The sun hadn't risen yet, but Yuhao was already outside.
The grass beneath his feet was cool. Damp with dew.
He stood facing the east, cloak wrapped tight, hands behind his back. There was no sound except the distant stirring of wind in the tall pines.
He closed his eyes.
Breathed in.
The first inhale was cold and dry. He held it, then exhaled through his nose.
Again. Slower this time.
He wasn't trying to rush anything.
---
Purple qi—the first light of the sun—wasn't just symbolic. The system had marked it as mildly effective for foundational enhancement, especially when paired with precise breathing control.
> [Morning Vital Energy Detected: Pre-Sunrise Phase]
[Recommendation: Activate Root Cycle Breathing – Slow Circulation Mode]
[Effect: 3% increased efficiency in qi absorption]
He activated it wordlessly.
Soul power moved through his core in a slow, grounding spiral—lower dantian to mid-back, ribcage, and then held just behind the sternum.
Each breath gathered more warmth from the horizon.
---
He remained like that for thirty minutes.
Then the sky began to tint.
It wasn't dramatic. No beams. No golden blaze.
Just a shift from black to blue, and then to the faintest hue of violet right above the treetops.
He moved into the second stance of his breathing method—knees slightly bent, one palm raised, the other open and low.
Not a martial art.
Just a posture to open channels and stabilize posture.
The moment the violet hue spread fully, he shifted his breath again—longer hold, shallower release.
A tingling spread from his chest up to the base of his skull.
That was the signal.
The qi had entered.
He didn't celebrate.
Just stayed still.
And continued breathing.
---
Inside, Yun'er stirred. She would rise soon. Begin her exercises. Prepare the morning tea.
But Yuhao didn't turn.
He remained rooted, posture calm, until the last trace of purple faded from the sky.
Only then did he return inside, warmed not by heat, but by stillness.
---
He washed his face with cold water.
Changed his undershirt.
Put a kettle on the stove.
And only then did he speak. "Morning."
Yun'er, seated on her blanket by the hearth, gave a faint nod. "You were out again."
He poured hot water into two cups.
"I adjusted the breathing method," he said. "It works better during that window."
"Does it help?"
"A little."
She took a sip of tea. "Then keep doing it."
No fuss. No admiration. Just simple support.
It was enough.
---
Yuhao spent the next hour reviewing his internal map.
> [Soul Power: Level 10]
[Stability: High]
[Qi Circulation Routes: 12/14 Channels Cleared]
[Bone Marrow Nourishment: 2% Progress]
[Recommendation: Continue Morning Purple Qi Absorption – Estimated Time to 10% Base Body Refinement: 19 Days]
Not fast.
But reliable.
He would need this foundation before attempting the Tianmeng fusion.
Mental strength wasn't enough. His physical core had to endure the spiritual pressure.
---
That afternoon, he carved new wood grips for Yun'er's practice tools.
Lightweights. Sanded smooth. No splinters.
She practiced quietly beside him as the sun moved across the window.
They didn't speak much.
But it wasn't silence.
It was rhythm.