Lu Chenge led Mu Yun to a remote, high-altitude cave on Azure Cloud Peak, a place known for its naturally intense yang energy. Wei An remained in the courtyard, her Time Essence beginning its slow, mysterious coalescence—a sign she needed time, not a forceful contribution. Mu Yun, however, was a ticking clock of suppressed power.
Inside the sparse cave, Lu Chenge activated his Divine Soul Observation Art. The world shifted into a spectrum of glowing spiritual energy. He focused his sight entirely on Mu Yun.
The boy's meridians were indeed substandard, but at the center of his dantian, a breathtaking sight unfolded: a colossal, molten orb of fire energy, caged by thousands of ancient, rust-colored spiritual chains. This was the legendary Volcanic Fire Essence—a power source meant for Nascent Soul masters, not outer-sect disciples. The Tier 3 pill had barely melted one chain.
"If I can shatter those chains, the return will be immense," Lu Chenge thought, his Golden Core thrumming with anticipation. "This boy's potential isn't just high; it's catastrophic."
💥 Contribution 4: Shattering the Seal
This required the most potent, most precise contribution yet. Lu Chenge accessed the vast reserves of his System-acquired treasury. He bypassed the millions of pills and manuals, searching specifically for an artifact of pure, solar-fire energy capable of breaking ancient seals.
He retrieved the single, most valuable item he possessed in this category: a small, crimson slate etched with swirling, radiant runes—the Sun-Forged Heaven-Shattering Talisman. It was a one-use artifact capable of releasing the power of a thousand suns to break any spiritual barrier. Its value was incalculable.
"Mu Yun," Lu Chenge said, his voice serious. "The pill I gave you was only a primer. This is the true gift. This talisman will awaken your destiny, but the process will be excruciating. You must endure the pain, or the energy will tear you apart."
Mu Yun, seeing the sheer gravity in his Master's eyes, nodded without hesitation. "I trust Master!"
Lu Chenge placed the talisman on Mu Yun's forehead, directly over his spiritual sea. "Focus on the pill's energy. Guide the talisman's power inward!"
The moment the artifact's spiritual energy fully connected with Mu Yun's core, the System triggered an earth-shattering notification.
[Host Contribution Detected: 1 x Sun-Forged Heaven-Shattering Talisman (Celestial Artifact).] [Contribution Essence: Ultimate Seal-Breaking and Pure Solar Fire.] [Commencing 10,000-Fold Return…] [Return Acquired: 10,000 x Celestial Sun-Fire Cores (Source of Eternal Fire Energy).]
The return in resources was overwhelming—cores that could sustain a massive sect for millennia. But the primary amplification was what truly rocked the cave.
[Host has received 10,000X return of Ultimate Seal-Breaking and Solar Fire Essence. Host's newly formed Golden Core is deemed Complete, but Lacks a Heavenly Law.] [Host's Golden Core will now be fused with a Celestial Law to reach the Perfected Golden Core stage.] [Cultivation Advance: Host has instantaneously mastered the Law of Incineration (Initial Stage). Host's Golden Core is now coated in True Fire, and Host may condense a Law Domain(Early Stage) capable of suppressing all lesser fire energies.]
A wave of terrifying, controlled heat erupted from Lu Chenge. He felt the Golden Core in his dantian grow another size, pulsing with the power of universal fire. He could now, with a thought, reduce any earthly object to ash. He was no longer just a Golden Core cultivator; he was a Golden Core Law Master. His power had taken a qualitative leap that bypassed decades of normal cultivation.
☀️ The Awakening
Meanwhile, Mu Yun was screaming. The Talisman had shattered all the ancient chains simultaneously. The Volcanic Fire Essence, now unbound, roared to life, reshaping the boy's meridians and bones.
When the light subsided, Mu Yun slumped forward, exhausted but unharmed. He slowly opened his eyes, which now held a flicker of molten gold. He had successfully awakened his potential.
Lu Chenge checked his condition with the Divine Soul Observation Art. The boy's roots were no longer Trash-Grade. They were now Volcanic Heaven-Grade, Highest Tier—a classification higher than anything the Azure Cloud Sect had seen in a thousand years.
The Master felt a profound sense of satisfaction. His Golden Core was Perfected. His second disciple was a genius. All thanks to a little strategic generosity.
"Rise, Mu Yun," Lu Chenge commanded, his voice deep and authoritative. "Your true cultivation begins now. The path of the Flame is steep, but I will guide you to the peak of the Sun."