As the white light faded a world appeared around Finley's body. There was a fairly big house in front of him where he laid. In front of the house was an old man stroking his beard.
"Where'd this child come from?"
He started to walk to Finley's body. When he noticed Finley's condition his eyes widened and he made a grabbing motion with his hand. Finley's body floated upwards and was brought towards the house.
A few hours later Finley was wrapped up in bandages that covered his entire chest and waist.
The old man was thoroughly checking Finley's body and was astonished.
'What a poor child. He has two unique physiques that normal people would vie after. He alsolost his arm in a battle I assume, I guess it's time for 'that' to serve it's purpose now.'
He sighed and turned around and walked out of the room.
Finley woke up a few weeks later and he grabbed his right side.
"So it wasn't a dream, everything was real. But now the question is who saved me?"
"I did."
The old man walked in with some food and water and placed hem next to Finley.
"You sure got a beating didn't you child. I don't know how you managed to get here but it won't be easy to get out."
"What is here?"
Finley couldn't help but ask. Last he knew he was falling down a cliff hundreds of meters deep.
"This is the separate space i made to separate myself from society."
'If he could do that he must be at least a stage 7 expert or higher' Finley thought.
'He said that he saved me and that getting back is hard but I don't understand why he would save me. I'm a useless trash who cant even cultivate. Unless!'
"You said you saved me but why did you save me? Is because of something you saw within me?"
"While I did see somethings they would be extremely hard to achieve with out perseverance."
"What are they? I will work towards them with absolute perseverance if i can become stronger!"
Finley was excited because he would be able to become someone finally. He wouldn't be disdained by anyone anymore. He would be able to gain status in the family and not be a worthless nobody.
"I'll tell you but you would have to be my disciple. Of course you'd be able to have more teachers, i'm fine with that."
"Disciple greets master!"
'This kid sure does want to get stronger huh.'
Finley bowed.
"Okay. I will tell you why I have chosen you."
"You have two unique physiques in you. one is the Emperors Meridians and the other is the Demon Tyrant Body."
"Emperor meridians? Demon Tyrant Body?"
"The Emperor meridians can be dealt with relatively easily. All you need to do is take in the blood essence of anything above the fifth stage and you would be able to make jumps in your cultivation."
"The Demon Tyrant Body is another matter. You would need to go through inhumane torture in order for it to activate."
"I'm ready for anything in order to gain strength and be able to protect myself!"
"Good but be prepared, you will suffer and wish for death many times but if you are able to actually able to persevere and live through this pain you will make jumps in cultivation."
"Master, I have a question."
"Speak."
"What about my right arm? wouldn't it be hard to fight with one hand? Also what is your name?"
"Well, I'll tell you my name another time but just know I once ruled over the continent, The matter about your right arm, I have a solution but it is quite painful."
He walked out of the room for a couple of minutes and came back in with a pitch black metal arm.
"I gained this arm while on an adventure but never got the chance to use it but now that your here I have someone able to use it!"
He handed the arm to Finley. When Finley grabbed it it felt like it weighed tons and it fell. He struggled to pick it up but his master soon helped him, His master placed the arm on his now empty shoulder and places screws around twelve holes in the top of the arm.
"Bear with me, this will be a very painful process."
While his master was tightening the screws into Finley's arm he was surprised. 'This boy might just become a powerful expert in the near future.' his mouth lifted into a grin and he continues in tightening all the screws into Finley's flesh. Screams of pain roared throughout the room he was in.
After everything was done the old man left and told Finley to rest for a couple days so as to let the arm adjust to his body. Finley struggled to lift his arm and was surprised. 'Just what did the creator do to this arm that allowed it to move like a real one?' He thought. He simply laid it back down next his side and fell asleep. A week later he could move it like his real arm and went to tell his master.
"Since your arm is made of metal and isn't actually your body it doesn't have meridians. Although it doesn't have meridians it can also be a weapon. When you gain a cultivation base try infusing Paragon into it."
"Now onto actually unlocking your Emperor Meridians. We will have to get a stage five or higher beast or human Blood essence."
