Just as everyone was deep in discussion, a stream of light woven from the power of time and space flashed by.
Du Bufan appeared at the doorway. Sunlight washed over him, making it seem as though he had donned a brilliant golden veil. His bearing was extraordinary, akin to an peerless treasured sword freshly drawn from its scabbard, radiating a sharp yet restrained aura. That temperament seemed born from the primordial universe, blending the vastness of the stars with the mystery of the abyss—elusive yet utterly captivating. He scratched his head and said casually, "Dad, I'm hungry."
At this moment, his features looked as though they had been meticulously carved by the hands of time; the lines of his face were deeper and more chiseled, like cuts from a knife and blows from an axe. His sword-like brows slanted up into his temples, carrying a sharp edge that seemed to dart about, yet they were neutralized by the starlight shining in his profound eyes. Those eyes were like deep, murky pools of water, pitch-black yet flashing with starlight as brilliant as any in the cosmos. That light was deep and mysterious, seeming to conceal the endless secrets of the universe, and a single glance was enough to trap someone inextricably within it. These eyes were not merely windows to sight, but rather channels for the soul, revealing the depth and wisdom born of his profound transformation, as though he could see straight through the surface of all things in this world and pierce directly to their essence.
His skin radiated a healthy glow, as if harboring a mysterious power with spiritual energy faintly rippling beneath the surface. That sheen was not ordinary brightness, but rather an aura emanating from within that possessed a mysterious texture, much like ancient, mystical jade that could emit a unique brilliance even in the dark. The corners of his lips curved upward slightly into a confident and composed smile, an expression that seemed to possess the magic to scatter the surrounding gloom. That smile held an absolute confidence in his own strength, alongside a casual detachment from all things in the world, as though nothing could shake his state of mind and everything in his eyes was merely a passing cloud.
His hair, dark as ink and thick, fell loosely over his shoulders with a distinctive, dashing flair. Every single strand seemed brimming with vitality nurtured by spiritual energy, refracting a strange luster in the sunlight as though each hair possessed a soul of its own. They drifted gently with his movements, adding a touch of unbridled flair to his appearance. That temperament was a contradictory combination of freedom, casualness, and formidable self-control, much like the brightest star in the universe—drifting freely, yet bound to its own orbit, radiating a brilliance that could not be ignored.
Du Tianxiong froze, his face a picture of utter astonishment. "What? Haven't you gone into seclusion yet?"
"Seclusion? It's already over. I'm out of seclusion now," Du Bufan said with complete ease, his expression suggesting he had simply taken a leisurely stroll through his own backyard, completely devoid of any tension or fatigue. As he spoke, he strolled casually into the main hall, every step he took seemingly creating a wondrous resonance with the hall's spiritual energy fluctuations, causing the surrounding air to tremble slightly as if welcoming his return.
"What?" Everyone was startled. From the time Du Bufan left until now, less than an hour had passed in total! Such a speed was completely unprecedented, akin to a brand-new, conventionality-shattering law of physics suddenly manifesting in the universe. For practitioners like them, the shortest periods of seclusion were measured in months; even those blessed with exceptional talent required at least half a month. Yet Du Bufan had emerged in less than an hour—it was utterly unbelievable, like discovering a mysterious phenomenon in the vast cosmos that completely defied all scientific and mystical cognition, leaving everyone stunned and at a loss. Some unconsciously dropped their jaws wide enough to fit a fist; others lost their grip on their teacups, letting tea splash onto the floor without even noticing.
"Fan'er, you don't need to rush so much. Right now, your focus should be on cultivation!" Assuming Du Bufan had cut his seclusion short out of worry over an impending enemy attack, Du Tianxiong hurriedly stepped forward to advise him. His eyes were filled with paternal love and anxiety, like a father watching a child testing the boundaries of danger, brimming with concern. He stepped forward, intending to pat Du Bufan's shoulder, but felt an invisible force circulating around Du Bufan's body that caused his hand to halt mid-air.
Du Bufan, however, merely shook his head, his eyes shining with the wisdom that comprehended all things in the universe. "Cultivation? All my cultivation has reached its limit; practicing any further will accomplish nothing. The techniques of this world are as naive as children's doodles before me." As it turned out, over the past hour, he had fully integrated and mastered the remaining contents of the twenty-four volumes of heavenly scripture. Those twenty-four volumes seemed to have fused with him, becoming a part of his very flesh and blood. Every single character flowed with the primal power of the cosmos, operating in an orderly fashion within his body like the fundamental particles of the universe, exuding a mysterious and formidable aura. At this moment, a faint halo flickered around Du Bufan—sometimes morphing into mysterious runes, other times resembling a miniature cosmic starry river, dreamlike and illusory.
Once more, everyone exchanged glances, their eyes filled with shock. They felt as though they had been struck by the shockwave of a cosmic big bang, their minds blank and their worldview suffering an unprecedented blow. Some of the younger disciples wore dazed expressions, looking at Du Bufan with a mixture of awe and envy; several elders furrowed their brows deeply, lost in profound thought as they tried to comprehend Du Bufan's earth-shaking transformation.
The First Elder squinted as he sized Du Bufan up for a long time, a strange light flashing in his eyes like a signal traversing time and space. A faint stir rippled through his heart. "Hm... The feeling this child gives off is indeed a bit stronger than before. There seems to be a mysterious, space-transcending transformation within him, as if he has touched upon the deepest mysteries of the universe." His beard trembled slightly, and his gaze revealed complex emotions—a mix of pleasant surprise at Du Bufan's growth and awe of the unknown.
