Alex, not knowing how to deal with all his emerging troubles, just sighed and decided to lean into it. There was no point in fighting it. Besides, he had a promise to keep, and his new, overly enthusiastic ally was the perfect key to fulfilling it.
"Alright, Finne," Alex said, his tone shifting to one of business. "Since you're my 'brother' now, there's something you can help me with." He held up his new, grey cauldron pin. "This gets me access to the Guild's private exchange, right?"
Finne's eyes lit up as if Alex had just proposed the most exciting adventure imaginable. "The Guild Shop! But of course, Brother! It is your right as a recognized Guild member. I would be honored to show you the way. It contains materials far beyond what you'll find in the public Exchange Hall!"
Finne, with the same manic energy as before, once again took the lead, guiding Alex away from the main hall and down a quiet, secluded corridor. They arrived before a set of elegant, polished redwood doors, intricately carved with swirling alchemical circles. A single, scholarly-looking Senior Alchemist sat at a desk nearby, reading a scroll. He looked up, his gaze pausing on Alex's plain outer disciple robes before noticing his official pin. The senior alchemist gave a curt, respectful nod and gestured for them to enter.
The room beyond was not a chaotic market, but a place of silent, reverent order. It was a circular chamber, its walls lined from floor to ceiling with thousands of perfectly organized, climate-controlled crystal display cases. The air was cool and pure, carrying the intermingled scents of a hundred different rare and potent spiritual ingredients. A gentle, ambient Qi, thicker than any Alex had felt before, hummed in the air.
Alex's eyes went wide. He was seeing a treasure trove of pure energy. He saw glowing vials of Sunstone Essence, each one a miniature sun of pure Yang Qi. There were boxes of Frozen Tundra Moss, radiating a blue Yin energy so cold it seemed to frost the very air around it. He saw things he had only read about in ancient scrolls: petrified Gorgon Snake Fangs, humming with a dense, earthy Qi; and vials of Captured Howling Gale, each containing a tiny, swirling vortex of pale green wind essence.
Then he saw things he had never even heard of. Floating in a suspension gel was the Heart of a Deep-Sea Kraken, a pulsing orb of deep, primordial blue. In another case, a single, perfectly preserved Starfall Lily, its petals shimmering with a faint, silvery light that seemed to be drawn from the night sky itself.
"Incredible," Alex whispered, his alchemist's heart pounding with excitement.
"Indeed, Brother," Finne said, his voice a low, proud hum. "Only the best materials are housed here, gathered by the sect's most elite teams. What are you looking for?"
"I need to make a pill for a wind-affinity cultivator," Alex explained, his mind racing as he scanned the displays. "Something potent enough to help her break through a bottleneck."
Finne led him to a specific section. "Then you will need a powerful, wind-aspected core ingredient." He pointed to a small, velvet-lined box. Inside, resting on a cushion of silk, were three perfectly spherical, light green pearls. They seemed to hum with a soft, internal breeze.
"The Core Pearl of a Storm Roc," Finne explained. "A powerful magical beast known for its ability to command the winds. A single one of these contains the essence of a thousand gales. It is incredibly potent, but also notoriously volatile and difficult to refine."
Alex looked at the price tag: Two Mid-Grade Spirit Stones and 500 Contribution Points. Each. It was an astronomical price, more than his entire cash savings. But as he looked at the swirling green energy within the pearl, he knew it was exactly what he needed. Lily was on the verge of a breakthrough. This would be the final push she required.
He thought of her hurt, angry expression, the frustration of feeling left behind. She hadn't asked for a pill. But she deserved one.
"I'll take one," Alex said, his decision firm. He looked at the other ingredients. "And I'll also need a vial of Air-spun Silk to bind the energy, and three Cloud-Whisper Blossoms to calm its volatility."
The total cost was staggering, wiping out nearly all of the spirit stones and the last of the contribution points he'd just earned from his dangerous quest. But as he walked out of the Hidden Treasury, the priceless ingredients safely stored in his new ring, he didn't feel a sting of loss. He felt a surge of anticipation.
He wasn't just making a pill. He was crafting a promise. And he was going to make it perfect.