"How are we going to get the blood essence of a stage five or higher expert though?"
"Simple, we use my blood essence! I am a Stage eight expert so it should work."
"Wouldn't that harm your cultivation though master?"
"Yes, but I am already nearing my time as a cultivator, I shall soon leave this world."
"Master, don't say that. You still have plenty of time left to live.'
"Even though I am reluctant to use masters Blood essence, since master insists on it then I shall use it."
Even though Finley was very reluctant to use his masters blood essence he still did so nonetheless.
His master cut a three centimeter long cut on his index finger and a few drop's of bright red blood dripped out of it. He took out a bottle about the size of thumb and placed the few drops inside it.
"Drink this when you feel like you're ready to, Although it will help with your condition it won't completely unlock it. At most it will unlock twenty percent and the least amount would be five."
"Tomorrow will be the day I start the working on the Demon Tyrant Body. Be prepared, you would wish that you had died."
As his master left Finley clenched the bottle in his hand and was determined to do whatever he could to cultivate both of his physiques. He sat down cross legged and began to drink the blood essence. As soon as the essence made it's way down his throat a burning pain came from all of the meridians in his body, Finley felt like he was placed inside a giant furnace and couldn't scream.
Finley ground his teeth and clenched his fists so hard that blood trickled down his palm. He thought of only one thing 'Persevere, for your sake and for masters.' He only thought of himself and his master and eventually the pain subsided and he passed out. Sweat all over his body and extremely ragged breath he fell asleep just like that.
When morning came Finley was surprised to see that his meridians weren't clogged anymore. He came to realize he was now a Stage 2 Beginner cultivator now. His joy was short lived though because after he woke up his master arrived and told him to follow after him. They soon came to place that could only be described as a torture chamber. There was a table in the center with straps and many different sharp hooks, swords, spikes, spears any type of slashing weapon and piercing was on the table.
"Get on the table. "
His master ordered. Finley didn't want to but he knew it was for his own good. He laid down on the table and his master strapped his wrists, waist, ankles, and finally his neck. All Finley could do was see the ceiling.
After he was all strapped in his master looked at him and took out a hammer and a spike. The spike was roughly 5 inches long and 2 inches wide. He placed the spike onto Finley's knee and swung down with the hammer. Bone cracking could be heard and many inhumane screams followed suit, his master din't care but only kept hammering until the spike was through his knee and embedded to the table.
His master did this to all of the joints on his body. His knee, elbow, ankles, even his shoulder were no exception. All throughout the process Finley almost passed out twice but his master forcibly made him stay awake with his Paragon. Finley wanted to die many times and started to focus elsewhere while the pain was coursing through his body.
They weren't done yet though. His master then took out a sword and slashed at his chest. The wounds were only deep enough to cause pain but not deep enough to kill him. He then started to hit him and slice him with every tool he had claws, hooks, chains, maces, spikes, hammers, you name it and his master most likely hit him with it.
It took three days to get through all of the tools his master had and only then did his master stop and say.
"you're still awake? That's surprising most people would have passed out by now, I really did do the right thing by taking you in as my disciple."
His master ripped out all the spikes and hooks in a way that would cause him more pain. After all of the things were out his body his master took out a pill and made Finley swallow it.
"This pill speeds the healing process up, it will leave scars as it only closes the wound and doesn't completely heal the wound. Don't worry about the scar's though once you break through to the fourth realm they'll disappear."
His master unstrapped Finley and helped him to his room so he could recuperate from all of the wounds. Finley laid on his bed and thought about the only thing that didn't feel pain. His right arm, which was made of very hard materials that even his master couldn't break. It was the only thing Finley thought of. When he was being tortured he only thought of his right arm which allowed him to hang on and not pass out.
A week or two later and Finley was able to stand and walk. He started to train his body by doing the most basic of basics.Push ups, running, squats, basically anything he could think of. He wanted to train his body to a certain level of fitness so that he could be able to do something while waiting for his body to unlock the Demon Tyrant Body.