Chapter 73: Chapter 73

The next morning brought forty eight people to the courtyard as dawn painted frost across stone. Temperature had dropped another degree overnight.

Liu Mei stood at the front with her ice crystal notebook already open. Professional as always. Cold as always. Showing absolutely nothing except calculated competence.

"Foundation reconstruction begins today," she announced. "This will hurt. Your meridians have adapted to wrong patterns. We’re retraining from scratch. Questions before we start?"

"How much pain?" Tao asked nervously.

"Sustained discomfort comparable to Body Refining breakthrough but lasting weeks instead of hours." Liu Mei’s tone suggested she was describing weather, not prolonged suffering. "Anyone want to quit?"

Nobody moved. Forty eight people choosing pain over stagnation.

"Good. Hunter, you’re first demonstration."

Hunter settled into position while everyone watched. His sealed Void Shadow Physique hummed quietly beneath the surface. Barely noticeable anymore.

"Begin incomplete manual circulation," Liu Mei instructed.

Hunter started the Iron Body Foundation Scripture pattern. Familiar flow hitting familiar ceiling.

"Now transition to proper technique. Slowly."

He shifted to Azure Cloud Foundation Scripture. Spiritual energy pushed past the barrier. Pain lanced through his chest like someone rearranging furniture while he was still sitting on it.

"There," Liu Mei said with satisfaction. "That’s meridians adapting. Continue thirty seconds then release."

The seconds crawled. When time was called, Hunter gasped. "Manageable but definitely uncomfortable."

"Accurate." Liu Mei made notes. "Everyone experiences similar sensation. Thirty second intervals today. Sixty tomorrow. Gradual increase as foundations adapt."

Wei Lin’s hand shot up. "Mathematical progression suggests exponential scaling would be more efficient. If we calculate individual adaptation rates..."

"Exponential scaling ruptures meridians," Liu Mei interrupted. "We use linear progression because safety matters more than your optimization calculations."

Wei Lin looked disappointed but nodded. Probably calculating anyway.

Han went next. Twenty years of wrong technique made transition brutal. Sweat formed within fifteen seconds. By thirty he looked like he’d run a marathon in full armor.

"Your Iron Bone Constitution is compensating," Liu Mei observed. "Two months minimum. Possibly three given pattern depth."

She turned sharp eyes on him. "Don’t practice alone. Only supervised sessions until I verify safety. Understood?"

"Understood." Han’s voice was tight.

The twins went together. Experienced identical discomfort at identical moments. Gasped in unison. Stumbled in synchronization.

"Your linked bases are advantage here," Liu Mei told them. "Just maintain synchronized practice. Don’t let one advance faster."

They nodded as one. Always as one.

The panic trio approached together despite explicit instructions otherwise.

"Geometric tactical unit," Tao announced. "We train together."

Frost formed where Liu Mei stood. "Your Resonance Physiques interfere when untrained. We discussed this yesterday. Sit. Five meters apart. No negotiation."

They separated reluctantly. Liu Mei supervised each individually. Their natural amplification meant spiritual energy kept reaching for each other unconsciously. Seeking resonance they couldn’t safely achieve.

Tao’s circulation destabilized twice trying to connect with Xuan. Xuan kept pulsing toward Lex. Lex somehow succeeded by being too lazy to unconsciously reach out.

"Heaven defying advantage weaponized against yourselves through sheer incompetence," Liu Mei muttered while documenting furiously. "Months of teaching you not to sabotage your own talents. Five meters minimum until I say otherwise."

"Can we sit closer?" Tao asked hopefully.

"Would you prefer ten meters? Fifteen? I can arrange more distance."

They chose five. With visible sulking.

The junior division went last. Mei settled into perfect lotus position. Her Innate Dao Body made proper circulation look effortless. Natural as breathing.

"Thirty seconds," Liu Mei said exactly thirty seconds later.

Mei opened her eyes. "That felt right. Like puzzle pieces fitting properly."

