C8 The Cancellation of the Marriage

Zhang Bufan's heart quivered with a hint of fear upon hearing the thunderous roar that shook the heavens.

But he quickly steadied himself, activating the second transformation of the Heavenly Dragon, his body enveloping in a silver radiance so intense it was nearly blinding.

"Break through!" he commanded in a low growl.

In a flash, nine bolts of divine lightning struck him with a force that was ear-splitting.

Seated firmly within his room, Zhang Bufan's resolve was unshakable as a boulder.

As the heavenly lightning crashed down, his silvery glow morphed into an impenetrable shield, absorbing the full brunt of the assault.

The lightning coursed over his body, the silver light shimmering and rippling. Inside him, his golden core emerged from its chrysalis, shedding its old self and rebirthing anew, piece by piece.

The next moment, the golden core burst forth with brilliance, bathing his limbs, bones, and blood in a radiant glow.

In that instant, all of Vertville City fell into a hushed reverence, as if in homage to the spectacle.

The Golden Core Stage was a marvel, so rare that even the cosmos itself stood in awe.

The heavenly lightning wove through Zhang Bufan's body, purifying his bones and marrow. Amidst this, the second transformation of the Heavenly Dragon surged forward, breaking through to the third with unstoppable momentum.

Zhang Bufan could feel the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth flooding into him, each movement he made imbued with a terrifying power.

Regarding his physical strength, Zhang Bufan believed that if he were to confront Ouyang Tian again, he could triumph without tapping into the power of the Foundation Stage Layer Nine, relying solely on his bodily might.

Time passed, and the night sky's dark clouds eventually parted, revealing the moon and stars in their full glory.

Zhang Bufan was overcome with exhilaration. Upon introspecting, he beheld a Golden Core suspended within him, radiating a light as resplendent as the dawn.

Having ascended to the Golden Core Stage, Zhang Bufan sensed that the flow of genuine energy within him showed no signs of abating but instead surged forward with vigor.

From the first to the second, and swiftly on to the sixth level of the Golden Core Stage!

His ascent halted at the sixth level of the Golden Core Stage.

"Wow, that's some serious power-up! Straight from the Foundation Stage Layer Nine to the Golden Core Stage Layer Eight!"

Zhang Bufan was at a loss for words. Thankfully, he was only at the eighth layer of the Golden Core Stage. If he had to face someone from the ninth layer, he wouldn't stand a chance.

This time, he had relied on the second transformation of the Heavenly Dragon Nine Transformations to endure nine bolts of Tribulation Crossing Lightning. But Zhang Bufan was well aware that the next time he faced such a trial, even the Heavenly Dragon Nine Transformations might not be enough.

Even reaching the third transformation wouldn't guarantee success.

"Ding! Congratulations, host, for advancing to the Golden Core Stage and unlocking the System Merchant Shop!"

The announcement in his mind thrilled Zhang Bufan more than the breakthrough itself!

Everything from the system was top-notch!

That's why Zhang Bufan had little interest in other martial arts or treasures—he was eagerly anticipating the opening of the System Merchant Shop!

"Just as I suspected," he mused. "Let's see what the Merchant Shop has to offer."

He opened the System Merchant Shop with excitement and was greeted by an impressive array of items.

Martial skills, armor, magic treasures—it had everything!

But the sticker shock hit Zhang Bufan like a cold shower when he saw the prices.

"The system sure knows how to play the game. It's got all the angles covered!"

The starting price for any item was a whopping 100,000 middle-grade spirit stones!

Spirit stones were essential for Qi Refining cultivators, serving both as a cultivation resource and the currency of the cultivation world. One high-grade spirit stone was worth ten middle-grade ones, or a hundred low-grade stones.

That meant 100,000 middle-grade spirit stones equated to 10,000 high-grade or a million low-grade stones!

"It's a total rip-off! Looks like I'll have to fork over some serious cash!"

Zhang Bufan was dumbfounded. Whether it was martial skills, treasures, or cultivation techniques, everything was clearly priced—and outrageously so!

Aside from the exorbitant costs, there were no flaws to be found.

