Eklavya slowly rose to his feet, sensing the subtle yet undeniable transformation coursing through his widened ki channels. Spiritual energy now flowed with greater speed, density, and responsiveness than before, as though his body itself had become more receptive to the rhythm of the world. The absorption of natural spiritual ki felt smoother, richer, and more fluid, like a widened river allowing a stronger current to pass through without resistance. The faint pulse of power within him carried a quiet promise of future growth.

  He stretched his body in a relaxed yet deliberate manner, rolling his shoulders and rotating his neck until a soft clicking sound echoed through his joints, easing the lingering stiffness from prolonged cultivation. Reaching up, he briefly touched the side of his neck before straightening his posture, exhaling as he grounded himself in the moment.

  “Well,” he murmured with calm curiosity, tilting his head slightly, “what do we do next?”

  Magha’s composed and authoritative voice echoed within his mind. “Of course, you will use your flame to heat the pill cauldron first, and after that, you will follow my instructions without hesitation.”

  Nodding faintly, Eklavya stepped closer to the cauldron, his expression shifting into one of focus and discipline. With controlled precision, he guided a strand of bluish-purple beast flame from within himself, allowing it to extend outward like a thin, misty thread before connecting to the cauldron’s core.

  The moment the flame linked to it, heat began to accumulate rapidly inside, and the interior temperature rose as the fire burned with a contained yet volatile intensity.

  Minutes passed in silence as the cauldron steadily warmed, its surface faintly glowing under the sustained pressure of the flame. Then Magha spoke again, his tone firm and instructive.

  “There are certain herbs I have set aside. You must retrieve them from your ring while maintaining the flame. I will explain their properties only once, so do not allow the fire to extinguish while you listen.”

  Eklavya’s brows knitted slightly as he processed the challenge ahead, and a quiet sigh escaped him. ‘This won’t be easy’, he thought, though he nodded in acceptance rather than voicing his hesitation aloud.

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  Maintaining the flow of flame into the cauldron, he simultaneously attempted to channel a portion of his ki toward his three-coloured ring, trying to activate its storage function without disrupting the energy sustaining the fire.

  However, as he divided his focus for the first time, the connection between his flame and the cauldron wavered dangerously, thinning to the point where it nearly collapsed.

  Reacting instantly, he reinforced the flame, prioritising the cauldron over retrieving the herbs, and allowed the ring connection to fade. Taking a slow breath, he attempted again, this time trying to maintain both processes simultaneously. Yet the result remained the same—the moment his attention shifted toward the ring, the flame weakened and threatened to die out.

  He tried again.

  And failed again.

  A third attempt ended no differently.

  Then came a fourth.

  A fifth.

  A sixth.

  Each attempt blurred into the next as time passed, his patience wearing thinner with every failure, yet his determination refused to waver. Seven attempts turned into eight, eight into nine, and nine into ten, until he stopped counting altogether, too focused on the relentless repetition to keep track.

  Two full hours slipped by without him realising it.

  Throughout that time, he continuously channelled flame into the cauldron, causing its temperature to climb to dangerous levels. The metal shell began to radiate intense heat as faint tremors rippled through it under the strain. The prolonged exposure pushed the cauldron to the brink of instability, and tiny hairline fractures began to form along its surface, though Eklavya remained unaware, fully immersed in his struggle to control dual streams of ki.

  Frustration accumulated within him, tightening his jaw and sharpening his breathing, but instead of letting it consume him, he gradually forced himself to slow down, allowing his mind to settle into a calmer and more disciplined state.

  Closing his eyes briefly, he muttered under his breath, “Calm down… focus… it isn’t impossible.”

  Then, with deliberate clarity, he adjusted his stance and approach.

  “One hand maintains the flame,” he whispered to himself, “while the other channels ki into the ring… split the focus evenly.”

  His mind steadied, dividing his concentration into two controlled halves, carefully balancing the flame output with the activation of his storage ring. The pressure on his mental endurance intensified as he forced himself to maintain both tasks simultaneously, refusing to allow either side to dominate the other.