Chapter 1055: Five Luminaries Golden Body Fifth Layer

"Excellent, that's it..."

Seeing the wooden block in the other person's hand, although not large, it felt as hot as charcoal, making Zhang Xuan's eyes light up.

It was indeed the Five-Yang Resilient Wood.

He had only asked casually, prepared to find other methods if necessary. He never expected President Han to actually possess it, and such a large piece at that, perfectly sufficient for cultivating the fifth level of the Five Splendor Golden Body.

"How much does it cost? I'll buy it..." Zhang Xuan said, taking it.

Previously, borrowing the other party's formation flags was a public matter to allow everyone to enter this place; their contribution was insignificant, as even he would sacrifice anything for the sake of the group. However, the Five-Yang Resilient Wood now being offered was for enhancing his personal physical strength, a private matter, so he naturally had to offer appropriate compensation.

"This... we are all together; only by helping each other can we find our way forward. How can I accept money?" President Han shook his head. Given the current situation, with death potentially striking at any moment, this item, no matter how precious, was merely an external possession. He had only purchased it out of curiosity, and its practical use was limited. If it could help break the seal and genuinely enter the relic, it would be a gain.

"One thing is one thing; if you don't accept it, I won't feel at ease!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"This..." Knowing that master teachers act according to their principles, it would be inappropriate to refuse outright. President Han could only smile wryly and shake his head: "I bought this resilient wood for 200 high-grade spirit stones. If you need it, just pay the same price!"

"Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded, wasting no words. With a flick of his wrist, he produced 200 high-grade spirit stones and handed them over. Selling the unique Cloud Mist Tea from Cloud Mist Ridge had significantly boosted his income, and combined with the numerous storage rings he had plundered from the Foreign Spirit Race kings... he now possessed tens of thousands of high-grade spirit stones, so this amount was negligible.

Accepting the spirit stones, President Han looked at the young man before him with a resigned expression, his admiration growing stronger. So young, yet with vast knowledge, a profound understanding of formations far surpassing his own, and most importantly, an ultimate reverence for the "Path of the Teacher" and self-discipline, which commanded deep respect. Such a person, as long as he did not fall, would undoubtedly achieve far greater accomplishments than himself, becoming an 8-star master teacher, or even higher.

Others who witnessed this scene were also filled with admiration. This was what true selflessness meant! No wonder he could become a dean at such a young age, while they, at the same age, had achieved nothing... the thought filled them with shame.

Liu Mo, in particular, wished he could crawl into a hole. When this young man first arrived, Liu Mo had thought him too arrogant and had reprimanded him. Yet, the young man not only resolved the seal issue but also led everyone here... His abilities were simply beyond comparison. If the young man was a bright moon, Liu Mo was merely coal slag on the ground; there was no basis for comparison.

"I will use this Five-Yang Resilient Wood to cultivate. You all can study the seal here, or rest and recover your strength. Once the seal is broken and we enter the portal, the dangers we will face are still unknown. However, the stronger your power, the greater your chance of survival!" Zhang Xuan said.

Everyone nodded.

Having said this, Zhang Xuan ignored them, found a secluded corner of the ruins where no one could observe him, and sat down cross-legged. He gripped the newly acquired Five-Yang Resilient Wood tightly with both hands, circulated his true qi, and began to cultivate.

Boom! The power from the resilient wood flowed through his meridians into his body, tempering every cell and causing a qualitative transformation and leap in his physical form. The Five Splendor Golden Body aims to perfect the Five Yang energies within the physical body, thereby greatly increasing strength. For the previous four splendors, he had used Heaven's Path cultivation techniques, achieving flawless and perfect cultivation without any defects, so this level progressed naturally and smoothly. His true qi, mixed with the power from the resilient wood, stimulated his entire body; even his blood seemed to undergo a metamorphosis.

An hour later.

A rumble echoed within him as all the power converged, forming a complete circuit: Heart Yang, Lung Yang, Spleen Yang, Liver Yang, Kidney Yang... the Five Yang energies circulated unimpeded and shone brightly. His entire being seemed to have formed a golden body, giving off an impression of indestructible solidity.

"Excellent..."

Feeling the power within his body, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes and clenched his fists. At this moment, with just his physical body, he could easily crush a Saint 2-dan cultivator. His strength was wild and ferocious, and his body's hardness was comparable to a Saint artifact! Though only a low-grade Saint artifact, it was still incredibly formidable.

He had grown slightly taller again. Now, with broad shoulders and a slender waist, his body was streamlined, exuding a sense of perfection. If his previous Ice Rain Sword were to strike his skin, the sword would undoubtedly break while he remained unharmed! He could even clash head-on with the Golden Origin Cauldron before him without losing too much. It could be said that he was now a human weapon, incredibly powerful even without using sword or saber techniques.

