Twenty-Six Years, Finally an Earth Saint!

Lu Changsheng remained inside his cave dwelling, yet his saint body had already manifested in the skies above Tianhe Sacred Ground. He paid it no mind. He was thoroughly immersed in the transformation of his saint body. This transformation was a qualitative metamorphosis. In the past, forging a saint body merely meant tempering it with natural treasures, elevating the form beyond ordinary mortal flesh and breaking the limits of the human body. However, advancing from Human Saint to Earth Saint required a vast amount of heaven-and-earth origin power. At this moment, Lu Changsheng's saint body was steadily evolving toward the "heaven-and-earth origin." It was a leap from natural treasures to the origin of heaven and earth itself. The gulf between the two was naturally like an insurmountable chasm. Only now did Lu Changsheng fully understand. He might be able to unleash a strike comparable to a deity king's or hold his own against one, but he could never match an Earth Saint. Before an Earth Saint's body, which had already transformed with the power of heaven-and-earth origins, his prior saint body would have been utterly fragile. This was a qualitative gulf, impossible to bridge. Now, Lu Changsheng could clearly feel his Chaos Saint Body being enriched by boundless heaven-and-earth origin power, undergoing a gradual transformation. This process required time. One day, two days, three days... He did not know how much time passed—perhaps ten-odd days, perhaps a month. Engrossed in the transformation of his saint body, Lu Changsheng lost all track of time. Boom! Suddenly, at a certain moment, Lu Changsheng's saint body shuddered violently. Immediately after, the saint body ceased expanding altogether. By now, it had swollen to a staggering ten thousand zhang! A ten-thousand-zhang saint body stood in the void, gazing down upon everyone in Tianhe Sacred Ground. Its gaze alone struck dread into every heart. Lu Changsheng extended a hand. Power! Incomparable power! Moreover, alongside the transformation of his saint body, terrifying forces seemed to swirl through the surrounding void, lingering around his form, ready to be summoned at a mere thought. "This is... the power of heaven and earth!" Lu Changsheng murmured under his breath. "Retract." The next moment, the saint body receded, and calm once again settled over the skies above Tianhe Sacred Ground. "It is done. Earth Saint..." Lu Changsheng murmured softly. Twenty-six years of his life, and he had finally become an Earth Saint! He could sense that the transition from Human Saint to Earth Saint brought about a distinct shift—one unlike anything before. With a thought, he brought up his attribute panel. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 1,079,000 (Natural Sage) Earth Saint Dao Body: None (Martial Dao Fragments) Lu Changsheng saw that on the attribute panel, the Chaos Saint Body had vanished, replaced by the Earth Saint Dao Body. Evidently, the saint body had become a Dao body. Furthermore, behind Earth Saint Dao Body was the note "Martial Dao Fragments," which left Lu Changsheng somewhat puzzled. "Could that be what an Earth Saint needs for cultivation?" Lu Changsheng guessed. However, guessing on his own served little purpose. This was Tianhe Sacred Ground. Every sacred ground had been founded by a Heavenly Saint—only a faction established by a Heavenly Saint earned the right to be called a sacred ground. When it came to cultivating as an Earth Saint, Tianhe Sacred Ground was certain to possess the answers. With that in mind, Lu Changsheng rose and left his cave dwelling. Whoosh. With a single thought, Lu Changsheng felt as though he were buoyed by the power of heaven and earth. A single stride carried him across a vast distance. In the span of a single breath, he arrived at the Tianhe Grand Hall. "Is this an Earth Saint? Every gesture accompanied by the power of heaven and earth..." Lu Changsheng felt strong—truly strong! He had yet to encounter any existence more formidable than his current self. There were deity lords in the Divine Domain, beings theoretically rivaling Heavenly Saints. However, Lu Changsheng had never met one. As for the sacred grounds, they had been founded by Heavenly Saints. Yet whether a Heavenly Saint still presided over a sacred ground after its founder passed away was another matter entirely. Still, the heritage and knowledge were sure to exist. Lu Changsheng was not worried about this in the slightest. No matter how precious a heritage was, it came down to a trade of chips. So long as he offered sufficient benefits, he did not believe Tianhe Sacred Ground would refuse. After all, Lu Changsheng still carried more than ten deity fragments with him. To any sacred ground, such items held an irresistible allure. Inside the Tianhe Grand Hall, only the Sect Master was