At dinner, Yozora and his companions devoured their food as though they hadn't eaten in eight lifetimes.
After a full day of training, their bodies were utterly exhausted. The energy consumption was far too great, and replenishing their nutrition was a must.
"Junior Brother, after you're full, I'll take you to soak in the backyard bathhouse. That place is miraculous—you guys' little cuts and bruises will heal up in minutes!" said Ahao, the eldest among the four senior disciples, with warm enthusiasm.
Ever since Yozora had formally acknowledged his master, the disciples had treated him as one of their own. They had even prepared a room for him in the inner quarters of the dojo. From this day forward, Yozora had a place to stay here for as long as he wished.
Of course, he wouldn't live here forever. For now, he would stay and learn the art. Once his training was complete, he would set off on his journey again.
Even if he couldn't master the techniques quickly, Yozora would, at most, remain for a month. He needed to collect all eight Badges first, and then he could always return to continue his studies.
After a single day of training, Yozora already understood—awakening the Mind's Eye was not something achieved easily.
If it were, then Ahao and the other disciples, who had been training since childhood and were now already twenty years old, would have unlocked it long ago.
"Soaking in a bath? Sounds great!" Yozora's eyes lit up. At this moment, both his mind and body were weary beyond words. What he desired most was the chance to soak in hot water and melt all his fatigue away.
About an hour later, under the guidance of Ahao and the others, Yozora marched toward the backyard with Beedrill, Charmeleon, and the rest of his Pokémon in tow.
The dojo's backyard was vibrant and serene, with flowers and grasses planted all around, and even two towering old trees.
At the very center lay an enormous natural hot spring, steam rising in curling waves. To Yozora's astonishment, two Lapras were playing and chasing each other in the water.
"Lapras?" Yozora exclaimed in surprise. He never imagined he would encounter them here of all places.
"Those two Lapras were left here by our former seniors—one male, one female, a perfect pair. They might be expecting little ones soon."
Ahao chuckled. "And every day, those Lapras release Life Dew into the spring. That's why this bathhouse has such incredible restorative power. No matter how exhausted or injured you are, just one soak and you'll feel brand new!"
With that, Ahao stepped into the spring. His expression instantly relaxed, a blissful look spreading across his face.
"Junior Brother, it's not just the Lapras," one of the other disciples added with a grin. "Look at that artificial rockery. See the Corsola up there? Those were left behind by our seniors as well. They, too, release Life Dew!"
The other three disciples laughed and slid into the spring one after another.
Yozora followed soon after with Beedrill, Charmeleon, and the rest of his team. Before long, everyone wore an expression of utter relief and contentment.
"This is… so warm. It feels like my cells are repairing themselves. Even my scars are fading…" Yozora muttered. As he soaked, his entire body tingled with a strange, soothing numbness. His wounds, in particular, itched faintly as though knitting themselves closed.
Moments later, that sensation turned into pure comfort.
From atop the rockery, one of the Corsola spat out a single golden drop of Life Dew. The droplet traced a graceful arc through the air before landing in the spring with a soft plop.
Ripples of emerald-green energy spread outward in concentric waves.
Each wave carried the restorative power of Life Dew, washing over Yozora and his Pokémon.
In that instant, warmth engulfed their entire bodies, like basking in radiant sunlight. They felt so comfortable they could have drifted into sleep then and there.
"Tsk, tsk. Truly, the old saying holds true—'one plants the tree, another enjoys the shade.' Even Master Bruno once resided and trained in this dojo. Who knows, maybe he too soaked in this very spring!" Yozora marveled.
A natural hot spring like this was already priceless. But coupled with the constant healing power of Lapras and Corsola, this place was nothing short of paradise.
Yozora had only been soaking for a few minutes, yet not only was his fatigue gone and his vitality restored, but even the cuts and bruises across his body had fully healed.
It was almost too good to be true.
And now… training tomorrow didn't seem daunting at all. No matter how hard he pushed himself, this miraculous hot spring would always be there to restore him.
"Charmeleon?"
Ahao, who had closed his eyes to rest, opened them to find Yozora scrubbing Charmeleon's back. His jaw nearly dropped.
Was he seeing things? Charmeleon was soaking in the water too?
This had to be a fake Fire-type Pokémon, right?
Even if it was a hot spring, water was still water—and water was fatal to Fire-types.
Yet Charmeleon wasn't struggling at all. On the contrary, it looked positively ecstatic.
And not only Charmeleon—even Graveler, who by all logic should be even more vulnerable, looked as if it were in heaven.
"This is unbelievable… Sure, a higher level and stronger physique could help resist damage, but to enjoy it like that?!" Ahao and the others exchanged bewildered glances, unable to make sense of what they were seeing.
After about half an hour, everyone finally climbed out of the spring. Night had deepened, and it was time to rest.
After a deep, dreamless sleep, Yozora awoke the next morning feeling refreshed and radiant, his spirit brimming with energy.
All the pain and fatigue from the previous day had completely vanished.
Beedrill, Charmeleon, and the others were in the same state—or perhaps even better.
At dawn, Yozora and his team followed Master Tyron and the senior disciples into their meditation training.
Meditation, in essence, meant thinking of nothing at all—emptying oneself to achieve harmony between body and spirit.
It sounded simple, but in truth it was extraordinarily difficult.
Most people couldn't fully empty their minds. Instead, they focused their awareness on something—such as observing their breath or concentrating on the energy at their dantian.
Each time the mind wandered, they would bring it back, again and again.
With practice, meditation could relax the mind and build true concentration.
Yozora himself could never manage complete emptiness. True emptiness was said to lead to transcendence—to the unlocking of the Mind's Eye.
That level was far beyond him. At most, he could watch his breathing, though he often lost focus.
But the dojo's meditation method was different.
Ahao and the others sat cross-legged, facing the morning sun. Eyes closed, backs straight, each balanced a bowl of water on the crown of their heads. Their breathing was calm and steady.
The rule was simple: keep the water steady. The moment one's thoughts drifted, the bowl would inevitably fall with a crash.
"Brilliant," Yozora thought. "Guarding the water bowl is similar to watching one's breath or concentrating on the dantian. But with breath, you can drift off without even noticing, and time slips away.
"With this method, though, the instant your mind wanders, the bowl shatters. There's no cheating, no shortcuts. This… this is real cultivation."
Clatter!
Just then, one of the disciples lost focus. The bowl slipped from his head and shattered on the ground.
Clatter!
Clatter!
One after another—
Then came a string of crashes. Ahao and the others opened their eyes and could only grin wryly.As for Master Tyron, he remained perfectly still — there wasn't even a water bowl balanced on his head.
He had already entered samadhi; his breaths were long and slow, and with each inhalation the surrounding air seemed to tremble, turning into two white dragons that flowed into his nostrils.Such a level was unfathomably profound.
For him, entering the trance, opening the Mind's Eye, and roaming the void were no longer mere cultivation — they had become a form of enjoyment.
(End of Chapter)