The walk back to the dormitory felt endlessly long.
When he finally pushed open the bedroom door and saw the familiar four-poster bed draped in red curtains, the taut nerves in his body finally relaxed.
His roommates had long since fallen asleep, their breathing steady and even.
Lin Yuan did not disturb anyone. He quietly climbed into his own bed and drew the curtains, sealing himself off in a tiny world of his own.
He did not lie down to sleep immediately.
Instead, he sat cross-legged in the standard five-hearts-facing-heaven posture.
He needed to consolidate tonight's gains and make those hard-won three strands of spiritual Qi truly part of his body.
He closed his eyes and sank his awareness into his dantian.
Under his guidance, the three strands of spiritual Qi began following the Tai Shang Wang Qing Lu circulation route he knew by heart, beginning their first official, complete... Great Zhou Cycle!
Starting from the dantian, they rose along the Ren Mai, passed through Tanzhong, ascended to Baihui, then descended along the Du Mai, passed through Mingmen, and finally returned to the dantian.
One cycle, then another.
With every circulation of spiritual Qi, his meridians grew a little tougher, and a little more of his physical exhaustion faded away.
The weakness brought on by his depleted magic was being replaced by a power that was deeper and more fundamental.
His five senses became increasingly sharp under the cleansing of spiritual Qi.
He could even "hear" his roommates' heartbeats, "smell" the delicate fragrance of flowers blooming beneath the moonlight outside the window, and "see" the multicolored motes of magical power in the air, each representing a different attribute.
Who knew how much time had passed? When the first pale light of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon, Lin Yuan slowly