"I've already told you haven't I? The body path is about blood. However, the path you're going down isn't the same. That path is specifically known as the Body Refiner path. It's wrong to assume that these two paths are the same although they can feed off of each other."
Dyon's eyes glowed with an odd glint. He remembered that when he entered the Titan World, or so he called it, he couldn't sense the cultivation levels of his opponents. Maybe it was more accurate to say they followed a cultivation path he didn't understand or couldn't gauge?
If this was the case, it would explain a lot…
"Listen carefully." The Demon Sage started. "The Body Path is a path of blood. One increases along this path by improving the quality of their blood. Think about it logically. The most important thing to the body is blood. Whether it be energy or oxygen, it is all distributed to the body by blood.
"If blood is more powerful and flows faster, the body is then able to tap into level it was incapable of before.
"A by-product of the body path is the strengthening of the bones. This is because the constant drilling breaks down the skeletal system of the body. Over time, one's bones grow tougher and denser. This is what is responsible for the sturdiness of the body cultivator.
"As the body path cultivator progresses, his or her body would slowly evolve. As the blood's grade increases, so does its ability to nurture the body.
"After a certain amount of time, body path warriors then begin to be capable of using what are known as 'blood manipulation techniques'."
Dyon's eyes flashed. These were another set of techniques Dyon's master wanted him to master 400 of in the common grade.
"These so-called blood manipulation techniques are simply related to runic veins exclusive to the human body. For obvious reasons, it's impossible to use the blood manipulation techniques of a species not your own.
"When blood manipulation techniques are used, similar to energy techniques, they activate a specific set of hidden runic veins within the body to provide a variety of effects. These can include a minor boost in strength, speed, and even speed of thought in some rare techniques connected to runic veins of the brain.
"The more one uses a blood manipulation technique, the stronger the formerly weak runic veins become. As the path strengthens, so do the techniques. One can reach the great circle of success realm in a common grade blood manipulation technique by strengthening the path way to a great enough extent.
"The Demon Emperor's Will is, in fact, one such complex blood manipulation, however, it is of a much higher realm. By using demonic will, this strengthening of the path far exceeds normal methods, allowing for inconceivable heights not possible without it. These are heights formerly only attainable by beasts which was why demonic and titan will were so important to the ancients.
"It's because of the versatility of the body path that the path of the body refiner was replaced… However, the path of the body refiner should not be looked down upon."
As Dyon listened to the Demon Sage's lectures, he continued to labor over his runic flame. It had already been a half year, yet he still hadn't stepped past the common expert's level of control. Clearly, this wasn't coming as easily to Dyon as array alchemy.
It was most difficult to control the random flickers of the flame. Whenever he tried to shape it into an object, it would inevitably begin to rage as though Dyon's command was something it wanted to break away from.
"As you know," The Demon Sage continued, "Demonic will was the hope of the ancient humans to survive in a world rules by beasts. It's split into two facets. The first facet is one related to Presence. Demonic will allows one to exude the pressure of a beast, intimidating one's opponents. In fact, Demonic Will is the branch from which Presence evolved from. Presence is a higher form because it doesn't rely on the universe's energy, it relies on one's body solely, making it stronger.
"The second facet of demonic will is the strengthening of the body. Whether it be skin, bones, muscles or blood vessels, demonic will can strengthen them all.
"However, what you need to understand is the demonic will is supplementary. Its creation is what made the body refinement path easier, but it can't represent the body refiner alone."
Dyon's eyes shone. Body refiner… It seemed like the key to not only raising the potential of the body, but also raising his battle prowess!
"Still, the body refinement path is far crueler than the body path. In ancient times, some experts boiled themselves within molten metal. Others injected themselves with harsh poisons, forcing their bodies to adapt. And still other travelled to the most extreme areas of the world, meditating in near absolute zero temperatures and finding stars bathe in.
"Its goal was to constantly push the body to the utmost limit. The only reason you managed to progress along this path is because you embraced this philosophy. Spending so many decades in a near death state, knowing nothing but fighting and eating… That's the path of the body refiner!"
The Demon Sage smiled as though he was remembering his own training. "The body refinement path is the key to raising the battle prowess of the talentless to match that of the heavenly blessed.
"While there is a limit to how much a certain cultivation realm can provide to you, there is no such limit for the body refinement path! You're only limited by how much you can torture yourself, how much pain you can withstand and how strong you mind is.
"For the body path, one follows the normal cultivation realms. As the blood improves in grade and power, one can slowly raise from the Foundation Realm to the Dao Formation Realm.
"However, the body refinement path has no such stringent system. It's not that one couldn't be made, but rather that it was never made on purpose. This represents what it means to body refine. Your goal isn't some arbitrary boundary named by some expert you've never met, you goal is only to surpass yourself!"
"Then how exactly does body refinement work? I understand the concept of pushing the body to the limit, but are there more efficient ways just like some cultivation techniques are faster than others?" Dyon pondered before asking the Demon Sage this question.
"Mm. There are multiple paths, some of which are more efficient than others. Currently, your Titan Diamond Body has inadvertently done a lot of this refinement for you, making you the equivalent of a first grade expert of the body path.
"The body refinement path you've followed until know focuses on the muscles, but this has also made you unbalanced. You've off-loaded so much of the burden to your muscles that it won't be long before your bones can no longer withstand the pressure they exert.
"In addition, even though your muscles are powerful, you inner organs are weak. It's the same concept as what results in wearing strong armor but being weak. No matter how strong your armor is, if a shock wave travels through it, you'll die.
"To top this off, your nerves are also weak. Your thinking speed in very quick due to your soul, but you can't put these things into action because your reaction time is slow.
"All of these things can be improved through body refinement."
Dyon blinked. "Can't they also be improved through the body path?"
"Yes, but you have to remember that you are human. For example, if you stimulate the far-sight runic vein within your eyes, you'd only be able to increase your vision to the utmost limit of a human. If you then added your titan will, this would surpass the human limit and reach the utmost limit of most sharp eyed beasts.
"However, what if you used the body refinement path first? Then you learn to circulate the runic vein, before finally once more strengthening it with titan will once more? What do you think the result would be?"
"I see!"
"Blood vessel refinement is just as if not more dangerous than nerve refinement, though. It's the most heaven defying and as such there are heavy penalties and hurdles to leap over."
"Blood vessel refinement…" Dyon's brows furrowed. "Does blood vessel refinement allow you to change the structure of your blood vessels into that of beasts as well?"
Wasn't this exactly how the Viserion Clan's Dragon Transformation technique worked?
The Demon Sage paused, giving Dyon a deep look. "Yes! However, this requires the blood of the beast whose abilities you want to evoke… And it will definitely put you at the boundary of life and death!"
