The night outside the ruined courtyard was silent, but within the small world, time and stillness became her allies.
Lin Xueya sat before the massive divine furnace, its surface covered with ancient engravings that pulsed faintly with spiritual light. The air around it hummed, resonating with the essence of countless alchemists who had once left their mark here.
The system had described it briefly:
[Divine Furnace: A tool that adapts to the will of its owner. Capable of refining pills, tempering artifacts, and channeling Dao resonance. Grade: Unknown. Potential: Limitless.]
Her fingers brushed against the cold metal, and the sensation sent a shiver down her spine. It wasn't merely an object—it felt alive, like a slumbering beast waiting to awaken.
"I never thought… I would begin again like this," she murmured. Her past life, filled with failures, betrayal, and loss, seemed far away, like a nightmare fading in dawn light. Yet this new life carried both weight and possibility.
The inherited memories of the original owner had included basic alchemy knowledge. Crude, shallow techniques barely enough to brew low-grade pills. But within this furnace lay an entire legacy far beyond what mortals could comprehend.
She closed her eyes, sinking into meditation.
Immediately, she felt a tug—a current of spiritual intent pulling her mind deeper, into the heart of the furnace itself. Darkness enveloped her, then transformed into a vast hall filled with floating scrolls, glowing manuals, and ancient murals depicting alchemists in their divine glory.
A voice echoed faintly: "To refine is to reshape. To cultivate is to transcend. The furnace is not a tool—it is the Dao's reflection of your heart."
Her chest tightened. Alchemy was not merely a craft; it was a path, a cultivation unto itself.
---
The First Attempt
When her consciousness returned, the furnace's engravings glowed brighter, awaiting her command.
She summoned her clone, two figures materializing beside her—each a perfect extension of her will. Their faces mirrored her determination, yet their eyes burned with eagerness.
"You," she said to the first, "gather herbs from the north garden. Bloodroot, Spirit Grass, and Jade Lotus. Enough for one batch."
The clone bowed and vanished, reappearing minutes later with herbs glowing with spiritual light, fresher than anything the outside world could offer.
The second clone stood silently, awaiting orders.
"You will observe and record the process. Every mistake, every change in the furnace's aura—I must know it all."
The clone nodded.
Lin Xueya inhaled deeply. This was it—the first step on her path as an alchemist.
She placed the herbs into the furnace, channeling her spiritual energy. The engravings flared, and heat surged, not destructive but perfectly attuned to her will. The herbs dissolved slowly, their essences merging, but the process was unstable.
Crack! A spark burst from the furnace, and smoke clouded the air. The clone observing quickly recorded the imbalance.
Her jaw tightened. "Too much fire essence, not enough spiritual circulation."
She adjusted her breathing, guiding her qi through the furnace with more precision. Slowly, the chaos steadied.
Hours passed. Sweat beaded her forehead, but she refused to falter. The essences aligned, condensing into a single glowing pill.
When the lid of the furnace lifted, a faint medicinal fragrance spread through the small world. The pill floated gently, glowing with emerald light.
[Pill Refined: Blood and Spirit Nurturing Pill (High Grade).]
Her eyes widened. High grade—on the first attempt. Even the most talented alchemists required years to achieve such stability.
The clones looked at her with silent acknowledgment, but she knew the truth. This wasn't her alone—it was the furnace, the inheritance, and the system's silent guardianship. Yet still, it was her hands, her will, that guided it.
Lin Xueya clasped the pill tightly.
"This… is only the beginning."
---
A Foundation for the Future
She refined more batches over the following days. Dozens of pills emerged, each smoother, purer than the last. Some for healing, some for strengthening vitality, others for stabilizing spirit energy.
Every time she succeeded, her clones recorded every detail. Patterns emerged. The flow of qi, the furnace's subtle responses, even her own heartbeat—each note contributed to a symphony of refinement.
But she knew one truth: pills were not enough.
Cultivation required strength, allies, and a foundation to resist the storms to come. And she had none.
Her gaze shifted to her womb. Three lives pulsed within, fragile yet immense in their significance.
"If I cannot build a future for myself… then at least I must build one for them."
Her hand brushed the furnace. It pulsed faintly, as if answering her vow.
She summoned her third clone, the one who had remained silent until now.
"You will begin mapping the layout of this small world. Every herb, every river, every hidden node of spiritual energy. We must know this land as our own body."
The clone bowed and vanished, its footsteps echoing into the endless fields.
Meanwhile, Lin Xueya sat cross-legged once more. Her cultivation surged as she absorbed the dense energy of the world. The difference was staggering—her qi channels filled rapidly, her foundation stabilizing at a pace she had never imagined possible.
It was as though this world wanted her to succeed.
Yet outside, danger lingered. The ruins of her courtyard, the bloodstains of her husband, the malice that had not dispersed. Shadows moved in silence, plotting against her without her knowledge.
She clenched her fists.
"Let them come. By the time they find me again… I will not be the same weak woman."
---
The Oath of Alchemy
That night, she sat alone before the furnace. Her clones slept within the system's void, their tasks complete for the day.
The stars of the small world glimmered overhead, brighter and more vivid than the outside sky.
Lin Xueya lifted her pill in hand, the glow reflecting in her eyes.
"I swear… this path of alchemy, I will walk it to the end. For them. For him. For myself. Until the heavens themselves acknowledge my Dao."
The furnace flared in resonance, its engravings pulsing with approval.
She smiled faintly, tears glistening at the edges of her eyes.
The path of immortality was long. The road of alchemy was endless.
But she had taken her first true step.
And there was no turning back.