Cultivator of the Shattered Heavens

3.The Eye That Sees Ruin

Hook:

The darkness in the tunnel wasn't merely an absence of light; it was an entity. It pressed against Lin Feng's eyes, filling his lungs with air that was damp and centuries old. On his back, Chen's unconscious body grew heavier with every upward step. The rasp of his own breath and the frantic hammering of his heart were the only sounds accompanying him—save for the low, persistent thrum emanating from the Heaven's Core Shard embedded in his chest.

That thrum was no longer a foreign sensation. In the chaotic hours since the purple stone had fused with him, it had become his internal metronome, the marker of his new life's rhythm. And now, it guided him. It pulsed faster as he reached a junction, then slowed when he chose the wrong fork, as if the stone held a memory of this place.

The Verdant Mountain Observatory, Lin Feng thought, recalling the words from Li Yao's journal. I am walking in its ruins.

After what felt like an hour of climbing and twisting, his still-aching legs began to buckle. The mental exhaustion from using the Deconstruction Eye, his physical wounds, and the constant pressure to escape all gnawed at his resolve. As he dragged Chen into a small niche in the tunnel wall, his knees finally gave way. He laid Chen down carefully and slumped to the ground, leaning against the cold stone.

It was here, in the near-absolute silence and dark, that the reality of what he had just experienced crashed over him like a tidal wave.

He closed his eyes—his physical eyes—and the world did not go dark.

Instead, it changed.

Conflict/Discovery:

Behind his eyelids, another vista unfolded. Not a normal visual picture, but a living canvas of pulsing data and glowing patterns. This was perception mediated by the Heaven's Core Shard—an interface between his mind and the fundamental laws of the reality around him.

Lin Feng called it the Deconstruction Eye, but it was more than sight. It was a complete sixth sense. As he focused, information streamed into his awareness:

Environmental Scan (10-Meter Radius):

· Rock Structure: Composition: Granite mixed with Serpentinite. Stability: 87%. Major Fractures Detected: 2 (northeast direction, 5 meters). Weakness Analysis: Fracture convergence point, pressure 0.3 kilopascals above threshold. Concentrated impact will cause localized collapse.

· Airflow: Source: From ascending tunnel ahead. Temperature: 12 degrees Celsius. Qi Content: 0.8 units/m³ (very low, 30% contaminated by "Fracture Residue" - inert purple energy).

· Lifeforms: 1 human (Chen) - Status: Unconscious. Vital Signs: Stable. Injuries: Energy burns on right hand, 2nd-degree meridian damage. Toxins: Neutralized. 12 microfauna colonies (moss, fungi, bioluminescent bacteria) - Non-threat.

· Energy Residues: Ancient spiritual aura traces - Age: ~300 years. Affiliation: "Verdant Vine Sect - Astral Observation School". Pattern: Agitated, regretful. Note: Aura signature matches sample from 'Li Yao's Journal'. Source location: 45 meters below, direction 280 degrees.

Lin Feng opened his physical eyes, gasping. The flood of information was draining, but also empowering. For the first time, he truly understood his surroundings, not merely saw them. He could see the ruin—not just the fallen stones, but the structure of everything, how it all fit together, and how it could all be taken apart.

He turned his attention inward. With a thought, a detailed three-dimensional body schematic appeared in his mind.

Self-Diagnostic: Lin Feng

Cultivation Level: Unopened (Meridians 95% blocked). Note: Core Qi pattern not detected. Body energy dominated by "Heaven's Core Shard - Primal Energy" (99.1%).

· Physical Condition:

· Nutrition: Severely deficient.

· Dehydration: Moderate.

· Toxins: "Spirit Dust" concentrated in lungs (0.4 units). Effect: 40% reduced lung capacity, slow tissue degeneration.

· Injuries: Multiple contusions, lacerations. Hairline fracture in right tibia - stabilized by Shard energy.

· Meridian System: 12 Primary Meridians - 11 severely blocked (occlusion >90%). One meridian (Heart-Lung Connector) shows 87% blockage with signs of active erosion by Spirit Dust. Projection: If not cleared within 30 days, permanent occlusion, resulting in respiratory failure and death within 2-3 years.

