Flesh Reshaping

For Li Lin, the body he obtained from Earth, while useful, wasn't omnipotent. After all, it was a body born in a low-magic world, lacking sufficient sensitivity and control over magical power. The reason Li Lin hadn't failed was precisely because he had consistently used his Magic Tattoo to ensure effectiveness. However, this wasn't without its flaws. This body originally lacked strong magical sensitivity, and the excessive use of magic had already caused considerable damage. Although not outwardly visible, it was gradually beginning to disintegrate internally, especially after returning to this world. Li Lin desperately needed a large amount of magical power to replenish it, but his body had become an obstacle. It was like a small, overly powerful filter, not only blocking impurities but also clogging the normal flow of water. This situation was definitely not good for Li Lin.

This is why Li Lin has been preparing to use the advanced technique of "Flesh Reshaping" in alchemy to rebuild his own body, discarding the impure parts and filling them with magical creations. This sounds horrifying, but in reality, it's not much different from replacing artificial organs on Earth. Although the methods are different, the goal is the same—to make the body function better.

The materials needed for "Flesh Reshaping" are dragon blood and the Spring of Life. Dragon blood possesses excellent magical sensitivity and destructive power, sufficient to destroy parts lacking Magic Power, while the elven Spring of Life is the best restorative potion, also suitable for physical regeneration and cultivation. This is a creation experimented on by Arcane Mage in the past, originally intended to increase the number of mages. After all, there are too many poor souls whose talents only allow them to remain low- to mid-level mages. Once their physique is altered, becoming a high-level mage will not be a problem.

Unfortunately, while the idea was good, in practice, the Arcane Mage discovered with dismay that the power of the dragon blood was too domineering. Most mages' minds simply couldn't withstand the scouring and cleansing of that terrifying power. Even among the volunteers who had prepared themselves mentally and were both bold and careful, only one in ten successfully passed the ordeal; the other nine were crippled by the mental shock. Of course, the Arcane Mage didn't have to worry about these problems, but unfortunately—clearly, not everyone could be as powerful as them.

The plan was ultimately shelved. Li Lin felt it was a pity, so he asked for the formula data to see if there was any way to improve it. However, because this matter was not so easy to resolve, it was delayed indefinitely.

Right now, wanting to change his physique, Li Lin naturally thought of this method. Although it seemed too dangerous for those low- to mid-level mages, as Arcane Mage, he was naturally different from them and should be able to withstand its power.

"What will happen if we fail?"

After hearing Li Lin's explanation, Angela was clearly more concerned about another aspect.

"Because I have Magic Tattoo, I won't suffer a mental breakdown like those low-level mages. After all, the Magic Tattoo automatically protect my soul from harm—in the worst case scenario, my body would be unable to reassemble, and I would become a ghost-like existence. Of course, this is only in theory, since I've never used this level of transformation spell before, and it's hard to guarantee success."

"I see..."

Upon hearing this, Angela suddenly turned her eyes.

"Master, what will your body be like after the reconstruction? Will it turn you into a woman?"

"... You can rest assured about that. The reconstructed body will be no different from before, if successful. Even if it fails, it won't turn into what you imagine."

Although Li Lin didn't know what Angela was up to, he ruthlessly shut down any possible fantasies. Sure enough, this made Angela pout slightly in dissatisfaction. It seemed that Angela was clearly thinking about something that absolutely could not be spoken aloud.

"Master, are you really not going to reconsider?"

Suoxiate, however, acted out of character. Although she was still smiling, there was no real feeling of a smile in her tone. As the second of the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys, only she and Nia had witnessed the "Flesh Reshaping" experiment firsthand; the other weapons had never heard of such a transformation spell. Just like Angela, although Li Lin had explained it very clearly, some things could never be truly understood without seeing them for oneself.

"If Nia were here, she would definitely stop you."

"That's why I brought you here, Suoxiate. You should know what to do."

"Yes, Master."

Faced with Li Lin's gaze, Suoxiate remained silent for a rare moment before finally giving her answer. Unlike Nia, her identity was not only that of a weapon but also that of a maid. As a maid, it was her duty to never obstruct her master's actions and to strive to fulfill their expectations. This was another reason why Li Lin had specifically asked Suoxiate to accompany him. Although Nia was usually obedient to Li Lin, she was just as stubborn as Li Lin on matters of principle. The Eternal Library perfectly inherited Li Lin's personality, so she would never agree to such a dangerous undertaking. Li Lin naturally understood this as well, so he ultimately made the decision to act first and inform later, choosing Suoxiate and Yi Aier as his assistants for this trip to the Outer Sea Dragon Island. Li Lin knew his weapon best. Suoxiate, because of her duty, would never disobey his orders. As for Yi Aier, although proud and arrogant, she was surprisingly weak; as long as he was firm, she wouldn't do anything out of line. Moreover, she wasn't familiar with this kind of transformation magic.

