The moment Kieran's cultivation stabilized...
Silence returned to the lonely cliff.
The Magna that had gathered around him dispersed naturally, flowing back into the world as though nothing had happened.
He remained seated beneath the pine tree.
There was no excitement.
No urge to test his newfound strength.
Instead...
He quietly observed.
The Magna flowing through his meridians was warm and gentle.
Every breath felt lighter.
Every heartbeat clearer.
His senses had sharpened considerably.
He could hear the rustling of leaves hundreds of meters away.
The distant roar of a waterfall.
Even the tiny insects crawling beneath the grass.
"So this..."
He whispered.
"...is the Mortal Foundation Realm."
---
Kieran closed his eyes once more.
Instinctively, he circulated the Magna through his body.
To his surprise...
It moved effortlessly.
There wasn't the slightest obstruction.
It was as though the pathways had existed for years.
No...
They had.
Crystal's seal had spent twelve years refining every meridian until they were flawless.
Now that the seal was gone...
Nothing stood in the Magna's way.
---
As the Magna completed one full circulation...
Something unexpected happened.
Instead of slowing down...
It naturally began another.
Then another.
Each cycle became smoother than the last.
Kieran frowned slightly.
"Is this..."
"...normal?"
He had no way of knowing.
---
Far away...
Within one of the Academy's secluded cultivation grounds...
The Headmaster suddenly looked toward the distant mountains.
He smiled to himself.
"A perfect circulation."
"Without guidance."
"Interesting."
He resumed trimming the branches of an ancient plum tree.
Whatever was happening...
The child had found his own rhythm.
That was enough.
---
Kieran remained on the cliff until sunset.
Only then did he slowly rise.
The moment he stood...
He noticed another change.
His body felt...
Perfectly balanced.
Every movement required less effort than before.
Even without using Magna...
His physical strength had increased noticeably.
Yet the greatest change wasn't his body.
It was his perception.
As he walked back toward the Academy...
He unconsciously noticed countless details he had previously overlooked.
The Magna gathering beneath old trees.
The faint currents flowing along mountain streams.
Even the subtle difference between the Magna surrounding medicinal herbs and ordinary plants.
The world had become infinitely richer.
---
When he returned to Courtyard Seven...
Ronan was practicing spear thrusts.
The rhythmic strikes suddenly stopped.
He looked at Kieran.
Then frowned.
"...You've changed."
Kieran blinked.
"Changed?"
Ronan slowly lowered his spear.
"I can't explain it."
"You feel..."
"...more complete."
Kieran smiled awkwardly.
"I finally started cultivating."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Then...
Ronan's eyes widened ever so slightly.
"You..."
"Cultivate now?"
Kieran nodded.
"This morning."
Ronan stared at him for several breaths.
Finally...
A rare smile appeared on his face.
"Congratulations."
He offered no exaggerated reaction.
No disbelief.
Just sincere happiness for his friend.
---
The next morning...
Foundation class proceeded as usual.
Elder Rowan entered the lecture hall.
Before beginning...
His gaze briefly paused on Kieran.
A faint glimmer of surprise crossed his eyes.
"So..."
He thought.
"The seed has sprouted."
Yet he asked no questions.
If Kieran wished to speak of it...
He would.
If not...
It was not Rowan's place to pry.
---
That day's lesson concerned cultivation itself.
Elder Rowan drew a circle on the board.
"The Mortal Foundation Realm."
He began.
"Is not about accumulating Magna."
"It is about building the vessel that will carry you throughout your entire life."
He looked around the hall.
"The stronger your foundation..."
"The farther you may travel."
Many students nodded.
Some barely listened.
After all...
Most had already reached the realm years ago.
Only Kieran listened with complete attention.
Every word mattered.
---
After class...
Mira hurried over.
"Kieran!"
She stopped suddenly.
Her eyes widened.
"Wait..."
"You feel different."
Selene adjusted her glasses.
"I noticed it too."
Kieran smiled sheepishly.
"I finally broke through."
Mira froze.
Then...
She threw her hands into the air.
"Finally!"
"I knew it!"
She nearly hugged him before remembering where they were.
Instead...
She beamed.
"This calls for a celebration!"
Even Selene smiled warmly.
"I'm happy for you."
---
Watching the four friends laugh together from a nearby corridor...
The Headmaster quietly turned away.
The child had finally begun cultivating.
Yet...
The Headmaster found himself more interested in something else.
The boy's eyes.
They hadn't changed.
Even after gaining the power he had long lacked...
There wasn't the slightest trace of arrogance.
Only curiosity.
He smiled.
"A good beginning."
For the first time...
He wondered just how far that quiet boy from the western mountains would one day walk.
And deep within Kieran's spiritual sea...
Where the Ancient Foundation Seal had once rested...
Only a single golden symbol remained.
Silent.
Dormant.
Waiting for the day it would reveal its true purpose.
End of Chapter 79