The Zhou Family's Gift

The night was as dark as ink, blanketing the slightly solemn Zhou Manor. The excitement from Lu Changsheng's stunning performance and decisive victory over Chen Ziyu earlier that day had not yet fully subsided. However, the final showdown with the Qin Family in three days loomed like an invisible mountain, weighing heavily on the hearts of everyone in the Zhou Family.

Lu Changsheng was powerful, but the Qin Family's true ace—Qin Lie—was the formidable opponent.

Zhou Manor, backyard.

Lu Changsheng had been settled in the most secluded courtyard within the manor to recuperate. He sat cross-legged, his exhaustion from the day's battles long gone. Spiritual energy surged within him like a mighty river, and the Dragon Elephant Spirit lay dormant in his chest, emitting a dense and profound aura.

Lu Changsheng had not neglected his cultivation during this period. The barrier to his eighth level of Core Condensation Realm had become as thin as a cicada's wing due to his robust accumulation, seemingly requiring only a gentle touch to break through to the ninth level.

However, he did not rush his breakthrough. Instead, he repeatedly tempered and compressed every wisp of spiritual energy, striving for an unshakeable foundation.

Knock, knock, knock!

Just as Lu Changsheng was immersed in his cultivation, a faint knocking sound echoed.

"Junior Disciple Lu, it's me, Zhirou."

Zhou Zhirou's clear voice came from outside the door.

"Senior Sister, please come in."

Lu Changsheng opened his eyes, his gaze deep and calm.

The door creaked open, and Zhou Zhirou entered, holding a crimson jade treasure box, about a foot square, in her delicate hands.

The box was crafted from a material neither gold nor jade. It was entirely crimson, inscribed with intricate, ancient flame patterns on its surface. As soon as it appeared, the room's temperature subtly rose, and the air filled with a pure, scorching solar energy.

"Junior Disciple Lu, thank you for avenging my Zhou Family and thoroughly crushing Chen Ziyu's arrogance in today's battle."

Zhou Zhirou placed the treasure box solemnly on the table before Lu Changsheng, offering a radiant smile. However, her expression then turned serious as she continued, "The decisive battle in three days concerns the survival of my Zhou Family. Qin Lie is ruthless, and his strength is likely beyond the Half-step Divine Palace Realm, far surpassing Chen Ziyu. My father and the elders have discussed this and, to increase our chances of victory, have specially gifted this item to you!"

With that, she took a deep breath, her slender fingers brushing over the mysterious patterns on the crimson jade treasure box. The lid slowly opened.

Buzz!

Instantly, an indescribable surge of immense heat and brilliant golden light erupted from the box, like a miniature sun descending!

The entire room was illuminated as if it were daytime, the light dazzling, the heat waves rolling. If Zhou Zhirou had not activated the box's restrictions beforehand, this power would have been enough to ignite the entire courtyard.

"This is..."

Lu Changsheng's pupils contracted. The Dragon Elephant Spirit in his chest seemed to sense something, letting out a low roar.

In the center of the treasure box, a fist-sized mass of substance, viscous like liquid gold, floated. It was not flame, yet it was purer than the hottest fire; it was not metal, yet it contained a supreme yang energy ten thousand times more refined than Crimson Fire Origin Copper.

As the light flowed, ancient illusions of sunrises and sunsets, and golden crows soaring through the sky, flickered in and out of existence.

"Could this be... Solar True Essence?!"

Even with Lu Changsheng's composure, he couldn't hide a trace of shock. He had read about it in an extremely ancient body-refining text. It was a rare treasure of supreme hardness and yang energy in existence, only able to form a wisp after millions of years in extremely yang and fierce locations. It was an unparalleled treasure for tempering the physical body, purifying spiritual energy, and even forging supreme divine weapons!

"Precisely."

Zhou Zhirou nodded, her eyes filled with reverence.

"This item was accidentally obtained by our Zhou Family's ancestors and has been sealed ever since, regarded as our clan's foundation. The Solar True Fire energy it contains is the most refined and pure, incredibly potent. Ordinary cultivators would be incinerated upon contact. However, my father observed your robust physique, unfathomable foundation, and spiritual energy containing the forces of wind, thunder, and yang. He believes you might be able to refine and absorb it. If successful, your strength will undoubtedly increase greatly! You may refine it here with peace of mind for the next three days; no one will disturb you."

"Such a precious treasure, and you are willing to give it to me?"

Lu Changsheng asked, bewildered.

"The duel in three days concerns the survival of my Zhou Family. Nothing is more important than that. This Solar True Essence can enhance your strength and, at the same time, add another sliver of hope for my Zhou Family, wouldn't you agree?"

