As Leo turned to leave, he paused at the door and glanced back.
"And Lyra… if anyone ever finds out what you've just become, there will be people who want to steal you, kill you, or control you."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"From now on, you're walking a road that will only grow sharper. Be smart."
"Yes, Ancestor," she whispered.
Then he vanished, disappearing without a ripple.
Outside the pill hall, Leo Wu was still on watch.
Before he could even react, Leo appeared beside him.
"Catch."
With a flick of his finger, Leo transmitted a glowing strand of golden energy directly into Leo Wu's mind.
"Ghh—!" The man staggered, clutching his head.
But he didn't collapse.
His soul was stronger than most, after all. He was still a trained alchemist. Within moments, his breathing stabilized.
Inside his mind, glowing symbols rearranged themselves into rows of scripture.
[Melded Unity Codex] – Top-Tier Cultivation MethodTransmit To: Leo Wu
"You're giving me a top-tier technique…?" he whispered.
Leo's back was already turned to him and he casually said.
"Spread it to the others secretly and also begin preparing the next wave of breakthroughs."
Then, with no further words, Leo walked off into the distance.
But just as he was about to walk back into the alchemy chamber, a voice echoed inside his mind.
"Leo Wu… you've done well."
The voice that echoed in Leo Wu's mind was unfamiliar, yet undeniably powerful — and unmistakably the voice of Ancestor Leo.
"This technique, the Melded Unity Codex, is to become the foundation for all future Leonhart cultivation. I've passed it to you early. Don't disappoint me."
Leo Wu froze mid-step.
"Ancestor…!"
He bowed deeply in the direction of the sealed cultivation chamber.
Excitement buzzed beneath his skin. He had barely begun to process the sheer scope of the cultivation method now inscribed into his soul.
This… isn't just any top-tier method.
Unlike rigid elemental techniques, the Melded Unity Codex adapted itself to the user. Leo Wu, as an alchemist with strong fire affinity, found the Codex evolving into a fire-aligned variant — the Unified Flame Art.
A technique that molds itself to your nature... this is practically a divine inheritance.
His heart raced.
"Ancestor Leo… just how deep does your legacy run?"
Before he could collect himself, the main doors of the alchemy hall creaked open.
Sunlight spilled in. A gentle figure stepped out, her white robes billowing softly in the wind. Lyra looked almost ethereal — the very picture of grace under the morning sun.
But Leo Wu didn't notice her beauty. What caught his attention was something far more startling.
That soul pressure… it's stronger than mine?!
His pupils shrank.
He was a certified first-grade alchemist. Though his talent was modest, his years of experience, endless practice, and medicinal exposure had expanded his soul power far beyond average.
And yet, Lyra's presence made his own spiritual sense feel… pale in comparison.
Her soul strength must be at least five times the normal threshold... maybe even six?!
He stared blankly as she greeted him and passed by without noticing his shock. Her footsteps were light, but her intent was focused, firm.
"W-what in the world…" he muttered, stunned into stillness.
Lyra, meanwhile, tilted her head slightly.
"Uncle Wu is acting weird today…"
Still, she didn't dwell on it. She had work to do.
Back in her private chamber, she stepped into the hidden practice room behind her bedroom.
The room wasn't extravagant — a single bronze cauldron stood in the center, surrounded by shelves of low-grade herbs and basic alchemy supplies. The air smelled faintly of bitter roots and medicinal dust.
She walked straight to the cauldron.
"Before… I couldn't even refine the simplest medicinal liquid."
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"Now, with sixfold soul force… let's see."
Her hands moved automatically, years of observation and failed practice guiding her. She activated the runes etched beneath the cauldron, allowing her blood energy to ignite the internal flame — the only way a low-level cultivator like her could mimic alchemy fire.
She reached for her prepared herbs and began the process of refining Body Tempering Solution — a starter-level tonic used by Skin Stage cultivators to accelerate body strengthening.
The ingredients sizzled as they dropped in. Lyra narrowed her focus, controlling the flame with precision that would have made her former self green with envy.
One by one, the ingredients melted into liquid form.
The final step came — merging the essence into a complete solution.
Hold it steady… watch the heat…
Don't let it bubble… ease it into fusion—
"Zzzzz…"
No backlash. No explosion. No burned residue.
Just a steady stream of emerald-green fluid settling into the cauldron.
"Done!"
She clapped her hands and immediately bottled the finished liquid into a jade vial with a swift, practiced motion.
Her fingers trembled slightly.
Not from fear.
From joy.
So this is what it feels like… to succeed.
Tears welled in her eyes.
She had watched clan alchemists perform this exact process dozens of times. She had tried and failed too many times to count.
But now, everything flowed naturally. Intuitively.
"Sixfold soul strength… it's no joke."
Her heart swelled.
"Ancestor… I swear I'll live up to your hopes."
She didn't stop and she dove back in.
Potion after potion, herb after herb, she practiced until her supply was dry and the faint reddish light of dusk crept into her chamber.
When she finally stepped away from the cauldron, her sleeves were singed, her hands smelled of ash and ginseng, and her storage pouch was heavier by nine freshly refined jade vials.
"Three for me," she murmured, setting aside a trio. "That'll take me to Skin Stage Level 9."
"The other six... I can trade for contribution points."
She moved quickly, heading to the Clan Contribution Hall to exchange her vials.
Sixty points richer, she made her way to the Clan Herb Garden and bought another thirty portions of ingredients.
Then?
Back to her chamber. Back to the cauldron.
Again.
And again.
Seven days passed.
Day and night blurred into each other.
Her room became a battlefield — scorched and smoky, lined with pill bottles and cooling herbs.
But her effort paid off.
Her cultivation had climbed steadily — Skin Stage Level 9, solid foundation. On the brink of Bone Stage.
Her movements had grown more fluid. Her failures fewer. Her control over temperature and essence — sharper with every batch.
And then, at last…
Snap!
The fire flickered. The scent of spiritual herbs filled the room.
A small, perfect pill tumbled into her waiting jade bottle.
Smooth. Round. Glowing faintly.
[Power Surge Pill – Grade 1]
Lyra clutched the bottle, heart pounding.
"I… I did it!"
The Power Surge Pill was a basic grade-1 product, used to temporarily strengthen a cultivator's muscles and qi flow. Simple in theory — hard in execution.
To craft it successfully meant one thing:
She was now officially a Grade 1 Alchemist.
"Finally… I crossed the threshold."
She sank against the wall, exhausted but elated.
"Still... my mind feels cloudy. I've pushed too far."
Better rest before my focus falters… but first—
She scooped up all the successful potions and pills and left for the contribution hall once more.
After that… I can sleep for a week if I want.
Far away in the ancestral meditation chamber, Leo sat cross-legged, a thin flame circling his form.
His cultivation had stabilized — Transcendent Stage Level 4. His control over his spiritual energy was more refined than ever.
And then, it came.
[DING!]System Alert: Clan Member Lyra Leonhart has successfully advanced to Grade 1 Alchemist.Reward Options Unlocked.
Leo opened his eyes slowly, and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"She made it."