Chapter 52: Fourth Stage Body Tempering

Bathing in meditation for an extremely long time. Zhen has become numb to the amount of pain from extracting those impurities.

He can feel the medicinal liquid surrounding his body on the surface is muddy. Zhen is currently in the lotus position while navigating the inside of his meridian.

This is his chance to get a thorough understanding of his body structure that when he starts cultivating or trying new techniques, he can adjust easily.

What seems like minutes slowly turn to hours then days. Zhen doesn't know how long he has been using his conscience but he can feel his soul power is increasing and the body is becoming tough.

Before knowing Cecilia, Zhen's body has always been sort of fragile since mages are not body cultivators but simply chanting a spell and casting magic.

Learning all those complicated spells and magic already takes all of their time so where could they find the time to strengthen their body.

This is the weakness of a mage and everyone knows that. Therefore, they have knights assigned to protect the mages when they start chanting those weird languages.

However, Zhen is different from mages now. His body is becoming steel-like and any magic they use based on this tiny world's logic, level 5 and below are completely useless to him.

Although it seems like a real cheat, Zhen has gritted his teeth to endure this kind of process. 

5% chance of succeeding and Zhen can feel the body tempering process is about to be complete.

15 days later~

"Boy, it's time for you to reawaken now." While Zhen was still in deep meditation for a long period of time, he heard Cecelia's voice echoing through him.

Zhen slowly redirects his conscience and slowly opens his eyes. The first thing Zhen saw was Cecilia's face that was full of calm and he knew that she had finally let go of that knot.

Before Zhen got to start being sentimental, he noticed many black liquids sticking outside his body. 

The feeling was so uncomfortable and the tub was full of disgusting muddy water.

The clear blue medicinal liquid that was glistening is gone and replaced with this disgusting black venom looking like poison.

"No need to feel disgusted as I knew that this will happen so I prepared a clean water tub on the other side," Cecilia said when Zhen was thinking about how to get this dirt off of him.

She pointed to another tub so Zhen nodded his head and got up. She has already seen my bare body so Zhen doesn't feel embarrassed to show her more.

As Zhen expected, Cecilia's expression remained the same despite him having a little bit of expectancy.

Little did Zhen expect that Cecilia was similar to him in terms of expressing emotion. She was embarrassed inwardly but she has lived for far too long to be this naive into showing it out.

While Zhen started to scrub off that dirt from his body, he was inwardly shocked. His body has become firmer and toned compared to before.

Zhen feels like he has so much power in his body that if he has to punch a tree with his bare fist alone, it will collapse without much effort.

"No need to admire your body so much. You have simply achieved the middle Fourth Stage Body Tempering. Although it is different from other cultivators at this stage, you can probably fight those in the high Seventh Stage."

"Fourth Stage Body Tempering? What is the next cultivation rank after Body tempering?" Zhen asked since he only knew a bit of the higher cultivation rank such as Cecilia being a Sovereign in the past.

Although she ruled multiple worlds, a Sovereign was still not that strong since Empyreans can easily annihilate multiple Sovereigns in a flash.

"After Body Tempering, the next cultivation rank is Core Formation and it should be relatively easy for you. Since you have kind of reached it before but not really so it's complicated."

Zhen nodded at Cecilia's comment on the complicated stuff. Due to his incomplete cultivation method back then, fixing it will be hard compared to starting from zero.

'Sigh, there's no pill for regret and I would have to slowly face the consequences of my action. I should probably leave this space given the fact that 15 days passed here.'

Zhen doesn't know how much time has actually passed in the real world. 

'Wait, if my cultivation is wrong and I have reset it, then what about my cultivation technique or skills?'

"I know your worries and I have prepared everything in advance already. Unlike you who think before acting, I always planned way ahead to the future." Cecilia said slowly when she saw my leer.

'Sure you did. You plan so far into the future that you can only be a projection image now and lose your physical body too. What fantastic planning.'

Zhen said in his mind since Cecilia is fine now. Therefore, he wouldn't feel guilty at all when making fun of her. But he regrets the next second when he sees Cecilia's fierce expression.

'What the heck is she eyeing me this fiercely. There's no possible way for her to know my thinking when I have the poker face on the entire time....'

"Just for your information you cheeky little boy. I have lived for millions of years to know a person's mind even if they don't show it on the surface. Want to make fun of me any longer?" A very curly smile appeared when she said this word.

Zhen hurriedly shook his head and pleaded for mercy. "My queen, this lowly one does not dare to make fun of you. Please forgive me with your big heart."

'This is no joke as I would definitely suffer for getting into her bad book.' 

Her level is simply too much for him to handle even a grain despite Cecilia not having a physical body.

Just in terms of knowledge and wisdom, Zhen is miles apart from her. After a round of smooth-talking and more pleading, she forgives him this one time.

"I don't have the energy nor the strength to be this petty but don't think that gives you permission. You have simply just started the real cultivation path so I will teach you an Immortal movement technique called Flash Point. The name itself should be self-explanatory."

Zhen agreed with her word since Flash Point should be obvious in what this technique does. However, he doesn't know how precious an Immortal technique is but he won't be polite either way.

Zhen needs to get stronger to be able to assist her otherwise, it's just a pipe dream.

'If I'm not strong, I can't bully and push you down in bed, Cecilia.' Zhen starts daydreaming about the day he makes love with Cecilia.

His daydream was cut short when Cecilia pointed her virtual finger at his forehead, and a sea of information flowed inside.

Zhen's brain has been gushed with so much information already so he feels nothing special. He simply looked over this Flash Point and indeed, this is a great technique.

It allows a full retreat or full attack on the enemy before they can even react and in this tiny world where mages are the strongest.

With this technique, Zhen can easily get close to them when they try to chant their spell. 

Having cheat and awesome cultivation techniques is surely an easy life.

"Getting ahead of yourself again huh. Although this technique is godly, it's extremely difficult to comprehend or even use a tenth of its potential. I just give you information to study over as this requires practical experience, meaning you will have to fight magical beasts while trying to master this technique."

'Hmm, that is pretty logical as practicing a movement technique in this space with no actual danger involved will not help much.'

"Understood, I should probably get going now and start heading back to Sara and Kuro. They should be worried about me at this moment." Zhen said after thinking a bit and Cecilia nodded.

With a thought process, Zhen reappears back in the secret alley before heading back to Grotto's Inn.

'Hopefully, I won't be scolded as I can see that the time of day did not really change much.'

Zhen said as he started running back while enjoying the smooth movement of his new tempered body.

Meanwhile, in the mysterious space, Cecilia with a smirk said, "I hope you can explain your disappearance in these 7 days. Since I don't have much power to manipulate the time to flow faster here. If only I regained my cultivation then it would have been possible but it's a good punishment for his lustful brain."