The pale glow of the Azure Flame Peak token still shimmered in Darian's palm as he stood alone in the quiet courtyard. Around him, the illusionary disciples of the Jade Dragon Sect faded back into their phantom routines — brewing pills, whispering formulas, or meditating in silent thought. It felt like standing in the midst of ghosts… each one a fragment of a once-great legacy.
Darian took a slow breath, steadying himself. The trial had taken its toll, but it also awakened something in him — not power, not yet, but purpose. He wasn't just another borderland noble son anymore. He was a bearer of a forgotten inheritance.
Now, it was time to make use of it.
The spirit attendant reappeared as he approached the side annex of the archives. This time, it gestured toward a long, curved hallway behind the main alchemical testing grounds. A massive door carved from green-black jade slid open with a low rumble.
Inside was a circular vault — the Pill Repository.
Hundreds of scrolls and jade slips floated in slow spirals around the chamber, each glowing faintly with pale light. Above them, twelve pillars of fire — one for each peak — danced in quiet synchronization.
The spirit's voice echoed faintly in the chamber.
"These are the standard formulas approved for initiates. You may copy what your current comprehension allows. But be warned: high-grade pill formulas without matching skill will only invite failure — and waste."
Darian nodded, absorbing every word. He walked slowly among the glowing scrolls, instinctively drawn to those resonating most with his intent.
He thought of his family — their struggles on the coast of Tyvros, near the Wyrmbane wilds.
His grandmother, battle-scarred and weary, relying on low-grade potions to ease her injuries.
His father, always pushing through the ache of spiritual exhaustion after fending off a monster incursion.
His younger brother and sister, whose talent was yet untested — but who would one day need protection.
He couldn't bring back treasures yet. But he could bring knowledge.
The First Formula: The Amber Vitality Pill
He stopped before a slow-turning jade slip inscribed with soft golden characters. Its aura felt warm and steady — like sunlight filtering through old leaves.
Amber Vitality Pill
Grade: Low–Mid Tier
Effect: Restores physical stamina and enhances recovery from minor internal injuries.
Notes: Easy to refine with common herbs, but requires precise flame control.
It was the advanced version of the Lesser Vitality Elixir he had already learned to make.
This would help his father immediately.
He placed his hand on the jade slip, and a soft glow sank into his palm. The formula imprinted itself into his spiritual memory — a miraculous gift of the spiritual realm.
The Second Formula: Ironroot Reforging Pellet
This one pulsed with a denser, darker energy. Its surface was etched with miniature diagrams of bone and muscle, meridian and marrow.
Ironroot Reforging Pellet
Grade: Mid Tier
Effect: Aids in recovery from bone fractures, torn meridians, or damaged spirit channels.
Notes: Requires crushed ironroot, frost-bud extract, and refined beast bone powder. Flame stage must be held precisely at "steady sear" for thirteen breaths.
This was what his grandmother needed — a way to slow the corrosion of old battle wounds. Even the lowest grade healing pills in the kingdom couldn't match this, and those that came close were priced beyond reach.
He copied the formula carefully. This one would take effort — and rare materials. But even if he couldn't make it now, he could seek out the ingredients later.
The Third Formula: Spirit-Awakening Dew
The smallest slip, nearly transparent, hovered in a corner like it didn't wish to be noticed.
But when Darian approached, it sparked — just faintly.
Spirit-Awakening Dew
Grade: Low Tier
Effect: Aids children or cultivators with weak foundations to stabilize their spirit root and initiate awakening.
Notes: Requires moon-drop petals, jadeberry sap, and essence water. Safe even for mortals.
His breath caught. This… this could help his younger siblings. Even if their roots weren't strong, a tonic like this could give them a chance to cultivate.
He placed his hand on the scroll, and the information sank into his mind.
He moved on, selecting two more:
Minor Qi Condensation Pill – for helping low-stage cultivators replenish their spiritual essence.
Clear-Mind Elixir – used to resist mental interference, illusions, or minor curses — ideal for travelers or frontline fighters.
All low to mid-grade — nothing flashy, nothing world-breaking.
But they were practical, effective, and within reach of his current skill.
And for now, that was enough.
Returning to the World
The moment Darian finished memorizing the fifth formula, a shift rippled through the chamber.
The spirit returned, this time with a more solemn expression.
"You have taken the first steps. The spiritual kingdom will remain, tied to your soul. As you grow, so too shall the gates of knowledge open."
A formation began to draw itself into the air — complex symbols encircling a mirror-like surface.
The exit.
"Once I leave… can I return?" Darian asked.
The spirit bowed. "When your mind is still, and your soul resonates with the jade token, the gateway will open — provided your essence is stable."
Darian took one final look at the floating archives, the silent furnaces, and the empty halls where giants once walked.
Then he stepped through the light.
A Breath of Sea Air
The salty wind hit him like a wave.
Darian stumbled slightly, blinking in the golden light of dawn. He was back in the hidden grotto beneath the cliffs of his family's coastal land. The stone floor beneath him was damp with sea mist. The shattered boulder marking the spiritual gate still lay behind him, but the runes were now dormant — inert, for now.
But within him, he felt the weight of new memory, new potential.
The jade token from the Azure Flame Peak pulsed softly at his side. And deeper still, a quiet fire had been lit — one that would not be extinguished easily.
He touched the pouch at his waist, where he had hastily stuffed some leftover herbs. Common things. But with the right hands… they could become miracles.
A Family's Future
By the time Darian reached the edge of the cliffs, the morning sun had risen over the Jade Sea. His family's manor, nestled between forest and coast, stood like a small fortress — watchtowers alert, banners fluttering.
He'd been gone less than a day in the real world. But he had crossed lifetimes in the space between.
He took one last look toward the sea. Somewhere beyond, the storms of empire stirred. The demon realm's shadows still lingered in the land's history. And monsters still crept from the depths of the Wyrmbane.
But he had knowledge now.
And knowledge, properly used, could reshape fate.