These words were spoken by Lu An from the bottom of his heart.
Having been a slave for twelve years and experiencing the lowest treatment, Lu An did not want to return to his former life. Though being a tribute sounded good, he no longer desired it.
However, as soon as he spoke, Chu Ling's expression immediately became very ugly, and Gao Dashan and the others were the same.
"You! You! You really don't know what's good for you!" Chu Ling pointed her slender, fair hand at Lu An, so angry that she stammered, unable to speak clearly. "You really take kindness for granted. Just let Zhou Chengkun play you to death, who cares about you!"
With that, Chu Ling spun around in a huff, ignoring Lu An completely, and strode away.
Watching Chu Ling leave, Lu An felt quite helpless, letting out a bitter laugh.
If offending Zhou Chengkun was equivalent to offending half of Starfire Academy, then offending this Young Miss Chu, wouldn't that be equivalent to offending the entire Starfire City?
Thinking of this, Lu An also felt quite helpless. He turned to the grim-faced Gao Dashan and the others and said, "I'm sorry, I really don't want to submit to anyone again. As for your families, I will personally go and clarify things with Zhou Chengkun, telling him that you have nothing to do with me. They hate me, not you."
With that, Lu An smiled faintly, patted Dashan's shoulder, and said, "I'm going back to the dorm first."
Lu An turned to leave, but after two steps, he found Fu Yu still standing there watching him. He walked over and said, "Go back to the dorm together?"
Fu Yu thought for a moment, then nodded.
Lunch was again treated by Fu Yu for Lu An. Lu An earnestly kept it in mind, because his parents had told him that those who help you in your most difficult times are worth being grateful to for a lifetime.
After lunch, Lu An went nowhere, returning to his room to sleep. He hadn't slept all night and had been running wildly, so he was truly exhausted. Lying on the bed, sleepiness swept over him, and he quickly fell asleep.
Of course, the most important reason he wanted to sleep was to see the Black Mist Person.
Indeed, as the Black Mist Person had said, when he entered dreamland, he once again arrived in this dark world, and the Black Mist Person slowly coalesced from the surrounding darkness, watching Lu An.
"You did well last night," the Black Mist Person said to Lu An, his voice echoing faintly. "Being able to kill a First-Level Strange Beast isn't just about luck."
Lu An nodded upon hearing this, not wanting to discuss the topic further. He said, "Today I've offended many people."
The Black Mist Person closed his eyes for two seconds upon hearing this, then opened them and asked, "So?"
"So I want to increase my strength quickly," Lu An frowned and said. "Although I know the principle of 'pulling up seedlings to help them grow,' is there any other way to increase my strength as quickly as possible?"
"Yes," the Black Mist Person said concisely.
Lu An's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "How?"
"Before answering your question, I need to ask you something: do you know what kind of changes one needs to experience to go from a Sky Realm to a Celestial Master?" The Black Mist Person did not answer, but slowly asked Lu An.
Lu An frowned upon hearing this, pondering seriously. If it was about releasing Tian Yuan Power, even a Fifth-Level Sky Realm could release it instantly, and it was said they could also learn some Heavenly Skills. So what exactly was the difference?
"I don't know," Lu An shook his head, speaking truthfully.
The Black Mist Person smiled, and his ancient voice said, "It's very simple: it's the process of completely transforming an ordinary person's body."
"If it's merely about releasing Tian Yuan or Destiny Wheel, then ordinary people still have a chance to kill a Celestial Master. So why are Celestial Masters so powerful that Mortals dare not harbor murderous intent? It's because their physical bodies are already different from Mortals," the Black Mist Person slowly explained. "This is a Body Tempering process. Regardless of the method, the body is tempered once, making it stronger, ultimately reaching a state where the entire body can become a vessel for Tian Yuan release, not just the hands."
"In other words, if you can instantly release Destiny Wheel from any part of your body, it means you have become a First-Level Celestial Master."
Lu An listened carefully to the Black Mist Person's words, and after serious thought, he said, "So, if I want to improve my strength quickly, the fastest shortcut is to go to the Body Tempering Place?"
