The Worldheart Chamber pulsed steadily in the darkness.
Compared to months earlier, the corruption flooding upward from the breach had visibly weakened. Ancient formations surrounding the underground ruins glowed more stably now while even the fractured spiritual pathways beneath the mountains had begun recovering slowly.
But the price of that stability rested entirely on one person.
Krishak sat motionless at the center of the formation.
Black corruption swirled around him continuously like a storm imprisoned within silver light. Streams of dimensional energy entered his body through the Primordial Origin Arts before being forcefully refined again and again.
The process never became easier.
If anything-
It became more painful over time.
Because now the corruption reaching him was denser.
Closer to the source.
Each refinement cycle felt like molten iron being poured directly into his spiritual veins. His meridians trembled constantly under pressure while microscopic fractures spread repeatedly throughout his body before healing again through the Universe Origin Body Arts.
At times, even his heartbeat became unstable from the strain.
Yet he continued cultivating without pause.
The old man observed quietly nearby.
Then finally asked:
"How long has it been since you slept properly?"
Krishak slowly opened his eyes.
".I don't remember."
And that was the truth.
Time had blurred completely beneath the mountains.
Days merged together into endless cycles of pain, refinement, meditation, and suppression.
Sometimes he cultivated for so long that even standing afterward became difficult.
Other times, violent corruption surges forced him to spend entire weeks stabilizing his spiritual core alone.
Yet despite everything-
Progress continued.
The Universe Origin Body Arts had already begun stabilizing firmly within the second realm.
Star Forged Body.
Tiny traces of silver Origin essence now existed naturally within his bones and blood. His body no longer rejected high-density corruption immediately like before.
Instead-
It endured.
Adapted.
Evolved.
But that evolution carried terrifying pain.
During one particularly violent refinement cycle, black corruption surged directly into his left arm before exploding through his nerves like wildfire.
Krishak's body trembled violently.
Blood spread across his sleeve instantly.
Cracks appeared across the surrounding stone floor from the pressure leaking unconsciously from his body.
Yet he forced the Primordial Origin Arts to continue circulating.
Again.
Again.
Again.
The old man frowned slightly.
"You push too hard."
Krishak's voice remained calm despite the pain.
"I don't have the luxury of slow progress."
Silence followed.
Because both of them understood.
Humanity was changing rapidly aboveground.
The dimensional breach below remained unstable.
And sooner or later-
Something beyond the seal might notice Earth again.
The old man eventually spoke quietly.
"You carry pressure far beyond your age."
Krishak closed his eyes once more.
"So does the world."
The chamber fell silent afterward except for the pulse of the Worldheart.
Steadier now.
Healthier.
The corruption poisoning it had weakened considerably over the last several months.
Even the corrupted guardian appeared more stable.
Black corruption still covered portions of its body, but its silver eyes no longer burned entirely with madness.
Sometimes it even sat quietly near Krishak's cultivation formation like a silent protector.
During meditation, Krishak occasionally sensed fragmented emotions from the guardian through their spiritual resonance.
Gratitude.
Relief.
And endless exhaustion.
The creature had guarded the seal alone for thousands of years.
Now for the first time-
It no longer carried the burden entirely by itself.
Far above the mountains, meanwhile-
Human civilization continued transforming rapidly.
The second wave of archive techniques had already spread publicly.
This time focusing on practical applications.
Low-level healing arts.
Agricultural cultivation methods.
Basic formation stabilization systems.
Spirit beast communication principles.
The effects shocked the world again.
Entire farming regions reported increased harvest yields after applying spiritual circulation techniques to crops.
Hospitals using beginner healing synchronization methods showed improved recovery rates for awakened patients.
Even ordinary civilians with weak talent discovered they could contribute meaningfully through support paths rather than combat.
And that terrified the old cultivation powers even more.
Because for the first time-
Humanity no longer depended entirely on elite awakened families.
Inside one hidden clan meeting, several elders argued heatedly.
"If this continues, cultivation inheritance loses value."
"No."
One older elder stared quietly at global reports.
"It's worse."
The room fell silent.
Then he continued.
"Humanity is becoming self-sufficient."
Meanwhile, at the academy—
Krishak's disciples progressed steadily.
Rohon successfully forged his first true spiritual weapon after nearly six months of repeated failures.
The weapon itself remained imperfect.
But stable.
Balanced.
Exactly as Krishak's teachings emphasized.
Instead of celebrating loudly, Rohon simply stared at the blade silently for several minutes afterward.
Then whispered quietly:
"Teacher would've pointed out at least twelve flaws."
Even so-
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Meera's healing greenhouse expanded so much that the academy eventually allocated her an entire cultivation sector for medicinal development.
Some of her low-grade recovery pills had already begun entering public medical circulation.
She still studied late every night.
Still reread Krishak's notes constantly.
Still pushed herself relentlessly.
Arun's business network grew fastest of all.
What started as small-scale equipment and medicinal sales gradually evolved into interconnected cultivation supply chains spanning multiple cities.
He reinvested almost everything.
Forge materials for Rohon.
Rare herbs for Meera.
Formation resources for Tara.
Spirit beast sanctuaries for Karan.
And quietly-
He continued accumulating funds for the future academy.
Exactly as promised.
Meanwhile, Tara finally completed her first large-scale defensive formation independently.
The formation protected nearly an entire training district inside the academy.
Even senior instructors praised its stability.
Though afterward, Tara simply returned to studying immediately.
Because in her mind-
It still wasn't enough.
And deep beneath the mountains-
Krishak continued refining corruption alone.
One evening, after another brutal cultivation cycle, he slowly looked down at his hands.
Black corruption and silver Origin energy rotated together across his palms before gradually stabilizing.
The pain remained constant.
But now-
His body no longer trembled beneath it.
The old man observed silently.
Then finally spoke.
"You're changing."
Krishak looked toward the distant Worldheart pulse quietly.
"I know."
And deep within his spiritual core
The refined fragments of Origin essence continued growing slowly stronger.