After bidding farewell to the two Xiao brothers, Xiao Feng made his way toward Xiao Yu's residence. The evening sun painted the sky in soft shades of gold and crimson, and a gentle breeze carried the faint fragrance of blooming flowers across the courtyard.
Xiao Yu was already outside when he arrived, leaning lightly against the doorway as if she had been waiting.
"You're leaving again so soon?" she asked, her voice calm—but her eyes betrayed a trace of reluctance.
Xiao Feng smiled faintly. "The Inner Academy isn't a place I can ignore. "
She crossed her arms, pretending to be indifferent. "Hmph… always chasing strength. Do you ever think about anything else?"
He stepped a little closer, his tone softening. "I do."
Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what would that be?"
"For example…" He paused, looking directly into her eyes. "Whether someone will miss me after I leave."
For a moment, the air seemed to still.
Xiao Yu looked away quickly, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Don't flatter yourself. Who would miss someone as annoying as you?"
Xiao Feng chuckled. "Is that so?"
Before she could respond, he gently reached out and brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. The sudden closeness caught her off guard, and she froze.
"You should take care of yourself," he said quietly. "This outer academy isn't as peaceful as it looks."
Her usual sharp tone softened. "You too… the Inner Academy is far more dangerous."
There was a brief silence between them—comfortable, yet filled with unspoken emotions.
Finally, Xiao Feng took a step back. "I'll come back stronger."
Xiao Yu looked at him, her gaze steady now. "You'd better. Otherwise… I won't let you hear the end of it."
He laughed, then turned to leave. After a few steps, he paused.
"Xiao Yu."
She blinked. "What?"
Without turning around, he said, "Wait for me."
Her heart skipped a beat.
"…Idiot," she muttered softly—but a small smile appeared on her lips.
With that, Xiao Feng no longer hesitated. His figure gradually disappeared into the distance, heading toward the Inner Academy—toward greater strength, greater dangers, and a future yet to be written.
As Xiao Feng stepped into his personal courtyard within the Inner Academy, the quiet of the night wrapped around the area like a calm veil. The soft glow of lantern light spilled from the main hall, accompanied by faint laughter and conversation.
Pushing the door open, he was immediately greeted by familiar faces.
"Xiao Feng!"
The four members inside the hall stood up almost instantly, their expressions lighting up with relief and excitement.
"You're finally back," one of them said with a grin.
Xiao Feng nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on his face as he took a seat among them. The atmosphere quickly grew lively, the fatigue of his journey fading away.
It was then that Lin Xiuya leaned forward, his expression turning serious yet filled with a hint of pride.
"You've missed quite a lot while you were away," he began.
Xiao Feng raised an eyebrow but remained silent, signaling him to continue.
Lin Xiuya continued, "Your name has already spread throughout the Inner Academy… especially because of your medicinal pills like Ice Spirit Fire Suppression Pill and Frost Heart Ice Essence Pill".
"Oh?" Xiao Feng's eyes flickered slightly.
"They're calling you a genius alchemist now," another member added with a chuckle. "Those pills of yours that can suppress the fire poison from the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower… they've become incredibly popular."
Lin Xiuya nodded. "Because of that, the Medicine Gang has already set their eyes on you."
"They tried to recruit you," someone else added, shaking their head. "Though…" he smirked, "they still think you're only a fourth-grade alchemist."
A faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on Xiao Feng's lips.
"Let them think so," he said calmly.
Lin Xiuya's eyes gleamed. "That's not all. We've followed your plan."
"The Fire Faction…" he continued, his tone turning firm, "has officially been established."
Xiao Feng's gaze sharpened slightly.
"We've recruited nearly forty members," Lin Xiuya said with clear satisfaction. "All of them are elites—selected from those who qualified in the Inner Academy competition."
"Not a single weakling among them," another member added proudly.
The room fell into a brief silence as all eyes turned toward Xiao Feng, waiting for his reaction.
After a moment, he slowly nodded.
"Good."
Just that single word—but it carried weight.
Leaning back slightly, his gaze deep and thoughtful, Xiao Feng spoke again,
"The Inner Academy… is far more complex than it seems. Strength alone isn't enough."
