Chapter 2: Tempering Body Realm
"Master!"
Alerted by the sudden emergent of scarlet flame around Zed's form, Yui screamed in panic and worries as she heroically rushed toward Zed, wishing to pull him out of the flame he himself created. But soon, realizing that she couldn't move further than 0.3 meter from her previous spot. Propelled by a barrier she didn't know when it got erected, her worries deepened.
"Master, no!" frustrated, despaired, Yui could only resigned in powerlessness. Like she usually did from all the past event that haunted her, she fell on her knee with tears dripping off her beautiful eyes. Staring at Zed, the man who she see as her beacon of hope, bathing in the scarlet flame with a relaxed expression. For once, she was able to calm herself down.
While the pressure locked her in place, it didn't take away her ability to move around it perimeter. Rather, it become a kind of safe-zone for her, a place where the flame never touched her, as well as a place where she could breath without feeling the hot atmosphere around herself. Hence, with a determined gaze, she pushed her hand out of the circle, touching the scarlet flame and embracing it warm.
Right, all she felt after touching them was warm. The comfortable type of warm, as if wearing soft and fluffy jacket in the winter, baffling her. And to put in more surprise, the wound that she cut had also started healing, as if possessing the regenerative power of phoenix's flame, it cleansed them, recover them and leave them anew like how it should be; pale white in color brimming with youthful hue that easily tell others about her young age.
"Master, this.. how can this be possible?" she asked, shifting her gaze from her own hand toward Zed who, were silently standing with his eyes closed amidst the raging flame around him. Seemingly unaffected from any commotion she just made, nor did he seem like replying anytime soon.
Though confused, Yui were now much calmer than before. And knowing that no harm was placed on her hope, she disturbed not his peace, and stared at the flame around them, scanning them with interest and surprise in her eyes. The scarlet flame was indeed destructive, burning all that Zed deem unnecessary. The trees, the grass, the bloods and gore surrounding them, all were pulverized. So destructive it was that even ashes were burn into nothingness.
And as if telling Yui it could both be harmless and harmful, the scarlet flame burn not Zed's long raven hairs, but instead leaving him naked before her innocent eyes. Forcing blush off her cheek but drawn by his muscular frame and slumbering dragon underneath, unable to take her eyes off any of them. As a result, driving her inner instinct and make her eyes glinted in weird light.
"Master is hurt?" she noticed, with her eyes attentively looking at his frame, she easily spotted a few deep and shallow wounds on his body. Specifically in his chest, abdomen and stomach, making her face pale in guilt. Thinking that the wounds was a result of his clash in protecting her, once again, she felt how powerless she was.
Thankfully, the wounds were gradually healing. Engulfed by a huge concentration of the scarlet flame, it disappear a moment later as if they never existed to begin with. However, the damage were done. Healed they might be, but the pain Zed once took, ever experiencing them herself, Yui know how much he had suffer.
"I will definitely make up to you, master," she breathed under her breath, and stilled herself. Stepping out of the safe-zone and walked toward Zed, almost immediately, she was engulfed with the scarlet flame that instantly cleansed her and healing her injuries god-know-how did she got them. And with light stealthy step, she walked toward Zed and kneel before him.
Unaware of Yui's action, Zed's conscious remain on his body. Checking all he got, sorting all he possessed and recovering all he loss.
With his restrain over his body released, finally adjusted to his weakened state, Zed felt warm throughout his body. As if brimmed with life once more, he felt refreshed. The heaviness he felt before disperse, becoming lighter like feather and powerful like wrestling bear.
Given that to defeat his nemesis, to kill him for good, Zed sacrificed his all. His meridian, his spiritual sea, his cultivation base, all were destroyed into nothing. Leaving him in a crippled like state, he needed to recover from, and the scarlet flame had just what he needed.
Naturally, to form ones Primal Flame, they needed to be above the third layer of Silver Beginner Realm. That too, needing an extensive knowledge about the elemental qi around the air and fated to will them. If requirement was met, they could take and seize them, before controlling them with primal qi, the refined version of spiritual qi. But for Zed who possessed the Mysterious Flame, formed in between heaven and earth, all he need was a strong spiritual strength, allowing him to control the flame and uses them without expending as much as a strand of primal qi.
So long as spiritual qi existed in the atmosphere, so long as his soul were strong enough to handle the untamed flame, Zed could use the scarlet flame, the Origin Flare as he see fit. Ranked among the top wondrous Mysterious Flame in Tiny World, the Origin Flare allowed Zed to recovered everything that he lost. A lost limb, they could grow. A missing eyes, they will reform. A disconnected meridian, they will reconnect.
