Two Days Later
The chamber was still. Still in the way that only deep stone could be. No breath of wind, no tremble of vibration. Only the quiet hum of Lan's inner world, rippling in slow, steady waves.
His legs were crossed beneath him. His breathing shallow. Sweat traced down the side of his temple, unheeded.
Three pills gone.
Each one felt like swallowing a star. Not fire—weight. Mass. The kind that dragged at his soul and made his bones ache with the pressure of becoming more than he was.
And still, he hadn't broken through.
[Progress to Core Formation: 68%]
[Spiritual Will: Ascendant – Locked]
[Current Realm: Foundation Establishment – Tier II]
"Why?" Lan muttered under his breath. "Why won't it—"
A ripple passed through the air.
Then, like a reflection in disturbed water, he appeared again.
Xie Wuchen.
