In the training hall, Dante was sitting while staring at the six techniques laid out before him, all of them handpicked by the leaders. Out of the six techniques, he only knew one.
Technique: Veins Ignite
Technique: Conduction
Technique: Heat Core
These three were classified by Tyler as internal techniques, while the other three were:
Technique: Flaming Skin
Technique: High-Temperature Resistance
Technique: Body Heat Amplification
These were classified as external techniques.
Tyler had created this method to ensure that the use of lava would be as stable as possible, preventing issues when transforming the latent spiritual heart into a furnace or reservoir.
The three internal techniques served to keep the body stable. The Heat Core would absorb excess heat, storing it to be released explosively at the right moment.
Conduction was a neutral technique that improved the circulation of internal mana, preventing it from overflowing outside the main meridians.
As for Igneous Veins, a technique Dante was already familiar with, it facilitated the use of fire-related powers and increased overall capacity.
The three external techniques had a different purpose: preventing the external body from self-destruction—something essential for lava users.
Flaming Skin essentially refined the skin with flames, nullifying fire-based attacks and making it less susceptible to heat and burns.
Heat Resistance was a simple yet consistent technique that focused on improving resistance to fire. It paired perfectly with Flaming Skin—simple, but effective.
Finally, Body Heat Amplification consisted of using mana to turn the body into a furnace, allowing it to endure extremely high temperatures with ease.
In general, these techniques were considered useless, but in Dante's case, they functioned like bricks in the construction of a great building. Even with limited effects, they were fundamental.
"Damn it, Tyler… all these techniques? On top of improving my physical body grade, strengthening the foundation of the Golden Mortal Body, and raising the Crimson Effort Lotus to the Golden Blood Lotus?"
"And I still have to cultivate and train?"
"And what's the problem, brat?" Tyler asked, raising an eyebrow. To Dante, he seemed to have returned to his old, proud demeanor.
"The problem is that I'm married, and I can't spend the entire day here with you," Dante replied, clearly irritated. He truly didn't want to stay in the training hall all day.
Tyler paused to think after hearing that. He had forgotten that miserable detail—but it was still necessary.
"So… what should we do?"
"Naturally, there's no need for you to spend the entire day here," a calm voice said. "You can start by mastering the simpler techniques."
The one who appeared offering a solution was Ancestor Hai.
"Out of the six, excluding Heat Core and Conduction, you should be able to improve the others simply by cultivating in the Spiritual Fire Pool. Since they're simple techniques, it shouldn't take long.
"Conduction and Heat Core can be done later. Heat Core requires strong focus, so it's best left for last. As for Conduction, you can train it whenever you find the time."
It wasn't the best solution, but it was enough to keep Dante from being unhappy.
"However… how do you plan on learning to become a refiner?" Tu Sheng asked, suddenly appearing and bringing up another issue.
The spiritual profession Dante had chosen was Refiner. Given his specialization in lava, refining was the best possible path.
"Damn it…" Dante muttered, remembering that he had completely forgotten about that. Becoming an artifact refiner meant even less free time.
"Problems, problems, and more problems," Hai said. "Cultivation isn't easy, brat. You need to create a schedule to balance all of this."
"Fortunately, your current focus is on these techniques. At most, it should take you a few months to bring most of them to their peak.
"You can use your training time with Tyler for this. You just need to start earlier, at five in the morning, and finish later, around two in the afternoon."
"As for the Crimson Lotus, we'll study it carefully. You don't yet have the capacity to fully understand it.
"We'll stabilize a book based on what we know, allowing you to save time."
"You can ask Viviane to help you with the Conduction technique," Hai continued. "She's a mage and has experience with mana circulation.
"As for learning refining, you can use the time after training with Tyler, staying until shortly before Viviane finishes processing pills, around six in the evening."
The old Hai proposed a simple but extremely effective schedule. With this foundation, everything would become much easier for Dante.
"Well… lava is a path," Hai concluded. "And unfortunately for you, it's an extremely troublesome one…"