"Senior Yao," Li Yan said, his tone steady yet earnest, "there is something I wish to request."
Yao Fuhuo raised a delicate brow, her interest quietly piqued. "Oh?" she replied, her voice soft yet attentive. "And what would that be?"
Li Yan drew a measured breath before continuing, his expression calm but deliberate. "As I mentioned earlier, I have begun practicing alchemy. However, my progress may attract attention sooner than expected."
Yao Fuhuo's gaze sharpened slightly, curiosity surfacing. "Are you telling me," she asked, "that your talent in alchemy is also… exceptional?"
"I think so," Li Yan shrugged his shoulders, his composure unchanged. "According to Elder Cao Lian, even a genius requires at least one and a half years to master all forty-one Tier-1 pills."
He paused briefly before continuing, his tone even. "Low, Mid, High, and Peak levels combined."
"When I heard that," he added, "I was already on the edge of exposing my progress in front of Elder Cao and Elder Ji. Because it took me only slightly more than a week to master them all."
For a brief moment, Yao Fuhuo's composure shifted. Her eyes widened faintly, genuine surprise breaking through her otherwise controlled expression.
"You mean," she said slowly, "you are already a Tier-1 Peak-Level alchemist?"
Li Yan gave a simple nod.
A soft smile spread across her lips, approval and quiet satisfaction reflected in her gaze. "Good… very good," she said. "That exceeds even my expectations."
"I assumed you had only begun," she continued, "but this level of progress… is remarkable."
She leaned forward slightly, her interest deepening. "And the purity?" she asked. "What is the highest quality you have achieved?"
Li Yan did not hesitate. Unlike before, he made no effort to conceal his results.
"Ninety-three percent."
Yao Fuhuo nodded slowly, her expression carrying both pride and certainty. "At that level, you are already standing at the edge of excellence."
"If you obtain the Heavenly Flames in the future," she added, "reaching flawless quality will not be beyond you."
Li Yan's eyes lit subtly at her words, a spark of anticipation forming. "Flawless pills…" he murmured. "That does sound promising."
Then his expression steadied once more. "However, I intend to keep my progress hidden."
"If I begin acquiring ingredients through the sect," he continued, "it will draw attention I would rather avoid."
His gaze remained firm. "So I ask for your assistance in obtaining the necessary materials… discreetly."
Silence followed as Yao Fuhuo considered his request. Her gaze lingered on him, measuring not just his words, but the intent behind them.
Then she gave a small nod.
"A wise decision," she said calmly. "Alchemy is not merely a craft. It is a form of power."
"And power, especially at your level," she added, "will inevitably attract attention you are not yet prepared to face."
"I will prepare the materials for you," she continued. "Return in a week at most."
Relief flickered briefly across Li Yan's expression before settling into composed gratitude. He bowed his head slightly.
"Thank you, Senior Yao."
Yao Fuhuo studied him for a moment longer before raising her hand. With a subtle motion, two violet crystals appeared within her palm, their surfaces faintly glowing.
With another gesture, the wooden floor of the treehouse shifted. A small, precise opening formed, no wider than a foot, revealing a depth beneath the surface.
One of the crystals drifted downward into the opening.
The floor sealed immediately afterward, restoring itself flawlessly, leaving no trace that it had ever been disturbed.
She then extended the second crystal toward Li Yan. "Take it."
Li Yan accepted it without hesitation, feeling a faint pulse of spatial energy contained within its structure.
"I will place the materials here," she said. "Use this crystal to return when the time comes."
"You only need to channel your Qi into it," she added, her tone calm but deliberate.
Then her gaze sharpened slightly. "But remember this—place the crystal on the ground before activating it."
"If you channel Qi into it while holding it," she continued, "you will arrive here… but the crystal will remain in your possession."
Her voice lowered slightly, carrying a quiet warning. "And without it, you will not be able to return the same way. You would need to descend the tree manually," she added, "and find a portal within the valley below."
A faint pause followed. "That path is… not convenient."
Li Yan nodded, understanding immediately. "I see."
Without further question, he stored the crystal within his ring, securing it carefully.
Moments later, Yao Fuhuo raised her hand once more. The space around them shifted. Light bent subtly as the world folded inward, and within a breath, the treehouse dissolved from existence.
They reappeared beneath the open night sky of the sect.
Moonlight stretched across rooftops and stone pathways, casting a quiet, silver glow over the sleeping grounds. The air was cool, carrying distant murmurs and the faint flicker of Qi lamps.
Without another word, Yao Fuhuo's form began to dissolve into a soft swirl of mist. Within seconds, she vanished completely. Only the quiet night remained.
Li Yan remained still for a moment beneath the quiet night sky, allowing the silence to settle naturally around him. Then he turned, his steps measured as he made his way toward the food stalls.
The scent of roasted meat and simmering broth drifted through the air, blending with the warm glow of lantern light. He purchased a simple meal and ate without distraction, his mind already turning inward.
Once finished, he returned to his residence, the familiar quiet of his room welcoming him. The events of the day lingered within his thoughts, layered with meaning and quiet implications.
Yet beneath all of it, something else called to him—a presence he had not neglected, something that demanded attention with quiet persistence.
Li Yan raised his hand, summoning the Spiritual Beast egg.
It appeared before him, its smooth surface reflecting the lamplight like polished stone. Beneath its shell, a faint glow pulsed steadily, subtle yet undeniably alive.
He placed his palm against it and began circulating his Qi, guiding a stream of Earth energy into its core. The energy flowed steadily, dense and grounded, controlled with precise intent.
The response came instantly.
A soft tremor ran through the egg as golden light spread across its surface. The energy resonated with his own, drawing in the Earth Qi with quiet, eager absorption.
Li Yan's eyes narrowed slightly as his thoughts sharpened.
