Daoist Chu returned to his own studies, clearly inspired. Meng Bai carried stacks of copied diagrams with him like priceless treasures, his eyes sharper than they had ever been.
Lin Mu, meanwhile, returned to meditation.
He spent the next week doing little else but sit, breathe, and feel.
He assessed how his body responded now that the immortal essence was no longer hammering it from within. He tested circulation speeds, compression limits, and recovery rates. He let the Essence Meridian Casting network flow freely, then restricted it, then forced it into unusual paths.
Each test confirmed the same thing.
His body had adapted completely.
By the seventh day, Lin Mu opened his eyes and rose from his meditation mat, feeling light, grounded, and wholly himself.
He stepped out into the open courtyard.
Only one presence greeted him.