Xiao Feng's gaze swept across the room, calm yet carrying an unquestionable authority.
"Tomorrow…" he began slowly, his voice steady, "I will personally refine a 5th-tier medicinal pill in the Inner Academy stadium."
The moment those words fell, the expressions of everyone in the hall froze.
"A… 5th-tier pill?" one of them muttered, disbelief clear in his eyes.
Lin Xiuya leaned forward sharply, his eyes flashing with excitement. "Are you serious?"
Xiao Feng nodded.
"This will be a public refinement," he continued. "Everyone will be allowed to witness the process."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"This will not only prove our strength… but also attract more people to join the Fire Faction."
The room grew heated instantly.
Lin Xiuya slapped his knee and stood up. "Good! This is the perfect opportunity to raise our reputation!"
Xiao Feng raised his hand slightly, signaling them to calm down.
"So listen carefully."
"All of you… spread the news."
"Inform every Inner Academy student who has even the slightest interest in alchemy… or in joining a faction."
His eyes sharpened.
"By tomorrow morning, I want the entire Inner Academy to know."
The others immediately straightened.
"Yes!"
After a brief pause, Xiao Feng added calmly,
"I will personally speak with the Elders tonight. Although they won't object… it is still necessary to inform them."
Lin Xiuya smirked. "Once this spreads, even the Medicine Gang won't be able to sit still."
A soft chuckle escaped another member. "A public 5th-tier refinement… this has never happened before."
Xiao Feng stood up slowly, his robes swaying slightly.
"Then let them watch."
His voice was calm—but filled with absolute confidence.
"Tomorrow…"
"I will show them what a true alchemist is."
A brief silence followed.
Then, like a spark igniting dry grass, the entire group burst into action—each of them rushing out to spread the news.
Got it—you want a more grand, novel-style flow with longer lines and deeper immersion. I'll expand the scene with richer descriptions and smoother narration 👇
Xiao Feng stood calmly at the center of the vast Inner Academy stadium, his figure upright and unmoving despite the countless gazes pressing down upon him from every direction, while the faint morning light reflected off the surface of the massive stone arena and merged with the rising heat that was beginning to gather around him.
With a slow wave of his sleeve, space before him rippled slightly—
And in the next moment, a series of rare and dazzling medicinal ingredients appeared one after another upon the stone platform, each radiating its own unique aura, instantly causing the surrounding air to grow heavy with dense energy fluctuations.
The moment these materials appeared, a wave of shocked murmurs spread uncontrollably across the stadium, as even those who were not alchemists could sense that every single item placed before Xiao Feng was extraordinarily precious and far beyond what ordinary students could ever come into contact with.
The Frost Core Lotus, crystal clear and shimmering with a chilling blue glow, released strands of cold mist that seemed capable of freezing even the surrounding air, while the Blazing Sun Grass, blazing like a miniature sun, pulsed with violent heat that distorted the space around it.
Beside them, the Earth Vein Spirit Root lay quietly, yet it carried a deep, heavy aura like the very foundation of the earth itself, and the Heavenly Essence Dew, suspended in a jade vial, emitted a soft, pure radiance that seemed to resonate with the natural energy of the world.
Finally, the faintly sparkling Purple Star Crystal Powder and the powerful Tier 5 Magic Beast Core, swirling with dense Dou Qi, completed the set—forming a lineup that even some Elders could not help but stare at with narrowed eyes.
Without wasting a single moment, Xiao Feng slowly raised his hand and placed it lightly upon the cauldron.
In an instant—
A deep, low rumble echoed from within.
A surge of flame burst forth violently, yet under his precise control, it quickly stabilized into layered currents of fire, where the outer flame remained gentle and steady while the inner core burned with terrifying intensity, forming a perfect balance that showcased his frightening control over flame temperature.
As the cauldron gradually warmed, Xiao Feng's Spiritual Strength spread out like an invisible ocean, silently enveloping every inch of the cauldron's interior while simultaneously locking onto each medicinal ingredient with extreme precision, ensuring that not even the slightest fluctuation would escape his perception.
Only after confirming that everything had reached the optimal state did he finally begin.
