The Grand Arena lay silent again. The echoes of battle had faded, but their weight lingered in the sect like the smell of rain after lightning.
Days had passed since Lin Xuan's exhibition, yet whispers still rippled through the halls — awe, jealousy, fear, worship — blending into something the sect could no longer define.
Even the elders' debates had cooled into watchful silence. The storm had not subsided. It had merely paused.
In that lull, Lin Xuan stood before the towering gates of the Second-Tier Repository — the vault of the Azure Spirit Sect's true legacies.
The repository was built into the side of Mount Lanshi, its entrance flanked by two statues: one of a sage holding a cauldron, the other of a general wielding a spear.
Wisps of spirit-fire floated in the air, burning with colors that shifted from jade to violet. The air itself thrummed with suppressed knowledge — countless techniques, manuals, and relics sealed behind layers of formation and intent.
A robed elder greeted him at the gate, his beard flowing like silver threads.
"Lin Xuan, Outer Disciple. Permission granted by decree of Elder Ji." The old man's tone carried faint disbelief. "Few reach this hall without first stepping into the Inner Sect. You may enter — but only the lower two floors."
Lin Xuan bowed slightly. "That will be enough."
As he stepped through, the runes along the gate flared and settled, recognizing his qi. The air changed. The world turned quiet.
Inside, rows upon rows of jade shelves stretched into infinity. Scrolls, crystal slips, and ancient tomes floated weightlessly, their bindings sealed by faint spiritual light.
It wasn't simply a library — it was a living formation. Each whisper of paper, each hum of energy carried intent.
The Omni-Talent System flickered softly in Lin Xuan's mind.
[Repository detected.][Scanning … matching affinities.][Results: 73 compatible techniques. 12 alchemy manuals. 5 formation theories.]
His lips curved faintly. "Then let's begin."
He stopped before a row marked with crimson seals — Pill Arts of the Azure Furnace Lineage.
As he touched the first jade slip, information poured into his mind — herbs, temperatures, cycles of qi, the delicate dance between control and chaos.
To most, it would take years to memorize even one method. To him, it was like breathing.
[Skill acquired: Basic Pill Condensation.][Auto-fusion with Firestorm Spear Affinity — compatibility 97%.][Result: Derivative Technique created — Firestorm Furnace Breath.]
Lin Xuan inhaled, feeling the faint surge of heat swirl through his dantian. His breath itself shimmered faintly, the warmth of alchemical fire laced with martial precision.
So that was alchemy — control not of elements, but of will.
Deeper within, he found another section — silent, cold, marked by arrays carved directly into the stone.
Formation manuals drifted in orbits of light, each one surrounded by glowing symbols that shifted like living puzzles.
As Lin Xuan reached toward one, the System warned:
[High difficulty. Cognitive overload risk detected.]
He smiled faintly. "Then I'll learn slower."
He pressed his palm against the floating scroll. The symbols pulsed — and suddenly he was standing in a vision of stars. Lines of light connected into endless geometric patterns, each pulsing with rhythm.
He saw paths of power flowing between mountains, rivers, men.
He saw the world as a living array.
When his consciousness returned, his hand trembled faintly, but his mind burned bright.
[Formation Fragment Acquired — "Celestial Pulse Diagram."][Understanding — 3%.]
Only 3% — but that 3% was enough to open a door.
Outside, the elders spoke quietly in the Pavilion.
"He's touched both Pill Arts and Formations in less than a week," Elder Qian muttered. "He's spreading himself thin."
Elder Ji's deep voice replied, "Or he's weaving threads we cannot see."
The silver-haired elder smiled faintly. "He reminds me of a flame seeking mirrors — to reflect, not consume."
Qian sneered. "And what happens when the flame burns too bright?"
Her gaze sharpened. "Then perhaps we'll see who's truly blind."
In the Outer Sect, word of Lin Xuan's access to the Repository spread quickly.
"He's learning alchemy now?""They say he touched formations too!""Isn't that arrogance?""Or destiny."
Some admired him. Others mocked.
But for the first time, the sect's discussions weren't just about his fights — they were about his path.
Even Meng Zhao's rumor network struggled to twist it, because awe and fear had begun to blend into something unshakable: faith.
At dusk, in his courtyard, Lin Xuan lit his first cauldron.
It was simple — copper, cracked at the rim, the kind most disciples discarded. But his hands moved with quiet precision.
Herbs floated in, their qi streams balanced by faint wind pressure he created through micro-adjustments of breath.
Wu Ming peeked over the wall. "Senior Brother! Something's burning!"
"It's supposed to."
"Are you sure? Because it smells like roasted—"
BOOM!
A puff of green smoke blasted out. Wu Ming fell backward coughing, while Li Mei calmly walked by holding a broom. "Again?"
Chen Yu sighed. "This is the third cauldron."
Lin Xuan opened the lid — a single imperfect pill rolled out, glowing faintly with emerald sheen.
"Not bad," he murmured.
The System pinged.[Skill Progression: Firestorm Furnace Breath — Stage 2.]
That night, he traced runes across the courtyard stones with powdered spirit ash.
Each stroke vibrated with energy, delicate and deliberate.
Wu Ming yawned. "Senior Brother, is this another explosion?"
"No," Lin Xuan replied. "This one bends sound."
He pressed his palm down. The courtyard fell silent — the world itself seemed to hush.
A drop of water hit the ground without a splash. Leaves moved without sound. Even breath became weightless.
Li Mei's eyes widened. "A silence formation."
Chen Yu whispered, awed. "He used ash and air, without a single sigil stone."
The Omni-Talent System pulsed.[Formation Understanding + 2%.][New Skill: Minor Sound-Veil Array.]
Later that night, frost drifted through the air — a sign that she had arrived before she was seen.
Yue Shuang stood at the gate, moonlight reflecting in her hair.
"You're difficult to ignore," she said softly.
Lin Xuan looked up from his formation. "So I've been told."
She stepped closer, studying the faint glowing symbols on the ground. "Alchemy and formations. Two paths. Both perilous."
"Both useful," he replied.
Her eyes lingered on him — a flicker of curiosity, perhaps admiration, warning. "You walk too many paths, Lin Xuan. Even the heavens favor focus."
He met her gaze. "Then let them watch me fail."
For a heartbeat, silence stretched — then she smiled, just slightly.
"Perhaps I will."
She turned, leaving frost footprints that melted as she walked away.
System Awakening
When she vanished, Lin Xuan sat beneath the pine once more.
The Omni-Talent System glowed softly.
[Integration Detected: Pill Arts + Formations + Combat Technique = Tri-Core Pattern Initiated.][New Evolution Quest: Forge the Emerald Flame Path.]
His pulse quickened—Emerald Flame — a phrase that resonated with something deep within him.
He exhaled slowly, watching a faint wisp of green-gold light rise from his palm — the first breath of a new destiny.
Far above, Meng Zhao stared into a scrying mirror, expression unreadable.
"He's branching into alchemy and formations both?"
His aide nodded. "Yes, Young Master. The elders are whispering he might become a dual-path cultivator."
Meng Zhao's lips curved. "Then I'll cut both roots before they grow."
He unrolled a sealed letter marked with a dark feather — a message bound for the Pavilion's shadows.
"Let's see how well your new path burns when drenched in blood, Lin Xuan."