Chapter 8: Body Tempering (Part 1)

Standing in the empty laboratory hall, Guo Shier’s eyes showed a hint of confusion. Was this the power of talismans? He found it very strange. In his understanding, it resembled the power of the soul. After two reincarnations, he had gradually come to appreciate the benefits of soul power. Why were the power of talismans and soul power so similar?

Guo Shier paid great attention to his soul. Reciting scriptures every night was a must for him. What differed this life from his previous two was that he could clearly sense his soul and its power. This had not been possible in his past life, where he only had a vague sense.

Through deliberate effort, Guo Shier repeated the process, trying to distinguish the additional power of talismans within his soul. Indeed, he had successfully formed his own talisman power, but it left him deeply puzzled, as this power seemed to blend into his soul.

Immersed in his soul, Guo Shier’s confusion didn’t last long. Moments later, he began reciting the scriptures. These scriptures were deeply ingrained in his soul, and every time he recited them, he noticed fluctuations in his soul. The scriptures were short, consisting of only 167 characters, and taking just a few dozen seconds to recite. Eventually, he realized that after each fluctuation, his soul became slightly more refined.

Guo Shier let out a long sigh, realizing he had been too hasty. After all, he was only eight years old and needed time to grow and explore the mysteries of his soul. He sensed that the talisman power he was cultivating was closely related to his soul, though he couldn’t yet determine whether it was good or bad.

After thinking for a while, Guo Shier left the underground laboratory. Several days of cultivation had left him somewhat tired. Although he had successfully developed talisman power, he wasn’t overly excited.

Coming out of the main bedroom, he saw two people sitting in his study.

“Baozi, Chen Bing, what’s the matter?”

Huo Bao smiled and said, “Shier, we’re going to conduct our first body tempering.”

Chen Bing said, “Talisman Hall.” He meant to conduct the body tempering in the Talisman Hall. Due to his preference for brevity, he only uttered three words.

Guo Shier asked, “Do you want me to come with?”

Both nodded. Guo Shier smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll go with you.”

He called over two Rune Warriors. Since they were close to the Spell Hall, there was no need to ride a carriage, so the five of them set out on foot. Guo Shier still wore his thick leather robe; he was very cold-sensitive. The streets were covered with thick snow, and no one had cleared it, so the five of them walked through the snow and soon arrived at the Spell Hall.

A servant led the three of them into the Body Tempering Rune Room.

Chen Bing called out, “Grandpa.”

The old man sitting inside was indeed Chen Bing’s grandfather. Chen Chunzhai had come specially to strengthen his grandson’s physique. He also needed to discuss things with Guo Shier, as Chen Bing was a follower of Guo Shier, and in the future, they would rely on Guo Shier to strengthen their physiques, so it was necessary for Guo Shier to be involved.

Guo Shier bowed respectfully and said, “Hello, Grandpa Chen.”

Chen Chunzhai looked at Guo Shier with some confusion. After a while, he asked, “Shier, have you developed spell power? That’s impossible… It’s only been such a short time.”

Guo Shier replied, “Hehe, I managed to develop a trace of spell power yesterday. I guess that counts as success.”

Chen Chunzhai shook his head with a wry smile. For those with potential for spells, it was extremely difficult to acquire even a minimal amount of spell power at first. Usually, children who started learning spell power could hardly succeed without months of hard training. Moreover, since they were generally young, they mostly learned passively at the beginning. Even those with great potential would take some time before understanding the importance of spell power.

But Guo Shier didn’t seem like a child at all—he had successfully developed spell power in such a short time. Chen Chunzhai could only marvel inwardly. He said, “Shier, your speed of cultivation… Hehe, let’s talk about this body tempering instead. There are five types of body tempering runes: the Bright Rune, the Dark Rune, the Bone Rune, the Internal Rune, and the Purification Rune, which is used specifically to remove body tempering runes that have taken hold.”

“The Bright Rune is used by Rune Warriors for body tempering, and Rune Warrior apprentices also use it. The Bone Rune is for Rune Masters, while the Internal Rune is for Grand Rune Masters… As for the Dark Rune, it’s used by Cursesmiths and Spellcasters for body tempering.”

Guo Shier asked, “Can we also use body tempering runes?”

Chen Chunzhai nodded and said, “Cursesmiths need to fight in the wild, and the Dark Rune can make their bodies stronger. Although it’s far from as effective as that of Rune Warriors, it’s still much better than that of ordinary people. If Spellcasters focus on combat, then the Dark Rune is also essential.”

“So… Baozi and Chen Bing are using the Bright Rune for body tempering this time?”

Chen Chunzhai smiled and said, “Yes, it’s just using the most basic talismans for simple initial physical training to help them adapt to the physical changes brought about by the talismans. But before that, I need to determine their development paths first… I already have a clear idea of Xiao Bing’s development path; I mainly want to understand Huo Bao’s path.”

Guo Shier felt a bit ashamed. He hadn’t paid attention to Huo Bao and Chen Bing during this time, as he had been busy studying. He asked, “Grandpa Chen, what’s Chen Bing’s development path?”

