The days passed, and their cultivation had reached a whole new level. Their bodies felt lighter, their minds calmer, and their Qi flowed more smoothly than ever before.
But as the fifteenth day ended, the real challenge was only beginning.
It was finally the day for alchemy.
Both Chi and Yu stood nervously in the courtyard, staring at the rows of cauldrons lined neatly in front of them. Various herbs and spirit ingredients lay arranged on a wooden table — some glowing faintly, some giving off strange scents that made their eyes water.
Lianhua stood with her arms crossed, a confident smile playing on her lips. "Alright, my little apprentices," she began, her tone half proud, half teasing. "For the next fifteen days, I'll be your teacher. I've gone through your syllabus—honestly, it's really easy, so don't stress too much, alright?"
Both Chi and Yu nodded quickly. "Yes!"
"Good." She clapped her hands once, and a faint shimmer of spiritual energy rippled through the courtyard. "There are only fifty types of pills listed in your syllabus for this test. We'll start with the simplest one—the Qi Recovery Pill. It may look easy on paper, but if you can't grasp the basics here, you'll never make it through the rest."
Buddy yawned from the corner. "Heh, fifty pills in fifteen days? You two are doomed."
Chi gave a nervous laugh. "Can we… drop the number part?"
"Too late," Yu muttered, watching Lianhua set a blazing cauldron before them.
Yu and Chi sat cross-legged beside Lianhua, the scent of herbs drifting softly through the courtyard. The cauldron before them glowed faintly, its surface etched with intricate runes that pulsed like a heartbeat.
Lianhua brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled. "Alright, let's begin with something simple." Her eyes sharpened. "Tell me, what are the ingredients needed for a Qi Recovery Pill?"
Without hesitation, both boys straightened. "Spirit grass, Azure dew petals, and a trace of purified beast essence," they said in unison, their voices firm and confident—without a hint of fear.
Lianhua's brows rose, clearly impressed. "Good. At least you did your homework." She leaned forward slightly, her gaze testing. "Now tell me… what happens if you add too much beast essence or anything isn't of same quality?"
Chi smirked. "The pill becomes unstable and explodes."
Yu added, "And the resulting smoke makes you pass out instantly."
Lianhua chuckled softly. "Excellent. You're not as clueless as I thought." She tapped the cauldron with her finger, and flames flared up with a soft whoosh. "Now, theory is over. Let's see how steady your hands really are."
Lianhua's smile turned sly as she folded her arms. "Alright, you know the ingredients. But knowing what to use isn't enough." Her tone grew more serious. "Tell me the process of refining a Qi Recovery Pill."
Chi exchanged a glance with Yu before answering, "First, the herbs must be purified with gentle fire to remove impurities."
Yu nodded, picking up from there. "Then, once the essence is drawn out, we merge the spirit grass first—since it stabilizes the qi flow—then the azure dew petals to balance the energy, and finally, a drop of purified beast essence to bind everything."
Lianhua raised an eyebrow. "And what happens if your fire wavers during merging?"
Chi hesitated for a moment. "The pill loses its form and turns into… sticky mush?"
Lianhua smirked. "Close. It turns into something worse—sticky mush that explodes."
Both boys flinched at her grin.
"Good," she said finally, satisfaction in her voice. "You understand the basics. Now, it's time to see if you can do it without turning my courtyard into a crater."
With a flick of her wrist, the flame beneath the cauldron roared to life, bathing their faces in orange light. "Chi, you go first. Let's see how good your control really is."
Chi took a deep breath and stepped forward. The heat from the cauldron hit his face, but he didn't flinch. He sat cross-legged before it, closed his eyes, and began circulating his qi.
The air around him shimmered faintly. Lianhua's eyes narrowed with interest — his control's not bad for a beginner, she thought.
He lifted his right hand, letting a small, steady flame of qi flicker to life at his fingertips. Slowly, he directed it beneath the cauldron.
"Good," Lianhua said softly. "Keep the temperature stable. Purify the herbs one by one."
Chi nodded, placing the first ingredient — Spirit Grass — inside. The flame wrapped around it gently, burning away its impurities until only a faint glow remained. Then came the Azure Dew Petals, and finally, the Beast Essence Drop.
The cauldron began to hum faintly, ripples of qi spreading through the air. Chi's brow furrowed, sweat trickling down his temple. "Almost there…" he muttered.