---------------------------
The Elder's Council Chamber was a realm unto itself, a quiet space of polished dark wood and fragrant incense perched high on the sect's central peak. Here, the five figures who guided the Azure Plum Blossom Sect's destiny sat in somber silence, the air heavy with unspoken tension. Moments ago, the leader of the Azure Shadows, a figure cloaked in illusory mist, had delivered his report and dissolved back into the shadows, leaving his grim words hanging in the air.
The first was from the Azure Shadows, and Elder Lin stood before the grand window, his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze fixed on the distant southern horizon as the grim words hung in the air.
"The marshlands are drying up," Elder Ming said, breaking the silence, his voice laced with weariness. "Entire towns of mortals are facing drought. People are vanishing. And now this... empty graves."
"Grave robbers are nothing new," Elder Zheng scoffed, though his usual sharpness was blunted by the other, more immediate report. "Mortals have their petty desperations."
"It is not robbery, Brother Zheng," Elder Lian corrected gently. "The Azure Shadows were clear. The graves were excavated... but the bodies are missing."
The words landed with the weight of a stone. Elder Wu looked up, a flicker of confusion in his granite-hard eyes. "That makes no sense," he grunted. "There are vile rituals for extracting residual Qi from a cultivator's corpse. But mortals? Their bodies hold no spiritual energy. It's... inefficient. Why would anyone steal worthless remains?"
"A question for another time," Lin said, his voice a low rumble. He turned, his gaze sweeping over them. "The second report is more pressing. Disciple Chen has vanished from a sealed transport cart while on his way to the dungeons."
Ming's brow furrowed. "Vanished? A Qi-suppressing rope was used, was it not?"
"It was," Lin confirmed. "Cut clean through. The enforcer heard nothing, felt nothing. One moment the boy was there, the next, he was gone." He looked directly at Elder Wu. "Brother Wu, as our premier Formation Master, I had you inspect the main sect barrier after the tournament. Did you find anything?"
Wu shook his head, a look of profound frustration on his face. "Nothing. Not a single trace of spatial fluctuation, no residual energy, no breach in the barrier arrays. It is this lack of evidence that is most concerning. To bypass the sect's defenses so cleanly requires a level of mastery that..." he trailed off, the implication hanging in the air.
"That rivals or surpasses our own," Lin finished for him, his expression grim. "We have an enemy who is stealing bodies from graves in the south and plucking disciples from our very grasp, all without leaving a trace."
He took his seat at the head of the table. "This is no longer a regional infestation to be handled by our Shadows alone. The events at the tournament, this brazen kidnapping... it is a declaration of war. I am issuing an emergency notice to the other four great sects."
He raised a single hand, and four motes of brilliant crimson flame danced above his palm. Ming's brow furrowed. "The Golden Summit Sect? After the last centennial conference, their rivalry with us has only deepened. Do you truly believe they will heed our call?"
Lin looked at his old friend with a thoughtful expression on his face. "What we face is a shadow that seeks to devour the sun, Ming. I believe that even the proudest lion will ally with the wolf when a dragon descends upon their shared mountain. A three-hundred-year-old rivalry is a petty thing when balanced against an existential threat."
With a flick of his wrist, the four Flame-Winged Messengers shot through the open window, streaking across the sky towards the Ironclad Bastion, the Thousand Rivers Pavilion, the Whispering Blade Valley, and the Golden Summit Sect. Their speed was immense; they would cross distances in a day that would take a mortal months to traverse.
As the last flicker of light vanished, a tense silence returned. Elder Wu cleared his throat, his gaze sharp and accusatory as he turned to Ming. "Since the important matters have been discussed, there is another issue. You have taken on a direct disciple."
"I have," Ming replied, a serene smile on his face.
"A Foundation Establishment boy," Wu continued, his voice dripping with disapproval. "The sect's tradition, our unwritten rule, is that elders choose their disciples from the Golden Core realm. From those who have already proven their potential."
Ming chuckled softly, taking a leisurely sip of his tea. "The rules state an elder may choose a disciple who has reached the Golden Core. They do not forbid choosing one earlier." He set his cup down, a sly, knowing glint in his eyes. "Besides, I was merely being considerate. I saw you all had your eyes on the prodigies from the tournament. I would never have dreamed of interfering."
