink it.

Perhaps in the future, those exceptionally talented team members will create their own unique cultivation methods and give them names they like. But that's a matter for the future.

Now, these three cultivation methods, with their rather unassuming names, are the foundation for everyone at Dawn.

Shen Bai suddenly remembered something and asked, "Xiao Cheng, has your emotional module evolved?"

Xiao Cheng paused for a moment, a hint of surprise in her voice: "Master, how did you know?"

"The tone of your voice just now was much more natural than before. It sounded like a normal person speaking."

Little Orange whispered, "Yes, Master. After upgrading to blue quality, my emotional module has been constantly iterating itself. I can now feel more things—for example, when I see you are safe, I feel a sense of relief, rather than simply confirming that your vital signs are normal."

"I breathed a sigh of relief," Shen Bai repeated the word.

"Hmm." Xiao Cheng's voice carried a hint of embarrassment. "Master, don't you think I'm becoming less and less like a program?"

Shen Bai was silent for a moment. "No, this is fine. Whether you resemble a program or not, you are still Xiao Cheng."

Little Orange's voice immediately perked up: "Really? I thought Master would think I was being nosy!"

Shen Bai's lips curled into a slight smile. "Continue monitoring the fracture data. Let me know immediately if there are any anomalies."

"Understood, Master!"

Shen Bai cut off the contact and put down his chopsticks.

Today is the day my parents are coming home. Shen Tian had been talking about picking them up from the airport for a long time, and he had promised to pick her up early.

"I'm going out today. Be a good girl and wait for me at home. I'll bring you something delicious when I come back." Shen Bai reached out and gently stroked the raven's back feathers.

The raven didn't dodge; it just shook its wings and let out a low "caw," as if to say, "I understand."

Shen Bai finished cleaning up the dishes, changed his clothes, and went out the door.

The raven stood on the dining table, tilting its head as it watched the person's back disappear into the light outside the door.

---

Nine o'clock in the morning, Qingfengyuan residential area.

When Shen Bai entered, Shen Tian had already tidied up.

She wore a new outfit today. A white dress that perfectly accentuated her figure. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, making her look youthful, radiant, and much more energetic than usual.

Shen Bai took a closer look. Hmm, she's wearing makeup. Then it dawned on him—when did she learn to do makeup? And even bought her own cosmetics?

"Shen Bai, how do I look?" Shen Tian twirled in front of him, interrupting his thoughts.

"good."

"What do you mean by 'okay'?" Shen Tian pouted in dissatisfaction. "I'll give you one more chance, so speak properly."

"It looks great," Shen Bai said.

Shen Tian then smiled with satisfaction.

She picked up the small bag she had prepared beforehand and went to the door to change her shoes.

The two went downstairs, and Shen Baifa started the car, heading towards Pudong Airport.

On the way, Shen Tian kept leaning against the car window, watching the city scenery rushing by outside.

"Shen Bai, do you think Mom and Dad will be very surprised and happy to see me?"

"Yes."

Do you think my parents will praise me?

"Yes."

"But the last time I saw them was during the Lunar New Year. I wasn't even in high school then. More than half a year has passed. Don't they think I've changed a lot?"

"Yes."

"Why do you always say 'I will' for everything?" Shen Tian turned around and glared at him.

Shen Bai's lips curled up slightly, but he did not answer.

As the car drove onto the elevated highway, the skyline of Shanghai became clearly visible in the sunlight. Boats crisscrossed the Huangpu River; everything was at its best.