He even spotted the complete version of the Heavenly Dragon Nine Transformations, which he coveted deeply. But the price tag of 100,000 high-grade spirit stones quickly dashed his hopes.

What does 100,000 high-grade spirit stones represent?

Even if you combined the entire earnings of Vertville City, it wouldn't reach that amount in a year.

"Looks like I'll have to wait to make that purchase!"

Zhang Bufan had found it odd that he had already advanced to the third level of the Heavenly Dragon Nine Transformations so swiftly. He was on track to mastering it entirely.

But to his surprise, the reward from the system's novice gift pack turned out to be a flawed product!

Still, even as a flawed product, it brought Zhang Bufan considerable satisfaction.

If the defective version was this powerful, he couldn't help but wonder how formidable the complete version would be!

"It's clear that my next move should be to find ways to make money! And as for my cultivation level... Well, I'll take that slowly."

He had been fortunate this time, but Zhang Bufan had no desire to end up struck dead by heavenly lightning.

By the time the Tribulation Crossing Lightning had ceased, Zhang Bufan's true cultivation level was concealed by the Stage Disguise Card, making him appear to outsiders as a mere Transcendence Stage Layer Three weakling.

The nine bolts of heavenly lightning had come and gone, yet many were still in disbelief. Such an occurrence was exceedingly rare!

It took some time before the crowd gradually dispersed.

Zhang Xiaotian eventually snapped out of his daze, recalling that the nine bolts had struck Zhang Bufan's room, and he hurried over.

"Bufan, are you okay?"

Zhang Xiaotian was greeted by a massive hole blasted into Zhang Bufan's room by the lightning.

"I'm fine, Father. What's been happening outside?" Zhang Bufan asked, his face betraying no emotion.

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaotian took another look at his son and saw that he was still at Transcendence Stage Layer Three, which stirred a mix of emotions within him.

"I can't imagine which senior decided to have their breakthrough at our Zhang family's residence. Nine bolts of heavenly lightning, nine in total!" Zhang Xiaotian said, still shaken by the event.

Zhang Bufan inquired, "Isn't that typical for the Golden Core Stage Crossing Lightning?"

With a wry smile, Zhang Xiaotian replied, "My son, the Golden Core Stage varies in rank. It's all about the number of heavenly lightning bolts. The greater the number, the more limitless the potential for a Qi Refining cultivator upon success!"

Zhang Bufan was genuinely clueless about these intricacies and never imagined there was so much to it. Those nine bolts of lightning, it turns out, were incredibly formidable.

It was only when Zhang Xiaotian informed him that the nine bolts represented the extreme limit of tribulation that Zhang Bufan grasped the true might of his Golden Core Stage. "Hahaha, the system sure is generous!" he mused to himself.

"Bufan, the Exquisite Sect is on their way to the Zhang family to call off the engagement," Zhang Xiaotian finally decided to reveal after much deliberation. With a smile, he added, "Bufan, if you'd rather not face them, I can step in and handle the dissolution of this engagement for you."

A wave of warmth flooded through Zhang Bufan; he knew his adoptive father had always stood by him. Now, with the Exquisite Sect coming to break off the engagement, Zhang Xiaotian was ready to step forward, willing to shoulder the burden of all the mockery and insult that might follow.

"Father, it's just an engagement. If I lack even the courage to deal with this, how will I ever grow stronger?" Zhang Bufan volunteered to confront the situation himself.

Zhang Xiaotian, with a furrowed brow, cautioned him, "Son, the Exquisite Sect claims they want to end the engagement, but I fear their true intent is to disgrace our family—and you. Please, don't act rashly."

Zhang Bufan offered a serene smile and responded, "Father, our parents arranged this engagement. If the Exquisite Sect insists on breaking it off, they're the ones being aggressive. I'm curious to see how the Saintess will justify such actions. After all, both families had agreed to this union. The Exquisite Sect will surely face embarrassment for the Saintess's attempt to unilaterally end the engagement."

A bitter smile crossed Zhang Xiaotian's face; he seemed to have more to say but held back.

"Father, just wait for the show tomorrow. I'll make sure they regret their decision!" Zhang Bufan confidently declared.