I sat in my study, staring at the ancient cultivation manual spread across my desk. The pages felt like they were mocking me. No matter how many times I read through the techniques, no matter how precisely I followed the instructions, my progress had completely stalled.
The Innate Pure Yang Body coursing through my veins felt like a river dammed up by invisible barriers. I needed top-grade jade to break through to the next level, but finding such precious materials in New York City had proven nearly impossible.
Three months. That's how long I'd been stuck at this cultivation bottleneck.
My phone buzzed, interrupting my frustrated thoughts. The caller ID showed Isaac Thorne's name. I remembered him well - the man whose terminally ill wife I'd saved from lung cancer just two months ago.
"Mr. Hayes," Isaac's voice carried a note of desperation when I answered. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"Not at all," I replied, setting aside the manual. "What can I do for you?"
