Li Feng stared at the glowing screen hovering before him.
[Choose One Free Beginner Talent]
He didn’t hesitate for long. Talisman crafting, formation, artifact refining , all valuable in their own right. But they weren’t what he needed.
He selected:
[Alchemy –Rank 1]
Warmth surged through his chest. Instantly, knowledge began to bloom in his mind. Nas of herbs, the scent of spirit roots, the structure of pill furnaces, the order of fla refinent. He hadn’t learned this through study it was being directly imprinted onto his soul.
He exhaled slowly, muttering,
"Pills and spirit stones... if you have enough of both, even Nascent Soul cultivators will look twice."
A quick glance at the system’s nu showed:
[Alchemy Talent: Rank 1]
Can refine Rank 1 pills suitable for Qi Refining cultivators.
Upgrade to Rank 2: 100 Favor Points
One Hundred?
"So that’s the cost of climbing the ladder."
Alchemy talent was split into four tiers — Rank 1 through Rank 4. Rank 1 let him make Qi Refining pills like Qi Convergence or Vitality Restoration. But Rank 2... that opened the door to pills used by Foundation Establishnt cultivators far rarer, far more profitable. And so on with rank 3 and 4 but it still too far for the current Li Feng.
"No point being a phoenix while I’m still in a chicken coop. The nail that sticks out gets hamred. And right now, I have no hamr to swing back."
Besides, he had no ingredients for higher-level pills anyway.
--
Outer Sect Alchemy Hall
He made his way across the sect grounds, eventually arriving at the Outer Sect Alchemy Hall a long, sandstone building tucked behind spirit herb gardens. The scent of burnt grass and bitter root hung in the air.
Inside, shelves of manuals, jars, and tools filled the room. Behind a worn counter sat an elder with a trimd gray beard and deep crow’s feet at his eyes. He was half-dozing, but opened one eye as Li Feng stepped closer.
That one eye lingered.
"...You," the old man grunted. "Didn’t you buy your way into the sect thirty years ago?"
Li Feng gave a respectful bow. "That’s right, Elder."
The man’s eye narrowed further. "Still stuck in Qi Refining third realm?"
"...Also right."
There was a silence.
Then the elder sighed and pulled himself upright. "You’re not the first old fool to try his luck at alchemy, thinking pills will solve what decades of failure couldn’t."
"I’m aware," Li Feng said calmly. "But I’d like to try anyway."
A resigned grunt. The elder shuffled behind the counter, bringing out a few items — a bronze pill furnace, 10 sets of Qi Convergence herbs, and a manual for Qi Convergence Pills.
The total ca to 100 spirit stones.
Before handing them over, the elder added a slim jade slip to the pile.
"Fla control techniques. Free. Better you don’t blow yourself up."
Li Feng accepted everything with a deep bow. "Thank you."
The elder didn’t respond. He just waved him off.
"Alchemy’s not cheap. You fail one batch, you will lose so investnt. You fail all 10 ? That’s a hundred spirit stones down the drain."
Li Feng smiled faintly.
"Then I’ll just have to succeed."
--
Outside the Outer Sect Alchemy Hall
He stepped out into the bright path leading back toward his residence.
And then he saw her.
Yue Lan.
That silver robe, hugging her figure like snow draped over the curve of a jade statue. Her long black hair fluttered in the breeze, and her golden eyes glanced ahead with distant purpose. She walked with grace , not just feminine, but cultivator’s grace, sharp and balanced. Every step felt deliberate, as if she walked toward her next breakthrough.
Even from a distance, disciples turned their heads.
So whispered.
So stared openly.
None dared speak to her.
She was ice.
A cold flower growing in the cracks of this stone sect.
But instead of admiring like the other disciple , Li Feng’s gaze lingered a little too long on her peach as it shifted beneath the robe’s hem.
But then, Yue Lan glanced his way.
Their eyes t , for just a mont.
And then she turned away. Kept walking. Pretended not to know him.
Li Feng wasn’t offended.
He wasn’t surprised either.
"Last night was a transaction," he murmured to himself. "Nothing more."
But even as he told himself that, he grinned a little.
"If one night isn’t enough... I’ll just do it ten tis. And if ten tis isn’t enough, then a hundred."
His confidence wasn’t just baseless lust anymore. It was backed by sothing real now.
A system.
A system that rewarded him for giving and earning favor.
A system that would make even cold jade lt, if given ti.
Still, his steps slowed as he neared the small path back to his hut. He couldn’t afford to act recklessly. Even with a system, he was still weak. He still looked like a slightly overweight middle-aged man with no future.
And in this world, weakness invited death.
"Laying low is the best choice , and it not so bad if I got a fairy to accompany " Li Feng chuckle and look like a lecherous old man right now.
With that thought, he tightened his grip on the furnace and manual, and slipped into his hut.
User Comments
0 comments from readers