· Shard Interface: Heaven's Core Shard (Core) integrated with heart and brain tissue. Synchronization Level: 18%. Unlocked Functions: Deconstruction Eye (Level 1), Passive Energy Absorption, Intuitive Leyline Navigation. Locked Functions: [Data Insufficient/Synchronization Level Inadequate].

Lin Feng stared at the stark diagnosis. His death was no longer an abstract threat from Overseer Gao's whip; it was a coldly projected timeline inside his own mind. But amid the bad news, there was a sliver of hope. He had a tool.

He turned his Deconstruction Eye on the most pressing problem: the Spirit Dust poison in his lungs. He focused on the affected area. The image that formed was far more terrifying than he imagined. The gray dust particles weren't just clinging; they were like microscopic parasites with energy spikes, embedding themselves in the alveoli tissue, constantly injecting a trickle of toxic, corrupting energy.

Analyzing 'Spirit Dust':

· Composition: Quartz particles infused with degraded, unstable "Fracture Energy" (purple type).

· Toxicity Mechanism: Energy spikes disrupt natural cellular Qi flow, causing necrosis and fibrosis. Neutral to pure Yin or Yang energy.

· Possible Deconstruction Method: Particles susceptible to high-frequency vibration. Application of Shard's Primal Energy at 22.3 kHz can shear the spike bonds, allowing inert particles to be expelled via coughing. Warning: Process will be acutely painful and requires precise energy control. Failure may cause alveolar rupture.

Lin Feng sighed. Pain was familiar. Energy control? That was uncharted territory. But he had to try. Couldn't wait.

He sat cross-legged, mimicking the meditative postures he'd seen from the arrogant mine guards. He closed his eyes and turned his entire focus inward. With the Deconstruction Eye as his guide, he visualized the dust particles in his lungs. He felt the warm energy of the Shard in his chest, waiting to be directed.

This wasn't a technique. It was an experiment. With grim determination, he "grasped" a tiny wisp of Primal Energy from the Shard and guided it through the partially open meridian near his heart, toward his lungs. The pain was sharp and lancing, like channeling molten sand through his veins.

He ignored it. With the precision afforded by his mental schematic, he wrapped the first dust particle with his energy. Then, he began to "vibrate" it. It was clumsy at first—too slow, then too fast. Each mistake sent a burning flare of pain. Sweat beaded on his pale face.

After several attempts, he felt something. The dust particle shuddered, then its dark energy spike shattered into fragments and dissipated! The now-harmless quartz particle dislodged.

SUCCESS!

A surge of euphoria gave him strength. He repeated the process. Particle by particle. Each cleansing required extreme concentration and was draining. But with every neutralized particle, his chest felt lighter, his breath deeper. After an hour—or maybe more—he opened his eyes and drew the first truly deep, un-pained, non-toxic-hiss breath in his memory.

Self-Diagnostic (Updated):

· Toxins: "Spirit Dust" reduced to 0.01 units (negligible trace).

· Lung Capacity: Increased to 85% of normal.

· Shard Synchronization Level: Increased to 19.5%.

Lin Feng almost laughed, but a groan from Chen cut him off. His friend stirred, whimpering in pain.

"Easy, Chen. You're safe," Lin Feng said, grabbing his shoulder.

Chen's eyes fluttered open, filled with confusion and fear. "Feng? My hand... it feels burnt."

"You touched something you shouldn't have. But you'll be okay." Lin Feng turned his Deconstruction Eye on Chen's injured hand. The damage pattern was intricate—the purple energy had scorched the meridian pathways, leaving spiritual scar tissue that would block Qi flow forever if untreated. But after his success with the Spirit Dust, an idea was forming.

"Chen, I need to check your hand. It might... feel strange."

Before Chen could protest, Lin Feng placed his fingers on Chen's injured wrist. He focused his Deconstruction Eye, not on poison this time, but on the pattern of the energy scarring. He saw it as a tangled web of severed light-threads and faulty knots.

He couldn't heal it. But could he... cut the most problematic knots? Reopen a few pathways?

With utmost care, he guided an extremely fine, sharp filament of Primal Energy, like a scalpel of light. Using the damage diagram as a map, he began severing and unpicking the most obstructive energy knots. This was subtler, riskier. Each cut made Chen whimper, not from physical pain, but from a strange sensation of "loss" followed by a sudden trickle of "fullness" as microscopic pathways were reopened.

