Chapter 44: Cultivation stress
Midnight had long since passed, and the academy grounds outside were silent under a blanket of darkness. Within the dorm, a quiet glow radiated from Lucas as he sat cross-legged, bathed in the gentle silver spill of moonlight coming in through the window. His breathing was steady now—slower, more controlled—but sweat clung to his forehead, his chest rising and falling with the kind of weariness that didn’t come from physical exertion alone.
He had done it. After hours of rigorous focus, he’d finally brought the chaotic storm within him to heel. The flood of raw energy he had taken in from Nana was now moving in rhythm with his own core, flowing along the refined pathways of his newly advanced meridians.
Still, even as he exhaled a breath of hard-earned relief, he knew he wasn’t done.
The advancement to the Expert Rank wasn’t just a celebratory milestone—it was a warning. The pace at which he was growing... it was exhilarating, yes, but also dangerous. Too fast, and his own body wouldn’t be able to keep up. His Dantian and meridian were starting to show signs of stress. Slight tension in his abdomen. A subtle, cold ache around his core whenever the energy spiked too suddenly.
It wasn’t something he could ignore.
Lucas slowly opened his eyes, the soft shimmer of Qi still dancing in the air around him before it gently faded. He flexed his fingers, then clenched them into fists. "Damn," he murmured. "I’m moving too fast."
He didn’t regret it. Not for a second. His recent encounters—the cultivation with Nana, the battle with Princess Nyx, and the unexpected clash with Rodeo—had all opened doors he couldn’t have foreseen. Each experience had given him more strength. More insight. More need to ascend.
But strength without a stable foundation was like fire on paper—beautiful for a second, then gone in smoke.
Lucas stood, stretching slightly as he walked toward the small shelf near his desk. He lit a small oil lamp, bathing the room in warm amber light, then reached for a thin notebook tucked between a set of scrolls. Flipping through its worn pages, he found the section he’d been compiling quietly since the day he’d arrived: potion formulas.
Not just any formulas—these were for Dantian reinforcement. Elixirs to temper meridians, tonics to stabilize the inner core, and rare herb combinations to ease the body’s adjustment after breakthroughs.
He read one aloud softly to himself. "Moonshade Root... Emerald Myrrh... Phoenix Plum Extract..."