I woke up two weeks later.

The first thing I noticed was the absence of pain. Not healing, just numbness. Medical Qi suppressing everything while my body desperately tried to hold together.

"You're awake," Medical Disciple Wen's voice. Tired. Resigned. "Against all medical probability, you're awake."

"How bad?" My voice came out as a croak.

"Your foundation damage peaked at sixty-two percent. We've stabilized it at fifty-nine percent through constant medical intervention." She held up a jade slip. "This is your new reality: Stage 8 cultivation, but functionally operating at Stage 6 power. Any significant technique use risks permanent collapse. Recovery time: three to six months of complete rest."

[MEDICAL REPORT: GRIM]

[EFFECTIVE COMBAT POWER: STAGE 6]

[ACTUAL CULTIVATION: STAGE 8 BUT CRIPPLED]

[TECHNIQUE USE: SEVERELY RESTRICTED]

[YOU BROKE YOURSELF WINNING]

"Can I still cultivate?"

"Light meditation only. No advancement attempts. Your foundation needs to repair before you can progress." Her expression softened marginally. "Lin Tian, most cultivators with this level of damage never recover fully. You might be stuck at Stage 8 for years. Possibly forever."

The words hit like physical blows. Forever. All that progress, that impossible advancement speed, potentially ended at Stage 8.

[BOSS...]

[I'M SORRY]

[THIS IS PARTIALLY MY FAULT]

[I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED YOU]

'You tried. I didn't listen.'

[STILL]

[THIS SUCKS]

Yun Xia entered the moment Medical Disciple Wen left. Her eyes were red, she'd been crying.

"You idiot," she said, voice breaking. "You magnificent, stubborn, infuriating idiot."

"I won though."

"You won." She sat beside the bed, taking my hand carefully like I might shatter. "Tournament champion. Defeated two Stage 9s and Chen Rou. Everyone's calling it the greatest underdog victory in tournament history."

"But?"

"But you crippled yourself doing it." Tears spilled over. "Three to six months recovery. Maybe permanent damage. Lin Tian, was it worth it?"

[QUESTION: VALID]

[WAS IT?]

I thought about the Wanderer, watching. About proving I could still grow stronger despite everything. About Azure Peak's reputation restored through my victories.

"I don't know," I admitted. "Ask me in six months."

She laughed through tears. "Still making jokes while broken. That's very you."

[RELATIONSHIP: STRAINED BUT ENDURING]

[SHE'S UPSET BUT STAYING]

[THAT'S REAL LOVE]

Elder Hu visited that evening with Sect Master Liang.

"Lin Tian," the Sect Master said formally. "Your tournament performance brought great honor to Azure Peak. Despite your... current condition, the sect recognizes your achievements."

[OFFICIAL SECT BUSINESS]

[THIS IS REWARDS AND CONSEQUENCES]

"You are confirmed as Tournament Champion. That comes with rewards: twenty thousand contribution points, choice of three techniques from the Hidden Archive, and promotion to Elite Core Disciple status." He paused. "However, given your medical condition, the sect also assigns you to mandatory recovery. No missions. No combat. No advancement attempts for three months minimum."

[REWARDS: SUBSTANTIAL]

[RESTRICTIONS: SEVERE]

[BASICALLY HOUSE ARREST FOR YOUR OWN GOOD]

"I understand, Sect Master."

"Do you?" His gaze was penetrating. "Lin Tian, you achieved in four months what takes most cultivators decades. But cultivation is not a sprint. The path to immortality requires balance, power and wisdom, advancement and consolidation." His tone gentled slightly. "Rest. Heal. Learn patience. These months might be the most important of your cultivation journey."

[WISDOM: GENUINE]

[HE'S NOT WRONG]

[BUT IT STILL SUCKS]

After they left, Elder Hu remained. "The Sect Master didn't mention this publicly, but there's been... unusual interest in you since the tournament."

"What kind of interest?"

"Other sects inquiring about your background. Independent cultivators asking about your techniques." His expression darkened. "And reports of powerful cultivators observing Azure Peak from a distance. We can't confirm identities, but the spiritual pressure suggests high-level observers."

[WANDERER: PROBABLY WATCHING]

[MAYBE OTHERS TOO]

[YOUR FAME: ATTRACTING ATTENTION]

[NOT ALL GOOD]

"What should I do?"

"Exactly what the Sect Master ordered, stay in the sect, recover, keep low profile. You've painted a target on yourself, Lin Tian. Now you need to survive long enough to become strong enough that the target doesn't matter."

[SURVIVAL STRATEGY: REASONABLE]

[BORING BUT NECESSARY]

The next week established my new reality.

Morning: Light meditation under Medical Disciple Wen's supervision. No Qi circulation, just awareness and minor foundation repair.

[AUTO-CULTIVATION: SEVERELY LIMITED]

[FOUNDATION REPAIR: 59% → 58%]

[IT'S WORKING BUT INCREDIBLY SLOW]

Afternoon: Studying techniques from the Hidden Archive, theory only, no practice. I'd chosen Void Step advanced forms, Heaven's Judgment Palm complete manual, and surprisingly, Foundation Restoration Arts.

