The flow thickened, growing heavier. His breathing steadied as he carefully arranged the elemental strands, weaving them together while keeping their boundaries clear.

Third stage.

The four elements finally touched—just barely. A thin spark ran through his meridians as Lightning brushed against Fire… Fire brushed against Wind… Wind brushed against Life… and Life pressed back gently against all three.

Tian Lei opened one eye slightly.

"…So far so good."

He closed it again and pushed deeper into circulation.

He wasn't trying anything flashy.

He wasn't forcing the elements to merge.

He was simply checking the stability—making sure his new technique didn't fall apart the moment it met real resistance.

Fourth stage.

The energy loop in his body tightened.

Lightning jumped ahead, trying to lead the cycle.

Fire swelled, trying to burn through the others.

Wind surged with restless pressure, trying to scatter the flow.

Life-energy stretched out to soothe them all.

Tian Lei frowned slightly.

"Too much aggression… calm down."

He slowed the cycle for a moment, letting the energies cool. His spiritual sense hovered over each element, correcting their direction like a teacher adjusting a student's posture.

Only when they felt balanced again did he let the technique continue.

Fifth stage.

The rotation became smoother.

The four elements no longer pushed against each other—they followed the path he created, flowing along the meridians exactly as he had designed.

Tian Lei nodded in satisfaction.

"It's moving properly. Good."

He checked the marks one by one, making sure none were shaking or fading.

So far, everything held.

Exactly the way he wanted.

Sixth stage.

This was the first real test.

Here, the elements had to overlap slightly—just enough to begin forming the deeper layers of the technique. If something went wrong, the entire structure could break.

He breathed in.

He breathed out.

And guided the four forces forward.

Lightning wrapped around Fire.

Fire layered beneath Wind.

Wind spread softly beneath Life.

Life settled over all of them like a warm blanket.

For a moment, the cycle trembled.

Tian Lei narrowed his eyes.

"Hold."

The trembling eased.

The flow stabilized.

The four energies aligned, moving like four gears of a perfectly shaped machine.

Tian Lei let out a slow breath.

"…It's working."

He checked the last section carefully—no cracks, no imbalance, no sudden bursts of rejection. Everything moved the way he imagined it would.

He smiled, small but genuine.

"So the technique isn't just theory anymore.

It can really run… smoothly."

He continued circulating for a few more minutes, observing tiny adjustments, making mental notes of anything that could be refined later.

Then, when he was sure everything was stable, he opened his eyes.

A faint glow lingered in them—four colors mixing gently without chaos.

Tian Lei slowly released the last of the circulating energy, allowing the four elements to settle back into their natural positions within his core. The glow in his eyes dimmed to a calm shimmer, but the harmony inside his body remained steady.

He flexed his fingers once.

No backlash.

No stiffness.

No hidden cracks in his meridians.

"…Good. Very good."

He reached for his notebook and scribbled a few quick notes:

—Stage Six stable.

—Element overlap working as expected.

—Life-energy is key to preventing Lightning from destabilizing the flow.

—Wind needs slight adjustment at the fourth junction.

He tapped the page with his finger.

"There's room for improvement… but nothing dangerous."

Closing the notebook, he set it aside and straightened his back.

Seventh stage.

This one wasn't part of the official structure—he hadn't finalized it yet.

It was more like a test of endurance, a way to see how long the four elements could maintain unity under slow, repeated circulation.

Tian Lei inhaled deeply, then guided the energies forward again.

The cycle restarted from the beginning.

Lightning.

Fire.

Wind.

Life.

They moved more naturally this time, as if becoming familiar with their positions. The strain from earlier stages faded, replaced by a warm, rhythmic flow that pulsed in time with his heartbeat.

Minutes passed.

Then half an hour.

Then a full hour.

Not once did the flow stutter.

By the end of the cycle, Tian Lei opened his eyes again—this time with a faint smile that reached all the way to his expression.

"…Looks like I did it."

The four elements settled into his core like obedient streams returning to a source. The technique, though still in its early form, had proven itself stable.

He placed a hand over his chest.

"It's still rough… but it's solid."

He stood up, stretching his legs as the starlight around his body dispersed.

"The foundation is complete."

Tian Lei turned his gaze toward the door of the chamber, eyes calm and focused.

"Now I can finally begin real cultivation with it."

He exhaled once more, steady and confident.

"This is only the first step… but it's enough."

Tian Lei walked toward the center of the chamber again, this time without the tension he'd carried before. There was no uncertainty left in his movements. Everything felt lighter—his body, his mind, even the air around him.

The foundation was there.

Now he needed to strengthen it.

He sat down once more, legs folded beneath him, and placed both hands on his knees. The chamber was quiet—so quiet he could hear his own pulse echo against the stone walls.

He closed his eyes.

"Alright… let's begin the real thing."

The moment he activated the technique again, the four elements responded instantly—no hesitation, no resistance. They surged forward with smooth familiarity, slipping into the circulation path as if they had always belonged there.

Lightning sparked first, lighting up the meridians like tiny silver rivers.Fire followed, warm and steady.Wind flowed in gentle spirals.Life-energy spread softly, supporting them all.

The newly built system accepted them seamlessly.

Tian Lei felt the difference immediately.

The cycle didn't just run—it grew stronger with every rotation.

With each breath, Lightning sharpened.With each pulse, Fire deepened.With each shift, Wind grew more fluid.With each wave, Life-energy thickened.

"It's adapting to me," he realized quietly.

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