Hearing this, the rest were even more shaken. From the First Elder's words, they felt an impact originating from the very depths of their souls. Could what Du Bufan said be true? Had he really broken through once more in such a short span of time? This breakthrough exceeded the limits of their comprehension; they felt as though they were witnessing the birth of a new cosmic legend, a sensation that was as exhilarating as it was terrifying. An unusual atmosphere permeated the main hall, making even the air feel heavy as everyone held their breath and awaited what would come next.
"Fan'er, what realm are you actually in now?" Du Tianxiong asked with a stern expression, his voice trembling slightly like ripples of the cosmic microwave background, carrying a thread of tension and anticipation. The others also pricked up their ears, concentrating fully on the answer as the entire hall fell into a dead silence, save for the sound of nervous heartbeats echoing in the cosmic stillness.
"Me? Body Refining!" Du Bufan replied as a matter of course, his gaze clear and resolute like the purest starlight in the universe, entirely devoid of hesitation or falsehood. He stood in the center of the hall, his posture upright like an old pine; though he appeared ordinary, he possessed an aura that no one could ignore. The surrounding spiritual energy seemed to revolve gently around him, forming tiny vortices of spiritual power.
The crowd was instantly struck speechless, as though they had just heard the most absurd joke in the world. The Second Elder said with a face full of displeasure, "Du Bufan, are you kidding me right now? You're in the Body Refining Realm? Whose Body Refining Realm can kill a Void Flight Realm expert with two punches? We're all family here, stop pulling our leg! This is practically a desecration of the entire cultivation system and a challenge to the laws of the universe." His beard twitched in anger, disbelief filling his eyes as he slammed his walking stick heavily onto the ground, producing a dull *thud* that felt exceptionally jarring in the quiet hall.
Du Bufan glanced at him, the corners of his mouth curving upward into a mysterious smile. "I am indeed only in the Body Refining Realm. If you don't believe me, see for yourselves." With that, he slowly raised his hands and brought them together gently. A strange and formidable power radiated from within him—a power as pure and primal as the chaotic force at the dawn of creation, instantly filling the entire hall. The tables and chairs in the hall began to tremble slightly, and the hanging paintings on the walls swayed as though they had become fragile before this might. Within this power, everyone clearly sensed the unique aura of the Body Refining Realm, a sensation intimately connected with the origin of the universe, leaving them with no further doubts about Du Bufan's realm. Some of the lower-cultivation disciples were forced to channel their cultivation to resist the impact of this power, beads of sweat breaking out on their foreheads.
Everyone froze, staring with wide eyes filled with terror and disbelief. They could clearly sense that Du Bufan's realm was indeed the Body Refining Realm. Yet this very fact filled them with even greater dread: if the Body Refining Realm possessed such terrifying strength, what kind of existence would he become if he advanced further? Could he truly shatter the shackles of the cosmos and become a being surpassing the gods? They dared not imagine it. The entire hall plunged into a dead silence of terror, as if the end of the universe were approaching, and an invisible pressure blanketed everyone's heart. Some turned pale, their lips trembling slightly without a single word passing between them.
"Fan'er, what kind of fortuitous encounter did you actually run into?" Du Tianxiong asked. As Du Bufan's father, he was the most qualified to inquire at this moment. His eyes were filled with curiosity and anxiety, much like a scientist exploring the mysteries of the universe facing a completely new, unknown phenomenon—desperate to know the truth, yet terrified that the result might exceed what he could bear. He stared intently at Du Bufan, his gaze fraught with complex emotions as his hands unconsciously clenched into fists.
"I obtained a cultivation technique, a Body Refining Formula, and a few martial arts skills," Du Bufan replied casually, his tone as flat as if these things were completely ordinary, like speaking of picking up a few common stones, without a shred of boasting or concealment. He walked over to the side of the hall, picked up an apple from the table, and took a bite, juice spilling over the corner of his lips. That relaxed and leisurely demeanor stood in sharp contrast to the tense atmosphere around him.
"Ah? Just that?" Everyone was dumbfounded. They had imagined that Du Bufan had obtained some heaven-defying divine artifact or received a legacy from a cosmic creator god; they had never expected it to be merely techniques and martial skills. This left them all the more puzzled: how could such ordinary things grant Du Bufan such terrifying strength? What sort of cosmic mystery lay hidden within all this? The crowd murmured amongst themselves, engaging in heated discussion. Noisy chatter echoed through the hall, yet every face remained painted with confusion and shock.
Du Bufan nodded. "Mhm, just that. Right now, I'm at the peak of the Body Refining Realm. Once I reach the Qi Gathering Realm, killing a Profound Penetration Realm expert will be like crushing cosmic dust, and fighting a Return Void Realm expert should be a breeze. These techniques and skills may seem ordinary, but they actually contain the fundamental principles of the universe. They are the foundation of my rise and the key to breaking the shackles of the cosmos." His words echoed through the hall like a grand bell striking awe into the universe, every single syllable crashing heavily against everyone's hearts, plunging them into an even deeper layer of contemplation and shock that left them shaken for a long time. With that, he took another bite of the apple and, amidst the complex gazes of the crowd, walked out of the hall. The sunlight spilled over him, casting a long shadow that seemed to foretell his legendary future.