[Chapter 565: The Road Ahead]
On his way back, Linton was filled with unshakable confidence. After reaching his cultivation level today, he finally possessed power strong enough to fear no one -- no force, no organization, no country. Wherever he was -- on land, at sea, or in the skies -- no weapon could bring him a fatal threat.
Even if others discovered the secret of his cultivation, it no longer mattered. If anyone reckless enough dared to provoke or scheme against him, one sword was all it would take. In the face of absolute power, they would turn to ash and disappear.
With this newfound strength, Linton felt he could act more boldly from now on -- there was no need to hold back or be overly cautious as before. After all, he had the President of the United States, Bill Clinton, practically under his thumb, and the vast American institutional machinery at his disposal.
This breakthrough to the mid-stage of Celestial Presence was a massive leap in power. But only Linton himself truly understood that this kind of advancement wasn't just about strength -- it was a transformation of life itself. His genes evolved, and his body's potential expanded in every way. It was intoxicating, fueling his passion to reach even higher levels.
Yet, with cultivation settled at mid-Celestial Presence, he noticed progress slowed, requiring more fame and admiration to continue advancing.
To maintain his energy, he realized he had to dig deeper into the entertainment world -- continue crafting his image as a national and global icon.
Every year, he must release a blockbuster idol movie. Winning awards wasn't as important as gaining fans, increasing traffic, and boosting popularity. He would never star in films that only sold tickets or only won awards without helping his idol status.
He couldn't give up singing either -- releasing several singles annually, an album every two years, plus holding one or two concerts each year.
Fan management had to become more strategic. With the internet evolving rapidly, he could forge a closer bond between celebrity and audience. The relationships between stars and fans would transform. Managing fans effectively meant their collective influence would grow, feeding his cultivation with ever-rising popularity.
The internet age was already here -- it was time to embrace online fan operations.
Since concerts brought such massive popularity and traffic, why not try participating in the NBA? That could open another path to fame -- and maybe even buy a team for fun. Plus, investing in an NBA team was a solid business move.
Of course, his Starlight Spark technique still held a huge advantage. He must continue nurturing or discovering top-tier dual cultivation partners.
His harem members also needed continued growth -- to gain more fans and popularity that could fuel his cultivation.
Though his harem was sizable, it still couldn't fully satisfy his enormous cultivation demands.
From now on, if he encountered promising young talents, he could carefully groom them. Once they reached adulthood, if still pure, they'd be candidates for his harem.
For example, stars like Britney Spears, Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt.
Of course, if they weren't chaste -- if they'd lost their first time -- sorry, they could only be casual partners.
After all, he had changed dramatically: a global billionaire with a massive harem. Any future expansion had to prioritize quality.
For established, beautiful, and popular top stars -- like Mariah Carey, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, or even recently met hotties like Brooke Shields and Cindy Crawford -- it would be inappropriate to bring them fully into his harem.
But maintaining close communication and building long-term casual intimate relationships to support his cultivation through dual cultivation was essential.
Looking ahead to the new millennium, Asia's two crucial markets -- China and South Korea -- were set to explode in entertainment growth. A flood of beautiful rising stars would emerge.
Top names there could surpass many contemporary Hollywood leading ladies in popularity.
China's stars like Fan Bingbing, Yang Mi, Tiffany Tang, Gao Yuanyuan, and Liu Yifei, as well as Dilraba Dilmurat and Guli Nazha (Gülnezer Bextiyar), each boasted tens of millions of fans and were stunning beauties.
South Korea was even more impressive with stars like Jun Ji-hyun (Gianna Jun), Han Ga-in, Han Hyo-joo, Son Ye-jin, Kim Hyun-a, and groups like Girls' Generation and T-ara -- each one a major beauty and hugely popular throughout Asia.
Purely by popularity and buzz, excluding other factors, these Chinese and Korean stars rivaled or even surpassed top Hollywood actresses.
Linton's memories from his previous life foretold that starting next year, China would open its film industry fully to private capital, propelling a fast lane of growth -- the industry would enter a nearly unstoppable boom lasting almost three decades.
After recovering from next year's Asian financial crisis, South Korea would launch a "cultural nation" strategy, rolling out supportive policies. Its film and entertainment sector would rise rapidly.
Given this, these two markets were on his radar -- not primarily for profit, but for whether these popular, good-looking rising stars could help him cultivate.
Even if he took losses investing there, it didn't matter -- the sheer scale of these markets meant profits or losses would be manageable.
Still, China's internet industry and Korea's IT manufacturing were worth investing in; the gains could fund his entertainment ambitions without strain.
Speaking of the Asian financial crisis, it was a rare money-making opportunity.
Skycrest Capital would play a crucial role. Richard had already expressed a desire for more investment power. This was the chance to wrest a big share from Wall Street titans like Soros and build the capital needed to expand in Asia.
