Gu Tian remained in White Bamboo City even after the tournament had concluded, as he needed to make preparations for entering the Emperor-Class Secret Realm. Meanwhile, his family, allies, and subordinates had all returned to Rainfall City. His grandmother's health was not something he had to worry about at all, as his mother, Guang Yue, was personally overseeing her treatment. Guang Yue was an exceptionally skilled woman not only in combat but also in medical and alchemical arts. With her handling the situation, Gu Tian could fully focus on his own plans without distractions.
After the tournament ended, Gu Tian wasted no time. He began executing his strategy and successfully seized control of the Meng Clan with little effort. The Meng Clan, in reality, was not as powerful as some of the other noble clans. What had allowed them to survive for so long was their large number of powerful ancestors, but they severely lacked resources. Every member of their clan was desperate for more cultivation resources, making them highly susceptible to manipulation.
Gu Tian exploited this weakness mercilessly. Through a combination of bribery, poison, negotiations, intimidation, and coercion, he successfully consolidated 60% of the Meng Clan's forces under his direct control. With this level of influence, he could order his agents within the Meng Clan to poison their own family members, including their so-called revered ancestors. Gu Tian employed a multi-layered poisoning strategy, using a total of 128 different methods to ensure that his toxins reached every targeted individual. These methods included mixing poison into food and drinks, releasing poison into the air, and using advanced, undetectable transmission techniques.
The poison Gu Tian utilized was uniquely formulated even in minuscule doses, it could completely disrupt the target's bodily functions without them realizing it. Unless someone was an Emperor-tier beast with high-level poison immunity, there was almost no way to detect or counteract it. As a result, Gu Tian now possessed a military force strong enough to rival the combined power of the Five Great Sacred Clans. In terms of both numbers and governance, his forces could even compete with the mightiest Emperor Clan the Ou Yang Clan.
However, Gu Tian still lacked detailed intelligence regarding the Ou Yang Clan. Although he had over ten spies planted within their ranks, none of them held positions of significant influence. Gu Tian had once attempted to use a Blood Contract to force their absolute loyalty, but the plan failed spectacularly almost costing him his life in the process. That failure had taught him one crucial lesson: The Ou Yang Clan possessed an extremely advanced method for detecting infiltrators.
As Gu Tian was deep in thought, Lin Yuntian entered the Meng Clan's mansion. Behind Lin Yuntian were Guang Limei, Guang Xueyi, and Bai Xuelan, all of whom bore solemn expressions.
Gu Tian sat at the head seat of the clan leader, with ten chairs arranged beneath him. Six of them were occupied by the Meng Clan's ancestors, while two were taken by mysterious figures in black cloaks who concealed their auras completely. The remaining two empty seats were reserved for Lin Yuntian and Guang Limei.
Guang Xueyi hesitated for a moment upon seeing the man seated at the head. Her eyes flickered with confusion, as if she had seen him somewhere before.
The atmosphere in the hall was heavy with immense pressure, and all eyes were fixed on Gu Tian. Meanwhile, he leisurely sipped on an orange smoothie, flipping through the pages of a book with his free hand. But when he noticed that everyone had arrived, he closed the book, placed it on the table, and spoke in a calm, measured voice.
"Alright, let's begin."
A faint smile formed on his lips as he spoke, his tone still calm yet carrying an invisible weight of authority.
"Aunt, are you sure your people can be trusted? If today's secrets leak, we'll all lose our heads. And more importantly…" Gu Tian paused for a moment, his gaze sharpening. "Your own daughter is part of that rat-infested organization, the so-called Heavenly Deity University."
Guang Limei smirked slightly, showing no signs of concern. She merely responded in a soft voice, "I just wanted my daughter to see your face once."
As soon as those words left her lips, she gestured lightly, signaling Bai Xuelan and Guang Xueyi to leave the room immediately.
However… before they could take a single step, Gu Tian flicked his wrist, and their bodies froze in mid-air, as if bound by an invisible force. His gaze briefly swept toward Guang Limei before he spoke again, his voice growing firmer.
"Erase their memories, Aunt. Stop being reckless."
The moment those words were spoken, Gu Tian's aura surged, causing the surrounding atmosphere to grow heavier, suffocating. With a casual wave of his hand, Bai Xuelan and Guang Xueyi were effortlessly pulled back toward him, floating before his seat.
Guang Limei fell silent. She had not contacted Gu Tian at all over the past two months, but in this short span of time, this boy had already ascended to the Emperor level! Not only that, but his aura was overwhelmingly powerful.
Based on her calculations, Gu Tian had most certainly reached Peak Emperor level.
"This… is impossible…" she murmured to herself.
Even though Guang Limei knew that Gu Tian had taken control of all the resources from the Beast Emperor University, the sheer speed at which his power had increased was beyond comprehension. No matter how she tried to rationalize it, his growth had clearly exceeded the limits of any normal living being.
Once the memory-erasing process was complete, Gu Tian sent Bai Xuelan and Guang Xueyi back to Guang Limei. At that very moment, nine powerful Supreme Emperor auras surged toward Guang Limei, their presence as sharp and cold as blades, ready to strike her down the moment she made a wrong move.
But Gu Tian only smiled faintly.
"Relax, everyone. It was just a little miscommunication. But if it happens again..." He paused briefly before flashing a chilling smile. "There might be some lighthearted punishment, just for fun."
Though his words sounded casual, they carried an undeniable sense of terror that made the air in the room turn deathly still. No one even dared to breathe too loudly.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, Gu Tian conjured multiple layers of energy barriers, sealing off the entire room to prevent any sound from escaping before he spoke in a serious tone.
"Alright… let's get down to business. Regarding the Emperor-Class Secret Realm that's about to open, can anyone tell me how the Thirteen Clans decided on the terms of entry?"
One of the Meng Clan's ancestors stepped forward slightly, bowing respectfully before speaking.
"The Thirteen Clans have agreed that each clan will explore the secret realm in turns. The order of entry will be determined by the results of the university championship. The clan that ranks first will enter the secret realm one hour ahead of everyone else, followed by the second-place clan, and so on."
Gu Tian nodded in understanding before asking, "What's the maximum number of participants per clan?"
"The first-place clan may send 15 members, the second-place clan may send 14, the third-place clan may send 13, the fourth and fifth places may send 12 each, and the number continues to decrease accordingly. The thirteenth-ranked clan will only be allowed 7 participants."
Gu Tian smirked. The answer matched the intel he had gathered from his spies within the various clans. Of course, there was no way he would follow the rules set by the Thirteen Clans.
With another flick of his hand, an additional energy barrier was erected, completely silencing the room, leaving behind an eerie stillness.
Ten minutes passed…
Everyone in the room sat frozen in shock. Their faces were filled with fear and disbelief. Every single one of them had the same thought racing through their minds:
"Who the hell sent this monster into this world!? How did the gods allow a devil like this to be born!?"
At that moment, the six ancestors of the Meng Clan exchanged glances. After a brief moment of hesitation, they rose from their seats before kneeling before Gu Tian in perfect unison.
With unwavering determination, they spoke in unison, their voices filled with absolute sincerity.
"We swear upon our blood to serve Young Master Gu until the end of our lives!"
At that instant, a mysterious light shot toward them, embedding itself deep within their hearts an unbreakable oath of loyalty.
Gu Tian watched the scene unfold before letting out a soft chuckle.
"Heh… Much appreciated."
Guang Limei, witnessing everything before her, clenched her fists tightly. A new thought began to take shape in her mind.
Just before Gu Tian dismissed the meeting, he spoke his final words.
"That's all. You're all dismissed."