As the sun began to descend toward the horizon, casting long golden shadows across the clan compound, Zhen Liang quietly made his way to his mother's residence. As promised, Lady Wen was already waiting in her alchemy hall, dressed in simple robes with her hair tied back, sleeves rolled above her elbows, revealing the calloused grace of someone who had spent years beside the furnace.
She gestured him inside with a faint smile.
"Let's not rush," she said. "Before you can touch a furnace, you need to learn the basics. True alchemy begins far before the flame is lit."
Thus began Liang's first lesson.
She spoke clearly and methodically—about the types of cauldrons, the importance of spiritual fire, and the flow of spiritual essence during a pill's refinement. Then, she led him to the clan's herb garden, where rows of spirit grasses and medicinal roots swayed gently in the mountain breeze.
"This is where you begin," she said, handing him a small harvesting blade. "You'll learn to recognize, collect, and preserve herbs. Every mistake here is a ruined pill in the future."
They moved through the rows as she pointed out common ingredients—Leaf-Gathering Grass, Bitter Cloud Root, Spirit Vine—each with subtle differences. Some matured in the moonlight, others under the sun. By the time they finished, the sky had darkened, and Liang had a list of herbs to study and sketch before their next session.
That night, Liang returned to his room and began the second phase of his cultivation.
Unlike the morning technique that required absorbing the golden energy of sunrise, the night phase emphasized harmony with the calm flow of moonlight and starlight. According to the Nine Turn True Qi Technique, this balance between sun and moon, yin and yang, strengthened the body's ability to hold vast quantities of qi.
Even as he slept, his breathing followed a rhythm guided by the cultivation art—slow, measured, and aligned with the subtle fluctuations of night.
When morning arrived and the sun peeked over the mountain ridge, Liang awoke with a deep sense of ease. His body felt lighter, his spirit sharper.
So the days passed.
Simple on the surface, yet rigorous underneath. Every morning, he cultivated with the rising sun. Every day, he trained, read, and absorbed knowledge. In the evening, he practiced the Spirit Calming Technique, and before bed, he cultivated once more under the stars.
If anyone had watched him closely, they would've struggled to recognize the lazy, yawning boy of years past.
On the twenty-fourth day, a subtle shift occurred during his morning meditation. Qi no longer flowed like a stream—it surged like a river.
When he opened his eyes, he knew.
He had reached the peak of the First Layer of Qi Condensation.
At breakfast, Lady Wen noticed something about her son—his aura had changed slightly, his body more vibrant, his eyes more focused.
"You broke through?" she asked, her voice even, but her chopsticks pausing.
Liang nodded and smiled.
She was stunned.
To reach the peak of the first layer of Qi Condensation without any pills or external assistance—within twenty-four days—was nothing short of extraordinary. For most, this level took months. Years, even. But Liang had achieved it with sheer hard work, intelligence, and the advantage of his single lightning spirit root.
The next day, she handed him a jade bottle.
Liang didn't need to ask. The faint scent, the color, the texture—it was the Qi Sealing Pill.
He had helped gather the herbs with her own guidance. He remembered how rare the blood of a Level 3 beast had been, equivalent to a peak Qi Condensation cultivator. His mother had used her private resources to obtain it.
Out of five batches she attempted, three had failed completely. One pill turned out mid-grade.
And one—this one—was a high-grade success, pale jade in color and exuding a calm, rich qi.
Under her careful supervision, Liang swallowed the pill and sat cross-legged.
A warmth surged through his body as all the qi he had cultivated seemed to be drawn inward. It converged into a single point in his dantian before vanishing.
Startled, Liang extended his consciousness inward.
There, in the center of his dantian, floated a condensed spot of light—gentle and jade-colored. It pulsed like a heartbeat, calm yet filled with boundless energy.
He tested drawing qi into his body. The jade light didn't resist; instead, it allowed the new qi to circulate freely.
Lady Wen watched him closely.
"How do you feel?"
Liang didn't answer with words. Instead, he let her examine him directly with her spiritual sense.
After a few moments, she exhaled in relief.
"Good. The sealing worked perfectly. Don't cultivate anymore today. Let your body stabilize."
She left soon after to continue her alchemy work, leaving Liang with an unexpected sense of leisure.
With nothing pressing on his schedule, he wandered toward the clan library.
To his surprise, the normally quiet paths were bustling. Several clan members—mostly youths—rushed about with excitement.
Inside the library, he found Grandpa Lin organizing a fresh delivery of scrolls.
"Grandpa," Liang greeted with a nod, "what's going on outside?"
The old man looked up, eyes twinkling. "Ah, haven't you heard? The clan's Five-Year Competition is only a month away. This year's special. The Eternal Star Sect is sending a deacon to observe."
Liang blinked. "A deacon?"
"Aye. The top five participants will be offered a chance to enter the sect. Naturally, the branch clans are sending their best and brightest."
Liang nodded slowly, but a trace of disappointment formed in his chest.
"What's the entry requirement?"
"Minimum fourth level of Qi Condensation."
Liang let out a sigh and gave a wry smile. He wasn't even at the second level yet.
Still, he didn't let the news weigh him down. He picked out a scroll on monster beasts and left for his usual quiet tree near the training grounds.
The shade was cool, the wind pleasant, and the silence soothing.
But it didn't last.
Just as he reached the middle of the scroll, a soft rustling sound came from the nearby grass. He turned to see a small white creature with fur like fresh snow hopping toward him.
It was a rabbit.
But not just any rabbit.
Its most striking feature was its eyes—two bright blue gems that shimmered with spirit energy.
Liang's gaze sharpened immediately.
"A Blue-Eyed Spirit Rabbit…"
He had read about them—a legendary breed of rabbits said to be born only once in a million births. They had no combat abilities, but their talents lay elsewhere. They were exceptional at finding hidden spirit herbs, mineral deposits, and naturally formed spiritual arrays. Many cultivators considered them invaluable companions for treasure hunting.
Their only flaw was their incredibly slow growth. They required constant exposure to high-quality spiritual energy to mature properly.
Even so, they were worth fortunes. A single Blue-Eyed Spirit Rabbit could fetch over ten mid-grade spirit stones—an enormous sum.
The little creature showed no fear. It hopped onto his lap, looked at him curiously, and nestled into the folds of his robe as if it had found a lifelong home.
Liang hesitated briefly, then tucked the rabbit into his inner robe and stood up.
At the library, he returned the scroll and approached Grandpa Lin again.
"Grandpa, what can you tell me about Blue-Eyed Spirit Rabbits?"
The old man squinted at the bundle in his robe. When he spotted the rabbit peeking out with its gleaming eyes, he let out a sharp gasp.
"By the heavens! Where did you find that?"
"It found me."
The old man shook his head. "This is a miracle. Elder Yun caught one a few days ago in the forest—he didn't recognize its value and… well… turned it into stew."
Liang frowned slightly and looked down at the little rabbit, which blinked up at him innocently. He gently stroked its head.
"You're lucky," he whispered. "You escaped a stew pot."
Grandpa Lin chuckled. "Liang, how about letting the little fellow stay with me? I'll feed it spirit grasses and keep it warm."
Liang looked him in the eye and smiled politely. "No."
The old man laughed, not offended in the least. "I thought you'd say that."
With the rabbit safely nestled in his robe, Liang turned and walked back toward his residence, the warm weight of the spirit beast comforting against his chest.