Chapter 7 - Infernal Cultivation.

With his unyielding desire to have Ning'er by his side, he needed to quickly increase his strength, so he had to return to cultivating. Xiangju went straight to his house instead of the library. Luckily, Zhu Xiangju's body still remembered where it was, even though our young reincarnated man had no idea.

When he arrived, he was greeted at the gate by his father.

-Little Xiang! It's been a while since you last came home, my boy. You weren't expelled from school, were you?- His father, Zhu Hui, was a large man, looking tired but with a big smile on his face. Our little Xiangju knew nothing about the man in front of him, but still felt extremely welcomed and comfortable. This was proof of how well the man had treated Xiangju previously.

-It's good to be home, dad. But I shouldn't stay long; I just need a quiet and private place to continue my training.-

-Oh, I see not only your strength has improved but also your manners! Come in, come in. Your mother has missed you. Say hello to her before you start training.-

As the boy crossed the gate into the Zhu property, he could see some small houses around a large central house. None of them were very luxurious but were well maintained, showing that the people living there, Zhu Xiangju's relatives, were very meticulous.

Zhu Hui accompanied his son to the central house. Although Zhu Xiangju was the direct son of the family patriarch and would one day succeed him, the Zhu family's possessions were so modest that they couldn't even provide a large allowance for their future patriarch.

Upon entering the house, a scent of cleanliness hit Xiangju's nose. The Holy Orchid Institute was very clean, as was the library. But for some reason, this place was so polished he could almost see his reflection on the entrance hall floor.

-Take off your shoes, you know your mother,- Zhu Hui said calmly. The boy quickly took off the boots he'd been wearing for a while and followed his father through the house to the kitchen.

-Who was it, dear?- A woman in beige clothes and a brown apron, washing dishes, asked.

The man said nothing, just patted Xiangju on the arm to make his presence known.

"Damn… I'm already a grown man, I can't believe I have to play the child…" Xiangju thought to himself.

-H-hi mom, it's good to see you.- "WHY did I stutter???"

The woman let the plate slip into the sink, becoming fully alert. She looked sideways over her shoulder and, in an instant, crossed the entire kitchen to embrace the boy.

She held him in her arms, showering him with kisses on his face.

-Oh my baby, it's so good to see you again!!!- She rocked him like a doll.

The boy felt embarrassed and, at the same time, happy. It had been years since anyone showed him so much affection.

-Hahaha I'm happy to be home too, mom.- The boy said, finally giving in to the hugs and embracing the gesture of affection.

After a while, she put him down and crouched to be at his level.

-Have you eaten? Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you? You weren't expelled from school, were you? They're not bullying you, are they? If they are, leave it to mom and dad.- The woman said the last part, rolling up her sleeves and making a fist, showing her determination.

-Don't worry, mom. Actually, I've made quite a few friends, and I came today just to complete a part of my training.-

-Oh, you're so hardworking, Little Xiang. Mom is very proud of you! Tell me, how can we help you?- The woman said with a huge smile on her face.

"Zhu Xiangju was really lucky. With a family like this, I don't know how I could leave them to go to the Draconic Ruins Realm when I reach the Legendary Rank, as Glory City will lose 90% of its inhabitants… I need to get strong, fast, to protect them and Ning'er!" This was the only thing running through our protagonist's mind.

-For now, I need a tub of cold water, that's all.- The boy replied with a gracious smile.

That beautiful smile made both Zhu Yan and Zhu Hui unable to contain their own smiles. They were simply delighted by how adorable their son was.

After this conversation, Xiangju quickly went to his room, just upstairs from the hall. It was small, with simple decor: a bed, a wardrobe for clothes, and some cushions to sit on the floor. Xiangju would need to spruce up the place a bit. Since his house was so close to the library, he might start coming here more often.

Not long after, his father brought a tub large enough for Xiangju to fit in.

