Majid started to read the manual, it was a thick one. Though he couldn't see it, he could see the progress of his reading, it would take a long time to finish it. The book was a compiled version, the system created. It gathered all the information about the Body Tempering Realm from the boy's memory. Whether it was from books, instructors, or his own experience. Only excluding the repetitions. The system boasted this in the preface of the book. 

The system is indeed useful, though there was no special analysis made by the system, he was satisfied.

Body tempering, as the name implies, focuses on tempering the body, but throughout this process, one builds his Meridians as well. Both a strong body and Meridians are the base for the following realms. The cultivator's body contains spiritual channels, but they are so faint. Through meditation techniques, one can sense them, but the soul should be powerful enough to do the job. That's why one in a thousand men can become a cultivator. Most people don't have enough talent, carps that couldn't leap through the Dragon Gate, destined to remain fishes forever. And here was born the separation, people arrogance never miss this chance, no matter the time or the place. The unlucky were further unluckier stuck with mortals title, while the fortunate ones, gain status and became immortals linked to divinity. 

Well no wonder, even some lazy-ass kings and emperors on earth shamelessly claimed they were gods, let alone these guys with their superpowers.

As one senses their channels, they can absorb Qi. In the beginning, the channels are weak and permeable. That's why this realm is characterized by strengthening the body. As Qi passes through these permeable channels, it leaks out nourishing and strengthening the organs. This realm finish when one's channels solidified into Meridians. But they still leak a little bit, which makes old cultivators' bodies slightly stronger.

Each organ has its own channels, the organs are classified into groups, once a group's channels solidified into meridians, a level is considered complete. Which constitutes these realm 9 levels. The Head, Bones, Muscles, Viscera, and Skin, with both the Bones and Muscles having three levels each, Arms, Torso, and Legs.

So a strong soul is a key, it was a simple deduction, after all, two main factors affect transportation, speed, and quantity. Though the channels could affect the quantity, it's a static factor. On the other hand, the soul is a variable one. Not only that, the soul could affect both of them. The stronger the soul is, the larger the quantities absorbed. The better the control of the soul and its power the faster the absorption.

Body tempering can't be done with cultivation alone though, physical exercise comes into play.  A good balance between cultivation and exercising exert your body to its limits. With the body part nourished with Qi, one needs to use an adequate method to target that specific organ, and tempers it to its highest potential. Special fighting, or body hardening techniques, and training routines could be used. 

So a strong soul and control, good cultivation, and training method, these were the key factors to faster cultivation and stronger cultivator. He satisfies the first criteria with his powerful soul, but his clan methods and techniques were lacking, and he needs to work more on his control. 

But these things look simple, why there are so many cultivation techniques, and they even differ by grades

He continued reading and he found out he was but at the tip of the iceberg. Even on earth, with the possibilities far more limited, without a spiritual dimension. There were a lot of schools of martial arts, where small details matter. In this world, there are many elements at play, knowledge, soul power, soul control, and the order of levels...

Later when he enters the school, he can try to put his hands on some powerful techniques. But he can't wait till then, his clan techniques were mediocre. 

I rather wait than cultivate anymore with these techniques, the effects of this realm were irreversible. 

But since these techniques are of low quality, he had room for improvement, he needs to do it somehow to make the most of these 4 months. He wouldn't have entertained this idea if he didn't have the system, with its superior tracking abilities. No, even without the system, I would have tried something, based on his modern knowledge alone, he has confidence that he could make some improvements. Especially in a world similar to ancient times, where knowledge was monopolized by the nobility.

But there was something that was confusing at first glance. How come there's no order to the body tempering levels, the more he read the more it made sense though. Indeed there was no order, instead, there were ways of cultivation were the order varies. A common way was available for the less talented individuals, or rogue cultivators. Clans have advanced ways in their techniques, but they didn't share their heritage with outsiders, one has to join the clan to reap the least benefits. Depending on each person's talent, or their preferences there are special paths to follow. A cultivator who wants to specialize in defense would start from the skin, the organs or bones' levels. A strength-based cultivator, on the other hand, would go for the muscles' levels, etc. 

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

In the end, each person would end up stronger at a certain specialty depending on the order he chose to fellow. But why is that! each level ends with the solidification of the channels that pass through the level's organs. How can the order affect the outcome? He can't let questions unanswered, If he wants to improve the techniques. But as he read further he found no explanation to that.

That's why their techniques are lacking, they don't understand how things work.

