Deepening of Fusion

On the morning of the sixth day, the wind was gentler than in previous days, as if the air across the entire platform were slowly settling. While practicing his breathing at the eastern edge, Lin Chen noticed a brief pause when the wind changed direction—not complete stillness, but as though some force had held it in place. It began flowing again only after two or three breaths. He adjusted his breathing rhythm and completed a round of inhalation during that pause, feeling the air enter his lungs more smoothly than usual.

Son Gohan had not come to the platform. After finishing his breathing practice, Lin Chen walked along the stone path for a while. As he passed through the low partition wall, he saw Son Gohan crouching beside the withered tree in the training grounds, touching the base of its trunk. When Lin Chen approached, Son Gohan said, "The tree's roots are more active than they were a few days ago. It's not an illusion—the soil here is changing." He offered no further explanation.

The morning training was similar to yesterday's. Lin Chen repeatedly practiced striking motions before the withered tree, and the speed at which he withdrew his hand had improved considerably compared to the previous two days. As he struck, he could feel the tree trunk's feedback becoming clearer, as though a once-blurred boundary were gradually coming into focus. After his palm made contact with the trunk, he felt the vibration enter the wood and spread deeper within, reaching farther than before.

[Ding! Force-Application Technique proficiency: 10%.]

After withdrawing his hand, he felt a wave of warmth extend from his palm to his wrist, then spread up his forearm for some distance, as though it had traveled along a fixed path. When he lowered his hand,