present. It seemed he had been waiting for a long time. "Elder Lu, I knew you would come to the Tianhe Grand Hall, so I waited here early," Sect Master Wan said with a smile. "First, allow me to congratulate you on advancing to Earth Saint!" In truth, any shock he felt had already run its course. No matter how astonishing something was, one eventually settled down. Now, standing directly before him, Sect Master Wan could see clearly: Lu Changsheng was indeed an Earth Saint. In the entire Holy Land, an Earth Saint was already an apex figure. As for Heavenly Saints? Terrifying beings like that existed only in a handful of sacred grounds. Tianhe Sacred Ground had long since been without one. In fact, aside from the founding ancestor, Tianhe Sacred Ground had never produced another Heavenly Saint. And with Lu Changsheng's saint body, once it transformed into a Dao body upon reaching Earth Saint, his prowess would undoubtedly be monstrous. Sect Master Wan naturally had to treat such an Earth Saint with utmost gravity. Now, Lu Changsheng's individual weight was enough to make any sacred ground think twice. In fact, against a sacred ground guarded only by an Earth Saint, Lu Changsheng alone could hold his ground. "Sect Master, I have come to inquire about cultivation as an Earth Saint," Lu Changsheng stated directly, foregoing pleasantries and laying out his purpose. "How does an Earth Saint cultivate? And how does one achieve Heavenly Saint? Tianhe Sacred Ground is a martial sacred ground founded by a Heavenly Saint, so it should possess teachings in this regard. Might the Sect Master enlighten me?" "The cultivation of an Earth Saint..." Sect Master Wan paused, his expression growing complex. "An Earth Saint's cultivation requires martial dao fragments. In ancient times, supreme martial arts figures comprehended the Martial Dao, obtaining martial dao fragments from between heaven and earth to temper themselves, growing step by step until they ultimately became Heavenly Saints! "However, as martial arts flourished and the Martial Dao between heaven and earth grew increasingly formidable, the collective will of countless martial artists caused our world's Martial Dao to become virtually unshakeable. "If you do not believe it, Elder Lu, you may try sensing it. Any Earth Saint should be able to sense the Martial Dao." Half-convinced, Lu Changsheng followed Sect Master Wan's method and began sensing the Martial Dao in heaven and earth. Boom. Sure enough, with only a slight attempt, he sensed the "Martial Dao." The so-called Martial Dao was essentially the collective will of all living beings permeating heaven and earth. When a world had martial artists, it possessed a martial dao. The more martial artists there were, the more prosperous the martial dao became. The Immortal Dao was the same. The more immortal cultivators there were, the more prosperous the Immortal Dao grew. However, for a martial artist to become a Heavenly Saint, they had to possess martial dao fragments. This was fundamentally different from the Immortal Dao. Martial artists gathered supreme might entirely into themselves; whatever existed outside, they sought to absorb into their own forms. Unlike immortal cultivators, who grew stronger as the Immortal Dao flourished because they drew upon its power, casting spells and laying arrays with ever-greater potency, martial artists needed to break the Martial Dao to obtain martial dao fragments and strengthen themselves. In ancient times, martial artists were few and the Martial Dao was not yet overpowering. Thus, Earth Saints back then could rely on sheer strength to shatter the Martial Dao, claim martial dao fragments, and become Heavenly Saints. But what about now? Lu Changsheng moved his mind. He flew out of Tianhe Grand Hall into midair and rapidly manifested his ten-thousand-zhang Earth Saint Dao body. A terrifying aura instantly engulfed the entirety of Tianhe Sacred Ground. Seeing this, the Sect Master of Tianhe Sacred Ground did not stop him, merely watching with a faint smile as Lu Changsheng unleashed his Dao body. Yet the other disciples and elders had no idea what was occurring. They raised their heads in succession, gazing into the sky in astonishment. "Is that... Elder Lu?" "The aura around Elder Lu is terrifying! Word has it that Elder Lu has advanced to an incredible realm far beyond a Human Saint. What is he trying to do?" "A saint body ten thousand zhang tall..." Many disciples did not know that above Human Saint lay Earth Saint, completely unaware that what Lu Changsheng displayed was no longer a saint body, but a Dao body. However, some Martial Saint elders seemed to realize what Lu Changsheng intended. "Is Elder Lu... going to strike the Martial Dao?" Shock washed over several Martial Saint elders. Striking the Martial Dao! Just the thought commanded awe. Striking the Martial