The heavy wooden door of the main hall clicked shut behind us, the sound echoing in the sudden, profound silence of our sanctuary. The chaotic energy of the city, the tension of the auction, the sharp, metallic taste of the confrontation in the alley—it all seemed to melt away, leaving us alone with the fruits of our perilous venture. On the polished pearwood table sat a small, intricately carved box containing the Foundation Elixir, and beside it, the cool, dark shard of the mysterious metal plate. The spoils of a war we had quietly declared and decisively won.
I sank into a chair, the adrenaline finally draining from my system, leaving a strange mixture of exhaustion and exhilaration in its wake. My mind replayed the scene in the alley: the thug's punch stopping in mid-air, the sword flying from its sheath, the raw, palpable terror on the men's faces. It was one thing to know, intellectually, that Ming was channeling the power of Gojo Satoru. It was another thing entirely to witness that power manifest, to feel the casual, absolute dominance that radiated from him. It was terrifying. And, I had to admit, there was a deeply reassuring part of me that was grateful for it.
Ming, on the other hand, seemed completely energized by the encounter. He stretched languidly, like a great cat, a wolfish grin plastered on his face.
"Well, that was fun," he said, dropping into the chair opposite me. "A little light exercise to get the blood flowing after sitting for so long. I think we sent a clear enough message."
"A message?" I retorted, raising an eyebrow. "Ming, you violated the laws of physics to play with them like a cat with a mouse. That wasn't a message; it was a psychological warfare campaign."
"Semantics," he waved a dismissive hand. "They won't be back. And their master, Galeo Ao, will think twice before sniffing around our pavilion again. Now, let's examine our prizes."
His attention shifted to the items on the table, his earlier intensity replaced by a focused curiosity. He picked up the metal map fragment first. It felt cool and strangely heavy in his hand. I watched as he closed his eyes, his Six Eyes undoubtedly plumbing the depths of its secrets. After a moment, he shook his head.
"It's weird," he said. "It's completely dead to Dou Qi. I can't sense any pathways or seals. But the material itself… it's ancient. Unbelievably ancient. And there's a… a will, trapped inside it. It's dormant, almost gone, but it feels… angry."
Intrigued, I decided to try my own method. "Let me see."
He slid the fragment across the table. I took a deep breath, circulating my Dou Qi according to the pathways of the "Soul-Guiding Hand." A faint, warm tingle spread to my fingertips. I reached out and gently placed my fingers on the cool metal.
The sensation was immediate and violent. It was nothing like the gentle, life-giving energy of the Valeflora leaf. This was like touching a slumbering volcano. A wave of ancient, scorching rage, a feeling of immense pride and boundless destruction, flooded my senses. It was a faint echo, a mere psychic residue, but it was so potent it made me snatch my hand back with a gasp.
A system window flared in my vision, its border a stark, warning red.
[WARNING: High-tier hostile spiritual remnant detected! Direct soul contact is not advised at current mastery level.]
[Fragment contains the conceptual will of the [Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame]. Prolonged exposure could lead to soul damage or personality corruption.]
"You're right," I said, my voice a little shaky. "There's something hateful in there. This isn't just a map; it's a cage for a sliver of a Heavenly Flame's consciousness."
Ming nodded grimly. "All the more reason to keep it locked away. This thing is way above our pay grade." We carefully placed the map fragment back into the sturdy Ironheart Wood box we'd found it in and pushed it to the side. It was a treasure for a distant future, a problem for another day.
Our attention then turned to the main prize, the reason we had started this whole mess: the vial of Foundation Elixir. I uncorked the elegant little bottle. A rich, sweet medicinal fragrance, pure and invigorating, filled the air. The liquid inside was crystal clear, with a faint golden luminescence.
Ming leaned forward, his blindfolded gaze fixed on the vial. "Now that," he said, "is much more straightforward. It's a perfectly balanced, neatly packaged bundle of pure, refined Dou Qi. Very efficient. No frills. It's the perfect fuel for a weak engine."
The unspoken question hung in the air between us. One vial. Two of us.
"You should take it, Ming," I said, breaking the silence. My decision was instant and based on cold, hard logic. It was the Taigong Wang in me speaking. "You're our shield and our primary deterrent. Your abilities are overwhelmingly powerful, but as we saw this afternoon, they're also unstable. A stronger Dou Qi foundation will give you the reserves and stability you need to refine your control over the Limitless. You're the one who will be facing down Dou Masters and Grandmasters. You need the raw power more than I do."
He looked at me, and I could feel the intensity of his gaze even through the blindfold. He shook his head firmly.
"No chance, Qing-er," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "That's a bad strategic move, and you know it. My Infinity already makes me untouchable by anyone in this city, short of maybe the head of the Mitel auction house. A small boost in Dou Qi won't change that fundamental advantage. It won't let me suddenly start using Hollow Purple. But you… your abilities are our key to versatility and understanding this world."
He leaned forward, his voice earnest. "The 'Soul-Guiding Hand' is an incredible discovery. Your potential to harness your unique fire, to use your support and purification abilities… that's what will allow us to navigate complex situations, uncover hidden secrets, and deal with threats that can't be punched. More Dou Qi for you means more practice, faster synchronization, and a stronger foundation for the abilities that will give us more options than just 'overwhelming force'. You're our strategist and our secret weapon. Powering you up is the smarter investment."
We were at an impasse. It was a strange argument, not born of selfishness, but of a selfless, strategic desire to optimize our partnership. We each believed the other was the more valuable asset to upgrade. It was a testament to the absolute trust we had forged in the crucible of our shared reincarnation.