"Well, it's about time."

Watching the blood in the crystal tube slowly change color, and comparing it with the steps he remembered, Li Lin spoke. He patted Angela's head, then looked at Suoxiate.

"The deadline is four days. Theoretically, I can handle the procedures myself. You just need to keep an eye on things. Oh, and by the way, keep an eye on this little one for me, make sure she doesn't cause any trouble."

"Yes, Master."

Although she eventually agreed to Li Lin's request, Suoxiate clearly had a lot of opinions and complaints. Her smile became very formulaic, and even her tone became much stiffer.

"I will do my job well, please rest assured."

Faced with Suoxiate's subtly displeased reply, Li Lin could only shrug helplessly. He then walked to the crystal tube and removed his clothes. Soon, a naked, muscular male body appeared before Angela and Suoxiate. Li Lin reached out and touched the surface of the crystal tube; the originally hard outer shell gradually caved in with Li Lin touch. Then, Li Lin stepped into the crystal tube, his figure quickly submerged in the crimson spring water, disappearing from sight completely.

"This is just the beginning."

Only then did Suoxiate raise her head, quietly watching the slowly flowing blood before her, a hint of unease in her eyes.

"I hope you return safely, Master."

"Don't worry, Sister Suoxiate, Master will definitely return safely. We will absolutely not fail."

But Angela spoke up at that moment.

"Is it absolutely impossible to fail?"

Even Suoxiate looked puzzled after hearing Angela's words.

"Why can you make such a assertion, Miss Angela?"

"Is that even a question?"

Angela revealed a resolute, obvious, and tyrannical smile.

"Because the master is my master, and as my master... failure is not allowed, absolutely not allowed."

At this moment, Li Lin naturally had no interest in listening to what Angela was saying. After being enveloped by the dragon blood, Li Lin, whose magical defenses had been removed, quickly felt excruciating pain. His skin was being corroded by the dragon blood, followed by his muscles and bones, and then his internal organs. The magical power contained in the dragon blood would destroy all parts that had no magical resistance. After these parts were destroyed, Li Lin could begin to reconstruct his body.

The pain of this process is enough to drive an ordinary person insane. Based on Li Lin's current experience, this pain is more similar to the "thousand cuts" punishment he witnessed in that country on Earth. After being exposed to dragon blood, those with weak magical sensitivity and those parts that hinder the flow of magical power will collapse like a dam breached by a flood. This pain truly feels like having one's own flesh being ripped out piece by piece. Moreover, this magic will keep the victim conscious, unlike those punished in that world who can easily and happily enter the world of death to escape. Under the influence of the magic, the soul will be firmly fixed inside the body until every part of the body is cleansed. And those low-level mages, unable to endure the pain during this process, desperately try to escape, ultimately suffering a complete mental breakdown.

In contrast, Li Lin fared much better. Sensing the physical pain beginning to affect his soul, the magical runes hidden deep within his soul automatically activated. They glowed in turn, displaying immense power to alleviate the pain. While it was indeed an unbearable experience, it wasn't the first time for Li Lin —compared to the agony of being killed and his soul traversing dimensions, this excruciating pain of being "cut into a thousand pieces" was utterly trivial.

At least this time, the pain wouldn't be like being crushed against a wall and tossed around for ten thousand years. During that soul-crossing journey, even the Arcane Mage Li Lin almost completely collapsed and became an idiot. Fortunately, no matter how long the suffering lasts, it always comes to an end. The time spent in the womb waiting for childbirth became a good buffer period for Li Lin, giving him enough time to digest the pain he had suffered and to stabilize his mind and soul.