The liquid inside glowed bright green for a moment — but then, the flame wavered.
Boom!
A small puff of smoke burst from the cauldron, covering Chi's face in soot.
Yu burst out laughing. "Pfft—haha! You look like a roasted dumpling!"
Lianhua sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose but smiling faintly. "Not bad for a first try. You got the merging sequence right, but your flame control slipped at the end. If you'd steadied your breathing, the pill would've formed."
Chi coughed, waving away the smoke. "I almost had it…"
"Yes," she said, tone softening. "Almost. That's what makes alchemy beautiful — and cruel. Now, Yu, your turn. Let's see if you can do any better."
Now it was Yu's turn. He lifted his right hand, and a steady flame burst to life — far more refined and stable than Chi's. Guiding it beneath the cauldron, Yu worked swiftly, so swiftly that Lianhua barely had time to instruct him.
The impurities burned away almost instantly. Then came the Azure Dew Petals, followed by a single drop of Beast Essence. The mixture fused smoothly, and in moments, a faint pill began to form.
But as the cauldron cooled, thin cracks spread across the pill's surface.
"Not bad…" Lianhua said, raising an eyebrow. "You matched the flame's intensity perfectly, but you rushed it. The flame inside became unstable, although the pill can he consumed, it will have little effect."
She gave a small smile. "Remember, Yu — alchemy isn't a race. You can't rush refinement. Patience is part of mastery."
"Ehh... How could he do it?
Chi leaned closer, eyes wide with disbelief as the cracked pill rolled gently out of the cauldron. "You call that not bad?" he said, half teasing, half impressed. "You nearly blew up the cauldron with that speed!"
Yu scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "Hey, at least mine formed a pill. Yours looked like burnt pebbles last time."
Chi's mouth twitched. "That was practice! You try refining with Lianhua breathing down your neck."
Lianhua sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as a faint smile tugged at her lips. "Children, children… save the competition for when you can make a pill that doesn't look like it's been through war."
The two boys glanced at each other, smirked, and immediately straightened their backs, pretending to be serious students again.
The day passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was time for dinner. Chi and Yu slid into their seats, their faces etched with mild frustration.
"Mom… our systems aren't responding," Chi complained, leaning forward on the table. "They've vanished! No missions, no tasks… it's like they're on holiday, leaving us with nothing to do!"
Yu chimed in, pouting slightly, "Yeah! We can't even practice properly without guidance. It's so unfair!"
Lianhua's eyes narrowed, and an angry symbol popped above her head. "Oh? Is that so?" she said, her tone sharp but tinged with amusement. "So my sons are upset because their magical little toys won't do all the work for them?"
Chi and Yu froze for a moment, realizing just how ridiculous they must sound. Liora, perched beside Chi, tilted her head and let out a small, melodic chirp as if agreeing with their mother. Buddy, resting near Yu, gave a low rumble, shaking his mane slightly.
"Uh… well…" Chi stammered, scratching the back of his head.
"Hmm," Lianhua continued, her expression softening but her eyes still playful, "maybe it's time you two learned a little independence. Systems don't do everything for cultivators most don't even have them,you'll need to rely on your own instincts, your own strength."
Yu sighed dramatically. "But… but…"
"No buts," Lianhua interrupted, wagging a finger at them. "Dinner first. Complaints later"
The boys groaned, but they couldn't help but smile. Even if their systems were taking a break, the lesson was clear: their real growth depended on them, and their beasts, Liora and Buddy, were always there to guide them… in their own chaotic way.
Silently, Lianhua muttered under her breath, her arms crossed. "Although… I really should have a serious talk with those systematic brats too," she thought, her frustration barely contained.
Meanwhile, Lian, completely unbothered by the tension at the dinner table, sat cross-legged on the floor, quietly playing with Buddy and Liora. The two beasts, in turn, seemed to respond to her gentle giggles, nudging and swaying around her, their playful energy filling the room.
Liora's ethereal glow pulsed softly in sync with Lian's laughter, while Buddy let out a low, content rumble, almost as if sharing in her delight. The sound of innocent amusement cut through the tension, making Chi and Yu glance at each other with wry smiles, realizing that even amidst chaos, moments like these made everything feel… peaceful.
next ch- combat training