Change of plans 15

The second month of the retreat ended, John has completed crafting 1 million barrels.

...

Many things happened and he finally have his own men. The very first thing he gave them as his welcome gift was a set of divine grade shackles for the peak saints and tribulation immortals, while he gifted the 100 guards with ascended grade shackles. Each shackle is given while considering their BGBTA level. They can't complain, especially when they saw John wearing nine sets of divine grade shackles. Not only were they shocked but they idolized John even more. 'What kind of insane strength does the prince have to be able to carry such weights.' The former royal guards are surprised when they saw the other 100 guards shock when they saw johns shackles. 'Werent you with the prince on the island longer than us? Why are they shocked as well?' they thought

Eleanor saw their gazes and said "this is also the first time we saw the prince reveal his shackles." now they knew that the prince has long been able to reach their level of strength, they were feeling envious because they also wanted their BGBTA to reach this level.

John called his three captains Elise, Eleanor, and Merlin. "Here is the personalized training program I prepared for all of you." then gave them stacks of bound paper,

"The three of you will all be responsible for watching over the team as I have a lot to do, Zero as the team's leader take responsibility for their training." John ordered, before he left he also took out 200 blindfolds,

"Starting this day, no one is to remove this blindfold, so after you completely memorize your personalized training program burn them, and wear these" then he took out a blindfold himself and wear it

"This is a team effort that also includes me."

He left his guards and went inside t

Mario's workshop.

Mario saw everything from his workshop, he thought 'these 200 guards are very lucky to be johns, personal guards.'

John entered the workshop blindfolded, Mario shook his head "are you done instructing them?"

"Yes gramps they can now manage on their own, I trust them" John replied

"Are you not being too hard on yourself and your guards?" Mario asked in concern

"I always believe that my sweat and sacrifices now will save me and my team's life in the future." he solemnly replied, Mario didn't reject his words but firmly supported John.

"Since you have completed 1 million barrels, proceed with the springs, a total of 20 million springs are needed. You can start crafting it now!" Mario said

John made the springs, it was a lot harder than the barrel. Since he is blindfolded he could not see the changes of the metal and has to rely on his other senses to craft the springs. Therefore the difficulty of crafting has been increased several times.

Mario's standards are also hard to satisfy, every little detail is inspected, it's like he is training him to have machine-like precision. However, John followed without any complaints. Every part of Mario's training enables him to master his technique and corrected his flaws. Having lost his sight improved his other senses and found new ways to craft materials.

Mario is nothing but praise for John, as he noticed that even with his sights sealed his speed in crafting is not affected. He only felt restricted on the first few springs, but is able to resume his normal pace after. There is no error made on his products, even the smallest detail is flawless. His hammering and crafting are becoming more and more refined. As John's master, Mario could only point out his flaws and correct them, but as the day pass by, John would have fewer and fewer mistakes, his speed and accuracy are insane.

Every day after his crafting Mario would let him identify the materials he prepared and teach him about runes. Not even a single second is wasted, Mario hammers him with all the practical skills and tricks in smithing. John is like a sponge absorbing all the lessons from his lecture and the mistakes he made. At the end of the day, John would meditate on all the learnings he had for the day. This had been his habit even on his past life. He would always make personal assessments of his day to day activities be it on missions m, battles or normal daily activities.

...

By the end of the second month, his guards have improved by leaps and bounds, Elise and Eleanor finally became earth immortals, highgold level of the BGBTA and fourth level of the BGSA; Merlin his third in command reached the peak of tribulation immortal, gold level in BGBTA and third level in BGSA.

The rest of the ninety-seven tribulation immortals have also improved the weakest are now on the seventh level of tribulation immortal, most have reached platinum level on their BGBTA, and third level in BGSA. The previous royal guards were the ones who improved the most, as they all reached silver level of the BGBTA, and second level in their BGSA.

