A storm off the Outer Sea reached Sky-Piercing Peak on the tenth morning. Wind tore stones the size of walnuts off the slopes. Ice rattled against the shelter roof. The temperature fell to twenty-two below zero.
Pei Jing tied the loose ends of his trousers and stepped outside bare to the waist. Since he changed his meals on the third day, he had fed the work with beast fat and ape marrow. The Ledger had gone up by ten percent after every full session. The last entry stood at ninety. There was one more session before he could see whether the shape inside him would hold.
He walked to the center of the plateau and set his feet in Iron Bull Plowing the Earth. The gale struck his chest. Flying ice broke against his skin. He dropped his weight until the force ran from his hips into the rock instead of pushing him over.
Then he drew his attention down into his Dantian.
Silver soul mass had gathered around the Golden Core. He could make out a head and shoulders inside the ring of pillars. The limbs were still joined to the body. It looked like a figure someone had begun to carve and left unfinished.