With a subtle movement of his fingers, the Frost Core Lotus floated gracefully into the cauldron, and almost instantly, the temperature inside dropped sharply, causing a thin layer of frost to form along the inner walls.
Xiao Feng carefully adjusted the flame, maintaining a delicate equilibrium as the icy petals slowly dissolved, their impurities stripped away layer by layer until only a pure, crystal-blue liquid essence remained, floating silently within the flame like a frozen jewel.
Moments later, the Blazing Sun Grass followed.
The instant it entered the cauldron, a violent burst of heat erupted outward, clashing fiercely with the lingering cold energy, yet Xiao Feng remained completely calm as his Spiritual Strength pressed down like a mountain, forcefully suppressing the chaotic reaction while extracting a brilliant golden-red energy fluid from the heart of the herb.
Next came the Earth Vein Spirit Root, which required neither extreme heat nor cold, but instead demanded patience.
Under Xiao Feng's steady control, the flame gradually intensified over time, slowly breaking down the tough outer layers until a thick, heavy essence formed, radiating a stable aura that anchored the previously volatile energies.
Following that, the Heavenly Essence Dew was gently poured into the cauldron, not to be refined, but to merge with the surrounding energy field, instantly increasing the density and harmony of the internal environment, allowing the different essences to resonate more smoothly with one another.
At the same time, specks of Purple Star Crystal Powder were scattered into the flames, dissolving almost instantly and transforming into a faint purple glow that wrapped around the other essences, enhancing their purity and stabilizing the entire process.
Then—
The most critical moment arrived.
The Tier 4 Magic Beast Core slowly rose into the air before plunging into the cauldron.
The instant it made contact—
A violent explosion of energy erupted, sending waves of pressure outward that caused even the closest spectators to instinctively step back.
But Xiao Feng's expression did not change in the slightest.
His eyes snapped open, and in that instant, his Spiritual Strength surged forth like a roaring tide, forcibly suppressing the raging energy within the Beast Core while stripping away its violent nature, leaving behind only the purest form of Dou Qi essence.
Now came the most dangerous step—
Fusion.
Cold, heat, stability, and pure energy—
Four completely different forces began to converge under Xiao Feng's control, colliding violently at first, causing the cauldron to tremble slightly as waves of instability spread outward.
For a brief moment, the entire stadium held its breath.
But then—
Everything calmed.
Under Xiao Feng's precise control, the conflicting energies gradually found balance, merging seamlessly into a unified whole, forming a stable core that radiated immense power.
And just when everyone thought the process had reached its peak—
Their expressions froze.
Because inside the cauldron…
This entire process was not happening once—
But multiple times simultaneously.
Xiao Feng was refining several batches of the Dou Spirit Pill at the same time, each one controlled with the same terrifying precision, as though his mind had split into multiple parts, handling each process independently without the slightest error.
Even the Elders could no longer remain seated.
Shock filled their eyes.
As time passed, the fused energies began to condense, slowly taking shape into perfectly round medicinal pills, each one emitting a dense aura that caused the surrounding Dou Qi to stir violently, while a rich medicinal fragrance spread across the entire stadium, entering the bodies of the spectators and subtly affecting their cultivation.
Finally—
Xiao Feng's hand seals changed rapidly.
"Condense."
In an instant, the flames shrank inward violently, compressing the forming pills further and further, refining away every last impurity until their surfaces became smooth, flawless, and radiant.
A deep sound echoed.
The cauldron lid trembled—
And then burst open slightly.
In the next moment—
Ten perfectly formed Dou Spirit Pills shot into the sky, hovering above the cauldron like stars, each one radiating a powerful aura capable of increasing a Dou Spirit's strength by an entire level, yet limited to only two uses per person in a lifetime.
The entire stadium fell into absolute silence.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Then—
An uproar erupted like thunder.
And at the center of it all—
Xiao Feng simply raised his hand calmly, storing the pills into a jade bottle, his expression indifferent as if what he had just accomplished was something utterly insignificant.
But from that moment onward—
Everyone understood one thing clearly.
Xiao Feng was no longer just a talented alchemist.
He was a monster capable of changing the fate of cultivators.