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In a quiet room dimly lit by a flickering flame, the silence was thick with concentration. Shadows danced across the walls, shifting with each pulse of firelight. A young boy sat cross-legged at the center, his breathing calm yet controlled. Across from him hovered a translucent soul body—an elder's figure with long robes, hair drifting like mist, his presence both ancient and composed.
"First, refine the ingredients into liquid," the soul body instructed in a level, measured voice. "Use your wood attribute Dou Qi during the process. Don't forget."
"Okay, Teacher," the boy—Xiao Tian—replied with a respectful nod.
A small flame sprang to life in his palm. It glowed red, yet laced with a faint green hue—the manifestation of his wood attribute Dou Qi interwoven within the fire. There was no cauldron before him yet; this was a pure exercise in control and mental refinement, a step many novice alchemists overlooked in favor of flashier results. But even Pill Kings needed repetition. True mastery wasn't born from haste.
Xiao Tian exhaled softly. His eyes narrowed, hands steady as he let his Dou Qi flare gently. His mental strength—soul force—flowed outward in waves, stabilizing the flame, calming its flicker, and suppressing its natural aggression. At the same time, he carefully directed the wood attribute Qi to soften the flame's temperament. Slowly, the assorted medicinal ingredients before him began to heat.
Just a few seconds in, his control wavered.
"Tch... why is this so difficult?" Xiao Tian muttered under his breath, a bead of sweat forming at his temple.
Yao Chen let out a low chuckle, though not unkindly. "You're beginning to see the difference between theory and practice. This is alchemy, Tian'er. Precision, control, intuition—you need them all. Never underestimate pill refinement."
Xiao Tian bit his lip and nodded. He didn't offer a reply this time. Instead, he issued a command inwardly, mentally engaging the mysterious system tied to his transmigrated soul:
> "Use all stat points except ten on soul perception and some to Dou Qi perception."
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[Stats Updated]
Name: Xiao Yao
Age: 12
Dou Qi: Dou Zhe – 1 Star
Soul Realm: Spirit Realm
Perception – 65
• Dou Qi – 40
• Soul – 25
Origin Points – 10
---
A subtle shift followed, one only Xiao Tian could feel. His mind sharpened like a blade under a whetstone. The world became clearer, more detailed. The flickering of the flame slowed, each lick of heat seemingly visible in isolation. His breath found rhythm, and his soul energy—previously fluttering—now coursed through him like a steady stream.
With newfound clarity, he refocused. The flame in his palm steadied, its green hue now richer, more vibrant. It wrapped around the ingredients with practiced elegance, not the brute force of moments before. A faint herbal scent began to escape into the air.
Yao Chen's eyes narrowed with mild surprise.
Not bad, he thought. He corrected himself almost instantly.
Xiao Tian hadn't yet formed a pill, but he had successfully refined one of the ingredients into liquid form—his first attempt, guided only by minimal instruction.
"Good. You've got a stable hand," Yao Chen said, a slight note of satisfaction in his tone.
Xiao Tian allowed himself a small grin, but the fire never left his gaze. "What's next, Master?"
"Do you have a cauldron with you?"
"Yes."
"Then use the same method. I'll step in if you need me."
Without delay, Xiao Tian summoned his cauldron from his ring. It thudded softly onto the stone floor before him, its interior glinting faintly in the low light. He reignited his Dou Qi flame and carefully funneled the previously refined ingredients into the cauldron. His movements were precise, deliberate—each motion an act of focus.
Yao Chen watched in silence. His eyes lingered not just on the flickering flame, but on the faint green current winding through it.
His soul power... it's at the Spirit Realm? At this age? Yao Chen thought, but held back from asking. He didn't want to distract the boy.
Meanwhile, Xiao Tian's mind was whirring. Even without a pill formula, the composition of the ingredients told their own story.
Bone Washing Flower strengthens the body and meridians... Bluegrass stabilizes the soul and prepares the body for transformation. And this Wood-type Monster Core... it strengthens both the physical body and soul channels. It's a foundational elixir for body reconstruction and soul fortification.
Guided by instinct and observation, Xiao Tian refined each component individually before merging them slowly. His flame's aggression rose and fell with his breath, and his soul strength held the ingredients together like a careful web.
Yao Chen's brows twitched again. He's refining without a recipe... and it's not chaotic.
Before he could speak, Xiao Tian retrieved two more ingredients from his ring and fed them into the cauldron.
"Wait—Tian'er, that's enough. Don't push yourself too far today," Yao Chen said, concern tinging his usually calm voice.
But Xiao Tian shook his head slightly, eyes still locked on the bubbling mixture. "Teacher... trust me."
The soul body paused. There was something about the boy's tone—soft, but unyielding. Yao Chen didn't speak further.
The flame remained stable. An hour passed. The room grew heavy with fragrance, the scent now dense and sweet with layered complexity. Inside the cauldron, the liquid began thickening. It turned glossy, swirling slowly. A golden shimmer surfaced atop the mixture.
Xiao Tian's breathing grew heavier, sweat beading on his forehead, but his eyes never wavered. He channeled every ounce of Dou Qi, every fiber of mental strength, into the final steps. Slowly—agonizingly so—the viscous mixture began to condense. The cauldron trembled faintly.
Then, with a soft pop, a single round pill formed, faintly glowing and floating just above the center of the cauldron. Its medicinal aroma was potent yet balanced. The pill spun in the air before falling lightly into Xiao Tian's waiting hand.
He exhaled, finally spent. "I'm done."
Yao Chen nodded slowly, the ghost of a smile on his lips. "You not only replicated my elixir without a recipe—you pushed it to pill formation. It's a fourth-rank pill at least."
Xiao Tian wiped his brow. "You're flattering me, Master."
"No," Yao Chen said firmly, "I'm giving credit where it's due."
There was a pause as he studied the boy. Respectful. Calm. Cautious. So different from his previous disciple, Xiao Yan, whose passion often ran ahead of his discipline.
"This level of control... and your soul strength... your soul realm is already at the Spirit level, isn't it?" Yao Chen asked at last, voice more serious.
Xiao Tian scratched his cheek, feigning awkwardness. "Ah... Teacher? What's the Spirit Realm again?"
Yao Chen's expression shifted to one of disbelief. "You don't know?"
"Nope."
A sigh escaped the old soul. "Listen well. There are four recognized soul realms. The Mortal Realm—where most alchemists from first to seventh rank reside. Then the Spirit Realm, which supports eighth-grade refinement. Above that is the Heavenly Realm—ninth grade. And finally, the Di Realm, which exists only in legend."
"I see," Xiao Tian murmured, absorbing every word.
"Now," Yao Chen asked, "how did you refine that elixir?"
"I just guessed," Xiao Tian replied honestly.
"Guessed?" Yao Chen's frown deepened.
"I knew the Bone Washing Flower and Bluegrass effects. I figured if I added more liquid and timed the compression right, the essence might stabilize into pill form."
For a long moment, Yao Chen said nothing. Then, finally, he nodded slowly.
"Even if it was a guess... it was a damn accurate one. That's enough for today."
Xiao Tian bowed his head respectfully. "Yes, Teacher."
And in the fading light of the flame, silence once again took the room—this time, the silence of achievement.