After fifteen tense minutes, Lin Feng pulled back, dizzy. He had reopened about 10% of the damaged meridians. It wasn't much, but it was enough to prevent further decay and allow for limited natural healing.

"How does it feel?" Lin Feng asked.

Chen flexed his hand tentatively, his eyes wide. "It hurts... but different. Like something clogged is gone." He stared at Lin Feng in awe. "How did you do that?"

Lin Feng sighed. "I... got something. In the ruins. I don't fully understand it myself." He stood up, masking his weakness. "We can't stay here. They'll be searching for us."

"We have to get out of the mine," Chen said, trying to stand with the wall's support.

"No," Lin Feng said, his voice firm. "The main exit will be guarded tight. And even if we got out, we're two fugitive slaves. We'd be targets in the open." His new eyes saw more than that. Fleeing outside wasn't an escape; it was a trap.

"Then what's your plan?" Chen asked, fear and hope warring in his voice.

Lin Feng looked down the descending tunnel, toward the source of the Li Yao aura trace his Deconstruction Eye had analyzed. "We go deeper."

"Deeper? You're insane! The deeper you go, the more evil spirits, traps—"

"Deeper," Lin Feng repeated, "to where they won't dare follow. Toward the heart of what they're hiding." He pulled out Li Yao's journal. "This man, the Grand Archivist, fled here to hide the truth. He must have had a secret way out, or a bolt-hole. We'll find it."

Chen looked torn, but he glanced at his injured hand, then at Lin Feng's newly confident face. He nodded, a decision made from pure desperation. "Alright. But if we die, it's your fault."

Lin Feng almost smiled. "Deal."

They pressed on, with Lin Feng leading. His Deconstruction Eye was now active at a low level constantly, mapping their environment in real-time. He avoided unstable cracks, identified a section of tunnel supported by rotten timber beams (Safety: 23% - AVOID), and even found a small, relatively pure water seep (Contamination: 2% - SAFE). They drank their fill, refilling an old leather waterskin Lin Feng found in a niche.

As they descended, the tunnel began to change. Rough-hewn stone gave way to neatly cut brick, though now cracked and moss-covered. They entered a partially collapsed circular chamber, with the remains of a wooden table and shattered bookshelves. Decayed scrolls littered the floor.

Scan: Li Yao's aura trace thickens here. Qi levels slightly higher. Energy patterns indicate remnants of a long-dead preservation formation.

"This was his workroom," Lin Feng murmured. He picked up an unfurled scroll. His Deconstruction Eye translated the fading script: "...stellar migration patterns altered post-Fracture, proving localized space-time distortion..."

"Feng, look at this," Chen called from a corner. He pointed to a symbol carved into the wall: an eye surrounded by a triangle, with a star at its center. It glowed with a faint blue light.

Symbol Analysis: Observatory Access Seal - Level 2. Energy: Low (1%). Mechanism: Spiritual aura scan and energetic password verification. Status: Damaged. Verification system offline. Entrance physically blocked (rubble, 4 tons).

Lin Feng stepped closer. He placed his hand near the symbol. His Heaven's Core Shard pulsed, and he felt an echo, an energetic "key" seeking a matching "lock." On instinct, he projected a sliver of Primal Energy into the symbol.

The stone eye flared brightly! A hoarse, age-distorted mechanical voice grated through the chamber.

"Verification... aural... failed. Trace... detected: Heaven's... Legacy. Emergency... protocol. Limited... access... granted."

Grrrrnddd…

A section of wall next to the symbol slid aside with a screech, opening a two-foot-wide gap that exhaled cold, dusty air. The rubble blocking it had been an illusion or a thin layer—the door had pushed it aside.

Chen gaped. "What did you do?"

"Coincidence," Lin Feng said, though he knew it wasn't. The Shard was recognized. He was the living "heaven's legacy."

They squeezed through the gap and found themselves on a wide, spiral staircase made of strange, uncorroded metal, winding down into deeper darkness. The temperature dropped sharply. In the distance, far below, Lin Feng could feel it—a massive, slumbering, ancient concentration of energy. It wasn't a Shard. It was bigger. More... alive.

They descended for several minutes before arriving at a landing. Before them stretched a narrow stone bridge across a deep, dark chasm. Across the bridge was a large bronze door, adorned with carvings of stars and planets. It was slightly ajar, and from the crack, a faint, pulsating green-gold light emanated.

