Time passed strangely inside the cave.
Without the sun overhead, Shen Yuan measured it by his breathing, by the slow rhythm of circulation within his meridians, and by the faint changes in his body as impurities were gradually forced out.
Pain was still present—but it had changed.
It was no longer violent or chaotic. Instead, it felt like resistance, like pushing against a weight that slowly became lighter the longer he endured it.
This is tolerable, he thought.Which means it's working.
After several cycles of purging, Shen Yuan opened his eyes.
"System," he said quietly, "I'm ready to try absorbing external spiritual energy."
There was a pause—brief, deliberate.
"Acknowledged.""Warning: absorption must remain controlled."
"I know."
"Your current tolerance is extremely low."
"I also know that."
The system did not argue further.
Shen Yuan shifted his posture slightly, aligning his spine and relaxing his shoulders. He followed the system's guidance exactly, slowing his breathing until it synchronized with the faint flow of energy around him.
The cave gathered spiritual energy naturally—not much, but enough for a test.
"Begin," he murmured.
At once, he felt it.
A thin thread of spiritual energy brushed against his senses, hesitant, unstable. Unlike the stagnant Qi inside his body, this energy was external, carrying traces of the forest's chaotic nature.
Shen Yuan guided it inward.
Slowly.
Carefully.
The moment it entered his meridians, pain flared.
His jaw clenched as the unfamiliar energy scraped against narrowed channels, threatening to spiral out of control.
"Reduce intake by thirty percent,"the system instructed calmly.
Shen Yuan obeyed instantly.
The pain lessened—but did not disappear.
So this is what normal cultivators endure, he realized.No wonder so many rush and break themselves.
He continued.
Minute by minute, breath by breath, he refined the energy—compressing it, smoothing it, forcing it to align with his body rather than overwhelm it.
Sweat dripped from his chin.
Then—
Something went wrong.
A sudden surge of foreign energy rushed in, pulled from the surrounding forest by mistake. It carried a sharp, violent edge—beast-tainted Qi, mixed with faint demonic residue.
Shen Yuan's breath hitched.
Pain exploded through his chest as the energy slammed into his meridians, threatening to tear them apart.
"Error detected,"the system warned."Immediate correction required."
Shen Yuan didn't panic.
He reacted.
Instead of forcing the energy deeper, he halted circulation entirely—something most cultivators would never dare to do.
The Qi churned violently inside him.
His vision blurred.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
If I push, he thought grimly,I break.
So he didn't push.
He redirected.
Following instinct more than instruction, Shen Yuan guided the corrupted energy outward—not expelling it violently, but filtering it layer by layer, stripping away its hostility and isolating the usable essence.
The pain dulled.
Then receded.
His breathing steadied.
"Correction successful," the system reported after a moment."Unexpected adaptability detected."
Shen Yuan slumped slightly, exhausted.
"…I'll take that as a compliment."
When the circulation finally ended, Shen Yuan sat in silence, listening to the quiet drip of water somewhere deeper in the cave.
He checked his condition inwardly.
The result surprised him.
The absorbed energy—small as it was—had settled. It didn't clash with his existing Qi. It didn't leave residue behind.
It integrated.
That shouldn't be possible this early, he realized.
"System," he said slowly, "most cultivators would have been injured by that surge."
"Confirmed."
"And yet I wasn't."
"Reason identified," the system replied."Your body exhibits abnormal compatibility."
Shen Yuan frowned. "From the sealed talent?"
"Partially.""Primary cause: foundation restructuring during purge."
So doing things the slow way had already changed him.
That… was dangerous knowledge.
He leaned back, staring at the cave ceiling.
"Be honest," he said quietly. "If I'd followed standard cultivation methods before… would this body have survived?"
There was no hesitation.
"No."
Shen Yuan closed his eyes.
Then dying once might have been the best thing that ever happened to me.
After resting, he tried again—this time even more cautiously. The absorption was barely noticeable, almost laughably small.
But it worked.
Each cycle strengthened his tolerance by a fraction. Each success widened his meridians just enough to matter.
No breakthroughs.
No sudden realm advancement.
But—
His body no longer felt fragile.
As he finished the session, the system spoke again.
"Notification.""Authority Zone stability decreasing."
Shen Yuan's eyes opened sharply.
"How long do I have?"
"Estimated duration: several days."
"So this cave isn't permanent."
"Correct."
Shen Yuan nodded slowly.
That was fine.
Shelter was temporary.
Foundation was not.
He rose to his feet, steadier now than before, and walked to the cave entrance. The forest beyond still radiated danger—but it no longer felt suffocating.
"I'll be ready," he said quietly.
The system did not respond.
But somewhere deep within, a sealed lock shifted—just slightly.