Dao was no simple matter; any martial artist daring to do so required immense courage. Even though martial artists fought heaven and battled earth, the Martial Dao was the convergence of countless martial artists' wills. How could it be easily assailed? To martial artists, the Martial Dao was also revered and sacred. But Lu Changsheng cared for none of that. "Break!" Lu Changsheng's ten-thousand-zhang Earth Saint Dao body threw a direct punch. With that single punch, the void shattered. Channeling countless powers of heaven and earth alongside the Dao body's terrifying strength, the blow struck violently into a specific realm within the void. There lay the Martial Dao! The Martial Dao was omnipresent. Any Earth Saint could perceive it, and naturally, could touch and attack it. As he drove his fist forward, Lu Changsheng felt that if this were the Divine Domain, a punch like this would turn eight or ten deity kings into dust. Yet when the strike landed upon the Martial Dao, Lu Changsheng felt his strength disappear like a clay ox plunging into the sea, as if he had punched a boundless ocean without stirring the slightest ripple. "This..." Lu Changsheng's pupils contracted slightly, shaken to the core. He understood what this meant. In this world, the Martial Dao had developed to the present day through countless martial artists. To say nothing of Earth Saints, there were numerous Heavenly Saints, and perhaps even beings beyond Heavenly Saints. Lu Changsheng was not yet able to reach those supreme martial figures. Yet so many mighty beings had elevated the Martial Dao to an immovable level. Let alone Lu Changsheng—even if he were a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand times stronger, he likely could not shake the Martial Dao. Whoosh. Lu Changsheng withdrew his Earth Saint Dao body and flew back into the Tianhe Grand Hall. "Well, Elder Lu?" Sect Master Wan asked with a smile. Lu Changsheng shook his head. "The Martial Dao is immovable. My strength is like an ant trying to shake a tree; it is utterly impossible for anyone to shatter the Martial Dao and obtain martial dao fragments this way. But if so, wouldn't the path of martial arts be severed, leaving no one able to advance to Heavenly Saint? Could there be another way?" Lu Changsheng did not believe the path of martial arts had simply ended. That was impossible. Sect Master Wan smiled. "Cultivation for an Earth Saint requires martial dao fragments—that is beyond question. And it is also true that our world's Martial Dao is unshakeable. Yet that does not mean Earth Saints cannot cultivate, nor does it mean martial artists are forever halted at Earth Saint. If our world has none, there are other worlds—such as secret worlds!" Lu Changsheng's heart jolted. Secret worlds! This was the first time he had heard of such a thing. Sect Master Wan continued, "Supreme figures once traversed our world. It is boundless and colossal, capable of accommodating both the Immortal Dao and the Martial Dao at once, which speaks to its magnificence. Thus, those supreme figures named our world the Immortal Martial World, signifying a world where the Immortal Dao and Martial Dao develop in tandem. "Through observation, the great figures discovered that our Immortal Martial World seems to possess a terrifying gravitational pull, drawing in countless smaller worlds known as secret worlds. At certain times, these secret worlds drift close to our Immortal Martial World, sometimes even brushing against it, before gradually drifting away after a period. "These secret worlds come in all shapes and forms, but without exception, their energy levels are far beneath our Immortal Martial World. Studies by the great figures revealed that many secret worlds possess no martial dao at all, lacking even martial artists. If someone enters such a secret world, promotes martial arts, and elevates it to a certain level, they can condense a martial dao native to that world. When newly formed, that martial dao is exceedingly fragile, allowing a martial artist to naturally harvest martial dao fragments. With good fortune, the fragments gathered from a single secret world might even suffice to cultivate all the way to Heavenly Saint. Of course, that is under ideal conditions. If luck is poor, one might require fragments from several or even a dozen secret worlds to reach Heavenly Saint." Lu Changsheng came to a sudden realization. A secret world was essentially like a secret realm. Wasn't entering one just like entering a secret realm to cultivate? The underlying principle was the same. "Could it be that Tianhe Sacred Ground's founding ancestor also discovered a secret world, entered it, obtained martial dao fragments, and advanced to Heavenly Saint?