John is impressed by their progress, and ordered them to consolidate their cultivation. He told them not to rush their breakthrough, he asked Elise and Eleanor to hold their metal element manipulation arts and focus on the other two arts. And the rest of the tribulation immortals, "the higher your metal element manipulation is the harder it would be for you connect your other arts, the most important thing to remember is balance. This is the perfect time to master and perfect your element control, while you focus on the other two arts."

"Sire why is it that you kept on improving your BGBTA, " Eleanor asked, she is not convinced. Her sister is glaring at her but she didn't mind her.

"Good question, I was about to tell you the reason. You just asked first,"

Eleanor blushed as she heard John, "the reason is simple, it's different for the BGBTA, as your base cultivation it would be easier to connect the other arts. Simply because the body is refined to perfection with the BGBTA, this also makes training the metal manipulation arts faster. As the body is refined the sensitivity to elements, mana, and soul force increases making it easier for you to gather." he said

Then he added "the reason why I wanted you to at least reach the red gold realm is simply that, you could regrow your limbs and organs at that level."

"You might not notice this but can you now feel that after you have broken through high gold level, your sensitivity to metal element, mana and soul force increased as well?" he asked Eleanor

Eleanor is shocked, she never bothered to check it before, so she checked her BGBTA to confirm what John said, not only her the rest of the guards and the people on the island were closely listening to John as he lectures his guards.

It's indeed true, their increase in sensitivity to elements, mana and soul force had been due to the upgrade of their BGBTA.

"The only downside of using the BGBTA as the base of your cultivation, is that the MEMA will take time for you to breakthrough, the same thing is now happening to mother and father, "

"The more refined your body is, the larger will be your storage capacity for metal element and mana, compared to those of the same level training in mana manipulation, you have great advantage, since you have greater capacity."

"So don't think that you will be wasting your time mastering your control instead of increasing your strength." then John looked at the 100 guards, "if you want substantial proof then look at them, number 101 to 200 came here with just a few days ago but their growth is substantial, their element control is nearly flawless for their level, by the time the two arts reach their MEMA, the boost in their strength going to be more pronounced."

What John said is true, these 100 men indeed grew fast, during the war games their improvements are clear, even on the first and second training grounds, their performance improved in these fifteen days. They are now on the second level of earth difficulty, though it's not that amazing, but these people knew how hard it is to progress even a single level of difficulty.

"Your goal is to have all your barbarian arts have balance level, only then can you have more confidence to break through the God realm."

"The main reason why no one has successfully broken through the god realm is mainly that our bodies and soul during ascension is not strong enough to withstand the lightning tribulation."

"If you rushed your training with the MEMA, you will indeed reach the peak heavenly level earlier, but your chances of survival are nil. I have to remind you that the reason no barbarian survive the tribulation in these thousand years is that compared with other races we barbarians have multicolored tribulation lightning for our ascension, which means the body is the main target of this tribulation."

Hearing John's explanation, everyone felt their scalps grew numb, most of them especially the old monsters who have healed their injuries rushed their cultivation of the MEMA, most of them are about to reach the peak level of cultivation. Good thing that John reminded them of this very important detail. Now that they have a clear goal in mind, no matter how many years, they are determined to equally level all three cultivation arts before their ascension.

...

By the end of the third month, John finished crafting all the parts for the 1 million guns. Mario told Jonathan and Diane that John will be accompanying him for a year or two on the island, he wished for John to master rune making and engraving. The couple didn't argue or complain, they happily accepted Mario's proposal.

The immortals and saints who came for training also had great boost in their strengths. All of the old immortal's injuries were healed after their bodies got refined from the constant breakthroughs in the BGBTA. No one rushed to breakthrough their MEMA, they all aimed to have a perfect balance of all three arts before they breakthrough the next level.

According to John, if one is able to balance all three arts, their prowess is comparable to three to five levels of cultivation above them, against any practitioners who only focus on one or two arts. They believed johns words as his guards are a testament to this.

