"Oh, Kai Shen, what a pleasant surprise," the elder sneered, his words dripping with mockery. "Come to apologize to this useless old man?"
"Why, Elder, what could I possibly have to apologize for?" I smirked, meeting his gaze.
The stench in the Alchemy Pavilion was unbearable. Either some local genius had botched a concoction, or cultivators at some stage lost their sense of smell entirely. The odor hit me like a cloud of poison, churning my stomach.
"Brat!" he snapped. "You publicly declared I should step down as head of the Alchemy Pavilion. Or will you deny it? Lost your cultivation and your nerve along with it?" As he spoke, the flames beneath the cauldrons roared higher, their crimson tongues licking the air. Disciples yelped, scrambling away, and the stench grew even fouler. Was I the only one who noticed?
"Venerable Elder," I said, offering a deliberately sloppy bow that made his wispy mustache twitch comically. "Is well-earned rest an insult? You've trained countless skilled alchemists. Surely you deserve to reap the rewards of your labors with honor?"
"Empty words," he scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "Why are you here in the sanctum of alchemy?"
"To master this noble art, of course," I grinned, my tone laced with defiance.
"You haven't claimed this month's allotted pills," he said, his face twisting in distaste.
"And, Venerable Elder, allow me to remind you that I formally reached the peak of Meridian Tempering," I called after him. It was a gamble, but it paid off. He whirled, his glare so venomous I nearly stepped back.
"You'll have your tempering pills," he hissed.
What followed was a theatrical display of bustle. He barked at servants to fetch pills, only to send them back moments later. He scrutinized each orb as if under a magnifying glass, proclaiming, "The Clan Leader's son doesn't deserve trash." The charade dragged on, and with every passing minute, I felt worse. The suffocating stench made my head spin, my light breakfast threatening to revolt. My body grew heavier, as if weighed down by invisible chains.
I wasn't alone in my suffering—several disciples lay unconscious near the cauldrons, ignored by all. It was as if the ventilation had been deliberately sealed, the doors barred. On purpose?
My thoughts slogged through a fogged mind. They were poisoning me—brazenly, without shame. I realized it too late. With a crooked smile, the mustached elder handed me a bulging pouch of small spheres.
"Your pills. Best of luck in your cultivation," he said, and a grating screech sounded behind me. The gates swung open.
I didn't respond. Clutching the pouch, I staggered toward the exit on unsteady legs, passing the fallen disciples. Did no one care about them? No matter. I needed fresh air—now.
"Say what you want, Dead Man Kai," the elder spat as I left. "I've received my invitation to the duel, and trust me, I'll watch closely as young Huo smears you across the sacred arena." His pettiness was almost laughable.
Outside, breathing eased, but the relief was fleeting. My body grew heavier still, my vision and hearing dulling. A system prompt flickered at the edge of my consciousness.
Status Effect Gained: Body Contamination
Physical attributes significantly reduced. Affinity with Qi diminished.
Body contamination, huh? I glanced at Cho and Sho. Their faces betrayed no concern, no surprise. Of course—this was planned. My gaze fell to the pouch. If they'd poisoned me with fumes, what kind of garbage had they slipped into these pills? I nearly tossed it away, but another prompt stopped me.
Meridian Strengthening Pill
Purity: 61%
Strengthens meridians. Due to low quality, may clog the body with impurities, hindering Qi manipulation. Fatal for cultivators below Meridian Tempering.
Qi Gathering Pill
Purity: 60%
Contains a small amount of Qi. Due to low quality, may clog the body with impurities, hindering Qi manipulation. Fatal for cultivators below Meridian Tempering.
"What?" I blurted. "These are real pills?"
"Per the Phoenix Sect's rules, forging pills with malicious intent carries a death penalty for any Alchemy Pavilion member," Cho said abruptly.
"A spiritual contract would punish the offender," Sho added.
Spiritual contract? Did I have one? Focusing my spiritual sense—weakened but still functional—I scanned myself. No foreign energy. The twins were like blinding beacons, impossible to read, but a passing disciple glowed with a web of alien power. At least I was clean—for now.
We trudged to the library slowly. I'd gotten what I wanted—pills brimming with Qi—but what good were they? The system warned that consuming them would likely kill me, as I wasn't at Meridian Tempering. I wasn't at any stage. And the contamination effect wasn't exactly cheering me up.
Back in the library, I sank into a comfortable chair and began reading. Ignoring the twins' recommendation, I picked a different book to verify their advice and gather more knowledge. Fire Step Technique offered nothing new. Sure, dashing at breakneck speed in a fiery vortex sounded impressive, but it said nothing about gathering Qi. It was a supplementary technique.
