The Alchemy Palace was a place of serenity and high status within the Rising Soul Academy. Disciples came to exchange medicinal ingredients, study alchemical formulas, and refine pills that could change fates. But serenity fractured the moment Li Xuan stepped through its gates.
His arrival stirred a strange ripple in the atmosphere. The palace's attendants stiffened, some backing away instinctively. He looked too wild, too primal for a place built around control and harmony.
And then, of course, she appeared.
"Hey, hey! Wait!"
A soft, annoyingly persistent voice rang out behind him.
Li Xuan's brow twitched.
He turned slightly.
There she stood—dressed in soft purple robes, with two buns in her hair, and eyes that sparkled with curiosity. Not beauty that shocked the heavens, but that unkillable gleam of chaos in her smile said one thing clearly:
Trouble.
"You're Li Xuan, right? The one who cut down Senior Brother Yuan? And the Blackwind Bandits? And fought your own shadow in the Cursed Lands?"
He stared at her.
"…Who are you."
She grinned wider. "Su Yao! First-year alchemy student! I'm here to observe, research, and annoy."
"You've succeeded at one," he muttered and kept walking.
She followed.
Like a damn shadow.
—
He'd come to trade spirit beast cores for rare spiritual powders and a certain elixir recipe that enhanced soul perception. But even as he bartered, Su Yao hovered.
"Wow, you really use those beast cores? Most people just sell them."
"Not most people," he said curtly.
"Oh, mysterious! Can I watch your next fight? Please?"
"No."
"Can I follow you?"
"No."
"Too bad, I'm already doing it."
He exhaled and began walking faster.
She didn't stop.
From that day, Su Yao was like a curse he couldn't get rid of. She never interfered in his training, but she watched. She didn't offer advice, but she asked questions. She didn't beg for attention, but she demanded space in his shadow.
And for some reason, despite having the power to flick her into the sky, he didn't.
He simply… endured.
Because deep down, Li Xuan had learned one thing: annoying people who wanted a reaction were harder to get rid of if you gave them one.
—
Days Later – Beast Hunt Mission
A new task brought him to the Deepjaw Ravine—a place swarming with scaled blood leopards, creatures known for their speed and venom-tipped claws.
The mission: gather ten blood leopard tails for refining a rare paralysis poison.
System:
—Enemies Detected: 7 (Mid to Late Qi Condensation)
—Warning: Beast King Variant Approaching—
—Mission XP: 35 (Standard Kill), 60 (Elite), 100+ (Variant)—
—SP Potential: High—
He took a deep breath, cloaked his presence, and struck from the shadows.
The first blood leopard died before it saw him.
The second leapt over his slash and nearly took off his arm—he backstepped with Phantom Step and skewered it in mid-air.
The third came from the trees above.
He rolled. Saber flash. A body fell.
But when the Variant arrived, it wasn't a leopard—it was a Crimson Jaw Alpha, three meters tall with scarlet lightning leaking from its joints.
Its roar shattered the nearby cliffs.
Li Xuan's eyes narrowed. Death. That smell. That pressure.
He turned and fled immediately.
Phantom Step. Dash. Leap. Sprint.
The beast gave chase for almost half an hour, but he ducked into a ravine crevice and killed his spiritual presence.
He panted quietly in the dark.
System:
—Wise decision. Death Probability: 93%—
—Collected: 11 Tails—
—EXP: +280 | SP: +41 | Current SP: 297 / 500—
He grinned.
"I'll come back for you when I'm ready," he whispered.
—
Back at the Academy
The mission earned him more than resources—it earned him attention.
Challenge letters started appearing.
According to sect rules, any outer disciple could be challenged up to five times a month, and refusal meant disqualification from missions and cultivation resources.
Li Xuan accepted the first three silently.
Fight 1 – Outer Disciple: Bai Ming, Saber Cultivator (Peak Qi Condensation)
The battle was a clash of steel. Bai Ming's saber style was flashy and vicious. But flashy didn't mean effective.
Li Xuan disarmed him in ten exchanges and shattered his ribs in the next two.
Fight 2 – Dual Blades Fang You (Late Qi Condensation)
Fast. Elusive. Aggressive.
Fang You almost killed a normal cultivator with that feral rhythm. But Li Xuan had the Kill Instinct. He let the guy come close—and impaled him mid-flurry.
Fight 3 – Zhou Kai, Battle Maniac
Zhou Kai laughed the whole fight. Even as Li Xuan broke his arm and stomped him into the arena floor, he laughed.
"You're insane!" Kai howled with blood in his teeth. "I love it!"
Kai lost the battle. But he showed up the next day asking to train under him.
"You don't run from death. I like that."
Li Xuan said nothing.
But he didn't say no.
And so, the first unofficial brother joined his path.
Zhou Kai trained like a lunatic, called Li Xuan "Demon Boss," and swore to follow him until death.
—
The Demon Who Protects
As days turned to weeks, more challenges came. Some were victories. Some were brutal near-losses. He began to be seen not just as a devil who killed without mercy—but one who didn't betray his own.
Rumors spread.
"He trained that crippled guy into a monster!"
"He protects his own team. But if you touch them? You're dead."
Li Xuan set his recruitment rules:
No fear of death.
No betrayal.
No weakness tolerated.
Train or leave.
Trash joined him. Trash became terrifying.
—
Meanwhile, Su Yao still followed him around.
She didn't fight. She didn't cultivate much. But she watched everything.
And one day she whispered, "You don't hate me as much now, right?"
He glanced at her.
"Still do."
She smiled. "You're lying."
He said nothing.
But his silence wasn't denial.
—
System:
—SP: 297 / 500
—Legion Status: 2 Recruits (Zhou Kai, Pending: Wu Yun)
—Academy Position: Rising Monster
—Next Threat: Inner Sect Challenge Invitation Detected—
—Opponent Rank: Top 20 Inner Disciple—
—Recommended: Prepare Immediately—
Li Xuan stared at the sky again.
And for the first time, he didn't feel alone beneath it.
Just hungry.
Chapter End.
Cultivation: Peak Qi Condensation (Early breakthrough signs)
System Points: 297 / 500
Legion: Zhou Kai (confirmed), Wu Yun (pending)
Reputation: Demon Who Protects
Enemies Slain: 23 (Week Total)
Saber: Heaven-Shearing Executioner
Follower: Su Yao (uninvited)