Lu Zheng gritted his teeth in pain as he endured the huge amounts of heat pouring into his body.
Using the heat from the lava pool, he tempered his muscles, blood vessels and internal organs.
Every single moment, Lu Zheng felt like he could pass out from the pain he was enduring.
His hair was a blazing scarlet as were his pupils. He had unconsciously transformed into the Vermillion Bird Race's battle body.
Themur stood at the edge of the lava pool, sensing the changes within it. For many years, he had lived by it, harnessing the fire energy within it to cultivate but never had he thought of bathing in it.
After all, the lava pool was an Earth Flame that had existed from long ago. It was definitely too hot to bear.
Lu Zheng's act of bathing in it had changed his knowledge of cultivation totally.
"The Earth Flame's intensity, it is reducing" Themur muttered as he stared at the lava pool.
The heat in the lava pool was being consumed by Lu Zheng's body. It would not last.
Only after many days did Lu Zheng finally come out. His figure had changed once more.
Not only was his hair now longer, flowing down his shoulders, he himself had grown taller.
"Ah? You brought so much meat" Lu Zheng was positively surprised at Themur's huge hunt. "Good"
Lu Zheng controlled his Qi to form a sea of flames that roasted the meat of the dead beasts. The only things he spared were their beast cores and bones.
Beasts at rank three or above would usually have a crystal-like prism in their foreheads where all their Qi was stored. It was referred to as their beast core and it was the physical manifestation of their entire cultivation.
Destroying it meant crippling their cultivation.
Human martial practitioners loved killing these beasts for their beast cores as the Qi within it could aid their cultivation greatly.
In many ways, it was better than vital stones – especially those from high ranking beasts.
Without the slightest of hesitations, Lu Zheng began to eat the meat of those beasts with wild abandon. His stomach however did not reflect his consumption.
The refined fleshy energy contained in each fibre of the meat of the dead beasts Lu Zheng ate boosted his own physical abilities and could even stimulate breakthroughs.
It was the best tonic for a martial practitioner with a strong bloodline like the Vermillion Bird bloodline.
After he was done eating, Lu Zheng used the skin of a rank three Fire Wolf to pack the remaining meat and beast cores.
He was just about to speak when a spatial portal opened a few metres away from him.
"Young master, it is time to leave the secret realm" A feminine voice rang out from it.
"Leave?" Themur was stunned.
"Hmm" Lu Zheng nodded before taking a glance at himself. He was completely naked.
The clothes he brought couldn't fit him anymore and he had no replacement. Initially, he had thought Lu Shantian would be the one to welcome him but from the feminine voice he heard, it was not the case.
"Oh well. I guess there's no helping it" Lu Zheng mumbled as he walked through the spatial portal with the sack made out of beast skin hanging on his back.
At his side, Themur walked too. He wanted to witness the outside world.
"Young master! You're naked!" The female screamed as her face turned a bright pink from embarrassment.
"Oh, Chen Ju, it's you" Lu Zheng said as he looked at the female.
She was very beautiful with pure snow white skin. She wore bright red armour that covered only her chest, exposing her long arms and legs that accentuated her beauty. She also had round supple breasts that could convince any man to lust after.
Her oval face was very pink as she tried to ignore Lu Zheng's shamelessness.
"You still remember my name?" Chen Ju asked, looking away.
"How could I forget a beautiful lady's name?" Lu Zheng asked rhetorically.
Chen Ju was a martial practitioner affiliated with Lu Clan. Since she was eight years old, she had been taking care of baby Lu Zheng, watching him as he grew.
"You've only become more perverted young master" Chen Ju said under her breath. "Where did this beast come from?"
"Oh right. This is Themur, a rank four Purple Flame Lion and my personal beast pet" Lu Zheng replied as he caressed Themur's fur.
"Rank four beast pet!" Chen Ju was stunned silly. "Then… what is your cultivation base?"
Lu Zheng didn't say anything and only smiled: "Where's father?"
Chen Ju shook her head. She had grown up watching him so she knew his aptitude for cultivation was quite high. She could only accept the tough reality.
"Family head and the others have left.
Things… are not so good" Chen Ju's voice grew solemn.