Like it name suggest, the Origin Flare reverse all thing to it original form. And with it wondrous ability that many yearned for, Zed recovered his heavily injured body stemming from his fight with his nemesis.
His meridian slowly reconnecting, turning much sturdy than before while his wounds healed itself, recovering his empyrean figure that could sway even a saint herself. His spiritual sea that were scattered, slowly taking form, the shape of a flat disc with a bottomless pit and boundless boundary was erected soon after. In the middle of the sea, hovering above it hollow surface, a purplish crystal lay dormant. A moment later however, it sparked in dark-purplish light, telling Zed that it was finally ready.
Ready to devour this world of it essence, literally.
Spiritual qi gushed into his form from all side, immediately flooded his dry meridian and trying to fill his thirsty spiritual sea. In just an instant, the spiritual qi in the surrounding started to thinning, making it so that those who found themselves near Zed, would felt their body become heavier. As if walking in a muddy road, they would become sluggish, and to put in more emphasize on the word 'essence', they would also found difficulty in breathing.
However, still unsatisfied by the large amount of spiritual qi that he had absorbed, so much so that his spiritual sea had long since been flooded with mist like energy, Zed continue his endeavor. Spreading his senses far, reaching further and devouring more. And as he did, the flame covering his form expended even further, essentially turning into a fire domain that he could control as he see fit.
Now, possessing one of the strongest soul in Tiny World, Zed's spiritual strength and divine sense become almost matchless within his peer. Though possessing not the strength to backup his domineering pressure, just the latter alone, he could easily scared many beast that at first attracted by the smell of blood in the air.
The weaker beast immediately fainted upon clashing with his spiritual strength, given that spiritual strength was the purest of mental attack, it wasn't weird that they would be put unconscious. Those much stronger were much luckier, having a much sharper instinct than their weaker brethren, before Zed's senses reached them, they flee off the forest with their tail tugged behind their leg. Essentially forcing many to migrate away from the forest, afraid that staying much longer would cost their very life.
Unknown to Zed, he had unintentionally forced a beast horde over the nearest civilized area. Not that he care anyway, instead of worrying about someone else, he better worry about himself.
"I'm finally whole again, but..." Zed sighed, as his recovery come to an end, the powerlessness that he felt finally disappear. But the feeling was the only one that disappear, the truth however, he was as vulnerable than before.
Knowing not the reason for his return, nor knowing what large event that had took place in Tiny World while he was in slumber. The sense of insecurity was huge, more when he was no longer the Sovereign of Shadow he once was. While indeed his soul had become much stronger, along with it, devouring an Immortal's soul had also widened his wisdom ever so greatly, strength to defend himself was not present unfortunately.
Currently, with his cultivation-less body, even a mere Silver Beginner practitioner could give him a problem. Given that he was caught off-guard of course, but still it was enough to tell many just how vulnerable he was. With that being said, he needed power more than anything now. And as if resonating with his will, his ever calm spiritual sea started to form ripples.
Wave after waves started to appear on it surface, moving in a clockwise rotation, signifying the start of it refining process. Spiritual qi while indeed was the essence of life, in the end of the day, it was the world's essence. To harness their power and will them as their own, refining the spiritual qi and turning them into primal qi was essential, and by reaching a certain purity, they could step into a different realm. The purer their primal qi was, the higher they could rise, well at least that the gist of it.
Cultivation was never simple after all, a story for another time.
Thankfully, the first step to martial arts, the Tempering Body Realm was anything but hard. In fact, so long as one possessed the required cultivation technique, initiating into these realm was as easy as breathing, but mastering them, it depended on their talent, luck and whatnot.
"Since I have return, might as well fixed few mistake that I committed back then." Zed pondered. For reason he know far too well, though possessing strength that rival his nemesis, the mistake that he made while forming his foundation cursed him to never be able to surpass other in term of brute strength. And breaking his limit would threaten his overall cultivation, crippling him for good, and worst turning him into pile of gores, he wished not to see such end.
Hence now given another change, it better for Zed to start over with a rather slow and steady phase. Albeit, it will definitely be much faster than the current generation genius, but it matter not as long as the result was satisfying. With that being said, Zed spread his refined qi all over his body, letting it rotate all from the top of his head to the lower end of his toes. Circling around, and repeating the action.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone