The smoke from the Soul Tempering Incense curled around Xiao Chen like a living thing. In the quiet of his room, the world outside ceased to exist. Every breath he took felt like a wave of cool water washing over his brain, clearing away the mental "fog" that haunts most mortal cultivators.
In the Battle Through The Heavens world, soul strength is divided into levels: Mortal, Earth, Heaven, and Di.
Most Dou Zhe have a soul so weak it's like a flickering candle in a hurricane. But as the incense burned, Chen felt his soul perception—already doubled by his breakthrough—begin to solidify. His mind projected outward, passing through the walls of his room, sensing the insects in the grass, and eventually, sensing the elemental particles floating in the air.
"Red for Fire... Green for Wood," Chen noted, his eyes closed.
He could see them. Usually, only those born with the "Alchemist Talent" could see these particles so clearly. But with his 2x Comprehension and 2x Soul Perception, the air looked like a vibrant tapestry of energy.
[System Notification]
Soul Strength has reached the 'Peak Mortal' Stage.
Detected Alchemist Potential: S-Rank (Due to Doubled Affinity).
New Goal: Acquire a 'Medical Cauldron' and a 'Fire Attribute' Qi Method.
Chen opened his eyes. The incense had burned out, leaving a lingering sweetness in the air. He felt incredibly sharp, as if he could memorize a thousand-page book just by glancing at its spine.
The Hidden Pavilion: Meeting the Goddess
The next morning, Chen headed toward the Clan's Hidden Library. This wasn't the public one where he'd seen the guards earlier; this was the archive for those who had officially reached the Dou Zhe realm.
As he walked through the quiet, bamboo-lined path, he felt a gaze on his back. It wasn't the clumsy, hostile gaze of Xiao Ning. It was a gaze as deep as the starry sky.
"You've changed again, Brother Chen."
He turned. Standing under a blooming peach tree was Xiao Xun Er. She wore a simple purple dress, but she carried an aura of nobility that made the very air seem to bow to her.
"Miss Xun Er," Chen replied, offering a polite, shallow bow.
"Yesterday, you broke Xiao Ning's wrist with just your physical grip," she said, stepping closer. Her golden eyes searched his face. "And today, your soul feels... vast. It's rare to see someone in Wu Tan City who practices Soul Tempering."
Chen didn't flinch. He knew Xun Er's background—she was from the Gu Clan, one of the most powerful ancient families in existence. To her, his "secrets" were probably just interesting toys.
"A strong house needs a strong foundation," Chen said calmly. "Muscle is the wood, Qi is the stone, but the Soul is the blueprint. Without a blueprint, the house falls."
Xun Er's eyes flickered with genuine surprise. "A blueprint... that's a very Alchemist-like way of thinking. Are you planning to take the Alchemist Exam at the city's branch office?"
"Perhaps," Chen smiled. "But first, I need a technique that won't burn my meridians to ash."
"Then you should avoid the 'Flame Palm' on the first shelf," she advised, walking past him. Her voice dropped to a whisper as she brushed his shoulder. "Look for the 'Green Wood Flame Heart' scroll in the basement. It's a Yellow-Peak rank, but it's the only one that balances Fire with Wood. It's perfect for someone with... excessive energy."
Chen watched her leave. She noticed, he thought. She noticed that my Qi is twice as dense as it should be.
The Basement: The First Technique
The basement of the library was damp and smelled of old parchment. Following Xun Er's hint, Chen found a blackened, wooden box tucked behind a pile of broken furniture.
Inside was a scroll made of dried vine.
[Item Detected: Green Wood Flame Heart (Yellow-Peak Rank)]
Analysis: A rare dual-attribute cultivation method. It allows the user to cultivate Fire Qi while using Wood Qi to heal the internal damage caused by high-temperature cultivation.
System Bonus: Due to 2x Talent, the training time for this method is reduced from 6 months to 3 days.
Chen sat down right there on the dusty floor. He didn't want to wait.
He began to circulate the new method. Normally, switching your Qi Method is a painful, slow process. You have to "wash out" your old energy and replace it with the new frequency.
But for Chen, it was like replacing a narrow pipe with a high-pressure hose.
Vrrrrm!
The orange Qi in his Dantian began to take on a faint, emerald tint at the edges. The heat increased, but instead of the burning pain he expected, he felt a soothing, cool sensation—the Wood attribute—protecting his veins.
[10%... 40%... 80%...]
In just one hour, the progress bar in his mind hit 100%.
The air in the basement began to whistle. A small vortex of Fire and Wood energy formed around Chen, spinning so fast that the dust on the floor was incinerated.
He stood up, his skin glowing with a healthy, bronze luster. He felt light, yet incredibly heavy. He struck out with a finger toward a stone pillar.
Pshhh!
A beam of concentrated, green-orange heat pierced the stone like a hot needle through butter. No explosion, no loud noise—just pure, surgical penetration.
"With this, I can control the medicinal heat needed for alchemy," Chen whispered.
The First Conflict Arises
As he emerged from the basement, he found the exit blocked.
Three young men stood there, led by Xiao Zhan's eldest nephew, Xiao Kui. Unlike the bumbling Xiao Ning, Xiao Kui was a 3-Star Dou Zhe. He was eighteen years old and considered one of the "Enforcers" for the younger generation.
"Xiao Chen," Kui said, his voice deep. "The Elders are asking where a branch disciple got the pills to reach Dou Zhe so quickly. They suspect you stole from the Clan's medicinal store."
Chen tucked the scroll into his robe. "I haven't taken a single pill from the store, Brother Kui. My cultivation is my own."
"Is that so?" Kui stepped forward, his Qi erupting. A faint blue glow surrounded his fists—Water Attribute Qi. "Then you won't mind if I 'inspect' your Dantian to see if there are any lingering pill residues, will you?"
In the cultivation world, "inspecting a Dantian" was a profound insult—it was like asking someone to strip naked in public. It was also dangerous; one wrong move could shatter a person's cultivation forever.
"I mind," Chen said, his voice turning cold. His doubled perception told him exactly what was happening: Xiao Kui was jealous. He was 18 and only a 3-star. Chen was 11 and a 1-star. The gap was too small for Kui's ego to handle.
"Then I'll have to take you by force!"
Xiao Kui lunged, his fists trailing water-vapor. [Yellow-Middle Skill: Crashing Wave!]
To everyone else, Kui was a blur.
To Chen, he was moving in slow motion.
"System," Chen thought, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Calculate the force needed to defeat him without killing him."
[Calculation Complete: Use 15% output. Target the elbow joint.]
Chen didn't move until Kui's fist was inches from his face. Then, he tilted his head—just an inch—and stepped into Kui's guard.
Snap.