Lin Chen didn't go home. After parting with Xue Zi Qi, he hurriedly found a high-end hotel, closed the doors and windows, and drew the curtains tightly.

He accessed the system and was thrilled to see that his popularity value had soared to 260,000.

Even Lin Chen had not expected that participating in such a culinary competition could yield so many popularity points.

He opened the shop, and his gaze landed on the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Previously, this Foundation Establishment Pill was displayed in gray, but now that he had just opened it, he found it was available for exchange.

"System, I want to exchange for the Foundation Establishment Pill." Lin Chen said excitedly, rubbing his hands together.

With the Foundation Establishment Pill, Lin Chen could complete his transformation from Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment.

Although Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment were only a step apart, they were worlds apart.

The four great families of the Capital City, along with the mysterious enemy his father mentioned, all made Lin Chen urgently need to enhance his strength.

"Ding Dong, congratulations to the host 'Lin Chen' for obtaining the Foundation Establishment Pill, deducting 200,000 popularity points, leaving a balance of 6,000 popularity points."

Lin Chen clicked to retrieve, and a small, blood-red pill exuding fragrance appeared in his hand.

Within the pill, Lin Chen felt intense fluctuations of Spiritual Energy.

Lin Chen took a deep breath and swallowed the Foundation Establishment Pill.

The moment it entered his mouth, he felt a tremendous energy surging within his body.

A sharp pain spread instantly to every part of his body, the immense energy almost tearing him apart.

Lin Chen was secretly relieved that if his body hadn't been modified by the Dragon Blood lineage, it probably would have burst from the intense energy.

Despite this, the intense pain still caused sweat to pour out of him. Lin Chen endured the pain, knowing that good steel must be forged with hard hits. Foundation Establishment was a vital step in cultivation; he had to clear all the impurities from his body, break free from constraints, and lay a better foundation for his future practice.

As the medicine's power evaporated, streams of energy roamed inside his body, and the pain gradually subsided. From his capillaries, thick black liquid evaporated out.

After what seemed like ages, Lin Chen felt a core forming in his Dantian, indicating that he had officially entered the Foundation Establishment stage.

However, at this time, Lin Chen's body was covered in black impurities, so he hurried into the bathroom and took a hot shower.

When he came out of the bathroom and saw his reflection in the mirror, he couldn't help but be stunned.

Was this still him?

His body used to be robust and tanned due to frequent farm work, but now his skin was as tender as jade, and his fairness even surpassed that of Xue Ying, who took great care of her skin.

With his robust physique and fair skin, Lin Chen's level of handsomeness was definitely not inferior to any hot young celebrity.

He was really looking forward to seeing the expressions on Zhao Xiaowen and Xue Ying's faces when they saw him next.

As his cultivation improved, the "Taiji Xuan Qing Dao" also turned into an upgradable state, but the required popularity points were astonishing, actually needing 200,000 points.

"System, do you think popularity points are easy to earn?" Lin Chen complained.

"Host, do you think success comes without effort?"

Alright, Lin Chen had no comeback, success indeed required effort.

"The revolution hasn't succeeded yet, comrades still need to strive, go for it, host."

Hearing the system's encouragement, Lin Chen gave a wry smile and opened the curtains.

The lights were brilliant outside, a world of neon.

Once, he was just a nobody in the city, with many frustrations. Now that he had the popularity system, his life had undergone a dramatic change.

"With great power comes great responsibility." Recalling his father's words, he clenched his fists.

For the sake of revenge for the Lin family, for the mission of his family, I must become stronger more quickly.

At that moment, a light flashed across the building on the opposite side, and Lin Chen's gaze sharpened.

Because he saw a person with a cap on the terrace across the street using binoculars to observe him.

If it were with the naked eye, it would be hard to spot, but since Lin Chen possessed the Tianyan Divine Pupil, after zooming in, it was almost as if the person was right in front of him.

Unfortunately, the other party had their cap pulled down low, making it impossible to see their face clearly.

Lin Chen's gaze narrowed slightly; someone was secretly tailing him.

He inconspicuously turned off the lights inside the room and quietly left.

The building was over a thousand meters away from the hotel where Lin Chen was staying, and soon he arrived stealthily at the bottom of the building.

Lin Chen took the elevator to the top floor of the building, then followed the stairs to the terrace.

The evening breeze was cold,, and the terrace was empty, the young man with the cap had already disappeared.

"Damn, was I discovered?" Lin Chen shook his head helplessly and turned to leave.

As Lin Chen left the building, in a dark corner, a person in black wearing sunglasses watched Lin Chen's back and couldn't help but inhale sharply.

"This guy is really cautious. He noticed me from such a distance. It seems Ninth Prince was right; there's definitely something off about this guy."

After leaving the building, Lin Chen paused for a moment, then suddenly stopped.

"Can the system find out where Kimura is staying?"

"Possible, but it will cost a thousand points to search."

"Damn, are you obsessed with money now? Or are you desperately lacking popularity? You want to charge points for such a trivial matter?"

"If the host is capable, they can search for Kimura themselves. According to the system's statistics, there are a total of 1213 DY hotels."

"Fine, consider it brutal, charge me then. I'll just have to earn more," Lin Chen gritted his teeth and said.

"Ding-dong, the target is in room 401 of Tianyi Hotel."

Tianyi Hotel was less than ten minutes away from Lin Chen's hotel, and he soon arrived at the Tianyi Hotel.

Just as Lin Chen was about to enter, suddenly, a pair of small hands rested on his shoulders.

Startled, Lin Chen was about to retaliate, when suddenly a familiar voice rang out.

"It's me!"

Lin Chen was stunned; it was Anna.

"Come with me," Anna said softly.

Lin Chen followed Anna into a van.

Using his x-ray vision, Lin Chen discovered that Long Tianci was in the vehicle, and there was also a handsome young man.

Lin Chen followed Anna into the van, only to see that there was a set of surveillance equipment inside, and Kimura's every move was under surveillance.

Seeing Lin Chen, Long Tianci smiled and said, "It seems you're interested in this guy too!"

Lin Chen looked puzzled: "Who exactly are you guys?"

Anna huffed, "Don't ask what you shouldn't."

Lin Chen spread his hands: "If you won't reveal your identities, then I'm sorry, but I must leave."

"You!" Anna's face showed a slight anger.

At that moment, Long Tianci smiled, "Little guy, since we've brought you here, it means we trust you. We're part of an organization responsible for the security of Huaxia, called the Long Group."

"Hmm, what do you need me for?" Lin Chen had already had the system verify their identities, otherwise, he wouldn't have willingly come with Anna to this van.

"We need your help," Long Tianci said seriously.