Klaus entered a spacious room filled with various training equipment. He glanced at a few of the machines and weights but didn’t approach any of them. Instead, he walked over to a mat, sat down in the lotus position, and focused inwardly. His main objective wasn’t physical training today; it was to cultivate the First Star Diagram which is also a type of physical training.
According to the knowledge in his mind, he needed to temper his bones using the energy of a star. The instructions were clear: each time he leveled up, he had to temper all his bones before advancing again.
Currently, Klaus was just a Level 1 Ascended, so this was the perfect moment to begin the tempering process.
He closed his eyes, letting his mood settle and his mind clear. Then, with deliberate precision, he formed several hand seals. A diagram began to glow on the ground beneath him. Klaus smiled slightly, pleased that he had formed the correct seal. Next, he created another hand seal, causing the diagram to start spinning slowly.
It rotated for a while before coming to a sudden stop. As soon as it did, Klaus felt his Spiritual energy stir within him, heating up and circulating faster. His body began to feel warm and loose, a sign that the tempering process was beginning.
Suddenly, Klaus felt a foreign energy enter his body. His bones began to feel soft and hot. The energy was both violent and soothing, making him sweat on his back while remaining calm. It started at his head and flowed through his entire body.
The process lasted only a few seconds before it abruptly stopped. Klaus then felt a violent shaking in his soul sea. A part of his consciousness was drawn into it. As he looked around, he saw the soul sea quaking as if a storm were approaching.
Then, the first door creaked open slightly. From behind it, Klaus saw what appears to be a world, a rather strange sight. He didn’t dwell on it, though, since something else caught his attention.
For just a fleeting moment, he saw a blood-red star boiling like blood on fire. A wave of bloodthirsty energy emanated from it. Even though the sight was brief, it left a deep impact on Klaus. He felt a profound shift within him as if something fundamental had changed.By just a single glance, his mood shifted unknowingly.
Suddenly, a torrent of blood-red energy erupted from the door, filling Klaus’s entire Soul Sea. He was jolted by the surge, and before he could call for help from the Senior from behind the door, he was forcefully pulled back to his physical body.
Once back in the training room, Klaus immediately felt his bones being soaked in a powerful, painful, and terrifying energy. His bones started to heated up as the red energy began to flood his body. The entire room was suffused with a dense red qi, almost corroding everything.
The red energy surged from Klaus’s head to his toes. With each cycle, he felt an overwhelming power build inside him. Yet, when the next wave of energy hit, that earlier strength seemed insignificant in comparison. He could do nothing but endure the increasing pain he was going through. The process seem automated making him unable to stop even if he wanted.
“The tempering process is something you must endure,” a voice echoed in his mind. “After each cycle, the pain multiplies several times over. You must cleanse your bones of all impurities first.”
“Senior,” Klaus replied, his voice shaking slightly. “Are you saying the process hasn’t even started yet? I am dying here even if my strength is also rising.”
The voice chuckled, almost mocking him. “Foolish brat, do you think this is the real power of the Star Diagram? This is merely the beginning. Once you complete the first Bone Tempering stage, you’ll be able to crush even Tier 6 monster with just a slap.”
Klaus’s heart pounded in his chest at the Senior’s words. Even now, without the true tempering, he felt several times stronger than before. He believed he could smash through any opponent with a single punch. But the Senior’s words made it clear: the real tempering hadn’t even begun.
Just how monstrous is this technique? Klaus thought, stunned by the potential it held. Klaus immediately clenched his fists, channeling even more energy into his body. Right now, he craved strength, and since he had found a path, all he could do was endure and grow stronger. The pain is the payment.
“Don’t resist it,” the Senior’s voice instructed calmly. “Let the energy flow through your body. The star energy will temper not just your bones but your entire body. Your bones form the structure of your body, and with each tempering, your body will adapt to your ever-growing strength.”
Klaus gritted his teeth and released his resistance. A surge of energy poured into him, and an intense burst of power erupted from his body, shaking the training room.
“Now, guide the energy along the path set in the diagram,” the Senior continued. “Once this step is complete, you’ll sense the star energy more. Only then can the true Bone Tempering begin.”
Klaus nodded, focusing his mind as he moved the energy. He started from his head, allowing the energy to flow down to his toes. As it passed through him, he felt a wave of nourishing energy cleanse his body. It was as if all the impurities had been washed away, leaving him feeling light and refreshed, as though he had been reborn.