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Indeed. Back then, our ancestor entered a secret world to obtain martial dao fragments," Sect Master Wan replied. "However, the ancestor did not discover that secret world personally. He bought its coordinates from the Secret World Tower. In truth, virtually every Earth Saint wishing to travel to a secret world must purchase coordinates from the Secret World Tower. "Behind the Secret World Tower, it is said that supreme beings beyond Heavenly Saints hold sway. Moreover, the Secret World Tower employs a great number of scholars studying secret worlds, who observe, predict, and even find ways to 'pull' secret worlds closer to the Immortal Martial World. Therefore, if Elder Lu wishes to take further steps as an Earth Saint and advance to Heavenly Saint, you must head to the Secret World Tower." Lu Changsheng understood. The Secret World Tower. With its immense backing, it could capture coordinates for numerous secret worlds. Backed by terrifying entities beyond Heavenly Saints, no faction dared cross it. Perhaps by sheer coincidence, someone else might stumble upon coordinates for a secret world, but the probability was far too low to rely upon. "Where is the Secret World Tower?" Lu Changsheng inquired. "The Secret World Tower is not in the Holy Land, but in the Saint Domain," Sect Master Wan explained. "Though our region is known as the Holy Land, the Saint Domain is the true center of the Martial Dao in the Immortal Martial World. The top martial experts of the entire realm gather there, with Heavenly Saints presiding, and even great beings beyond Heavenly Saints." Lu Changsheng understood. To this Saint Domain, he had to go. After all, he was still young and naturally wished to press forward along the path of martial arts step by step. "Thank you, Sect Master." Lu Changsheng cupped his hands. Although he was a titled elder of Tianhe Sacred Ground, in a sense, the title was merely a transaction—a means to borrow the momentum of all living beings for cultivation. And not just Tianhe Sacred Ground; in name, Lu Changsheng was a titled elder of ten sacred grounds. But now, the momentum of all living beings held little use for him, and he had given each sacred ground a deity fragment in return. Thus, the transaction between Lu Changsheng and the sacred grounds was effectively complete, and his departure was only a matter of time. Both Lu Changsheng and Sect Master Wan knew this well. "Elder Lu, this is a map showing the specific locations of the Secret World Tower," Wan said. "Actually, once you reach the Saint Domain, you can simply ask anyone to find it. Branches of the Secret World Tower are distributed across the Saint Domain, so it is quite easy to locate. Also, here are some notes and experiences our founding ancestor recorded during his time in a secret world. I hope they may be of some use to you. According to the ancestor's notes, the most crucial attribute inside a secret world is comprehension! Surely, for a genius like Elder Lu, comprehension is the last thing you lack..." Lu Changsheng smiled. Indeed, when it came to comprehension, who could compare to him? His comprehension was rated "Natural Sage," boasting over a million comprehension points! Lu Changsheng accepted the founder's cultivation notes handed to him by Sect Master Wan. These cultivation insights were truly significant. Under ordinary circumstances, they would never be passed on to anyone outside Tianhe Sacred Ground's core lineage of elders and disciples. Yet Sect Master Wan had given them to Lu Changsheng, clearly intending to foster some goodwill rather than leaving their relationship as a mere transaction. If Lu Changsheng achieved Heavenly Saint in the future, it would bring immense benefits to Tianhe Sacred Ground as well. "Thank you, Sect Master. I will not forget Tianhe Sacred Ground," Lu Changsheng stated solemnly. "Then I wish you smooth sailing in all things, Elder Lu." A smile appeared on Sect Master Wan's face. The Holy Land could not hold Lu Changsheng. But having forged a bond of goodwill, whatever heights Lu Changsheng reached would ultimately redound to Tianhe Sacred Ground's favor. With that, Lu Changsheng took his leave of the Tianhe Grand Hall and returned to his cave dwelling. Inside his dwelling, Lu Changsheng took out the founder's notes. These notes detailed the founder's experience entering a world called the "Sandworm World." After entering, the ancestor rose steadily, established a martial dao, and grounded himself through martial arts in the Sandworm World, ultimately condensing a martial dao there and reaping martial dao fragments. While not exhaustive, it conveyed the general concept clearly enough for Lu Changsheng to grasp. "Gain a foothold through martial arts, then condense a martial dao..." Lu Changsheng's eyes glinted with deep thought. For an Earth Saint, such insights were of vital importance—a veritable beacon of light. Lu Changsheng spent an entire month in