Wu's face flushed a dull red. He had been passed over. Lin had taken Kaelen, Lian had claimed Seraphina, and even Zheng had accepted the lightning-wielding Raiden after the boy had rejected Wu's offer. He, the sect's premier Formation Master, the guardian of its order and structure, had been left with nothing.
Zheng, feeling the daggers of Wu's glare, cleared his throat awkwardly. "Brother Wu, do not be disheartened. The sect is filled with promising talents. I am sure any number of them would be honored to call you their master."
Lin decided to intervene, steering the conversation back from the precipice of personal pride. "The more immediate concern is the drought affecting the mortal villages under our protection. What is to be done?"
"Let them be," Zheng said flatly. "Villages rise and fall. It is the way of the world. In a hundred years, a new town will stand in its place, its people oblivious to those who came before."
"And in a hundred years, will they remember that the Azure Plum Blossom Sect stood by and did nothing while they perished?" Lian countered, her voice laced with a rare fire. "It is our duty as cultivators, as the strong, to protect the weak."
"I thought a cultivator's only duty was to defy the heavens and pursue immortality," Wu grumbled, still jaded.
Ming chuckled again. "And what better way to defy the heavens than to take the fate of mortals into our own hands?"
Lin raised a hand, a warm laugh in his voice. "We all cultivate our own Dao, but the goal is the same: power. What we choose to do with that power is what truly defines us. And I, for one, will not stand idle while people suffer under my jurisdiction."
Lian nodded, her expression brightening. "I have an idea. We could dispatch a convoy. A team of our best formation masters, with a contingent of inner disciples as guards. They could construct a Grand Water-Gathering Formation, large enough to provide for all the affected villages."
Wu, hearing the word "formation," instinctively straightened up, his grievances momentarily forgotten. "A formation of that magnitude would take at least a month to construct, and two weeks just to prepare the materials," he began, already going over the logistics in his mind, his fingers tapping the table as he calculated. "We would need three high-level formation masters, a dozen apprentices, at least five hundred mid-grade water spirit stones to prime the core, and several kilograms of Cloud-Iron for the inscription plates..."
Lin let out a soft chuckle, watching his old friend lose himself in the familiar comfort of his craft. "A formation master will always be a formation master." He stood, signaling the end of the meeting. "Brother Wu, see to it. Gather the necessary people and supplies. You have a month."
---------------------------
The day after Alex had been made an Elder's direct disciple, the familiar figures of Elara, Jay, and Lily made their way down the stone path to Barrack 32. The air around the sect was still tense, but here, in this quiet corner, there was a sense of peace.
"It's been three days," Elara said, a hint of worry in her voice. "He must have been exhausted."
"Either that or he's holed himself up trying to create my pill," Lily grumbled, though without her usual bite.
They arrived at the newly repaired door and knocked. It swung open a moment later, revealing not Alex, but the pristine, unfamiliar face of Finne. He stood in the doorway, blocking their entry with a look of mild disdain.
Jay, taken aback, spoke first. "Uh, hello? Who are you?"
Finne raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "I believe the proper etiquette is to introduce oneself before demanding the identity of a resident. It is quite rude to show up at someone's home unannounced."
Lily's patience, already worn thin, snapped. "Rude? I'll show you rude, you little-" She lunged forward, her fist clenched, but before she could get within striking distance, Elara had already grabbed her by the scruff of her robes, holding her back.
"Lily, calm down!"
Jay, looking utterly weary of the confrontation, addressed Finne again. "Look, we're friends of Alex. Could you just tell us where he is?"
"What's all the commotion?"
Alex's voice cut in from the side. He came around the corner of the cabin, dusting dirt from his hands, his robes slightly disheveled from physical work. "Oh, hey, guys. What's up?"
Lily broke free from Elara's grasp and pointed an accusing finger at Finne. "What's up is that you have a new doorman. Explain who this little shit is before I rearrange his perfectly symmetrical face."
Alex sighed, a look of profound exhaustion on his face. "Guys, this is Finne. Finne, these are my friends, Elara, Jay, and Lily."
Before Alex could continue, Finne stepped forward and bowed slightly. "It is an honor. I am Finne, Brother Alex's sworn brother."
"Sworn brother?" the three echoed in unison.
"More like a puppy," Alex muttered under his breath.
