News spread quickly throughout the Outer Court.
Not because Kieran had defeated a powerful opponent.
Nor because he had accomplished some impossible feat.
But because the quiet disciple who had entered the Academy unable to cultivate...
Had finally stepped onto the Path.
Most students merely nodded upon hearing the news.
"So he finally broke through."
"It was only a matter of time."
Few thought much of it.
After all...
The Mortal Foundation Realm was the lowest realm of cultivation.
There was nothing remarkable about reaching it.
Only a handful of people knew...
Kieran had only started cultivating days ago.
---
At the Pavilion of Reflection...
Elder Rowan poured another cup of tea.
"So..."
"How does the world feel?"
Kieran thought for a moment.
"Louder."
"Louder?"
"I can hear things I couldn't before."
"I can feel the Magna flowing through everything."
Rowan smiled.
"Good."
"Don't chase it."
"Listen to it."
"If Magna feels forced..."
"Your heart is moving faster than your understanding."
Kieran nodded thoughtfully.
"I understand."
"No."
Rowan chuckled.
"You've only begun to."
---
Meanwhile...
Within the Spear Hall...
Ronan was engaged in a sparring match against a senior disciple.
Every thrust of his spear was sharper than before.
His improvement was evident.
Yet...
His thoughts wandered.
"Kieran has finally started."
He smiled faintly.
"I'll have to work harder."
---
Elsewhere...
Mira was practicing with her staff under the guidance of her instructor.
One strike.
Then another.
Her movements became increasingly fluid.
Her instructor suddenly stopped her.
"You're distracted."
Mira laughed sheepishly.
"My friend finally started cultivating."
The instructor blinked.
"The one who couldn't?"
She nodded proudly.
"He'll surprise everyone."
The instructor smiled.
"Then make sure he has friends strong enough to stand beside him."
---
That evening...
Kieran returned to the secluded cliff where everything had begun.
This time...
He intentionally sat down to cultivate.
Remembering the sensation from before...
He calmed his breathing.
His thoughts gradually settled.
Without using any cultivation technique...
He simply opened himself to the surrounding world.
The Magna answered immediately.
Gentle streams drifted toward him.
They entered his body naturally.
Flowing through every meridian with astonishing ease.
There wasn't the slightest resistance.
It felt...
Effortless.
---
One circulation.
Two.
Ten.
Twenty.
Hours slipped by unnoticed.
Most cultivators at the Mortal Foundation Realm had to consciously guide every strand of Magna.
Kieran didn't.
His body instinctively chose the most efficient route.
Every circulation subtly strengthened his foundation.
Removing impurities too minute for ordinary cultivators to perceive.
His cultivation steadily advanced.
Not explosively.
But with unbelievable stability.
---
Far away...
Crystal sat beside the tranquil river of the Hidden Valley.
The Nine-Tailed White Fox rested nearby.
Kael approached quietly.
"He's cultivating."
Crystal smiled without opening her eyes.
"Yes."
Kael folded his arms.
"Faster than expected."
She nodded.
"The seal didn't merely prepare his body."
"It taught it."
Kael looked slightly surprised.
"So that's why..."
"Yes."
Crystal finally opened her eyes.
"His body remembers what perfection feels like."
"He'll never need to force cultivation."
"He'll simply..."
"...grow."
---
Back at the Academy...
The following morning...
Kieran arrived at the training grounds.
Several instructors were demonstrating basic movement techniques.
A young disciple struggled repeatedly.
His footing was unstable.
Each movement wasted precious energy.
After watching quietly for a few moments...
Kieran approached.
"May I?"
The boy stepped aside.
Kieran gently adjusted his stance.
"Your weight is too far forward."
He demonstrated once.
The movement became noticeably smoother.
The instructor, who had been observing from nearby, raised an eyebrow.
He walked over.
"You've studied movement techniques before?"
Kieran shook his head.
"No."
"I just noticed where the balance was lost."
The instructor stared at him for a long moment.
Then...
He laughed.
"Remarkable eyes."
---
Later that afternoon...
The Headmaster received a report from one of the training instructors.
"The boy Kieran corrected a disciple's movement without learning the technique himself."
The Headmaster smiled knowingly.
"He didn't correct the technique."
"He corrected the principle behind it."
The reporting instructor looked puzzled.
"There is a difference?"
"A great one."
The Headmaster replied.
"Techniques change."
"Principles rarely do."
---
As the sun set behind the Sacred Peaks...
Kieran's cultivation quietly reached the Peak of the First Stage of the Mortal Foundation Realm.
He didn't notice.
He wasn't counting realms.
He wasn't chasing breakthroughs.
He was simply cultivating.
Just as Crystal had taught him years ago...
When a tree grows naturally...
It never worries about how tall it will become.
It simply continues reaching toward the sky.
And somewhere deep within Kieran's spiritual sea...
The lone golden symbol left behind by the broken seal emitted a faint pulse.
For the first time...
A single ancient rune slowly appeared beside it.
The true legacy hidden within the seal...
Had begun to awaken.
End of Chapter 80