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The sky was painted in hazy orange as Feiyin departed the Red Lotus headquarters once more, his figure cutting a silent path beyond the walls of the Xu Capital. This time, he traveled alone.
The volcanic region where he was headed was to the north-east, nestled between fault-ridden valleys and dormant peaks that still bled warmth from the heart of the world. A demon tribe had sent a formal request for alchemical assistance, and while others hesitated, Feiyin volunteered. It would be a solo mission- part diplomacy, part service. He left even Baiyu behind, knowing full well that the harsh heat will be detrimental to her serpentine form.
With a light pack, his only real companions were silence and the rhythm of his own breath. The days passed slowly as he traveled mostly on foot, choosing the long route over any transportation for one reason: training.
With each step, Feiyin refined his nascent movement technique. He didn't want to rely only on speed or agility, which is why he based it on his strengths- it was about rhythm and resonance. A technique born from his oscillation sense, it was based on capturing the rebound of his own step, layering the returning force with his next movement in perfect sync. Like plucking the string of a guqin faster and faster, each burst of energy had to land precisely, or the harmony would collapse.
With every step, he pushed further- each rebound feeding the next motion, his pace accelerating. But with speed came narrowing margins; the faster he moved, the less room for error remained. Timing, pressure, angle- all had to be tuned like a musician maintaining rhythm at breakneck speed. It was movement as melody, and the tempo only grew more demanding.
He trained his breathing to pulse with each exertion, his essence qi erupting in carefully timed bursts that merged with the ground's echo. When the resonance was perfect, his body surged forward as if flung by invisible cords. He continued like this across plains and volcanic ridges, breaking the sound barrier while freely running, though he always slowed when nearing signs of habitation to avoid drawing unwanted attention.
Though he occasionally paused to recover or refine his form, the momentum was building. He was no longer running. He was composing a storm beneath his feet.
By the fifth day, the air changed.
Waves of heat rolled across the broken terrain, wrapping his body in a cloying mix of warmth and humidity. The sky above was tinged with grey, heavy clouds, while the earth underfoot darkened- charcoal-black soil laced with minerals. He passed through twisted clusters of volcanic trees and dense, tropical ferns whose leaves shimmered faintly with water from the dense humidity.
Finally, he reached the edge of the red demon tribe's domain.
The red-skinned sentinels guarding the border were tall and broad-shouldered, with curved horns and ember tattoos that pulsed faintly. One of them stepped forward, eyes narrowing until they landed on the Red Lotus badge Feiyin displayed.
"You're the alchemist?"
Feiyin nodded. "Feiyin of the Red Lotus."
A short pause, then a grin.
"You're younger than we expected. But you carry heat in your blood. Come. The chief is waiting."
He was led through winding paths of obsidian and glassy stone, deeper into the settlement nestled between two jagged ridges. The tribe's homes were carved into the rock itself- rounded shelters reinforced by hardened magma. Children darted around barefoot, laughing even amidst the heat. Demons here were red-skinned like Zayesh and had a naturally high fire affinity, with some of the more muscular-looking ones having bronze tribal markings. Feiyin could feel the energy in the air- a dense pressure, but not hostile.
At the center of it all stood the largest structure, its roof formed from a single arched slab of volcanic crystal. The tribe chief waited at its entrance.
An older demon, his horns curled and his eyes glowing faintly orange, stepped forward. "So the Red Lotus sent someone after all. We appreciate it, Feiyin of the Red Lotus."
Feiyin clasped his fists in greeting. "I'm here to help."
The chief nodded solemnly. "Then you're welcome here. We'll show you the ailing grounds." He paused, glancing toward a distant series of stone structures built into the hillside, thin trails of smoke rising from their chimneys. "It's our alchemic refining rooms. Or rather, it used to be. The fire essence veins beneath them began to pulse irregularly a few weeks ago. At first, we thought it was just a flux, but then our artefact alchemists, even those with stronger fire affinity, started falling ill. Heat fatigue, dizziness and violent fluctuations in their blood circulation. We had to seal the area off."
Feiyin's expression grew more serious.
"We pride ourselves on crafting fire-bound artifacts and our fire refining techniques," the chief continued. "Without those alchemic rooms, our production had to be halted. Orders are backlogged. And we fear it's not a natural disruption. If what we heard about your alchemical prowess is true… you may be the one who can help us fix it."
Feiyin's gaze sharpened, curiosity blooming behind it. "Take me to those who are still ill first."
Feiyin followed the tribe chief through a narrow corridor flanked by fire essence lanterns until they reached the ailing grounds- a quiet, cordoned space deep within the cavernous settlement. Inside, a few of the tribe's women tended to the ill, their movements gentle and practiced. The air was tinged with heat, but it carried an underlying unease.
The alchemists lying on stone beds bore the sturdy frames and bronze tribal markings of their kin, yet their condition was clearly worsening. Their red skin had faded to a dull pall hue, dry and blotchy in places. Some had sweat-soaked brows, while others shivered faintly despite the oppressive warmth. When one of the women opened an unconscious man's eye to administer a few drops, Feiyin noted the unsettling yellow tint staining the sclera.
He knelt by them, extending his spiritual sense to feel their essence rhythm. His oscillation sense pulsed gently over their forms, mapping every heartbeat, breath, and vascular whisper. At first, everything seemed stable- heartbeats regular, organs functioning with typical robustness. But as he probed deeper, his frown deepened.
The blood flowed with vigor, but something was wrong. It wasn't nourishing the brain the way it should. Narrowing his perception, Feiyin tracked the blood's circulation until he found the anomaly- extremely small traces clogging the tiniest capillaries feeding into the brain. He traced them back to the lungs, and only then did he detect an unusual residue, so faint that most would have missed it entirely.
"These symptoms," Feiyin murmured, "they're not caused by heat or exhaustion. There's something airborne- a contaminant that bypasses normal detection. It settles in the lungs and seeps into the bloodstream, obstructing vital nutrient flow to the brain."
The tribe chief leaned in, eyes narrowed. "We didn't smell anything strange. But now that you say it… the air did feel lighter, almost… hollow, when it began."
Feiyin nodded slowly, filing the information away. "That confirms it. It's not a poison in the traditional sense- it's more subtle. Perhaps some unnatural reaction in the fire veins themselves."
He then asked if they had a place where he could refine pills to support the patients' recovery. The chief led him to a compact refining hall, an open-air alcove filled with neat stacks of smoldering Essence Wood. "This is where I've been handling the most essential orders," the chief said, placing a hand on a blackened workbench. "I can create true fire with my cultivation, but I find focusing my essence qi on control yields better results with the Essence Wood."
Feiyin's eyes scanned the space. Though modest, it was well-maintained. He immediately set to work, laying out his tools and herbs from his spatial pouch. He selected ingredients specifically suited for detoxification and vascular cleansing; red root clover, snow lotus seeds, a strand of crystallized clearvine- and purified them with precision.
With practiced hands, he refined a batch of pale amber pills designed to purify the blood and gently break down the clots forming in the brain's capillaries. Their effects wouldn't be immediate, but with rest and a few doses, the worst symptoms would subside.
He returned to the ailing grounds and distributed them with clear instructions. The women administered them carefully, hope flickering behind their weary eyes.
As Feiyin stood to leave, he met the tribe chief's gaze. "This won't solve the root cause, but it'll buy us time to find it."