The sun rose and the moon set; the sound of water remained constant.
The days of recovery were like the droplets seeping down the cave walls: slow and monotonous, yet leaving their marks unnoticed as time gradually passed.
The cave was small, offering barely any room, and became Loa's temporary camp. With his injured leg limiting his movements, he had to suspend the morning sword practice he had once maintained without fail. His longsword lay across his knees, and his fingertips occasionally brushed its cold blade, feeling the faint, lingering trace of the keen power of "Nine Heavens Wind-Thunder." Most of the time, he sat cross-legged, his awareness sinking into his body as he circulated the optimized "Wind-Thunder Meridian-Expansion Method" again and again.
Recovering his battle-qi was a slow but steady process. Within his dantian, the three great qi vortices were like plants receiving rain after a drought, greedily yet methodically absorbing the free-floating wind and thunder elements between heaven and earth. Their pale green and deep purple halos gradually regained their luster, while the colorless Weapon Strike vortex at the center stabilized once more. Within his meridians, tiny trickles gathered into streams again, flowing through broad, resilient channels. Wherever they passed, they brought not only strength but also the gentlest nourishment, soothing the aching "hidden injuries" left by overexertion. The itching around the wounds at his waist and abdomen grew more noticeable each day, signaling the tenacious growth of new flesh. The swelling in his left knee had long since subsided. Although it still felt somewhat weak and sore when bearing weight, basic movement was no longer much of a problem.
"In a supernatural world, injuries to muscles and bones really don't take a hundred days to heal." Loa moved his left leg, satisfied by the solidity he felt