But it wasn't what made Lin Feng freeze.

At the bottom of the chasm, his Deconstruction Eye caught something. Not an image, but an absence. An area where the laws of reality—gravity, atomic structure, even time-flow—became chaotic and inconsistent. It was a "Fracture" in miniature, a hole in the fabric of reality.

Chasm Scan:

· Phenomenon: Micro-Celestial Fracture (Stable, Dormant).

· Diameter: ~5 meters.

· Effects: Local space-time distortion, gravitational warping, material anomalies. Warning: Direct exposure will result in molecular disintegration.

· Anomaly: Man-made object traces detected at fracture's edge. Material: Void-iron alloy. Age: ~305 years. Matches Fall Period.

Someone, likely Li Yao or another, had thrown something into this Fracture chasm. Something made of rare metal.

"Feng, the bridge... it's broken," Chen whispered, voice trembling, pointing.

Lin Feng squinted. His Deconstruction Eye confirmed. Several stone blocks in the middle of the bridge were missing, leaving a ten-foot gap. An impossible jump under normal circumstances.

But Lin Feng was no longer "normal." He studied the gap. Wind rose from the chasm, creating erratic air currents. But his Deconstruction Eye analyzed the wind patterns, calculating speed, direction.

Jump Simulation: Based on mass, muscle strength, current wind patterns, success probability: 42%. Enhancement Factor: Modifying airflow to provide additional lift. Requirement: Basic understanding of Aerodynamic Laws and application of Primal Energy for air pressure manipulation.

Lin Feng took a deep breath. This was a leap of faith—in his new abilities and the Shard's intuition. He turned to Chen.

"You have to jump with me. The moment I signal."

"You're insane!"

"Trust me," Lin Feng said, and there was a quality in his voice, an echo of ancient power, that made Chen fall silent and nod.

Lin Feng took a few steps back, eyes closed. He visualized the gap, the airflow. He felt the Primal Energy within him, and instead of pushing it out roughly, he "shaped" it according to the patterns he saw in his mind. He imagined a wedge of dense air, an invisible cushion under their feet.

He ran. "NOW!"

They jumped together. As they sailed over the gaping chasm, Lin Feng focused his intent. Primal Energy flowed from his legs, compressing the air beneath them. Not flight, but an enhanced rebound.

Their feet felt like they landed on something solid, though invisible. It gave them that crucial extra push.

They landed roughly on the far side, tumbling. Lin Feng gasped, his energy drained again, but they had made it. He had used the Deconstruction Eye not just to see, but to manipulate.

They approached the bronze door. Its carvings were intricate, depicting ancient astronomers observing whole stars. Lin Feng pushed, and it swung open easily.

The chamber within was the Observatory.

A great dome, half-collapsed, opened to a view of the stone sky above. But in the room's center stood a massive telescope made of crystal and bronze, pointed at an opening in the dome. Though dusty and cracked, it still emanated a residue of grandeur.

And beneath the telescope, on a stone table, lay a skeleton.

It sat in a chair, still clad in tattered dark blue robes with an eye-and-star insignia. In its bony hands, it clutched a small, sealed metal box. Lin Feng's Deconstruction Eye detected the same aura as from the journal—Li Yao.

But it wasn't the only thing in the room.

Lining the observatory walls were shelves containing dozens of purple stones, all fist-sized or smaller. Heaven's Core Shards, scores of them, stored neatly as if for study. They pulsed with a gentle light, in various patterns.

Shards Scan: Collection of Heaven Fragments. Stability Levels: Varied (62%-95%). Contained Law Patterns: Diverse (Minor Gravity, Thermal Conductivity, Light Reflection, etc.). Note: This collection represents Li Yao's research archive. Assimilation will accelerate understanding and synchronization exponentially. Warning: Reckless absorption will cause spiritual overload and destruction.

Lin Feng walked up to Li Yao's skeleton respectfully. He bowed. "Thank you for guarding the truth," he murmured.

As he straightened, his eyes fell on the metal box in the skeleton's hands. His Deconstruction Eye scanned it, but it was shielded by a dense, complex energy seal.

Metal Box Analysis:

· Material: Void-Iron (same as trace in chasm).

· Seal: Multi-Layered Sealing Array - Tier 5. Requires specific aura key or high-level deconstruction energy to open without damaging contents.

