18- [ Five Elements Transcendent Body ]
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Adel used the sword energy technique to slowly but gradually slay the beast swarm that was chasing him...
He felt his strength rise significantly, but he still showed no indications of breaking through to the first step's high stage, forcing him to quit fighting the beasts and sit down.
He sighed, knowing that the present beasts didn't pose a threat to him...
"Why not use the [Misinterpretation] Spell to go for the second step beasts' areas?" he considered to himself.
He grinned and nodded before approaching Katrina and telling her about it...
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Even if he had been able to use the spell earlier to enter with Katrina, he would have been depleted and without energy—as he could only keep up the consumption by continually being beate-*cough-fighting monsters...
He also wanted to see how the clan operated in order to acquire a general idea of how it ran.
He was mentally tired, but not as much as before, because the amount of pain he'd been through had significantly reduced it.
As such, he had to hurry and meet Katrina since he needed to further cultivate his body cultivation as a buried treasure ready to be used...
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Adel had three alternative approaches to advancing his 'Five Elements Transcendent Body' when it came to cultivating his body cultivation technique.
Eating the meat of high-step beasts was the first method.
Though the beasts' power must be at least two steps higher than his present step, which he is now eating on the third step of Katrina's clan's diner hall.
However, they were insufficient. And besides, it takes a huge amount of food, not just a day's worth...
The second method was to consume valuable herbs or fruits directly in order to enhance his "Five Elements Transcendent Body."
Nonetheless, it needed the use of exceptionally rare plants related to the five elements that were nearly extinct on this plane (water, metal, earth, fire, and wood).
It did say something about fusing all five components into one, but the wording was vague, so he wouldn't be able to tell what it meant any time soon.
When a person consumes a plant or fruit containing such an element, their body's cultivation pathway becomes more affine to that element. The affinities of such elements also aided in their comprehension in the fourth-step, or fifth-step when condensing a law seed.
Although a huge portion of the medicinal effectiveness of the fruit would be squandered in this way, it was still dozens of times faster than steadily improving the body by consuming the beasts' flesh.
Nevertheless, there was an even better and quicker way to progress, with even more chances to improve such affinity, which was by first refining the fruits into pills and then consuming them.
That, however, required the use of at least three-star alchemists. Furthermore, such pills would not always boost affinities with such components at a 100% rate.
Increasing affinities wasn't something to be taken lightly, after all. It is something that is relied upon to progress as one reaches the levels that involve the understanding of laws...
However, directly consuming them would merely raise the likelihood of strengthening the aforementioned affinity...
It's important to remember that such fruits/herbs had the opportunity to test whether or not they would increase affinities. And besides, even if they were a natural treasure, they hadn't yet reached the level of a heavenly treasure, which would allow them to grow their affinity for that element to a greater extent.
However, they had a great deal of benefit since they didn't only boost one cultivation system, but all three if they were put on the right pills.
However, Adel would not utilize this method because such plants or fruits were extremely valuable. Even if they were found, a natural event would occur, signaling the other powerhouses on this plane who were at least on the fifth step of arriving.
Adel was certain of the beasts' presence and meddling with this continent, even if that wasn't the case here, because the highest step a being could reach on this continent was just the fourth. They'd be the first to grab one if one appeared.
The role of the third way is then considered. It was carried out in a masochistic manner, similar to that of the [Cankili] martial art, but with a different purpose.
It didn't restore the energies indefinitely, but instead destroyed the whole body into ashes before slowly recreating it with soul energy...
It could only be done by people who had cultivated at least two cultivation systems, as it required them to utilize the other system's energy to restore the ashes to the original body, although improved.
But that's assuming they can even get the technique in the first place...
That third option, in any case, required one or more of the five elements, even if that element wasn't a valuable prize.
He couldn't cultivate it before since he didn't have any treasures that matched his cultivation technique. The Anteater's second function comes into the picture...
According to the knowledge he received when he consumed it, it was an extremely rare sort of treasure, nearing the level of a natural treasure but a long way from becoming one. It was concealed by the Ismow trees, which aided in the cultivation of one's talent.
He was well aware of his ability. But he had no idea how their talents were graded. Then again, all he knew about his origins was that they were from the sage plane; he didn't know anything about talent ranks or anything of the like. That's all there is to it.
He didn't know that, albeit the treasure was indeed 'meant' for him to consume it, it only helped increase his talents slightly due to it already being terrifying. But it was more 'fated' to become Katrina's to improve her talent roots by a large degree...
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Returning to the anteater, it was a prize comprised of wood and water components.
The energy was still stored in his body and had not yet been used.
He had arranged his departure early in order to begin tempering his physique so that he might cultivate faster than his other two cultivation systems.
He knew he had to maintain balance between the three cultivation systems, but it was something he could do in the future because he currently needed all the strength he could get...
Furthermore, as his body improves, he will naturally gather more energy by killing stronger beasts, pushing him forward at an astonishing speed.
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Adel eventually arrived at Katrina's location before telling her about sneaking inside the tunnel and entering the second step beasts' territories.
And besides, the clan members were aware that she was in the first region of the step beasts, not the second. It would be hard for anyone to track her down with their disguises on.
He wasn't overestimating his strength, despite looking like he was doing so.
As an answer to the beasts' upheaval, he understood there was some type of event that caused the first step beasts' region to be filled the minute they entered.
Early, mid, and high stage beasts would be segregated into the outer, inner, and core areas of the second step tunnel, making it safe for Adel to gradually grow his strength.
Even so, he had a 32-hour period before they 'departed.' Because it would be suspicious if she stayed longer than the agreed-upon timeframe and did not pay for it...
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Adel soon began talking with Katrina...