Chapter 4: Body Tempering

After a flying for over an hour, Lightning Kan and Neonero finally arrived in the Mystic Lightning Sect headquarters. Upon arrival many disciple and elders noticed that their sect master is carrying some kid.

"Greetings sect master Kan." all the disciple and elders present greeted and bowed respectfully.

Sect master Kan nodded and said.

"This kid here is a new disciple of our Mystic Lightning sect. I accidentally found him at the Hundred Blade Forest." And called one of the elders that is in-charge of the newly accepted disciple.

"Elder Zen, kindly arrange a room and some clothing for him. I'll be going back to my hall now."

"Absolutely sect master. Kid what is your name?" Elder Zen asked.

"This disciple's name is Neonero." Neonero respectfully answered.

"Okay follow me Neonero."

After the two left, all the disciples that was around started whispering each other.

"Is that kid somewhat talented for sect master himself to accept him as a disciple in our sect?" whispered the disciple.

"I don't know he doesn't look like an outstanding person. He looks more like just an average kid from a nearby village." Mockingly said by the other.

These disciples had already entered the energy condensation stage at the age of fourteen, while Neonero at the age of sixteen has never even touched the body refining stage. Majority of these kids that are accepted as disciples are at the age of nine or ten years old depending on their talent and some are even at early body refining stage when they're accepted as disciples. So it's understandable that these disciples feel somewhat displeased upon seeing Neonero and entering the sect.

While on their way to the disciple's quarter, elder Zen started to thoroughly explain to Neonero the rules of the sect. He even introduced him to the elders of the sect whom they encounter while on their way. He also told Neonero the different areas of the Mystic Lightning sect such as the cultivation area, the training ground for practicing martial skills, the gathering area for cultivation lessons, etc.

"Here is your room and I'll send someone to give you your disciple token, low grade body tempering pills and clothing." Elder Zen noticing that Neonero was not yet at the body refining stage added. "I'll also give you a book to guide in practicing and tempering your body, read it carefully and if you have questions do not hesitate to ask me."

To Neonero this old man is really a nice person then he said. "Thank you very much elder Zen."

Elder Zen smiled. "No need to thank me, as a disciple of our sect it is indeed my duty as an elder to guide you. And oh, just take one pill each week or else your muscles, bones and organs might be damaged." Alright I'm going back to my work.

After a few minutes someone knocked at the door. As Neonero opened the door a tall and plain looking guy was standing and has a small box on his hands.

"Hi are you junior brother Neonero? I'm here to deliver this new disciple pack as instructed by elder Zen. I'm Jino by the way; you can call me senior brother Jino."

"Yup, it's me. Thank you senior brother Jino." Neonero answered smiling.

"Oh I almost forgot here is the book too."

After giving the book and the package to Neonero, Jino turned and leave. Neonero closed the door then he sat on his bed. He opened the box and checked the items inside. There he find a bluish metallic token which were the words Mystic Lightning Sect was carved, two bottle of low grade body tempering pills which is good for two months and some clothing with an image of a lightning at the left chest part that seems to be the insignia of Mystic Lightning sect. Feeling so much excitement, Neonero started to read the book which was given to him by elder Zen. It was just an ordinary guide for body tempering and he even felt that the body refining method written in the book is just a common technique. All his excitement died down, he was expecting a really good body tempering method since the sect master was a powerful person so he expected that what they practice here is somewhat powerful. He thought that it'll be the same with the overpowered main characters in the light novel stories that he was reading on Earth.

"Haist. Here I thought that in the future I will be super strong and stand at the peak of this world." Feeling down and dismayed he lied down on the bed. Suddenly he thought of the body tempering methods that were written from those light novel stories.

"Will it work in here if I try to choose one of those methods? But, all those stories are just fictions. Should I just try it?"

Neonero started to scan through his memory the different kinds of body tempering method that he can recall.

"Hmmm. This one is from a really OP MC, he's really sturdy and have a really strong attack power with just his physical strength alone. I'll choose this one The Primordial Dragon Body Tempering Technique! From what I remember I should take three low grade body tempering pills using that method. Damn, will my body be able to withstand the pain? Elder Zen told me that I should just take one pill every week. Now what should I do?"

Fearing for his life to be in danger, Neonero hesitated first. But still he steeled his heart and mind.

"I need to have courage and strength if I want to be the strongest cultivator someday."

Without a second thought he opened the bottle containing the pill and swallowed three low grade body tempering pills then he sat in a cross-leg position. He started to feel an unbearable heat and pain all over his body that it seems like he was in the middle of river of flames and lava.

"I must endure this!" Neonero gritted his teeth.

Then he started to practice the Primordial Dragon Body Tempering technique. The technique states that to practice this method, one should imagine his self as a primordial dragon coiling around the hottest star that existed in the universe. He then pictured his self as really huge dragon that can even swallow the Milky Way Galaxy while coiled around a hypergiant blue star. Suddenly the unbearable heat and pain that he was experiencing earlier was gone in an instant. It was like the pain from the heat of river of flames and lava turned into a hot spring which helped relaxed his body.

"What a strange feeling is this. It feels like I'm the mightiest and ruler of all dragons in the whole universe. So this is how those MC feels when they started cultivating."

Unbeknownst to Neonero a seemingly barrier was formed around his body enveloping him while in the process of tempering his body. Without the barrier the whole quarter might be on fire right now or even the whole sect will be turned into ashes due to the intense heat his body is emitting. One could just imagine how intense the heat right now his body is emitting comparable to a hypergiant blue star, the hottest star in the universe! His skin starts to turn red and also his muscles, then they seem like melting due to the heat and then started regenerating again. There were also cracking sounds that could be heard from within his body.

Crack! Crack!

Fifteen hours has passed, the barrier around Neonero has gradually disappeared. It was already five in the morning and Neonero slowly opened his eyes.

"Did I succeed in tempering my body? Did I enter the body refining stage? Or did I fail? I don't see any impurities around me or that filthy stuff mentioned in the book."

He was quite skeptic right now since there are no impurities found on the floor. But surely he will not find any impurities since all the impurities either evaporated or turned into nothingness due the intense heat his body was emitting while he was tempering his body using the Primordial Dragon Body Tempering technique. But when he got up to his feet he felt that his muscle is much more firm and also his strength has increased several times. His skin is now much smoother like a there are microscopic dragon scales covering his whole body. His body is much lighter and his eyes are much clearer that he can even see clearly every dust particle floating at the corner of his room.

"I really did succeed! Damn, this is the best feeling ever since my childhood! I feel like I'm as strong as Saitama or Son Goku. Hahahah!" Neonero said while laughing.

"Strange I don't feel hungry. Well, as far as I know cultivators at body refining stage can last up to several days without eating. Now I should head to elder Zen first to confirm if I really have stepped into body refining stage."