Ankit focused his thoughts on controlling the essence flow within his root core. He took a deep breath, guiding the energy upward in a spiral along his spine.
Then, as he exhaled, he sent the essence flow outward through his meridians—starting with his arms, then his legs, and finally his torso. He felt a warm mist clearing away impurities, like smoke dissolving from his body.
A sense of relief washed over him, as if all the negative emotions and toxins were melting away. Next, he directed the essence flow to his internal organs.
Starting with his lungs, he felt all the impurities dissolve and an easing of his previous breathing difficulties. Now, he felt capable of holding his breath for two hours.
Moving on to his heart, after cleansing it, he felt the stress release, his heartbeat steadying as he exhaled a gray smoke.
He continued to his liver and kidneys, sensing the impurities wash away but noticing his body felt covered in a dark sludge after.
He knew he would need to cleanse further soon.Then he moved the essence flow to his bones and gut. After clearing impurities, he felt his bones had strengthened at least twenty times.
It was as if a bodybuilder's hammer would barely leave a scratch, and he could even survive a small explosion. Previously, he could survive a car crash only if he coated his body with essence flow.
Finally, he directed the energy toward his mind, careful to avoid mistakes that might harm his psyche.
After cleansing, his thoughts accelerated by fifty times. He could even hear his father's voice talking with the delivery man, though his father was a hundred meters away.
This whole process took thirty minutes, and it was not yet finished. Ankit sensed many impurities remained, estimating it would take about fifteen days to cleanse his entire body.
That meant fifteen days to gather the energy and another fifteen to clean his body fully. If he had come earlier, gathering essence flow to fill his root core would take only six to seven days.
Mentally exhausted, Ankit ended his cultivation for the day. This delicate process demanded complete focus—a careless thought might send uncontrollable essence flow through his body, causing destruction.
He opened his eyes and stepped outside the hut. His father was not there. Focusing on his hearing, he soon heard footsteps—Kamal returning with the delivery items.
He waited quietly. Kamal arrived but immediately pinched his nose, recoiling from Ankit's strong odor.
"Ugh, what is that smell? What have you been doing? Never mind, just go wash up and take a bath. I'll wait—go on, quick," Kamal said, nearly nauseous.
Kamal handed him towels and bath items, then jumped back into his car and closed the door.
Ankit understood—he really did smell bad, explaining his father's reaction. He had no trouble holding his breath until cleaned.
After washing thoroughly, he approached his father sitting in the car. "Dad, I've washed up. You can come now."
Kamal muttered holding his phone, "Ah, so irritating. They want to fire me from the company just because I took three days off."
Hearing this, Ankit realized his father was in trouble because of him. "Father, why don't you quit? You know I've got my YouTube channel, which can cover basic needs, and I've invested in stocks. We have enough to live comfortably for two to three years with your savings."
Kamal was shocked. "You invested without my permission? That's so risky. But I guess you've come from the future and understand the market better than me. Still, what will we eat after two or three years when the money's gone?"
Ankit reassured him, "Don't worry. My YouTube income will keep coming, and investments will multiply. I have faith in my skills."
After his persistent pleading, Kamal agreed to quit his job.
Ankit added, "You know this world is changing. You need to cultivate too. If your job takes all your time, you'll fall behind. This is your chance to focus on becoming stronger."
Kamal nodded, "You're right. Now I can focus on family and cultivation. Let's sleep; we head home tomorrow."
"Okay, let's sleep. I have a surprise planned for Sanya tomorrow," Ankit said teasingly.
Kamal wondered what his son had in mind.