A realization hit me—or rather, I'd read it. You couldn't simply swap out a core cultivation technique. If I studied some trash from this library, I'd be stuck with it, likely for life. Techniques were divided into core and supplementary. Core techniques enabled Qi accumulation and stage progression, while supplementary ones were like spells embedded in the soul, limited by "loci"—spell slots that varied per cultivator.
"How many loci do I have?" I asked, closing the book and grabbing another at random.
"You had six," Sho said after a pause.
"Had?"
"One was destroyed."
Five supplementary techniques, then. Not bad. If only I could find something above Mortal rank. And gather some Qi.
My reading was interrupted by a young woman, about twenty, who stole my breath. Blue eyes, skin like flawless jade, and—most shockingly—no trace of murderous intent. I set the book aside, stunned. She strode toward me with purpose, but the twins blocked her path.
"Princess Lin, you shouldn't—"
"Out of my way," she snapped, brushing them aside.
"But the Clan Leader's orders—" She ignored them, waving a hand. A chair lifted into the air and settled beside me.
"Glad you're alive, Kai," she smiled, sitting across from me.
"Unexpected," I said sincerely. "Sorry, but I don't remember you."
"I know, I know," she said, her smile warm. "They say you haven't changed—still brazen and irreverent."
"Lies," I declared. "I even bowed recently!"
"Oh, Kai," she laughed, and my heart nearly melted. "It really is you. I'm glad you're alive."
"You said that," I grinned.
"Right. Sorry." Her tone grew serious. "I came to repay a debt." The twins radiated sudden menace, but she waved a delicate hand, and a book in a plain gray cover appeared before me.
"Princess Lin, remove that at once!" the twins barked in unison. "Clan Leader Cao forbade Kai Shen access to the clan library!"
Lin shot them a withering look. "Calm down. It's just a Spiritual-rank technique. I won't let a Shen Clan genius use trash like Blood of the Salamander as their core technique."
"The Clan Leader forbade—"
"I know exactly what he forbade," she said, smiling sweetly at me. "This book is from my personal collection. A genius gave me this technique when I couldn't even cultivate. He wrote it for me, and thanks to him, I reached my current level. Thank you, Kai Shen. I hope this repays even a fraction of that debt."
I stared, dumbstruck, from her to the unassuming cover. Song of Pure Flame. Author: Kai Shen. I'd created a Spiritual-rank technique? How? The system confirmed it, even adding a quote for flair—likely due to its rank.
Song of Pure Flame
Rank: Spiritual
"From the flames, I shall rise."
Cost: 10,000 Qi
Ten thousand Qi? I sensed a pattern. A Heavenly-rank technique would cost a hundred thousand. Were there techniques beyond that?
"We'll report this to the Clan Leader," the twins hissed. Lin snorted, locking eyes with me.
"Please, Brother Shen, study it now. In my presence."
"Thank you, Sister Lin," I nodded, diving into the book, hoping I'd understand something.
The more I read, the clearer it became: Kai was a genius. The book explained cultivation with diagrams and examples, detailing which mystical "muscles" to flex to absorb Qi. Compared to the nonsense cluttering the library's shelves, it was a revelation. Those texts seemed deliberately obtuse, as if designed to hinder others. I wouldn't be surprised if that was intentional.
The twins glared daggers, but they didn't act. Were they wary of Lin? Or was this another trap? I didn't care. I was a drowning man grasping at any lifeline, and this wasn't a straw—it was a rope in the form of an extraordinary technique.
When Elder Mo stormed in, furious as a demon, I'd finished the book and was memorizing meridian diagrams. It came effortlessly, as if I were recalling rather than learning. In a way, I was.
"Vile brat, I forbid—"
I never heard what he forbade. Lin lunged forward, snatching the book from my hands. A flash of fire, and it crumbled to gray ash. Only then did I notice her state—her face haggard, dark circles under her eyes, her legs barely holding her up. She collapsed into the chair, panting.
"Sorry," she whispered. "You said this technique mustn't fall into their hands. Please, Brother Kai, survive. You're destined to ascend the peak of immortality." Her warm smile returned, tears streaming down her face. Then her eyes closed, and she slumped, unconscious.
"Bastard Kai, what did you do to Princess Lin?" Mo roared. Crimson runes filled the library, the air thick with scorching heat. My guards stood like statues, silently endorsing the chaos.
"I didn't—"
"Silence!" he bellowed, and with a wave, hundreds of runes surged toward me.
Now or never. Time slowed as I reached for the surrounding Qi. Millions of tiny sparks merged into streams, then rivers, flooding my body like water into parched earth. They thought to pollute my meridians, to defile my spirit? A vivid memory flared—my body and soul were forged in pure flame. These impurities, meant to break me, would fuel my strength!
A dam within me shattered. I felt the poison's fragments burn, erupting outward as black fire. A crimson-black aura enveloped me, incinerating the runes in a blazing inferno.
