The workshop was silent. The apprentices stared, their minds blown by Master Feng's breakthrough. Li Xuan looked at the crowd of gawking faces and felt a familiar wave of annoyance.
"Get out," he said, his voice quiet but sharp. "All of you. Only Feng and Lu Wen stay."
The command was absolute. The apprentices, led by a pale-faced Chen, practically tripped over themselves to leave, not daring to make a sound. Master Feng closed the door, and the room was finally quiet.
Li Xuan looked at the old alchemist, who was still glowing with a faint aura from his advancement. "You just broke through. Your rank is unstable. You need to go into seclusion and stabilize it."
Lu Wen nodded, his face full of worry. "Master Li is right, Master! You must rest!"
Feng just shook his head, a wild, fanatical look in his eyes. "No! Master, a chance to watch you work, to assist you… this is a greater fortune than a thousand years of meditation! My foundation will be forged in the fire of your techniques, not in some quiet room! Please, let me help!"
Li Xuan studied the old man for a moment. 'This old fool's fanaticism is... useful.'
"Fine," he said, his tone bored. He gestured to his own body. "My meridians are a mess. I can't channel the Qi for this myself. You will be my hands. I will tell you what to do. You will do it. No questions. No hesitation. Got it?"
"Yes, Master!" Feng said, bowing deeply, his face flush with excitement.
"Good," Li Xuan said. "Bring me your best cauldron."
Feng practically sprinted to the back of the workshop and returned with a heavy, dark bronze cauldron, placing it on the alchemy station like an offering.
The refinement began.
"Fire," Li Xuan commanded. "Cool flame."
Feng obeyed, channeling his new Rank 3 Qi to produce a low, gentle flame.
"Sunstone Powder. Drop it in," Li Xuan ordered. "Wait three breaths. Now, Eagle-Eye Fern dew. Circle the rim, counter-clockwise."
Lu Wen watched, his heart pounding. The steps were insane. Every textbook he'd ever read screamed that this should explode. But Feng followed every command with the blind faith of a zealot. He could feel the energies in the cauldron, which should have been clashing, instead weaving together under the boy's strange guidance.
"The Silvermoon Moss," Li Xuan's voice cut in. "Don't drop it. Let its essence be drawn down by the warmth."
'Fucking mortals,' Li Xuan thought as Feng struggled for a moment to get it right. 'Always have to fight everything. Just let the energies do what they want to do.'
"Now, the Starlight Petal," he commanded. "And now, Feng… all of your Qi. Crush it."
Feng roared, unleashing the full power of his new rank. A brilliant silver light erupted from the cauldron. When it faded, two small, silver-white pills rested at the bottom.
Feng, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat, retrieved them. "Master… what are they?"
"Lesser Starlight Vision Pill," Li Xuan said dismissively. "Heals the eyes. A simple restorative."
Simple. The word hung in the air. Lu Wen looked at the boy and could only wonder. 'Who is this kid? He must be from some monster clan, right? Or maybe some old grandmaster in disguise?' He knew better than to ask.
Feng, already recovered, threw open the workshop door. "From this day forward," he announced to the waiting apprentices, "Master Li Xuan is the highest authority in this association! His orders are my orders!"
He then turned back and arranged for Li Xuan to be taken to the best room in the building—the suite on the top floor.
Li Xuan walked into the opulent room, with its soft bed and a balcony overlooking the entire town. He ignored it all. He sat in the middle of the floor, crossed his legs, and took one of the pills from the jade box.
The moment he swallowed it, pain.
White-hot, like a thousand needles stabbing into his eyes, again and again. He gritted his teeth, his body going rigid, refusing to make a sound. He could feel the energy scouring away the damage, rebuilding the nerves, clearing the filth. It went on for what felt like an eternity. Three full hours of non-stop, agonizing pain.
Then, it stopped.
A cool, soothing feeling washed over him. He felt… repaired.
Slowly, Li Xuan opened his eyes.
The world, for the first time since his rebirth, was perfectly, beautifully clear. He saw the dust motes dancing in the sun. He saw the cracks in his own small hands. He saw the distant mountains, every peak and valley sharp against the blue sky.
He smiled. A cold, sharp, and truly dangerous smile.
'Good,' he thought, his gaze sweeping over the continent that lay before him.
'Now, the real work begins.'