Tyler, upon seeing him in that state, not only found it incredible, but also felt a faint trace of envy.
That brat had already begun stimulating his physical body—something that normally only started being done at seven stars, when mana became dense enough.
However, because Dante possessed regenerative abilities, his body was undergoing constant micro-reconstruction, which prematurely initiated the process of bodily evolution.
At that moment, Tyler felt a certain ecstasy.
If Dante could raise his mortal body to its peak with such anticipation, it was even possible that he might enter the Warrior-Level Body while still at Level 1.
With that, the chance of reaching Level 2 would become almost certain.
Feeling a spark of excitement, Tyler looked at Dante, who remained seated in a lotus position, completely focused.
Then, using his wind aura, he pulled him out of the hot water.
The moment Dante left the pool, the massive amount of steam his body was releasing began to diminish considerably, until it stopped completely.
That steam was not caused by the hot water—it was the direct result of the reconstruction of his skin.
Out of the water, Dante's body recovered rapidly… before stopping, returning to its original state.
Tyler placed a hand on Dante's shoulder and could clearly feel it: Dante was circulating the lava element through his veins, while using his latent spiritual heart to send extra mana.
What is he doing?
Tyler thought, confused.
Digging deeper with his perception, he realized that Dante's body was functioning in totality, in perfect synchronization.
However, his mana was about to hit a limit—an invisible thread—and he would awaken at any moment.
So Tyler sat down in front of him, observing in silence.
---
—I understand! — Dante opened his eyes and shouted excitedly.
But he quickly realized he was out of the pool, with old Tyler sitting in front of him, staring with curiosity.
— What did you discover, brat? — the old man asked, a wide smile on his face.
— I figured out how to create a technique to help me improve my control over the lava element — Dante said confidently.
— Or… almost that — he added, his voice lowering slightly.
— And how do you intend to do that? — Tyler asked, genuinely curious.
Dante took a deep breath.
— My idea is to transform the spiritual heart into a lava reservoir, using the igneous veins as conduits.
— With that, I can advance into the five stars, and by using this unstable foundation, sacrifice spiritual energy to complete the process… regressing my cultivation back to the early Level 4 stars.
He continued:
— This way, I can readjust the instability in my foundation while simultaneously paving a path to use the lava element in its full scope.
When Dante finished explaining his—possibly genius—idea, Tyler looked at him in silence, mildly impressed.
His breathing quickened for a second, but quickly steadied as he began to weigh the pros and cons.
— It's an excellent idea — he finally said. — However, giving up the latent spiritual heart can be fatal.
— It was introduced as part of your foundation, and by itself, it is a fundamental mana reserve.
Tyler crossed his arms.
— If you truly intend to do this, you'll need to raise the igneous veins technique to a high level.
— Additionally, your cultivation must be at least at the peak of six stars, so you can use energy alone as the furnace and shaping fuel.
He paused.
— Even then, your natural mana will drop by 20% to 30%, and your chances of reaching Level 2 will suffer a slight setback… around 5%.
Dante frowned.
— However — Tyler continued — if you raise your physical body to the peak of the mortal realm, you can create a much more perfect fusion.
— Part of the energy and stability will be preserved, and you'll likely be able to manipulate lava at a more refined, fundamental level, compensating for the loss of the latent spiritual heart's mana reserve.
When Tyler finished explaining, Dante once again fell into deep thought.
To be honest, losing 20% to 30% of mana didn't affect him that much.
He was already truly strong. If he restored the level of his foundation, that amount would still be more than sufficient.
Moreover, upon approaching quasi-Level 2, it would be possible to refine mana—a stage where quality suppresses quantity.
But the real issue lay in the reduction of the chance to reach Level 2.
Five percent sounded small…
But five percent of an already extremely low probability was enormous.
Five percent of ten percent still amounted to half a percent—and that could determine his life.
Currently, Dante had about a 15% chance of reaching Level 2 with his insane foundation.
If he obtained something that directly promoted realm advancement, his chances could reach 35%.
Still low.
But considering he would have only one single chance, even 5% of 35% was completely invaluable.
But… what if I compensate for the lost mana and foundation?
Dante asked himself.
The Crimson Effort Lotus surfaced in his mind—the very concept that supported his foundation.
However, his lotus only possessed six petals.
What if I can raise it?
After all, it had clear limits. If Dante could reproduce the effect of double the result with half the effort in subsequent levels, his path would be eased in countless ways.
When he consumed the Spiritual Milk, he had clearly felt the lotus react.
That indicated it had the potential to break through… and become something of true Level 1.
But how to do it?
And where to begin?
Dante remained silent, lost in thought.