"Are you sure?" Hou Feng said with a serious expression. "No one has chosen this thing for the past thirty years. While it does help martial artists who cultivate the sun, moon, and stars, the results have ultimately been rather disappointing."
"It might not be as effective as Jade Wood."
Hou Feng still instinctively wanted to offer a word of warning. After all, the lessons from those who had absorbed it before were right before them. They had chosen it back then because their genes had felt starved as well.
"This one. I'm not changing my mind!"
Su Bei showed no hesitation, clearly having already made his choice.
Hou Feng opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately said nothing. "All right, then. Maybe it showed no effect on others, but the changes it brings you could be significant."
"Even if the results are disappointing, it's still an A-grade Ascension Secret Treasure."
It was hard to tell whether he was comforting Su Bei or himself.
Still, he quickly completed the registration. On the association's private network, this A-grade Ascension Secret Treasure, the meteorite, now belonged to Su Bei. Even if someone suddenly wanted to redeem it now, they would have no chance.
The item was packed into a box and handed directly to Su Bei before long. The efficiency was remarkably high.
"This meteorite doesn't require any special storage conditions. Just keep it in the box, so I'll hand it over to you now. Make sure you take good care of it," Hou Feng said. Su Bei naturally nodded.
He put away the box. It was not particularly large, since the meteorite itself was only the size of a fist, and the box fit it perfectly.
Only then did Su Bei finally let out a sigh of relief.
He did not know which was better, Jade Wood or the meteorite. It was not that he refused to listen to advice, but since he had insisted, he naturally had his reasons.
The Emperor Sun Aura was his reason.
This trace of Emperor Sun Aura had always been a source of hope in Su Bei's heart.
The quality of this energy from the Fantasy World was simply too high. It practically crushed the combined total of every energy source he had encountered. Compared with the Emperor Sun Aura, all the A-grade Ascension Secret Treasures he had seen today were as different as clouds and mud!
Yet Su Bei had no way to use it. He could only passively use it like a power bank, though the results were naturally astonishing.
But in truth, that was no different from begging while clutching a golden rice bowl. He had not found the proper way to use it at all; it was a complete waste of a treasure.
It was not as if he had never tried gathering Solar Energy toward his heart, but it had no effect whatsoever. Forget stirring the Emperor Sun Aura—it seemed utterly disdainful of it.
And at his current absorption rate, perhaps even after Su Bei died of old age, the energy within the Emperor Sun Aura still would not be exhausted.
If he could find a way to make use of it, Su Bei believed his strength would have a chance to skyrocket wildly. Its effects would definitely be beyond comparison with any A-grade Ascension Secret Treasure!
Since the meteorite could stir the Emperor Sun Aura, that fact alone was enough for Su Bei to take a gamble!
Besides, Li Xiongshan from the military had also promised him an Ascension Secret Treasure. Su Bei could afford to gamble. At worst, he could just switch to another one.
By the time Su Bei returned home, not much time had actually passed.
After greeting his parents, he went straight into the training room and carefully took the meteorite out of its box.
It truly looked utterly unremarkable. Yet despite its small size, it was extremely heavy. By rough estimate, it weighed at least several hundred kilograms, showing just how dense it was.
From the outside, its deep black color and uneven surface gave off a mysterious, cosmic aura when examined closely, as if it carried a trace of the universe itself.
Just as expected, the Emperor Sun Aura within him began to stir. His heartbeat thundered like a heavy hammer striking a drum, and every beat came with fluctuations of aura that gradually spread into all four limbs and every bone in his body. His entire body turned warm, like basking in winter sunlight through a window.
Even his aura became bright and warm.
The genes in the deepest parts of his body seemed to be dyed with a layer of pale gold, constantly correcting every part of his physique and bringing him closer to perfection.
The speed was more than a hundred times faster than before!
A portion of the Emperor Sun Aura's energy spread into his right hand, as though it were struggling to break free of Su Bei's body and rush directly into the meteorite!
Yet for some reason, it could not break free from Su Bei's body at all.
"Is this... trying to establish its own faction?"
Su Bei frowned, a strange feeling rising within him. It was as if he had originally been nothing more than a container for the Emperor Sun Aura, but now that it had found a better container, it wanted to abandon him?
This did not necessarily mean the Emperor Sun Aura possessed self-awareness. It seemed more like an instinct of its own. But the fact that a trace of energy could possess instinct at all was already absurd.
"Sure enough... there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world."
Su Bei sighed softly.
Whether this benefited the Emperor Sun Aura or not, it was clearly of no benefit to Su Bei right now!
If he lost a trace of Emperor Sun Aura because of this, he would not even have a place to cry about it.
After all, when he opened the Body Gate, his bodily genes would be fully exposed. That trace of Emperor Sun Energy might directly rush out of his body then, and the loss would far outweigh the gain.
Ignoring the craving of the genes in his body, Su Bei calmly put the meteorite back into the box.
Although it seemed he had gambled wrong, even if he did not use it, carrying it around to lure the Emperor Sun Aura would still greatly benefit his cultivation!
That same afternoon.
Li Xiongshan had a piece of Jade Wood delivered, before Su Bei had even mentioned the matter.
He had said that Su Bei should choose as best he could, and if he could not find one he liked, he should choose the most expensive one. The military would naturally cover the cost.
This was as he had promised that day, yet also somewhat different.
Regardless of whether Su Bei had found a satisfactory Ascension Secret Treasure, Li Xiongshan handled it as though he had not found one at all.
Over the following days.
Su Bei gradually became busy. His daily cultivation continued without pause, but he added archery training to it. He also practiced his fist techniques and spear techniques relentlessly, nearly filling every moment of his time and compressing even his sleep to the absolute minimum.
And that was not all. He kept the meteorite on him at all times, continuously luring the Emperor Sun Aura and allowing his body to strengthen over the past few days. Although only three days had passed, his strength broke through its limits once more, reaching nearly 3100 KG!
That was already three times the standard strength of a First-order Martial Artist!
Su Bei's foundation was simply far too deep at this point!
Though he had not truly tested it, he was confident that even among First-order Martial Artists, he would definitely rank among the strong!
And once he opened the first Body Gate, he would directly step into the realm of invincibility among First-order Martial Artists!
And today.
It was finally time to head to the Jinnan Military Region.
Before you continue