“This feeling is amazing!” Klaus exclaimed, marveling at the newfound strength coursing through him. He could feel his body growing several times stronger.
“I can sense it. Damn, what a powerful energy,” Klaus muttered in awe as the last of the energy finished washing through his bones. An immediate connection was formed with an external force, one so powerful that it dwarfed his previous spiritual Qi. When he had awakened and level up, he felt powerful, but now that he is feeling this energy, he felt even more powerful.
His previous strength was nothing compared to this.
“If only I could…” Klaus’s curiosity got the better of him. A reckless idea formed in his mind, but the temptation to explore it was irresistible. “I guess there’s no harm in trying,” he smiled, and without hesitation, he began channeling the star energy into his spiritual qi pool.
The moment the two energies touched, chaos erupted within his soul sea. A violent whirlpool of conflicting forces swirled around, threatening to tear him apart.
“What are you doing?” the Senior’s voice rang out, sounding alarmed.
“We’ll find out in a few minutes,” Klaus replied through gritted teeth. The instant the energies collided, his body heated up, as if being torn apart and reassembled over and over again. He knew this wasn’t literally happening, but the sensation was unbearable. He was mixing two incompatible energies.
“Idiot! You can’t mix two energies that don’t share any properties! Stop before you explode!” the Senior’s voice echoed, filled with urgency.
Klaus ignored the warnings. His body started to turn red as if his very flesh was burning from within, yet he forced himself to endure the excruciating pain.
“Stop it!” the Senior screamed, but Klaus, fighting through the agony, forced a reply.
“No need to be scared, Senior,” he gasped, barely able to speak as his mind battled the torture. His entire body shook, but Klaus refused to relent.
Cracks began to form all over his body, widening with every agonizing second. His skin split open, blood seeping through the ever-expanding fissures. His entire being screamed in pain, yet he refused to stop.
“Your foolishness will kill you,” the Senior warned, his voice laced with helplessness as he observed the reckless merging of energies. But Klaus was far beyond reason, pushing through the unbearable torture with sheer determination.
As the cracks deepened, blood trickled from his eyes and nose, yet Klaus continued, stubbornly clinging to his experiment. His aura flickered wildly, growing more unstable by the moment. But Klaus whispered to himself, “Even if I don’t know what or why I want this, I will succeed.”
Then, without warning, a violent explosion erupted within his soul sea. His vision darkened suddenly, and his consciousness was pulled inside his soul sea. There, he saw it: the spiritual qi, shimmering white, and the star energy, burning red. The two forces spun furiously, clashing like enemies in an eternal battle.
“So that’s it,” Klaus murmured, realization dawning. “Education really is important.” He smacked his forehead, enlightened by the conflict between the two energies.
“So all I have to do was transform one into the other. I can’t have both,” Klaus muttered. It appeared he was doing the wrong thing from the start.
“That might actually work,” the Senior’s voice chimed in from behind the door, sounding impressed for the first time.
Klaus grinned. “What do you think, Senior? Does this little paragon qualify now?” His tone was like a kid who has won his fathers approval.
“Get to work,” the Senior urged, “I’ll help guide the transformation. Success depends on you.”
With a nod, Klaus focused on his spiritual qi, carefully slowing its wild spinning. He immediately felt like his energy had entered a black hole. Sweat drenched him as the task demanded every ounce of his strength and concentration. But as he focused, a sudden light shot from the door, merging with Klaus and infusing him with boundless energy.
The spiritual qi began to slow, its frantic motion calming. Klaus clenched his teeth, using the opening to feed the star energy into the spiritual whirlpool. His soul sea trembled as the star energy gradually enveloped the spiritual qi.
“Fuck, it’s working,” Klaus whispered, excitement bubbling through the pain. Power surged through him, raw and immeasurable. “Is this what it feels like? I feel like I could cut the earth in half!” He clenched his fists, both in his soul sea and in the physical realm.
“What are you so impressed about? This isn’t even a thousandth of a star’s true power. Your thinking is good for now, but because of this approach, your future cultivation will become several times harder,” the senior warned.
Klaus smiled and replied, “Mr. Johnson used to say that with strength, everything can be bent. I believe that with enough power, it doesn’t matter if there’s a mountain blocking me—I’ll cleave through it and come out on the other side as the winner.”
As soon as Klaus finished speaking, a surge of energy erupted within his soul sea. Suddenly, dense red energy gushed out of the door, flooding his soul.
“This…” The senior started to say something but but stopped