-Thanks, dad! This is exactly what I needed.-

The man gave a thumbs up but asked his son something before leaving the room.

-Little Xiang, you said this was for your training, right?-

-That's right, I got a very good cultivation technique, but my body heats up a lot.-

-Heats up a lot..? I've never heard of a technique with side effects, you weren't tricked, were you?-

-Hahaha don't worry, no matter the side effects, this technique is so powerful it's worth it!-

-Hahaha if you say so, I believe you. Now I'll let you get to your training.-

After that, the man left the room, leaving the boy alone with his thoughts.

"It won't be long before Nie Li joins Chen Linjian's mission. If my calculations are correct, given the time advantage we have compared to the original, they should all reach Bronze Rank before the mission begins…"

"Damn… I think I went too far against Shen Yue's pawns… There's no doubt that despicable family will send someone stronger after me… I should at least try to reach Silver Rank to be safe… Damn…"

The boy didn't delay in his preparations. The sun had only been up for a few hours, and he wanted to make the most of the day doing this.

-Okay… let's see what I can find around here…- The boy rummaged through his clothes in the wardrobe, finding a shirt at the bottom of the drawers. He rolled it up like a rope and gagged himself.

"If I start screaming non-stop, I don't doubt my mother will break down the door to rescue me."

He looked at the cold water and began to think about the pain he would have to endure.

-Damn… I don't even want to remember that pain from before… If the cultivation speed is as fast as before, then it'll be fine… I just need to hold on a little longer.-

He took off his clothes, leaving only the piece covering his private parts, and began to immerse himself in the tub of cold water until only his shoulders were above the surface. The boy cursed as he submerged himself; his father had made sure to get the coldest water they had! He didn't know whether to thank the old man or be annoyed with him. After submerging up to his head, he began to take deep breaths, trying to keep his breathing steady. Once he managed to do so, he closed his eyes to start cultivating.

-HRAMMMMMMMMMMMM- A muffled scream escaped from his gagged mouth. The pain he felt this time couldn't even compare to the first time.

The water, which had been just a few degrees above freezing, began to heat up rapidly. In a few seconds, it reached the ideal temperature for boiling. The boy's skin burned; the pain was so intense that, even though he couldn't focus due to the unimaginable agony, he wouldn't be surprised if actual lesions were appearing on his skin. His blood seemed to boil, his organs screamed for help. The boy began to tremble all over, the water splashing out of the tub, filling the entire room with steam.

"I NEED… TO HOLD ON A LITTLE LONGER!!!!"

Unlike the first time when it took only a few seconds for him to level up, now several minutes passed, and he was still in the process.

The boy's nails began to detach from his fingers, his hair fell from his head, and his skin started to shrivel from the scalding temperature emanating from his vital field. It seemed like he was trying to burn Xiangju from the inside out. The boy's eyes rolled back, and the groans of pain didn't even escape his mouth anymore because even his vocal cords had been damaged by the temperature. He felt he was on the brink of death, but he continued.

The burning sensations intensified, the water he was using had become a mixture of his blood and other bodily fluids, a Xiangju soup.

When the boy was about to pass out, something finally happened.

-BUMMMMF- Once again, that same explosion of energy occurred. He broke through to Bronze Rank 2 stars.

The moment he felt it, he hurriedly pulled himself out of the water, removing the gag from his mouth and carefully examining his body. All the pain he felt a few seconds ago seemed to have never existed. The boy looked at himself in the reddened water and realized that the injuries he had sustained had completely disappeared. He not only felt stronger, but he also looked stronger. His muscles had become more toned and larger. Even the water that had seemed to be burning his skin moments ago no longer hurt him, so much so that he even forgot it was still boiling beneath him.

-So that's what 'Phoenix' in the technique's name means…- Xiangju murmured with a tired but big smile on his face. Without a doubt, he had just discovered something incredible.

Not satisfied, the boy gagged himself again and continued his training.