Upon swallowing the medicine, Li Fan felt a slight surge of energy.
Using the medicine's effect as a lever, he stimulated a sliver of power from his hidden reserves.
"Pfft!"
He spat out a mouthful of blood, startling his master, Guang Yangzi, in the process.
The Creation Forge Technique had already begun to circulate.
Guang Yangzi hurriedly went to prepare more medicinal herbs for Li Fan.
Seizing this opportunity, Li Fan carefully examined his own physical condition.
While recalling the relevant case records from the Heavenly Physician’s Immortal Scripture, he pondered a solution.
His body was far too weak; after only a short while, he felt dizzy and his vision blurred. So he could only empty his mind and rest quietly.
Once he had gathered a bit more strength, he continued his contemplation.
He repeated this cycle.
Three days later, Li Fan, synthesizing knowledge from the Heavenly Physician’s Immortal Scripture , improved upon the prescription he had taken during the second memory simulation process.
After considerable persuasion, he finally succeeded in convincing Guang Yangzi to change his medicine.
The new prescription was remarkably effective. Coupled with the Creation Forge Technique tirelessly improving his constitution, Li Fan was able to get out of bed and walk within two months, albeit with great difficulty.
"Little Junior Brother, you're truly amazing! I never thought the prescription would actually work! How did you know about it?" Second Senior Brother Ling Xiao asked, supporting Li Fan as he walked.
"It just appeared in my mind like that!" Li Fan said, widening his eyes with an air of innocence.
"Little Junior Brother is no ordinary person! He might be the hope for our Embodiment Transformation Dao Sect’s resurgence!" Third Senior Brother Lian Chang couldn't help but exclaim in admiration nearby.
Li Fan simply chuckled foolishly.
The first step is a success.
The key now is to become stronger than Big Senior Brother Si Xing within six years, before the conscription decree arrives.
To go to war in his place, and avoid witnessing the tragic scene of the Embodiment Transformation Dao Sect members perishing one by one with my own eyes.
This is the core of Reverend Tian Yang's obsession.
Li Fan thought to himself.
Big Senior Brother Si Xing is at the Golden Core realm of cultivation. To surpass him in six years through conventional, step-by-step cultivation would be nothing short of a fool's dream.
I have no choice but to find another path.
A glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
That day, he sought out his master, Guang Yangzi, in private.
"Embody the self?" Facing his young disciple's inquiry, Guang Yangzi's expression changed drastically.
"Where did you hear that? Was it that brat Ling Xiao wagging his tongue again?" Guang Yangzi fumed, his beard bristling as he cursed.
"Master, I thought of it myself," Li Fan said earnestly.
"The profoundness of the Embodiment Transformation Technique our sect cultivates lies in its ability to make use of external objects.
"But it suddenly occurred to me, what exactly is an 'external object?’
"Big Senior Brother's sword, Second Senior Brother's brush, Third Senior Brother's bell—these are all external objects.
"Then, can't my own frail body also be considered an external object?
"Through the continuous tempering of the technique, my senior brothers' Embodied Objects grow stronger and stronger. If I can treat my own body as an Embodied Object, wouldn't that mean I can alter my own constitution?
"I would never be as weak as I am now." Li Fan spoke, word by deliberate word.
Guang Yangzi's expression shifted several times.
After a long while, he let out a deep sigh.
"Tian Yang, you truly are a heaven-sent prodigy! To have such insight at such a tender age, it's truly..."
Guang Yangzi patted Tian Yang's head, a touch of pride in his voice. "With a disciple like you, our Embodiment Transformation Dao Sect is sure to prosper!
"You are correct. Cultivating the Embodiment Transformation Technique can indeed lead to 'Self-Embodiment'."
Suddenly, Guang Yangzi's face turned solemn. He looked at Li Fan and spoke with grave seriousness. "However, my disciple, you must never, ever attempt it."
Li Fan looked up at his master, his small face full of confusion. "Why not, Master?"
Guang Yangzi's gaze grew distant, lost in thought for a moment before he explained to Li Fan. "The most crucial aspect of the Embodiment Transformation Technique is the unity of the object and the self.
"Self-Embodiment is indeed possible in theory. It is also the most perfect way to cultivate the technique."
"But...” Guang Yangzi sighed. "It's too difficult! Far too difficult!
"Compared to ordinary objects, how infinitely more complex is the human body?
"An object can be tested repeatedly, as one seeks greater harmony with it. If a mistake is made during cultivation, only the Embodied Object is damaged.
"But for Self-Embodiment, one's own flesh must serve as the experimental ground at all times.