"Old man!" I roared, my voice a primal growl. "Touch a hair on Princess Lin, and I'll burn your pathetic soul to ashes!" The flames intensified, and something within me shifted. I felt stronger, my senses soaring to new heights. A breakthrough?
Mo stared, shock and rage warring on his face. His runes hung in the air, blazing, as blood trickled from Lin's nose.
"I'll care for the princess," he said, retreating. The runes flickered out.
I glanced at Lin one last time and released the technique. Pain crashed over me—body, spirit, mind, all screaming. I didn't notice my consciousness slipping into darkness.
To my surprise, I awoke not in a dank cell or torture chamber but in my own room. Small comfort, though—the bed was softer. The twins sat vigil as always. They hadn't even taken the pill pouch; it lay on the bedside table.
"How long was I out?" I rasped, throat parched.
"The Moon Festival is in three days," Cho said curtly. "Congratulations on your breakthrough."
"What about Lin?"
"Princess Lin suffers severe Qi exhaustion," he replied. "Her life isn't in danger, but she's entered secluded meditation."
Secluded meditation? A convenient excuse to keep us apart. Still, she'd given me a chance I couldn't have dreamed of. A system prompt flashed.
New Technique Learned!
My status had changed too. The contamination effect was gone—purged by that black fire. The technique had burned the impurities from my body.
Name: Kai Shen
Qi Reserve: 2/20
Rank: Mortal (2/12)
Techniques:
Song of Pure FlameEnables absorption of external Qi.Grants control over various fire manifestations.Life Flame purifies body and spirit.Rank: SpiritualLevel: 1/5 (0/1000 Qi)
Talents:Shen Clan Bloodline: Fire techniques 50% stronger. Unique interactions with flame.Flame Tempering: Body and spirit forged by fire. Physical attributes greatly enhanced. Mundane impurities cannot taint your fiery soul.
I wasn't sure what shocked me more—that I could upgrade the technique with Qi or that my Mortal rank showed "12" stages. Qi Condensation had ten, and I'd somehow cleared two. Was I some kind of freak? Asking the twins seemed risky, so I resolved to stay put and cultivate. A plan was forming.
"Can supplementary techniques be replaced?" I asked casually on the way to the library.
"It's possible but dangerous," Sho said. "The stronger and more developed the technique, the higher the risk of damaging your cultivation."
As expected. I had little choice, though—risk it or surrender to my "merciful" kin. I wasn't betting on their humanity.
The third floor welcomed me like an old friend. Two cultivators, a man and a woman, spotted me and left abruptly. Coincidence, probably. Better for me—no distractions.
Selecting ten promising techniques—by my amateur judgment—I began cultivating. Then, I ground some pills into powder and started chewing. The twins stared as if I'd lost my mind but said nothing. What? I needed Qi, fast, and my idea to reduce the dosage worked. The mash of dozens of pills became a nutrient-rich, Qi-filled paste. The foreign energy scorched my meridians but was steadily absorbed. Unpleasant, but bearable. If only the pills tasted better—eating moss came to mind.
My first breakthrough came after an hour. The trick was preventing it from purging the pill impurities. I remembered how they'd exited as black fire and had plans for them. They wanted these impurities to ruin my cultivation? I'd make them fuel for my power.
They'd given me trash techniques? I'd master them, then shove a flaming fist down their throats. Spiritual energy and pill powder flowed into me. In hours, I hit the fourth stage. Absurdly easy. I knew this was just the foundation—Meridian Tempering wouldn't be as simple, and opening meridians was no small feat. Still…
"What's the sect's record for reaching the tenth Qi Condensation stage?" I asked, mid-cultivation.
"Your father achieved it before an incense stick burned out," Sho said. "He broke through to Meridian Tempering in a month."
"He did so at a spiritual fire source," Cho added.
"Which you're barred from," Sho drove the final nail into my hopes.
Why wasn't I surprised? As stars lit the sky, I kept cultivating. Sixth stage already. Too fast. I'd used half my pill powder, though.
"Young Master, time to sleep," one twin said, but I ignored him.
The Pagoda of Knowledge didn't close at night, so why leave? I could cultivate in my quarters, but I'd noticed a faint spiritual source beneath the library last time. It powered the building's wards—and now me.
When I finished, mere hours remained before the duel. Tenth stage of Qi Condensation—an unattainable dream for some, yet too little for me. I hadn't grown much stronger; I'd already walked this path, and this stage mainly fortified the body. My prior progress made it quick—I just needed to refill my spiritual energy.
"Young Master, it's time," the twins said. "The duel begins soon."
I cast a final glance at the table, stacked with books. I had enough Qi to learn one technique. I didn't care if it destroyed the book. Wait, Brother Huo. Wait, venerable elders and dear Father. I'm coming!
Thank you for following Kai's blazing path! I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments or see your support with a follow. What technique will Kai choose, and will he survive the duel? Stay tuned to find out!