From deep within his soul, a long-silent technique responded instinctively.
The Litany of the Verdant Forest.
SHHHHHHAAAAA
A stream of Wood Elemental Qi surged upward from the ground, flooding into him with no resistance. His body accepted it like a seed accepts sunlight, drinking in its warmth and clarity.
He did not need to chant. He did not need to guide the flow.
The technique activated on its own—organically.
Like a tree remembering how to grow.
The lotus lake responded.
Hundreds of blooms shifted and aligned, their movements forming a spiraling dance that mirrored the energy rising within Lin Mu.
He could feel it now.
The technique, once stagnant and incomplete, had begun to evolve.
Roots extended from his consciousness into the lake, tracing lines of energy that formed a vast sigil beneath the surface. It was as though the entire cavern had become a formation, and he was its core.
A gentle warmth spread through his limbs, neither overwhelming nor scorching.
