C11 Body Heating

Delving deep into his own consciousness, Aotian meticulously guided the fire elements concealed within his flesh, searching and operating them incrementally. These elements, nestled not within his meridians but throughout his very tissues, proved exceptionally challenging to maneuver.

As he bore the searing sensation within, Aotian simultaneously concentrated on taming the tumultuous elements. The training he had received from his master now proved its worth, allowing him to swiftly gain control over the elements. Harnessing the incantations and techniques his master had imparted, he began the painstaking process of refining his body, consolidating the elements for the tempering process. Upon initiating the tempering, he was struck by an excruciating pain that nearly robbed him of breath.

The intermittent aura emanating from the ring provided solace, easing his agony and aiding his focus and resolve. Despite the agonizing torment, he persevered, using the elements to relentlessly forge his body's resilience.

By dawn, Aotian had expended the last vestiges of the fire element, culminating in his first successful body tempering since ascending to the Second Order. Exhausted, he collapsed onto the bed, heaving breaths that gradually alleviated the immense suffering.

Observing Aotian's sweat-drenched brow and pallid complexion, Dark Night Zhan empathized deeply with the pain he endured, a pain he himself had once faced. He understood Aotian's current state all too well.

"Kid, congratulations. You've finally entered the phase of body tempering and have triumphantly completed your initial cultivation! This session will undoubtedly yield significant benefits for your future," Dark Night Zhan offered his commendations. His words were not without merit; the inaugural experience is crucial in any endeavor. A strong start can greatly influence subsequent progress. Moreover, this initial tempering was pivotal – after months of accumulation, his body was saturated with fire elements, allowing for a more thorough and effective refinement. The first tempering often yields the best results, achieving maximum effect with minimal effort. As the body becomes fortified and undergoes repeated tempering, it no longer absorbs elements in the same abundant, invigorating manner as it did during this first, crucial session.

"Thank you, Master! I was feeling really awful just now," Aotian said with a weak voice.

"Mm, dawn is breaking. Go take a quick shower to cleanse your body of the expelled impurities and rest a bit. We've got more training ahead!" Dark Night Tower instructed.

Aotian hadn't noticed until his master mentioned it, but his skin was coated in a black substance that gave off a foul odor. He must have been too exhausted earlier to pay it any mind. Now, he was acutely aware of the discomfort from being enveloped in this layer. It must be the waste his body had purged during the earlier training. Astonished at the amount of 'trash' within him, Aotian sighed deeply.

He sprang up and dashed to the bathroom for a thorough shower, then returned to his room to seize the fleeting moments of rest. Tomorrow's cultivation awaited.

Barely asleep, Aotian was soon roused by the crowing of chickens outside his window. The sky was beginning to lighten. He quickly freshened up and readied himself for the day's training.

"Aotian, today you advance to the second phase of your training," Dark Night Zhan announced, catching Aotian's attention as he was about to start his exercises. "You're now truly embarking on the path of our sect's cultivation methods. Your training regimen will change accordingly." With that, he imprinted the new techniques directly into Aotian's mind.

"Now, how should I proceed with my cultivation?" Aotian inquired, intrigued by the influx of new information from his master.

"Alright, I've imparted to you the complete second-stage cultivation techniques. Commit them to memory. Starting today, ascend the mountain each morning to absorb elemental energy until your body feels saturated. But be cautious—overzealous or forced absorption is dangerous. Your meridians can't withstand the shock from too much elemental energy. Instead of letting it into your meridians, let the energy enter through your pores and circulate within your flesh, refining your body. This will require considerable effort on your part, continuing until you can no longer sustain the absorption and refinement process. Then, you'll move on to strength training in the lake and endurance training under the waterfall, where you must also draw in the fire elements. All these tasks must be completed by the afternoon. In the evening, continue with elemental absorption and body tempering. And when night falls and your energy wanes, you'll come to the courtyard for the tempering of your will, spirit, and soul. These are arduous tasks, Aotian. Are you ready to undertake them?"

Upon hearing his master's plan, Aotian realized that the task ahead was going to be far more challenging than anything he'd faced before. In the past, the worst he'd endured was mere fatigue, something he could push through with a bit of grit. But the current training was a direct assault on his physical limits and resolve. The agony of pushing his energy and enduring physical pain was nothing like the simple weariness he was accustomed to. Recalling the recent pain from his master's attacks and the intense sensations from last night's body tempering, Aotian wiped the sweat from his brow and caught his breath. Yet, he quickly reminded himself that he had chosen this path, fully aware it would be fraught with suffering. What would it mean if he gave up now? Besides, he remembered Aunt Maria's words: "To rise above the rest, you must endure far greater trials and tribulations! The higher you aim, the more pain you must be willing to bear, several times over that of an ordinary person." With that in mind, he found peace. Having made his choice, all that was left was to accept and persevere.