"Your physique recognizes correct technique instinctively." Liu Mei almost smiled. "You’ll advance fastest. Possibly reach Foundation Realm before winter ends."

"She’s seven and a half," Hunter protested.

"She has Innate Dao Body. Age is irrelevant when natural talent exceeds normal limitations by orders of magnitude." Liu Mei’s tone made it sound obvious. "With resources and guidance, Core Formation before adulthood. That’s what one in ten million enables."

"Is that okay?" Mei asked Hunter. "Advancing fast?"

"That’s incredible." Hunter’s throat was tight. "Just be careful. Promise?"

"I promise. Gerald says slow pressure creates strongest foundations."

"Gerald provides better advice than most sect manuals," Liu Mei observed. "Wei Lin, your turn."

Wei Lin’s Calculation Physique let her see technique as equation. She solved for optimal flow. Executed with mathematical precision.

"No discomfort?" Liu Mei asked.

"Approximately seven percent of projected pain threshold based on Han’s observable response. My physique optimized circulation automatically."

"Of course it did." Liu Mei’s voice mixed exasperation and admiration. "One week stabilization then I’m teaching you formation inscription. You’ll revolutionize it."

Little Sparrow clutched Gerald. "GERALD IS READY FOR CIRCULATION TRAINING."

"Rocks don’t cultivate."

"GERALD BEGS TO DIFFER."

"Fine. Gerald can observe. You however need actual instruction. Begin."

Little Sparrow’s circulation followed geological patterns. Completely unconventional but somehow stable.

"This violates standard theory," Liu Mei muttered. "But it works. Two weeks monitoring to verify. Also, I hate that sedimentary rock understands cultivation better than I do."

By midday everyone had completed initial practice. Various discomfort levels. Different timelines ahead. But starting properly at last.

Liu Mei closed her notebook. "Training concludes. Rest. Hydrate. Tomorrow same time. Same intervals."

She looked at Hunter specifically. "You practice breathing meditation twice daily. No techniques. No Shadow Step. Definitely no Shadow Clone. Just breathing until foundation stabilizes. Clear?"

"Don’t make me regret sealing your physique if you damage yourself through impatience." Professional concern only. Asset preservation. "Stay alive. Stay unremarkable. Stay practicing boring breathing."

People dispersed discussing progress. Qiu materialized beside Hunter with his ledger.

"Better than expected. Nobody shattered. Minimal complications. Success." He made notes. "Winter in six weeks. Reconstruction takes two months minimum. We face winter partially rebuilt. Not ideal but manageable with proper planning."

He paused. "We’re on day twelve of peaceful period. Statistically due for catastrophe within week based on our seventeen day disaster cycle."

"You just jinxed us."

"I don’t believe in jinxes. Just probability assessment." Qiu closed his ledger. "But if catastrophe happens, I’m blaming you."

Mei appeared with Gerald. "Your foundation felt more stable. Proper technique helps already."

"Hurt though. Like rearranging bones while using them."

"Geological formations experience similar stress during shifts. Pressure creates stronger structures." She studied him with knowing eyes. "Also Liu Mei likes you. Watches you differently."

"She’s monitoring worst case scenario. Professional supervision."

"If you say so." That tone. "I’m practicing breathing meditation. You should think about why she gave YOU specific warnings when everyone else got general instructions."

She left. Hunter settled into breathing meditation. Five count pattern automatic now. His sealed physique humming patiently beneath surface.

One year minimum. One year of sealed power while rebuilding properly. He could manage that. Had survived four months of Luna’s disasters already.

[LUNA] YOU’RE VERY DUMB SOMETIMES (◕‿◕✿)

[LUNA] NOTHING [LUNA] JUST OBSERVING YOUR COMPLETE INABILITY TO READ SOCIAL SITUATIONS [LUNA] IT’S IMPRESSIVE ♥

I don’t know what you mean.