· Detected Contents: 1 Organic object (bone/twig?), 1 Parchment sheet with intense energetic writing. Energy Signature: Extremely High, Similar to Heaven's Core Shard but... different.

"Feng, look at the ceiling!" Chen exclaimed, his voice trembling not with fear, but with awe.

Lin Feng looked up. Through the collapsed dome's opening, he did not see rock. His Deconstruction Eye, enhanced by the concentration of Shards in the room, pierced through the layers. He saw through hundreds of meters of earth and stone, directly to the sky above the mine.

And in that sky, he saw the Fracture.

It wasn't a physical crack in the air. It was a multi-dimensional flaw in reality's fabric. It looked like a swirling river of purple and black, undulating, emitting rays of energy that were both toxic and pure. Small fragments—purple meteorites—occasionally broke off and fell. It was a wound in the world, but also a gateway, an opportunity.

Celestial Fracture Scan (Limited):

· Status: Semi-Active, Unstable.

· Influence on World: Corrupting Leylines, Capping Cultivation Heights (Current Limit: "Nascent Soul" Stage), Generating Aberrant "Fracture Energy".

· Preliminary Analysis: Fracture is result of cataclysmic power detonation that killed local natural laws. Healing requires understanding and reconstructing damaged laws. Conclusion: Heaven's Core Shards are fragments of those laws.

In a flash of enlightenment, Lin Feng understood. Traditional cultivation was about absorbing and obeying existing natural laws. But his path—the one given by the Shard—was different. It was about understanding those laws, deconstructing them, and perhaps... recomposing them.

He was not just a victim of a broken world. He was its potential new custodian.

Suddenly, his Deconstruction Eye gave a sharp warning.

Security Scan (Extended): Foreign aura traces detected in tunnel above. Multiple signatures. Cultivation Level: Qi Refinement 4, 5, and one at Foundation Establishment 1. Affiliation: Verdant Vine Sect. Estimated Time of Arrival: 15-20 minutes.

They had been found. Overseer Gao must have called in actual cultivators.

"Chen," Lin Feng said, his voice urgent. "We have company."

"How did they find us?"

Lin Feng glanced at the pulsing collection of Shards. "The energy. This collection is like a beacon to those who can sense it." He quickly swept his eyes over the room. They needed weapons. An exit. Something.

His gaze landed on the metal box in Li Yao's hands. It was protected. But his Deconstruction Eye was a universal key to anything that could be understood. He reached for the box. Primal Energy from his core Shard flowed, not to force, but to communicate, to analyze the intricate layers of the seal.

Click-tick-tick. The first layer of the seal unraveled, then the second. It was like ultra-fast code-breaking. Sweat beaded on his temples. Five minutes passed.

Click.

The box opened.

Inside were two items. A glowing golden finger bone (Analysis: Trail Bone - contains energetic map to Li Yao's 'Final Resting Place'), and a single sheet of unusual parchment, made of something like skin but smoother, with shining script.

Lin Feng took the parchment. The writing wasn't ink; it was living energy patterns. As he looked at it, the writing flew off the page, entering his mind directly.

It wasn't a message. It was a Blueprint.

Blueprint Acquired: "Shattered Heaven Refining Art - Basic Tier (Fragment)"

· Type: Body/Energy Cultivation Technique (Unique).

· Prerequisite: Integration with a Heaven's Core Shard.

· Principle: Uses Shard's Primal Energy to unclog and strengthen meridians by selectively deconstructing blockages and imperfections, then reconstructing them with more efficient patterns. Does not require external Spirit Stones. Assimilates "Fracture Energy" as fuel.

· Warning: Experimental path. High risk. Requires constant Deconstruction Eye control.

Lin Feng's heart raced. This was the answer! A way to forge his path from within, using the power the world deemed poisonous.

But there was no time to study it now. He heard sounds from the staircase—footsteps, the clink of weapons.

"We have to go, now!" Chen hissed, eyes wild.

Lin Feng nodded. He stuffed the bone and parchment into his shirt. Then, he looked at the collection of Shards. He couldn't take them all, and taking them would make them a blazing beacon. But he needed more data, more understanding.

With a swift decision, he grabbed the three nearest Shards emitting different stabilization patterns. As his hand touched each, his Deconstruction Eye rapidly absorbed their energetic "blueprint," storing it into his core Shard like transferring files. The stones dulled and cracked, their energy "read" and absorbed.