Maybe there's a leakage between the organs, the one that started first benefits the more from it. But as he started to draw on the ground with his finger, and played some logic games with this idea. He laughed at his stupidity as he throws it to the garbage like a basked ball. The leakage would go both ways, and that should make the result equal. So he went to a surface on a wall, it was fairly flat. He took a rock and noted this problem.

Next, he looked at the way the boy choose to cultivate, he was a strength, agility-based cultivator. He started from the Legs Muscles' Level, then the Arms, and he was about to complete the low stage of the Torso Muscles Level. 

Well done boy, Majid was an agility fan, he thinks speed is the way. There shouldn't be a huge difference in the cultivators' power and speed. In that case, speed is superior, only the Head Level could overpower it in his estimation, with good senses, and reflexes. 

Then an arc of realization struck him in the heart "Oh nooo!"

The boy tempered both his main muscle levels. Majid felt heartache. It was already too late for him to make a difference. He still has 3 stages to work with, in The Torso Muscles' level. But it was an auxiliary level that helps increase both his power and agility, it couldn't affect them by much though.

But wait how did my strength and agility increase then, his system definitely stated that they increased. 

How do we know that a meridian is complete anyway, When the leakage stops, one can't feel the organ anymore nourished. Physical tests can make modest estimates, and there are other ways he can't use them now. 

So he channeled Qi through his body, he could feel the complete meridians. But as he focused more he could feel the Qi pass through faint channels, many more than his meridians, branching from or going along them. Qi seeped through these channels to his muscles. 'What is this!' A wide smile washed away his confused face. He wasn't sure he made a groundbreaking discovery. But he was sure what he found was something at least cultivators at his clan's level don't know about. 

So there is this variable, it makes sense. 

The boy's soul was strong in his clan's standards but was weak in a bigger stage. It was barely able to sense some and was blind to this faint channels. 

He frowned at a sudden thought, this doesn't make sense though, his soul was only powerful compared to his age, as a cultivator soul keeps growing, it should come a time where they would start to feel these channels. But there was no mention of this in the manual. 

Either the boy didn't receive this information because he doesn't need it, or something happens to these faint channels before the soul grows. 

System why didn't you tell me, his mood kept swinging about his system. 

Can't you be a little bit active, the system ignored the arms and legs level as if they were complete when he asked about his level of cultivation.  He noted this in the back of his mind, for another round of negotiations. 

[That kind of help is unauthorized]

So I can't trust the system completely, this is a tricky part.

But his smile returned nonetheless, his soul already gave him an edge over his peers and with this information as well, he could increase his power many times more than them. 

When he thought about this maybe he found something groundbreaking. From his memories, there shouldn't be an overwhelming difference in power between the cultivators in Body Tempering Realm. Only the contrast in techniques makes a winner. While he estimates he could make a great difference in power with this. 

The boy's perspective is limited though, I can't be sure.

Putting that aside, for now, he has somethings to work with, how to make full use of his superior soul, and which order is the best to follow. 

It took the whole day to complete the Manual, so he stopped and go out to take care of his staff, then he made another Feast. It seems the foxes were waiting for him, they joined the party right away, wagging their tails. After satisfying his needs, he took some time to rest his mind before he goes back to his corner, and he started his own analysis. 'Oh men, I miss my PC, give me at least some paper'. He kicked the air, ideas keep escaping his mind without an efficient device. 

Wait! an idea sparkled, System can you take notes for me. 

[User request is possible]

"Great! why couldn't I think of this!" He celebrated for a bit, a noting spree started, as he tried to remember all relevant things.

He decided to start from the order of cultivation, then it will become clear how to follow it with his soul. The common order people start from is the skin. Maybe it's easy to sense the channels from there because it's the part in direct contact with the world's Qi. That wasn't a worry for him. 

With his discovery of additional channels, the leakage theory found its way back. Could it be that the leakage happens between the channels? So the prior organs keep benefiting even though their main meridians are complete. Upon verification, he found it was more ridiculous than his first theory. On the contrary, the later levels would benefit more, with all their channels unlocked. 

Maybe the position of the leakage is key? in that case it would be more beneficial to start from the core, from the bones. Then the leakage would benefit all the other organs, doesn't this mean that defense based cultivator has the most advantage... it doesn't seem to be the case? 

As he was making no progress, he started to meditate. the thoughts in his mind slowed down, flowing his breathing rhythm. Memories floated calmly as he browsed through them in serenity, and then a memory provided him with a valuable insight. The later levels of body tempering become easier with each level, he followed this clue. Easier could be translated to, it took Less Time to ends the next levels, and then he realized he was thinking completely in the wrong direction.