Two days had passed since Jalen and the boys settled in Alina.
Two days of nonstop training.
Calen's body ached in places he didn't know could ache. His muscles burned, his meridians throbbed, and his pride had taken more hits than his limbs. Sparring with Jael was like fighting a storm wrapped in silk—graceful, relentless, and utterly overpowering.
It wasn't that Calen was weak. Compared to a normal human, he was practically superhuman now. His qi control had sharpened, his reflexes had improved, and his breathing forms were beginning to stabilize. But Jael was simply too strong. Every clash ended with Calen flat on his back, panting, while Jael stood untouched.
They circled each other again in the courtyard, dust swirling around their feet. Calen's stance was lower now—more grounded, more deliberate. He had learned to stop chasing Jael's speed and instead anticipate his rhythm.
Jael flicked his wrist, and a ripple of ice qi surged forward. Calen braced, redirecting the force with a half-step pivot and a palm deflection. It worked—barely. The pressure slid past his ribs instead of slamming into his chest.
"Better," Jael said, voice calm. "But you're still too reactive."
Calen didn't answer. He lunged forward, channeling solar qi into his fists. His strikes came fast—three jabs, a spinning elbow, and a low sweep. Jael dodged the first two, blocked the third, and leapt over the sweep with a dancer's grace.
He wasn't just swinging anymore. He was applying. Root, breath, rhythm—just like Master taught. It wasn't perfect, but it was his.
Then Jael countered.
A single tap to Calen's shoulder sent him stumbling. Another to his chest knocked the breath from his lungs. Jael didn't use force—he used precision. Every strike landed where Calen was weakest.
Calen dropped to one knee, gasping.
Jael offered a hand, helping him up. "You lasted longer this time."
"Thanks," Calen muttered, brushing dust from his robes. He knew Jael wasn't even using a fraction of his strength. "I think I broke my soul."
"You'll be fine," Jael said with a grin. "Come on. Let's go soak in the spring around back with Dad."
Calen nodded, limping slightly as they walked toward the rear garden—where warmth, herbs, and quiet awaited.
____
In the backyard of Jalen's residence, steam rose from a hot spring he had crafted days earlier. The water shimmered with infused qi, tinged by rare herbs—Flame Lotus, Crimson Vine, and Sunroot Bloom. Their fiery essence threaded through the mist, perfect for restoring vitality, soothing meridians, and enhancing qi absorption.
Jalen sat cross-legged in the center, eyes closed, meditating. The spring did little for his cultivation, but it calmed him. He had laced the water for the boys—not himself.
Jael and Calen stepped in, robes discarded, bodies sinking into the warmth.
Calen exhaled sharply as the heat wrapped around him. A tingling sensation spread through his limbs, and slowly, the ache in his muscles faded. His qi stirred—not violently, but gently. Like a flame rekindling in a hearth.
Jael floated nearby, arms spread, eyes half-lidded, drifting with the ease of someone whose body had long adapted to elemental extremes.
"Master," Calen asked softly, "have you found a cultivation method suited for me yet?"
Jalen didn't open his eyes. "Be patient, Calen. You'll learn a technique soon."
Calen bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to rush you."
"I understand the impatience," Jalen said. "But I promise—the wait will be worth your while."
"I trust you, Master."
A beat of silence passed. Then—
A splash.
Water arced toward Jalen's face. He raised a casual light qi shield, deflecting the spray with ease.
"Daddy, play splash with me," Jael grinned.
"This spring is for cultivation, not play," Jalen replied, voice calm.
"I know," Jael said, "but I'm bored."
"Do you miss Jared and your siblings?"
"I admit I do. Uncle Jared can be annoying, but he's fun."
"Do you want to go back home?"
"No," Jael said without hesitation. "I want to stay with Daddy."
"Good," Jalen said, patting the boy's head. "Focus on your cultivation for now. We can play later."
"Yes, Daddy." Jael looked a little disappointed, but he smiled anyway—because whatever Daddy said was law.
"I'll play splash with you, Jael," Calen offered, grinning.
Jael's eyes lit up. "Can I, Daddy?"
Jalen exhaled softly, the steam curling around his shoulders. "Go ahead."
"Yeah!" Jael darted through the water toward Calen and splashed him with both hands, sending a wave of warm mist across his chest.
Calen retaliated, sending a wave of water toward Jael's chest. Jael dodged with a twist, then spun and flicked his fingers—sending a burst of steam laced with faint fire qi toward Calen's shoulder.
"Hey, that's cheating!" Calen laughed.
"It's not my fault you can't fly," Jael teased, rising just above the surface with a subtle burst of fire qi beneath his feet—enough to hover, not soar.
Calen narrowed his eyes, then began launching smaller splashes in rapid bursts, trying to catch Jael mid-hover. Jael dodged with playful spins, trailing steam and flickers of heat. One splash grazed his ankle.
"Ha! Got you!" Calen shouted.
"Barely!" Jael laughed, swooping low and flicking a chilled mist of ice qi toward the water's surface, causing a thin layer to frost over Calen's side of the spring.
Calen blinked. "Okay, now that's cheating."
"Elemental advantage," Jael said smugly.
Jalen didn't intervene. He simply closed his eyes again, letting the noise dissolve into background warmth as he turned inward. His Luminal Heart buzzed faintly with light qi—his second spirit core, or rather, his second eternal-grade spirit tool. Dormant. Silent. Just like the Origin Shard.
But unlike the second eternal-grade spirit tool, which remained quiet by design, the Origin Shard was truly inert.
It had been nearly a year since the shard sacrificed itself to free him from the sealed state. And still, no sign of life—if it could be called that. It was a tool, not a sentient being.
He wished it would stir. If it did, the search for high-value treasures—or even the chance to locate a realm where time moved differently—would be easier.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
So for now, he soaked. And listened. And waited.