Zhou Zhirou said calmly.

Lu Changsheng gazed at the mass of Solar True Essence, flowing with destruction and rebirth, his eyes shifting from shock to fervor.

For him, this was the perfect opportunity to break through his current limits and solidify his supreme Dao foundation!

"Patriarch Zhou's generous gift, Lu Changsheng will certainly remember it!"

He did not refuse. This gift represented the Zhou Family's trust and hope, given with all their might. He needed strength, and the Zhou Family needed victory; their goals were aligned.

"Alright, then I won't disturb your cultivation."

Zhou Zhirou departed, and heavy restrictions completely sealed off the courtyard.

Lu Changsheng no longer hesitated. He sat down cross-legged, formed hand seals, and activated the Heaven Swallowing Creation Art within him at full power. A powerful suction force emerged from his palms, carefully drawing in the intensely scorching Solar True Essence.

Hiss!

The moment the first strand of golden Solar True Essence touched Lu Changsheng's palm, it felt like a searing brand pressed onto flesh and blood! Piercing pain shot through him, and his skin instantly blackened and carbonized!

The violent, scorching power of the Solar True Fire, like an uncontrolled torrent, forcefully surged into his meridians. Wherever it passed, his meridians felt as if they were being melted and incinerated!

"Hmph!"

Lu Changsheng grunted, veins bulging on his forehead, cold sweat instantly evaporating. But his eyes were sharp as knives, his will as firm as rock.

"Dragon Elephant Power, Suppress!"

The Dragon Elephant Spirit, dormant in his chest, roared fiercely. A vast and heavy power permeated his entire body, forcefully protecting his heart meridians and internal organs.

"Refine!"

The surging, profound spiritual energy within him fiercely met the invading Solar True Fire, engaging in a fierce tug-of-war.

Strands of incredibly pure, golden energy, infused with the essence of the sun, were painstakingly extracted and integrated into Lu Changsheng's flesh, bones, and meridians.

It was an excruciatingly painful and perilous process. Lu Changsheng's body became a furnace; scorched and cracked on the outside, it underwent a earth-shattering transformation within.

Old, insufficiently resilient cells were incinerated, while newly born cells, tempered by the Solar True Essence, contained unimaginable strength and tenacity.

Through repeated burning, compression, and purification, his spiritual energy became more condensed and pure, its color taking on a faint golden hue.

Time trickled by amidst the agonizing ordeal—one day, two days...

Outside the separate courtyard, Zhou Qingtian and the others felt the terrifying heat and energy fluctuations, which still radiated outward despite the heavy restrictions. Their hearts pounded with apprehension, yet they were also filled with anticipation.

On the third day, at sunset.

The violent energy fluctuations within the separate courtyard suddenly subsided. The suffocatingly hot aura retreated like a receding tide, finally settling into a deep, restrained calm.

Creak~

The courtyard gate opened, and Lu Changsheng appeared in the doorway.

He was still in his simple green robes, and outwardly, he seemed unchanged. His cultivation also remained at the peak of the eighth level of the Core Condensation Realm.

However, as his gaze swept over them, Zhou Qingtian, Zhou Zhirou, and the several core elders who had been waiting outside felt their hearts lurch violently!

His eyes were as profound as if they contained stars. Beneath their calm, it was as though molten lava flowed, holding a heart-stopping power.

He stood there, not particularly tall, but exuding a mountain-like steadiness, as if he had merged with the earth. The aura around him was no longer outwardly projected but was as deep as an abyss, containing explosive power within.

Just being swept by his gaze made the elders feel a faint stinging on their skin, as if tiny electric currents were passing through them.

"Lu... Junior Disciple Lu, how... how do you feel?"

Zhou Qingtian's voice trembled almost imperceptibly.

He couldn't discern any increase in Lu Changsheng's cultivation realm, but the invisible pressure he exuded was more than several times stronger than three days prior!

He was like an unsheathed divine weapon, its sharpness contained, making him even more terrifying.

Lu Changsheng smiled slightly, his expression serene, yet exuding a powerful confidence:

"Thank you for your concern, Patriarch Zhou. I have not failed. This item has benefited me greatly. Although I haven't broken through, I am ready for a fight."

He didn't say "I can win," but "I am ready for a fight." This powerful conviction beneath his calm finally allowed the Zhou Family's anxious hearts to settle, and they were then overwhelmed by immense joy.

His cultivation realm hadn't advanced, yet his aura had strengthened severalfold! This was even more indicative of his terrifying foundation than a simple realm breakthrough!