There was no concrete reason for the feeling.
It was simply an intuition that rose unbidden in Li Fan’s heart as he watched Zhang Zhiliang sit in silence, half his figure swallowed by shadow.
Even so, Li Fan had always placed great faith in his instincts.
Perhaps witnessing the deaths of the other two array masters of the Strategy Array Hall has shaken him?
Li Fan wondered, but did not pry.
He only etched the observation firmly into memory.
After offering a respectful bow, Li Fan withdrew.
Once back before the Tianxuan Mirror, he carefully examined the jade slip’s contents.
The second slip was far more profound than the first, even brushing upon the threshold of the Unlimited Art, Zhang Zhiliang’s own legacy.
Unhurried, Li Fan fed its insights into the multi-threaded workings of the Unity of Dao Transformation and Mind.
Half a month passed.
During this time, his true self continued its cultivation as per usual.
Meanwhile, his avatar, Lin Fan, had gained a small degree of mastery in awakening the body’s hidden reserves.
By compiling countless texts, running experiments on himself, and drawing on descriptions from the Heavenly Physician’s Immortal Scripture, the avatar ceaselessly stirred the wellspring of latent power within, tempering his flesh to greater strength.
Now, he could unleash destructive force on par with a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator with just the raw strength of his physical body, without relying on either spiritual power or arcane arts.
Since the method involved no special techniques, simply the most fundamental forging of the body’s hidden reserves, Li Fan named it the Creation Forge Technique.
The name referenced only the “forge” aspect, having nothing to do with actual creation. Yet when naming techniques, one naturally gravitated toward more imposing titles.
Li Fan felt quite satisfied with the name he had come up with.
By now, the avatar’s cultivation of the Creation Forge Technique had reached its first critical juncture.
His entire body had already undergone comprehensive tempering, both inside and out, preparing it to a sufficient level.
With his physical strength now meeting the required threshold, the next step was to draw upon the vast, surging power hidden within his body’s reserves and compress that force into a great hammer to pound his flesh.
Like steel refined through repeated strikes, the process would strengthen his body even as it pushed it to the brink of destruction.
This was the Initial Refinement.
Boom.
Boom.
Muffled, banging sounds resounded from within the avatar’s body. With each echo, an unnatural crimson flushed across Li Fan’s face.
Soon, his body began to heat up. His skin reddened, his temperature climbed, and he looked like a body thrown into a blazing furnace to be roasted. Throughout the process, he felt like he was teetering on the edge of collapse.
Yet whenever he thought he could no longer hold on, his hidden reserves surged forth on their own, flooding him with raw, vibrant vitality that mended what should have been fatal damage.
It wasn’t conscious control; it was his body’s primal response to mortal danger.
Through this hammering and tempering, his physique grew ever stronger. Gradually, the accumulation of countless small changes pushed him toward a breakthrough.
After an unknown span of time, a final, deeper impact rang through him.
Li Fan’s body shuddered.
The crimson glow faded.
Soon, a new strength settled into his limbs.
He compressed his spiritual power into a sharp edge and slashed at his left arm.
Clang!
The blow produced a clear metallic ring. Only after steadily increasing his spiritual power to the mid-stage Foundation Establishment level did he manage to leave a bloody mark.
The first round of tempering is complete. This step is equivalent to Foundation Establishment.
Next... I’ll need to mobilize my hidden reserves for a second round of tempering.
According to my theory, if there are no limitations, allowing me to keep repeating this process endlessly, a hundred hundred times, a thousand times... I will eventually be able to develop my body's hidden reserves to an extreme level, enabling me to influence and distort natural laws through physical strength alone, achieving a state where just about no techniques can harm me and no calamity can destroy me.
Unfortunately, this path is severed here in the Xuanhuang World.
Perhaps the restrictions in surrounding minor worlds won’t be as strong.
Li Fan took a deep breath, and the wound on his arm vanished in an instant.
My requirements aren't that high. I just need to forge a path where my physical body can contend with Golden Core cultivators.
That will be my avatar's next objective.
As the thought formed, the power of his hidden reserves surged forth like a bursting dam, scouring and tempering his physique.
Having successfully completed the Initial Refinement, the tempering process has become as natural as breathing, like an instinct of the body.
I no longer need to remain constantly in seclusion now.
I can research methods to increase the efficiency of my cultivation...
Li Fan contemplated.