The Reshaped Body

The scenery changed again, returning to the original garden. Angela stood among the flowers, smiling, gazing at Li Lin. It wasn't a fragment of memory, but his true soul.

"Although I've heard that Master's magic is indeed strange, I never imagined it could reach this level."

"I didn't do that on purpose."

Facing Angela, Li Lin raised his hands in surrender, which only elicited soft laughter from Angela.

"Even if I didn't do this, wouldn't I have told you these things sooner or later? You're just seeing it a little earlier than expected."

"..."

Upon hearing Angela's reply, Li Lin frowned slightly, lowered his hands, and looked serious.

"Who are you?"

"I am Angela, my mistress... though, not the one outside. You truly are my mistress, to have discovered this."

"Angela's eyes should be red, not blue, and your hair..."

As he spoke, Li Lin reached out and pointed to Angela's long hair, which shimmered with a golden light under the sun.

"Are you also Angela? That means... multiple personalities?"

"While that could be said, I prefer not to express it that way. To put it more accurately..."

As she spoke, Angela gently fiddled with her hair, a gesture she never made in public.

"I am Angela from the human era, which is why I am here. I am responsible for protecting Angela's soul, spirit, and thoughts—everything about her." At this point, Angela looked at Li Lin again, a hint of cunning mockery in her smile. "So, Master, what do you want to ask? As long as it concerns Angela and the books, I will answer everything I know. After all, Angela has nothing to hide from me. Whatever you want to know, I will do my best to answer—anything."

"There is something I am indeed very curious about."

After listening to Angela's explanation, Li Lin quickly gave his reply. This made Angela's lips curl into a slight smile, clearly showing some pride. However, Li Lin's actions soon surprised her; he pointed to his chest and then asked...

"What's going on here? If your memory serves you right, there should be a sign there, but I never saw anything there when I was holding you."

"... Is this all you want to know?"

"That's right."

Faced with Angela, this "human" whose eyes were slightly wide open, Li Lin clearly had no intention of thinking along the lines of what she was saying.

"I have no interest in judging other people's past. Whatever happened is irreversible. What you accumulated in the past has made you who you are today, and I have no complaints about who you are now. Therefore, there is no need to specifically evaluate your past. For me, it is the part I am facing now that intrigues me more... Isn't that right?"

"Hoo hoo hoo... As expected of your master, neither I nor Angela are a match for you."

After hearing Li Lin's answer, Angela squinted her eyes happily, then shrugged.

"Actually, this isn't particularly troublesome for me. Although there are many cosmetic methods to remove scars nowadays, I have a simpler and more convenient way." As she spoke, Angela placed her hand on her chest, and her smile immediately turned much colder.

"Just cut off that piece of flesh, and it will grow back, right? In situations like this, Vampire Species have a much easier regenerative ability than humans."

"That sounds easy, but I remember Angela really hates getting hurt."

Let alone being injured, Li Lin remembered clearly that Angela would fly into a rage if she even got the slightest bit dirty. Not just on Earth, but since coming to this world, countless poor souls had tragically died at Angela's hands because of this. While she didn't seem to be a germaphobe, she absolutely hated others soiling or injuring her body. Moreover, the brand she had received was the size of a palm; to have all that flesh removed from her chest would be an incredibly troublesome task, even for Angela.

"That's true, but..."

Just as Angela was about to say something, Li Lin suddenly realized that the pain in his soul was gradually disappearing, which was a sign that his body was about to be completely destroyed.

"Excuse me, I have to go now."

Considering that the next steps would involve a very complex project, Li Lin decisively ended the conversation.

"As for the answer to that question, I'll seek it out from Angela outside... Well then, goodbye."

"Then, have a safe journey... Master, I wish you success."

The immense gravity pulled Li Lin's consciousness from the bright red light and back into the Starry Ocean of his soul, where it was exactly the same as what Li Lin had just seen. The gently flowing River of Stars still flowed, and the bright red stars remained independent outside of it. It seemed that regardless of whether he understood Angela's past or not, he couldn't force her soul imprint to merge further. However, to Li Lin, this was Angela's style. If it were so easy to change, the little guy wouldn't be a little guy.

