C10 Luxurious

After sitting in meditation for half an hour, Zhang Hao gradually came to, his face etched with astonishment. A surge of energy filled him, bringing a sense of clarity he had never experienced before, and his wounds healed as if by magic.

Full of bewilderment, Zhang Hao peered into his dantian and discovered that the lotus seed within had blossomed into a black lotus flower. As he grappled with his confusion, the voice of the Black Hou Beast echoed in his mind.

"Young man, congratulations on reaching the Fusion Stage. Your rate of cultivation has taken me by surprise."

The Black Hou Beast was genuinely moved. It had believed that, given Zhang Hao's unique approach to cultivation, it would take no less than five years to reach the Fusion Stage. Yet, astonishingly, Zhang Hao had progressed from the Early Period of the Blessed to the Early Period of the Fusion Stage in just one year.

"Kid, it won't be long before you fully integrate with the lotus and nurture a lotus heart," the beast projected.

Zhang Hao seemed indifferent to the Black Hou Beast's words. His only purpose in cultivating was to avenge Grandpa Zhao. With the blood-furred wolf now slain, he had no intention of continuing his training—a fact the Black Hou Beast seemed to grasp.

"If you abandon your cultivation now, you'll live to regret it. The Initial Continent is ruled by the mighty," the beast warned.

Zhang Hao paid it no heed and reached for the horn of the blood-furred wolf, dragging the carcass outside. There, Yu Hu and the others from the Red Maple Stronghold caught sight of him and bowed in deep respect.

"Yu Hu thanks you, Your Excellency, for your heroic rescue of our stronghold."

On the Initial Continent, strength commanded respect, and addressing Zhang Hao as "Your Excellency" was perfectly appropriate. Yet, upon hearing these words, Zhang Hao stood rooted to the spot, momentarily stunned. Regaining his composure, he replied,

"No need for formalities; I was merely lending a hand."

With that, he prepared to haul the blood-furred wolf's body away from the Red Maple Stronghold. Yu Hu and the stronghold's residents watched, their mouths twitching in disbelief.

To think he had dispatched a Late Period Blessed demonic beast with such ease...

But Yu Hu quickly snapped out of his astonishment, especially as he watched Zhang Hao drag away the wolf's remains. An urgent tone crept into his voice as he spoke.

"Sir, please hold on a moment."

Upon hearing Yu Hu's call, Zhang Hao paused and turned toward him with a look of confusion.

Yu Hu seemed to struggle to find the right words, standing there awkwardly in silence.

"If there's something on your mind, feel free to speak up."

Yu Hu gritted his teeth as if steeling himself for what he was about to say, and spoke with a grave tone.

"Yu Hu has reached the Middle Period of the Blessed Realm. By absorbing the beast core of the blood-furred wolf, there's a chance he could ascend to the Late Period of the Blessed Realm."

Zhang Hao stood still, taken aback by Yu Hu's declaration, his brow furrowing slightly.

Seeing Zhang Hao's reaction, Yu Hu instantly felt his request was presumptuous, even impolite, considering the beast core's immense value.

The black-haired young man had been fervently pursuing the Late Period blood-furred wolf, likely for its beast core, the creature's most prized part.

Such a beast core from the Late Period of the Blessed Realm was exceedingly rare, even in the largest of cities.

Regretting his forwardness, Yu Hu wished he could retract his words.

Zhang Hao's stillness, however, stemmed from not fully grasping Yu Hu's intent.

"A demonic beast's beast core is akin to the lotus seeds within a human's dantian, where the lotus flower concentrates a demonic beast's energy to enhance its cultivation."

"Unlike humans, demonic beasts lack a dantian, so the beast core is typically situated at the top of their heads."

"The energy within the beast core can be harnessed to elevate one's own cultivation level."

"However, your method of cultivation is unique; you don't require the energy from a beast core."

As Zhang Hao mentally conversed with the Black Hou Beast, Yu Hu quickly interjected.

"Sir, my earlier words were inconsiderate. I hope you can forgive my impertinence..."

Mid-sentence, Zhang Hao swiftly punched the crown of the blood-furred wolf's head.

With a thud, blood erupted, unexpectedly drenching Yu Hu, who stood before Zhang Hao, in an instant.

Yu Hu had barely snapped out of his daze when Zhang Hao produced the beast core of the blood-furred wolf and tossed it his way.

Yu Hu instinctively caught the thrown beast core, yet found himself rooted to the spot in disbelief.

He could hardly believe that this enigmatic, black-haired youth would act with such lavish generosity, gifting a late-stage Blessed beast core with such casual ease.

At that moment, Yu Hu stood transfixed, staring at the blood-stained beast core in his hand, his mind struggling to process the gesture.

It was only when he came back to his senses that he noticed Zhang Hao dragging the carcass of the blood-furred wolf to the gates of Red Maple Stronghold.

Yu Hu quickly followed, about to express his gratitude, but before he could utter a word, Zhang Hao hoisted the wolf's body and sprinted off, vanishing into the forest in the blink of an eye.

Overwhelmed by the turn of events, Yu Hu knelt in the direction of Zhang Hao's departure and bowed deeply three times, his voice quivering with emotion.

"Sir, your great kindness is something I, Yu Hu, will never dare forget in this lifetime!"

Had it not been for Yu Hu and his companions holding off the blood-furred wolf, it surely would have escaped.

Zhang Hao saw no issue in bestowing the beast core upon Yu Hu as a rightful share.

Zhang Hao was somewhat taken aback at that moment; the massive blood-furred wolf was unexpectedly not as heavy as anticipated.

Unbeknownst to him, it wasn't the wolf's weight that was light—it was his own strength that had grown formidable.

Having reached the Early Period of the Fusion Stage, Zhang Hao's raw power and physical defense had become alarmingly potent.

To call him a monster would hardly be an overstatement.

As for concepts of cultivation or power levels, Zhang Hao held no such notions. His current focus was to hurry back to Hillfar Village.

He needed to place the blood-furred wolf's corpse at the village entrance before daybreak.

Only by doing so could he ensure that no one would discover it was he who had slain the blood-furred wolf.