They retreated from Industrial Zone 7 before dawn, leaving behind three broken scavengers and the echoes of Lin Xuan's terrifying speed. Li Mo was silent for the entire return trip, not out of fear of the scavengers, but out of awe for the effortless violence Lin Xuan had wielded.
Back in the quiet, mundane safety of Lin Xuan's small apartment, the contrast was jarring. The Failed Reactor Core Fragment, wrapped in a thick industrial tarp, pulsed on the desktop like a contained, miniature star. It radiated a volatile heat and an aggressive golden-red Qi that was barely noticeable to Li Mo, but which burned fiercely in Lin Xuan's Night-Piercing Gaze.
"Is it... safe?" Li Mo finally asked, her voice a hushed whisper.
Lin Xuan gently unwrapped the fragment. It was an irregularly shaped mass of compressed, heavy metal slag, glowing faintly.
"It is an absolute treasure in this Qi-starved realm," Lin Xuan confirmed, running a finger along its surface. "The mortals who experimented here accidentally created a temporary, highly localized singularity of spiritual energy. Their plasma reactor failed because the chaotic Earth Qi within this mass was resisting integration with their structured technology."
He pushed his Divine Will into the fragment, stabilizing the furious, chaotic energy within.
"This is the spiritual foundation," Lin Xuan explained. "It possesses immense density, suitable for a Rank D Synthesis, but its energy is too volatile. If used as is, it would result in a dangerous, uncontrolled energy explosion rather than a stable Formation."
Lin Xuan needed a final, simple binding agent—a catalyst to force the chaotic Qi into a structured, usable pattern. He began searching his room, dismissing common electronics, old books, and furniture.
His gaze fell upon a discarded, ornate bronze incense burner sitting atop an ancient wooden dresser. It was tarnished and utterly unremarkable in appearance.
An item of antiquity, Lin Xuan thought, detecting a faint, organized blue-green energy clinging to its surface. It has witnessed millennia of mortal ritual and silent prayer. It holds the Qi of Spiritual Order.
He presented the incense burner to the System.
[Synthesis Query Initiated: (Bronze Incense Burner (E) + Failed Reactor Core Fragment (D)) = ?]
[Suggestion: Stability Anchor (D). Cost: 1 Synthesis Point. Note: High-grade material will be retained for final synthesis.]
"Execute Synthesis," Lin Xuan commanded, using his final available Synthesis Point.
The bronze incense burner shimmered, its physical form dissolving not into thin air, but into a fine, concentrated powder of Blue-Green Luminous Sand. The Luminous Sand settled immediately onto the surface of the Failed Reactor Core Fragment, coating it like a glaze.
The fragment's aggressive golden-red pulse instantly calmed, shrinking to a steady, soft heartbeat of power.
"The Stability Anchor is complete," Lin Xuan announced, lifting the now stabilized core. "The core is ready for use. Now, we prepare the final ritual space."
He looked at Li Mo, who was watching with wide, unblinking eyes, completely bewildered by the transformation of a heavy, glowing rock into a tranquil, softly humming artifact.
"Li Mo," Lin Xuan said, giving her a task that restored some normalcy to her situation. "I require four small, unbroken mirrors and four small, white candles. They must be placed exactly in the four cardinal directions around this table. It will help anchor the surrounding ambient Qi during the final synthesis."
Li Mo nodded, quickly rushing to carry out the instruction.
Lin Xuan began drawing ancient, complex formations on the desktop with a common black marker—patterns that were entirely invisible to mortal eyes but which resonated deeply with the spiritual energy of the room. He positioned the stabilized Failed Reactor Core Fragment at the center, creating the core of what would become the Minor Qi Condensing Formation.
Tomorrow, he thought, feeling the immense, disciplined power of the stabilized material. Tomorrow, this Emperor will take the first true step back toward the apex of cultivation.