Chapter 6: Furnace Cauldron Physique, Pure Shadow Constitution!

Words : 1782 Updated : Feb 5th, 2026

He didn't know how much time had passed. Outside the door, the sharp click of high heels finally drifted closer. Rhea Zimmerman's eyes brimmed with resentment. That bastard. Why wasn't he hurrying up already? The footsteps were almost at the door when- Click. The handle rattled twice. The instant the door opened, Rhea slid out from under the table and, as if nothing had happened, sat down on the sofa. Only her beautiful face still carried a faint, wounded sulk. Atreus Lyson's face heated, an old-fashioned flush creeping up his neck. Rhea swallowed, grabbed her wineglass, and took a quick sip to steady herself. Then she rose with a practiced smile. "You're here." Two women stepped in, both striking in their own way. One of them was tall and stylishly dressed, her tone teasing. "Oh? Did we come at a bad time? Interrupting something fun?" A flicker of panic crossed Rhea's face, so quick it was almost invisible. She recovered at once and laughed it off. "What could you possibly be interrupting? I was just having a drink and chatting with little brother Zidon. It's not my fault you two took forever." The women entered and took seats in the private room. With Rhea making introductions, Atreus quickly fell into an easy familiarity with them. Only then did he learn they lived at Dreamhaven Residence as well. The woman in the crisp white business suit was Nylah Balam, a director at a private company and Rhea's close friend. The fashionable one was Sabrina Tesdal. Besides being Rhea's friend, she was the textbook rich heiress type. Her family ran a film and television company. But her job was the truly interesting part. She was a gossip reporter. In her own words, digging up celebrities' secrets and private lives was her greatest source of joy. "Little brother, you're ridiculously good-looking," Sabrina said, her gaze bouncing between Atreus and Rhea. "Ever thought about entering the entertainment industry? Want your big sister to introduce you to some connections?" When they had walked in, Rhea had clearly panicked for a split second, and her cheeks had been flushed. Sabrina prided herself on having eagle eyes. One glance told her these two weren't exactly "just drinking and chatting." Still, Rhea was divorced, her kid was grown and not even around. Having needs was only natural. A steady partner was a lot cleaner than paying for some pretty boy on the side. Atreus let out an awkward chuckle. "I'll pass. That world's a mess, and it's not really for me." "What a shame," Sabrina said. She was already past thirty, yet she still carried a girlish sparkle. In the dim lighting, her glassy eyes rolled as she studied him, as if plotting something. After a few rounds of drinks, Nylah suddenly pressed a hand to her stomach and frowned. The color drained from her face. Atreus caught the change and immediately stood, reaching over to shut off the music. "Nylah, what's wrong? Are you feeling sick?" Nylah waved him off weakly. "It's nothing. I probably drank too fast. Give me a minute and I'll be fine." Sabrina leaned in, worry replacing her mischief. "Nylah, don't force it. If you're really not okay, we need to go to the hospital." Rhea sat beside them, anxiety written in her eyes. "Yeah. Your health comes first." Nylah squeezed out a smile. "Really, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Keep having fun." It was an old problem. Even if she went to the hospital, it wouldn't help. In the end, she always had to grit her teeth and ride it out herself. Atreus moved to sit next to her. "Nylah, how about I take a look?" "Wait," Sabrina said, blinking in surprise. "You know medicine too?" "A little," Atreus replied. The inheritance he'd received contained plenty of medical knowledge. For minor issues, there was no need to run to a hospital. He could handle it. Rhea shot him a questioning look. After he nodded, she turned back to Nylah and coaxed gently, "Let Zidon check. Just in case." Seeing how concerned they all were, Nylah couldn't bring herself to refuse again. She nodded lightly. "All right. Sorry to trouble you, little brother." Atreus rested his fingers on Nylah's wrist and took her pulse. Thin threads of Spiritual Power slipped into her meridians. But the moment that Spiritual Power neared her abdomen, a sudden suction yanked at it, trying to swallow it whole. Atreus jolted. He steadied that wisp of Spiritual Power with effort, barely keeping it from being dragged away. Nylah's long lashes trembled. Her face turned even paler. She'd endured this pain so many times she'd thought she was used to it. She hadn't expected it to hit this hard. When Atreus withdrew his Spiritual Power, he froze. His Spiritual Power had grown. Not just a little, either. The energy within him felt several times denser than before. Atreus's heart thudded. That chilling, yin-laden sensation from earlier flashed through his mind, and a special constitution surfaced from the inherited memories. Could this be the Pure Shadow Constitution? The Pure Shadow Constitution was a supreme dual-cultivation constitution. In the Cultivation World, it was also the perfect furnace cauldron physique. "Nylah," Atreus asked, forcing down the excitement in his chest, "does this kind of pain happen often?" Nylah nodded, embarrassed. It really did. At first, it only happened once or twice a month. She'd assumed it was menstrual cramps and hadn't thought much of it. But over the past few years, it had grown more frequent. She'd tried traditional medicine, Western medicine, and more hospitals than she could count. Nothing worked. They couldn't even find a cause. Eventually, she'd accepted it. What she hadn't expected was for the attacks to not only increase, but to become more intense. When it became unbearable, she could only rely on painkillers. Atreus lowered his voice. "Nylah, I might be able to ease it, but… to do that, there'll have to be some physical contact." Nylah hurt too badly to answer. Darkness swam at the edges of her vision. Rhea could tell she was suffering. Her voice tightened with urgency. "Zidon, if you can help her, then do it!" Atreus nodded. He quickly unfastened the buttons of Nylah's blouse and pressed his palm to her lower abdomen. "Nylah, forgive me." He drew on the small amount of Spiritual Power within him and guided it into Nylah's dantian. Each time it made a circuit, it grew a little stronger, as if feeding on something deep inside her. Before long, Nylah's breathing eased. Color slowly returned to her cheeks. Sabrina watched from the side, clicking her tongue in amazement. At first she'd thought Atreus was trying to take advantage, but he had actually relieved the pain. "I feel much better," Nylah said, releasing a long breath. The tension in her body gradually loosened. Atreus looked invigorated, but regret flickered through him. His Spiritual Power had swollen to more than ten times what it had been. If he could have held on a little longer, he might have broken through in one go and stepped into the Body Refining Stage. He would have truly crossed the threshold into the Cultivation World.

Chapter 6: Furnace Cauldron Physique, Pure Shadow Constitution!

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