(Liang Yu's POV)
Morning broke gently over the mountains, its first light seeping through the moss-veiled mouth of the cave. Soft particles of dust shimmered in the golden air, dancing in rhythm with the faint hum of mana. Beneath that tranquil glow, Yu sat cross-legged upon a woven mat, the inheritance slip resting in his palm—its faint jade luminescence pulsing in harmony with his cyan wood mana.
Feng Lian stood nearby, one hand resting lightly upon the stone wall, silent and watchful. His expression, though composed, carried a rare softness. The children slumbered beneath a light mana veil, peaceful and unaware that history—long buried—was stirring anew in this quiet cavern.
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Lian's voice broke the stillness, low and measured. "This process is one of spirit imprinting. The jade slip holds the memory of an ancient soul. To receive it, you must open your divine sense to its spiritual consciousness. Do not resist its flow—inheritance acknowledges the strength of one's will, not the purity of one's bloodline."
Yu's heartbeat quickened, his fingers trembling slightly. The ambient mana here was thin, almost fragile; any mistake could cause spiritual backlash. Yet, when he steadied his breath, the pulse of his wood-aligned energy began to resonate with the jade.
Gentle, pure, and alive—his cyan mana twined with the slip's dormant essence like roots embracing the soil.
A whisper of warmth stirred in the air, faint runes flickering across Yu's skin.
Lian's gaze deepened, admiration hidden in restraint. "Good… steady now. Let it enter your consciousness, not your meridians."
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Yu inhaled, drawing the flow inward.
A pulse of light—then darkness, then visions cascading through his mind like a storm: towering cauldrons of flame, fields of radiant herbs, hands that transmuted essence into golden elixirs. Ancient chants echoed: "Fire refines, Earth bears, Wood heals."
Pain flashed sharp behind his eyes. The sheer depth of knowledge pressed against his soul—alchemy formulas, pill refinement diagrams, and methods to control spiritual flames. It was like trying to drink the ocean.
A firm hand caught his shoulder, anchoring him to the present. Lian's mana flowed subtly, tempering the wild surge.
When Yu's consciousness returned, the slip's glow had dimmed, its essence spent. Sweat slicked his brow, but his eyes burned brighter—clearer than ever.
"You succeeded," Lian murmured. "The spirit imprint is complete. You now carry the legacy within your spiritual realm."
Yu exhaled shakily, the corners of his lips curving upward. "It… feels vast. Like a whole new world opened inside me."
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(Preparation for Seclusion)
Resources were scarce. The Eastern Continent's mana veil was thin, spiritual herbs rare and low in potency. Yet Lian, meticulous as always, prepared what they had.
A small pile of Spirit Moss gleamed faintly with gentle vitality.
Low-Green Root, gnarled but pulsing faintly with life essence, rested beside Dew Petals, whose translucent sheen calmed the flow of chaotic mana.
"These will do," Lian said. His hands moved swiftly, crafting a crude but steady tri-rune spiritual array using old beast bones and wood talismans carved with stabilizing runes. The formation would stabilise Yu's spirit and protect him from the fluctuations of thin ambient mana.
"Even humble soil can nurture divine seeds," Lian said softly as he placed the last talisman. "It is not the material that limits one's creation—but the cultivator's heart."
Yu smiled faintly, eyes warm. "Then I'll make this humble soil bloom."
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In the inner chamber, Yu seated himself cross-legged within the array. He closed his eyes, the steady rhythm of his breathing blending with the hum of gathered mana.
Lian traced his fingers in the air, weaving a light formation to seal the entrance. "I'll be nearby, guarding the path. Focus on your divine sense. Let the inheritance guide you."
Through the thin veil of formation light, Yu's lips curved gently. "I feel it," he whispered.
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(The Alchemical First Step)
Within the quiet of his spiritual sea, Yu found himself standing in a realm unlike any he had known. It was a luminous garden, endless and tranquil, where phantom herbs swayed in unseen wind. Their scents carried memories—knowledge left by the ancient alchemist who had once owned the inheritance.
He walked among them, absorbing the subtle harmony of life and flame. Diagrams floated through the air—pill refinement circles, lists of spiritual attributes, and the secrets of balancing yin and yang through fire.
He began small.
Gathering the materials from reality—Spirit Moss, Low-Green Root, and Dew Petals—Yu channeled his cyan wood mana, kindling a small spiritual flame in his palm use the method he learned. The fire glowed soft green-blue, alive and trembling like a sprout breaking through soil.
"The art of alchemy…" Yu thought, eyes reflecting the flame. "It is the act of creating life from essence. Of shaping healing from pain. Of refining the heart itself."
And suddenly his thoughts drifted to the joke he read in a novel which says --"So, alchemy can create money, huh? 🤑 Sounds like a path to untold riches... until I remember it costs more spirit stones than my master's darned elixir recipe. Great, just what I needed—another way to empty my purse and test my patience!" ---- shit focus, focus Yu baby or you will turn the potion into ashes.
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The herbs dissolved one by one, releasing faint threads of essence that danced with the flame. The first attempt failed—too much heat. The second fizzled—too little spirit infusion.
On the third attempt, the mixture shimmered, the air filling with the faint scent of spring rain.
When the flame dimmed, a small vial of translucent liquid floated before him—Refining Liquid, the foundational elixir used to stabilize medicinal properties.
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Time pass and dawn light spilled into the cave as the seal dissolved.
Yu stepped out, tired yet radiant, clutching the tiny vial between his palms. His cyan eyes glimmered faintly under the morning glow.
Feng Lian was waiting with the children at his side, arms crossed yet unable to hide his pride.
Yu smiled softly. "Lian… it worked."
For a rare moment, Lian's composed expression broke into a genuine smile. "Then your Alchemy journey has truly begun."
The two shared a long look—pride, relief, and a quiet understanding that words could never contain.
In that dawn light, beneath the mountain's silent witness, the first seed of creation had sprouted within Yu's soul.
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