Chapter 383: Gifts Before the Storm
Gifts Before the Storm
Neither woman missed the meaning behind those words.
Their hearts warmed.
At the same time...
Julian’s thoughts drifted elsewhere.
[Hurry up, I still want to lie down and be a gigolo.]
[Being a gigolo is great, it’s sweet.]
The familiar inner voice suddenly echoed inside Lina’s and Liza’s minds.
Both women blinked.
Then...
A faint smile tugged at the corners of their lips.
They had long since grown accustomed to hearing Julian’s strange inner thoughts.
Sometimes they were serious.
Sometimes they were hilarious.
Today...
They were as shameless as always.
A gigolo?
With Julian’s terrifying strength and endless mysterious treasures, the very idea was laughable.
To them, he was someone who could stand above countless experts.
If anyone deserved to be spoiled, perhaps it was him.
Liza laughed softly.
"You always think about strange things, Young Master Julian."
Julian looked at her in confusion.
"What strange things?"
Liza immediately coughed.
"Nothing."
She couldn’t exactly explain that she’d heard his inner thoughts.
Julian simply shrugged.
"Then I’ll eat first."
Liza swallowed lightly before peeling the skin from the Mystic Life Fruit.
The moment the peel separated, an even richer fragrance filled the room.
The fruit’s flesh glowed faintly like translucent jade.
Without hesitating further, she took her first bite.
The sweet juice instantly spread across her tongue.
Her eyes widened.
The fruit almost melted in her mouth.
An astonishing stream of warm spiritual energy flowed throughout her body with every bite.
It wasn’t merely delicious.
It was unlike anything she had ever tasted.
"Thank you, Young Master Julian."
Lina smiled gently.
Before Julian could react, she stepped closer and lightly kissed his cheek.
It was only a brief peck.
Soft.
Warm.
Filled with sincere gratitude.
When she stepped back, a faint pink lipstick mark remained on Julian’s cheek.
He blinked.
"...You’re welcome."
Liza looked from Julian to Lina before narrowing her eyes.
"Oh?"
"You can’t monopolize thanking him."
Before Julian could say another word, Liza leaned forward as well.
She planted another quick kiss on his other cheek.
"There."
"Thank you, Young Master Julian."
When she withdrew, a second lipstick mark decorated Julian’s opposite cheek.
Lina couldn’t help laughing.
Julian sat there between them with a helpless expression.
"You two..."
He rubbed neither mark away.
Instead, he simply sighed dramatically.
"I suddenly feel like I’ve become some kind of reward dispenser."
The two women giggled.
The previously serious atmosphere became much lighter.
Seeing their smiles, Julian couldn’t help smiling himself.
"Enough joking."
He picked up three Mystic Life Fruits from the table.
"I should eat too."
If danger truly was approaching, every bit of strength mattered.
There was no longer any reason to hesitate.
First...
Let’s boost our strength.
The three of them sat cross-legged on the floor, each holding their share of the Mystic Life Fruits.
The room gradually fell silent.
Outside, the morning breeze stirred the leaves beyond the open window, while inside, only the faint fragrance of the fruits lingered in the air.
Julian looked at Lina and Liza one last time.
"Remember, don’t force anything. Let the energy flow naturally."
The two women nodded in unison.
They trusted him completely.
Without another word, the three raised the fruits to their mouths.
The first bite released an astonishing burst of spiritual essence.
Warmth spread through Julian’s body almost instantly.
The rich medicinal energy surged through every meridian like a roaring river, yet instead of causing pain, it carried an indescribable gentleness. Every strand of spiritual essence was remarkably pure, refining his body, strengthening his muscles, and nourishing his dantian.
Lina and Liza experienced the same sensation.
The immense medicinal power wrapped around them like an invisible cocoon, continuously tempering their physiques.
One fruit.
Then another.
Finally, the third.
Neither of them wasted even a single drop of juice.
As the last bite disappeared, the room trembled slightly.
Three powerful waves of aura erupted almost simultaneously.
Julian slowly closed his eyes.
His breathing became steady.
Inside his body, spiritual essence gathered like an endless tide.
The bottleneck that had restrained him for so long began to crack.
A loud rumble echoed within his dantian.
Boom!
His cultivation surged upward without resistance.
Middle Silver Realm...
Late Silver Realm...
Peak Silver Realm...
The accumulated medicinal power showed no sign of stopping.
It smashed through the next barrier in one decisive rush.
The moment the invisible wall shattered, an overwhelming surge of power flooded his entire body.
Julian stepped into the Gold Realm.
Even then, the remaining medicinal strength continued refining his cultivation until it finally stabilized firmly at the middle Gold Realm.
He slowly exhaled.
A stream of white mist escaped his lips before gradually dispersing into the air.
At the same time, Lina’s aura suddenly erupted.
Her long green hair fluttered behind her despite the still room.
The spiritual pressure surrounding her climbed rapidly.
Late Gold Realm...
Peak Gold Realm.
Her aura finally settled there.
Moments later, Liza’s breakthrough followed.
The petite young woman clenched her fists as immense spiritual essence circulated through every part of her body.
Her cultivation also rose steadily before stopping at the peak Gold Realm.
The room returned to silence.
Half an hour had passed.
The three slowly opened their eyes.
For a brief moment, none of them spoke.
Each could clearly feel the astonishing transformation within their bodies.
Their senses had become sharper.
Their control over spiritual essence had reached an entirely new level.
Their strength had increased several times over.
This precious opportunity—something even the original protagonist had never obtained—had been fully utilized by the three of them.
After consuming three Mystic Life Fruits each, Lina and Liza had not broken through into the Platinum Realm.
Instead, they had both reached the peak Gold Realm.
The Platinum Realm, the highest realm recognized among Old Martial Arts practitioners, remained an almost insurmountable barrier.
Throughout history, countless geniuses had spent decades attempting to reach it, only to fail at the final step.
Julian himself had advanced from the middle Silver Realm all the way to the middle Gold Realm in a single leap.
Feeling the power flowing through his limbs, he slowly clenched his fist.
The air around it rippled faintly.