[Understanding Acquired: Basic Thermal Insulation Concept.]

[Understanding Acquired: Simple Light Focusing Principle.]

[Understanding Acquired: Minor Dimensional Stabilization Pattern (Reinforced).]

Synchronization Level rose to 22%.

"EXIT," Lin Feng muttered, sweeping his Deconstruction Eye across the room. There had to be one. Li Yao wouldn't have been trapped.

The scan revealed it: under the stone table where the skeleton sat, there was a faint airflow pattern. A hidden hatch.

He pushed the table. Heavy, but it moved. Underneath was an iron hatch with a gear wheel. Beside it, a control panel with five darkened crystals.

Panel Analysis: Short-Range Teleportation Formation (Damaged). Power: 0%. Fuel Required: Pure Spirit Stones (5) or... Heaven's Core Shard (1, with 300% conversion efficiency).

Lin Feng had no Spirit Stones. But he had his core Shard.

Footsteps were now clear on the staircase outside the bronze door.

"This is our way out," Lin Feng told Chen. "But it needs power." He pointed to the panel. "Turn that gear when I signal."

He placed his hand on the panel, right over a crystal-shaped indentation. He took a deep breath, focusing on the Shard in his chest. He didn't just channel it; he asked it to help, to expend a tiny fragment of its core, a spark of its power.

The Heaven's Core Shard responded. A concentrated beam of purple energy, purer than any he'd used before, shot from his palm into the panel.

The panel came alive! Crystals lit up one by one, bright blue. Machinery hummed, and the air vibrated.

"NOW, CHEN!"

Chen heaved the gear with all his might. The hatch slid open, revealing a small, shimmering chamber with rotating floor symbols.

"IN!"

They jumped into the chamber just as the bronze observatory door behind them slammed open.

"HALT!" roared an authoritative voice—a Foundation Establishment Elder.

Lin Feng caught a glimpse: Overseer Gao with a smug face behind a middle-aged man in green robes and sharp eyes—the Verdant Vine Sect Elder. The Elder raised his hand, green energy coalescing for a strike.

The hatch began to close.

The Elder released a lethal bolt of green energy.

Lin Feng, on instinct, raised his hand. Armed with his new understanding of "Light Focusing" and "Dimensional Stabilization," he didn't try to block. He formed a small lens of Primal Energy in the air before them, refracting the attack, bending it aside to glance off the observatory ceiling!

BOOM! Stone rained down.

In the chaos, the hatch sealed shut.

Darkness. Then, a pulling sensation, like a rubber band stretched and released.

Cliffhanger/Plot Development:

Lin Feng and Chen were thrown out of the teleportation chamber, landing on soft, wet earth. The air felt different—fresh, humid, full of insect sounds and life. They were in a forest, under a canopy of giant trees. Nighttime. Two moons, one large and silver, one small and greenish, shone in the sky.

They had escaped the mine.

But Lin Feng immediately sensed something was wrong. Very wrong.

His Deconstruction Eye, even in exhaustion, was passively active. And what it saw in the sky made his blood run cold.

Above them, in the night sky, the Celestial Fracture was clearly visible. Still active. Still pulsing. But it wasn't the only one.

From the main Fracture, a smaller branch, like a crack in glass, extended toward the eastern horizon. This new crack glowed a fierce crimson, not purple. And its energy felt... hungry.

[Environmental System Alert:]

· New Event Detected: "Secondary Fracture Rupture".

· Location: Estimated 500 km east.

· Impact: Distortive energy wave arrival in 48-72 hours. Effect on local ecosystem: Unknown. Possibilities: Emergence of mutant monsters, unstable energy-rich zones, micro-law changes.

· Conclusion: Fracture equilibrium disrupted. Activity increasing. The world is beginning to change faster.

Lin Feng sat back in the muddy ground, gazing at the wounded sky. He was free from the mine. But he had escaped an iron cage only to find himself in a world that was beginning to unravel at an accelerating pace.

And in his chest, the Heaven's Core Shard pulsed with a clear message, an embedded mission: Understand. Heal. Or watch it all crumble.

He was no longer just a fleeing slave. He was a Cultivator of the Shattered Heavens. And his work had only just begun.