Tempering Potion

"It's all right, Guen. Having a bunch of people come after you is a kind of trial, too. It can only do you good, not harm," the East Guardian said breezily. "At least no one will cause you trouble in East Sea Province. They won't make too much noise about this, either. The strongest fighter they'll send will be someone around Scarface Old Three's level."

What could Guen say? He could only accept it with an awkward, helpless smile.

The East Guardian's smile faded. "Still, you need to be careful. This is East Sea Province, and I can protect you here. Once you leave, I can't be watching over you every moment. You also need to watch out for the Imperial Council and the Council of Elders. They have a far-reaching network of informants within the empire. Be careful as you travel around the empire from now on. Look at what happened this time: they found you quickly even though you didn't have something like a Smart Watch. Never mind. I bear some responsibility for your predicament, so consider this compensation."

The East Guardian went back into his room, took two silvery-white vials from a small box, and carefully handed them to Guen.

"What are these?"

Guen gently turned the vials over in his hands. Just holding them gave him a strange, oppressive feeling, as if his mind were being pressed down.

The East Guardian seemed reluctant to part with them. "These are Tempering Potions. They temper the mind, and only the High Priest working with the two mages can make them. In ordinary circumstances, you can take a small dose to stimulate your mental strength, which greatly benefits your cultivation. In a crisis, drink a large amount, and your mind will be greatly stimulated. Even I can increase my abilities by about seventy percent out of nowhere. In your case, one vial could multiply your abilities two or three times for a short while."

"Tempering Potion?" Guen's thoughts stirred. He finally understood where that oppressive feeling came from.

The two mages at the Goddess Temple were both Spirit Readers. Only a Spirit Reader could use Telekinetic Power to touch a person's mind and produce an effect like this.

Fearing Guen might not understand, the East Guardian continued, "Don't underestimate the Tempering Potion. It's made by using a Spirit Reader's Telekinetic Power as a catalyst, with a large amount of Life Energy extracted by the High Priest as a supplement. Without that, it would damage the body. The more a Fighter cultivates, the stronger his mind becomes, but compared to a Spirit Reader, a Fighter's mental attainments are naturally far inferior.

"This Tempering Potion is like letting you experience the mental power of a higher realm ahead of time. It isn't true Telekinetic Power, since that belongs exclusively to Spirit Readers, but it has extraordinary uses. A stronger mind lets you control your body with greater precision and refine your techniques. That's why you can use it in cultivation, too. In a crisis, it can help you unleash your strength. I had to build up a lot of merit to be awarded ten vials, and now I'm down to five. You can have these two."

After the East Guardian's explanation, even Carl was tempted, let alone Guen.

"Sir, isn't this far too valuable?" Guen felt uneasy. The potion seemed like a hot potato in his hands.

The East Guardian laughed. "One vial would have been enough, but I'm pleased with how you've performed. Consider the extra one my investment in you. Perhaps I'll need your help someday."

The East Guardian was a ninth-level Planetary fighter, and he lacked for neither Origin Power weapons nor Battle Suits, Secret Treasures, or anything else. He said this simply because he thought highly of Guen.

"Since you've put it that way, refusing would mean rejecting your kindness in supporting a junior. I'll accept them, then. If there's ever anything you need me for, Guardian, just say the word." Guen didn't hesitate and took the vials.

The East Guardian nodded with satisfaction. "All right, go get some rest. With me here, no one in East Sea Province would dare cause trouble for the Goddess Temple."

"Yes, sir."

Guen and Carl withdrew together.

Carl couldn't hide his envy. "Brother Guen, you have a bright future ahead of you."

Guen smiled. "I should be thanking you, Big Brother Carl, for bringing me to make my way in East Sea Province. I won't forget what you did for me."

Carl smiled but didn't reply.

The confidence Guen had shown was precisely the boldness and drive of a genius. Carl didn't think anything of it. Setting aside the East Guardian's high opinion of him, Guen had killed a Planetary fighter on his own—a feat Carl couldn't manage. In terms of strength, Guen was already his equal.

But Carl's feelings were complicated, and he couldn't put them into words.

Guen returned to his room and quietly composed himself. Only then did he take out one of the Tempering Potions and remove the stopper. It had almost no scent. The contents had congealed into a gelatinous substance, and a strange pressure settled over Guen's mind.

"Let's see how it works first."

Guen took a small sip of the Tempering Potion.

The moment it touched his mouth, before he could even swallow, the potion transformed into a surge of abundant energy and rushed straight into his mind.