After activating the magical runes, Li Lin finally let out a long sigh of relief. He had to admit that he had somewhat grasped the effects of the spell. Although he had prepared himself mentally, the corrosive effect of the dragon blood was even stronger than Li Lin had anticipated. The corrosion on the skin was tolerable, but once it reached the muscle level, it gradually became increasingly painful. The pain felt like hundreds of burning iron rods were pounding inside his blood vessels, and even breathing felt like his lungs were filled with an indescribable, icy, stinging pain, like a balloon gradually inflating, making it almost impossible to breathe. Every pore on his muscles seemed to be spewing magma and flames, and a nauseating stench of blood appeared and then disappeared. After losing its external restraints, his internal organs also began to be tested, but they too proved fragile and vulnerable in the face of the dragon blood. This was not surprising, after all, the blood of the Chromatic Dragon Kind itself possessed extremely strong toxicity, and even contact with it would be life-threatening for ordinary humans, let alone the mixed blood of the Chromatic Dragon Kind used this time, whose power was naturally extraordinary.

Of course, another reason is that Li Lin's body comes from Earth. The physical bodies born in that plane generally have a high sensitivity to magic, and therefore, there are quite a few places where he has been corroded by dragon blood.

"Given the current situation, it seems my entire body really needs to be remodeled."

The fragile eyeballs had long been corroded away, and the dragon blood flowing into the eye sockets had even completely corroded the brain, leaving only a few remnants of the skull. Li Lin's soul gazed at his gradually collapsing body, muttering to himself. Humans are composed of spirit, soul, and body. The spirit is the human mind itself, the most important part of being called "I," the one who is aware of their "self." The "soul" is the framework of the body, like the main lines used to outline movement in a sketchbook; it is upon this framework that the "body" manifests in its unique form. Therefore, for Li Lin at this moment, the destruction of his physical body is not a problem. As long as things progress smoothly and the "soul" remains intact, the reborn body will have no issues—of course, as Angela said, becoming a woman is absolutely impossible. Li Lin absolutely does not want to, and does not wish to, become a woman.

I've read too many online novels.

Li Lin shook his head with a wry smile, then closed his eyes. Because the spell would fix his soul, the pain wouldn't disappear unless his physical body was completely destroyed, leaving not even ashes. But now the magical runes had taken effect, so Li Lin focused entirely on stabilizing his "soul" to ensure there wouldn't be any mistakes that would cause the reconstruction to fail. So, he cut off his external senses and began to examine his own soul.

As with every examination, Li Lin could easily see the faintly glowing magical runes within his body. They were like stars floating within his soul, which was like a universe, enveloping these powers. Countless magical runes were now converging into galaxies, slowly and steadily rotating and flowing to ensure his "soul" maintained a stable form along the correct trajectory, preventing any deficiencies due to chaos. Of course, any excess at the top or deficiency at the bottom was to be resolutely prevented...

"Um?"

Li Lin was surprised to find that something seemed amiss.

Beside that vast galaxy, a solitary, bright red dot floated. This was something Li Lin had never seen before, but precisely because of this, Li Lin understood its origin all the more. After all, the last time he used Soul Examination was when he traveled through dimensions, and he hadn't used it since. This strange, unknown object appearing within his body could only be that one.

"This must be the symbol of that little guy's soul... I never expected it to be here."

Familiar Contract leaves a mark on the souls of both the master and servant, which is why it's said that if one dies, the other's power and lifespan will rapidly diminish. When Li Lin attempted to form Familiar Contract with Angela resistance to Magic Power exceeded Li Lin expectations, so the spell wasn't entirely successful. However, he hadn't anticipated that the soul mark would still successfully appear within her body.

With this in mind, Li Lin focused his attention on sensing the crimson star. He used his power to slowly push the bright red point towards other galaxies, but this crimson star was clearly as willful and stubborn as Angela herself. Even though Li Lin expended considerable power, it only moved a little bit. It seemed very unwilling to "go with the flow" of those magical runes; the closer it got to the galaxy, the stronger the repulsive force Li Lin felt.

"They're really troublesome... and incredibly stubborn, just like their master."

Most of his power had to be reserved for repairing his body, so after realizing he couldn't achieve his goal easily, Li Lin had no choice but to give up. He curiously approached, sensing the cold, evil, and violent power emanating from it. However, just as Li Lin's consciousness drew near the bright red dot, a clear, cheerful laugh suddenly reached his ears.

What happened?

This bizarre scene immediately put Li Lin on high alert. Logically speaking, there shouldn't be anyone else in the soul world besides himself, but the laughter just now clearly didn't belong to Li Lin.

Just as Li Lin was deep in thought, the bright red spot suddenly shone brightly. The crimson light tore apart the originally peaceful soul universe and enveloped everything. Li Lin's consciousness had barely had time to react before it was completely swallowed up.