Chapter 71 - Page 1
Cale began reading the worn page.
"It’s been eleven years since I started learning refinement. As a divine race, I can’t believe I’m dedicating myself to something lowly races do—something I could accomplish with just a mere thought. I took up refinement purely as an interest, hoping that maybe us divine races might achieve deeper improvements through studied practice rather than innate ability. Alas, the fundamentals remain unchanged.
This is my fourth continent in these eleven years. These humans are pathetic creatures. Always fighting. Greed is their primary nature, though their adaptability proves mildly interesting.
Today, I located several humans with bodies suited for refinement and alchemy. They’ll serve as my subjects for the next few years—though I’ll likely only document a page or two regarding their progress. To whoever reads this: I don’t care about your judgment. If you dislike my methods, know they represent barely one percent of my actual interests. Such experimentation is necessary. And fascinating too.
---
I discovered something remarkable today. Those with refining bodies shouldn’t focus on the refinement process itself—they should visualize the final product. How it looks, or how it will look. How it tastes or how it will taste. How it feels or how it feels. Imagination is the true key, if you don’t know, imagine, though its always better to know something about it at least.
Rather than forming a complete energy sphere like a furnace, become like a potion maker. Transform your body into a refining vessel. Add ingredients one by one, refining them sequentially until the final product emerges. Hehe, don’t attempt this with actual poisons, unless you’re me of course!
Ever heard of the poison gourd? the one in which the maker keeps adding poisonous creatures and the last one has the properties of them all. Yes, that’s the perfect example for this.
Oh, I’ve also acquired two talismans from these subjects’ bodies, one’s a defense shield and other a tailing talisman. Quite useful designs if you ask me, but I’ll tweak them a bit for more efficiency. Hehe, my future disciple should get good stuff right."
Below the text were two intricate drawings, rendered with meticulous patterns. Glowing runes interconnected in complex patterns, each line was twisting, not a single line was straight. The defense shield featured concentric circles with radiating lines, while the tailing talisman showed a flowing spiral with anchor points at cardinal directions.
"Draw these on spiritually-infused paper or beast hide. Use their blood, or your own for superior effectiveness. Keke.
Meet you again, My disciple!"
Cale closed the book and sat back, processing what he’d absorbed.
"Heh, this is a lot to digest now."
He studied the talisman drawings more carefully, a smile playing at his lips. "Divine race craftsmanship? And talismans at their level. But what race could this author be? Dragon? Phoenix? Some cultivated immortal animal? Either way, I shouldn’t judge this world by normal standards."
"Learning them shouldn’t be difficult. With my two spiritual bodies, I have perfect slav—workers to draw talismans constantly. heh."
He reassigned his first soul body to talisman creation, a task with roughly forty percent success rate, but that was acceptable given he wasn’t doing the work himself. His second soul body would continue cultivation until reaching equal advancement to the first one.
Stepping out of the inner sanctum, he found Rexa sharpening her blade against a whetstone. They ate quickly, and settled into watchful silence.
Then Cale’s senses flared.
Multiple presences were approaching them.
"It’s them again," Rexa said quietly.
"At least those two monsters aren’t with them. I’ll handle this. You can’t fight for several more hours anyway." Cale stood, rolling his shoulders to loosen tight muscles.
Rexa nodded reluctant acceptance.
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then turned and vanished into the darkness toward the approaching threat.
Derek and Javier who were both Early Grandmaster Stage disciples of Wang Rou—led a full platoon through the jungle, their search proving frustratingly fruitless.
Derek sighed heavily. "How far could they possibly have traveled? We’ve found no tracks, no traces at all."
Javier’s expression soured. "You forget they flew away, what kind of flying artifact could it be. And we were occupied with other tasks until recently. If we’d been with Master instead of stuck with those incompetent fools, they never would have escaped."
Derek laughed bitterly. "Indeed. Pathetic Master Stage kids outsmarting our teacher? It’s embarrassing. Though what truly irks me is that fool Sael wanting to keep that woman alive solely for his pleasure. Such people disgust me."
Javier nodded grimly. "Right. These continental people lack any noble standards. Lusting after a servant simply because of her appearance? It’s degrading to witness."
A voice cut through the night,
"Oh, slightly good, you say? Well, it’s better the likes of you never meet her at all."
Derek’s eyes narrowed at the figure materializing from shadow. Long white hair with Strange tattoos covering half his body and heterochromatic eyes flaring.
"White hair? Those tattoos?" Derek’s hand moved to his sword. "It’s you. One of the two we’re hunting."
Javier gestured sharply to the surrounding soldiers. "That makes this easier then. Attack him!"
One of the platoon members stepped forward with arrogant confidence. "Boy, you’re facing two Grandmasters here! And we’re all present besides. Just tell us the woman’s location and surrender peacefully."
Another laughed mockingly. "Right, kid. Don’t fight the inevitable."
Cale sighed, shaking his head as he drew Noxis from shadow. The blade hummed with contained power, black energy coiling along its length.
"I guess a few minutes is enough, right?"
He shot forward like a missile.
The first two soldiers died before they could process his movement. Within seconds, the remaining platoon surrounded him, closing from all directions in coordinated assault.
The tranquil silence was suddenly shattered by the sharp whistle of a flying golden blade. Cale, clad in his new soul armor, didn’t even flinch as he casually sidestepped the lethal thrust.
Cutting through the minions with speed, he grabbed his first main opponent, Javier, mid-air and slammed the cultivator heavily into the dirt.
"Come on now, you’re the bullies here, fufu."
More attackers descended, their glowing swords cutting through the air.
And Noxis... dispersed into air?
’Fuck!! did I not have enough energy?... this goddamn... sigh.’
Looking around, Cale remained completely unarmed, his fists blurring as he met their celestial steel with physical power.
He seamlessly ducked under sweeping slashes, dismantling their formation with bone-rattling strikes and evasive throws.
"Oh I’ll teach you the Asian treatment alright!"