He projected his thoughts from within his soul back into the crystal tube. At this moment, Li Lin's body, bones, and internal organs had been completely melted. Faced with the powerful force of the dragon blood, Li Lin's body, which offered no resistance, had been annihilated without leaving even a trace. The only change was that the originally bright red blood had become much darker. All impurities had been eliminated, and what followed was the beginning of a new fusion.

What is a Dharma Master?

This question would likely elicit a thousand different answers from a thousand different people, and the answers from Arcane Mage would be quite different.

For ordinary mages, using, manipulating, and controlling magical power to serve themselves is their purpose and means. However, Arcane Mage who have merged with Magic Tattoo have clearly reached this level. But even so, they are not satisfied with this. On the contrary, because of the improvement in their power and level, they have new goals. Having experienced the fusion of soul and magic, Arcane Mage begin to explore further.

If magic can coexist with the soul, can it also coexist with the body?

This was an exceptionally bold idea. In fact, Li Lin remembered very clearly that when he proposed this possibility, the other Arcane Mage were also quite surprised.

After all, merging the soul with magic isn't particularly difficult (the chances of life and death are both fifty percent; it's a simple and straightforward choice, not difficult at all). Both are intangible entities with no clear dividing line. Moreover, the power contained within the soul is the Root of maintaining, using, and manipulating magic. But the physical body is different. If magic and the soul are both manifestations of power, then the physical body is the conductor that transmits that power. No matter how sensitive the magical conductor, there will always be an upper limit. The transmission through the physical body is finite, while the power of magic is infinite, and whether the power of the soul is finite is uncertain. Using finite transmission to trigger infinite power will inevitably result in the destruction of the finite side. Many mages who used magic beyond their level and ultimately led to their self-destruction are a good example.

In other words, the physical body cannot coexist with magic.

The solution is simple in theory as well as in practice.

A body filled with impurities will inevitably have an upper limit to the transfer of magic. However, if it is a body specifically designed to coexist with magic, then this is not an issue. This body itself must also be an infinite—or nearly infinite—existence. However, Arcane Mage are well aware that they cannot create an infinite existence; all things must eventually perish—this is the rule governing the world. As guardians, Arcane Mage naturally will not break the rules, as it would not benefit them.

Finally, the Arcane Mage reached their conclusions—but none of Arcane Mage intended to implement them.

The reason is simple: they must first discard their current bodies, "Filled with impurities." While Arcane Mage aren't afraid of death, this kind of risky plan, starting from scratch entirely, is far too dangerous for them. After all, to become an Arcane Mage, their bodies possess a magical sensitivity beyond that of ordinary people. In fact, precisely because of this, in the final stages of theoretical calculations, the magical sensitivity that Arcane Mage pride themselves on becomes the biggest obstacle. The magical resistance of their bodies is sufficient to resist the corrosive effects of dragon blood, meaning the body cannot completely dissolve. And a body that cannot completely dissolve cannot have its soul leave voluntarily, nor can it regenerate a new body. But even if only a small portion remains, it will shatter the concept of a "pure body, where magic coexists," just as pure water cannot tolerate even a trace of pollution; impurities must be completely removed.

Thus, based on this reasoning, the research of Arcane Mage fell into a vicious cycle—to completely create a "pure magical body," Arcane Mage was necessary, because only Arcane Mage's Magic Tattoo could guarantee a 100% success rate. However, to create such a body, the original body had to be completely destroyed. But the high resistance of Arcane Mage meant their bodies couldn't be completely decomposed. Yet, bodies that could be completely decomposed couldn't become Arcane Mage because they lacked any magical sensitivity...

Li Lin had always had this plan, partly because he had finally obtained a body with "very low magic resistance," and as Arcane Mage, his soul imprint was still intact. Moreover, his original body had been destroyed a thousand years ago... It's easy to imagine that with such favorable conditions to turn an impossible theory into reality, Li Lin would absolutely not let this opportunity slip by. This is why he was determined to ensure that Nia and others who could hinder him were not present.

Now that the physical body has been completely dissolved and no response was detected after Li Lin's soul scan, it's time to move on to the formal stage.