“His path is in scouting and talisman bows. Such talisman warriors are agile and quick. Little Bao, when hunting, do you prefer using traps or attacking directly?”

Huo Bao replied, “I prefer to fight head-on until the prey falls.”

Chen Chunzhai nodded and said, “Hmm, I see. It’s an aggressive development path.” Then he added, “That is, a combination of strength and speed.” These words were directed at Guo Shier.

Guo Shier asked, “Is there also a need for a combination of strength and defense?”

Chen Chunzhai nodded in approval. “Right. Actually, there are two more needed. Besides talisman warriors focused on strength and defense, someone like Huo Bao needs two—one for attacking and one to protect you and the spellcaster.”

“A spellcaster?”

Chen Chunzhai explained, “A combat squad. Four talisman warriors are the minimum members. If the leader is a spellcaster-talisman warrior, five people can form a squad, as the spellcaster-talisman warrior can handle both roles—being both a spellcaster and a talisman user… Of course, if a spellcaster and a talisman user can be recruited, the squad’s combat power will be even stronger.”

“Spellcasters, like talisman warriors, are professions that rely on spellcaster-talisman warriors and talisman users. But spellcasters are a bit more free—they can choose to join a squad to carry out missions, leave after the mission, or stay. Spellcasters have extremely strong combat power. Hehe, they’re also a proud group.”

“There are also squads led by talisman masters. They usually have followers and are formed just to complete missions, like… Luo Luo’s squad.”

Guo Shier smiled and said, “I understand. Then let’s get started.” He was gradually getting to know some of the basic rules of this world. He had learned almost nothing in the first eight years, but in just over half a year, he had acquired a lot of useful knowledge and begun to understand the world he was in.

Although Chen Chunzhai possessed his life talisman, he was not Luo Jie and would not easily use his most important talisman. He gave a few instructions to a talisman warrior, and soon the temperature in the room began to rise rapidly. Calmly, he took off his leather robe and said, “Xiao Baozi, you go first. Xiao Bing, watch over here.”

Guo Shier also felt a bit hot and took off his thick leather robe as well.

Huo Bao asked, “Grandpa Chen, do I need to take everything off?”

Chen Chunzhai smiled and said, “Not yet. Just take off your upper clothes first.”

Huo Bao didn’t resemble a twelve-year-old boy at all. He had strong muscles, a broad chest, and extremely thick arms. Combined with his triangular head and shiny bald head, he exuded a fierce aura.

Chen Chunzhai exclaimed in amazement, “Indeed worthy of being called Xiao Baozi—so fierce already at twelve. Hehe.” He moved his hand to his waist, and a red talisman appeared between his fingers, pulsing as if it were a living spirit.

Guo Shier was slightly stunned because he realized the rhythm of Chen Chunzhai’s fingers was one of the thirty-six techniques. He thought to himself, “So this is how one controls talismans? No, this isn’t controlling talismans—it’s an unconscious action.”

Chen Chunzhai said, “This is a manifest talisman used to unleash the power of the flesh and muscles. Since Xiao Baozi isn’t yet an adult, its power isn’t strong. It’s just to help him get used to the changes brought by the body-refining talisman.”

“This is the body-refining platform. Xiao Baozi, step on it.”

The circular stone platform was much simpler than the one in Luo Jie’s laboratory, with runes that were clearly several levels inferior. After thinking for a moment, Guo Shier understood—Luo Jie was a great talisman master, so his own body-refining platform must have been crafted by him personally, naturally far superior to those in the Talisman Hall.

Chen Chunzhai said solemnly, “Xiao Baozi, you should already be aware of the hardships of body refinement. But if you want to become a talisman warrior, these hardships are inevitable. Do you have the confidence to endure them?”

Huo Bao looked straight into Chen Chunzhai’s eyes without fear and said, “I can endure it!” To survive in this world, one needed strength—just as in the forests, only those with strength could roam freely. He had understood this principle as early as his first hunt.

Chen Chunzhai moved his hands skillfully, and the manifest talisman gradually emitted a red glow. He deliberately slowed down his movements so that Guo Shier could clearly see the changes. As the talisman grew brighter, he said, “Shier, watch carefully. Xiao Baozi, don’t move at all.”

That talisman suddenly transformed into a red glow, revealing a complex rune that was quickly printed on Huo Bao’s chest. With a “whooshing” sound, as if a scorching iron was dropped into water, Huo Bao let out a groan as his body began to tremble violently. Chen Chunzhai said, “Hold on! The first body-refining talisman is the most crucial!”
Sweat beaded all over Huo Bao’s face. He widened his eyes, puffed out his cheeks, and gasped for breath. The red rune on his chest resembled a shadow cast by a slide projector. Chen Chunzhai shouted, “Concentrate!” The red glow gradually dimmed, and red runes appeared on his skin.
Chen Chunzhai smiled and said, “That’s it. No need to hold back anymore. Shout if you want to!”
Huo Bao let out a fierce roar, “Ah… It really hurts! Ughhh…” He waved his arms wildly, striking at nothing, gritting his teeth and stomping his feet. It took him nearly two minutes to recover, his face turning pale. He said, “Damn, this is terrifying… But I made it!”