"The slightest misstep results in severe physical injury.
"The damage to the body is secondary. The most terrifying part is the harm inflicted upon the mind."
A flicker of sorrow passed through Guang Yangzi's eyes. "Once, I had a senior brother with astonishing talent. His natural aptitude was the greatest I have ever seen in my life, unmatched by any other.
"He was acknowledged by the entire sect as the foremost practitioner of the Embodiment Transformation Dao in a thousand years, and our master placed the highest hopes upon him.
"Yet, he was proud and arrogant. Convinced he could succeed in cultivating Self-Embodiment, he ignored all dissuasion.
"The result..." Guang Yangzi paused.
"At first, he just seemed a bit mad. Everyone still had hope that he could be healed.
"But later, his madness grew more severe. He became completely unable to distinguish reality from illusion.
"One night, he went on a rampage. The number of dead... was beyond counting.
"From then on, our Embodiment Transformation Dao Sect has never recovered its former strength..."
At this point, Guang Yangzi shook his head slightly.
"So, remember this well, my good disciple. You must never attempt it!" Guang Yangzi instructed with utmost seriousness.
Li Fan nodded emphatically. "Yes! I understand, Master!"
After bidding farewell to Guang Yangzi, Li Fan returned to his room.
He pondered for a long time before abandoning the idea of forcibly cultivating Self-Embodiment.
Just like Self Foundation, this path of Self-Embodiment truly was not something an ordinary person could achieve.
Judging from the later circumstances of Reverend Tian Yang, he had not chosen this path either.
A puppet ... Recalling the Spirit Transformation puppet from years later, a plan gradually formed in Li Fan's mind.
The next day, Li Fan went up to his senior brothers and told them he wanted a puppet.
"Don't worry, Little Junior Brother. Leave it to me! Lately, my thoughts have been flowing like a spring, and words have blossomed from my brush. I've written several books in a row! They are the greatest masterpieces of my career!" Second Senior Brother Ling Xiao thumped his chest in assurance. "I'll sell these at the market and pick out the most handsome puppet for you!"
Several days later, Li Fan got his wish and obtained a mechanical puppet.
Ling Xiao wore a smug, triumphant smile. "Little Junior Brother, this puppet is said to have Golden Core-level strength. I went through a lot of trouble to buy it!”
"Senior Brother, you're amazing! Thank you, Senior Brother!" Li Fan praised, then snatched up the puppet and dashed out.
"Little Junior Brother is recovering so quickly!" Ling Xiao remarked with a sigh.
In a secret chamber, Li Fan placed the puppet before him and made a cut on his hand.
He let his blood drip onto it.
Simultaneously, he activated the Embodiment Transformation Technique, refining the puppet while sensing the subtle changes occurring within its form.
Li Fan had abandoned the idea of Self-Embodiment, but he hadn't given up entirely.
His plan could, in fact, be seen as a special version of Self-Embodiment—an even more extreme one.
It involved discarding his own fleshly body and completely transforming himself into a puppet, just as the true Reverend Tian Yang had done in history. Except that later, Tian Yang chose to absorb earthfire to temper and enhance his puppet form.
Li Fan's answer, however, was to first become the puppet, and then perform the Self-Embodiment transformation.
Undoubtedly, this was a path of self-sabotage, one that would ruin one’s own future prospects.
The gap in potential between a Golden Core puppet and a human body was beyond measure.
But for Li Fan, who desperately wanted to increase his combat strength, it was the best choice.
Cultivating the Self-Embodiment technique within a puppet’s body drastically reduced the difficulty.
First, the precision and complexity of a puppet was far below that of a human body, making it easier to achieve the state of unity of object and self.
Second, there was no need to worry about injuring himself at all.
Given sufficient materials, repairing a puppet was infinitely easier.
And once the cultivation of Self-Embodiment within the puppet was complete, the combat power that could be unleashed in the state of unity of object and self would be several times greater than simply using the puppet as an Embodied Object.
The first step is to abandon this body and merge with the puppet.
Li Fan found the method for this within the Embodiment Transformation Technique, and its execution went remarkably smoothly.
It's probably because Tian Yang's body was born prematurely, and his soul and body were never properly harmonized to begin with. Li Fan mused.
And so, keeping it secret from the other members of the Embodiment Transformation Dao Sect, Li Fan began his personal cultivation plan.
This scheme was simply too bizarre. Even Guang Yangzi failed to detect the changes occurring within his youngest disciple.
He merely thought the boy had grown exceptionally fond of the puppet Ling Xiao had bought for him, to the point of seldom letting it leave his side.