Developing the Tempering Method

After they had talked for a while, Lyu Zhen asked Su Yi whether he had any ideas about how to temper the bone marrow.

Su Yi paused. He had managed to temper his bone marrow because of the Optimization of the Tempering Method.

But honestly, he had no idea how to explain it. The Book of Knowledge had optimized the method specifically for his body.

The ratios used to compress his vital energy, the timing and frequency of its circulation, even the pathways it followed—all had been tailored to his body.

Most importantly, his body had been modified too. Only then could it resonate with the optimized Tempering Method and temper his bone marrow.

Practiced on its own, his Tempering Method would not suit the general public, nor would it let others temper their bone marrow.

Lyu Zhen did not interrupt Su Yi as he thought. He had not expected an answer; he had asked only on the off chance Su Yi might have one.

After thinking for a long time, Su Yi felt helpless. He genuinely did not know how to answer.

Unless he used Deduction. His eyes lit up at the thought, and he immediately tried the function.

Deduce a Tempering Method that could be taught widely and temper the bone marrow.

Nine hundred thousand Energy Points!

That's ridiculous! Su Yi's eye twitched at the figure.

With that many Energy Points, I might as well deduce the Spiritual Power Cultivation Method!

That required only a million Energy Points.

Before Su Yi's spiritual power had broken through 500 Hz, he had been unable to deduce the Spiritual Power Cultivation Method. He had tried again after the breakthrough and finally gotten a figure.

Looking at his twenty-odd thousand Energy Points, Su Yi sighed inwardly. Then another thought occurred to him. He could not afford to deduce a method that tempered the bone marrow, but what about one with weaker effects?

He hurried to try.

Lyu Zhen could back him now. Before, Su Yi had been too weak and too low-ranking to dare bring such a method forward, so he had never tried deducing one.

Things were different now. With Lyu Zhen's endorsement, the method could surely spread. After all, more people got stuck at Bone Tempering than at any other stage.

If he could produce a method that tempered bones faster than the Tempering Method while consuming less vital energy, the Energy Points he gained would be beyond anything he could imagine.

A method equivalent to his First Optimization Edition that could be taught widely would cost ten thousand Energy Points to deduce.

Deduce!

Su Yi did not hesitate. Compared with what he stood to gain, ten thousand Energy Points were well worth it.

This was his first time using Deduction. He felt a powerful disturbance from the Book of Knowledge and sank his awareness fully into the Library in his mind.

Countless golden lights danced through the Library, tracing erratic paths.

Su Yi stared in awe. On closer inspection, every golden light was a character.

Golden characters filled the air, carrying energy as they arranged themselves, combined, and scattered again.

Kill!

A golden character seething with murderous intent swept past Su Yi's eyes, then vanished.

"Does every character have its own essence?"

Su Yi murmured to himself. He could feel the power and essence within them. He cleared his mind and focused on experiencing their allure.

A single character for "kill" carried enough murderous intent to break him out in a cold sweat. Yet he was certain it was not directed at him. The character was simply radiating it without intent.

A character for "flower" made him feel as though he stood in a sea of blossoms. Whatever flower he imagined, he could smell its fragrance.

A character for "mountain" conjured the sight of a majestic peak rising into the clouds.

One by one, the characters faded. Those arranged in midair left projections behind before vanishing as well.

The projected characters gathered and finally formed a book.

Su Yi beckoned without thinking, and the book flew into his hand.

Calling it a book was generous. It had only a few pages and felt rather light.

Tempering Method—First Optimization Edition!

"What... an utterly plain name."

Su Yi could not help grumbling. He had expected something earth-shattering.

He opened the first page and found a brief introduction: A book created by performing an initial Optimization of the Tempering Method.

Even the introduction is this plain?

Su Yi had given up complaining. He read on.

Effects: Reduces vital energy consumption by 5%–10%; increases the success rate of first, second, and Third Bone Tempering for non-martial artists by 5%–10%.

There were two effects. Compared with his own First Optimization Edition, it lacked the boost to pill absorption.

The ranges probably depended on how well the method suited each person.

The effects were remarkable. A 5%–10% reduction in vital energy consumption might not look like much, but it applied to every training session. Over time, it would save an untold number of pills.

Those saved pills could then be used for more training.

Increasing non-martial artists' chances of completing first, second, and Third Bone Tempering by 5%–10% was even more impressive. Who knew how many people were just one step short of success?

With both effects together, second or Third Bone Tempering might still be out of reach for many, but the number completing their first Bone Tempering would certainly rise.

Author: Lord of Knowledge—Su Yi!

The signature in the bottom right surprised Su Yi. The method he had deduced bore his name. He had expected it to credit the Book of Knowledge.

But the Book of Knowledge had already accepted him as its master, so that made sense.