Plus, this money could remain offshore, avoiding taxes by operating outside America.
Another crucial cultivation resource was merit power -- the "good deeds" energy he needed desperately. It was the foundation for passing the crucial Astral Dominion tribulation. Without sufficient merit power, he wouldn't dare face that trial.
His recent breakthrough was deeply tied to previously accumulated merit power from charitable deeds in Colombia.
That smooth breakthrough with nearly no resistance was a clear sign the power of merit was aiding him.
Previously, he held back donations to other countries, not exceeding 40% of his foundation's spending in order to avoid antagonizing Washington and the mainstream American society, even though contributions to the U.S. or Africa yielded no merit power.
Now, with cultivation at mid-Celestial Presence and strength skyrocketing, he no longer cared about such concerns.
Next year, his charity foundation planned a $160 million budget for donations. He decided to allocate 80% to South America and China -- to help develop, alleviate poverty in remote mountain regions, and above all, to harvest merit power.
If ungrateful American politicians or media dared to provoke him or meddle, they should be prepared for swift retribution.
Despite this, he still planned to visit Africa this year to evaluate their merit power return. If it paid off, he'd increase investments there; if not -- it'd just be for appearances.
Meanwhile, Universal Group and Linton Media Group would secure better opportunities for him and his harem's growth, capturing more popularity and buzz.
As for wealth, with his Vitality Pills, Beauty Pills, and Winnie's investment groups, his fortune would inevitably continue to expand.
Half an hour later, Linton spotted Los Angeles from high above the sky. He descended, recalled his flying sword, plunged into the ocean, and used swift underwater movement toward Los Angeles.
Once he reached the shore, he concealed himself underground, tunneling toward his estate.
---
Unbeknownst to him, deep in the Pacific Ocean, with a single sword strike, he shattered and sank a ten-square-kilometer island, triggering massive tidal waves and setting off NASA alarms.
Awakened by the alert, the duty staff checked satellite images. "What? How did such a large island just disappear? What happened?"
Examining the images carefully, satellites couldn't see Linton because it was nighttime. And since he flew using sword-technique rather than modern aircraft, America's border radars never detected him.
So, from Los Angeles to the deep Pacific, he destroyed the island and returned unnoticed -- no satellite photos caught him, no radar alarms sounded.
After repeated analysis, NASA operators only saw a flash of light on the island before it exploded. But what caused the light? They found no answers, only recorded in duty logs and reported:
"Los Angeles Time, December 28, 4 a.m. Pacific Ocean coordinates, a 10-square-kilometer deserted island appears destroyed or hit by a high-powered weapon test, completely destroyed and sunk."
The report quickly reached the Pentagon.
The next day, the USS Ronald Reagan, patrolling the Pacific, rushed to the spot to investigate.
No traces of explosion, volcanic activity, or tectonic shifts were found.
The final conclusion: the island was not destroyed by modern weaponry -- its sinking remained a mystery, becoming an unsolved case for the Pentagon and NASA.
---
When Linton returned to his estate, it was barely 5 a.m. Looking at the two dozen stunning beauties sprawled in the master bedroom, his passion surged.
He unleashed his spiritual power to rouse them; joy and surprise flickered on their faces as the wild, exhilarating party reignited.
Passionate solo performances, duets, and full ensemble songs echoed through the estate.
...
Unnoticed, three days passed after Christmas.
Except for Madonna, Catherine, and Charlize, who had to prepare for the intense award season PR circuit, everyone else took a full week off.
After all, it was the holidays, and everyone wanted to spend quality time with Linton.
After consulting with the group, Linton decided to take the ladies on a vacation to his private farm.
Though the new Boeing 737 and personal jets for each weren't delivered yet, he already owned three planes, easily transporting everyone to the farm.
Before leaving, he granted an interview to his own Hollywood Gossip Daily, stirring fresh buzz.
In the interview, he openly admitted that the airborne flip he performed during his last concert was genuine martial arts skill -- not a mere movie stunt.
He promised to replicate the feat at his next New York concert, inviting the media to witness it live.
The report caused an uproar, quickly reposted by numerous media outlets.
Across the internet, television talk shows, newspaper columns, and public gatherings, everyone debated again. Linton's popularity soared.
Most people accepted his claim, particularly given his status as a third-ranking global billionaire. Only a few skeptics insisted on "exposing" his trickery at the New York show.
Many speculated how strong his real martial arts skills were -- was it the famed skill spoken of by legendary Bruce Lee?
Or was it like Marvel comics -- genetic mutation fueled by technology giving him superhero abilities?
Perhaps Linton was a DC comic-style extraterrestrial or a time-traveling superhuman.
Or maybe he was a divine incarnation, blessed with supernatural powers no mortal could match.
Media requests for interviews poured in, and paparazzi scrambled to capture explosive footage.
But Linton ignored them all, retreating to the farm gardens to enjoy precious family moments.
*****
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