Chapter 186: Shackles

Leonel looked at his left hand, flexing it slowly and testing each of his fingers one by one. 

'It's a little weaker than it has been in the past. It will probably take me a few weeks to recover completely back to the Advanced Grade One Designation. For now, I'll have to do with Grade One Designation.' 

There had been plants among the few Leonel took out that could return him back to the Advanced Grade One Designation immediately, but they all had lingering side effects. The only way to perfectly recover so quickly — in the case of such low level herbs, anyway — was by drawing on his life force. But, this was a path with many lingering problems. 

The herb Leonel chose was actually a Pseudo Fourth Dimensional healing type herb known as Three-Vein Mending Weed. It was quite a common healing herb and was perfect for a body still within the Third Dimension like Leonel's. If he wanted to heal the same injury while he had a Fourth Dimensional body, it would take a much stronger herb like Four-Vein Mending Weed. 

Instead of overdrawing his life force, Mending Weed used its Natural Force Art to nurture flesh wounds and supplement their healing. These Natural Force Arts were drawn directly from the 'veins' that were within their namesake. 

Their healing abilities were less exaggerated, but due to their way of doing things, the lingering issues were much more acceptable. 

'I have to be careful.' Leonel thought seriously. 

Wounds like his could have easily crippled him for life. Without godly medicine, one's path to grow stronger could easily be completely impeded by a single severe injury. 

Luckily, the Leonel of now felt that he was far steadier than he had been in the past. Though it couldn't be said that he had completely changed, he at least felt that he was on the right path now. He hopefully wouldn't make such rash decisions again. 

'I still can't believe it took me two days to complete a Dream Sculpt of the Three-Vein Mending Weed…'

When Leonel learned the secrets of the Mending Weed, he had been very interested in its Natural Force Arts. But, he could have never expected that even with the evolution of his ability and the fact his spirit had entered the peak of the Fifth Dimension that it would still take him so long to perfectly copy it. 

One had to remember that it only took him about a day to Dream Sculpt Joan's flag pole. That treasure could only be counted as being within the Third Dimension but Leonel's spirit was just at the beginning stages of the Fourth Dimension back then. 

But now, his soul was in the Fifth Dimension and this Three-Vein Mending Weed was in the Third, but it still took him two days!

This experience taught Leonel something very important… Natural Force Arts were not a joke. If he really thought it would be so simple to speed up the maturation of the Force Crystal Core… he was sorely mistaken. 

Toward such a conclusion, Leonel could only smile bitterly. Just how naive had he been?

He struggled so much to etch a Third Dimensional Natural Force Art into his memories, but the Force Crystal Core was now trying to complete a Fourth Dimensional Natural Force Art. How could these things even be compared?

'I need more strength.'

Leonel no longer felt the need to rush. He would go at his own pace. Rushing everything and being headstrong was how he constantly got into trouble. 

He knew that the little mink would wake up just one more day and a bit. He also knew that it was very likely Simeon might find the Force Crystal Mine any time now. But, if he was always rashly doing things, wouldn't he just be rushing himself to death?

Only by being steady in his every step and earning his conceit and arrogance would he be able to safely weather this storm. 

Even though this was Leonel's new mindstate, he wouldn't just waste two days as he had just done without reason. Everything needed to be done in moderation. 

The reason he saw fit to waste these two days was precisely so that he could have a better understanding of what he was facing. Now, he was aware of just how domineering Natural Force Arts were. By his estimation, compared to Force Arts created by humans, they were a Dimensional Tier higher. 

In that case, Leonel knew that what he needed to do now was grow more powerful. 

'So what should I do? Form my Force Nodes? Or comprehend my Metal Synergy Lineage Factor?'

After a moment of calculation, Leonel landed on the second option. His thoughts now were incomparably quick. Compared to before, he could complete the same train of thought that might have taken him an hour before in just a few moments. 

Leonel sunk into a state of contemplation. Compared to the past, his ability to see through his Lineage Factors with the help of his Soul Force was several levels more potent. It wasn't long before he sensed the last dormant Lineage Factor within his blood. 

Before, it was only a vague feeling he had to meditate on for several days. But now, he could practically see their visualizations. It looked like several shackles binding tightly to his blood vessels. 

Leonel could see it all, as though several small and intricate Natural Force Arts were floating around his body. He could easily follow them all, it was as though he had shrunk and entered his body, following the paths his blood flowed through. 

Leonel got lost in the feeling. He had almost completely forgotten that he was here to unlock these shackles, not observe them. But, his body felt like a universe unto itself. Its depth and complexity seemed to be no less… it was mesmerizing. 

Before Leonel realized what was happening, he had followed his blood into his kidneys, passively observing as the crimson liquid went through a cycle of purification. No, it couldn't be said to be crimson, his blood seemed to carry a tinge of holiness from his Snowy Star Owl Lineage Factor…

The cycle of purification left Leonel in another daze. The human body really was a beautiful thing. Everything worked together like a well oiled machine. 

Suddenly, Leonel startled awake as though his mind had been struck my lightning. 

'My kidneys!'

Leonel understood why he had never been able to find his Ninth Node. It was because his 'ninth' was actually his Ninth and Tenth!