Su Yi examined the Tempering Method. Unlike the original, which used only the main pathways, this version added several secondary ones. That probably made it about 10% harder to practice.

It was much like his own First Optimization Edition. It was not especially difficult; practitioners just had to memorize a few more pathways.

Fourth Grade martial artists usually taught the Tempering Method anyway. Practicing it alone was not particularly dangerous either, as long as one knew the pathways and did not send vital energy down the wrong one.

Even if a non-martial artist made that mistake, their vital energy was too weak to do much damage. At worst, they would need some time to recover.

Once Su Yi had fully absorbed the optimized Tempering Method, his awareness left the Library.

More than half an hour had passed since Lyu Zhen's question. He had neither interrupted nor urged Su Yi on. In fact, he was rather pleased.

The longer Su Yi thought, the more it suggested he had some insight into Bone Marrow Tempering. If he knew nothing at all, he could have said so immediately.

No one would blame him. He was only a Third Rank martial artist. Even Lyu Zhen could not give a clear explanation of how to temper bone marrow.

Besides, research was tedious by nature. Impatient people were not suited to it. What was half an hour's wait?

The focus returned to Su Yi's eyes, and hesitation showed on his face.

Lyu Zhen perked up. Does he really have an idea?

Is he wondering whether he should tell me?

Don't be afraid, child. I'm a Grandmaster. Surely I can protect you.

When Su Yi still said nothing, Lyu Zhen grew anxious. He could wait for an answer, but seeing Su Yi sit on one without speaking was torture.

Could Su Yi really have made some extraordinary discovery?

At the thought, Lyu Zhen rose and called loudly toward the door. "Feng Rou! Wu, lad! Close the door! Don't let anyone come near until we're done!"

The two chatting outside exchanged baffled looks. Neither understood what Lyu Zhen meant.

Wu Kuishan reacted quickly and shut the door. He might not understand, but he could do as he was told.

He had a suspicion of his own, though.

Lyu Fengrou was thoroughly puzzled. What's the old man up to?

She shot Wu Kuishan a questioning look. He spread his hands to show he had no idea either.

Once Wu Kuishan had closed the door, Lyu Zhen extended his spiritual power to envelop the office.

Seeing Su Yi's uncertain expression, he reassured him kindly. "I've sealed the office with my spiritual power. No one can hear us, and Wu Kuishan and the others are guarding the door. You can speak freely."

Su Yi chose his words, then said evenly, "Grandmaster, I modified the Tempering Method. I don't know if that's why."

"What?!"

Lyu Zhen shot to his feet and stared at Su Yi in astonishment.

Only after Su Yi nodded in confirmation did he sit back down and try to absorb what he had heard.

His emotions churned. This was the Tempering Method. Countless researchers, himself included, had tried to optimize it.

Yet after decades, everyone still practiced the original version. And Su Yi, a Third Rank martial artist, had modified it?

He had even used the modified method to temper his bone marrow!

Could everyone practice it?

If everyone could temper their bone marrow, the strength of every martial artist below Eighth Grade would rise considerably!

Lyu Zhen asked urgently, "Can you write down your modified method?"

Su Yi hesitated, then nodded and shook his head.

When Su Yi nodded, Lyu Zhen's heart raced as if it might burst. When he shook his head, it seemed to stop.

What does that mean? What's going on?

First you nod, then you shake your head—say something! Tell me what's worrying you!

Su Yi did not keep him guessing. "I've optimized the Tempering Method four times, but each time I tailored it to my own body. I can write it down, but I don't think it can be taught widely!"

A method that can't be taught widely?

Is your body built differently from everyone else's?

Puzzled, Lyu Zhen asked Su Yi what he meant.

"I'm not entirely sure. Eight days ago, I took another look at the Tempering Method. I felt some secondary pathways and smaller channels suited me better, so I followed my instincts. Somehow, that resonated with my bones, and I managed to temper my bone marrow."

"You made those changes based on instinct?"

"Yes."

Lyu Zhen could barely take it. Who modified a cultivation method entirely on instinct? Even if Su Yi had not reached a thousand calories of vital energy eight days ago, he must have had at least nine hundred.

Sending that much vital energy down the wrong channels was no joke. It could practically count as a cultivation deviation. At best he would have been badly injured; at worst, he could have died.

Lyu Zhen frowned deeply. Did Su Yi have no fear of death? His chances of success had been vanishingly small.

Wait!

He said he took another look?

Lyu Zhen quickly asked, "When did you start studying it? How many times have you modified it?"

Su Yi thought for a moment, then answered cautiously, "A month after I started practicing the Tempering Method. This was the fourth time."

That was true. His first Optimization had indeed come a month after he began practicing the Tempering Method.