I looked from Ming's resolute face to the single vial on the table. A direct conflict of wills with him was a losing battle. He was just as stubborn as I was. I needed another way. My mind raced, sifting through the information I had absorbed from the alchemist's journal. And then, I found it. A passage in which Feng Moyuan lamented giving a potent pill to an apprentice whose foundation was too weak, causing the boy's meridians to rupture from the sheer force of the energy.
In hindsight, the journal read, it would have been far wiser to dilute the elixir in spiritual spring water, splitting its essence into a gentler, more forgiving stream…
"I have an idea," I said, a slow smile spreading across my face. "A way for us to both be right."
An hour later, we were seated on silk cushions opposite each other in the center of the main hall. Between us, on the low table, sat two simple jade cups. Each cup was half-filled with the golden, glowing liquid of the Foundation Elixir, which I had carefully diluted with a small amount of pure water drawn from the well in our courtyard—the closest thing we had to 'spiritual spring water'.
My proposal had been simple. We would split the elixir. According to the journal, this method would result in a less explosive and less total gain in power. But it would be far safer for our undeveloped bodies to absorb, and it would ensure that we both received a much-needed boost. It was a compromise that satisfied both his desire to empower me and my desire to strengthen him.
"Ready?" Ming asked, picking up one of the cups.
"Ready," I replied, my own hand closing around the cool jade.
We raised the cups in a silent toast—to our partnership, to our survival, to our new, dangerous path. Then, we drank.
The moment the liquid touched my tongue, it felt like swallowing a small, warm sun. A wave of pure, potent energy erupted in my stomach and instantly flooded every meridian in my body. It was an invigorating, overwhelming tide, far more powerful than I had anticipated. I quickly closed my eyes and began to circulate my Dou Qi, following the stabilizing cultivation method detailed in the alchemist's journal. My mind focused, I began the arduous process of guiding the torrent of medicinal energy, breaking it down, and integrating it, wisp by wisp, into my own reserves. My body felt like it was being simultaneously cleansed by a gentle stream and hammered on a forge, the impurities in my system being forcefully expelled while my Dou Qi foundation was tempered and compressed.
Across from me, Ming was undergoing a similar, though more turbulent, process. His brow was furrowed in concentration, and a faint shimmer of distorted space flickered around his body as his own innate, chaotic energy battled for dominance against the pure, orderly energy of the elixir. While my process was one of guidance and assimilation, his was one of conquest and subjugation. He had to wrestle the new power into submission, forcing it to integrate into his already reality-warping system.
Hours passed in meditative silence. The sun set, and the moon rose high in the sky, its silver light bathing the hall. Finally, as the first hints of dawn approached, the torrent of energy within me subsided, settling into a deep, calm reservoir of power that was vastly greater than what I possessed before. I opened my eyes, feeling… solid. Grounded. Stronger.
Ming opened his eyes a moment later, a sharp exhalation of breath escaping his lips. The chaotic flickering around him ceased. He rolled his shoulders, a look of satisfaction on his face.
We both instinctively called up our system interfaces.
[Foundation Elixir successfully absorbed. Dou Qi purity and reserves have been significantly increased. Bodily foundation has been strengthened.]
[User: Yang Qing]
[Cultivation Level: Dou Zhi Qi - 4th Duan -> 6th Duan]
[User: Zhao Ming]
[Cultivation Level: Dou Zhi Qi - 4th Duan -> 6th Duan]
We had both advanced two full stages. It was a tremendous leap, a testament to the power of a Tier 2 pill, even when split between two people. The 800 gold coins we'd spent now felt like the greatest bargain in history.
A comfortable silence settled between us as we savored our newfound strength. But we both knew this was no time to rest on our laurels. This was just the beginning.
I rose and walked to the large, circular window, looking out at the waking city. My gaze drifted west, towards the direction of the Xiao Clan manor.
"We took his elixir," I said softly, more to myself than to Ming. "That means Yao Lao's recovery will be delayed. He'll have to find another way. He's a former Tier 8 Alchemist. He'll devise a new plan, but it might be more… aggressive. More desperate."
Ming came to stand beside me, his presence a warm and steady reassurance. "You think he'll push the kid harder? Send him into the Demonic Beast Mountain Range earlier, or have him hunt for other opportunities?"
"I think the plot we knew is already irrevocably broken," I confirmed. "The ripples from tonight will spread. The Galeo Clan will be investigating us. The Primer Clan and Ya Fei are intrigued by us. And Xiao Yan… Xiao Yan now sees us as a personal, mysterious rival."
We had created a power vacuum in the story, and a dozen different forces would now rush to fill it. We had made ourselves a target. Our power boost was a welcome advantage, but it was far from enough to guarantee our safety. We needed to get stronger, faster.
A daring thought, sparked by my knowledge of the coming events, began to form in my mind. An opportunity born from the very chaos we had just created.
"Ming..." I began, turning to look at him. "The alchemist's journal had several passages on the unique properties of Monster Cores, especially in relation to their residual spiritual energy."
"And?" he prompted, sensing where this was going.
"And I know for a fact that the Xiao Clan operates a marketplace within their own grounds," I continued, a glint in my eye. "And a very important visitor is due to make an appearance there any day now. A visitor who might cause quite a commotion."
I was, of course, thinking of the pivotal scene where Xiao Yan, after his first 'real' conversation with Yao Lao, is sent to the marketplace to be tested. It was the beginning of his true training.
Ming's grin was slow and sharp. "You're not thinking of interfering again, are you, Qing-er?"
"I'm not thinking of interfering," I corrected him, a matching smile playing on my lips. "I'm thinking of observing. And if, in the midst of the chaos of an altered timeline, a new opportunity should present itself… well, we agreed. Opportunities are for the taking."
The storm we had created was about to make landfall directly on the Xiao Clan. And I had every intention of being there to see what treasures might wash ashore in the gale.