The March wind was finally no longer an icy blade that cut to the bone. It had taken on a touch of gentle warmth, brushing over the newly budding shoots and fresh greenery in the hills. The ice and snow that had lasted all winter quietly melted into trickling streams, nourishing the awakening earth.
At the edge of these plains, where life was just beginning to stir, a travel-worn figure was making his way forward. It was Loa, on his journey home.
He had left Windhowl Cliff at the end of January. Counting the days, he had been traveling for over a month. The open plains before him were an important landmark on the route toward Fenlai City. Once he crossed them and traveled for roughly another month, Fenlai City would be within sight. His timing was close to his estimate; he should make it back to the city without trouble in April.
Traveling had not interfered with his training. After his insights into sound waves and vibrations atop Windhowl Cliff, he had simplified the Wind-Thunder Heavenly Pillar Method, and its tempering efficiency had indeed improved dramatically. He had finished tempering his second coccygeal vertebra ahead of schedule, and work on the third was now proceeding smoothly. Loa had a clear premonition: once all four segments of his tailbone were fully tempered, he would be in for a surprise.
His Battle-qi was also growing steadily. He circulated it through its full circuit every day without fail, and the vortex within his dantian grew increasingly solid and powerful. But there was no sign of it naturally reaching fullness and spilling over into a breakthrough. Clearly, he still needed more accumulation and refinement.
"Almost there at last." Loa stopped and gazed into the distance across the seemingly endless plains, dotted with scattered