The day dawned with a violet hue across the Azure Serpent Sect, as if the heavens themselves were holding their breath for what was to come. Word of Rayen Wu's alchemical antics had spread like wildfire—particularly the 'Soup of Enlightenment' incident, which had now been canonized into Sect folklore. Disciples whispered, Elders grumbled, and somewhere, an apothecary's hawk began advertising "Wu Soup: Enlighten Your Taste Buds!"
Rayen, for his part, stood before Lab 7B's reinforced bronze mirror, tugging at the lapels of his upgraded robes. They were still a bit too large and smelled faintly of sulfur and optimism.
:: External outfit aesthetics: upgraded. Charisma modifier: +2 perception among junior disciples. ::
"Noted," Rayen muttered, patting down a bulge in his inner robe pocket. The Enlightenment Kernel was still there—tucked safely inside its reinforced jade capsule, nestled between a mini heat-sink array and three emergency tea packets.
His door slid open. Tian Feng stood outside, his usual composed expression shaded with concern.
"The combat exhibition briefing starts in fifteen minutes. You should prepare… mentally."
Rayen raised an eyebrow. "I'm the one bringing a pill that bends perception. Mental's covered."
The Azure Arena was a crescent-shaped battleground carved from jade-infused stone. Floating platforms hovered at varying elevations, spinning slowly, charged by ambient Qi arrays. Senior disciples lounged in observation pavilions while Elders circled above, discussing wagers in low tones.
Rayen stood in the waiting area with the other Outer Disciples. Most were flexing their Qi, practicing breathing techniques, or glaring at one another like mortal enemies.
Rayen was scribbling in a notebook.
"What are you doing?" asked a tall disciple with fire tattoos along his arms.
Rayen didn't look up. "Calculating the entropy differential of Ember Pulse Palm versus kinetic displacement over uneven terrain."
"…What?"
"Also estimating how much it'll hurt when I get punched."
The fire-tattooed disciple blinked. "You're weird."
"I prefer 'innovative.'"
His match came sooner than expected. A large drum boomed, and Elder Fan's voice echoed:
"Match Six: Rayen Wu versus Bao Shen."
A few murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Rayen strolled into the arena, waving at no one. Bao Shen followed—a thick-set Inner Disciple with a broadsword the size of a small bridge.
Rayen blinked. "Does that count as overcompensating?"
:: Enemy profile: Bao Shen. Cultivation stage: Foundation Establishment Layer 3. Threat level: Moderate. Weapon detected: Obnoxiously Large. Recommended strategy: Confuse, distract, detonate. ::
Elder Fan raised her arm. "Begin!"
Bao Shen moved like a landslide, charging forward with a roar.
Rayen sidestepped, palms glowing with thermal spirals. He unleashed Ember Pulse Palm, striking the air—not the man.
The resulting shockwave diverted Bao's footing just enough to trip him over a floating platform's edge.
The crowd gasped. Bao caught himself midair and countered with a flaming arc of sword Qi.
Rayen tapped his wrist.
:: Activating Kinetic Feedback Reversal. ::
The sword arc curved back toward Bao like a boomerang. He deflected it—but barely.
"Trickery!" Bao shouted.
"Science!" Rayen corrected.
The fight continued—a ballet of dodges, redirections, and small explosions. Rayen never aimed to overpower. He calculated, adapted, and twisted the battlefield like a quantum chessboard.
Then, Bao triggered a burst of Core Qi, surging forward in a full-body tackle.
Rayen winced. "Fine. Time to test the Kernel."
He pulled the jade capsule from his robe and crushed it in his palm. The Enlightenment Kernel released a subtle pulse—not flashy, not violent. Just a ripple.
Bao faltered.
Rayen stepped forward and tapped the stunned disciple lightly on the forehead.
Bao collapsed like a dropped marionette.
Silence.
Elder Fan raised a hand. "Winner: Rayen Wu."
Murmurs turned to clamor. Some cheered. Others just stared.
Back in the waiting area, Tian Feng ran up.
"What was that?!"
"Pharmaceutical poetry," Rayen said, already sketching out improvements. "He'll wake up in thirty minutes with a deeper understanding of filial piety."
:: Side effects detected: Subject is mumbling about the interconnectedness of koi fish and karma. ::
Rayen smiled. "Perfect."
**[Rayen Wu – Cultivator Status Sheet]**
• Cultivation Stage: Foundation Establishment – Layer 1 (Ember Core: Stable)
• Core Stability: 83%
• Martial Techniques:
⁃ Ember Pulse Palm
⁃ Thermal Weave Breathing
⁃ Steam Qi Displacement
⁃ Kinetic Feedback Reversal
• Alchemy Techniques:
⁃ Controlled Entropy Infusion
⁃ Quantum Fractional Distillation
• Pill Formulas Mastered:
⁃ High-tier Body Refinement Pill
⁃ Ember Spark Draught
⁃ Soup of Enlightenment (banned)
⁃ Enlightenment Kernel (Prototype – Forbidden)
• Notable Items: Quantum Entangled Drive (Q.E.D.), Lab 7B Access, Sect Trial Token, Reinforced Jade Capsule (used)
• Reputation: Alchemical Madman, Surprise Combatant, Pharmaceutical Duelist
That night, Rayen stood in his lab, watching the flame of his furnace dance.
"Q.E.D.," he whispered, "how far can a pill take you?"
:: Unknown. But you're already past the point of no return. ::
Rayen grinned. "Then let's keep walking."