Hanyuan's palms were slick with sweat against the bronze vent. His arms shook as the heat from the cauldron surged, pushing against his frost Qi like an angry beast.
"Now go to the South Vent! Move it, brat!" Elder Huo's bark was punctuated by the clang of him striking the side of the massive tripod.
Hanyuan scrambled across the scorched floor, the heat radiating through his boots. He dropped into position at the southern intake, his hands stinging as he slammed them against the cooling runes. Once more, he began to pump his Qi into the furnace.
Ten minutes passed. To Hanyuan, each second was an age of suffering. He felt hollowed out. His Dantian, once a vibrant pool of energy, was now a parched basin. His vision began to blur at the edges, the vibrant orange glow of the room turning into a hazy, shimmering smear.
"Quick! One last push, or the internal balance will tip!" Elder Huo roared, his hands weaving a frantic blur of signs.
I have to hold it... Hanyuan gritted his teeth, pulling the absolute dregs of energy from his very marrow. It was an agonizing sensation, like pulling water from a stone. Just as his vision threatened to go dark entirely, Elder Huo slapped the belly of the cauldron with both palms.
"Success! Success!"
The internal roar of the furnace instantly died down into a satisfied hum. Elder Huo laughed, a sharp, cackling sound of pure relief. From the venting port at the top, two emerald-green pills floated out on a cushion of air, radiating a refreshing, herbal aroma that briefly cut through the heavy smell of sulfur.
He caught them, examining the smooth, pill- ines with a critical eye. "Hmph. Top grade quality. Not bad at all," he muttered, quickly securing them in a jade phial.
He turned toward Hanyuan, who was slumped against the bronze wall, his chest heaving as he gasped for air that didn't feel like liquid fire. Seeing the boy's state, Huo's harsh expression softened, looking almost human for a fleeting second.
"Brat, you stayed focused when most would have fainted," Elder Huo said, his tone no longer a bark but a rough growl. He reached into his sleeve and tossed a small jade bottle. "Take this. Open it once you're back in your courtyard. It's a Mind-Calming Pill.It will clear your head."
He waved his hand over Hanyuan's mission tally, the jade slip glowing as fourteen merit points were officially recorded. "Now, get out of here. I have more refining to do, and you smell like a burnt pig."
Hanyuan offered a shaky bow and stumbled out of the forge. The cool mountain breeze of the island hit him like a blessing. He made the trek back to his stone hut in a daze, his mind purely focused on putting one foot in front of the other.
When he finally barred his courtyard door, he sat in the center of the meditation mat. His Dantian was bone-dry, but the experience of being hollowed out by Elder Huo's fire had left his meridians oddly sensitive and primed. He spent thirty minutes in silent breathing, slowly drawing the island's rich Qi back into his system until his silver-violet energy flickered back to life.
"Now," he whispered.
He pulled out the blue pill. It emitted a soft, calming scent of lavender and sandalwood. He swallowed it and immediately felt a cool wave wash over his brain, silencing the static of exhaustion and the pressure.
In this state of perfect focus, Hanyuan directed the newly absorbed Qi into a violent, spinning vortex within his Dantian. With the mental clarity of the pill, he navigated his meridians with surgical precision, forcing the energy to compress further and further.
Crack.
Inside his mind, he heard a sound like ice splitting on a winter lake.
The threshold shattered. A new, vast rush of power surged through his limbs, thicker and more stable than ever before.
"The 6th Layer of the Qi Refining Realm," Hanyuan muttered, his eyes opening.
a sharp, piercing cold light dwelt in his pupils. He stood up, his bones popping in a rhythmic sequence. He was halfway through the Qi Refining stages.
Hanyuan stood in the center of his courtyard, his eyes closed as he observed the changes in his body. The pool of Qi in his Dantian had expanded significantly; it was no longer a restless pond, but a steady, deep reservoir. He gripped the Cold Cloud Spear and swung it in a wide arc.
"Silver Crescent Horizon!"
A gleaming blade of frost-Qi hissed through the air, traveling twice as far as it had before the breakthrough. He immediately shifted into a lunge. "Star-Point Piercer!" The air cracked as the concentrated ray of ice struck the air. He noticed that while his Spirit-rank techniques were still sucking his Qi away" his expanded Dantian could now support half a dozen exchanges without leaving him breathless.
After a brief inquiry with a passing disciple, Hanyuan was surprised to learn that his breakthrough and initial consolidation had only taken two days. The time was ticking,the Outer Disciple Competition was now less than two weeks away.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
He fell back into the punishing rhythm of his basic drills. Five hundred thrusts felt easier now, the heavy steel spear moving like an extension of his own bone. Yet, a sigh escaped his lips as he looked at the high-reaching peaks above.
"Back home, this progress would have taken years," he murmured. Here, the sheer density of Qi and the constant access to missions and high-tier food had compressed his growth into mere months. But he knew his foundation was still missing a vital pillar.
With nearly 20 spirit stones and his remaining merit points in hand, Hanyuan returned to the Scripture Pavilion.
The ancient, silver-haired Elder was still there, sitting motionless in his weathered wooden chair like a statue forgotten by time. Hanyuan offered a respectful bow and entered, his eyes fixed on the section dedicated to Footwork and Movement.
His heart sank as he read the prices on the jade slips.
"Forty spirit stones for a Spirit-grade movement? Thirty-five for a Mid-grade Human technique?" Hanyuan muttered, his face twitching.
He was about to turn away and settle for a cheaper, low-tier Human manual when a soft, dry tap landed on his shoulder. Hanyuan's hair stood on end; he hadn't heard a single footstep.
"It's been some time, Hanyuan," a serene, melodic voice said.
Hanyuan whirled around and instantly dropped into a low, formal bow. "This junior greets Elder Qi!"
He stroked his goatee, his silver-blue eyes twinkling with a faint, amused light as he looked at Hanyuan. "You've broken through again. Your speed is impressive. I suspect if your father saw you now, he would faint from shock."
Hanyuan's face warmed with a rare bit of bashfulness. "It is only thanks to the Sect's resources and the path you opened for me, Elder."
Elder Qi sighed, looking at the nearby shelves. "I can't have a fellow Bai Clan member looking like a pauper in front of these scrolls. It would bring shame to our lineage."
Before Hanyuan could protest, the Elder flicked his wrist. A small, embroidered pouch flew through the air. Hanyuan caught it, the heavy jingle of spirit stones ringing inside. When he looked up, Elder Qi had already vanished like a phantom in the fog.
Hanyuan opened the pouch and gasped. Inside were exactly 20 Low-grade Spirit stones. Added to the stones and merit points he had saved, his total wealth now touched forty-five.
Fellow clan member?
The words echoed in Hanyuan's mind, bringing a wave of warmth that the cold mountain air couldn't touch. Elder Qi didn't see him as just another student; he saw a brother of the Bai bloodline.
"I won't let your investment go to waste, Elder," Hanyuan vowed silently.
He turned back to the shelves, no longer scanning the "Human" section. His eyes locked onto a scroll bathed in a soft, misty light.
[Azure Cloud Footwork]
Grade: Low Spirit Rank.
Description: A movement art based on the unpredictable flow of mountain mist and the drifting of azure clouds. At mastery, it allows the user to leave faint after-images and glide across surfaces without a sound.
Price: 45 Spirit Stones.
Hanyuan took a deep breath, paid the old woman at the desk,emptying his pouch to the very last stone,and walked out into the sunlight.
Back in his stone hut, the air hummed as he spread the scroll.