Exhaling, Zhang Xuan stood up and concealed the changes in his body. Such a significant transformation after a short period of cultivation would be unbelievable to anyone; prudence was key. To avoid trouble, it was better to remain low-key.

He glanced down at the Five-Yang Resilient Wood in his palm; it was almost completely consumed, with very little left. He put it into his storage ring, then swayed slightly and walked straight towards the portal.

Before he even reached it, he saw everyone sitting cross-legged not far from the portal, forming a line. Some were closer, some further, presenting a very odd sight.

"Master Zhang, you're here..."

Seeing him approach, the battle master at the very back stood up.

"What are you all doing...?" Zhang Xuan asked, puzzled. If they were cultivating, why were they lining up like they were waiting for food in a cafeteria?

"Oh, it's like this: Master Wu just discovered that using the heat from the portal to temper true qi can purify it even further. So... we are cultivating in sequence. However, everyone's endurance varies, so we can only sit in a position that suits us..." the battle master explained.

"Varying endurance?" Zhang Xuan nodded. The portal was scorching hot, capable of melting so much lava above it, with flames burning year-round; its power was evident. Being closer, just like when he tempered his soul previously, indeed had immense benefits for purifying true qi. What the other person said about varying endurance was true; for example, he himself could only get within about twenty meters before, any closer would have been impossible.

"Yes, for us, we can only cultivate beyond forty meters to avoid qi deviation. Master Wu and the others, however, can already manage around fifteen meters, which is simply terrifying..." The battle master nodded, looking ahead with an expression of profound admiration.

"To be able to cultivate around fifteen meters, their physical body, soul, and true qi must all be strong..." Zhang Xuan nodded. He had previously been to the twenty-meter mark and knew it became increasingly difficult to advance further. For Master Wu and the others to be able to cultivate at such a close distance was truly astounding.

"Oh, by the way, Master Zhang, are you done cultivating?" After explaining, the battle master suddenly remembered and couldn't help but look over.

"Yes!" Zhang Xuan nodded, "You continue cultivating..." He spoke as he walked forward, and in the blink of an eye, he reached the spot where he had previously been, about twenty meters away.

"Master Zhang... he just walked past? Didn't he find it unbearable just now?" Seeing the young man nod smilingly to everyone, gesturing for them not to get up and interrupt their cultivation as he walked, the battle master who had just spoken to him felt his jaw drop. He had clearly seen Zhang Xuan struggle to advance beyond twenty meters earlier. He had thought that for a Nascent Saint, twenty meters was already incredible, but who would have thought... he was now casually walking past, as if completely oblivious to the temperature. How did he do it?

While he was shocked, Feng Xun, who was stopping around nineteen meters, also stared with wide eyes at the smiling Zhang Xuan, who was nodding and walking past, his eyeballs nearly popping out. Feng Xun, a peak Saint 3-dan and a respected Commander of the Battle Master Hall, had exhausted immense effort just to reach nineteen meters, almost collapsing. He could only rely on continuous cultivation to mitigate the fire toxin's damage to his body... Yet this fellow was walking past with a smiling face, as if strolling through a market, completely unfazed by the pressure. Was he seriously that exaggerated?

As he wondered how far the other man could go, he saw him already chatting with Master Wu. "Master Wu, you're cultivating. Don't get up, just continue your practice. I'll just go over and take a look... don't be so polite!"

Immediately after, he saw the man continue to walk forward with a beaming smile: fourteen meters, thirteen meters, twelve meters... In the blink of an eye, he entered the ten-meter range. The scorching flames made his clothes flap violently, seeming as if they could tear at any moment, yet Zhang Xuan's face remained unchanged, still smiling, as if the heat had no effect on him whatsoever.

"This..."

This time, not only Feng Xun was terrified, but Master Wu and President Han also exchanged glances, their mouths twitching. Fifteen meters was their limit, yet this fellow casually walked within ten meters, feeling nothing, even maintaining a smile. He was simply a non-human monster...

Eight meters, seven meters, six meters... As he got even closer, he seemed to finally feel some pressure, his eyebrows raising slightly. Boom! True qi erupted from his numerous acupoints, enveloping his entire body.

"He only used his true qi within five meters... How strong is his physical body?" Seeing this, Master Wu swallowed hard. As a peak 7-star master teacher, his discerning eye was naturally extraordinary. He had observed the other party casually stroll to within five meters, completely unfazed, initially thinking it was an act and that true qi was already circulating within. Only now did he realize... that wasn't the case at all. To only use true qi within five meters... his physical body was terrifying! Could it be that this guy had just cultivated his physical body? But... wasn't the physical body the most difficult to cultivate and improve? How could he have reached this level in just an hour or so?

Amidst their shock, Dean Zhang was already at the seal. With a swift movement, he touched its surface with his palm, then retreated seven or eight steps, stopped, and closed his eyes for a moment, seemingly in thought. A moment later, he frowned and looked ahead, an odd expression on his face, as if he had discovered something.

"This... how is this possible?"