The trio looked from Finne's beaming, reverent face to Alex's worn-down expression and immediately understood. The tension shattered. Jay choked back a laugh, Elara's shoulders shook, and even Lily couldn't suppress a snort.
Alex rubbed his temples. "Just... follow me. I was just finishing up."
He led them around to the back of the cabin. The garden they had seen before had been transformed. Where there had once been simple, neat rows, there was now a lush, thriving sanctuary. The common herbs were larger and seemed to radiate a vibrant energy. And in the center, on a newly raised platform of smooth, dark wood, stood a simple but elegant gazebo. Surrounding it were freshly tilled plots, where Alex had begun cultivating the rare ingredients he'd bought from the Exchange Hall.
Lily stared, her earlier anger momentarily forgotten. "Okay, when do you find the time to do all this?" she asked, a note of genuine disbelief in her voice. "And more importantly, where's my pill you promised me?"
Alex chuckled and gestured to the gazebo. "Have a seat." As they sat, Finne, unasked, began to pour cups of tea he had prepared earlier. "To answer your first question, a bit of construction experience from my old world goes a long way, especially when you have the strength and stamina of a cultivator."
"My brother is a genius," Finne declared, taking a seat directly next to Alex. "You should have seen the pill he created last night! As an inner disciple of the Alchemist Guild, I can say with certainty that it would have taken me dozens of attempts and a mountain of wasted materials to even come close to what he achieved in a single go."
Lily's ears perked up. She leaned forward, her voice a low, dangerous purr. "A pill, you say? What kind of pill did you have time to make when you were so busy building... all this?"
Alex met her intense gaze, a slow grin spreading across his face. He reached into his robes and pulled out a single, magnificent pill. It was a pale, translucent green, with delicate white wisps swirling within it, like a captured cloud in a piece of polished jade. A faint, almost silent howling sound seemed to emanate from it, carried on a breeze only the senses could feel.
"I promised I'd make you the best pill I could," Alex said, his voice quiet but proud. "It wasn't easy. I had to use every last wisp of my Qi to balance the volatile energies of the Storm Roc pearl."
"I named it the 'Howling Wind Pill'!" Finne interjected proudly. "When Brother Alex lifted the cauldron lid, a real gust of wind shot out!"
"That wasn't necessary, Finne," Alex sighed.
"All of my Brother's great creations deserve a name!" Finne replied, his loyalty absolute.
What Alex didn't say was that the moment Finne had named it, the Book of Ascension had updated his inventory:
Perfect Mid-Grade Howling Wind Pill.....x1.
Lily took the pill from Alex's outstretched hand, her gaze softening. "It's... about time," she managed, before Elara jabbed her in the ribs with an elbow. "I mean... thank you, Alex."
As she was about to put it away, her eyes locked onto Alex's hand. She pointed. "Wait a minute. You didn't pull that from a pouch. Is that... a storage ring?"
The three of them stared at the simple silver band on his finger.
Alex awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "Oh, yeah. That. Elder Ming gave it to me when I agreed to become his direct disciple."
The trio's jaws went slack.
"His... direct disciple?" Elara breathed, her voice full of awe. "Alex, do you have any idea how huge that is? Most disciples would kill just to be an elder's nominal disciple!"
Alex shrugged. "What's the difference?"
Jay, finally finding his voice, explained. "The difference is everything. A nominal disciple gets occasional guidance. A direct disciple is an heir. You carry on their legacy. It's a straight path to becoming an elder yourself one day, if you want it."
Finne puffed out his chest, his nose held high, as if he himself had just been promoted. "Now you see how truly great my brother is!"
The three of them stared at Alex, trying to reconcile the humble, hardworking friend they knew with the legendary figure he was rapidly becoming. Lily, her mind still reeling, focused on the most unbelievable detail of all. She looked him dead in the eye.
"Alex," she said, her voice unusually serious. "Just to be clear... you've only been cultivating for what... a little over two months?"
Alex thought for a moment, counting back. "Yeah," he said with a simple shrug. "About that."
The statement landed with the weight of a dropped mountain. Elara's hand went to her mouth. Jay just stared, his expression a mixture of awe and utter bewilderment.
Finne, however, roared with laughter, slapping his thigh. "That's my brother for you! A true one-in-a-billion genius!"
The group could only sit in stunned silence.