Rain came late that spring.
Soft, thin showers that barely touched the earth but left a scent in the air—wet stone, herbs, and old wood.
Yuhao sat at the table one morning, a warm towel over his shoulders and a cup of barley tea untouched beside him.
In front of him were three parchment slips and a sketch of a rotating soul ring flow diagram. It wasn't from any sect. He had built it himself—based on body feedback, herb reaction data, and a dozen projection model tests.
He called it Cycle Root Breathing.
> [New Technique Created: Cycle Root Breathing]
[Type: Internal Circulation / Support]
[Effect: Stabilizes lower soul power fluctuations. Increases herb assimilation efficiency by 15%. Enhances mental clarity.]
[Compatibility: High with Sharingan and Medical Projection Interface]
He practiced it twice that morning, sitting by the window as clouds passed in layers above.
The technique moved soul power in slow, grounding pulses—up from the soles, along the spine, diffused through the chest, and then stored calmly in the lower dantian. Simple. But effective.
It took three weeks to stabilize.
On the twenty-second day, Yun'er joined him.
"I don't want to just watch anymore," she said, wrapping her shawl tighter.
He nodded. "Then we'll start with standing exercises."
---
She began with breathing.
Five minutes in the morning. Inhale through the nose, slow hold, release through the lips.
He guided her by count at first. Then by touch—placing his hand lightly on her back to guide muscle movement.
After that, he introduced standing posture drills. She held each position for ten breaths, gradually working toward twenty.
The improvement was slow—but real.
Each week, he updated his projection model.
> [Muscle Elasticity: +7%]
[Lung Capacity: +10%]
[Blood Flow Consistency: Improved]
[Treatment Protocol Adjustment: Introduce Low-Heat Medicinal Soaks]
He crafted a wooden basin himself using parts from an abandoned carpenter's shed, and boiled herbs every third evening.
She sat in silence while soaking, reading aloud from local legends or market pamphlets.
Sometimes, she'd trail off halfway through and just listen to the rain.
That was fine too.
---
Yuhao continued his internal development in parallel.
He began experimenting with micro-projections—visualizing each pressure point within his own body and slowly rotating soul power through specific routes while maintaining mental calm.
He wanted to build a healing-type martial art style. Something quiet, structured, and internal. Not for combat. Not flashy.
But one that could accelerate recovery. Stabilize the heart. Deepen control.
He ran simulations every night after Yun'er slept.
Projection magic allowed him to recreate and adjust details no ordinary cultivator could see—he measured vein dilation, skin pulse color, and energy feedback after every cycle.
By the end of the month:
> [Personal Soul Circuit Mapping: 86% Complete]
[Custom Martial Path Foundation: Established – Unnamed]
[Medical Support Application: Compatible With Target – Huo Yun'er]
[Recommendation: Begin Gentle External Reinforcement Practice]
He crafted wooden hand weights the next day.
Light ones—no heavier than a teacup. Wrapped in cloth, shaped to fit her grip.
---
"You want me to wear these?"
"Only in the mornings."
"For how long?"
"Until your hands stop trembling when you hold a spoon."
She made a face.
But wore them.
And the first time she chopped vegetables without spilling half of them, she looked at him like she'd won a war.
He just handed her a cloth to wipe the board.
"Again," he said.
She smiled.
And did it again.
---
Some nights, they sat under the awning while the wind moved through the grass, and she would speak softly about her childhood—the times before the estate, before sickness, before fear.
Yuhao never interrupted.
He just listened.
And when her voice grew quiet, and she drifted off against his shoulder, he remained still until the last candle burned low.
Then carried her inside.