Wen Ran clenched his teeth, barely breathing as he carefully balanced the fla's warmth. Sweat dripped down his face, yet he remained motionless, his fingers tense with focus. The night passed slowly, the moon hanging in the sky like a patient guardian. Finally, as morning light trickled into the cave, the Lotus shimred brilliantly — its petals glowing with dazzling crystal hues.
"It's ready," Xiao Lingyun rasped. "Now… the Frozen Heart Ginseng... grind it fine."
Wen Ran crushed the brittle root with swift, practiced movents, reducing it to a powder.
"Slowly sprinkle it in..." Xiao Lingyun instructed. "Steady your fla... the ginseng will cool the cauldron and stabilize the Lotus's energy."
As Wen Ran added the powder, the cauldron's mist thickened. His fla flickered violently — the chill gnawed at it like a starving beast.
"Don't lose control!" Xiao Lingyun barked, sensing the flicker. "Balance it!"
Focus... Wen Ran gritted his teeth, forcing the fla to stabilize. His body trembled slightly, yet he kept the fire's warmth steady, ensuring the energies didn't clash.
"Now the Voidshade Crystal..." Xiao Lingyun's voice wavered. "This will be the hardest part."
Wen Ran retrieved the jagged, black crystal from the pouch — its faint pulse resembled a corrupted heartbeat.
"Grind it into dust," Xiao Lingyun warned. "And sprinkle it slowly... too fast and the energies will reject each other."
Grinding the crystal was exhausting. His fingers throbbed, but he refused to stop. Bit by bit, he scattered the fine black powder into the cauldron.
The mist twisted violently, dark tendrils churning like a living storm. Sparks crackled from the vortex — unstable, unpredictable.
"Now the Azure Spirit Vine!" Xiao Lingyun's voice broke with urgency.
Wen Ran grabbed the vine — its tendrils curled like serpents. He shredded it swiftly and tossed it into the cauldron. The energy wove through the chaotic mist, stabilizing the vortex into a calr swirl.
"We're close," Xiao Lingyun muttered. "Now... the Misty Wraith Essence. This step... will decide everything."
Wen Ran nodded grimly, retrieving the vial — a swirling liquid so cold that frost coated his fingers.
"You can't make a mistake," Xiao Lingyun warned. "One drop at a ti... stop when the mist solidifies."
There's no turning back now… Wen Ran tilted the vial.
Drip...
The mist quivered violently.
Drip...
The swirling black mass tightened, curling in on itself.
Drip...
The mist collapsed inward, forming a molten black sphere no larger than his palm.
"Now mold it!" Xiao Lingyun gasped.
Wen Ran shot forward, thrusting his hands — cloaked in fire — directly into the unstable energy. The molten mass burned his fingers, yet he ignored the searing pain. His flas danced over the substance, hardening it into small, marble-like pills.
"Almost…" Xiao Lingyun whispered, his voice barely audible. "Now seal them... carefully…"
Wen Ran compressed his fla into a faint ember. With deliberate care, he circled the pills with the weak fire, encasing each one in a thin frost-like shell to preserve its potency.
Finally, his fla flickered out. Wen Ran staggered back, panting heavily.
"I… I did it…" he muttered. His vision blurred as he scooped the marble-like pills into a jade bottle.
"Hahaha—! Cough! Cough!" The old man's laughter ca out as a strained rasp, his breath thin and labored, yet his eyes glead with pride. "That's my disciple! To think you'd pull off sothing so extre..."
Despite his weakened state, Xiao Lingyun couldn't hide his admiration. Even if these pills couldn't fully save him, he knew that Wen Ran's potential had reached far beyond what he had ever imagined. This stubborn brat… after all the failures, the wasted herbs, and the constant disasters that left his precious furnace blackened and burned… this kid had found his path — one forged through trial, error, and relentless determination.
That's how true experts are made, Xiao Lingyun thought. That's what makes him special…
"Now, eat this — fast!" Wen Ran urged, pressing a pill against his master's lips.
"I-I... D-don't rush !" Xiao Lingyun tried to resist, but Wen Ran wasn't having it. With firm fingers, he forced the pill into his master's mouth.
Xiao Lingyun let out a weak grunt, swallowing reluctantly.
The mont the pill slid down his throat, a chilling energy surged through his body like an icy river coursing through dry earth. The cold wrapped around his very soul, flowing directly into the cracks — the countless fractures in his spirit that resembled spiderwebs stretched across glass.
The soothing chill lingered, stitching those fragnted pieces together, slowly weaving the broken pieces of his core into sothing whole. Yet this was only the beginning. The pill's power would hold for a full day, stabilizing his damaged soul, but the healing process would take far longer. He would need to consu the remaining pills gradually, refining their energy bit by bit, until his body was whole again.
Now it's a gamble, Xiao Lingyun mused, his expression hardening. I'll either remain a cripple… or I'll rise from the ashes like a phoenix and erge even stronger.
His fingers twitched, and his breathing steadied just slightly. A surge of faint excitent flickered through his mind — a rare feeling that hadn't stirred in him for years.
While I was in the Heavenly Ascension stage... I felt it. The laws… the path… It's still there. It's within reach… This might be my chance… If Wen Ran can craft a pill powerful enough to push my cultivation higher, I could step directly into that realm. I could beco the strongest cultivator in this hidden realm…
He could already see it — a future where power coursed through his veins again, a future where no enemy would dare challenge him.
And it was all thanks to Wen Ran — this little demon with a thirst for blood, yet sohow, a heart far more human than anyone Xiao Lingyun had ever t.
He may love slaughter... but I know he's capable of so much more… Xiao Lingyun's tired eyes softened, his gaze lingering on his disciple for just a mont longer before sleep finally claid him.
Wen Ran, still watching over his master, sighed deeply and shook his head. "Don't get any ideas, old man," he muttered. "I didn't save you so you could act like a big shot again…"
He leaned back against the cold stone wall, closing his eyes. His body ached, his mind throbbed, and his heart carried a weight that even the strongest cultivator couldn't bear alone.
But for now, at least, he had done enough.
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