his cave dwelling repeatedly pondering the notes before setting them down. "That should be enough. Time to head to the Saint Domain..." Lu Changsheng left his cave dwelling. In Tianhe Sacred Ground, he had few friends. Thus, after bidding farewell to the Sect Master, he made his way back to the Holy Land Heavenly Sect. The Holy Land Heavenly Sect had been flourishing more and more. When the sect's elders learned that Lu Changsheng had become an Earth Saint, they were overjoyed. Naturally, they might not truly grasp what an Earth Saint represented, but when they learned Lu Changsheng planned to travel to the Saint Domain to cultivate toward Heavenly Saint, they gave their wholehearted support. They might not understand Heavenly Saints either, but Lu Changsheng told them that sacred grounds were founded by Heavenly Saints. This threw the sect's upper echelons into raptures. A sacred ground! According to Lu Changsheng, once he achieved Heavenly Saint, the Holy Land Heavenly Sect could transform into a sacred ground! When that time came, wouldn't they, the upper echelon of the sect, make the leap to become the leadership of a sacred ground? A sacred ground! Throughout the Holy Land, sacred grounds stood aloof, exalted above all else. They endured for ten thousand or even tens of thousands of years without fading—how could an ordinary sect compare? And now, the Holy Land Heavenly Sect had a chance to become one! With the entire sect rejoicing, Lu Changsheng had no remaining worries. Reassured, he departed the Holy Land Heavenly Sect and flew toward the distant Saint Domain. Following the map from Sect Master Wan, Lu Changsheng flew onward. The journey from the Holy Land to the Saint Domain was exceedingly vast. The Immortal Martial World was simply too enormous, and the Holy Land alone was already immense. Now that Lu Changsheng was an Earth Saint, even without manifesting his Earth Saint Dao body, every movement was accompanied by the power of heaven and earth. Drawing upon this power—and more than one type of it, no less—his traveling speed was exceptionally swift. Of course, he could have used super long-distance teleportation arrays. But that required visiting specific sacred grounds. Over such an immense distance, not every sacred ground possessed one—Tianhe Sacred Ground certainly did not, meaning he would have had to travel to another. Lu Changsheng could not be bothered with the hassle. Was flying so bad? He was fast now, and time was abundant. What did it matter if he flew for a couple of years? In reality, bolstered by the power of heaven and earth, Lu Changsheng's speed far surpassed that of most Earth Saints. It did not take years at all; after roughly a year, he arrived in the Saint Domain. "Finally here..." Lu Changsheng gazed upon the colossal city before him. Saint Star City! This was a renowned metropolis within the Saint Domain, home to a branch of the Secret World Tower. Lu Changsheng had navigated here following Sect Master Wan's map. Back then, Tianhe Sacred Ground's founder had come to the Secret World Tower in Saint Star City, obtained coordinates to a secret world, and entered it. Now, Lu Changsheng had arrived at Saint Star City as well. Upon entering Saint Star City, Lu Changsheng immediately noticed the difference. Here, Divine Ability realm martial artists were everywhere. Even Martial Saints were not uncommon, though most were Human Saints. As for Earth Saints, Lu Changsheng sensed the auras of a few, but they were scarce. This showed that even in the Saint Domain, Earth Saints enjoyed prominent status. The Secret World Tower was easy to find. With a few brief inquiries, Lu Changsheng arrived outside the building. "Hmm?" Just as Lu Changsheng prepared to step inside, his brow furrowed slightly. Several faint glances fell upon him. Though not spiritual probes, merely gazes, as an Earth Saint, he could still perceive them. Still, being only looks, Lu Changsheng did not pay them much heed. As an Earth Saint, he drew attention wherever he went. He walked straight into the Secret World Tower. "An Earth Saint has entered the Secret World Tower." "Judging by his aura and demeanor, he must have just arrived in Saint Star City." "Heading straight for the Secret World Tower upon arrival means he's here to buy coordinates for a secret world. He must be loaded." "Keep a close watch. If an opportunity arises, proceed according to plan." Several divine senses exchanged messages in secret. Lu Changsheng did not know he had been targeted. After all, ever since becoming a saint, it had been a very long time since anyone dared set their sights on him. The moment he entered the Secret World Tower, a Human Saint came forward to attend to him. "Fellow Daoist, have you come to the Secret World Tower to purchase secret world coordinates?" Lu Changsheng nodded. Coming to the Secret World Tower, what