In the early research of Arcane Mage, a key element in creating a body that could "completely merge with magic" was that the body must be entirely composed of magic. This is completely different from so-called constant spells. While constant spells are also a means of continuously casting magical power, they are essentially a temporary fusion of external forces and cannot reach the perfect level required by Arcane Mage.

However, bodies composed of magic do not have this problem. They will absorb power forever and operate indefinitely without stopping for any reason. This is why only Arcane Mage can use them. Without the power of the Magic Tattoo on their souls, it would be impossible to support so many spells operating simultaneously.

After confirming that everything was normal, Li Lin began the process of rebuilding his body. He began to extract the galaxy from within his soul and place the magical runes within the framework of his "soul" as a support point. The magical runes would automatically combine into a spell to become the Root of his physical form.

For his facial features, Li Lin placed spells that allowed him to see through darkness and become invisible, as well as spells that enhanced his perception of his surroundings and accelerated his reactions. His limbs were equipped with spells that allowed for faster, more agile movement. As a mage, close combat was not Li Lin's weakness; in fact, with a well-designed spell system, a mage could instantly transform into a top-level warrior. Numerous protective spells formed his internal organs, while spells granting immense strength and speed became the foundation of his muscles. The channels for magical transmission transformed into his skeleton, ensuring a continuous flow of magical power to power the entire body.

As for a certain special part... Li Lin thought about it for a long time before finally making a decision.

In any case, it is still very necessary to take some "strengthening measures".

It's unclear how much time it took, but finally, all the magical runes were in place, just waiting for Li Lin to unleash his power and infuse them, at which point the body would reappear once more.

On this point, Li Lin was exceptionally cautious, checking it more than ten times without getting tired of it. After all, the final appearance of this body could be said to be a product with the strongest magic resistance. Once it was created, it could not be reworked or remade, and there were no returns or exchanges. There was only one chance, and if it failed... then everything would be over.

Excellent, no issues. Very stable and practically perfect.

After confirming that all the spells were securely in their proper positions, Li Lin breathed a sigh of relief. Then, he closed his eyes and released the power of the Magic Tattoo that had been suppressed within his soul.

A surging tide of magic burst forth as soon as the floodgates opened, unfolding like dominoes along its pre-established path, spreading to his limbs. Spells began to activate, and the reconstruction of his body commenced. Powerful, pure magical energy expelled all unnecessary elements, gradually taking shape. Centered on his heart, the power slowly extended, and soon, Li Lin felt sensation returning to his head, while his shoulders, body, and limbs were slowly recovering. The elven Spring of Life was sufficient to heal all wounds; therefore, even if Li Lin's physical body died, as long as his power remained sufficient to sustain his "soul," it would merely be a slightly "larger" wound to the Spring of Elves.

Bones, blood vessels, muscles, skin... everything is progressing normally, without any abnormalities.

As his body was reconstructed, pain once again assailed Li Lin.

It seems that neither living nor dying is an easy thing.

For some reason, Li Lin, who was feeling pain, suddenly had this strange thought.

Even so, he maintained a calm mindset to ensure that his mental state would not fluctuate and affect the shaping of his body.

As his physical body gradually completed, Li Lin was now able to open his eyes and observe his body through the lens of his physical form. Then, with the formation of the last strand of hair, his resurrected body was presented before Li Lin. Everything was perfect, without any abnormalities. Li Lin hadn't become more handsome or more beautiful; nothing had been added to his body, and nothing had been missing. He was still himself; his soul's form remained perfectly intact. Therefore, there was nothing to complain about regarding the reconstructed body.

"Great, everything went smoothly."

After stretching his arms and legs, Li Lin breathed a sigh of relief. His limbs were brimming with power; he could feel the magic flowing continuously, like blood coursing through his veins, bringing strength and new sensations. Li Lin's body was no longer the same as before. Although it might have a limit, Li Lin was certain that he would have enough time before reaching that limit.

"So, what's next..."

Just then, Li Lin suddenly felt a violent tremor within his body. He immediately switched back to his soul to check the situation inside. To Li Lin's surprise, the originally bright red star, standing alone outside the Milky Way, now seemed to have transformed into a bright sun, bursting forth with dazzling light. Then, a tremendous power emerged from it, completely cleansing the body that Li Lin had just created.