Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Beauty Over Love?
After reaching his hut, Vahn didn’t waste a second. He quickly filled the wooden tub with water, then mixed it with the Body Tempering Liquid with fluidity.
Same as the previous time, the water began to boil with crimson radiance and waves of heat spread throughout his small hut.
The rich medicinal essence were clearly visible on the surface.
Vahn quickly stripped himself naked and stepped in without hesitation.
The liquid immediately embraced his skin like liquid fire. It felt creepy and strange. Nevertheless, he sank in until he was fully submerged.
As soon as did, his body trembled violently. The potent essence intruded into his body through every pour of his body. Every inch of his flesh screamed in agony, but his eyes still remained cold and determined.
While enduring the pain, he carefully guided the potent essence through his veins, channeling it deeper and deeper.
First his skin, then his flesh—both had already been tempered. Now it was time for his Bone and Marrow.
The potent essence not only pierced into his bones, but also seeped into the marrow as well.
Unlike the previous session, this time his Bone and Marrow was being tempered at the same
But of course, the pain would be doubled as well.
His body jolted with unbearable pain, as though countless hammers were smashing his skeleton from the inside.
But Vahn gritted his teeth and held on.
"Bone Strengthening, Marrow cleansing...This is the path of true strength."
Within the next 60 minutes, the marrow cleansing continued on, making his skeletal frame stronger and purer.
The black, gooey sludge floating in the tub was undeniable proof of a flawless Bone Tempering and Marrow Cleansing.
However, the liquid’s essence wasn’t enough to push him through the final stage. His organs still remained untempered.
Vahn sighed inwardly. Unless he could obtain another bottle of Body Tempering Liquid, his Body Tempering would remain incomplete.
For now, all he could do was wait.
Still, he decided to pay a visit to the Treasure Hall. Perhaps he might find another vial of Heaven Grade Body Tempering Liquid there, though he also knew the chances were slim.
Vahn casually clenched his fist, feeling the increase in bodily strength. He felt strong—so strong that he believed he could destroy a cow with a single punch.
And why not?
He was almost two to three times stronger than he had been just a short while ago.
Realising this, a sense of excitement erupted within him, urging him to test his power in real. So he headed outside and stood before a tall, sturdy tree.
Clenching his fist again, he struck with all the force he could muster.
Thwack!
Instantly, the thick outer shell caved in, splintering the sturdy fibers beneath. It was a pure mess. Nearly one-third of the tree’s body was destroyed.
Bang! Bang!
With two more strikes, the tree groaned and collapsed, crashing to the ground with a low rumble that spread across the living square.
Startled, many disciples who had been sleeping soundlessly rushed out of their huts.
But when they looked around, they saw only a mangled tree lying on the ground. It seemed as if someone’s punches had broken the very heart of it.
Their awestruck eyes searched for the culprit, but no one was in sight.
Vahn had already disappeared. With heart full of exhilaration, he walked toward the dedicated training ground to attend Orsted’s afternoon lesson.
There, under Orsted’s lesson, he could indulge the itch to unleash his power without drawing too much attention.
When he arrived at the training ground, Vahn appeared far calmer and more confident. The disciples quickly took notice of his changed demeanor.
But strangely, Orsted was nowhere to be seen.
"Brother Vahn, you seem to grow more handsome by the day. Might I know your secret?" A young woman approached him with a shy smile.
"It’s nothing, Sister. I just use bone powder every day," Vahn replied calmly while practicing his Saber skills.
His movements carried both elegance and sharpness, every strike flowing with natural grace.
"Bone powder?" the young woman muttered in bafflement. "Please, don’t joke with me, Brother Vahn. I really want to become more beautiful."
She requested sincerely, unaware that Vahn’s transformation came from the Flawless Body Tempering.
Vahn paused and glanced at her face strangely. "You already look beautiful, Sister. Why would you still want to become more beautiful?"
He barely knew the young woman, so he felt no need to expose his secret. Revealing it would only make him a fool.
The female disciple, Sophia, noticed the rejection in Vahn’s eyes, but she didn’t want to give up just yet.
"Brother Vahn," she said softly, her tone like a sigh carried by the wind, "to a woman, beauty is never enough. It is the veil we wear before the world, the mirror in which our worth is measured.
Without beauty, even the heavens look down coldly upon us. With beauty, doors open that strength alone cannot force. Cultivation may raise us high, but without a radiant face, they will whisper behind our backs and brand us as witches.
Beauty is the first blessing a woman must cling to. Cultivation comes only after."
Vahn’s lips curled into a cynical expression.
"Oh, you certainly carry an extremist mindset, sister. Do you think all souls are cast from the same mold?"
Sophia shook her head and calmly replied,
"I am spiting reality, brother Vahn. Tell me then, if you were commanded to wed a woman with a face so twisted that it curdles the heart, would you still bind yourself to her?"
Vahn Necrotis fell silent at this. His face fell for the first time. For a moment he truly pictured it. One of his wives, her beauty stripped away, her dark face warped beyond recognition. Would he remain by her side, or would his devotion falter beneath the feeling of revulsion?
But just as he pondered hard, an arrogant intruder’s voice echoed in training yard,
"It’s you, Coward! I have finally find you!"