The quiet days returned to their normal course.
Ever since he became nominally affiliated with the Dawson Chamber of Commerce, no one had come to recruit him again. Occasionally, nobles sent servants with invitations to banquets, but Loa politely declined them all. They knew when to back off, too, and stopped coming after a few rejections.
Loa readjusted the focus of his cultivation.
The tempering of his thoracic vertebrae was nearing its end.
September 9, Year 9996 of the Yulan Calendar.
Morning sunlight spilled through the window into the room. Loa sat cross-legged on the bed, his palms, soles, and crown facing heavenward. His spiritual force sank into his body, examining every segment of his spine from within.
The nine segments of his sacrococcygeal domain had long since become translucent jade, like nine pieces of warm white jade strung together, with energy circulating inside them on its own.
The five segments of his lumbar domain were likewise complete. Those five lumbar vertebrae were thicker and sturdier than the sacrococcygeal ones, supporting the strength of his upper body. He could feel that steady support with every breath.
Now it was the thoracic vertebrae's turn.
The first eleven had already been fully tempered. Only the final one remained-the twelfth thoracic vertebra.
Tempering this vertebra was completely different from tempering the previous eleven.
The frequency had changed.
It was no longer a simple process of vibration, nurturing, and filling, but a complex rhythm as precise as Symphony Wind Song. He had to coordinate the rhythms of his heart and lungs while sensing the movements of his internal organs, ensuring every surge of energy aligned perfectly with his body's natural rhythms.
The slightest carelessness would injure his internal organs.
Loa dared not let his guard down. With his spiritual force intensely focused, he