"Fire. Darkness. Now Earth…"
The pattern was no longer a coincidence. Each element he had fed had been accepted without resistance, without rejection, as though it recognized them all.
"Multiple affinities…" he thought. "Or something beyond that?"
The question lingered unanswered.
For several minutes, he maintained the flow, feeding the egg with steady precision. Only when the glow softened and the energy stabilized did he withdraw his hand.
With a final glance, he returned the egg to the mark upon his neck, its presence fading silently from view.
Li Yan lay down shortly after, the stillness of the room settling around him. His body relaxed, yet his mind remained active, weaving together the threads of the day.
Yao Fuhuo's guidance. The task ahead. The nature of the egg.
The path before him had grown more demanding, more intricate—yet at the same time, more defined.
With a slow, steady breath, his thoughts began to quiet.
He closed his eyes.
*****
Morning arrived quietly.
Sunlight spilled across the sect like liquid gold, illuminating rooftops and stone pathways alike. Within his room, Li Yan opened his eyes slowly, clarity returning without resistance.
His body felt light, his mind sharp, his spirit steady and prepared for what lay ahead.
Rising from his bed, he bathed before returning to his room. Standing before the mirror, his gaze lingered briefly on his reflection.
With a simple motion, he summoned the robe Yao Fuhuo had given him.
The fabric appeared in his hands, its surface smooth yet alive. A faint warmth pulsed through it, responding immediately to his Qi as though recognizing him.
The robe unfolded naturally, revealing elegant white cloth woven with golden patterns that shimmered faintly under the dim light.
Li Yan draped it over himself.
The fabric settled perfectly, aligning with his form without resistance. It felt light, yet carried a subtle strength that exceeded its appearance.
With a single thought, the color shifted.
The pristine white transformed seamlessly into the familiar yellow of the sect's Yellow-ranked disciples. Even the embroidery was adapted, the gold threads fading into refined silver.
The result was subtle, controlled, and perfectly aligned with the sect's uniform, yet it retained an underlying elegance that set it apart.
Li Yan observed the transformation quietly, a faint trace of appreciation forming.
"Impressive," he murmured.
Curiosity stirred.
With another thought, the robe shifted again, reshaping itself into a different form. Blue trousers, a white shirt, and a structured coat appeared, a design reminiscent of his previous life.
For a brief moment, he stood still, observing the reflection.
Then he tested further.
The robe adapted effortlessly, cycling through various designs—different cuts, patterns, and styles drawn from memory, each forming and dissolving with seamless precision.
No resistance. No delay. Only perfect response.
After several attempts, he returned the robe to its Yellow-ranked form, its appearance settling once more into something familiar and unobtrusive.
Satisfied, Li Yan turned away from the mirror.
Clad in flowing yellow robes, he stepped out of his residence, his presence calm, composed, and quietly prepared for what lay ahead.
Disciples crossing the courtyard turned instinctively to look as Li Yan passed, their gazes lingering a moment longer than before. His presence, once quietly intimidating, now carried a refined dignity that drew attention without effort.
He arrived at the food stalls soon after, purchased a simple meal, and took a seat nearby. As he began eating, his thoughts shifted naturally toward the path ahead.
"The road ahead is long…, but I no longer walk it alone," he reflected calmly. "With Senior Yao's guidance… and my resolve, nothing will stop me."
He took another bite of grilled meat, his mind already moving ahead of the moment. "Should I go to the Alchemy Hall and acquire higher-tier pill recipes?"
The thought lingered only briefly before he shook his head. "No. It's only been a little over a month since I obtained Tier-1 recipes. Moving now would only expose my progress."
As he chewed thoughtfully, a sudden realization struck him. His eyes widened slightly, his thoughts shifting with renewed urgency. "I almost forgot… the task."
His expression sharpened as he recalled the details.
"Even if the task of getting the Soul Cultivation technique will take time… I still need to collect five thousand Tier-2 beast cores within three months, which rewards the basic knowledge about Soul Cultivation."
His free hand moved instinctively toward his storage rings, fingers brushing their surface as a faint glow flickered. He checked the contents with a quick sweep of his awareness.
Then his hand lowered. "I have just over a thousand… which means I still need four thousand more."
He resumed eating, but his mind had already begun calculating, weighing time against effort, efficiency against risk.
"No time to waste," he concluded inwardly. "From now on… full focus on hunting."
A quiet resolve settled within him. "Alchemy could wait until he completed half the task. Only hunting."
With his decision made, Li Yan finished his meal, gathered supplies for several days, and set off toward the Tier-2 Hunting Ground without delay.
Upon arrival, he did not immediately begin hunting as usual. Instead, he veered toward a quieter section of the forest, one that lay slightly removed from the more active zones.
The trees here were older, their thick trunks twisted with age, branches arching overhead like natural gateways. Sunlight filtered through the canopy in fractured beams, casting shifting patterns across the moss-covered ground.
The air carried a subtle weight, a steady hum of primal Qi intertwined with the distant movements of hidden beasts. Leaves rustled softly, insects chirped, and beneath it all, something deeper stirred.
Li Yan slowed.
His Spiritual Sense expanded outward, covering a fifty-meter radius with precise clarity. Every movement, every fluctuation of energy, every hidden presence revealed itself beneath his awareness.
Nothing unusual.
Satisfied, he stepped forward and approached a concealed cave entrance hidden behind a curtain of hanging vines. Brushing them aside, he entered the shaded interior without hesitation.
The cave was dry and spacious, its interior naturally shielded from external disturbances. The air was still, undisturbed, and ideal for preparation.
With a flick of his wrist, four metal bands appeared midair before descending steadily to the ground. They landed with soft, controlled thuds, faint ripples of Qi spreading across their surfaces.
The White Star Training Rings.