The news of Morana’s arrival in the Eastern Empire and the astronomical bounty had galvanized the Phantom Trio. Knowing they had, at best, a few weeks before the coordinated Imperial-Shadow Clan hunt reached Crimson Valley, Kai became a study in ascetic intensity. He sequestered himself in the secluded corner of the compound's training yard, miles away from the city's chatter, which now served as the setting: training grounds outside Crimson Valley.
He sat cross-legged on the cold stone, his posture perfect, his breathing slow—a man entirely divorced from the physical world. Kai was meditating, pushing his mana core to its absolute limit. He was no longer trying to recover his reserves; he was attempting a forced ascension. He was on the verge of a breakthrough.
His mind, detached from h
