Basic Body Alchemy

Gao Ming opened the animal skin scroll, and it was densely filled with characters the size of fingernails. At first glance, it seemed confusing, almost like deciphering a complex and frustrating treasure map. After focusing, Gao Ming had to read through each character one by one. Finally, he managed to understand the first sentence: "Basic Fire Elemental Body Refining Technique, using fire energy to temper the physical body, achieving the goal of strengthening physical qualities."

Following that, thousands of characters elaborated on how to use fire energy to temper the physical body. Each step was detailed, making it understandable to anyone who wasn't mentally challenged. However, understanding was one thing; following the method was another. Attribute energy, for psychics, did not have harmful abilities. Yet, without controlling attribute energy through specific methods, the goal of tempering the body couldn't be achieved. If body tempering were as straightforward as standing a fire psychic in the midst of scorching flames, it would be useless.

The human body has a meridian network throughout, which is the only pathway for attribute energy to run and temper the body. When Gao Ming reached this part, he almost burst into laughter, finding it similar to the martial arts inner power from legends in his past life.

However, the major difference was that attribute energy couldn't be stored in the body. It could only be converted by mental power, then directed into the dantian – yes, the dantian. This was the unique point where attribute energy could gather, acting as a central hub for the meridian network. The attribute energy converged at this point and was infused throughout the body's meridians under the control of mental power.

Given the numerous meridians in the body, mastering this body-refining technique was no easy task. It was akin to connecting meridians in martial arts novels. Initially, only a limited range of meridians could conduct attribute energy. As mental control precision improved over time, the range could expand.

Not being able to store energy was a significant drawback. Gao Ming sighed, realizing that the inner power in those martial arts novels seemed quite miraculous, allowing energy to be stored in the body.

After spending a few hours, Gao Ming finally finished studying the body-refining technique. He felt exhausted, with dry eyes. Gao Ming's gaze shifted to the other two scrolls beside him. He sighed again, realizing that learning psychic arts wasn't an easy task. If every skill required such difficulty, it would be a form of torture!

Suddenly, a question occurred to Gao Ming – what about young children who had just awakened their psychic abilities at the age of four or five? Before learning psychic arts, they probably had to master these characters!

Now that he had finished reading, it was time for experimentation. Gao Ming began using psychic energy to convert attribute energy and gather it in his dantian. The process wasn't too difficult, and following the prompts from the animal skin scroll, he only converted a small amount of fire energy.

For Gao Ming, who possessed the ability to project his mental power outward, internal vision was a straightforward task. With the detection of his mental power, the internal conditions of his body became clear to him. It was precisely this ability of mental power internal vision that allowed psychics to have the possibility of practicing body-refining techniques. Otherwise, without even finding the meridians or dantian, what would be the point of refining the body?

Gao Ming discovered that his dantian and even the meridians were in a state of hazy mist. It seemed that his dantian and meridians were filled with the energy represented by the useless psychic ability.

When a ball of fire energy entered the dantian, Gao Ming's mind flashed. It felt as if something had opened a floodgate. The hazy mist in the dantian ignited completely due to the fire energy. It rapidly spread along the route from the dantian to the meridian network, but in the blink of an eye, it was no longer discernible in the large and small meridians throughout his body.

Instantly, the originally hazy dantian and meridian network transformed into a crimson color.

Gao Ming was dumbfounded. Muttering to himself, he said, "This doesn't seem right. In the basic body-refining technique, wasn't it mentioned that initially, attribute energy could only reach a few meridians? Why is my entire meridian network covered? Could it be because my psychic potential is too high?"

In the end, he could only console himself with this explanation. Regardless, achieving such a level required at least a psychic of master level or higher.

By driving fire energy in the dantian, allowing it to circulate in the meridian network, Gao Ming, with highly concentrated mental power, could sense that the fire energy would subtly infiltrate his body during the circulation process. It seemed that the vanished fire energy was indeed tempering his flesh!

Body-refining techniques were indeed psychic abilities that consumed a lot of mental power. However, in just over ten minutes, Gao Ming felt a bit strained. He realized it was time to conclude his first practice of the body-refining technique. He withdrew the psychic ability, dissipated the fire energy, and the originally crimson dantian and meridians returned to their hazy mist state.

Let's call it a day for today. Gao Ming didn't have the energy to look at the other two scrolls of psychic arts, so he placed the four scrolls on the metal cushion and left the study room.

Gurgle, gurgle!

His stomach was churning. Gao Ming frowned, glanced at the sky, and realized it was already afternoon. He had immersed himself in learning and completely forgotten about time.

After returning to the clan mansion by carriage, Gao Ming filled his stomach first, then rested well until just before dinner. Under the care of the maid, he took a refreshing bath and felt rejuvenated. He only woke up shortly before dinner. On the way to the dining area, the maid Ling Ping told him something interesting—Gao Ying had come looking for him.

It seemed like the young girl was eager to hear another story from him. Gao Ming smiled and didn't mind it.

After having dinner, Gao Ming followed his usual routine and went to see Li Qing. He spent some time with her before leaving.

However, as soon as he returned to the courtyard, he noticed Gao Jian and Gao Ying waiting for him.

The moment Gao Ying saw Gao Ming return, she jumped up with excitement and climbed onto his back. Her two white and tender arms tightly wrapped around Gao Ming's neck as she exclaimed, "Gao Ming, I want to hear a story! Can we continue the one from last time? You didn't finish it!"

Gao Jian, who usually had a cold expression, couldn't help but twitch his face. He hadn't expected Gao Ming and Gao Ying's relationship to be so good. It seemed like Gao Ming was more intimate with his sister than he was.

"Okay, okay, let go. I'll tell you the story. Is that fine?" Gao Ming eventually couldn't resist her excitement and quickly agreed.

With a mischievous smile, Gao Ying immediately jumped down from Gao Ming's back and grabbed his arm, leading him towards the house. Gao Ming didn't expect this little girl to be so strong, so he could only give Gao Jian a helpless smile and jokingly say, "Gao Jian, look at your good sister. You should discipline her properly, huh?"

"Dare you~~~~~," Gao Ying immediately let go of Gao Ming, stood with her hands on her hips, and declared.

For the next two hours, Gao Ming spent his time telling stories. When his throat was dry and he complained, "My mouth is so dry; can't you give me some water to drink?" Gao Ying immediately brought a water jug from the side.

After taking a couple of sips, Gao Ming looked at the three pairs of eyes that resembled wolves and tigers and asked, "Can I take a break?"

"No~~~~~~~," all three of them said in unison.

Uh-oh, it seemed that Gao Ying, who was originally the only story enthusiast, had now gained two more. This was truly a case of creating one's own troubles!