else would he be here for? Naturally, a secret world. "Please follow me to the VIP room, Fellow Daoist." With that, Lu Changsheng was led into a VIP room. "Fellow Daoist, our Secret World Tower has coordinates for many secret worlds. For example, this Huangtian World: its energy response is not very strong, roughly at the Golden Core level. Moreover, martial arts was introduced there only three hundred years ago to harvest martial dao fragments. If you possess supreme talent, entering Huangtian World would give you a good chance of elevating the martial dao further and reaping fragments of your own." Lu Changsheng's gaze chilled. The Martial Saint spoke plausibly, making it sound enticing, but what was the reality? Lu Changsheng knew from Tianhe Sacred Ground's founder's notes that an ideal secret world had to be "unclaimed"—one where no martial artist from the Immortal Martial World had ever stepped foot. Ideally, it should possess no martial dao at all. That way, there was a high likelihood of condensing a martial dao and claiming martial dao fragments. As for worlds that had already been entered and already possessed a condensed martial dao, one would have to advance that martial dao and then break it. The difficulty would be tremendous. After all, an Earth Saint could not enter a secret world in their true body. Relying solely on the martial arts they promoted to shatter an already-condensed martial dao—one that had developed for three hundred years—just how strong would that martial dao be? "Enough of that," Lu Changsheng cut in bluntly. "I only want an unclaimed secret world. Does your Secret World Tower have any?" The Martial Saint of the Secret World Tower waved a hand, stowing away the information on secret worlds that already had condensed martial daos. He realized he was dealing with someone knowledgeable, not easily swindled. Everyone knew that an unclaimed secret world offered the easiest path to condensing a martial dao and obtaining fragments. Such secret worlds were priceless treasures. Of course, in the Secret World Tower, nothing was truly priceless. Everything had a price. "Unclaimed secret worlds are in short supply. Whenever one appears, countless Earth Saints scramble for it," the attendant said. "However, you have come at an opportune time, Fellow Daoist. In recent months, our Secret World Tower's secret world masters have indeed observed a secret world and calculated its coordinates. But because so many Earth Saints wish to purchase it, the tower plans to hold an auction one month from now, with the highest bidder winning. If you wish to participate, we can make arrangements for you." Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly. Were secret worlds in such high demand? An unclaimed secret world was being auctioned off. Back when Tianhe Sacred Ground's founder arrived, it had not been like this; he had purchased one directly from the Secret World Tower. But times had changed. As martial arts flourished, Earth Saints grew in number, so secret worlds naturally fell into short supply. What happened when demand outstripped supply? Naturally, competition and auctions, with the highest bidder taking the prize. Simply put, while Earth Saints might be ten or a hundred times more numerous than before, secret worlds had not multiplied tenfold or a hundredfold. Thus, Earth Saints were forced to compete fiercely among themselves. "One month from now?" Lu Changsheng said. "Make the arrangements for me." He did not want to miss the auction. "Very well. Here is your token. In one month, Fellow Daoist may present it to enter the auction." The Martial Saint handed Lu Changsheng a token. "By the way, what currency is primarily used in the auction?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Deity fragments, of course," came the reply. "Or martial dao fragments, should you have any you do not need." Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly. Deity fragments? That was certainly hard currency. As for martial dao fragments? He was an Earth Saint, and Earth Saints needed martial dao fragments. If he already had them, why would he come here to buy secret world coordinates? "I will return to the Secret World Tower in one month." With that, Lu Changsheng stood and left. The moment he stepped outside, he felt multiple gazes settle on him once more. Lu Changsheng paid them no mind. He had already gathered information: Saint Star City was home to many Heavenly Saints who commanded law enforcement teams. Who would dare cause trouble here? On the whole, Saint Star City was exceptionally safe, leaving him little reason for concern. Yet as Lu Changsheng walked away from the tower, faint divine senses were communicating in secret: "The target has left the Secret World Tower." "Proceed according to plan." Everything remained discreet, without a ripple of outward disturbance.