Boom!

It was as if thunder had exploded in his mind. His consciousness, previously muddled and hazy, became exceptionally clear.

"What is this?"

Guen rose to his feet and couldn't help but run through a set of punches. With casual ease, he performed all of the Hundred Refinement Fist's moves. He didn't restrict himself to its established forms, either. Gradually, he struck out a hundred and first move, then a hundred and second...

He threw 213 punches in one breath.

A twenty-one-fold Force Multiplier!

This didn't mean Guen had surpassed the creator of the Hundred Refinement Fist. The later moves were all unstructured, merely Guen's most natural expressions. Still, he had shattered his previous peak Force Multiplier in one go.

Guen twisted his body, sensing the subtle changes within him. Understanding of various techniques slowly came to him.

It was all thanks to the sudden boost in his mental strength.

The Tempering Potion had stimulated Guen's mind, bringing it to a higher level. At the same time, the vast Life Energy and specially altered Telekinetic Power it contained sustained the resulting expenditure, keeping this stimulated state from vanishing in an instant.

Guen made full use of this rare moment of strength to train his technique.

The benefits were like a child temporarily gaining an adult's strength and knowledge. Even if it lasted only a short time, it would bring immeasurable benefits in the future.

People at a higher level had stronger bodies and a keener sense of the body's subtleties, making it easier for them to spot their own mistakes and correct them.

Someone at a lower level could also achieve this, given enough time.

So, generally speaking, someone who had spent a long time at a given level had an advantage over someone who had just reached it. Likewise, someone at a higher level had an advantage over someone at a lower one.

There was only one exception: a genius.

Only someone with the ability to a certain extent ignore or make up for another person's advantage of a higher level and longer experience could be called a genius.

Guen was just such a person!

Of all the people in the Aoyu Empire, Guen was the second to reach the Fifth Stage of the trial and undertake it.

With an opportunity like this, he would only progress faster.

With his powerful mental strength, Guen grasped more techniques, and his Force Multiplier broke past his previous twenty-one-fold peak. Many Planetary fighters couldn't even do that.

From Moto's records, Guen also knew that the human body's Force Multiplier limit was a hundredfold. But reaching a hundredfold was no easy feat.

The limit for Planetary fighters was only thirtyfold.

That wasn't the limit of what they could understand, but of what their bodies could withstand. The foundation of force application lay in the body. Whether it could execute such precise movements and endure the consequences afterward determined the upper limit of the Force Multiplier.

Forget thirtyfold—even a twentyfold multiplier was a threshold for ordinary Planetary fighters without special body-training techniques or exceptional talent.

Guen reached a twenty-two-fold Force Multiplier in one go before he began to struggle.

At the same time, the mental strength in his mind quickly dwindled. The potion had clearly worn off.

Fighters weren't Spirit Readers, after all. They didn't possess Telekinetic Power that originated in the mind, but Origin Power born from the body. They couldn't directly control the changes in their minds.

"Moto, do your records have anything about this Tempering Potion?" Guen asked.

After a long pause, Moto replied, "This is a method unique to the Goddess Temple, made with Spirit Readers and the help of Thatcher Spring. In the universe, this kind of potion is called a Mental Stimulant Potion. It provides some assistance to low-level Fighters, but its effects diminish with each use. After about four or five doses, it stops working. My records specifically note this point. If you obtain the Goddess Temple's Mental Stimulant Potion, you should take as much as possible the first two times for the best effect.

"The stimulants made with Thatcher Spring in the universe are only low-grade Mental Stimulant Potions. Thatcher Spring can solidify Telekinetic Power and remove Spiritual Imprints. It's not uncommon on ordinary planets, and it's often found in canyons. Higher-grade Mental Stimulant Potions in the universe can be made with treasures such as Red Luo Mountain Fruit and Locke Divine Water. But my records only contain their names, with no further information."

"Thatcher Spring? Red Luo Mountain Fruit? Locke Divine Water?"

Guen shook his head. He'd never heard of any of them. He'd only learned about Thatcher Spring from Moto.

"The people on Tucha Planet seem to know the Forest Goddess Temple inside out. They even know something this secret. The High Priest is hiding things, too. If what the High Priest said is true, and the rightful people of Tucha Planet are those black-haired humans, why doesn't Tucha Planet make the Goddess Temple hand over something as valuable as Thatcher Spring to their descendants? Why let an outsider Goddess Temple control it instead?"

Though Guen felt that something didn't add up, he held back his questions. For now, the most urgent thing was to grow stronger.