“How long will it take to upgrade the store?”

“24 hours.”

The system knew what Su Ping was thinking. “All functions of the store will be suspended during that time, including the safety zone.”

Su Ping was prepared for that answer. He pondered about it.

24 hours… Given his current combat strength, he should be able to manage…

Some of the store's functions would not help him deal with the beast strikes. After all, his focus would be on the outer wall, beyond the store's range of influence.

As for pet training and selling, they weren't features that could directly turn into combat strengths on the spot.

He could also sell all the battle pets he had before the upgrade.

The only thing he worried about was that the wild beasts could show up in a too violent manner; they would be able to breach and flatten the Longjiang Base City…

Su Ping decided to upgrade the store after a.s.sessing his own strength.

He should be able to stop or distract the wild beasts for a while unless the beasts were at the Star Rank.

Also, it might be of help on the battlefield if the system's shop could offer high-quality products after the upgrade.

Su Ping decided at once. He turned over to look at Tang Ruyan.

Tang Ruyan: “?”

“You're the head of the Tang family, right?”

Tang Ruyan was alerted. “Why?”

“You should have t.i.tled battle pet warriors in your family who serve under legendary battle pet warriors from the Tower, also to go there and collect information there, correct?” Su Ping rolled his eyes at her.

He wasn't trying to pick a fight with the Tangs? Tang Ruyan was relieved. “Of course, even though we don't have legendary battle pet warriors, we have to know what they're up to. We don't want to offend them and get into trouble. And of course, any small present coming from a legendary battle pet warrior would mean a great deal of benefits to us.” We…? Su Ping looked at her. Regardless of what the Tang family had done to her, she still thought of herself as a member of the Tang family. She might never think otherwise.

He didn't blame her. He was in no position to say otherwise if she could find it in her heart to forgive the Tang family.

W SO

“So, you must know some basic information about the legendary battle pet warriors in the Tower. Do you know anyone who has a kinder personality?” Su Ping asked.

Tang Ruyan thought of something. “Are you planning on selling the other battle pets?”

“Yes.”

Su Ping didn't say anything else about it.

He had to get rid of the battle pets so he could upgrade the store at once.

Tang Ruyan was curious, “Why won't you sell the battle pets publically? Those legendary battle pet warriors would swarm over. You can gain popularity if you sell one to each of them, and you can also solve the hatred between you and the Tang family.”

“Solve it…? They do not deserve it.” Su Ping sneered.

“I would have sold all those pets to you or any of the t.i.tled battle pet warriors of the five major families, if it weren't for the fact that those battle pets are at the Void State and can only be sold to legendary battle pet warriors. No one from the Tower has the right to enjoy this,” he said calmly as if stating a fact.

Tang Ruyan was speechless.

She had always known how proud Su Ping was and he had always been like this…

However, she knew that Su Ping had every right to be that arrogant.

As a matter of fact, the Tower had made the wrong decision by turning hostile against him!

“The Tang family is on friendly terms with some legendary battle pet warriors, but merely at an acquaintance level. I don't know them well… I'll have to ask,” Tang Ruyan answered after some thought.

He knew what she meant by acquaintances.

That meant relations.h.i.+ps built on money!

Not just astral coins, but also rare and cherished resources.

They would eventually earn a legendary battle pet warrior's friends.h.i.+p, or pity, with such wealth.

“Okay.” Su Ping nodded. “Do hurry.”

“Okay.”

Tang Ruyan knew that time was of the essence. She took out her phone and called Tang Linzhan, her father and the former family head.

Several reports reached the intelligence station of the Subcontinent District while she was making the call.

The West Ocean Continent was gone…

That was a bolt from the blue. Once again, the intelligence station was in complete silence!

The West Ocean Continent was gone?

Overnight, two continents were destroyed!! But the Tower Master had actually gone to the West Ocean Continent. Why had it been destroyed? If so, had the Tower Master… died?

Everyone knew that the Tower Master was the most powerful man in the world!

The most powerful!

If he were to die, what… else could be done? Would there be any hope left?

This time, even the legendary battle pet warriors in the intelligence station were struck speechless.

Aside from the reports about the West Ocean Continent, another piece of news reached them from the Dragon Swamp Continent; that continent's inhabitants were trying their best to get to the Subcontinent District but there were problems. The wild beasts had reached their last line of defense. Humans and beasts were fighting a desperate fight. The flames of war were raging high.

That was a piece of bad news, but those in the intelligence station were relieved.

The fact that people of the Dragon Swamp Continent could relocate was because of the Tower Master's battle pet Vulture. Since the relocation was still ongoing, it would mean that the Vulture was still there. If the Tower Master would have died, the contract with the Vulture would have disappeared; a masterless Fate State battle pet would have joined the wild beasts' ranks.

The people in the intelligence station were able to calm down after confirming that the Tower Master was still alive. Still, the doom of the West Ocean Continent was still threatening to hear. Not even the Tower Master had been able to stop it. The wild beasts were frightening!

There was another concern related to the migration news.

What could they do with the people that came from the Dragon Swamp Continent?

People got to work and soon devised a plan. Those migrants would be sent to the base cities across the three defense lines.

That wasn't a hard plan to come up with. The hard thing was how to settle interests-related disputes.

The night had fallen, but the base cities were as bright as day.