"That's right," the Black Mist Person smiled slightly and asked, "Can you endure that kind of pain?"
"I've endured many things more painful than that," Lu An slightly furrowed his brow and said.
"But you always pass out," the Black Mist Person shook his head and said. "Last time, you lasted five minutes, then rested for most of the day. This kind of Cultivation method wastes too much time."
Lu An frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "Then I'll run out each time just before I'm about to faint, rest for a while, and then go back in?"
"A person's willpower is limited; it's not as much as you wish. How much willpower can a short rest recover?" The Black Mist Person shook his head again.
"Then what should I do?" Lu An was also frustrated. This wouldn't work, that wouldn't work. How could he Cultivate quickly?
The Black Mist Person looked at Lu An's annoyed expression, couldn't help but smile, and said, "I ask you, what is it that helps you Body Temper in the Body Tempering Place?"
"What?" Lu An was startled, and replied, "It's the Guiding Heart Fire."
"What is the strongest fire within that fire?" the Black Mist Person asked with a smile.
Lu An's body trembled, then he realized something and quickly asked, "You mean, my Nine Heavens Holy Fire can suppress the Guiding Heart Fire?"
"That's right," the Black Mist Person was quite satisfied with Lu An's reaction and said, "But I didn't say to use the Guiding Heart Fire for Body Tempering. I said there are many ways to temper the body."
Lu An was startled upon hearing this, then respectfully said, "Please guide me!"
The Black Mist Person smiled upon seeing this, and said faintly, "Guiding Heart Fire is actually a rather peculiar flame. It can penetrate into the human body without harming the internal organs, guiding the heart fire to burn through the five Zang and six Fu organs to achieve its purpose. But there are also drawbacks to doing so, which is that the body tempered by heart fire, whether it's the body itself or the Tian Yuan, will more or less carry some Fire Attribute. In other words, it's best to Cultivate fire forms in the future; other forms will be significantly discounted."
"Of course, not only Guiding Heart Fire, but other Body Tempering methods also have this problem. That's why in major Sects, there are five different forms of Body Tempering Places for people to choose from. It's just that this Academy is a bit too small, so it can only have one."
"And you," the Black Mist Person finally looked at Lu An and said, "you possess two Destiny Wheels, so you cannot use only one method for Body Tempering; you need both fire and water to temper your body simultaneously."
"How do I do it?" Lu An asked gravely.
"It's very simple. Your Nine Heavens Holy Fire and Mystic Deep Cold Ice are the best materials for Body Tempering, and the effect after Body Tempering will be the purest and most perfect in the world," the Black Mist Person laughed. "I will help you Body Temper, but the process will be even more painful than the Guiding Heart Fire."
"No matter!" Lu An's brows furrowed, and he immediately said, "As long as I can increase my strength, a little pain is nothing!"
Seeing Lu An's determination, the smile on the Black Mist Person's face gradually disappeared. For a twelve-year-old child to have such persistence, it was something that talent alone could not determine, and it made him have more and more confidence in this child.
"Although you are currently in a dream, you will still feel immense pain when I temper your body. You must try your best to endure in front of me, because once you can't bear it and faint, you will wake up," the Black Mist Person said seriously. "At that time, with your whole body in pain, it won't be so simple to fall back asleep."
"Good!" Lu An nodded vigorously and said, "This time, I definitely won't faint!"
The Black Mist Person said nothing more, but slowly raised both hands, facing Lu An from a distance.
Thump thump!
Instantly, Lu An felt his heart violently shake, as if something had been awakened!
Thump thump!
Another violent tremor, and then Lu An felt an extremely hot current and an extremely cold current flowing from both sides of his heart!
In an instant, with the beating of his heart, two streams of power flowed throughout his entire body! Cold and hot fused together, seemingly omnipresent, making Lu An's eyes widen instantly!
Was this cold, or was it hot?
Lu An could no longer distinguish, but he had no time to distinguish, because no matter which one it was, it made him feel excruciating pain!
"Ah!!!" Immediately, Lu An couldn't help but kneel on the ground, screaming!