Over the weeks Ivan and the twins travelled deeper into the forest, they encountered numerous beasts which were far from the twin's capabilities but he ordered them to fight.
Throughout the days journey they had only rested for two hours, the first during breakfast and the second during lunch, for the rest all they did was fight, whether they list or won all Ivan told them to do was fight until they felt their bodies in the brink of permanent collapse.
He would then heal them to their peak restoring their stamina but their wounds would be left untouched. He did this until sundown when the twins practically collapsed from accumulated fatigue.
And at night they only rested for six hours, one for their meal another good their birth while the rest four their sleep.
"Fuck Ivan do you want to kill us!" Kaleb squeezed a shout in between his breaths.
"Shit up and get into the pool! You only have one hour don't waste your time arguing with me," Ivan laughed.
He had refined two pools of manas waters using his life energy, he hem manipulated various ores to form a pool which he enchanted using runes and his dragonic tongue.
This led to the birth of Peak body cleansing pool of rebirth which was known for its sadistic tendancies back in Ivan's time.
For one to benefit from the pool their bodies should have been pushed to the utmost limits, accumulations of fatigue, wounds, injuries would all be compiled into a singular action, rebirth.
Rebirth not in the terms that Ivan experienced but in the terms of your body being refined and strengthened by the waters. For maximum gains most would cultivate their body techniques within the waters to hasten their progress something that Ivan had already told the twins to do.
But regardless of the shortcut Ivan chose it still took two weeks for the twins to reach Primal body.
"Finally,I thought I would have died from this torture," Kaleb said as he flexed his hand "I know it was as painful as forming meridians back in the foundation realm," Kamila chipped in.
"Are you retarded?!" Ivan suddenly asked causing Kamila to blush away in embarrassment "why would I be you jerk," she retorted looking away.
"What else am I to call you then? Who is foolish enough to form meridians in their foundation realm that a death wish!" he stated only this time the twins noticed the seriousness in his eyes.
"What do you mean Ivan?" Kaleb asked with furrowed brows, it was rare seeing the nonchalant Ivan getting serious so he also chose to do the same.
" It's exactly as I said it, Meridians as you call them are nothing more than just nodes, which are meant to aid the Mana circuit and core in their functionality.
It's usually formed after already forming a mana core , while also having strengthened your mana sense to the point of being able to clearly see your cells.
This was why I told Kamila to sense her own Circuit and core so it'll be easier to form her own meridians, do you see why I called you all retarded, forming meridians is tampering with your very own cells.
Any mistake made would likely cause a cellular imbalance that could cause your death or deterioration of your body, worse you own mana might reject you own body when it senses the slight difference.
It would be no different than you actually crippling yourself." he explained as he calmed his breath
Both Kamila and Kaleb sucked in a cold breath, it had to be said they were always taught of the dangers of the path of Cultivation and one that had the highest death rate was actually the Foundation and Core Formation realm.
They had always been told that it was the tribulation of the world for attempting to use what belonged to nature, but given Ivan's explanation many things clicked in their minds.
For one some Cultivators after forming their cores would sometimes get some disabilities, or even be unable to utilize mana
"Have you two already formed your meridians?" Ivan asked after calming himself to which both the twins nodded.
"Strip yourselves bare and enter the pool! We are going to fix any and all faults in your foundations!" he declared leaving no room for debate. "Kamila trembled as she suddenly became self conscious, stripping herself in front of two men was something she had never done. She had stopped sharing a bath with her brother when they were five for gods sake she was about to complain when Ivan suddenly spoke.
"Kamila, there is nothing in this world of human anatomy that I have yet to see, and in this moment all I'm trying to do is fix the mess of the retard that taught you all its fine to form meridians without mana sense, so please spare me the ' I'm a lady and can't get naked Infront of guys due to my own sense of shame' bullshit.
Given there is a day where you'll march into battle and loose all your clothing, will you allow yourself to die just because people saw you bare?! " he questioned.
" If it comes down to it let them see! But NEVER LET THEM TOUCH UNDERSTOOD?!" he questioned, Kamila fell into a brief silence before nodding and letting out a breath.
"No fair Ivan where's my pep talk about getting nude? I'm embarrassed here," Kaleb complained in a pained voice.
"Say that when your not exhibiting yourself like some sort of masterpiece," Ivan slapped his back as Kaleb fell into the pool.
"The is no justice for men," he complained as he sunk into the waters of his pool.
After both the twins entered the pool they both sat quietly awaiting Ivan's instructions in awe of his actions.
He had already weaved nearly a hundred Runes out of his life energy all around the pool in the few minutes that they were preparing themselves.
" Now I want you both to use your mana sense to feel your meridians, once you've done so lock into their locations and concentrate on that," he directed.
The twins fell into meditation as they both searched their bodies, Ivan throughout the few weeks had taught them how to utilize and strengthen their mana sense which helped them grow in bounds.
After a few minutes they both found their meridians and paled when their gazes landed on it.
Ivan had told them that a good Meridian is supposed to be white without exception in all humans, but their was drowned in red which was the third worst outcome based on Ivan's description.
This meant that their Meridian will be a blockade on their path through Cultivation to the point where they'll need to destroy it and remake it.
" What color is it?" Ivan asked to which their both replied "Red"
After a stifling silence Ivan nodded before ordering "Destroy them, all of them simultaneously do not delay at any point."
" Isn't that dangerous Ivan?!" Kaleb asked feeling a sense of dread.
"It is, normally this would result in realm regression, circuit Destruction and core implosion at the very least," he explained " But with me here, I'll make sure nothing goes wrong, so trust me Kaleb... Kamila," he pleaded to which the twins nodded.
The air seemed to crawl as an eerie silence filled the forest before muffled boons rang out.