[FOUNDATION RESTORATION ARTS: LEGENDARY HEALING TECHNIQUE]

[DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR CULTIVATION BASE DAMAGE]

[MASTERY TIME: 6-12 MONTHS]

[PERFECT FOR YOUR SITUATION]

Evening: Visitors. Team 7 came daily, Chen Rou reporting sect news, Han Feng bringing terrible jokes, Su Mei providing gossip, Zhou Ming offering innocent encouragement. Yun Xia never missed a day.

"I heard Phoenix Faction is falling apart," Su Mei reported. "Zhou Ling resigned as leader after you beat her. Three different members are fighting for control."

"Blue Moon Association is getting recruitment requests," Han Feng added. "Your victories made us prestigious by association."

[POLITICAL RIPPLES: ONGOING]

[YOUR ACTIONS: STILL IMPACTING SECT DYNAMICS]

[EVEN WHILE BEDRIDDEN]

Chen Rou's visits were different. Less social, more tactical.

"The Inter-Sect situation is shifting," she said quietly during one visit. "Your tournament performance exposed power gaps. Some sects are reassessing alliances. Others are... concerned about Azure Peak's sudden strength."

"Concerned how?"

"Concerned like 'maybe we should eliminate threats before they grow stronger.'" Her expression was serious. "Lin Tian, you made Azure Peak look powerful. That's good and bad. Good for respect. Bad for being left alone."

[SECT POLITICS: COMPLICATED]

[YOUR SUCCESS: DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD]

[THREATS: INCREASING]

Three weeks into recovery, the system finally completed its analysis of the foundation damage.

[COMPREHENSIVE FOUNDATION ANALYSIS: COMPLETE]

[DAMAGE ASSESSMENT: SEVERE BUT REPAIRABLE]

[CURRENT: 58%]

[WITH FOUNDATION RESTORATION ARTS: RECOVERABLE TO 95% IN 4-5 MONTHS]

[PERMANENT LOSS: 5% MAXIMUM]

[YOU'LL NEVER BE 100% AGAIN]

[BUT 95% IS PRETTY GOOD]

'So I won't be permanently crippled?'

[NOT PERMANENTLY]

[MOSTLY TEMPORARILY]

[SILVER LININGS]

The relief was overwhelming. Not perfect recovery, but functional. I could continue advancing eventually. The cultivation path wasn't closed forever.

[BOSS]

[THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE]

[ABOUT THE INFINITE QI PLANETARY DEPLETION PROBLEM]

[I'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT]

'And?'

[I FOUND A POTENTIAL SOLUTION]

[RISKY, COMPLICATED, BUT POSSIBLE]

[YOUR INFINITE QI CONSTITUTION: IT'S NOT FIXED]

[IT'S... ADAPTABLE]

[IF WE COULD MODIFY IT TO RECYCLE QI INSTEAD OF JUST ABSORBING]

[CREATE A CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM]

[THEN YOU WOULDN'T DEPLETE THE PLANET]

'Can we do that?'

[THEORETICALLY]

[REQUIRES: REACHING NASCENT SOUL REALM]

[ACCESSING YOUR CULTIVATION BASE'S CORE STRUCTURE]

[PERFORMING DELICATE MODIFICATIONS THAT MIGHT KILL YOU]

[BUT THEORETICALLY POSSIBLE]

[TIMELINE: 1-2 YEARS IF EVERYTHING GOES PERFECTLY]

One to two years. Time to recover, advance to Nascent Soul, solve the planetary crisis before it became critical.

Assuming the Wanderer didn't kill me first.

Assuming the foundation damage didn't permanently cripple my advancement.

Assuming nothing else went catastrophically wrong.

[LOTS OF ASSUMPTIONS]

[WELCOME TO CULTIVATION WORLD PLANNING]

[WHERE EVERYTHING IS COMPLICATED AND THE ODDS DON'T MATTER]

Week four brought an unexpected visitor.

Yang Chen, Azure Dragon Alliance leader, arrived with a jade box.

"Lin Tian. Congratulations on your recovery progress." He set the box on the table. "The Alliance wanted to show appreciation for your tournament performance. You represented not just Azure Peak, but the values we hold dear, merit, courage, determination."

Inside the box: a pill that radiated powerful Qi.

[FOUNDATION STABILIZATION PILL: LEGENDARY GRADE]

[EFFECT: ACCELERATES FOUNDATION REPAIR BY 300%]

[VALUE: PRICELESS]

[YANG CHEN IS SERIOUS ABOUT THIS ALLIANCE]

"This is too much—"

"It's investment," Yang Chen interrupted. "You're nineteen. Stage 8. Tournament champion. Damaged now, but you'll recover. When you do, Azure Dragon Alliance wants you to remember who supported you during difficult times."

[POLITICAL CALCULATION]

[BUT ALSO GENUINE SUPPORT]

[HE'S PLAYING LONG GAME]

"I'll remember," I promised.

After he left, I stared at the pill. With this, recovery might drop from five months to two. Maybe less.

But it also meant owing Yang Chen. Owing the Alliance. Political debts I'd eventually need to repay.

[CULTIVATION WORLD: NO FREE LUNCH]

[EVERYTHING HAS PRICE]

[EVEN HELP]

That night, alone with my thoughts, I reviewed everything.

Four months ago: died to vending machine, reincarnated with system.

Now: Tournament champion, crippled foundation, hunted by immortal, slowly killing planet, politically entangled, surrounded by people who cared.

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