Chapter 32: Emerging from Seclusion, The Reward!

"We shall certainly not speak of this matter to anyone!"

The various peak masters nodded heavily. They understood the gravity of the situation. For a cultivator in the Meridian-Clearing Realm to trigger such a massive lightning tribulation upon breaking through to the Celestial Cycle Realm was completely unprecedented! Everyone present understood exactly what this signified. It meant that Lu Changfeng was not merely a genius; he could be described as a monster.

"The ancestors have truly blessed me! To think I have stumbled upon such a treasure!"

"If he can continue along his path of cultivation smoothly, his future achievements will surely far surpass my own."

The others nodded slightly, sharing the same sentiment.

***

At the bottom of the pool, Lu Changfeng opened his eyes, a sharp glint flickering within them.

"First stage of the Celestial Cycle Realm!"

He exhaled a long, stale breath. A roar of power resonated from his body as vast spiritual energy surged through his meridians, flowing a hundred times more potently than before.

"A bountiful harvest indeed!" he remarked after examining his cultivation.

He had known from the beginning that the Moon-Cold Spiritual Pool was rich in energy, but he had never expected to break through to the Celestial Cycle Realm in such a short time. With his solid foundation and the practice of his spiritual aperture divine ability, he knew his advancement would be much harder than that of others. Yet, under the influence of the immense spiritual energy, the breakthrough had occurred without any resistance—a pleasant surprise.

Lu Changfeng stood up and stretched his body, sensing that his cultivation no longer required consolidation.

"Time to leave," he muttered to himself.

He had been at the bottom of the pool for more than ten days. In his mind, he figured the other disciples must have assumed he was dead by now, especially since even Ye Yunlan had not managed to persist for ten days here.

As he turned to leave, his gaze fell upon the stone stele lying on the ground. The once lifelike five-clawed giant dragon carved upon the stele had dimmed, as if all its spiritual essence had been exhausted.

"Something that caught the eye of the Divine Furnace cannot be this simple," Lu Changfeng murmured, his eyes flashing.

He gathered his cultivation, channeled it through his arm, and struck the stele with his palm.

*Boom!*

The stele trembled, sending ripples surging through the Moon-Cold Spiritual Pool accompanied by a dull roar. Dust and sediment from the pool floor were swept up, clouding the water.

"Incredible hardness!" Lu Changfeng noted with a nod, glancing at his slightly reddened palm in surprise.

He was not only at the Celestial Cycle Realm now; his physical body had also reached the Bone-Forging Realm. An average Celestial Cycle cultivator would have been shattered by that palm strike, yet the stele did not even bear a mark.

"Although its spirituality has faded, it would make for a decent defensive item if it can be refined," he muttered.

He reached out to tap his storage ring, but the stele remained unmoved.

"What?" Lu Changfeng frowned, deep in thought. "Does it resist the storage ring?"

He rubbed his fingers, then lightly tapped his forehead. *Hum!* A flash of black light shot from his brow toward the stele. Suddenly, the stone trembled and vanished as if in terror. Lu Changfeng had sealed it with a wisp of the Divine Furnace's aura, and it now lay docilely within, offering no resistance.

At this moment, Lu Changfeng realized he could exert slight control over the Divine Furnace. After all, ninety-nine percent of the spiritual energy from the stele had been absorbed by the Ancestral Dao Divine Furnace; what he had consumed was barely a drop in the bucket.

Without further hesitation, he turned and headed out of the pool. Moments later, a glimmer of light appeared before him. He knew this was the exit.

The moment he stepped out into the light, *hum!* five powerful divine senses instantly descended upon him.

"This..." Lu Changfeng’s body stiffened, but he quickly realized, "These auras are very familiar; they must be the peak masters of the Dao-Yan Sect!"

He took a deep breath and walked forward calmly. As his eyes adjusted to the light, a scent of gardenias drifted on the breeze. Yue Qingshuang stood before him, her divine sense sweeping over him repeatedly. Seeing the concern in his master's eyes, Lu Changfeng felt a flicker of warmth.

"Master..." he said, bowing slightly.

Yue Qingshuang nodded, relieved to find no injuries on him. "You’ve reached the first stage of the Celestial Cycle Realm?" she asked softly.

"Yes," Lu Changfeng replied, nodding as he circulated his internal energy, the distinct aura of the Celestial Cycle Realm rippling around him.

Seeing this, Yue Qingshuang nodded again. At the same time, the other peak masters approached. Lu Changfeng bowed to them and added, "Greetings to all the peak masters," before turning to Ying Xuanji, "Greetings, Sect Master."

"You are truly remarkable!" Ying Xuanji laughed, patting Lu Changfeng on the shoulder. "To achieve the Celestial Cycle Realm in just three months! It seems you have been very diligent these days. Excellent, simply excellent!" His demeanor was warm and kind.

"Thank you for your praise, Sect Master," Lu Changfeng replied, his expression unchanged.

Yue Qingshuang, standing to the side, spoke calmly: "You have broken the sect record for time spent in the Moon-Cold Pool. I trust the Sect Master will not be stingy with the rewards."

Lu Changfeng glanced at his master and, seeing her nod, immediately understood that she intended to secure something good for him.

"Indeed! This disciple thanks the Sect Master in advance!" he bowed immediately.

Ying Xuanji was taken aback, then let out a wry laugh as he looked at the pair. "Fine, fine, fine! There will certainly be a reward. What is it you want?" he asked with a smile. Though he knew he was about to be heavily exploited, he was in a good mood.

Lu Changfeng looked at Yue Qingshuang, remaining silent. She nodded slightly and said, "My disciple lacks nothing in terms of cultivation techniques or medicinal pills. The only thing missing... is a weapon."

Watching his master speak so fluently, Lu Changfeng realized she had likely planned this all along.

"Leave this matter to me!" Zang Wufeng, Master of the Heavenly Sword Peak, stepped forward with a chuckle. "Since Changfeng uses a sword, and my Heavenly Sword Peak possesses many Profound-grade spiritual weapons, there is no need for you to trouble yourself!"

"There is no need for your concern," Yue Qingshuang said coldly, looking at Zang Wufeng. "My disciple must have the best of everything. Therefore, he shall go to the Sword-Hidden Valley of the Heavenly Sword Peak to find his own weapon!"

Zang Wufeng’s expression stiffened. "Impossible! That is the secret ground of my Heavenly Sword Peak! No disciple from an outside peak is permitted to enter!" he retorted, flatly rejecting the proposal.