The solution turned out to be simple.
Still the same method—
He stirred natural energy to vibrate his meridians, triggering a resonance within his dantian.
That half-real, half-illusory rumble—
Was used to suppress the entirely illusory inner world.
The pig-like spleen beast did not resist like the heart-monkey.
It simply lay there, allowing itself to be handled.
But—
This thing was far tougher than the monkey.
Uchiha Yoru struggled for half the night.
And the fat pig—
Had only slimmed down slightly.
Worse—
The frustration and retreat that inevitably arose from his lack of results became nourishment for the pig.
In the blink of an eye—
It recovered most of its mass.
Yoru was instantly infuriated.
But that anger—
Was absorbed by the heart-monkey.
The golden fur of the monkey turned faintly blood-red.
Its size doubled instantly.
Compared to the pig, this one was far more active.
With even the slightest stimulation, it began scratching and fidgeting, eager to act.
Yoru immediately steadied his mind.
He gathered his thoughts to the utmost limit—
Letting his mind become like still water.
Then redirected his attack toward the restless heart-monkey.
In just a few seconds—
The monkey shrieked wildly.
Its fur scattered in all directions as the cleansing vibrations battered it.
But—
Also within just a few seconds—
Because of that extreme stillness—
The feelings of despair and passivity it produced were absorbed by the spleen-pig.
The pig's body expanded like an inflating balloon.
Its bristles hardened into steel-like spikes—
Interlocking into armor.
Tusks erupted from its mouth—
Like spears and great blades.
Terrifying.
Now strengthened—
The pig was no longer passive.
It began stomping the ground.
Each step shook the entire inner world—
Using something like a war-stomp to resist, even suppress, the cleansing resonance from the dantian.
Yoru's heart tightened.
He understood now—
Dealing with two inner forms was completely different from dealing with just one.
When it was only the heart-monkey—
He could suppress it simply by maintaining a still mind.
But now—
That same stillness would nourish the pig.
Allowing it to grow into a new monster.
[Take a step back, and the sea opens wide.]
[Wait. Watch what the pig does. Then act accordingly.]
[Don't rush. Maybe the monkey and the pig will fight, and I can benefit.]
These thoughts—
All urging retreat, delay, and surrender—
Made Yoru realize instantly—
This was the pig at work.
If he followed those thoughts—
He would inevitably collapse.
Live off past achievements.
And never rise again.
The path of cultivation was like swimming against a current.
"Not advancing means retreat"—
Was far too mild a description.
Even slowing down—
Invited destruction.
[So I can't be completely still.]
[And I can't be overly excited either.]
[I must maintain calm balance—neither leaning nor resisting.]
[Normally, this state isn't hard to reach. Remove distractions, enter meditation, and it comes naturally.]
[But now, I'm fighting two inner forms.]
[Balance must be fought for.]
[Balance requires force. A point of leverage.]
[Where do I find that leverage?]
Yoru's inner vision scanned his mental world.
Searching.
But—
There was nothing there.
Nothing—
Except—
The monkey.
And the pig.
[…Ah. I see. Balance.]
He found the answer.
Without hesitation—
He acted.
First—
He focused on the monkey.
Shaking it violently.
Then—
Carefully guided the scattered monkey fur—
To fall densely onto the pig.
The irritation disrupted the pig's war-stomp rhythm.
At that instant—
The dantian resonance regained strength.
With the monkey fur acting as a medium—
It pierced through the pig's hide—
And struck deep inside.
The pig let out a deafening scream.
Filthy blood splattered everywhere.
Its aura dropped sharply.
[It works!]
But—
In that brief moment of distraction—
Yoru's mental state lost its balance.
Both inner forms broke free from suppression.
Regrouped—
And resumed their resistance.
Thus—
He entered a back-and-forth struggle.
Constantly fighting for control.
At times—
The monkey would weaken too quickly.
Causing the pig to swell again.
Forcing Yoru—
To recall his own proud achievements.
Perfect combat.
Flawless kills.
Mental manipulation.
All of it—
To push himself into arrogance and aggression—
Reawakening the monkey's frenzy.
Then—
The pig would shrink back into Dang Kang—
Weak and powerless.
The blood-red ape would rise again—
Beating its chest, raging against the heavens.
Yoru followed the pattern.
Recalling teachings of restraint.
Repeating silently—
"The highest good is like water. It benefits all things without contention."
By simulating a passive, conservative state—
He allowed Dang Kang to inflate once more into a black-haired domestic pig—
Drawing the monkey's attention.
Carefully—
He maintained the balance between the two.
Using their opposing emotions—
To stabilize his own mind.
Gradually—
Wearing down both inner demons.
In the end—
He won.
The golden monkey and Dang Kang both crouched quietly—
Covered in fur and blood.
Yoru opened his eyes.
The sky outside was already bright.
It was close to six in the morning.
Later than his usual running time.
He had spent the entire night sitting still—
Yet he was utterly exhausted.
For a moment—
He considered taking a day off.
Just that single thought—
Immediately disrupted the fragile balance.
Various thoughts surged again.
Startling him.
"Run. I must run."
"As punishment for being late—one extra lap. Three laps today!"
His muttering woke Miwa Masayo.
The tabby cat stretched lazily, half-asleep.
"Yoru's at it again… going crazy."
"…Mm. He's probably about to break through again."
"So fast… it's only been a month and a half since his foundation."
"Should I work harder too, meow?"
After careful consideration—
She changed her sleeping position.
And went back to sleep.
"Rest is important. Without proper rest, how can I have the energy to work hard, meow?"
Meanwhile—
Uchiha Yoru steeled himself.
Put on over six hundred kilograms of weight—
And went out to run.
In truth—
This weight was no longer difficult for him.
Its training effect had diminished.
But—
It was already the limit.
He couldn't increase it further.
Otherwise—
His center of gravity would collapse.
If the weight became something his body could no longer move—
It would be like a mantis lifting a barbell.
No matter how strong—
If the mass difference was too great—
Even ten thousand jin of strength couldn't control a one-ton object.
At that point—
He would simply hang off the weight—
Performing useless acrobatics.
Since he couldn't increase weight—
He increased duration.
Long periods of fatigue—
To temper the body.
From strength—
To endurance.
At the start of his run—
Yoru's thoughts wandered.
Using activity of the mind—
To maintain balance.
But as his stamina dropped—
His body grew tired.
His thoughts—
Naturally quieted.
Settled.
Into true stillness.
A state of emptiness—
Free of thought.
In that moment—
His body was exhausted.
But his mind—
Had never felt lighter.
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