"Okay, Master, rest assured! I'll keep going!" Aotian declared with conviction to the darkness of the night.

"Good, I'm pleased to see you have such determination. I hope you can withstand the difficulties and keep at it! Now, begin your training and make the most of your time!" Dark Night responded, his voice filled with satisfaction at Aotian's resolve.

Reaching the mountaintop, Aotian sat down and entered a state of deep meditation, drawing in the elements from the air. The morning's elements felt particularly vibrant, and soon after he began, he sensed an influx of fire elements surging into him. Without hesitation, he absorbed them rapidly, welcoming each particle into his body.

In no time at all, Aotian's meridians brimmed with energy. Heeding his master's advice, he ceased drawing in more elements and started to circulate them through his body.

Once the circulation was complete, Aotian followed his master's method to absorb the fire elements, allowing them to penetrate and incrementally fortify his flesh. The process was excruciating, depleting his energy at an alarming rate. Before long, he felt utterly drained.

Pausing his practice, Aotian's face was ashen from the ordeal. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a deep, weary sigh.

After a brief rest, Aotian donned his all-too-familiar gear and sprinted to the lakeside to commence his next training session! Over the past year, Aotian had grown inexplicably attached to the clothes and shoes he'd been cultivating in, fostering an indescribable bond with them.

Despite the chill of winter, Aotian, fortified by two years of cultivation, hardly felt the cold as he plunged into the lake. The cool embrace of the water was so refreshing that he let out a sigh of contentment, the icy sensation soothing the lingering heat within his body.

Aotian quickly completed his aquatic training and, without missing a beat, dashed to the waterfall to start his endurance training. Despite the relentless pounding of the waterfall, he seized every moment to draw in the elements from the air, infusing them into his flesh. Absorbing fire elements in the water proved challenging, and after a considerable effort, he managed to assimilate only a small fraction. Resolute, Aotian continued to gather these elements little by little.

Dark Night Zhan watched Aotian's progress with approval. Absorbing fire elements in water was no easy feat! What Aotian considered slow was, in fact, remarkably fast to others. Having achieved unity with nature, Aotian's affinity for the elements was exceptional. For the average person, absorbing as much as he did in a day would be a daunting task. Moreover, the elements that could be absorbed through the water's resistance were undeniably potent. Thus, while the quantity Aotian absorbed was modest, it was undoubtedly the purest essence.

After three hours of intense cultivation beneath the waterfall, Aotian noticed the evening sky. The elements within him had reached saturation once more, after three hours of absorption and the morning's leakage into his meridians. Climbing ashore, he found a dry spot and set about absorbing fire elements to replenish his meridians. Once refilled, he was ready to once again undergo the process of tempering his body.

During another session of body tempering, Aotian noticed that the pain he was experiencing seemed even more intense than it had been in the morning. It felt as though the elements within him were extraordinarily abundant and powerful, and the sensation lasted longer too! Unbeknownst to him, this was all due to a technique his master had devised for him to endure.

The robust fire elements within him meant their force was fiercer, prolonging the duration of the tempering. In truth, this was all to Aotian's advantage. The longer and more intense the tempering, the better the results, naturally leading to a quicker pace in his cultivation.

After enduring for a full two hours, he finally completed the tempering of the elemental energy within his body. Aotian glanced at the impurities on his skin, sighed, and plunged into the water to cleanse himself. Weary, he then made his way to the courtyard to begin his master's training.

Once the training was over, Aotian used his cultivation technique to re-temper his body, addressing the elements that had leaked into his meridians that afternoon. Only after this second session did he bathe and settle down to rest.

Today might have been the most exhausting day he had faced in over two years—not due to physical strain, but from mental and emotional fatigue. He quickly succumbed to a deep sleep.

The next morning, Aotian was up and out early to continue his cultivation. Watching his retreating figure, Maria sighed with a sense of resignation. Aotian was nearly eleven now. Since his baptism, it seemed as if his family had all but forgotten he existed. Over the past year, they hadn't once inquired about him. Maria, who had come to think of Aotian as her own son, felt a deep ache in her heart, and she suspected Aotian felt the same. Despite his routine of rising early and returning late from the mountain, she could sense his disappointment and loneliness on his birthday or during the holidays. As the only one who seemed to care for him, she felt helpless and distressed. Thankfully, Aotian remained undeterred, and seeing him grow stronger and taller each day brought her some comfort. As long as he was safe and well, that was all that mattered. Otherwise, she wouldn't know how to face her late sister.