The moment the last trace of his internal energy was sealed, Alex felt an unfamiliar emptiness spread through his body. It was not pain at first. It was absence. For the first time since he had begun cultivating, he could not sense even the faintest thread of energy within himself. The world around him, however, felt more overwhelming than ever.
The heat pressed in from every direction.
It was not simply the temperature of the air. It was the ground beneath his feet, the wind that moved across the molten landscape, and even the light itself that carried an oppressive intensity. Each breath he took burned his throat slightly, as if the air itself resisted being inhaled.
Igris stood at a distance, observing him without expression.
"You may begin," he said calmly.
There were no further instructions.
Alex understood immediately. This was not a structured lesson. This was endurance.
He took a step forward.
