Inside the villa's gym.
Lu Yuan hoisted a barbell weighing a thousand jin, pumping it up and down.
He used only one hand, yet showed no signs of fatigue, moving with utter ease.
Anyone watching would have had their jaw drop in shock.
It was simply inconceivable.
Even the world's greatest strongmen would pale in comparison.
"A thousand jin with one hand. With both, it should exceed a ton, and going all out would make it even stronger." Lu Yuan set the barbell down, gaining a fresh appreciation of his strength and physique.
Ever since he absorbed and fused the medicinal essence from the Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace, his physical power had been growing almost daily.
The medicinal potency was gradually being taken in and adapted to by his cells, eventually becoming one with him.
What was more, the process was still continuing.
Since returning from the Wuzhou farm, he had mostly stayed home, acclimating to the changes in his body.
Even though he knew he was growing stronger with each passing day, Lu Yuan never neglected his workouts, striving to push himself even further.
It was fair to say that if the global cataclysm did not occur, he would already stand as the absolute strongest human being alive.
The only things that could pose a threat to him now were powerful firearms and heavy ordnance.
After all, no matter how one looked at it, Lu Yuan remained a mortal being of flesh and blood.
Yet even so, his current state was undeniably terrifying.
After finishing his workout, he returned to the main hall to have breakfast, his gaze drifting from time to time toward the Ancient Bodhi Tree.
During his time at home, Lu Yuan kept track of news from the outside world through the internet and news broadcasts.
As the day of the cataclysm drew closer, bizarre occurrences were breaking out everywhere. Landmasses were stretching, highways were tearing apart, and certain famous mountains were continually rising higher. Wild beasts and birds of prey had become far more active than before, their roars and screeches echoing frequently through the mountains.
In even more remote regions, ancient trees grew overnight until they blotted out the sky, their canopies spreading across dozens of kilometers.
In the snowy plateau, red snow fell incessantly around the world's highest peak, and eerie sounds could be heard at night.
At the same time, lush vegetation sprang up across arid desert regions, brimming with vigorous life and vibrant greenery.
Photographs taken by onlookers and posted online drew immense attention.
Furthermore, many renowned Buddhist and Daoist mountains announced closures on short notice, no longer admitting tourists and giving no date for reopening.
These were domestic occurrences. Although a great deal of information was deliberately scrubbed, much still slipped through the cracks and reached the public because the anomalies were simply happening too frequently.
Then there were reports from abroad.
The Pope in the Vatican announced that angels were about to descend to save humanity, declaring that the child he had once bowed before was a future miracle destined to bring true light to the universe. In accordance with his divine instructions, they would search for twelve guardian apostles.
Elsewhere, a massive throng of believers, claiming to have received a divine decree, was scaling Mount Olympus. One of them had already reached the peak, proclaiming himself a descendant of the gods.
Across the entire globe, extraordinary events were unfolding everywhere. The flow of information could not be contained, spreading far and wide.
Online, heated discussions raged over these developments.
Some regarded them as unusual natural phenomena.
Yet others argued that something monumental was about to happen before long, and that many things would fundamentally change.
Posts of that nature never lasted long before being deleted.
Still, with so much discussion circulating, many netizens began to piece together the clues.
"Only three days left."
A gleam surfaced in Lu Yuan's eyes as he read the news.
The closer the day came, the more frequent the anomalies grew.
These were the omens.
And this was the beginning of everything.
Most people would likely feel lost and overwhelmed.
To Lu Yuan, however, having lived through it once before, it was nothing.
It was merely a matter of perfecting his upcoming plans, and he had long since prepared for everything.
No matter what happened in the outside world, for now it had nothing to do with him.
The villa was situated in an isolated suburb of Shanghai, rarely visited by anyone.
For that very reason, Lu Yuan could remain in peace without disturbance.
Of course, there was one detail that required caution: the meteorite incident at the farm. Although he had used misdirection, Longevity Genetics possessed enough resources and connections that they would inevitably track him down sooner or later and refuse to let the matter rest.
Yet he was not worried. As long as the day of awakening arrived, the divine artifacts in Lu Yuan's possession would be more than enough to elevate him to a terrifying degree.
Even facing a massive faction like Longevity Genetics, he would have nothing to fear.
If they never came looking, so much the better.
But if they truly refused to let it go, Lu Yuan would not show any mercy.
A second chance at life, combined with three months of relentless preparation—this was where his confidence lay.
Without another word, Lu Yuan switched off the television and returned to his training.
There was nothing left that required urgent action; all he had to do was wait.
And so, time slipped by bit by bit.
He paid no further attention to outside affairs, focusing entirely on preparing at home, familiarizing himself with his body, and honing his physical strength.
Finally, three days later—the final day of August arrived.
Night fell, seemingly as ordinary as any other.
In the courtyard of the villa, Lu Yuan sat quietly in meditation beneath the Ancient Bodhi Tree.
Spread before him were numerous items.
The Ghost Seal!
The sarira!
The Heaven-Shaking Bow!
The mysterious small cauldron!
The Daluo sword core!
The wordless stele!
The Innate Qi Robe!
The Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace!
The Eleven-Tier Blood Pagoda!
The complete edition of the Daodejing!
They rested before Lu Yuan, appearing completely unremarkable on the surface.
Yet starting today, every single one of them would transform into a true divine artifact—treasures that would be extraordinarily difficult to find even after the cataclysm unfolded.
At this moment, gazing upon the harvest of his three months of preparation, a smile touched Lu Yuan's face. He tilted his head toward the night sky.
*For this day... I have prepared for a very long time!*
Chapter 25