His 100 guards who have the weakest cultivation at the first saint level MEMA, yellow gold level BGBTA and 4th level BGSA, have a strength comparable to a regular 6th stage saint realm who has not balanced out his three art. Having to observe actual examples laid in front of them, how could they not believe him.

The rest of his guards improved as well, Elise and Eleanor is now a yellow gold realm in BGBTA, and peak 5th level of BGSA, their MEMA remained the same but their control and manipulation improved.

Merlin and the rest of the 97 is now yellow gold realm in BGBTA and peak 5th stage of the BGSA.

...

Jonathan and Dianes BGBTA broke through the blue-gold level. Alfred and Mario both broke through the red-gold level. But the one who benefitted the most from their breakthrough is John, his men and dianes guards.

Diane's numbered guards all became red gold realm, while John had reach blue-gold level, the same as his parents.

He used his body as the lightning rod during everyone tribulation, since there were a total of 404 people who would interfere if anyone underwent regulation the strength of the tribulation is 404 or more times stronger than it used to be, channeling only 10% of the tribulation lightning power to the rest of them, they were able to refine their bodies while they escaped disastrous tribulation outcomes.

The guards knew that this is a secret they must keep, so they made an oath as they joined the fray.

Johns lightning element, evolved to black lightning. While johns lightning hell fire, evolved into black lightning hellfire. The flame is several times more overbearing than Mario's yin-yang heavenly flame.

After his tribulation lightning refinement John noticed that his body doesn't change it's color according to the BGBTA level. He could feel his cultivation increasing but there is no more visible color change like before. Even from Rigurs memory, there is nothing mentioned about this. However, to John, it's the best cover, from now on no one will ever be able to tell his body tampering cultivation, currently, he is at the peak of blue-gold level.

Johns's element manipulation level finally broke through the copper level. However, he knew that the next level would take him probably a year to break through unless he could have a lucky encounter with a heavenly resource that would let him gather the elements he needed rapidly. But despite his copper level, his actual strength in the manipulation of elements is on the immortal level, however, due to the limits of his cultivation level, his power is only equivalent to that of a sky realm, but don't underestimate him, he may only have a sky level power, however he has a very huge supply of mana.

His problem is that he takes longer to increase his MEMA the higher the level of BGBTA he gets.

The numbered guards of both Him and Diane reaped many benefits this time. Their cultivation not only improved but their gun proficiency is nowhere comparable to what it was before, the difference is that of heaven and earth.

Diane's guards and John first 100 guards could complete the first heavenly level of difficulty even if all their senses are blocked. Without any restrictions on their senses, they could now complete the fifth level of heaven's difficulty. While his second 100 guards could now complete the 5th earthly level of difficulty while blocking their senses, and 9th level if there is no restriction.

The King and Queen are the ones who improved the most in terms of their gun proficiency. Both of them can complete the tenth and final stage of hell-level difficulty even if all their senses are sealed. Their element manipulation did not breakthrough, but their control had been insanely enhanced. Along with their BGBTA, even if they are attacked using the full strength of ten thousand earth immortals, they have 100% confidence that they would survive. This is mainly because of the insanely fast recovery speed of their body. Any body part lost during battle could be re grown when ones level of BGBTA reach the red gold level, with their current blue-gold level a finger can be regrown in an instant.

...

Mario refused to remodel Alfreds weapons. He said that he wanted John to be the one to remodel Alfred and his weapon as his final assignment before his graduation as his apprentice.

Diane and Jonathan also wanted to let John remodel her weapon, but Mario refused, "no! As the empire's strongest, the two of you should have your weapons remodeled, the earlier you get used to your new weapons the lesser the pressure that the empire will have."

"Don't worry, my queen, I will just remodel the knife for you, and let John remodel your cleaver!" he added, however, Jonathan is jealous, he also wanted to have a weapon personally remodeled by his son. Sad for him he only has one weapon possible for remodeling into a gun.

This gave John a lot of pressure, which motivated him to train even harder in rune crafting and engraving. His goal is to finish his blacksmith graduation by the end of the year.