"Renault, you seem a bit different now—much more cheerful than before," Elder Lu said with a slight smile as he observed Renault. He had always felt indebted to this boy.

Although he had saved Renault's life back then, if not for this boy, Elder Lu might have died long ago.

"Thank you for your concern, Elder Lu," Renault replied, waiting for the elder to ask why he had summoned him.

Sure enough, Elder Lu soon asked, "You called for me—have you finally decided what you want to request?"

Renault smiled slightly. "Yes, Elder. I do have a favor to ask this time."

"Go ahead," Elder Lu said. He had always been willing to help Renault, even offering to give him some money to live a comfortable life outside the sect. Yet Renault had always stubbornly refused, determined to remain in the sect, even though it meant living a harsh, lowly life as a woodcutter. Elder Lu knew Renault wanted to pursue spiritual cultivation and escape his life as a slave, but his natural constitution had always made that impossible.

"I'd like to ask for a recommendation letter so I can participate in the sect's disciple selection competition in three days," Renault said.

Elder Lu's heart sank. As he had feared, Renault hadn’t given up on his dream of spiritual cultivation.

In the past, when Renault had asked for the same favor, Elder Lu had refused, knowing that the boy's body wasn’t suitable for cultivation. Sending Renault to the competition would only lead to more humiliation. He had given Renault the paper crane instead, telling him that if he ever gave up on becoming a cultivator, Elder Lu would grant him a different wish—perhaps making him a wealthy man so he could live in comfort.

Now, receiving the signal from the paper crane, Elder Lu had hoped Renault had changed his mind. But it seemed the boy still hadn’t abandoned his dream of cultivation.

Hearing Renault's request, Elder Lu was visibly displeased.

Renault, knowing from his inherited memories why the elder reacted this way, smiled confidently.

"Elder, take a closer look at me. Do you notice anything different?" Renault asked with a grin.

Elder Lu had noticed something odd about Renault when he first arrived, but he hadn’t paid much attention. Now, upon closer inspection, he was shocked.

"Renault... you... you're a spiritual cultivator now?" Elder Lu was utterly stunned. The boy who once had no spiritual energy was now a beginner spiritual cultivator!

Renault smiled calmly. "Indeed, Elder. I’ve already started my spiritual cultivation, so I’m asking for this opportunity to join the sect properly. I want to repay the sect for raising me."

Elder Lu was so taken aback that he hardly heard Renault’s words. How was this possible? The last time he saw Renault, the boy had been weak and without a trace of spiritual energy. And now...

Unable to believe it, Elder Lu quickly stepped forward, grabbing Renault’s wrists. He channeled his spiritual energy, probing Renault’s body. "His pulse is strong... spiritual energy is flowing... his meridians are wide..."

"His bones are extraordinary... he’s a natural talent..." Elder Lu was in disbelief. This boy, once a useless waste, now had the perfect body for cultivation—something incredibly rare.

Elder Lu’s face paled as he stared at Renault, as though seeing a monster. "Tell me, how did your body undergo such a transformation?" His voice grew stern, filled with suspicion.

Renault understood the elder’s doubts and quickly put on a look of alarm, as if frightened. "Elder, I’m not sure myself. While I was wandering near the cliffs, I accidentally ate a red fruit..." Renault described the appearance of the **Zhuguo**.

He inwardly smirked. It was no surprise Elder Lu was so shocked. After all, he had not only consumed the Zhuguo, which boosted his attributes, but had also taken a divine-level cleansing pill. Now, Renault possessed a divine core, making him a being with the potential to become a god.

In this world, not everyone could reach the status of a god. But now, with his divine core, Renault's path to godhood was nearly guaranteed, as long as nothing went wrong.

"Tell me everything," Elder Lu demanded, growing excited. Based on Renault’s description, the fruit sounded like the legendary Zhuguo, a rare treasure for cultivation!

Renault weaved a story, mixing truth with lies. He told Elder Lu about the abuse and torment he’d suffered before, and how he was thrown off a cliff, which was where he found and consumed the Zhuguo.

Since Renault had been cultivating in secret at the base of the mountain, his story was plausible. And the disciples who had beaten him likely wouldn’t deny it. Killing a lowly woodcutter wasn’t a big deal in the sect; at most, they’d receive a mild scolding.

Although this was a world of immortals, it was also a brutal place where the strong preyed on the weak. The harsh reality of this world was clear—power meant everything.

Elder Lu, after hearing Renault’s account, was both angry and helpless. A woodcutter slave’s life was worth little compared to the lives of outer disciples.

What disturbed Elder Lu most was Renault’s potential. His talent for cultivation seemed terrifyingly high, possibly indicating he had the **Celestial Spirit Body**.

In this world, spiritual cultivators who passed their tribulation would become celestial beings. Becoming an immortal was a tremendous leap, a path not everyone could walk.

Cultivating to become an immortal was incredibly difficult. However, a rare few were born with bodies that allowed them to bypass many of these difficulties, making their path to immortality almost inevitable.

Such people were born with the **Celestial Spirit Body**, an exceedingly rare constitution that appeared only once every century. If these individuals devoted themselves to cultivation, becoming immortals was almost guaranteed, because they were born for it.

Elder Lu now suspected Renault possessed this body type. It seemed the Zhuguo had transformed him from a waste into someone with the Celestial Spirit Body.

However, Elder Lu’s assumption was wrong. Renault didn’t have the Celestial Spirit Body—he possessed something far greater: a divine core. Compared to a divine being, a celestial being was nothing.

Keeping his composure, Elder Lu eventually handed Renault a letter of recommendation. Without saying much, and with a slightly shaken expression, he turned and left.