Longjiang Base City.

The gates around the outer wall were slightly opened; many vehicles were coming inside. There were lots of people riding on the car hoppers; some of them were in suits and some were in rags, but they were staying together. What a visual contrast. Whatever they were wearing, they had the same expression on their faces: terror, and confusion.

Those people had been sent to the Longjiang Base City.

Apart from those citizens, there were battle pets following the vehicles. Some of the battle pets were like bears, some like wolves, and some like lizards. Battle pet warriors were also relocating. They could be of some help to the base city.

Those people came from different base cities across the Subcontinent District and some were from the Dragon Swamp Continent.

Per Xie Jinshui's orders, the shantytown residents were relocated in the uptown area. If they were able to survive after that disaster, their descendants would later become residents of the uptown area. It was a great chance for those people.

After all, they would mostly struggle their entire lives without ever being able to get out of poverty. It was hard to make a living!

It was even harder for the poor!

But in times of chaos and disaster… hope and opportunities would come along as well.

An area was prepared as a refugee camp to receive people from other base cities.

The general public would settle there and the battle pet warriors would go to the less developed areas in the uptown area.

A curfew had also been enacted.

As for the battle pet warriors, the ones of advanced rank were included in the official army troops. They had to go to the battleground, while having gained some “freedom” at the same time.

The t.i.tled battle pet warriors who had moved in had more say. They could buy a place for their family members elsewhere, but those family members would have to register their information at the government offices. Those people would then become residents of the Longjiang Base City and they would have to pay taxes. Everyone was jittery in the face of disaster but orders were being followed. “Is this the Longjiang Base City?” “I heard they have a legendary battle pet warrior here.”

“He's a member of the Qin family and his t.i.tle is Raging Spirits, the one who earned his name thirty years ago.”

“I heard that this base city once survived a strike from one of the Heavenly Kings, the Otherworld Heavenly King.” “You're right. This base city has more talents than we know of. We should be careful.” “My battle pets are starving. Do you know any high-end pet stores around here?” “Let's find out.”

“I heard that the Nordic Continent and the West Ocean Continent are f*cking destroyed. d.a.m.n it. Do you think the Subcontinent District can survive?”. “We have to, right? Or else what? Should we kill ourselves?”

The relocated t.i.tled warriors soon formed groups of their own. They knew that the five major families would devour them one by one after the disaster if they didn't.

Inside the Pixie Pet Store.

“Okay, I got it,” Tang Ruyan hung up and said to Su Ping, “There's a legendary battle pet warrior known as 'Night Eagle'. He's a good person and he has done some charity work, like adopting many children. He trained them to become t.i.tled battle pet warriors who are staying in different continents.”

Su Ping nodded. “Call him and ask him if he wants to buy battle pets.”

Don't you need more information…? Tang Ruyan was gloating after Su Ping said yes without hesitation. “I will tell them to call him.”

She called her father again.

While they waited, Su Ping summoned the Little Skeleton, the Inferno Dragon and the Dark Dragon Hound and sent them back to his contract s.p.a.ce. He noticed that some people were walking over; it was four in the morning, way past curfew. Those people didn't seem to belong to the five major families across the street.

“Is this the one?”

“Yes, I heard word that this store is the best. The battle pets trained here are completely different.”

“Really? Woah, those two statues sure are scary.”

The four approached the store and they were attracted by the dragon statues. Surprised, they cast a few more glances; the more they looked, the scarier they would be. It was as if the dragons were coming to life because of their gazes.

Whoosh~!

A faint purr dragged them back to reality.

They saw a purple-fur rat under the statue.

What a large Lightning Rat!

Is this even a Lightning Rat?

The four looked at each other. A Lightning Rat with a third-rank bloodline was at the sixth rank!

“We have customers. Go and receive them,” a man said coldly inside the store.

The next second, a pleasant and at the same time enticing voice said yes. A girl with a pretty figure came out and stood by the door. “Welcome. Please come in.”

What a beauty!

That was the first thing the four thought, but then they were wide-eyed the next second.

They were able to tell that the pretty attendant had profound astral powers. She didn't unleash them but they could still sense this.

She wasn't any weaker than they were!

Is she at the t.i.tled rank?

A t.i.tled rank girl is the greeter?!

They looked at each other speechlessly.

A moment of silence later, a middle-aged man came back to his senses. He gazed at Tang Ruyan and asked, “I heard that this is the best pet store in the Longjiang Base City. Is that true?”

“What you heard is true.” Tang Ruyan smiled happily. She had become more and more skilled with that professional smile. She was smug about it.

Look, I'm such a professional. Dude, you really should think about making me a full-time employee!

It was clear that Su Ping didn't have the ability to read her mind.

“Well…”

That pet store had to be the best in the base city since a girl at the t.i.tled rank was receiving them. Not even the multi-city or continent-wide franchises could offer that level of service.

“Hi, hi.”

The middle-aged man smiled and walked up the stairs. He didn't treat Tang Ruyan as an attendant. That girl was younger than they were.

Of course, unless she had altered her looks with some secret skills.

“This way, please. Are you here to train battle pets or to buy battle pets? If you're buying, we don't have any ninth-rank battle pets at the moment. We only have some beast kings left.” Tang Ruyan was having fun.