[LUNA] I KNOW YOU DON’T [LUNA] THAT’S THE PROBLEM (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Luna went quiet. Hunter dismissed it as usual cryptic nonsense.

Three miles away, Liu Mei sat making notes in private sections of her crystal notebook. The parts that would melt if anyone else tried reading.

Day one reconstruction: Successful. Hunter maintained circulation thirty seconds despite seal. Progress adequate.

Statistical observation: Made eye contact with Hunter seventeen times. Professional average is four to six. This represents significant deviation from protocol.

Spoke directly to him twelve times. General instructions only four times. Ratio inverted from proper methodology. Am failing at professional distance.

He remains completely oblivious. Believes everything is strategic asset preservation. Shows zero recognition of personal investment beyond stated justification.

This should make maintaining cover easier. Instead makes everything worse. Knowing he’s oblivious somehow intensifies caring.

She paused. Stared at ice walls with no proper formations.

Minimum one year until seal removal. One year of daily training. One year watching him rebuild foundation with complete unawareness of personal investment in his success.

Gerald the rock has better romantic prospects. This is objective assessment. Rock shows more awareness of interpersonal dynamics.

But rock would not run toward danger protecting refugees. Would not worry whether he could still protect people despite sealed power. Would not make two hundred years of ice start melting through stubborn existence.

Professional investment. Maintaining that explanation. Protecting career. Protecting him. Protecting pride from admission.

All very professional. All very doomed.

She closed the private section. Sealed it with formations protecting vulnerability with same thoroughness protecting cultivation secrets.

Tomorrow would bring more training. More supervision. More carefully maintained distance that was really just elaborate emotional defense.

Ice melted eventually. Spring arrived whether acknowledged or not. Some forces were inevitable.

But nobody had to know except private notebook sections that would melt if discovered. Secrets protected by two centuries of practice hiding vulnerability behind cold competence.

One year. She could manage one year of maintained cover. One year of protected secret. One year of disaster being completely oblivious.

Professional investment proceeding as planned. No complications whatsoever.

The ice wasn’t melting. Spring wasn’t happening. Everything was completely controlled.

Lies cultivators told themselves while surviving impossible situations. Hunter would understand that perfectly.

If he ever noticed. Which he wouldn’t. Three percent probability plus or minus three percent. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novelꞁire.net

She could work with those odds. Two hundred years of persistence applied to new problem. Maintain cover. Protect him. Protect herself from embarrassing admission.

All very achievable. All very professional. All very Liu Mei.

Tomorrow would be fine. Day two of foundation reconstruction and emotional containment. Day two of spring arriving unnoticed.

This was absolutely fine. Everything completely under control. No emotional compromise affecting objective judgment whatsoever.

The ice wasn’t melting. Spring wasn’t happening. She remained frozen solid.

Gerald the rock would laugh if rocks could laugh. Sedimentary wisdom recognizing truth ice cultivators refused admitting.

But Liu Mei had practice at denial. Two hundred years of it. Could maintain it one more year if necessary.

Professional investment. Strategic asset preservation. Completely logical behavior. No complications. No problems.

This was her story. Nobody would know otherwise. Especially not Hunter who couldn’t read subtext written ten feet tall directly before him.

Some disasters were consistent. Some obliviousness reliable. Some springs took forever being noticed even while actively blooming.

Tomorrow. Dawn. Training. Day two of perfectly controlled professional monitoring with absolutely zero emotional complications.

Fine. Completely fine. Totally fine.

The spring that was happening whether she acknowledged it or not could continue happening quietly while she maintained perfect ice cold competence.

One year. She could do one year. After two centuries, one year was nothing.

Even if ice melted faster than comfortable. Even if spring arrived ahead of schedule. Even if disaster prone cultivator made two hundred years of control start cracking through simple existence.

This was fine. Everything was fine. Professional investment proceeding exactly as planned.

Absolutely. Totally. Definitely.